CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Alyxx woke up screaming and attacking invisible foes within an hour of falling asleep. Mark immediately jumped out of the chair he'd placed beside her bed and pulled her into his arms. "Alyxx! You're safe! Stop, honey," he said urgently as she clawed at him. "It's okay!"

She sank against him and wept. When she finally calmed down, she looked into his eyes. "Apparently, getting kidnapped by a reincarnated Pharaoh and an evil hippo who just won't die comes with the side effect of wicked bad nightmares," she said in embarrassment.

"Alyxx... I'm so sorry, honey," Mark whispered into her hair as he pulled her closer.

"I'm alright," she said after a moment. She kissed him. Then she pulled him into the bed beside her. "Stay with me. I need to feel you."

Mark looked into her eyes and nodded. "Forever," he vowed.

Mark held her tightly until she fell asleep again. Even then, he didn't let her go. He never wanted to let her go again.

*

      Jonathan woke up trembling from nightmares. Feeling Josie sleeping peacefully in his arms soothed his nerves. He looked down at her and kissed her forehead before carefully slipping out of bed.

     He was surprised to find Zane in the kitchen drinking coffee. "It's past the Sun Gods' bedtime," Jonathan joked softly.

     "I've been very worried about all of you," Zane admitted. "I can't seem to get the adrenaline to wear off now that you're safe."

      "You need to rest, Zane. An exhausted soldier's no good to anyone but the enemy."

     "I know... I'm hoping once I can sit down with each of you and work through the details I'll be able to calm my nerves enough to rest."

     "Zane... You don't want the details."

     "You were gone for a month, Jonathan. I'm the head of the pantheon. I need to know what happened so I can help you all through it and protect everyone." He paused. "Here, I'm your Commanding Officer, Jonathan. And I need a thorough report."

     Jonathan sighed. "They tortured us, Zane. Not just physically, but emotionally. They beat me until I was too weak to help the girls... They had snakes bite me and left me for dead. If Panya hadn't briefly gotten away from Djer..." He shook his head. "I'm ashamed I had to allow her to harm herself to save me."

    "Panya's blood cures all poisons, especially venom. It was the only way."

    "Panya changed in there, Zane. She was different... She sacrificed her own safety to keep them from violating Alyxx, and to try to get them to stop hurting me. She fought... She fought like I have never seen her fight before. And everything she did was to protect me and Alyxx, when we're usually the ones protecting her. When we stopped fighting, when we wanted to give up, Panya convinced us to keep going. She is so much stronger than I realized."

    "She always has been... She hates conflict, but she fights to defend others."

    "I'm used to defending the women in my life... But I couldn't protect either of them... Just like..." He stared at his feet.

     "Just like who, Jonathan?" Zane coaxed him gently.

    "My sister, Anne... I couldn't save her, Zane. My father killed her because I got pulled through time and wasn't there to protect her." He shook his head. "I heard him... When we were kidnapped. I don't know if it was real or if I imagined it to push myself, but it made me so angry I found the strength to fight again."

     "I'm sorry about Anne, Jonathan. I know I'd lose my mind if something like that happened to Olivia." He paused. "Are you going to go back to sleep?"

    "Not right now. I'll return to Josie before she wakes so she doesn't panic, but I'm not planning to sleep for a while." He wasn't in the mood for more nightmares.

     "Here," Zane said, pouring him a cup of coffee. "Tell me the rest over coffee, then go back to Josie."

    Jonathan nodded. He drank a bit of his coffee before the entire story spilled out of him. He covered every detail. Zane was clearly horrified, but he radiated a soothing light as Jonathan talked, and the more he did, the better he felt. After everything had come out, Jonathan realized he was crying. It startled him that Zane was crying, too. As Zane stood and hugged him, it was like the burden of the pain Jonathan had been carrying for the last month had finally lifted.

    "I am so sorry for what they did to you," Zane said softly. "I swear to you they will face the consequences. For now, know that you are safe here."

    Jonathan nodded. "I'm alright, Zane... Are you?" He asked.

