He ground her down on his cock as he roared his release. The rush left stars in his eyes. She clenched tight around him once again as his cock throbbed deep inside her. She peppered his face with butterfly kisses as he came back to his senses.
Ares slid his hands across her hips until his thumbs brushed her stomach. What would it be like if she carried his child? Could vampires get pregnant? He was a god. He could make it happen.
“Don’t,” Juliet warned. She gazed down at him through hooded eyes.
“Don’t what?” he countered.
“Don’t force my curse on a child. I can sense your thoughts too. Ares, baby, you’re reckless. I know you. You’d work your power and make me pregnant without talking to me. I wish I could give you a baby. I wish I could share the love I have for you with our child. But don’t force this hunger on an innocent life.”
He stared at her in awe then held her tight against him. He stroked his fingers through her hair. “After I get you changed, the first thing on my agenda is getting you pregnant.”
She grinned at him then kissed him.
But deep down inside, he could feel her hope fail.
* * * *
Ares wandered down the street of the small town. There was gunfire all around him as he strolled past. He glanced down at his dirty t-shirt and jeans before he concentrated on the scene around him. Zeus got pissed when he didn’t wear the recommended chiton to do his work. Frankly, dressing like those around him made the task at hand easier.
He almost didn’t make it to this little skirmish. He and Juliet spent the night and most of the morning knotted tight around each other. They talked in hushed whispers. They silenced each other with deep kisses. Their bodies joined together in the most intimate way. It wasn’t just physical act of sex that made him ignore every signal of the civil war breaking out. It was Juliet’s soul that sung out to him that kept him buried deep inside her.
The little vamp might have thought she was soulless. She wasn’t by any means. What Ares felt was good and pure. And a wee bit snarky but it was okay with him. It made him love her more.
It finally took Athena ripping him a new one to drag him out of bed. He was a little shocked to find his sister standing next to the bed while he was balls deep in his lover. Not that it stopped either he or Juliet from reaching orgasm together. Maybe it would stop his sister from dropping by unannounced ever again.
It took all the control in him to leave his lover for this warzone. He promised Juliet that he would make it quick. All he had to do was fire up the discord between these two sides, create bloody chaos, start their civil war. Once he was done with all the heavy lifting and the leaders on both sides got involved, he could turn things over to Athena and crawl back into bed with Juliet.
He caught something out of place mulling around a couple of looted cars. He let out a heavy sigh.
Athena was chomping at the bit to take this one over. She was physically waiting in the wings with arms crossed over her chest dressed in her best Grecian garb. “Where’s your chiton?” she chided.
“Fuck it. I work best in the elements around me.” Ares glanced at a rebel charging a couple of soldiers with a steel drum over his head. He pointed at the man. “That’s heavy. You’re going to drop it.”
A second later a bullet laid the man flat dead in the street. The drum rolled away down an alley.
Athena shrugged as she strode to the middle of the street to her brother. Her own garment melted away and was replaced with a black t-shirt, black suit coat and a pair of black leather pants. “How much longer?”
Ares glared at her. “Chill the fuck out, Sis. These things take time.”
She huffed. “I figured that you’d want to get home to Juliet.”
Ares nodded to a mob of rebels plotting behind a stone wall. Without warning, they sprinted out into the street. The roar of gunfire filled the air. “Yeah. Maybe next time, you’ll call before you drop in, huh?”
Athena shot him a cocky grin. “It’s not the first time I’ve seen you in a compromising position, sweet brother. Remember the time with when Hephaestus literally caught you in the act with Aphrodite with that net he made and he called us all in to see it? That had to be embarrassing.”
Ares glared at her as she laughed. “Ya think?”
“How about you concentrate on the task at hand?”
Ares growled as focused on those around him. The battle grew to a fevered pitch. “I swear, Athena. You…”
Deep in the far reaches of his soul, he heard a voice call to him. “Ares.”
He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. “Baby, hold on. I’m working. But I promise to have you screaming my name very soon.”
