“He doesn’t think he should be happy or have anything good in life,” I told her, and maybe I shouldn’t have said any of that, but I wasn’t sure if Alex really got the kind of place Seth had been existing in, what he was living. “Some of it has to do with what he had to do. After what went down with Ares, the gods used him to hunt down and kill those who sided with Ares. He was basically their assassin.”

Alex’s lips parted. “I . . . I really didn’t know that.”

“And I know all about the things he did when he was working with Ares. He hasn’t forgiven himself for that. Not that some of those things he’d done or been a party to even warrant forgiveness, but he . . . he’s stuck, and it’s not right,” I said, stopping when she came to the edge and peered down at me. “I know there are things you probably will never be able to either forgive him for or forget about.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Sometimes I’ve completely forgiven him. Other times I still want to punch him.”

“Understandable.” I met her gaze.

Several moments passed and then Alex turned her gaze to the sky. Her shoulders rose. “I worry about him.”

“You—”

“I worry about what he’s capable of,” she added, and I tensed. “I know that’s not something you want to hear and please know it’s not . . . it’s not coming from a bad place. Seth is . . . he gave up everything to make sure Aiden and I had forever. There is good in him, so much good, but . . .”

I thought about what Medusa had said. “But what?”

Her lashes lowered, shielding her eyes. “There is so much darkness in him.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But he can find the light.”

Alex said nothing.

“He deserves a real life,” I insisted. “He deserves a second chance.”

“Agreed.” She jumped off the ledge, landing nimbly beside me. “I mean, Seth has issues, but he deserves happiness. He really does.”

“I’m going to make sure he has that,” I told her, and I wanted to scream it from the mountaintops.

Alex’s eyes widened as she stared at me. “That’s pretty hardcore.”

I shrugged. “It’s true.”

There was a pause. “You love him, don’t you?”

There was no hesitation. “I’m in love with him.”

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

With a hammering heart, I tried to hold still, to do exactly what Seth had ordered me to do, but this was pure torture.

Blissful, crazy, delicious torture.

Seth’s calloused palms glided up my inner thighs and around to grip my rear. I stared at the top of his bowed head. Part of me couldn’t get over the fact that he was on his knees in front of me.