    "I've got to process all of this, but I will be," Zane replied. "Go on upstairs. Josie's stirring."

    He didn't ask how Zane had known that. Instead, he hurried upstairs and slipped back into bed, pulling Josie into his arms and soothing her back to sleep before she fully woke up.

*

      Dean had slept in Panya's bed with her all night. She'd been afraid but had ultimately reminded herself Dean wasn't going to hurt her and fell asleep. He was still holding her when she woke up, and now it felt like the sun itself had wrapped around her. She snuggled against him a bit closer, feeling safer than she had before.

      His arms automatically wrapped around her a little tighter as he slept. "I love you..." He mumbled, still unconscious. She smiled peacefully at his words, allowing them to soothe Ta-Bitjet because she knew it was Horus speaking in his sleep.

     "I love you, too," she replied softly.

      Dean shifted and looked at her as his eyes finally opened. "Morning..." He mumbled peacefully. Then he seemed to remember everything at once. "You're really here!" He cried.

     "Yes," Panya confirmed.

     "Part of me worried it was only a dream... Gods, Panya, I'm so relieved you're back!" He kissed her. She allowed it, trying to remind herself that she was safe with him. He deepened the kiss, almost like he needed to keep his mouth on hers to reassure himself she was really there.

Panya felt panic rising in her as Dean's hands slowly moved over her body. He was her consort, her soul's husband, and her incarnation's boyfriend. It was her responsibility to do as he pleased. She should not be afraid. This was natural. He was a man, a God with needs. She tried not to cry as he touched her in ways that terrified her. Her entire body stiffened against his, but he didn't appear to notice. Her breath came in shallow gasps, not because she liked what he was doing but because she was terrified. Dean seemed to misinterpret that.

As a stray tear rolled down her cheeks, Dean was ripped away from her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ryan demanded. Panya hadn't even heard the door open.

"Dude, get the fuck out!" Dean shouted at him. "This is none of your business. She's my girlfriend."

"She's barely seventeen, Dean, and you're twenty-four. I'm pretty sure that's still illegal in a few states, even if New York isn't one of them. And besides that, she's obviously terrified."

"She's fine," Dean protested, but he looked at Panya with some concern on his face.

"Oh, so she's just crying because you're that bad at this, then?" Ryan asked before he could stop himself.

Dean stood up and punched him in the jaw. Ryan hit him back. "Stop it!" Panya cried out. They both looked at her.

"Sorry," Dean apologized immediately.

"Me, too," Ryan said. "I'm just worried about you."

"Dean will not harm me," Panya assured him.

"Panya, you're not ready for this sort of thing, and that's okay. You can tell him that."

"I am his consort," Panya replied dutifully.

"That doesn't mean you have to do anything you don't want to," Ryan said gently.

Dean looked horrified. "Dude, it's not like I was forcing myself on her or something! Just go. I'll handle this myself."

"I'm not leaving her alone with you!"

"Please, stop fighting..." Panya said softly.

"Let's just settle this. Panya, you're okay, right?" Dean asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

"Don't lie to him," Ryan said. "He needs to know he's scaring you."

"Don't speak for her!" Dean argued.

Panya hid her face in her hands. She was trembling. Ryan tried to hug her, but Dean knocked him away from her.

"Get lost, Ryan!" Dean shouted.

"Don't make me kick your ass," Ryan said. "I won't leave her when she's clearly terrified."

"She's terrified because you're yelling."

"You're so clueless! Seriously, you dumbass, she spent most of her life being raped, and she just got back from being abducted for a month by the reincarnation of the bastard who did it. Do you really think she wants you to do that kind of thing to her right now?"

Dean hesitated. "You trust me, right Panya?" He asked.

"Yes," she answered so softly he barely heard her.

"If I'm scaring you, you have to tell me, okay? Otherwise, I won't know. I'm older than you, and in this day and age, people are pretty casual about this sort of thing, but I don't want to scare you. Ever. So please, tell me if I'm moving too fast. I promise I won't get mad."

She began sobbing visibly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I wish I were different."

