Blood Lust
Page 13
The sudden beams of sunlight sealed his despair. It was too late. There was no coming back for his little vampire. At least, she was finally free of her curse.
He caught something moving out of the corner of his eye. In the distance waited Aphrodite. For losing her lover, she seemed rather pleased. It explained how Dillion arrived on the scene. Aphrodite took him there.
The goddess gave him the smoky eyed gaze that at one time had him running to her bed. Did the bitch set the whole thing up? Did she lure Juliet there too?
He snarled at her as he stalked in her direction. If she had anything to do with Dillion killing Juliet, it would be the end. There were ways to kill gods. And he would make sure she never took another breath.
She must have seen his reaction because she vanished without a trace.
Ares looked around him. Everyone was gone. He was left behind but he should be used to it. Everyone left him behind.
Except this time the sting was too much. He dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hand. The sob shook his entire body. The cliff trembled in response.
* * * *
Athena strolled through the rock corridors with her military cap in her hand. Her standard issue patent leather shoes clicked against the stone. She didn’t need to create a ball of fire like her brother did. She illuminated the tunnel all on her on without extra help.
It had been six weeks since anyone last heard from Ares. Zeus summoned him. Hera summoned him. Hell, even she summoned him. Nothing. It wasn’t the first time he ignored them but it was the first time he suffered such a loss that forced him into hiding.
His first stop after the Amphitheater was Olympus where he nearly tore Pan apart. Pan quaked as he explained to Ares that Eros led Juliet away, that he told the vampire that Ares was in danger. Ares was prepared to unleash hell on Eros until he discovered that the love god also believe his father was in trouble.
And who told Eros that his father, the god of war, was in danger? His mother, of course. And Aphrodite was long gone before Ares figured it out. Since then, Ares disappeared too, leaving his godly duties neglected. Athena was done doing his shit along with her own. It was time to drag her brother out of bed.
She laughed as she rounded the corner to the stone staircase. That was exactly where he was, laid across his bed still clothed in his blood stained chiton. The opulence he liked to adorn his cave home in was gone. All that surrounded them was dull gray rock.
She slowly descended the steps as she shifted her cap to under her arm. “Seriously, Bro. You might want to change or something.”
His gaze was locked to the ceiling and never wavered. “What the fuck do you want?”
“For you to get out of bed and get to work. I’m sick of doing your crap.”
She could hear his voice crack as he spoke, “Go away, Athena.”
“She was just a vampire. Ares, you could have another woman in a heartbeat once you take a shower and change. How many baby mamas have you had by now?”
He looked at her, then slowly sat up. “None of them were Juliet. Fuck, I never want to see another woman again. It’s just her. I loved her so much. I wish I could have given my life for hers.”
“You can’t possibly mean that.”
“I don’t? I have been someplace. Vegas. I pleaded with Hades to give her to me. I would do anything. I would be his slave. But that son of a bitch had the audacity to say he didn’t have her. Liar.”
Athena shook her head as she chuckled. This was too easy.
She heard him growl. “What’s so funny?”
Athena glanced at him then back to the top of the stairs where she came from. “Come on out.”
It seemed like an eternity even for her, but from the shadows stepped Juliet dressed in a long, white chiton. Her hair was still ebony and her lips blood red but her skin was not quite as pale.
Ares scrambled to his feet, his mouth almost on the floor. He took a step then another towards the stone staircase. When Juliet’s foot hit the bottom stair, he scooped her into his arms and parted her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.
He pulled from Juliet with a frown as he stared at her. “No. This isn’t right.”
“What do you mean it isn’t right?” Athena insisted.
“I don’t know what you tried to do, but this isn’t my Juliet. This isn’t my wom–”
“Excuse me?” Juliet interrupted with a smile, “Your woman? Listen, you need to stop this archaic ‘your woman’ bullshit, you neande—”
Her words were interrupted by a possessive kiss.
Athena beamed as she watched the couple melt into each other.
As they broke apart, Ares spoke, “I don’t get it.”
“When she fell, I scooped her up and took her back to my place. I had to keep her in a coma-like state for a month until my nymphs and I could figure out what to do. Once I was certain I could change her, I did it into one of my own creatures.”
“A nymph.”
“Yes, so be nice. She answers to me and if you mistreat her, I will kick your ass.”
Ares brow creased in confusion. “I asked you more than once to change her. Why didn’t you then?”
“I was still researching it. This is the first time any of us tried to change a vampire. I think I did a pretty good job.”
Juliet opened her mouth to show her set of pearl white, very straight teeth. “See? No fangs.”
Athena watched as her brother’s face darkened. “Athena?”
“Yes, Ares?”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. You have given me my life back. I owe you an immeasurable debt of gratitude. But I need you to leave. Now.”
It was Athena’s turn to scowl. “Why is that?”
He grinned at her. “Because, like you said, you’ve seen me in a compromising position before. I’m certain you don’t want to again.”
Athena laughed. “Yuck, no. And that’s my cue to leave. Ares, dinner on Sunday. Bring your girl. I’m sure that’ll please the socks off Dad and Hera.”
“You can count on it.”
Athena hurried up the steps as fast as she could. She barely made the peak before she heard her half brother. “You thought I undressed you fast before. I’ve spent centuries undoing these things.”
Juliet’s response was more of a moan. “Show me how. Oh, Ares. Oh, fuck.”
Athena sprinted down the corridor away from the lovemaking. She brought them back together. And it was the first time her sour ass brother was truly happy.
But that was the last thing she needed to see. With the blink of an eye, she disappeared.
Tricia Andersen lives in Iowa with her husband and her three children. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in English and from Kirkwood Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in Communications Media/Public Relations.
For the past five years, Tricia has been a member of Hard Drive Performance Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an affiliate of Roufusport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has experience in kickboxing and currently trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Even though she has never competed in an MMA cage, she’s witnessed and been a part of a fighter’s journey from fight camp to their walk to the cage. She also has competed in jiu jitsu.
Other Books by Tricia Andersen
Black Irish (Black Irish Series #1)
Heartland (Black Irish Series #2)
The Troubles (Black Irish Series #3)
Trial By Fire (Black Irish Series #4)
The Assassin (Black Irish Series #5)
Family Ties (Black Irish Series #6)
Hard Drive (Hard Drive Series Prequel)
Breaking the Cycle (Hard Drive Series #1)
Breaking the Silence (Hard Drive Series #2)
Breaking the Violence (Hard Drive Series #3)
The Heartbreaker (Hearts of Braden #2)
Innocent ‘til Proven Guilty
Queen of Savon
The Thirteenth Knight
Welterweight (The
Hallow Brothers Series #1)
Middleweight (The Hallow Brothers Series #2)
Heavyweight (The Hallow Brothers Series #3)
Corner (The Hallow Brothers Series #4)
Henry Davison – You Can Be What You Want To Be