Kell tried to sleep again. It was normally his time to sleep and he still had healing to do. But, memories of Lily plagued him. The feel of her lips. The warmth of her body against his. The sight of her asleep in the rain just before dawn, her body puckered to the cool air. The fire that he saw in her when her temper was sparked. Balanced with a genuine kindness and innocence that prevented her from being mean when she let her temper loose.

Eventually an unsteady sleep pulled him under.

Kell drifted through dreams until he settled on the face of an angel. Loose brown waves of hair surrounded a round face and full lips.

"Thiamekelos, wake up. Husband, wake up. There is a wolf in the flocks." Zia's voice was panicked.

He jumped out of bed. "Why did I sleep so late?"

Zia kissed his cheek. "You have been ill. You needed the sleep. But, I am afraid the sheep need you more." Istros reached from his mother's arms to smack at Kelos's face. Kelos smiled and kissed his youngest son in return before he grabbed his spear and bow to hunt down the wolf. The hills around their home town, of Keliadeva were rocky with plenty of places to hide.

His brothers quickly joined him. His twin brother, Dida had been ill with the same sickness. He didn't look any more prepared for the hunt than Kelos. The only one who was healthy was Oroles.

The beast had already fled the flock for the trees near by. As the three worked their way around the trees to a rocky outcropping overlooking the bit of forest and his flock, Kelos reminisced about his family. He had been young when he married Zia and moved her into his family home. His father had died a year before, leaving him and his brothers to tend the farm. He didn't mind his life as a farmer. Yet, Zia made every day better. He loved her completely. And the three children that she had already bore him made his mother exceptionally happy. Twin boy and girl, Moskon and Rhyna; along with their baby brother Istros. And Zia was already pregnant with a fourth. What man could ask for more?

The brothers had been so lost in their search for the wolf, their own thoughts, and brotherly teasing, that they hadn't noticed the Roman soldiers approach the house. It was a mistake that cost the family everything.

Oroles and Dida had fought hard to save their mother and Kelos's family. However, they were all simple farmers. Untrained for the fight against the entire Roman legion. It was Kelos's desperation to protect his wife and children that pushed him harder. He attacked the Primus Pilus in charged. The military leader smirked as he recognized the rage. He knew just how to hurt Thiamekelos the deepest for the insult of his attack.

Dumping water on him to keep him awake, Kelos watched in horror as his children's lives were taken. Then through the hours of screams and agony of watching his sweet Zia being handed to every man that wanted her. Until she could take no more. She managed to grab hold of a blade and took her own life.

Kelos's world had shattered. His rage and grief so profound, that as he lost consciousness, the goddess Artemis had come to offer a deal for his soul.

"You are quite the fierce one, aren't you? Unfortunately, Dacian, you are not dead yet. If you keep this rage, I will have a use for you when you truly are ready to die." With that, she was gone.

Kelos woke to the misery of life as a Roman slave. Destined to be trained as a gladiator. The only family that remained were his brothers. He had to fight. To protect Dida and Oroles. They were his only reason to live.

Kell woke from the dreams of his past. His thoughts and fears still fresh in his mind.

He would never allow himself to be caught so off guard again. Always working to control his environment. To predict the situation. Focus on protecting those in his care at all costs.

It was such a fine line. Utter control versus the need to protect. With his powers, sometimes the two versions of him held differing goals. One wanted the control, the precision. The other acted with desperation to find and protect those he cared for.

Damn doppelganger shit. That desperation had nearly gotten him fried more than once. For what? To find a girl that he shouldn't want?

Shouldn't want. But he did. The raging hard on wouldn't go away.

He closed his eyes to think of anything but Lily.

"Miss Lily?"

Lily looked behind her as she walked back into the Hilton. "Oh. Hi Steven. Here for the convention?"

The nineteen year old undergrad from University of Texas at Austin grinned as he showed off his Star Trek costume. "Yeah. But, you are the last person that I expected to see here."

She frowned. "Why?"

"No offense Miss Lily, but you are a nerd. Total, in the books, knows her shit, kind of nerd. You are so archaeology and military history focused, I didn't picture you as a geek too."

"That doesn't make sense." She said as she kept walking. Steven fell into step beside her.

"Are you in this hotel too? How did I not run into you sooner? I'm on the sixth floor. What about you?"

