Page 116 of Bellamy

“Raiden stayed by Titan’s side the whole time,” Castor added. “He didn’t want to leave him.”

“Are they mates?” I asked.

“Not even Raiden knows the answer to that,” Alastair responded. “But with five of us having found our mates already, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were. I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“Wouldn’t they have known as soon as they met though?” I focused on Titan as I asked the question. He was still staring, but he hadn’t made any attempt to approach Raiden.

“Not always,” Castor said. “This fated mate shit is different for everyone. For me and Kyo, it felt like intense lust at first. I couldn’t keep my hands off him.” He then nodded to Daman and Warrin, who stood with Lev, Kyo, and Daichi. “It was love at first sight for Warrin. Daman took longer to realize it, but that’s ’cause he’s a stubborn little hoe.”

“With me and Phoenix, it didn’t trigger until I almost killed him.” Bellamy dropped a kiss to my neck.

“See? Random as shit,” Castor flashed Alastair a lop-sided grin. “Brace yourself, Al. If Ray and Titanaremates, it’s only a matter of time before it’s your turn.”

“No, thanks.” Alastair finished off his wine. “I have no desire for a mate.”

“Yeah….” Castor put an arm around his shoulders. “Fate doesn’t give a fuck what you want.”

“I’m turning in for the night.” Alastair shrugged Castor’s arm off him. “Lazarus will be here at dawn with his warriors. So do try to getsomesleep tonight.”

“Yes, Daddy.” Bellamy grinned.

Other warriors began turning in as well. Tents had been set up since the mansion wasn’t big enough to house all of them, but they didn’t seem to mind. The weather wasn’t too hot or cold, and with the sea so close, the sound of the waves softly crashing in the distance, it wasn’t the worst place to sleep for the night.

“Hey, demon,” Baxter called out as he approached. The swagger as he walked, combined with that cocky curve to his lips, told me all I needed to know about him as a person. No wonder he and Bellamy had hit it off once upon a time.

“Yes?”

He stopped in front of me. “Sorry, I guess, for taunting you earlier about fucking your mate.”

“Sorry… you guess?”

“Well, I don’t like you. But I respect Bellamy, so I’m trying to be nice.”

“How generous of you,” I muttered.

“Can you blame me? I want to bash your face in something fierce. I lost people I cared about when your army attacked us on that beach.” Baxter exhaled and ruffled the side of his pink-and-black hair. “I’m not the only one pissed. Sirena wants to drive a spear through your eye socket. Just so you know.”

I looked over at Sirena. She stood talking to Clara. The Nephilim female towered over the witch and smiled a bit as she reached forward to catch a flyaway strand of Clara’s hair. Flirtation was definitely happening.

Good. That meant she was too distracted to… nope. As if sensing my attention on her, Sirena glared over at me. So much for that.

“Alastair says we can trust you,” Baxter said, his words taking me by surprise. I hadn’t known Alastair felt that way. “So despite me hating your fucking guts, I’m gonna try to trust you too. Especially since we’re going to be fighting together tomorrow.”

“Phoenix won’t be joining us.” Bellamy rested his hand on my lower back.

“What?” I asked. “That’s the first I’m hearing of this.”

“You were stabbed practically in the heart not even a week ago.” Bellamy’s gaze hardened as it fell on me. “You’re not strong enough yet to fight.”

“Yes I am.”

“No. You’re not. And worrying about you during the battle will only distract me.”

“I’m a liability now?” I turned to face him.

“I never said that.”

“You literally just fucking said it, Bellamy.” Both hurt and anger churned inside me. “Are you going to tell Castor he can’t fight either? He was stabbed in the stomach. He’s about as healed as I am.”