by Amy Sumida
“Then he was helping some other god abduct a Greek goddess,” I went on.
“Actually, we were able to free the Goddess because Qaus was arguing with another god over her,” Azrael amended. “Ananke, the Goddess we saved, said that Qaus told the other god that a goddess—who they both seemed to respect—wanted Ananke for herself.”
“Did Ananke catch the name of this respected goddess?” Toby asked.
“No, unfortunately, she didn't,” Re huffed. “But at least we have confirmation that Qaus is working with her.”
“And there's one more thing,” I added. “That third scent I caught in the Japanese Gardens; it belonged to the god Qaus who was arguing with.”
“And you didn't recognize this other god?” Arach asked.
“No.” I grimaced. “Blond, fair skin, dark eyes, and handsome. That's all I got. He could be Finnish or he could be German for all I know. But, under present circumstances, I'm leaning toward Finnish.”
“He wasn't all that handsome,” Re muttered.
“What did you guys find?” I ignored Re.
“We traced somewhere in Europe,” Odin reported. “I'm not sure where exactly, but when we followed Qaus' trail through a small town, I noticed the people were using Euros to pay for their purchases.”
“We didn't find anything there, but Arach was able to track Qaus back into the Aether,” Toby added.
“We came out at Sampo,” Odin admitted and then sighed.
“Then the trail led back here,” Arach finished. “Nothing conclusive, but it's not looking good for the Finnish Gods.”
“All right, let's head home,” I said wearily. “I'll send some lions here to watch the house from the street in case Qaus returns. But right now, I just want to see my children.”
The men agreed, and we all traced back to Pride Palace.
Chapter Twenty
I spent the rest of the day with my family. It really was amazing to have them all together; my twin sons playing with my daughter, and all three of them adoring their new baby brother. We picnicked on the lawn before the palace and then the children chased each other around the lacy-leafed trees and through the tall grass; tiring themselves out while I lazed on blankets in the shade with my husbands and boyfriend.
I did send some lions to watch over Qaus' place and one to Olympus to check in with Athena and makes sure Ananke got home safely. There had been no activity at Qaus' house all day, but we did receive confirmation that Ananke was safe at home. A small win, but I'd take it.
After we put the children to sleep, I wandered up to Re's tower room with him. It was his night, and he didn't want to spend it in the main bedroom. I understood completely. We had doors at the bottom of the towers to prevent Lesya from walking in on us when we weren't prepared for her, but I'd also installed a camera that fed directly into TVs in each of the men's rooms. When I had first hung the camera, my husbands asked that it be positioned to focus only on the bed. This serves two purposes; it lets them know when it's safe to bring the children down, and it gives them a show to enjoy on nights when they aren't with me. Out of all of my men, I'd thought that Re would enjoy the knowledge that others may be watching us more than anyone else would. Normally, he was fine with being an exhibitionist but tonight, he wanted some privacy.
I soon discovered why.
“I have a dirty secret,” Re confessed.
“Oh?” I grinned eagerly.
Re's dirty secrets usually meant a lot of pleasure for me.
“When I'm up here alone, I watch you with the other men.” He waved a hand toward the television that protruded off the curved wall on its metal mount.
“Yes; I assumed so.” I smiled smugly.
I admit; it's a safe way to be an exhibitionist and it also tickled me pink that my men preferred to watch me with each other rather than watch porn featuring strangers.
“Masturbation has gotten old.” He pouted and still managed to look unbelievably hot.
“Okay.” I took a seat on the round bed; a smaller version of the one in Re's home.
“So, I made a Vervain substitute.”
“A substitute?” I frowned.
“Like a sex doll but better,” Re explained. “I'll show you but just give it a moment to sink in before you react.”
“I'll try to,” I said in a wary tone.
Re went to a large trunk set beneath one of the windows and opened it. He held a hand out and a woman's hand reached up and took his. I jolted off the bed and gaped at my doppelganger as she climbed out of Re's trunk and stood calmly before me. She was naked and an exact replica of me; down to the freckles.
“What the fuck?” I nearly shrieked.
“It's just some creation magic.” Re held up a placating hand. “She doesn't have a soul or anything like that and only has a simple brain to allow her to respond to basic commands. She's basically an elevated sex doll; a toy to give me pleasure when you're not with me. I thought it would be an acceptable way to take care of my needs without cheating on you. Are you upset?”
“I...” I grimaced. “When you put it like that, it sounds sweet.”
“I only desire you, Vervain.” Re sidled over and slid his arms around me. “But I can't have you all the time, and you know I have... significant needs.”
“Okay,” I whispered. “I understand, and I even love you more for it. This is really romantic in a way.”
“Good.” He grinned. “Hold onto that feeling while I ask my next question.”
I lost my smile.
“You know I love threesomes, but I can't have them with another woman anymore.”
“No,” I said immediately.
“You don't have to touch her if that makes you uncomfortable.”
