Yes, it was. Aidan glanced to Leta before he asked Deimos, "Can you wake us?"
"I don't know. But here's to trying." The god vanished.
Aidan turned toward Leta who watched him carefully. She had a red spot on her face from a backhand one of the other gods had given her. Her hair was tousled and her pale eyes were filled with admiration. That look tore through him and it made him ache.
He held his hand out to her.
Her gentle touch set him on fire as she wrapped her fingers around his. His cock hardened instantly, making him wish they had a moment alone. He couldn't believe she'd infiltrated his life so easily, but he was so glad she had.
"If I end up dead tonight, I just want to say thank you."
She gave him an arch stare. "For what?"
"Knocking on my door and forcing your way into my life."
She smiled at him. "No problem. I'm just sorry I didn't do a better job of saving you."
Those words were a symphony to his ears. "You know, in a weird way, I think you did."
"What do you mean?"
He tugged her closer to him so that he could feel her body heat against his skin. It set his nerves on edge and reminded him exactly what she had brought into his life. "I've been asleep for a long time. Living in an empty place. I don't feel so empty now. There's something else there."
"Something else?"
He nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "It's you." He touched his heart. "You woke me up and I feel again. It's actually kind of nice, and if this is the last chance I have to say it, I just thought you should know."
Leta's heart pounded at the words she knew were so hard for him to utter. They meant everything to her. And she felt the same way. "After my husband died, I never thought I would be able to care for another person. And then I found you. I won't let them have you, Aidan. I won't."
He kissed her hand before he cupped her face in his hands and placed the tenderest of kisses on her lips. Her senses spun. If she could, she would stay right here with him. There was nothing she wanted more than to be human and to stay by his side.
If only she could...
"Leta?" She heard Deimos's voice as a faint whisper in her head.
One more minute.
But it wasn't meant to be. She felt something pulling her back, away from Aidan.
No!
And still she felt herself slipping, falling down a dark tunnel until she was again waking up in the human plane. So groggy she could barely move, she blinked open her eyes to find Deimos staring at her.
"Aidan?"
He indicated the area beside her with a lift of his chin. "I can't get him to wake up."
"Where's Dolor?"
As if in answer to her question, she heard someone coming up the stairs outside.
Her heart hammering, she rolled over to shake Aidan. "Aidan!" she snapped.
He didn't move.
Deimos grimaced. "How much did you give him?"
"Apparently more than I should have. I wanted to make sure that neither of us pulled out of the dream early." Leta shook her head as she stared at Aidan lying there in perfect repose. In spite of the turmoil and battle in his dream, his handsome features were so peaceful, his body still and relaxed. However, the time for dreaming was behind them. They now had an enemy to face in this realm.
"Please wake up," she breathed, but she knew better. He was too far under. There wouldn't be any more waking for him. At least not for a long time.
Someone was kicking against the cabin door, trying to break it down.
She brushed her hand against Aidan's whiskered cheek before she rose from the bed. "We have to defeat them."
"I'm right here by your side."
She impulsively kissed Deimos' cheek. "Thank you."
He inclined his head before he flashed himself to the living room. Leta followed after him, knowing they were the only thing standing between Aidan and death.
She glanced back to the bedroom where he slept before she whispered a solemn vow. "I won't let you down, Aidan. I swear it."
Aidan jerked back in surprise as he heard Leta's voice in his dream state. He hovered in the room, unable to wake up. It was as if he were caught between the dream and reality. That strange nether realm where lucid dreams were made. He could see her and Deimos, see Dolor and Donnie as they broke through his door and spilled into his living room.
"I have to wake up." But no matter what he tried, he couldn't. It was the most frustrating thing he could imagine.
He looked at his brother, whose blond hair was shaved close to his head. Donnie had beefed up in prison and his green eyes were insane as he looked about. Aidan wasn't sure how Dolor had gotten his brother out of jail, but then it probably wasn't hard for a god to do whatever he wanted to.
"Where is he?" Donnie snarled. "Aidan!"
Leta braced herself in the middle of the room. "You're not getting him."
Donnie turned on her with a look of steel. "Like hell, bitch. He's mine, and if you don't move, I'm going through you to get him."
She closed her eyes an instant before a staff appeared in her hands. "Then let's dance because the only way to get to him is through me."
Dolor, who was in Ronald's body, stared at Deimos. "You don't belong in this fight, Demon. You sure you want to stand there?"
"No place I'd rather be."
Ronald/Dolor blasted him off his feet. Deimos rolled with it before he returned the blast with one of his own.
Leta scissor-kicked Donnie and drove him back from Aidan's room.
Aidan watched the fighting with bated breath. It was inconceivable to him that the two of them were willing to be battered to protect him. No one had ever done that for him before.
Donnie swept Leta off her feet. As he went to kick her, she rolled away and twisted her body to knock him down. Damn, the woman was a better fighter than Jackie Chan. But Donnie was no slacker and obviously jail had taught him a few things.
Deimos and Dolor were locked in a massive battle as they slammed from wall to floor to wall again. They were equally matched, and there wouldn't be an easy victor in that fight.
And just when he was certain Leta would take Donnie, Donnie caught her from behind with a garroting chord.
Aidan's heart stilled as he watched her struggle.
"I can't flash out," she called to Deimos.
Dolor laughed. "It's one of Artemis's toys. You're snared."
"No," Donnie laughed in a sinister tone. "You're dead."
Aidan felt his rage building to an unbelievable level. There was no way in hell he was going to let her die because of him. He threw his head back and roared with the ferocity of everything he felt.
His adrenaline pumping, he ordered himself awake.
Still Donnie tightened the chord.
"Leta!" Aidan shouted.
Her face was turning blue as she fought for breath. He reached out to touch her, but it was too late.
Leta slumped in Donnie's arms.