He leaned into her and shared, “Lady Ulfr does not clear.”

She turned wide eyes to him then moved them through him and nodded.

It was at that point that his bemusement at her behavior turned to annoyance.

And this annoyance escalated when they moved from the dining table to the sitting room with their whiskeys (though Maddie was still drinking wine) and she continued to be jovial and animated with his men but distant with him to the point of ignoring him.

Thus he was glad when the business was concluded, the plans made, the men had their orders and they took their leave.

Apollo and Maddie saw them to the door.

And the minute the last farewell was thrown she ducked by him and moved into the house.

Much more slowly, he followed her.

Further irritating him, he found her tidying the glasses in the sitting room.

Her eyes slid through him once again as she passed him and he watched her walk to the kitchen.

He walked into the room, sat and took a deep calming breath.

She returned, her eyes avoiding his, but she bent not close, but not far, to grab a glass.

He bent deep, to grab her hips.

He then sat back, taking her with him, and planted her arse in his lap.

She stiffened completely except to look at his face then drop her gaze to his throat.

“What did I say about clearing?” he asked softly.

Her teeth appeared to worry her lip a brief moment before they disappeared and she mumbled, “Sorry.”

He kept his voice soft when he queried, “Is there something amiss?”

“Amiss?” she queried back, but she asked his ear.

He gave her a gentle shake. “Maddie. Look at me.”

Her eyes, with difficulty and two damned much time, finally found his.

There was fear in them.

Bloody hell, did he frighten her last night with his lovemaking?

On this thought, he gentled his tone further and slid his hand up her spine to her neck, pulling her down to him as his other arm rounded her waist and he remarked, “You’re behaving strangely tonight.”

“Um…” she mumbled but said no more.

“Maddie,” he prompted.

Her eyes started to drift away but his hand tightened on her neck and they shot back.

But she said not a word.

“Madeleine,” he growled, his gentle tone slipping as did his patience.

“I’m not crazy,” she whispered.

He blinked at this bizarre declaration. “Pardon?”

She shook her head sharply then announced, “You’re being very cool.”

Another bizarre declaration.

When she did not explain, cautiously he asked, “How am I being very…cool?”

“Not bringing it up or flipping out about it. I mean, sure, right after, you slit his throat but you’re a dude in a parallel universe. You cut off Pol’s hand. Gutted that other dude. Then there was the neck slice you delivered to that other other dude. I’m getting that here, things are a little bit more vio—”

She was rambling, and making little sense doing it, so he gave her another gentle shake and interrupted her with, “Maddie, I don’t know what the bloody hell you’re on about.”

“I stabbed a man,” she whispered, her voice horrified. “And I would guess, I think…well, I don’t know about this world, but in my world, we’re not hot on that. So I’m thinking that’s not all that, um…attractive and that you might think me going half-cocked like that is actually, well…crazy.”

He felt the tension release in his shoulders.

She was worried what he thought of her behavior the night before.

“You were overwrought,” he reminded her quietly.

“You can say that again,” she mumbled.

He dropped his voice low. “And you will remember how I reacted to your behavior when I joined you in bed last night.”

She closed her mouth and pink again tinged her cheeks.

She remembered.

“After that, Maddie, how can you misconstrue my response to your actions?”

“He was tied to a chair.” She was still whispering, her voice troubled. “Defenseless.”

“That man was not defenseless,” Apollo declared.

Surprising him at her swift change in tone, she cried, “He was, Apollo! He was tied to a chair!”

“Poppy, he came to my home with the intent to murder my children. He might have been defenseless in that moment, but do not mistake, my dove, even for a moment, that if he was not tied to that chair and given opportunity and a weapon, he would not have brought you low. Me low. Any of my men low. Or Christophe and Élan low.”

She was wide-eyed and it was no less adorable but it had less of an effect on him due to why.

She was also breathing heavily.

And through her breathing, she stated, “Maybe I need to understand what the f**k is going on.”

“You’re aware that I was worried we were in danger, Maddie, and the past few days proved we are.”

“But…children?” she asked quietly.

“Unfortunately, this thoroughly defines the wickedness of our foes. Although unfortunate they are this wicked, it is a twisted boon for we now know what to expect.”

Suddenly, she turned toward him and lifted a hand to curl it around his neck, dipping her face closer to his.

“Right. Here goes. I’m laying it out there,” she began, then announced, “I’m scared, Apollo. Freaking terrified. This shit is whacked. Totally whacked. I’ve had a day to think on all this crap and it freaks me out! I stabbed a man. You killed three. Right in front of me. Your kids in danger. And your guys are drinking ale, playing tuble like nothing’s the matter when it is! Last night you tortured information from an assassin! Tonight, you’re sitting around the dinner table talking about witches and missives and scouting parties and inventorying the armory like you’re discussing the scores of the Lakers vs. Celtics game. That shit is not right!”

“My dove—” he began but she shook her head vehemently and dug her fingers into his neck.

“Unh-unh, you can’t give me one of your sweet, sexy, tender, kickass ‘my doves’ and calm this storm, baby. I’m…freaked…out!”

He fought back his humor at her words and remarked, “I can assume that means frightened.”

“Fuck yes!” she cried.

He started to stroke her back and whispered, “Calm.”

Her eyes got huge again, it was still adorable, and this time the effect was what it usually was even when she went on.