“As tempting as that is, I need you here now.”
“Jul—”
“Ares, it’s Pan. He’s here and he’s in bad shape.”
Ares eyes grew wide as his hands fell to his sides. The battle lowered to a simmer. A couple of fighters even muttered the word peace.
“What the fuck?” Athena demanded.
Ares stared at her dumbfounded. “It’s Pan. He’s at my cave and he’s hurt.”
Athena gaped at him, a horrified look on her face. “Go, I got this. I’ll be right behind you.”
Ares glanced around baffled. He felt his heart twist in his chest. Nearly everyone on Olympus hated him. Pan was one of the few who didn’t. Whoever hurt him wasn’t going to live to hurt anyone else.
“Ares, go.” Athena commanded.
He nodded as he stepped back away from her. The war picked up speed as it disappeared from sight. A split second later, the cool darkness of his home surrounded him.
At first glance, all he could see was Juliet sitting on their bed and a pair of goat hooves facing him. At least she was in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, no longer wearing that scrap of cloth she was in before he left. He sprinted across the stone floor and knelt on the mattress.
Pan laid across the silk sheets staining dark with spots of his blood. Dark purple bruises were forming on his flesh. He had cuts all over his body and fur.
Ares swallowed up the bile rising up in his throat as he brushed a lock of hair off Pan’s forehead. “Hey, bud.”
Pan’s eyes opened to slits. “Sorry for the mess.”
“They can be replaced.” Ares looked up at Juliet.
She looked pale before but now she nearly lit up the room. Her dark eyes were wide as she dabbed at the lacerations with a pillow case.
Ares never noticed the naked pillow now lying on the floor.
“Who did this, Pan?” Ares questioned.
“He came out of nowhere. I told my nymphs to run. I don’t know if they’re okay. He accused me of looking for him. He said he wanted to send a message to you and Juliet. If he got any of my nymphs...” A tear slid down Pan’s bruised cheek as he whimpered.
The click of boots on the stone floor tore Ares attention away for a moment.
Athena approached the bed with slow, steady steps. “What the fuck happened?”
Ares turned back to Pan. “Bud, who did this?”
Pan’s breath shuddered as he spoke. “That vampire you asked me to find.”
Ares’s heart slammed in his chest as he rose up on his knees like he just heard Pan had the plague. He scanned Pan’s body. Fuck, he had no idea what he was looking for. “Pan, did he bite you?”
“I don’t know. It was all so fast.”
Ares looked up at Juliet. “If that son of a bitch bit him does that mean…”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of a vampire feeding on a god before.”
Pan sobbed. “My nymphs.”
Athena patted him on his cargo shorts covered hindquarter softly. “Hey, kiddo. I’m going to call in Apollo and some other reinforcements and go look for them. Okay? I’ll be back as soon as they’re safe.”
“But the forest—”
“I’ll take them to Olympus to reunite with you. All right? Just let Ares and Julie
t take care of you. I’ve got this.”
Pan nodded and sighed.
Athena pointed at Pan as she glared at her brother. “Check him over.”
“First thing on my agenda, Sis. Go,” Ares confirmed.
Athena disappeared without a trace.
Ares gave a gentle smile to the woodland god. “You heard the boss, kiddo. You gotta sit up so I can check you.”
With Ares and Juliet’s help, Pan sat up. He grimaced as he hunched over.
Ares frowned then looked at Juliet. “I have no idea what to look for.”
Her voice was soothing. “Ares, take a deep breath. Reach in my mind. You’ll see what you need to look for.”
Ares closed his eyes and concentrated his thoughts on her memories. It didn’t take long before he found himself in a sterile hospital room. The smell of disinfectant burned his nose. He looked down at the lifeless body in the bed. On his neck were two dots of blossoming crimson. He memorized the wound then pulled himself from her mind.
Ares rubbed Pan’s shoulder. “Okay. Just hang tight.” He methodically studied every wound over the young god’s body. Even to him it took forever. He let go a sigh of relief as he finished his search. “Nothing. Just cuts.”
