by Ophelia Bell
She clenched her teeth and shot an irritated look at Cade. “Was he there all those times I … I worshiped the wind with my naked body? Were my fantasies closer to reality than I knew?”
Cade’s brows shot up and his smile widened. “He’s shown me a memory or two. Trust me, I’m on your side, sweet pea. I’d have joined you. His excuses don’t hold water.”
“Oh? And what are his excuses? If he’d come to me, we might not be in this situation.”
“Seems the Winds are harder to pin down than the Seasons. He didn’t have a body and couldn’t find one he felt worthy of you then. I will take that as a compliment.”
“He had a body at Belah’s wedding. I was there, yet he said nothing to me.” Though the truth was she’d been in no mood to stay for the festivities that day. And after the disaster that happened later, she and her siblings barely left the Glade before ultimately locking themselves in indefinitely.
Cade nodded and stepped toward her. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that dwelling on the past gets you nowhere. I’ve heard his piece, and I can’t say I agree with everything he did or didn’t do, but there’s one thing he didn’t have back then that I think will make all the difference now.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
Cade grinned at her again. “He’s got me. And you can have us both, if you want.”
Numa deflated. Something about the big ursa made it impossible to stay angry at Zephyrus. “I have a feeling you’ll be good for him, but you heard what Sophia said in there. Any immortal who might have been secretly interested in me before will get to have their crack now. For all I know, you two might be the only ones, which would make my decision easy. But if you’re not, I can’t make any promises now. I’ll see you down in the throne room soon.”
“Just one more thing, sweet pea,” Cade said, shifting closer to her. “You don’t know me yet, and I know Zeph’s the reason I have a shot with you, but if you do choose us, you need to know you won’t regret it.”
Cade’s voice had lowered in pitch, the deep timbre vibrating down to her core and paralyzing her as he closed the distance between them. Her body flushed and her pulse raced at his proximity, but she stood her ground, lifting her gaze to his and holding it. His hand came up to her face, callused fingertips tracing the line of her jaw. There was something about that rough touch that appealed to her. Something different from any other lover she’d had in a long time.
His beard brushed her chin a second before his mouth found hers, and the softness of his lips startled her. All the sensations were so at odds with one another, but that kiss was more than enough for her to grasp that this man was experienced at pleasing women.
He started slow, with just the gentlest brush, his beard tickling her skin and sending a rush of desire for more. He would be a tease in bed, of that she was sure. Then he took her mouth fully, and Numa wasn’t quite sure how they’d gone from something chaste and barely there to his mouth claiming hers, owning it like she’d offered herself to him and she was his to take. That was nothing like the way Bekim or Theron kissed her. They were attentive, yet deferential lovers, like most ursa males were known to be. This one was different in a very, very good way.
When he finally pulled away, he left her breathless, and she stared up at him at a loss for words. She swallowed and pressed her hand to her throat, hoping the heat would subside.
“Was that all you, or… ?”
His straight white teeth appeared amid his beard again, the smile as cocky as before. She couldn’t help but smile back. “All me, sweet pea. Zeph talks a good game, so if he’s not lying, you will be well and thoroughly loved.”
Numa forced herself to take a breath, the cleansing inhalation helping to steady her racing pulse. “You two are making this difficult for me, you know. But thank you.”
“See you down there,” he said with a final nod before turning and walking away.
Numa watched him go, enjoying the way his muscular frame moved with casual grace. She had no idea how old he was, but everything she’d seen so far suggested a level of experience that rivaled most immortals, and if Zephyrus hadn’t influenced that kiss, she really didn’t relish the choice she’d have to make later.
No more than she relished the news she had to deliver now. Taking a deep sigh, she turned and headed in her intended direction. She paused a moment later outside the door to Bekim and Theron’s room, bracing herself before knocking.
Theron opened the door, and for a second, she was sure excitement flickered across his features before his expression stilled and turned more serious.
“Come in,” he said, stepping back and pulling the door wide for her to enter. Bekim stood by the window, leaning against the frame and peering out as though looking for something. He turned and stood up straighter when she entered.
“I have bad news. You guys left too soon to hear, but things just got a little more complicated for me.”
Her gut churned, her apprehension made worse by the way they both seemed so nonchalant.
“Has your life ever not been complicated?” Bekim asked.
“It was less so a long time ago. Today’s events kind of blow everything else out of the water. I’ve been informed that there’s to be a contest for my favor. That Fate has promised any immortal who wants me can compete to be my mate. I … I’m sorry, but I will have to choose from whoever arrives to enter this contest.”
She left out the part where she knew it wouldn’t be them. If there were multiple immortals like Zephyrus involved, there was no way these two ursa she held so dear could compete.
“Has your criteria changed?” Theron asked.
“My criteria?”
Bekim nodded. “Yeah, you’re still after the best source of power for the ritual, right?”
“I have to be. I can’t let my other desires get in the way of finishing this. You understand that our whole world depends on it, right?”
