She turned toward the door and knocked over something on the counter. Picking it up, she felt a small bottle of spice that reminded her of the serums M'Adoc had given her.

A large enough dose of Lotus serum would keep Zarek unconscious for a few days...

But then he would be trapped in his nightmares with no way to wake up.

Such a thing could cause him to go insane.

Or she could direct his dreams like a Skoti might.

Dare she try it? Before she could reconsider, she went to her room to get the bottle she had hidden in her nightstand.

Now she just had to find some way to get the serum into Zarek.

Chapter 8

Zarek was headed out into the storm. He lifted the hood of his coat and started down the hallway.

Astrid met him halfway to the door. He paused at the sight of her waiting there for him. Desire rushed through him, making him hard and aching. Her face looked sad and the novelty of that stunned him most of all.

Gods, she was so beautiful. For a moment, he actually wished he could stay here with her. That he could be as lucky as the wolf she had dragged in from the wild and tamed.

He wished he dared to reach out for a star.

Do it!

Zarek balled his hands into fists before he could yield to that burning desire.

Slaves didn't have wishes or dreams.

They didn't lust after women who were too good for them.

He shouldn't even be looking at her, let alone be hard from wanting to touch her.

No matter how much he fought against it, no matter how many times he railed against Acheron and Artemis, he knew the truth. Two thousand years later, he was still a slave. One owned by a Greek goddess who wanted him dead.

He could deny his destiny all he wanted to, but in the end, he knew his place in this world.

Women like Astrid weren't meant for men like him. They were meant for decent, civilized men. Men who knew the meaning of such simple words as "kindness,"

"warmth," "compassion," "friendship."

Love.

He started past her.

"Here," she said, holding out a cup of hot tea.

The aroma was sweet, pleasant, but it didn't heat him half as much as the sight of the slight blush in her cheeks. "What's this?"

"I would say arsenic and vomit, but you trust me so little anyway, I don't dare.

It's hot rosemary tea with a bit of honey. I want you to drink it before you leave.

It'll help keep you warm on your journey."

Somewhat amused by her reiteration of his rudeness, Zarek at first wanted to toss it. But he couldn't quite do it. It was too thoughtful a gift and thoughtful gifts were an extreme rarity in his experience.

He hated to admit just how deeply this simple act touched him.

He hardened even more with the thought.

Thanking her, he drank it down, staring at her the whole time over the rim of the cup. Gods, how he was going to miss her; but that made even less sense than anything else.

As he drank the tea, his eyes drank in the sight of her.

Her jeans hugged long, shapely legs that a man couldn't help but dream of having wrapped around his waist.

His shoulders.

But it was her butt that he wanted most. It begged to be cupped by his hands while he pressed her softness to his groin so that she could feel just how much he burned for her.

Against his will, he imagined her naked in his arms. Her lips on his, her breasts in his hands, while he lost himself inside her hot, wet body.

I have got to get out of here.

Zarek downed the last of the tea, then handed the empty cup back to her.

She took a step away from him, clutching the cup in her hands, her face even sadder than before. "I wish you would stay, Zarek."

He savored the sound of those rare words. Even if she didn't mean them, they still made him ache. "Sure you do, princess."

"I do." The sincerity on her face burned through him.

But it was anger he felt most from her comment. "Don't lie to me. I can't stand lies."

He pushed past her, intent on the door, but as he reached it, his head began to fog.

His eyesight dimmed. Zarek paused as he tried to focus his gaze. His limbs felt heavy all of a sudden.

Leaden. It was a struggle just to breathe.

What was this?

He reached for the door only to find his knees buckling. Then everything went black.

Astrid cringed at the sound of Zarek hitting the floor. How she wished she could have caught him before he fell. But without her eyesight, there was nothing she could do.

Going over to him, she checked to make certain he was all right.

Thankfully, he appeared to be none the worse for her deception.

"Sasha?" she called, needing his help to get Zarek off the floor.

"What happened?" Sasha asked as he came to stand beside her.

"I drugged him."

She felt Sasha flash to human form.

She knew from experience that her companion would be naked now-he always was when he changed forms.

She'd only seen him flash on rare occasions. As a Katagari Lykos, his natural and preferred state was that of the wolf, but his inherent magical abilities allowed him to take human form from time to time, as needed or wanted. His powers and strength were weaker in human form than wolf form, which was why he preferred his animal body.

Still, there were certain things his kindred preferred to do as humans.

Things such as mating and eating.

As a human, Sasha had long blond hair so pale that it was virtually as white as his wolf's fur. His eyes were a deep electric blue that were piercing in either incarnation. And his face...

Captivating and chiseled. The planes of his face were perfect and hard.

Masculine.

It was a pity she had never been sexually attracted to him, because he had a body that was every bit as fit and well muscled as Zarek's.

But Sasha for all his beauty and charm was only a friend to her. One who often acted like an overprotective big brother.

"What were you thinking?" he asked in a deep baritone that carried the weight of his sorcerer's power. It was said the Katagaria could seduce any woman alive just by saying her name.

Their sexual prowess and stamina were the stuff of legend, even among the gods.

And yet all she could do was appreciate the seductive appeal of Sasha. Not once had she ever succumbed to it.

"He can't leave this cabin until the test is over, you know that."

Sasha let out an irritated breath. "What did you use to drug him with?"

"Lotus serum."

"Astrid, have you any idea how dangerous that is? It has killed countless mortals. One sip and they can go insane from it. Or worse, become so addicted to it that they refuse to wake up from their dreams."

"Zarek isn't mortal."

Sasha sighed. "No, he isn't."

She sat back on her heels. "Take him to his bed, Sasha."

The air around him sizzled with ire. "Where's my 'please'?"

She turned to the right and hoped that she was glaring at him. "Why are you being so impossible lately?"

"Why are you being so bossy? I think this man is affecting you and I don't like it." He paused before he spoke again. "Never forget, Astrid, that I am here by choice. The only thing that keeps me by your side is that I don't want to see you hurt."

She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "I know, Sasha. Thank you."

He covered her hand with his and gave a light squeeze. "Don't let him inside you, nymph. There is so much in him that is dark that it could completely obliterate all the goodness you have."

She thought about that for a minute. She hadn't considered herself good for a long time now. Numbness had ruled her for too many centuries. "There are people who would say the same of you."

"They don't know me."

"And we don't know Zarek."

"I know his kind a lot better than you do, nymph. I've spent my life fighting men such as this. Ones who see the world as an enemy and who hate everyone around them."

Sasha let go of her and huffed as he lifted Zarek up from the floor. "Guard your heart, Astrid. I don't want to see you hurt again."

Astrid sat on the floor as he took Zarek back to his bed, and thought about Sasha's warning. He was right. She had been so beguiled by Miles that, even blind, she had failed to see him for what he really was.

But then, Miles had been an arrogant man. A vain one.

Zarek was neither.

Miles had pretended to care for others while he cared for no one but himself.

Zarek cared for no one, least of all himself.

But there was only one way to find out for sure.

Getting up, she poured Sasha a glass of juice.

"What are you going to do with him now?" Sasha asked a few minutes later when he rejoined her.

"I'll let him sleep for a bit," she said evasively.

If Sasha knew what she had in mind, he'd have a fit and she was in no mood to deal with an irate wolf-man.

She handed him the glass, which he took without comment. She listened to him open the fridge and then moved to wait by the counter while he scrounged for food.

While Sasha had been taking care of Zarek, she had placed a small dab of Lotus serum into Sasha's drink.