“Well, of course, I'm not touching her,” I growled. “How lesbian narcissistic would that be? I'm not a lesbian, and I've had enough of narcissism.” I grimaced, thinking of the god who had nearly raped me. “The idea of having two of me is... well...” I trailed off.
“You're starting to see the benefit, aren't you?” Re grinned. “She could suck my cock while I lick your pussy. You could just lie there and enjoy my attention while she does all the work.”
“I like sucking your cock,” I murmured but it was half-hearted.
Of course, I enjoyed performing oral sex on my husband, but the thought of hedonistically lying back and just receiving pleasure, without feeling guilty for not reciprocating, was tempting. Very tempting.
I glanced at myself; standing patiently, waiting to be used as a sex toy. Because that me was a sex toy. Images of Re fucking that thing while he watched the real me on the monitor, having sex with someone else, suddenly filled my mind, and damn if it didn't turn me on. I swallowed past the dryness in my throat.
“All right, Re; you can have your menage a trois.”
“Two Vervains!” He gleefully picked me up and twirled me around. “Thank you, Lala.”
“You're welcome, you golden pervert.” I laughed.
But then Re was removing my clothes and it stopped being so funny. His elegant hands massaged and stroked my body as he sensuously slid each piece of clothing off me. Then he laid me down on his bed—my head supported by fluffy pillows—and spread my legs with a wicked grin. Re settled his body between my thighs and began kissing me. I luxuriated in his smooth, warm skin and the clenching muscles in his back; my hands trailing down to his firm, round ass to squeeze it eagerly.
Re can kiss like no one else; a study in sensuality and pure pleasure. He languishes in our kisses; stroking my tongue and twirling his with mine as if he'd be happy doing only that all night. The movement of his lips over mine alters between light, barely-there brushes to firm, hard pressure. And he puts his whole body into his kisses; undulating against me like a lap dancer and wrapping his arms under and around me.
It was so consuming that when Re finally broke our kiss to move his mouth slowly down to my breasts, I was left reeling. My head lolled back on the pillow, my hands going to his hea
d to thread through his silky hair as Re began that same luxurious licking on my breasts. Sucking, biting, massaging; by the time he made it down between my legs, I was moaning with pleasure. And then he gave me a long lick up my center.
“Vervain, come here and suck my cock,” Re commanded.
My eyes shot open but then I realized that he was talking to the doll. She came forward immediately, and I gaped as I watched my twin crawl between my legs and shimmy beneath Re. Her body hung over the edge of the bed, knees bent, and her hands slid up Re's thighs to massage his ass just as I like to do. He sank his cock into her mouth and laid down over her without regard to her comfort.
“She doesn't have to breathe,” Re said with a lascivious glint in his eyes. “Nor do I have to worry about crushing her.”
Re returned his attention to my sex and began a thorough tongue-lashing as he pumped steadily into the doll's mouth. The wet sounds of oral sex filled the room as they both got into their tasks. Re's grunts and groans added a delicious vibration to his endeavors and the sight of him pleasuring himself with something that looked like me as he pleasured me was more erotic than I'd expected. I could barely see the other me; it was a perfect way to ease me into it.
I love the way Re performs oral sex nearly as much as how he kisses. Probably because he does them in a similar fashion. Re doesn't just lick me there, he makes love me. He moves his lips over my sex as if it were my mouth and then licks the outside thoroughly before delving deeper. He rarely has to add his fingers to bring me release and this time was no exception. Re brought me steadily up that rapturous climb until I came with explosive intensity, and he joined me shortly afterward; lifting up enough for me to see him coming into the doll's mouth. She drank every last drop and then licked him clean. When she was finished, Re climbed up beside me and rolled to his back with a huge grin on his face. The doll got up and stood at the foot of the bed; waiting for his next command.
“That was lovely,” Re whispered as he pulled me in close and kissed me. “Can we try a little more?”
“I suppose so.”
Re started worshiping my body again; kissing me all the way to my ankles as he gave himself time to recover and get back into fighting shape, as it were. Then he yanked me to the end of the bed so that my knees hung over the sides. Re spread me wide and sank into me; working himself deep. I sighed with delight as I grabbed his ass and pulled him even deeper. Oral sex is great but, for me, sex isn't complete without the ultimate union of flesh. I tried to wrap my legs around Re, but he pushed me back so that my heels were flat on the mattress.
“Vervain, get on the bed on your hands and knees,” Re ordered.
The doll knelt right beside us on the bed and waited patiently.
“Would you like to see what I see when I fuck you?” Re asked as he eased out of me and then held a hand down to me.
I lifted a brow as Re helped me to my feet. My husband kissed me passionately and then drew me around to his back so that I hugged him from behind. Then he spread the doll's ass cheeks.
“Why don't you do the honors?” Re suggested.
I took his cock in hand and guided it into the doll. My mouth went dry as the tip of his cock slid into her. She didn't make a sound, but Re groaned as he drove himself deep. I watched in fascination as he slid slowly in and out of my doll twin; my cheeks heating from seeing exactly what I looked like when he did this with me. Then he pulled out and shoved himself in her ass abruptly. I flinched a little at his brutal movement, and Re laughed.
