by Amy Sumida
In the end, it was my lioness who saved him—who saved us. She threatened to tear me apart if my husbands didn't relent. She was in love, and my lioness is a fierce mate. She's prideful and greedy, but she's also violently protective and deeply kind. She couldn't let Re walk away into a hell that we had helped to create. She loved him too much for that. And I loved him too much to resent her manipulative way of securing him in our life. I would never tell my other husbands this, but I was glad my lioness had torn me apart that day. I was grateful to her; especially now, at this moment, when Re was truly mine. Truly ours.
“Your face,” Re whispered as he laid a hand to my cheek. “I've never seen this expression before. What are you thinking, Lala?”
I told him; confessed all of my thoughts to him. Because Re deserved to hear them. He had earned that honesty from me. Re's eyes widened as he listened and then they started to shine.
“Don't start that again,” I teased him as he blinked away the tears.
Re laughed. “I've never cried so many happy tears.”
“You're beautiful when you cry,” I said. “Not because of all of this.” I waved my hand at his handsomeness. “But because of this.” I laid my hand over his heart. “I get a glimpse of you in your happy tears. I hope they're the only type you'll ever shed.”
“Just keep looking at me like that, and they will be,” he promised.
“May I dance with the bride?” A deep, resonant voice interrupted us.
We both glanced to our left and saw Anubis standing there. I looked from Anubis' dark, deadly attractiveness to Re's golden, shining glory and lifted a brow at my husband. He lifted one back at me, and I nodded subtly.
“Of course.” Re gave Anubis my hand. “But no chains, Grandson.”
Anubis and I both grimaced at Re, but I did so without my previous resentment; without the ache that it used to cause.
“Too soon?” Re asked and then chuckled as he walked away.
I followed Re with my eyes; watching him head over to where my lovers and Lesya sat at a table, having dinner. The men were giving me grim looks; none of them had forgiven Anubis for what he'd done to me. I looked back to the Egyptian God of the Dead and realized that I had. Oh, I've said that I've forgiven him before, but there had always been a shred of pain buried within me. It's hard to free yourself of bitterness after someone has treated you intimately cruel. Cruelty is bad enough, but when someone digs into your soul and uses the secrets buried there to hurt you and weaken you, it's far more traumatic. The pain stains; it spreads out through your soul so that even after you think you've got it all cleaned up, there are still dark marks that you can't scrub out.
But I had. Or rather, the Wolf had. Love and lust for my wolf had bleached the stain that Anubis left on my soul. It had allowed me to fully forgive Anubis. I smiled up into his ebony eyes and watched the colors swirl over them. Once, they had frightened me and for awhile, they had even haunted my dreams. But now, they were simply beautiful.
“I've let you go, Miw-sher,” Anubis murmured even as he held me tighter. “I have. You gave me that freedom, and I can never thank you enough for it. So, don't take my next words the wrong way.”
“All right,” I whispered.
“It hurt to watch you marry him—my grandfather,” he said. “It hurts now to dance with you; here, at your wedding. But I know I must welcome this pain if I'm ever going to move on.”
“I'm sorry, Anubis—”
“No. Stop,” Anubis said gently. “I wasn't trying to make you accountable for my wounds. They are all self-inflicted, as I'm sure you know. I just want you to know why I need this dance; why I need to hold you and see you up close; witness your happiness with Re.”
“I understand.”
“And there's one more thing that I must ask forgiveness for,” he said.
I lifted a brow at him.
“That day when I took you and your friend to lunch—”
“You drugged me,” I cut him off.
He blinked in shock and then whispered, “Yes; with magic. You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“I'm sorry, Vervain.”
“It's okay, Anubis,” I said serenely. “I forgive you. Now, let's dance away the possibility of us and move forward.”
Anubis gave me a bittersweet smile as he led me around the dance floor; watching me with wounded eyes that I hoped would heal soon.
