Page 24 of The Chosen Son

Ares hesitated with his forkful of lamb hovering halfway to his mouth, caught like a deer in headlights. “Why are they only my sons when they’ve done something wrong?”

“Cameron doesn’t mind, do you, Cam?” I asked, flashing him a wicked grin. “He’s practically one of the family. Or he will be soon enough, if Phobos here has anything to say about it.” I propped my chin in my palm and batted my lashes. “Tell me, have you two done the deed yet? I want to hear all the juicy details. Was it romantic, or was it over too quick? I’ve heard a rumor that my brother gets a little performance anxiety—”

I barely had time to duck the blob of potatoes as it sailed over the table at me, landing somewhere behind me with a splat. “You asshole!” Phobos barked.

As our sisters cackled, our mother looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel. “Stop this instant!” Mom closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a slow breath, and I could practically hear her counting to ten. “Can’t you two act your age? What would your grandfather think of you bickering like children?” she asked, pulling out the good old Grandpa card.

Dad groaned, setting down his fork as he rubbed a hand over his stomach. “Please, Aphrodite, no mention of Zeus at the table. You know it gives me indigestion.”

She coughed into her fist, and it sounded a little like she said, “Daddy issues.”

Ares narrowed his eyes at her. “Dearest wife, it is our anniversary,” he gritted out, quietly seething. “Can we not get along for one night?”

She smiled sweetly at her husband, so I knew what was coming and braced for the inevitable escalation. “I forgot to tell you, I ran into Hephaestus this morning.”

Ares immediately went stock-still, shifting from predator to prey. “You did?”

“Yeah. He wished us a happy anniversary, and he gave me this necklace. Isn’t it beautiful?” She withdrew a delicate gold chain and an elaborate pendant from inside the neckline of her dress, as if she’d been saving it for just such a moment. “He made it himself. Your brother really does have a remarkable talent.”

Dad was already steaming at the collar, biting his tongue, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles had gone white, but we all knew it was just a matter of time before he blew. He was insanely jealous of his wife spending time in the presence of other men, his brother in particular, since they’d been married briefly once upon a time in another lifetime.

“You know, I have to say, he lookedgreat,” Mom said, twirling her blond hair around her finger as she needled at Dad. I almost felt sorry for him. “I think I’ll invite him to go for coffee this week. It’s been too long since we caught up.”

That was it, the straw that broke him, and he flew to his feet, sweeping his hand across the table and sending his plate flying across the room to smash against the wall. The air crackled with charged electricity. “You will do no such thing!” he roared, the vein in his temple throbbing dangerously, his face turning a volatile purple.

Mom just sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, smiling sweetly. “I will do whatever I please. You’re not the boss of me.” Pfft, like she was one to talk about acting our age.

“I am more than your boss—I am yourhusband!”

I caught Cameron’s stunned expression across the table and rolled my eyes for his benefit, trying to convey the message that this was no big deal. In fact, it was practically a family ritual.

Cameron, however, didn’t seem to be taking it well at all. His blinks were long and slow. There was a sheen of sweat on his face, his once-slicked hair now falling across his forehead. My fingers itched to brush it back for him, to ask him what was wrong, to unravel all his secrets.

He pushed his chair back from the table and rose on shaky legs. “E-Excuse me, please.” Cameron’s whisper seemed so loud, even when compared to the shouting, and everyone paused to watch him go.

Ares winced, lowering himself back to his chair, his face returning to its usual shade. “Did I say something wrong?”

Phobos’s smile had dropped as he looked after Cam. He knew something was wrong, I was sure of it, but he wasn’t about to talk about it with me.

That meant I would have to ask Cameron himself.

“Excuse me,” I said, pushing back from the table.

“Where are you going?” Phobos asked peevishly, eyeing me with suspicion.

I arched a brow at him. “If you must know, nosy Parker, I have to pee. Are you offering to hold my dick for me?”

He made a noise of disgust, but otherwise, said nothing more, and I slipped out of the dining room, on the hunt for a certain overcharged human battery.

Chapter 11

Cameron

Hallway after dark hallway,they all looked the same. Left, right, right again. Dead end. Whining, I spun on my heel and backtracked, wending my way deeper into the house. My heart was like a frightened bird trapped inside my chest, its wings beating a staccato against my ribs.

I just needed somewhere tohide.

The mazelike mansion, the incessant bickering of gods, piled high on top of an already teetering mound of scary-as-hell medical bullshit; it was all simply too much. Overwhelmed, panic built inside me, and with it my power rose. Unbidden, unwanted. And unending…

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