Warriors of Poseidon 06 - Atlantis Betrayed

happy ending than Fiona’s tale. A mere mortal wasn’t meant to love a goddess, and Fiona shone brighter than any mere moon. She was brilliant and brave beyond anything he had ever seen in a human. She’d faced down Lucinda’s threat with a smile and an offer of her own.
    She was incredible.
    He could never deserve her.
    “Don’t wait too long before claiming that one for your own,” Evan said from behind him. “She is a treasure, is she not?”
    Christophe turned to find the alpha’s mate, his nose healed and his face cleaned of blood, leaning against the bar next to him. Evan raised his mug to Christophe in a wry toast.
    “Truce?”
    Christophe nodded and raised his own mug. “Truce. Although it would have been a far different story if you’d hurt her.”
    Evan shrugged. “No need for posturing now. The crisis is past. Our two alpha females worked out their own balance, I think.”
    Christophe nodded, his gaze returning to Fiona, who was gesturing animatedly with her hands as she told of the warrior’s fearsome jealousy.
    “It is not always easy to fall in love with the brightest star in the firmament. I know this.” Evan nodded to Lucinda, who sat with her daughter, both of them clearly enraptured with the story. “I had to kill three challengers for her hand before I won her.”
    “Things are different outside the Pack,” Christophe said.
    “Yes, and no. You feel you are not worthy of her, I think,” Evan said shrewdly. “Get over it, before she believes it, too.”
    “You always talk to strangers about their love lives?” Christophe drew another long pull on his ale before putting it down. “Bit presumptuous, don’t you think?”
    Evan smiled. “I am Spanish, my friend. Nothing in the world is as important as love.”
    He walked off to join his mate at the table, leaving Christophe staring after him in astonishment. First the man tries to kill him, then he gives him advice on his love life. Christophe didn’t know whether to be amused or offended.
    The roar of applause, accompanied by whistling, hooting, and stomping feet, snapped him out of his musings and he made his way through the noisy crowd to Fiona’s side. She was flushed, clearly enjoying the shifters’ reaction to her story.
    She turned a shy smile up to him. “Did you like it?”
    Atlantis Betrayed – Warriors of Poseidon 06
    Page 142 of 188
    “It was a wonderful story, mi amara,” he said, pulling her into his arms, simply because he needed to feel her close. “Perhaps now we leave?”
    The crowd quieted down, and he watched Lucinda cross the floor to the two of them.
    “Thank you,” the alpha said, her eyes bright. “That was a lovely story. You are welcome here at The Melting Moon anytime, Lady Fiona Campbell. Your mate, too.”
    Fiona smiled and held out her hand. “Thank you. I am very honored.”
    The crowd cheered again, and Christophe marveled at Fiona’s instinctive ability to do and say the exactly right thing at the exactly right time.
    “I promise you if we find news of the Siren, we will send word to you,” Christophe said quietly, for Lucinda’s ears alone. “I would not want a gem that could cause harm to my people in vampire hands, either.”
    Lucinda nodded, and Evan, who’d walked up behind her, smiled.
    “You would make a fine shifter, my friend,” Evan told him. “Fearless and honorable. It is an unbeatable combination. Remember what I told you.”
    Christophe bowed to the two of them, one of his best court bows, and when he rose, Lucinda was grinning.
    “Oh, he is too pretty, Fiona. You, too, are a lucky woman.” She put her arm in her mate’s.
    “Yes, I am,” Fiona agreed. “We must be off now. Please tell Ginny I’ll call her soon to talk to her about writing.”
    “She’ll be thrilled. Good luck, both of you, and be careful. If Telios is indeed behind this, he is a very, very dangerous enemy to make. He is deadly and completely insane. A terrible combination.” Lethal-looking claws suddenly ripped out of the ends of her still-human hands. “I will gladly tear his throat out and eat his heart if I find out he threatens my kind. We have feelers out, too, but vampires do not talk to shifters about this, as you may imagine. Perhaps you will fare better.”
    Evan nodded solemnly. “If it comes to war, you of Atlantis will have to choose sides.”
    “We are on the side of humanity,” Christophe said flatly. “Through oath and precedent of more than eleven thousands of