Chapter Fifty
I met many Egyptian gods at my wedding, and I got to catch up with those I already knew; like the Spirits of the Corn who lived close to Re's palace, and Ma'at, Anubis' sister. Some of the Egyptian gods welcomed me warmly; others not so much. But all of them were respectful and congratulated Re and me.
There were performances by several gods and goddesses; Isis even entertained us with magical illusions she cast with her colorful wings. Dinner was an elaborate feast set out on long tables on the left side of the ballroom. Traditional Egyptian food was served; heavy on the meat dishes for me and my lions. We ended the meal with an enormous, five-tiered cake decorated with Egyptian columns and lotus blossoms.
When it came time to cut the cake, I held back. I knew Re wouldn't appreciate me mashing frosting all over his face so I very nicely placed his bite in his mouth. And then the bastard smeared his piece all over me! I chased him around the cake table after that—a handful of cake held menacingly aloft—and our guests laughed their asses off and took pictures. When I finally caught my groom and covered him in frosting and crumbs, they laughed harder. Then we went to the bathroom together and helped each other rinse off as we giggled like children.
After we returned to our party with cake-free faces, I tossed my bouquet to a massive crowd of vicious goddesses who slammed each other with magic to get at the flowers. Ma'at was the winner, and she pumped the battered bouquet into the air like a trophy.
The garter belt toss wasn't nearly as bad; the gods were too busy trying to not check out my stocking-clad legs while Re slipped the garter from me. Re had been known to be a generous lover; not just to his women but to other men; whom he'd share his lovers with. But that had ended as soon as we fell in love. Now, Re was generous only where my other lovers were concerned; all other men were firmly set across a deadly border from us. If they crossed it, they could wind up incinerated. And this fiery attitude had only grown hotter after our exchange of vows.
Harmless jokes about our wedding night were met with narrow-eyed glares from my new husband and compliments on his new bride were shot down viciously. The Sun God was giving off so much heat at any hint of male attention sent my way that the single gods had to be peer-pressured by the single goddesses into gathering together for the garter toss. Except for the lions and wolves, that is. The Intare and Froekn knew better than to be afraid of Re. I'd kick his shiny ass if he ever hurt one of them.
“You had better tell them it's okay to catch that thing,” I whispered to Re as he stood with the garter in his hand.
“Why?” Re looked baffled.
I got up and smiled at the nervous gathering of men before I said to Re through my teeth, “Because they're all afraid that you're going to burn their butts for wanting my garter.”
Re blinked. “Have I been that bad?”
“Worse,” I said and then chuckled. “What's gotten into you?”
“Marriage, I suppose,” Re said. “You'll have to put up with a possessive husband, Lala; I'm terribly sorry. I'll try to tone it down, but it's been a long time since I've been a married man.”
“I know,” I said gently. “And they know it too. They're just having fun; be gentle with them.”
“If I must.” Re sighed and turned to face the gods. “My apologies for my behavior tonight, gentlemen. I've become a husband again for the first time in too many years to count and it's awakened some violent instincts in me. Please don't let that sway you from participating. I have a pair of diamond cufflinks here for the winner.”
The gods cheered and started jostling for a good p
osition. Re looked back at me and winked.
“Diamond cufflinks?” I asked. “Was there a prize for catching the bouquet?”
“A diamond pendant,” Re said as if he thought I'd known.
“No wonder Ma'at blasted Besa like that,” I muttered.
Once Re had given the okay, it was nearly a bloodbath in the ballroom. I don't think it was the cuff links that spurred them on either; it was simply the sport of it. As soon as Re had offered a prize beyond a scrap of silk and lace, the gods had let their competitive natures out. The married men and goddesses standing around hooted and called out encouragement as the single men fought to claim the garter.
In the end, it was Aidan who clutched the garter and shot out of the rolling mass of bodies. He held it up victoriously and circled back to Re as the other men slapped each other on the backs in commiseration and laughed over black eyes and bleeding lips. I shook my head in wonder.
