Sophie reached for him again, but Piers avoided her. The look on his face said he was toxic, and she’d better stay away or get contaminated. She wasn’t having it. She planted herself in front of him and stopped him with both hands on his chest. His torso shuddered. “Tell me. What happened.”

His face twisted. But instead of shrugging her off, he stayed where he was and put his hands over hers, holding them. “I never liked Cat. She’s hot-headed, a know-it-all, and always needs to be the center of attention. I could deal with all that. I mean, she wasn’t my fated woman, so I was just going to grin and bear it for Griffin’s sake, but then she started dragging my family—my friends, too—into extraordinarily dangerous situations. Quests nearly to Mount Olympus. Arena games to the death. Trying to overthrow enemy royals in their own throne room.” His mouth went flat. “My sister Jocasta ended up in the middle of it. My brother Carver almost died. Griffin was in constant danger…”

“So, you thought if Cat was out of the picture, all that would stop?”

He nodded. “But it wasn’t her. It was Griffin. Cat was the weapon—and the emblem. But he was the driving force. That was the partnership the gods decided for them. Griffin pushed Cat toward her destiny. I didn’t see it until that last moment. Never truly saw her… or her worth.”

Softly, Sophie asked, “Do you regret what you did?”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “More than you can imagine.”

She tried not to let his words cut like a knife. This wasn’t about her. Piers could never say he was sorry to his brother. Never make amends with Cat. Never see his little niece or nephew. Never see his family again. “I’m so sorry.” She leaned into him, offering her arms as comfort.

“You’re not to blame. I am.”

Throat thick, she said, “That doesn’t mean my heart can’t ache for you.”

Piers wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Thank you.”

As they stood there, Sophie wondered if Piers really believed in fated mates, and if things like that really happened. Because that would explain how she’d fallen in love with him so quickly. A lightning-bolt attraction—no pun intended—and the unusual situation probably made everything more intense, but somehow, she knew. Piers was it for her.

“There is some good news,” he murmured. “What I did to get exiled? It was a summoning chant. I know how to call an Olympian. I can compel Athena to us here, right now. That must be why she pushed us together.”