Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife: The Twins Are Not Yours!

Ewan couldn't even nod to accept Athena's thanks; his neck was stiff, and his back was still burning.

There must be an injury there. He thought, trying and succeeding to lift his thumb to give her a thumbs-up.

Athena's smile was sad as she watched this.

She wished she could get rid of the pain she knew was assailing the man before her, the man who had shielded her so that she wouldn't die or suffer.

She hadn't been aware of his intention when he had commanded her to dive, but she knew when she had woken up, it was with a startling pain in her back.

Only it hadn't come from the fire or any injury, but from the weight of him partly lying on her back.

Before she could cry out in anguish and worry, hearing his faint breathing, the agents who had driven with them here had arrived and hurriedly pushed her to the side, rescuing her first.

They hadn't allowed her to fawn over Ewan, despite her reminding them of their place repeatedly; they had promised to bring Ewan later, and thus she had stopped her verbal attacks.

Now looking at him, she was not sure what to think of his act of bravery. Duty, or something else?

"It's my duty to keep you safe—for the children, for giving me a second chance at friendship, and to live a life free from manipulation. I owe everything to you. We are not even. Me saving you is just… what I should do." Ewan spoke, right on cue.

Athena said nothing at first, staring at the man keenly.

Duty.

She could now understand the earlier fixation on keeping Fiona safe. She could see now why Ewan had chosen to stay blind to Fiona's excesses—he could see them but chose to ignore them; Duty.

Believing that Fiona had saved his life, that she had helped him grow well enough and had given him room in her family, had fueled his sense of duty toward her. Coupled with the abusive medications, he had been a goner.

There had been no turning away from that until the light of truth shone clearly enough with evidence.

Athena nodded slowly, finally comprehending that Ewan, at this point, could do anything for her. She should feel happy about this, like Fiona had; she should be satisfied with this turn of events, but surprisingly, she wasn't.

She was amazed by her own need; she was amazed that she wanted more than his dutifulness to her. She wanted…

Athena's brows furrowed as she understood her line of thought. She cursed, confusing Ewan, who had been watching her all this while, before she faced front.

Maybe the fire fried some part of my good senses. She needed to rest and rejuvenate herself.

When they got to the hotel, which was only a few meters from the street, Athena stopped the agents from helping her out of the vehicle, pointing at Ewan instead.

"He is the one in need of your assistance. As you can see, I'm fine. I just need to change out of these clothes. I smell like barbecue."

She muttered the last sentence; however, it was loud enough to be heard by the men, and they couldn't help but chuckle before doing her bidding.

As they did so, Athena stepped out of the car and waited by the entrance. She wasn't the one that made the reservations.

"Thank you, Dillion; thank you, Hank. Please, I'll be waiting for the medical kit. I need to treat our wounds before we rest properly." Athena spoke after the agents had deposited Ewan on one of the beds in the small hotel room.

The agents nodded, acknowledging her thanks, and left the room.

"You will have to take a bath first and wear some better-fitting pants at least…" Athena started after shutting the door. She walked up to Ewan and tried lifting him, but Ewan wouldn't budge.

"What?"

Athena wondered if it was shyness; however, she had cleaned him up before, when he had been brought to her private lab for treatment.

"You need to rest, Athena, not bother with my bathing. Don't worry; I think I can take a good bath. That would get me to stop smelling like a burnt rat at leasf."

Athena chuckled softly and gestured toward the bathroom.

Ewan tsked as he struggled to walk. "They couldn't get a suite?"

Athena laughed, covering the distance and throwing Ewan's hand across her shoulder, ignoring his protests. "This was the nearest hotel, the only one for miles… You should know this area better than I do. It's not as open as other cities, hence the level of unchecked crime."

"That's true." Ewan grunted, breathing heavily when they finally got to the bathroom.

Athena led him inside, her nose wrinkling at the low quality of the surroundings. Well, they would have to manage. It was only for a couple of hours. They would need to go home and restrategize on how to get Morgan for good this time around.

"Just knock on the door when you're done. I'll help you out. Please tie the towel over there. It should be enough to go around." Athena pointed out before leaving the bathroom.

She dumped herself on the soft bed, hearing the shower run. He needed help. She knew that especially around the areas that were scalded. However, this was Ewan—Wolfsbane. He had been in worse situations. He could take care of himself.

A knock sounded on the door, drawing her away from her thoughts momentarily.

She stood up from the bed and sauntered to the door, her senses keen in case it wasn't the agents behind it. Fortunately, it was them; her breath eased.

"Here, ma'am."

Athena collected the med kit gratefully. "Is there balm inside?"

The driver, Hank, nodded. "Everything that is required."

Athena expressed her thanks again. "And if Aiden calls… I might be asleep after showering… just tell him I will call him back when I am awake, that we are okay…"

She didn't want her friend to come rushing here, as she knew he would—he needed to focus on his own job. It was the only way this fiasco could be taken care of quickly.

"Okay, ma'am. Take care." The other agent, Dillion, spoke before the two men turned aside and walked away.