“You didn’t look everywhere,” Juliet chided.
“Yes, I did,” Ares argued.
“The cargo shorts, Ares.”
Ares snarled. “Are you saying your ex tried to bite his cock?”
“I’m saying it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
The god of war huffed. “You heard the lady, Pan. Pants off.”
Pan looked at each of them and shook his head. “No. Not with her here.”
Juliet smiled at him. “It’s okay. I promise I would never hurt you.”
“It’s not that.”
Ares watched the two of them then started to laugh.
Juliet looked pissed. “What’s so funny?”
“Juliet, you’re a beautiful woman. You just asked him to drop trow in front of you.” Ares lifted his hand and waved it. His wardrobe appeared out of nowhere. “You always wanted to know what’s in there. Why don’t you step inside and check it out while we guys take care of things out here. While you’re in there, you can figure out which section in yours.”
Juliet’s grin held a hint of sin. “All right. I’ll leave you fellas alone. Call if you need me.”
They watched as she sashayed to the wardrobe and opened the door. She gave Ares one last smoky glance before she stepped inside and closed it behind her.
Ares climbed off the bed and offered a hand to help Pan up. He cocked an eyebrow at him. “How did you find cargo shorts to fit you?”
Pan sniffled. “One of my girls makes them for me. She…” His voice broke.
Ares slapped him gently to get his attention. “Hey. Listen. Athena said she’d find them. You have to trust that she will. Now, drop the shorts.”
Pan flicked the buttons open then unzipped his shorts. His cheeks turned bright red as they pooled around his ankles. The erection was hard to miss.
Ares bit back a chuckle. “Now I know why you wanted Juliet to step away.”
“Ares, I am so sorry. I would never—”
“Stop,” Ares interrupted him. “She’s hot. I get it. Now stand still, so I can finish checking you. This is going to be extremely awkward.”
Pan shuffled his hooves. “Yeah.”
Ares crouched next to Pan and scanned the rest of his body. Whichever nymph constructed his cargo shorts did an incredible job. They were like armor. There was hardly a blemish.
He straightened himself then shot a glance to the darkened side of the cave. His cabinet appeared once again as did a smaller bed covered with steel gray silk sheets. On the bedside table next to the bed was a basin with a cloth hanging from it. He crossed the room to the cabinet and opened it. He took another white box from inside then closed it.
Ares motioned Pan to the new bed. “Get dressed. You can sleep there. You’re not bunking with Juliet and me. I’ll summon Juliet to clean your wounds. In the meantime, eat one of these.” He offered the box to the woodland god.
“What is it?” Pan questioned.
Ares flipped the lid off. Inside was what appeared to be a box of chocolate.
“Ambrosia,” Pan answered himself, his voice almost a whisper.
“It can only help, Bud. Take this and go get in bed. Don’t eat it all. I have plenty and can get more, but I don’t need you puking all over my floor.”
They both turned as the wardrobe door opened again.
Juliet stepped out and strode back to them. “Why exactly are you summoning me for this?”
Ares let his gaze wander over her and smiled. “You’re the nurturer, not me. Remember who I am?”
She returned his grin. “Of course. Pan, let’s get you cleaned up and in bed.”
Ares watched for a minute or two as she helped Pan onto the mattress.
Juliet knelt next to him, then dipped the cloth into the water. She gently dabbed at his cuts, talking to him in a soothing voice the entire time.
Ares hurried up the stone staircase to give them some quiet.
Chapter Nine
Ares strode through the pitch black corridor as he tried to get bearings on his sister. The sooner he could give Pan the news that his nymphs were safe, the quicker the woodland god would finally rest. He stopped cold at an amber glow ahead of him.
A clean shaven man dressed in a navy three piece suit approached him. His smooth brown hair was neatly parted and combed to the side. The light didn’t emit from him or his perfect pearl white teeth. As a god, it was just there.