The guilt was clear on Dean's face. He looked like he might cry, too. "I'll never hurt you, Panya. I swear it. Please... I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't realize... I'm so stupid... I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."

"I am not angry."

"Good." He hugged her. She stiffened again, but only for a moment. This time, he seemed to realize it. "You gotta tell me when to back off, alright?" He asked.

She nodded. "I am sorry. I will try harder..."

"Don't... Gods, don't apologize! I'm the one who was wrong here. You don't have anything to be sorry for. You get to choose. That's your right. All women have the right to say no and any guy who loves them will respect that."

"I am your wife and consort. I must take care of all you need."

Dean looked lost. "No... That isn't how this works, Panya. Love means no one makes anyone else do something they don't want to. Your only job is to be you. You're perfect as you are. I love you. Please don't ever do something just because you think I want you to." He kissed her hand and pulled her closer to him. "Do you understand?"

"Yes..."

"Now please tell your attack dog Ryan over there that I'm not going to hurt you and you aren't scared and he can go... If it's true."

"I am well, Ryan," Panya promised. "You do not have to stay here."

Ryan hesitated. He pulled Dean up and dragged him outside of the room. In a harsh whisper he said, "If you so much as think about pushing her like that again, I swear to the Gods I'll kill you."

"Chill, Dude," Dean replied. "Obviously, I screwed up in there, but I realize it now, alright? So stay the hell out of it. She wants to be with me, Ryan. She's my consort, not yours. And thank Gods for that, since you did such a crappy job of protecting her. Just because your consort is dead doesn't mean you can steal mine!"

Ryan punched Dean so hard, his head bounced off of the wall and he nearly fell over. "Do not ever bring up Marie to me again, you piece of shit!" Ryan told him. "Ever."

Panya came outside to find Dean barely standing upright against the wall and Ryan storming off. She thought better of asking what happened and simply guided Dean back inside so he could sit down.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah," Dean said. "I'm fine. Ryan's just being his usual asshole self. Sorry... I know you like him, but he's bad news, Panya. He can't be trusted."

"My father trusts him," Panya replied gently.

"Your father... Zane... Ra... Whatever. He's too forgiving. He believes in the good in all people, just like you do. That's dangerous sometimes. It's why good people get hurt, because they trust the wrong people."

"Please, Dean, must we talk about this? You're hurt."

"It's nothing. I've been hurt worse." A lot worse, Dean added silently. His father made what Ryan had done look like a friendly pat on the head. Dean tensed as he flashed on his father's face, full of rage, followed immediately by his fists pounding against his flesh.

     "In the war?" Panya asked with concern.

   "You could say that," he replied. After all, the Military had been his father's entire life, and he'd lived every day as if he was fighting a war.

    "Dean..." She hesitated.

    "What is it?" He asked encouragingly.

    "You can talk to me... About what upsets you. The pain you feel now runs deeper than the pain you have from the war."

    He was surprised. "You can tell?" He asked.

   "Of course. I am your consort."

   "My father was..." He paused. He couldn't speak ill of him. The man was dead, and he'd been a war hero. "Sometimes, I made him mad," he said instead.

    "He hurt you?" Panya asked, her eyes wide with sorrow and surprise.

    "He disciplined me. He believed in raising a soldier, not a kid... It's not a big deal."

    "Dean... It is."

    "He raised me the only way he knew. My grandfather raised him the same way. He was trying to make me strong."

    "You are strong."

    "I guess he succeeded."

    She looked like she wanted to protest, but his eyes begged her to let the subject go. She kissed his cheek instead. Dean was grateful.

    "Get dressed. I can smell breakfast," he said quickly. He kissed her before slipping out of the room to give her some privacy. Standing in the hallway, he took several deep breaths.

    It was a billion years ago, he told himself. You aren't a little kid anymore. You're a soldier, Dean. Act like it!

    That got his emotions back in check. By the time Panya came out of her room, he smiled casually at her like nothing was wrong and guided her downstairs. He allowed himself to be distracted by food and pushed everything else out of his mind.