Aidan and Ma'at strode up to Re and claimed their prizes before posing for pictures with each other. Behind them were the battered gods and goddesses who hadn't won; all smiling for the camera. It was going to be quite a wedding album.
When the traditions had been seen to, everyone gathered around the tracing chamber to see us off. Re and I each carried a suitcase as we clasped our free hands together. He had to lead the trace because our honeymoon destination was a surprise for me.
I bid my husbands, boyfriend, and my daughter goodbye last.
“I wanna go too,” Lesya whined.
“Not this time, little lioness,” I said to her. “This trip is only for Uncle Re and me.”
“But, Mommy,” Lesya whined.
I cut her off with a kiss. “Be good for your daddy and uncles.”
Lesya sighed deeply but relented. Re and I headed onto our honeymoon boat to the sound of cheering. The cacophony followed us as Re navigated us to the end of the river. Aaru was a collective territory divided by a wide river with individual god territories to either side. The dead had to travel down this main river, but they got off their boat at the entrance to Osiris' territory. If you continued on, you traveled the path of the Sun God himself. In the myths, the end of the river signified the rebirth of the Sun; a new day dawning. In reality, it was a tracing point.
The boat was a part of Aaru, so it wouldn't trace with us. It stopped at the end of the river; bobbing in the frothing water. Once we were gone, it would reappear at the beginning of the river. We had to jump at this point, and I was really glad I'd removed my train earlier.
“Ready?” Re asked me as he helped me to my feet.
I nodded, we grabbed our suitcases, and Re held my hand as we stepped to the side of the boat; tipping the canoe-like hull until we simply fell out of it. The Aether pulled us through—the sound of rushing water immediately vanishing—and then our bodies reformed to shocking silence. At least, it felt like silence compared to the previous noise. In a few seconds, my body settled back into its normal state, and I began to notice the sounds around us.
A crackling fire cast heat throughout the room. I could also hear the movement of people somewhere nearby, but it was faint. The stone walls were a good sound-dampener. I walked forward slowly, toward the mullioned window, and stared out at rolling green hills that ran down to a glassy lake. Heading down to the shore on both the left and right were stone walls topped with crenelations.
“Are we in a castle?” I asked in surprise.
“What better place to take my new queen?” Re smiled softly as he watched my reaction.
I glanced down at the gardens below; still glistening from rain, up at the patch of blue in an otherwise gray sky, and then back at the fireplace.
“You took us to Ireland in November?”
“My dear, sweet wife,” Re said patiently as he waved to the sky; the patch of blue grew even larger, “when will you learn that weather matters little to a sun god?”
“I guess I'm learning right now,” I said with a laugh.
“The time difference worked in our favor.” Re eased behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “We get the day back; to spend exactly as we like. We can walk down to the lake beneath a warm sun, or I can release my hold on the clouds and let the rain pour down so we can snuggle together in front of the fire. I know how much you enjoy the rain.”
“But I've learned to love the sun.” I angled my head back for a kiss. “Maybe we should test out that bed before we go anywhere.”
“We can test out every bed in the castle if you like; we have it all to ourselves,” he purred. “There's only a small staff here to cook our meals and see to anything else we may require. I've been assured that they'll be discreet.”
“A whole castle for the two of us,” I murmured. “How luxurious.”
“The luxury is spending two weeks alone with you.” Re started nibbling a path down my neck. “No plots to unravel, no battles to fight; just you and me and the Irish countryside.”
“Sounds like heaven,” I said as I turned in his arms.
“Of course it's Heaven,” Re said with a smirk, “the Sun and Moon are here.”
“And it's time that they shone their light upon Ireland.” I smirked back.
Re swept me up in his arms with a low growl of anticipation and carried me to the mammoth, four-poster bed. It looked like something out of the middle ages; hand-carved wood and thick velvet curtains tied back with gold tassels. Re laid me upon the crimson velvet comforter and then slowly slid my heavy skirts up as he eased onto the bed between my legs. The train may have been gone, but everything else remained; including my veil.
