Warriors of Poseidon 03 - Atlantis Unleashed

pale face and, only for an instant, the searing heat of some powerful emotion burned in her gaze. Then she lowered her lashes and turned her head away from him. “Thank you again. I‟m healed now; you can put me down.”
    He‟d faced trial by fire with less reluctance than he did the act of releasing her. Every stolen moment, every purloined touch, was one he stored against the day—against the century—when he faced the nights alone, after her mortal life was long over.
    The moment her feet touched the ground she stepped back and away from him, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. As she stared at the ground, he took the opportunity to drink in the sight of her. As always, he was slightly surprised that his heart had chosen her as his destined mate. He‟d always thought some regal and serene beauty would eventually catch him in the grasp of his one great unrequited love.
    But Quinn . . . was Quinn. She‟d never known a day of serenity in her adult life, and as to her appearance? She was thinner than ever, all hard lines and angles, as if the battles of the rebellion drained not only her energy but her substance. Her short dark hair still looked like she cut it with the blade she kept in her pocket, and her clothes were ragged and threadbare, probably scrounged from some bin of discarded items.
    By all the gods, she was beautiful.
    It was the force of her personality, a fervor and charisma that shone out at him with all the strength and glory and brightness of her soul. Her soul called to his so powerfully that she was a beacon in the darkness of his existence.
    Finally, she looked up at him and met his gaze, and she gasped. He knew what must be visible on his face and therefore did not try to deny it. “You know,” he rasped out. “You have always known, and you will always know that I am yours, and yet never can be. I am the most powerful high priest Poseidon has ever appointed, and yet I am too weak to hide the depths of my feelings for you.”
    He dropped to one knee before her and bowed his head. “Denounce me if you must, but I can no longer hide from this need I have to see you. To touch you. I will keep my distance as much as I am able to do so, but please allow me these brief glimpses of what I can never have.”
    Quinn made a strangled sound somewhere between laughter and a sob, and fell to her knees in front of him. “If only life were a fairy tale, then I could be your princess to rescue. I look into your eyes, and see the happy ending that I will never, ever deserve. The pain of seeing you can‟t be any worse than the pain of lying in my cold, empty bed, night after night.
    Longing for you. Wanting you. Needing you.”
    She lifted a hand to touch his cheek, but stopped with her fingers mere inches away from his skin. “Even now, when I should check on Jack and Denal, my mind and heart are filled with you. You override my duty, and you override my common sense.”
    Alaric knew the same was true for him, but he was far beyond caring. “And you are the emotion that brings music and light to my world, and an anguish almost beyond bearing to my heart.”
    In the corner, Jack stirred, and the motion broke the trance they‟d fallen into, staring into the secrets of each other‟s eyes.
    “I would give a century of my life for a single taste of your lips, but I will not defile the memory of your kiss with these surroundings.”
    She leaned in toward him, staring at his mouth, and for a moment all thought of honor fled and he didn‟t give a damn about Denal or Jack or that they were surrounded by the remains of dead vampires. He wanted her more than he wanted his next breath.
    But Denal murmured some small pained sound and Quinn blinked, then glanced over at Denal and leaned back. Oceans of regret filled her expression, but she pressed her lips together and stood, careful not to touch Alaric.
    As if one touch would ignite the flames ready to leap into a conflagration between them.
    He had no doubt that it might.
    He, too, stood and moved toward Jack and Denal, relieved that they were both alive.
    Ashamed that he hadn‟t made certain of that fact earlier.
    Devastated at the loss of her nearness.
    As he called the energy of Poseidon to heal Denal and the tiger shifter, he also sent up a silent plea for the strength to resist the overwhelming desires of his very soul.
    Then tried to pretend he didn‟t hear the god‟s mocking laughter.

Chapter 30
    Northeastern Guatemala, the