by Amy Sumida
“Do you have a way of keeping track of him?” I asked, ignoring the talk of a new curse.
“Once a god has been imprisoned by me, I can always find him or her,” she smiled viciously. “He won't escape me.”
“Then what are you bitching about?” I huffed.
“I'd rather not waste time tracking and watching Narcissus if I don't have to,” she said. “I'm in mourning after all.”
Well, that shut me up.
“I'm sorry.” I sighed and shook my head. “I should have offered my condolences sooner.”
Nemesis laughed and it changed her face completely; softening all her hard edges. “I hardly think it would be appropriate for you to give me condolences, Olympian.”
“Fair enough,” I agreed. “But no matter what my feelings were for Nyx, she was your mother, and she was executed. I truly am sorry for your loss.”
Nemesis' laughter faded, and she regarded me somberly. “In that case, thank you. My mother was a hard woman to love, but I did all the same. That being said, I support the Council's decision. It makes for a very complicated grieving process.”
“I can't even imagine,” I said softly.
“You've taken a lot from my family, Vervain,” Nemesis said and then looked over at Morpheus. “But you've given us a lot in return. You've done good things for my entire pantheon, and I'm most grateful for the way you've helped my nephew. Keep following your heart, and I won't have cause to turn my magic on you.”
“Okay.” I didn't know what else to say to that.
Nemesis smiled and chuckled a little before she hugged Morpheus goodbye and traced away.
“There is something you missed,” Re said to me.
“What?”
“Valentine's Day.” He sighed dramatically. “We had a very elaborate celebration planned.”
“You're the one who gave her the damn mirror,” Trevor huffed.
“Trevor, let it go; he was obviously manipulated into buying that mirror,” I said.
“And I will find out who by,” Re growled. Then he took a deep breath and relaxed. “But until then, I shall let that go too. I'd rather focus on making it up to you. Tomorrow shall be our Valentine's Day.”
“I don't need a romantic day,” I protested. “Every day is magical for me. Being home with all of you is more than enough.”
Re looked stricken.
“You'd better let him have his way,” Toby said with a grin. “After the Mirror debacle, Re's latched onto Valentine's as an opportunity to make amends. The Sun God is going to be a burning pain in the ass if you ruin his plans.”
“I believe that's called a hemorrhoid,” Pan said merrily.
Re glared at him, and everyone started laughing.
“Well, I definitely don't want burning ass pain,” I said as I hugged Re. “You can have your Valentine's Day.”
“Thank you, Lala.” Re's grin was decidedly devious.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I spent the next morning with my cats; my daughter and Nick. Lesya was effervescent in her excitement to have me home; the trauma of my mirror adventure had already faded for her. Children are resilient like that. It wasn't so easy for me or Nick, though. He kept curling around my feet as if I might disappear again, and I kept seeing Lesya standing on that pile of firewood while the Mirror called her an abomination.
But it was hard to focus on the Mirror's illusions in the light of Lesya's brilliant smile and impossible to not smile yourself when she laughed. I could be a trifle biased, but I thought Lesya was the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen, and her spirit was just as stunning. To think that I had nearly lost her at Ragnarok.
My hand drifted to the rounded curve of my belly. Trevor was right; I shouldn't take chances with our son's life. Vero was too precious. I saw him sitting before me in Moonshine, so like his father while he spoke just like me, and my chest tightened. I was going to do it right this time. I'd already gone for my first checkup with Hygeia, but I'd had to postpone the second. It was time to reschedule and start looking after my son and myself much better.
After I made my new appointment for the week after my sons' birthday, the tightness dissipated and my confidence spiked. I could do this; I could get through one pregnancy without jeopardizing my child. I relaxed and lost track of time. Morning rolled into afternoon, and Samantha came by to pick Lesya up for a sleepover with Zariel. She'd only be downstairs in Fallon and Samantha's suite, but it would give her uncles, her father, and me the night to ourselves.
Re picked me up around 5 o'clock but we weren't going far either. He escorted me out of the palace and helped me into one of the Jeeps we used for crossing the territory when we either had guests or weren't in animal form. He started driving toward the mountain range at the other side of Pride Territory.
“Are we going to the cabin?” I asked in surprise.
Re nodded.
“I'm surprised that all of you would want to use Trevor's cabin for our date.”
I had built Trevor a cabin within a valley at the edge of my territory to give him a place to call his own. It was identical to Fenrir's cabin, where the Wolf had taken me to reassert his dominance. I wouldn't have thought my other men would want the reminder on such a romantic occasion.
“This is only the start, Lala,” Re said with a grin. Then he went serious. “I wanted to be the one to drive you out there so I could talk to you privately.”
“What's wrong?”
“I'm so sorry about the Mirror.” He glanced at me, his metallic, gold eyes flashing. “Will you forgive me?”
“Re, stop apologizing; I mean it,” I said sternly.
“You deserve to hear it again in private.”
“I didn't need to hear it at all.” I took his hand and kissed it. “Even Gods make mistakes. That's all the Mirror was; a mistake. You didn't purposefully set out to get me trapped inside it.”
“Of course not,” he huffed.
“Then what are you apologizing for?”
“For the mistake, Lala,” Re said. “Whether it was what I intended or not, it happened, and it happened because of me. That means that I must apologize. It's my fault whether or not I meant it.”
