He shrugged nonchalantly. "You wanted to spend time with your father. Here I am." His features hardened as he met her gaze and showed her his resolve. "You should know one thing about me. I do nothing on other people's terms. I am and will always be a commander. No one tells me what to do." The last person he'd obeyed-his own father-had betrayed him. Since that night, he'd vowed that in the future his life was his own and no one else's.
Medea curled her lip. "Matera was right. You are an asshole."
Her anger amused him. "Not true. An asshole would throw you to his demons. I am your father, and honestly, I miss having my children with me. That weakness is the only reason you're still alive after threatening me."
He reached out to cup her face in his hand. The way she tensed, he was actually surprised she didn't sink her fangs into his palm. Instead, she continued to glare her contempt at him. She reminded him so much of his daughter who'd died eleven thousand years ago. Only Tannis had never been a fighter. She'd never shared her brother Urian's love of life. Not like Medea.
Tannis had blithely allowed herself to decay on her twenty-seventh birthday while Stryker held her in his arms, begging her to take a human life so that she could live another day. She'd steadfastly refused. And her screams for mercy echoed in his ears to this day.
Medea turned her face into his hand, then kneed him hard in the groin.
Cursing, Stryker caught her hand before she could hit him again and shoved her back. His body aching, he wanted to kill her for what she'd done. But she was her mother's daughter.
And his.
Using his powers, he pinned her to the wall behind her. "You've no idea how lucky you are that I've been regretting killing my son for doing a lot less to me than you just did. But for that, you'd be dead already."
"I love you, too, Dad." The sarcastic tone was acerbic and cold.
But at least she wasn't like Urian, telling him how much she hated his guts and wanted to kill him.
"Davyn!" he shouted, calling in one of his commanders. He stood upright and refused to let his man see the fact that he was in pain. No one would ever know his weaknesses.
Davyn entered the room. "My lord?"
He jerked his chin toward Medea. "Take our guest to my quarters and lock her in until I have time to deal with her." He lifted his hand, letting her fall free from the wall before he manifested a pair of shackles on her wrists.
She sucked her breath in as she tried to break them. "I'll get you for this."
"And your little dog, too," he added snidely.
Davyn wisely ignored their comments. "Yes, sir. I'm on it."
Medea didn't speak as the handsome man stepped forward. To his credit, he didn't touch her.
"If you'll follow me." He held his hand out toward the door.
As if she had a choice? Bugger bastards!
Furious, she glared at her father before she allowed Davyn to lead her from the room. "You always obey him?" she asked as soon as they were alone.
Davyn glanced back at her over his shoulder. Tall and blond, he had short hair and a small goatee. "If I didn't want to live, I'd stop taking human souls and expire. It would be a lot less painful than crossing Stryker."
"So you fear him?"
Davyn snorted. "Everyone fears him. The man killed his own son."
"So he keeps telling me."
"Yeah, well, I was there when it happened. We were facing our enemies when Stryker walked up to him all calm and collected, hugged him close, then cut his throat and left him to die."
That description actually sent a shiver down her spine. How could any father be so coldblooded? The fact that he was hers was even more chilling.
Davyn turned left and headed down another hallway. "Urian was one of my best friends and he loved his father more than anything. He'd served him for centuries with absolute loyalty. Believe me, he didn't deserve what he got."
What had her half brother done to cause so severe a punishment? "Why did Stryker kill him?"
"He married one of our enemies behind his back."