A shiver ran down her spine. Why was her student there? And why did he lie to her? He had always been a good kid before. Just a typical college student. He studied between parties and tried to hit on the girls in the class. But, always honest, happy, polite. Something was off about him. Lily just couldn't put her finger on it.

She wasn't sure that she should be letting him follow her to her room, but then again, Kell was in her room.

The two chit chatted as though nothing was wrong. Lily was trying to ignore the tightness in her chest.

"I am serious Miss Lily. You are the only girl on campus who loves ancient military history more than the modern world. You need to get out and have some fun for once. Come to the Zombie party this afternoon."

"And, if I want to stay in and read instead?"

Steven shook his head. "You seriously don't understand the purpose of college life. You are supposed to go out, party, get drunk, hook up with a guy or two. Why are you in your lab all the time?"

Lily's eyes narrowed on the boy. "Steven, you are my student, not my father, or my uncle. I can make my own choices. I like my work. I don't need to party."

The kid wouldn't give up, his sandy brown hair tossed as he shook his head. "You know, if you got out of the lab more, you could lose some weight and guys would be hitting on you all the time. Why do you hide?"

That sparked her anger. "And that right there is why I don't date. No one has any right to tell me that I need to change to get lots of guys attention. I like being me. I get to study something that I am passionate about, travel, explore, earn my PhD next semester… Why would I give any of this up for a man? So, he could maybe be attracted to me? Why not just wait for the man that actually likes me as I already am?" Lily wasn't really angry at Steven. He was just a nineteen year old kid who worked security on campus to help pay for his tuition. She had no interest in ever dating him, especially since he was one of her students. He had just stepped onto a sore spot for her. However, she instantly regretted the moment of unprofessionalism. But, hell, why was he so interested in her dating life?

"And if that means you are alone for the rest of your life because you are a little too stubborn to try?"

She laughed. "A little too stubborn? Steven, you are still a kid. Give it a few more years, you will learn there are few women in the world more stubborn than me. I am half Greek, half Scottish and a Taurus to boot! If I decide shoe leather is the next great diet fad, I will damn well eat several pounds of it until I prove my point to the rest of the world!"

"Yeah, okay, Miss Lily. If you say so." Steven chuckled.

"I do say so." She retorted. "Now go on. You have better things to do than check on me. And I have stuff to do."

Kell could hear Lily in the hallway with some kid. Why was the kid so fascinated with her dating? He didn't seem to be asking her out. Yet, he could hear her heart racing. The subtle panic in her voice that she tried to hide.

Kell quickly pulled on his torn black jeans, at least the dark color hid the blood from where his thigh was sliced. Then, he opened the door quietly. Lily had her back to the door, but Steven could see him plain as day. Kell's lips pulled into a smirk as he pulled up behind her and slid a wide palm across her stomach to pull her body back against his front. He dropped his head to place a soft kiss on the top of her head. His eyes glared at the boy in front of them.

"I was thinking of ordering us some room service. Are you interested?" Kell nuzzled into her hair.

Lily stiffened when Kell first stepped in behind her. She hadn't expected him to be in the hall. But, the way his hands slid across her body and he pressed himself in behind her, she wanted to melt. Her whole body tingled at the contact. She could feel his body growing hard behind her. Holy shit! And it really turned her on!

Her breast grew heavy, begging for Kell to cup them. She could feel her core grow hot and wet. His fingers burned trails across her stomach that she desperately wished would travel to other places.

She had never reacted to a man like that before. And in front of her student! Ugh, she needed to get it together!

"That sounds just fine." She breathed out despite how her legs had gone weak and her hands itched to turn around and explore that hard body further. She had grown up around a lot of half naked, good looking men. She was mostly desensitized to the whole thing. But, that close to her. To feel how he reacted to her. Her brain couldn't quite wrap itself around the situation. Her head was spinning. He really was one very yummy looking man. And she wanted to taste the pleasures that his body promised.

Steven's eyes went wide as he watched the display in front of him. A range of emotions flickered across his face. Fear, concern… Then his face split into a childish grin. "Good for you Miss Lily! You should take your date, explore the convention, have fun tonight!" Then he turned and left. Kell sensed a deeper fear, but not of him. There was something really off about that kid.