Ares bit back a growl as he dropped into stance by instinct. Hermes appearing out of nowhere was never a good sign. It meant good old Dad was pissed.
When they left Greece for what Zeus nicknamed New Olympus, Hermes was a little lost at first. What would the messenger god do for a living? Drive those big brown trucks in a matching uniform? At least he would get to wear shorts in the summer. Then he found his calling. He pulled a communications degree out of thin air and aced all three interviews to become Washington D.C.’s most watched news anchor. Women fawned all over him and it didn’t bother him one bit. His list of affairs rivaled Zeus’s. The only difference was that he was admired for his indiscretions. No one had to send a gang of big, bad gods to clean up his messes.
Ares voice was low and dangerous as he spoke, “What do you want, Hermes? I doubt this is a social visit.”
Hermes’s grin was bright and artificial. How mortals could watch this guy on the news every night was beyond him. “No, it’s not. Your father has heard about Pan.”
“That was quick.”
“He pulled himself from a Congressional meeting to get the news.”
“Yippee. What does the bastard want?”
“He wants the vampire dead.”
“I’m about to talk to Apollo to get his help. I’m hoping he can get Artemis to do her part at night.”
“That’s not the vampire he means. Of course, he wants that one dead also. But your new girlfriend goes first. Zeus’ first text was to his brother and Hades is on his way here. He’s pretty excited. It seems he wanted her in the first place. He kept going on about the Angel of Death.”
Ares’s eyes widened. “Fuck, no. He’ll have to go through me first. I will start a world war. Believe me, it’ll happen.”
“Maybe you should let me finish before you go starting wars. Athena also sent me. She and Apollo have found all the nymphs. They are safe and at Olympus.”
Ares snarled. “Why do I fucking care about that right now?”
Hermes chuckled. “Because, Ares, where is the last place both Zeus and Hades will look for your vampire?”
Ares stared at him for a moment. He huffed out the answer, “Olympus.”
“If I were you, I’d hurry. The faster you get there, the more time you have to find this rogue bloodsucker. Maybe once you destroy him, Zeus will let up on her. Athena and
Apollo are waiting for you there so the three of you can go end this. Artemis is already up in that all terrain vehicle of hers that pulls the moon looking for clues. Guess she upgraded from her chariot when Apollo upgraded his for that sports car.”
Ares cocked his head as he studied the messenger god. “Why are you helping us? You hate me.”
Hermes shrugged. “I do. But there’s been talk among the gods. Athena has told us all about this Juliet. We think she’ll be good for you, maybe make you lighten up a bit. The only ones opposed to you two together is your Dad, Mom and of course, Aphrodite.”
“Then maybe someone should help me change her into something other than a vampire.”
“Ares, have you ever thought that it may not be possible?”
“We’re gods. We can do anything.”
“Yes, but should we?” Hermes words were cut off by a buzz in the air. He slipped a cell phone from his pocket and muttered a row of curse words. “Zeus and his stupid e-mails and texts. I am the messenger of the gods. Me. Not his infernal technology. Life was better when we were on Mount Olympus. This new modern way of life isn’t the best way.”
He looked up at Ares after tucking his phone in his pocket. “Speaking of home, Hades is near. Get your girl and Pan and get out of here. Zeus loves texting so much? He’s about to get a random one saying you and Juliet are at your temple. And when I say temple, I mean the new one. The club. Go.”
Ares smiled at him. “Thanks. I owe you.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
The tunnel went black. Ares created his own light then sprinted back the way he came. He didn’t stop until he reached Pan’s bed. Juliet was still perched next to him on the edge of the mattress.
Pan was fast asleep, his body shuddering with each breath.
Ares pulled her to her feet. “We have to go.”
Juliet’s brow creased as she frowned. “He’s resting, Ares. We can’t just leave him. What the hell’s so important that you want to bail on him?”
“Hades is on the way. My dad has given him orders to get rid of you.”
“What? Is Hades the family hitman? You’re like the mob.”
Blood Lust Page 10