“Before night falls, I want to see you wearing only that veil, Lala,” Re's voice dropped to even sexier tones; that masculine, grating rumble of a man about to have his fantasies fulfilled. “But first, I've been wanting to do this all day.”
Re slipped his hands beneath my skirts and undid the ties of my panties. He'd chosen my lingerie for me, and now I knew why he'd insisted; the side-tying panties made it possible for him to remove them without disturbing my silk stockings and garter belt. Re held up the scrap of silk with a naughty grin and tossed it over his shoulder before diving beneath my skirts. I moved to pull them up, but he stopped me.
“Don't you dare, Lala,” he growled against my sex.
I let go of the silk and lace and laid back against the fluffy pillows as Re settled himself between my thighs and parted me with his tongue. It was terribly erotic; him buried beneath the layers of my wedding gown while he was still fully dressed in his suit. His hot tongue worked me expertly as his fingers massaged their way inside. I shivered from pleasure and anticipation of what I knew was coming; his hard body over and inside of mine, our hips grinding slowly together and then thrashing violently, his tongue filling my mouth, my nails clawing his back, and the screaming ecstasy that it all led to.
But first; I began to glow. Just beneath my skin, my Moon rose and shone through me with a silver light. In response to it, Re started to shine with golden brilliance; his light filtering through my silk dress. Suddenly, he flung back the fabric, tore open his trousers, and thrust himself inside me. Re cried out—blinding me with his brilliance for a moment—and then lowered his lips to my ear as he began a savage tempo.
“I was going to draw this out,” he whispered. “But then you lit up for me. I can't resist the call of your Moon.”
“Good,” I purred blissfully. “We have two weeks to fill with slow, drawn-out sex. Right now, I want you wild and joyous. This is a celebration; our first time together as a married couple.”
Re paused and stared down at me; our light mingling between us as our bodies did.
“I do want to celebrate wildly with you,” he said. “But our first time as husband and wife should be more than this.”
Re eased back and out of me, and I cried out in surprise and annoyance. But Re smiled softly at me as he quickly undressed. When he was gloriously naked, he helped me sit up so he could remove my wedding gown. When the gown was gone, he undid my
bra and cast it away ass with the other garments, but my veil, stockings, and garter belt were left alone.
Re's smile turned possessive as his eyes raked over my body. “Pull your veil over your face, Lala.”
I lifted an eyebrow but did as he asked; pulling the lace forward before I laid back on the bed. It covered me to just below my breasts and my garter belt became a sensual border for my sex. Re exhaled audibly as his gaze fastened on the curls between my thighs.
“Now, spread your legs,” he said.
I bent my legs and set my feet to the mattress as I spread them; giving my husband a complete view. Re shivered as he tried to control his needs; crawling over the bed instead of pouncing on me. I smiled as he settled between my legs again.
“Are you going to stay this time?” I asked him.
Re lifted my veil and slipped beneath it with me. “Forever,” he promised with heavy-lidded, golden eyes and then sealed it with a kiss.
And I knew that he would. No matter what tomorrow may bring, the Sun God, Re was in my arms to stay.
Keep reading for a sneak peek into the next book in the Godhunter Series:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf
Chapter One
I looked out across my territory with a satisfied smile. Kirill was teaching Lesya how to stalk her prey. They were crouched in the high grass; a massive black lion and a little golden cub. Behind me, another of my husbands was spreading an assortment of books across my bed.
“Which should I take first?” Azrael asked.
I turned away from the balcony and headed back into the bedroom. It had been three months since I had returned from my honeymoon with Re and in that time, I'd made a few changes; the largest being an addition to the towers that bracketed my balcony and Lesya's bedroom. Each one had a new room on the bottom level; one for Re and one for Toby.
Re wasn't about to give up his palace, but I wanted him to have a space here where he could keep a few things when he wanted to spend the night. The same went for Toby. We were becoming quite the family, and a lot of it was to do with Trevor.