“We understand perfectly,” Theron said. Then he surprised her by pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her on the cheek. “Good luck.”
She was stunned when he released her, but gratified even further when Bekim followed suit.
“Um … I’m glad you’re being so understanding. I don’t know what happens after this, but I want you both to know how much I care about you. Please know I want you both to be happy.”
“Don’t worry about us, Numa,” Bekim said with a smile that made his sweet dimples deepen in his cheeks. “We aren’t about to sit around moping. We’ll get what we want, one way or the other.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that. Take care.”
They walked her back to the door then, and as she departed, she couldn’t help but wonder about the odd look the pair exchanged after giving her their farewell kisses.
Chapter Five
Ozzie and Sophia were both waiting in the throne room when Numa entered. All the other residents of the Rainsong Clan Lodge were in attendance as well, no doubt having heard Sophia’s proclamation at Vrishti’s bedside and itching for some kind of entertainment. They’d all been informed of the temporal bubble that surrounded the place, and that it would enable them all to help turn the tide of the war waging in the Haven today, but without access to the rest of the Sanctuary, they had no access to any real action.
As much as she understood their desire for a spectacle, Numa hoped this contest would be over before it started. Surely there couldn’t be other immortals with any interest in her? There were Zephyrus’s brothers, Boreas, Eurus, and Notus, but they would respect their brother’s desires and not throw their hats in the ring. All of the ursa shamans except for Vrishti were fighting in the Haven, but they were happily mated already, and the nymphaea Dionarchs were also both taken, one of them upstairs with his mates and a newborn baby right now.
That left the immortals who existed beyond the r
ealm of the Earth, the contemporaries of Fate, Gaia, and the Mother Dragon, but she couldn’t imagine any of them had an interest in sullying themselves with the crisis at hand. They had to be aware that whomever she chose would be tied up in the war the very second they completed the ritual. There would be no going back once the portal was open and Nikhil came in with his army.
The throne sat empty with Sophia and Ozzie standing to either side. As Numa walked down the center of the grand hall with its dark, polished wood, the weight of all the stares dragged at her like an undertow. Cade stood near the front, looking as casually confident as the first time she’d seen him. Would he be the one after all?
She couldn’t bring herself to sit on the throne of the Summer Shaman, so she remained standing between the two turul. Sophia had a knack for matchmaking. Perhaps if Numa had trouble deciding even after testing each contestant, the ancient seer could provide some insight. Yet again, she silently cursed Fate for forcing her to make a choice when all her siblings had been given their answer ages ago.
Sophia glanced at her and Numa nodded, indicating she was ready. Her skin prickled with anticipation as Sophia stepped forward.
“Fate decreed five thousand years ago that one among his offspring with the Mother Dragon would be granted the gift of choice. The time has come for her to make that choice. The hand of Numa, daughter of Fate, is the prize in this contest. This is the formal call to any who wish to enter and test their worth. Who here will enter? Step forth now and announce your intentions.”
Cade wasted no time stepping forward, his lazy smile in place. Numa suppressed her own smile at his confidence.
“Cade Windchaser, at your service,” he said with an exaggerated bow. “With the immortal West Wind as my partner. Zephyrus and I together will compete.”
Sophia nodded, then cast her sharp gaze around the room. A commotion came from the back and a pair of figures emerged into the aisle. Numa inhaled sharply when Theron and Bekim jogged forward, grinning from ear to ear.
“How …?” she whispered, shaking her head in astonishment when they stopped at the bottom of the dais.
“We are Bekim and Theron Rainsong, a bonded bachelor pair, and we wish to compete,” Bekim said. “And before you object, my lady, we have the blessing of Gaia to ensure the contest is balanced.” He glanced at Theron and nodded. They turned to face each other and joined hands, then lifted their arms to the sky.
Numa’s eyes widened as their auras brightened to a shimmering green and leafy shoots erupted from their joined hands. Beneath their bare feet roots emerged, tangling together across the stone floor. The display of power was immense, suggesting the goddess herself had infused the pair directly.
But as she watched, she realized how much more difficult this made things. Now that she was bound by the rules of the contest, she would have to give the contestants a true challenge to test their power and show no favor over one or the other.
Cade crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the other ursa pair. She couldn’t read his mind, but sensed an internal debate going on with Zephyrus over how to win.
Sophia leaned in and whispered, “Have you your own tests in mind for them, or shall I set them for you?”
As much as Numa would have liked a longer courtship with either of these contestants to truly test her own desires, there was only one simple criteria she cared about: They had to possess enough power to join her in the ritual. “I know what I need, Sophia. Thank you. Shall we start, then?” She cast an apprehensive look at the three men in front of her and the rest of the crowd beyond.
