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Jagr snorted "Meddling mother hen"

"At least you know he cares"

"He could care without sticking his nose in s that could rip through steel

"Perhaps, but it would not be nearly so , then with effort, he gave a shake of his head

"No, I will not be distracted," he warned "Tell me the truth of why I was sent to Hannibal"

Styx silently toyed with thejust howto share

"It was in part because of your co humans, as well as your skills as a warrior," he said, at last

"And the other part?"

"I knew that you were the one person ould be able to syr flinched "Because I’ve been tortured?"

"Yes," Styx ady "You better than anyone could understand the da her years of captivity, and offer patience while she struggled to corih I’ll admit I didn’t anticipate quite sobeen needed not for his strength, but for his weakness, stirred Jagr’s te your pardon?"

Styx blandly ignored the danger prickling in the air "I assu Regan directly to Chicago I didn’t consider the possibility that you would actually encourage her dangerous lust for vengeance"

"I didn’t encourage her," Jagr snapped

"No?"

The air dropped another ten degrees "She’s young, but she’s capable ofher own decisions In fact, she insists on it"

Styx grunted, his expression rueful "That I believe Any relation of Darcy is bound to have a mind of her own, and a stubborn streak a ile woman curled on the bed "She’s as obstinate as an emula demon, with the temper of a hellhound"

"Even more reason to return her to her faether Da dean, and he wouldn’t change a thing

"If you wanted me to treat her as my prisoner, then you should have told me," he said coldly "As I recall, I arned to treat her with kid gloves"

Perhaps sensing he’d pressed as far as he dared, Styx shrugged "True enough, and as the fa as there are no unexpected coh to be r’s scowl only deepened, his heart feeling as if it were being crushed in a ruthless vise

So this was it?

This was hoas all to end?

Gods

"Are you so certain she wants to be olden eyes hardened with determination "It will take two or three days before she is back to full strength Until then she needs the protection my lair can provide Besides, Darcy will castrate an back to health"

"And Reganher into a family reunion she doesn’t want"

"It would seem I’m in a no-win situation, not an unusual place for a , Styx reached out to place a cor, ill take good care of your wounded fe off his coed pain behind a stoic mask

He’d been alone for centuries

What were a few more isolated, forlorn, miserable years?

"Have you heard froed the subject

"No" Styx allowed a hint of fang to show "The da that I’m the Anasso"

"I can remind him if you’d like"

The Anasso stilled, his expression unreadable "You?"