"Hell" seemed the most apropos answer. But the pain in his body and the dimmed room that was a peculiar mixture of modern and antique said that not even hell would be this bad or tacky.
"Don't move, sweetie," the unknown woman said as she continued to gesture and hover around the bed. "Tabby will be right here. She said that I wasn't to let you go anywhere at all. So don't."
Before he could ask who Tabby was, another woman burst into the room.
She too was tall. But unlike the first one, she was slender, almost waif-like, except that her body was well defined, as if she lifted weights. Her long auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she had a vicious scar over her left cheekbone.
Valerius froze at the sight of the warrior he'd seen the night before. Memories flooded him. Including the one where she had stabbed him straight in the chest-which was helped by the fact that she still held a large butcher knife in her right hand.
"You!" he accused, pushing himself to the furthest edge of the bed.
The woman visibly cringed before she turned to the first one and urged her toward the door. "Thanks, Marla, I appreciate your watching over him."
"Oh, anytime, hon. You just ring-a-ding if you need anything."
"I will." She pushed the larger woman out the door and slammed it shut. "Hi," she said to Valerius.
He stared at the knife in her hand, then looked down at the healing wound on his chest. "What? Are you back to finish me off?"
She frowned at him. "Wha...?" Then her gaze went to the knife in her hand. "Oh, this. No, last night was a complete accident."
Tabitha placed the knife on the dresser, then turned to face him. She had to admit that Valerius looked extremely handsome in her bed. His long black hair was down, and draped around his face. His features were perfectly chiseled as if by some master artist. And that body of his...
Really, no man should look that yummy.
It was why she'd spent the night in her downstairs office and why she'd sent Marla up to watch after him first thing this morning.
Asleep he'd been more of a temptation than she wanted. He'd looked relaxed and gentle.
Inviting.
Awake he looked dangerous.
And still inviting.
She would give the goddess credit, Artemis had exquisite taste in men; and to Tabitha's knowledge, and according to Amanda's words, there was no such thing as an ugly Dark-Hunter.
She couldn't really fault the goddess for that. If you had to pick men for your own personal army, what woman wouldn't pick the tallest and best-looking of the bunch?
It also explained why Acheron was their leader.
Yes, it was good to be a goddess. Tabitha couldn't imagine how great it would be to command all that delectable testosterone.
And Valerius was prime DH material as he sat with one divinely carved arm braced on her mattress while the rest of him was all but bare to her sight. He looked like some coiled, wild beast ready to strike.
But he was confused. She felt his emotions reaching out to her. He was also angry but she wasn't sure why.
"You're safe here," she said, stepping near the bed. "I know what you are and I made sure all the windows are covered."
"Who are you?" he asked in a suspicious tone.
"Tabitha Devereaux," she said.
"Are you a Squire?"
"No."
"Then how do you know-"