Sophia gave her a solemn nod and addressed the room once more. “If there are no others who wish to vie for the hand of a daughter of Fate, we shall begin …”
Before Sophia could complete the sentence, the big double doors at the end of the hall flew open with a crash. Collective gasps erupted from the onlookers, followed by a wave of more curious exclamations. Numa picked up dozens of whispered exchanges, all asking the same question: “Is that who I think it is?”
Astounded by this new arrival, she shot a quick question to her brother. “How the fuck did he get in?”
“He is a god, sister. Neph’s a little surprised he’s here, but if anyone could pass through the barriers, it’d be him.”
Even from her vantage on the dais at the far end of the hall, Numa could sense the raw power surging through the air in waves. Women and men alike in the audience fanned themselves and scents of pure arousal filled the air. If Numa didn’t know better, she might have thought her brother Gavra had arrived to cause trouble, but he was past those old diversions, and too busy fighting the enemy in the Haven.
Besides, the figure who strode into the room then was more enticing than any Red had ever been. Numa’s heart pounded, a flush of desire rising unbidden at the mere sight. He was truly glorious, as large as a fully shifted satyr. But while he sported majestic horns atop his head, rising up from the mass of shining black curls that spilled around his thick, broad shoulders, his long, muscular legs remained the shape of a man’s.
He said nothing as he strode toward her. His rich, wine-dark eyes remained fixed on her face, the desire in them more potent than any spirit. His leather sandals made almost no sound against the floor, but Numa’s pulse thundered in her ears with each step closer. The straps of his sandals bound his strong calves, but from his knees up, he was completely naked, and what creature as divinely beautiful as him would ever find a garment befitting him? All that adorned his skin were a pair of golden rings wrapped snugly around the thick girth of the cock swinging between his thighs.
Sophia let out a soft curse beside her and whispered, “Stand your ground, my dear. Don’t let him bully you into breaking the rules.”
Numa barely heard her. The answer to her prayers had just entered the room. Why in the world did they need to continue the contest now? She could already taste the pure, raw, magic that this man—this god—was filled with.
She took an involuntary step down when he drew close, pulled by his gaze like he’d caught her in some spell. Within the bounds of his expansive aura, her skin tingled and her core grew engorged and wet. Closer now, she could not only smell but see the dew that coated his skin and knew it would taste like wine. One taste of him would be akin to one hundred Nirvanas from a normal human lover.
They met at the base of the dais, not one word spoken, yet he took her hand and bent to kiss it. She forced herself to suppress the moan of pleasure when his breath and lips caressed the back of her hand, his mere touch almost enough to send her to instant climax. Sweet Mother, she needed to get hold of herself. She blinked swiftly to clear the haze of lust and snatched her hand away.
He stood straight again, a sardonic smile on his achingly beautiful face. “Do you know who I am, little one?”
Numa’s chest heated. She thought Cade’s rich baritone was sexy, but this … She’d go mad if he said one more word.
She took a deep breath, bracing herself for a request she knew she had to make, but hating it all the same.
“You are Dionysus. And I really need you to dial your power back so I can fucking think.”
“Is this not a contest of power? I have more than you need, daughter of Fate. You need look no further. I will give it all to you here, with one touch, if you agree to be my mate.”
Numa’s entire being told her to say yes. Here he was, a god, filled with more than enough divine power to create a sky portal ten times over. She should have said yes, but something stopped her.
She glanced to one side, absorbing the very worried expressions on Theron’s and Bekim’s faces. They had a goddess on their side—not simply an immortal posing as a deity among humans like she and her siblings had been for the first part of their lives. No, her pair of beloved ursa actually had Gaia’s blessing, and no doubt her full use of that power as well.
She turned to the other side to see Ca
de as cool and collected as ever, sizing up the competition. His gaze flitted to the gold-adorned beast of a cock between the god’s thighs, and Numa was certain she caught a smug smile playing at the corners of his lips.
She hadn’t yet announced the exact terms of the contest, but one of them would involve rousing her own power to its very peak, and that involved skill as a lover more than it did power, something she doubted even a god like Dionysus could fake.
“I will agree under one condition,” she said, pleased that she maintained the upper hand.
Dionysus lowered his brows and blinked, the only sign that she’d surprised him. “Anything you wish, daughter of Fate.”
“Make that two conditions,” she said, gritting her teeth and shooting him an irritated look. “You will compete with the other contestants according to the rules I dictate.”
He nodded, his horned head bowing only slightly and not a single curl shifting out of place in the process. “And your other condition?”
“You will learn my fucking name, because I am not some trophy for you to hold over my father’s head when it suits you.”
His head jerked back as though he’d been struck and his eyes widened. A second later, he smiled. “My sincerest apologies, Numa. I look forward to proving myself to you, though I must say you are nothing like your father … and far more spirited than any of us were led to believe.”
Numa’s nostrils flared in her effort to hold back her ire. Fuck her father and whatever the hell he’d led his cronies to believe. This infernal god had probably had his eye on her from the start. She hoped that either of the others would prove themselves strong enough, because she hated the idea of this one having the satisfaction of winning.
