Page 34 of Hell Fae Commander

Constantine was an abomination-hating tyrant. Typhos was very much his opposite. Although, he could act as a tyrant in other ways. However, that wasn’t the point of this discussion.

“Our actions tonight reminded Ajax of his past. He feels betrayed. And now he’s reacting to that perceived betrayal.”

Rather than elaborate further, I allowed him to hear my memory of Ajax’s words from earlier, how he’d told me he’d never forgive me for my part in Typhos’s punishment.

“Constantine once held me captive beneath a spell. Forced me to watch all those I cared about lose their will to live just before he cemented them in stone.”

His dark eyes had glittered with pain as he’d looked up at me, the weight of his agony having settled heavily on my shoulders.

“Now you’re forcing me to observe Cami lose her fight. She may not be my mate, or my family, but she’s the first woman to make me feel anything more than death in the last decade. And you are forcing me to watch her suffer. Tying me down. Making me powerless. Just like Constantine.”

I’d winced.“Ajax.”

“No,”he’d bit out, refusing to let me speak.“This is wrong. I’ll never forgive you for this.”

And he’d continued upholding that vow in this room when he’d refused to talk to me for hours, something I mentally shared with Typhos now.

When Ajax had finally started to speak to me, it hadn’t been any better.

“He’s furious,” I summarized softly. “But more than that, he’s hurt. And if I go after him right now, it won’t end well for any of us.”

We’d fight, which would usually lead to sex. However, that wouldn’t happen this time.

“I’ve never seen him this upset,” I added. “We reminded him of an experience that nearly broke him.”

“Only this time, he was able to save the girl,” Melek interjected thoughtfully. “So he did.”

Yes,I thought.Yes, he did.

My bird bristled once more, irritated thatwehadn’t saved her. Thatwehad been the ones Ajax had sought to save Cami from.

It felt wrong.

Cruel, even.

She’s not ours,I kept telling him.

But the damn Phoenix didn’t want to listen. He was convinced that he’d finally found a worthy mate. One that could truly beours.

Unlike the Hell Fae King before me.

He was mine in spirit. My best friend. A being I respected and loved in a brotherly type of way.

But he wasn’tmine.

He belonged to Melek.

And Ajax belongs to me,I thought.

Sort of, anyway. Our dynamic was unique, to say the least.

Now our dynamic was forever altered because of Cami. Unless I could somehow fix this.

Fuck.I ran a hand over my face as I took a step away from Typhos. “I can’thuntthem right now,” I muttered, allowing Typhos to hear the frustration in my voice and in my mind. “But I promise totrackthem after I…” I trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

After I tamed my bird?

After I figured out what to say?