“She doesn't feel anything; I can be rough with her.”
“Do you want to be rough?” I asked as I climbed up on the bed beside the doll and mimicked her position. “Because I can handle it too, Sun God.”
Re groaned, immediately pulling out of the doll to rush over to me. He spread my cheeks wide and plunged into my sex with a sharp thrust. I cried out as he began to thrust savagely. Re's hands went to my hips as I shoved back onto him; the slaps of our flesh colliding echoing in my ears.
“Go to bed, Vervain,” Re growled as his pace quickened.
The doll got up and went to her trunk. She climbed inside and pulled the lid down. Unbelievable; Re didn't even have to put her away.
“I hope you at least bathe her,” I said with a smirk over my shoulder.
“She cleans herself.” Re grinned. “The perfect toy. But when it comes down to it; there's nothing like the real thing.”
Re's hands went to my breasts and squeezed them nearly to the point of pain as he wildly slammed into me. I moaned in delight; no one likes soft and gentle all the time. Sometimes you need a good, rampant romp and no toy could give the same exuberance as a living, breathing, person. Still, I knew that wouldn't be the last I saw of my doll self.
And I didn't mind in the least.
Chapter Twenty-One
I woke up early and went downstairs to have a quick shower and do my morning routine; use the bathroom, fill bottles, get dressed, etc. My phone beeped with a text, and I saw it was from my friend Tristan. He was upset about Jackson again.
My human friends, Tristan and Jackson, had been a couple for as long as I've known them. Then, suddenly, Jackson broke up with Tristan and moved in with a man named Garvin; an ugly, rude, and arrogant man. It's so much worse when people are arrogant without cause. Anyway, I'd suspected foul play of the witch variety since Garvin is a witch like Jackson. Jackson deals with the Vodou Lwas (Gods), but being a witch is a genetic thing, not a religious thing. Witches are descended from Faeries and the minute amount of magic in their blood allows them to cast spells. Such as love spells. I had intended to investigate Jackson and Garvin's relationship, but I'd been a little distracted by the Godalypse.
During my distraction, Jackson had proposed to Garvin.
I had to do something, but I knew my men would never agree to me jumping down to the Human Realm and checking on Jackson right now. If I could do it quickly, though, no one would even know I was gone. They were all still asleep; even the children weren't stirring yet. I texted Tristan to verify that Jackson was still living in their old place just outside Waikiki. He was.
I ignored Tristan's texts, asking me what I was up to, and hurried down to the tracing room. In a moment, I traced into Tristan and Jackson's old apartment under the cover of invisibility. The newly engaged couple was having an argument over coffee. Jackson is very particular about his brew; he likes it a specific temperature and strength and with a certain amount of frothed milk. It's obnoxious, but that's his thing. Anyone involved with Jax should not only know about it but also be able to put up with it... and make some nice, thick frothed milk.
Garvin—the weaselly, little, gangly, gross man—did not know about the coffee situation and had screwed up. Jackson had tried to correct him, and Garvin had turned around and instructed Jax on the proper way to make a latte. Wrong move. Jackson was not having it; the proper way—as far as Jackson is concerned—is his way. He raged at Garvin until Garvin snapped his fingers in Jackson's face.
“Refresh!” Garvin commanded.
I blinked in confusion. Refresh? What the hell was that... Oh.
Jackson stopped arguing as if a switch had been thrown. He jerked and blinked and then smiled at Garvin in a way I'd never seen the charmingly sardonic man smile.
“What were we talking about?” Jax asked casually.
“You were about to make yourself some coffee because I can't get it right.” Garvin shrugged and smiled sweetly. “Go on, honey.”
Garvin walked out of the kitchen and headed past me. As the wimpy witch strode by, I saw his expression harden; his eyes glinting with malice. Garvin moved into the bedroom, and I followed him. He went to an altar in the corner. There were two altars in the room; set on bedside tables. The one on the right was Jackson's; dedicated to the Vodou Lwa, Erzulie Freda. That one was feminine and covered with pink fabric. The one on the left was much darker with no particular god or goddess represented, merely elements. Garvin went to that one and pulled out a
drawer beneath it. He removed a felt pouch and rubbed some oil on it as he muttered a spell.
I grimaced as my suspicions were confirmed. Dagnabbit! My friends had been targeted, and I'd done nothing. I'd been too busy with my own life to even know. Granted, I'd had significant stuff to deal with, but that's no excuse for losing sight of my friends.
“This shit is stopping right now,” I growled.
Garvin flinched and jerked around. I hadn't released my invisibility. I decided to mess with him as he had done with my friends. I snatched the spellbag out of Garvin's hands and blew fire over it; burning it to ashes. As far as Garvin could see, the pouch had floated up into the air and fire had appeared out of nowhere to destroy it. His swarthy complexion paled. Then I blew the ashes over him, and he flinched back. A cry came from the kitchen; no doubt Jackson coming out of the spell.
