Page 138 of Heir of the Beast

“We did not want anyone thinking Apollo would come after you. I advised that Apollo should stay out of it, with him being so unpredictable, but he was not having it.

“We intercepted Black Siron’s ship and made quite the bargain with them. A king’s ransom to let us go as them so as to not raise the alarm, in a nutshell.” He grins.

“I still can’t believe we were able to pull it off in that short of time. Apollo wanted to be Siron, not wanting anyone else to have you.

“His mind didn’t understand that this was all a ploy, fake. It was almost like he didn’t comprehend—his awareness not working properly. He would get lost in the ploy as if it were real.

“At one point he would remember, then the next he would not. Then he lost his voice right before we got to you and that’s when his mind took a dangerous turn.

“The poison took a stronger hold of him the more time passed. He was competing with himself, not realizing that he was Apollo and vice versa.”

I am stunned, not sure what to say. I don’t know what I was thinking but it was not this. Honestly, in this foreign world, I did not know what the hell was going on.

“It’s starting to make more sense. But why didn’t you just tell me?” My heart goes out to Apollo, realizing now how hard it must have been. He still came for me even though he was so sick in the worst way.

“He made me promise not to. He didn’t want you knowing how messed up in the head he was. And at the time I thought it might be best if you didn’t know anything until he was healed.

“I was sure you would avoid him like the plague, but I was wrong, I guess. You were drawn together no matter what.”

I can feel my face heat. “Yes, well, he was not exactly the mean killer I thought him to be.”

That’s because he was Apollo.

~Mega eye roll.~

“Yes, he would come back to himself occasionally. He was so angry that you were falling in love with Siron. He was jealous of his own self, in a sense.” Tarren locks eyes with me.

“I had to be the one to calm him down. It was not pretty. I received a broken eye socket, hence the eye patch. He was a beast, unable to process that you would kiss another man.”

“That is not fair,” I whisper.

“That is manipulation.” Laura’s voice is angry. “Definitely not her fault.”

Tarren holds up his hands. “Ladies, Apollo was not himself. I realize this, and now he does as well.”

I swallow, wondering how Apollo must have taken the news. “Did he remember everything?”

“Yes.”

~Shit.~

“I need to see him,” I say.

He nods then glances down as if he doesn’t know what to say.

“What?” My heart palpitates.

“He still needs to recover.”

I can see Laura looking at me.

“He’s sick still?” I ask.

Tarren looks up at me. “He’s angry with you.”

I gasp, my skin feeling hot. “Why?”

~But then I knew what Tarren would say.~

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