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Epimetheus swallowed a growl when the man with the blond curls closed his hand around Elpida’s. Every nerve in his body told him not to allow another male to touch his woman.
But she wasn’t his woman, and Kronos was sneaky, for sending someone to whom Epimetheus would feel such raw attraction. Unless she’d been made this way specifically so he’d be unable to resist her. Like Pandora.
But no. When they arrived to this building with the odd openings on all its walls, he’d managed to touch her thoughts for a brief second—as long as her nipples had grazed his chest through the sheer fabric of what she wore around her torso and shoulders—and he’d seen no guile. Only a desire, the ferocity of which matched his.
Exactly Like Pandora.
How cruel could his brother be, to replicate Zeus’ deceitful ways?
Cruel enough to have left Epimetheus in the damp earth for what must have been centuries.
The mortal man turned to him, hand outstretched. Epimetheus didn’t expect to understand what anyone around him said at this point, so he didn’t try. He did, however, take the man’s hand like he’d seen Elpida do, and tried not to crush it as he probed into the man’s head.
A sly smile curled the guy’s lips, and light—pure and white and brighter than the sun himself—filled Epimetheus’ mind like a wave. It slammed against the walls of his skull, and then receded, leaving behind everything Epimetheus needed to know.
The year was 2018 after the birth of humanity’s latest major deity. Which came about thirty-odd thousand years after the Titanomachy, the fight between Olympians and Titans, that condemned the latter to Tartarus.
Only, while these facts were branded into Epimetheus’ mind, it was like a different history unfolded at the same time. He saw Titans fighting on Zeus’ side, only for him to hunt them down afterward, and curse them into stasis for eternity. This version felt more real. The duplicity wouldn’t surprise Epimetheus. He hadn’t trusted Zeus in years—ages, according to this latest info—and should count himself lucky for having been bested by Kronos, or he might have spent all this time aware and trapped inside his own body. At least his mind was intact now. And the Olympians had faded from existence.
“Your family has been worried about you, Mr. Titanas,” the mortal said.
Apparently Epimetheus now understood this era’s language. And that he’d come here in a car, and that this was some sort of a hospital. He formed the right words in his head and uttered them slowly. “My family?”
The man nodded. “Your brothers. They informed us you might be lost in this area.”
Epimetheus glimpsed a hint of an aura around the blond curls. Distrust rose up inside, but he suppressed it. Maybe the human had Olympian blood in him—Chaos knew Zeus dipped his dick in anything that’d have him—but he wasn’t a threat. And he’d mentioned Epimetheus’ brothers. “Can you take me to them?” Epimetheus asked with contained hope.
“They’ll be here in a couple of days. In the meantime, I can get you something to wear, while Ms...”
“Elpida Pilioti. Elpida is fine.” She turned to Epimetheus. “I thought you didn’t speak Greek.”
So this was Greek? They’d really messed up the language while he was gone. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mislead you. I honestly couldn’t make sense of words until just now. I must have hit my head.”
She didn’t seem convinced, her eyes—chocolate was the right color he knew now—bore into him like she was searching for his secret. Like he was as much a mystery to her as she was to him.
“I think your number’s up,” the man—police officer—said to her, pointing at numbers blinking on a board above the information desk.
“Right. He’ll have to be examined by a doctor too.” She tilted her head toward Epimetheus.
“I feel fine now.” Epimetheus searched for the right expression. “It’s all coming back to me.”
“Still—”
“I’ll take his statement and make sure he’s looked after.” The policeman placed his hand on the small of her back and nudged her toward the examination rooms.
Epimetheus watched her go, the curve of her round ass stretching the denim. Her hair was loose now, reaching her shoulders in honey-blond waves and bouncing with every step. She had the grace of a ballet dancer, and he was glad to have words to put to the thought.
As soon as she was behind Door 1, the man said, “So what happened to you, Mr. Titanas? I assume you were robbed.”
Sounded good. “Yes.”
“And you don’t remember your attacker’s description.”
Convenient. “Indeed, I don’t.”
“And since you have no money, you cannot go home until your brothers are here, nor can you have money wired to you without paperwork.”
Too convenient. The man was feeding him lie after lie. Why? “You seem to have the perfect story for me.” And where was Epimetheus supposed to stay?
The man smiled. “Your brother Prometheus said this must be the case.”
So Prometheus was free of Zeus’ curse and had obviously gotten to this mortal. Must be why the man had the real story about what really happened to the Titans in his mind, overlapping the myth. Epimetheus chuckled. “My brother is usually right. I believe you mentioned clothes?”
“Of course. I’ll be right back.” The man left and returned moments later with an armful of gray clothing Epimetheus recognized as sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, as well as a pair of shoes. “These should fit,” the man said.
“Thank you.” Epimetheus undid the lilac tablecloth Elpida had put on him, and dropped it to the floor.
“Hey. Didn’t wanna see that.” The mortal turned his gaze to the ceiling. Stupid human, averting his eyes from the most natural thing in the world.
Epimetheus’ gaze met that of the information-desk clerk. She didn’t seem bothered. A pretty blush spread up her cheeks when he winked at her. He wanted to make Elpida blush again too.
He pulled on the pants and drew the shirt over his head. No surprise, since the policeman was controlled by Prometheus, both were the perfect fit. Socks were next. He managed them standing up, but had to take a seat, to put on the sneakers. Laces weren’t as easy to tie as they seemed in the memories he’d absorbed from the man, but he finally came up with two perfect bows, if he said so himself. “Ready. What now?” he asked. He hoped they wouldn’t have to leave before Elpida was out. He wouldn’t mind seeing her one more time. Maybe give her a goodbye kiss.
The man’s blue eyes sparkled as his grin reached them. “Now you go home with Ms. Pilioti, and we hope for the best.”