“I get that, Re,” I said gently. “But one apology is enough in such a circumstance. I will undoubtedly screw up far more often than you, and I expect you to forgive me after one apology, If you make me blather on like you are doing to me, I will kick your golden ass.”
Re laughed boisterously. “Very well, Lala, I will accept your forgiveness and remember to give mine as graciously in the future.”
“Thank you.”
We reached the end of the road and had to hike the rest of the way in. I hadn't been expecting such a journey and had worn a pretty dress and heels, but Re had a change of shoes in the Jeep for me. It was worth the climb. The Sun began to dip into the horizon just as we crested the ridge that overlooked the lush valley. The landscape had slowly shifted as we climbed, culminating in a completely different terrain; grasslands to forest.
We stood there a moment, enjoying the sheen of shifting colors across the surface of the lake on the valley's floor. Pumpkin turned into cinnamon, then peony, and finally lavender; candy colors turning the glassy surface into a lollipop. But the truly sweet treats waited for me on the cabin's veranda.
My husbands and Toby waited for us on the wide porch, all of them dressed to the nines. The only one missing was Arach, but I'd be seeing him soon to celebrate our sons' birthdays, and then I'd spend some time alone with him. This night was for the other six. Trevor, Kirill, Odin, Azrael, and Toby smiled tenderly at me as Re led me up the steps to the cabin.
“Nice threads.” I nodded at their suits, and the men grinned devilishly.
Oh, yes; they were up to something.
Trevor opened the door as evening fell, but the stars were inside the cabin instead of outside where they belonged. My eyes went wide as I followed Trevor in. The living room—a two-story high space usually done in rustic, mas
culine chic—was decorated with fresh flowers, candles and twinkling lights strung above. The heavy furniture was gone, replaced with a round table covered in white linen and fine china. There was no centerpiece or even drinking glasses on the table but I paid that only a passing glance.
Loves songs crooned into the room through hidden speakers and an open space next to the table begged to be danced in. The scent of something delicious teased my nose but instead of taking me to the dining table, Re twirled me into Trevor's arms. My wolf smiled down at me as he started swaying me to the music. I glanced at the other men, but Trevor turned my face back towards him.
“They'll each have a dance,” Trevor said. “Focus on me while I hold you.”
“Always,” I whispered.
We barely moved, just swayed gently together beneath the sparkling lights and lost ourselves for awhile in each other's eyes. Moonlight frosted the lake in silver and reflected in through the enormous picture window to compete with the golden glow of candles that burned on perches all around the room. The contrasting metallic light painted Trevor's face in alien mystery. I slid my arms around his shoulders, and he leaned down to give me my first kiss of the evening. As we pulled away from each other, a cork popped.
I flinched, and Trevor laughed in a rich timbre as he spun me into Kirill's embrace. It went that way until Re announced dinner; each man taking their turn to whisk me around the open floor and kiss me beneath the moon and candlelight. A giddy joy bubbled inside me by the time we sat down to dine, and then Re placed a glass of champagne in my hand, and my happiness expanded. But the table lacked food. Instead, each plate held a fancy envelope with gold lettering. The men were still standing, and I looked at them askance.
“Before we dine, we wanted to give you our Valentine's Day gifts,” Odin said. “Spin the table, Vervain.”
“What?” I asked in surprise.
“Spin it,” Re moved the table to show me. “Each setting has a gift on it from one of us. To keep things fair, spin it and choose one randomly.”
“How intriguing.” I grinned as I moved the tabletop like one of those playground roundabouts.
When it stopped, Trevor's name stared up at me from a cream-colored envelope, engraved in gold. He watched me anxiously as I opened the envelope and removed a brochure. I frowned in confusion as I looked it over. It was for Glacier National Park in Montana.
“There are amazing trails there, forests, meadows, mountains, and lakes,” Trevor said nervously. “I thought we could go camping and explore as wolves.”
“Oh! That sounds wonderful.” I tugged on Trevor's hand until he leaned down, and I hugged him. “Thank you.”
Trevor beamed at me. “Spin again, Minn Elska.”
I laughed and turned the table further until an envelope marked “Odin” sat before me. Inside it was another brochure; this one for the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia. My jaw dropped at the pictures of the suspension bridge entrance and the riverside guest villas with lily ponds on the roofs. Each one had an outdoor living room and a pool.
“We haven't been to Indonesia yet,” Odin said.
“And I can't wait to go.” I pulled him down to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Odin.”
Another spin brought me to Toby's envelope. There were pictures inside of Machu Picchu and a luxurious hotel called Inkaterra La Casona.
“We can trace in when they have the peak closed and roam the ruins alone without being hampered by tour groups,” Toby said. “Being Gods has its perks; we won't have to worry about getting acclimated to the high elevation either. And then we can have massages in Peru's premier hotel and maybe do some shopping. How does that sound?”
“It sounds right up my alley.” I grinned at him. “Especially the shopping. Thank you.”
Next came Re's gift; a stay at Inverlochy Castle in Scotland.
“I figured that we've done Ireland so now we should see Scotland,” Re said. “They have great skiing if you'd like to try it.”
“I'll probably do more falling than skiing but I'm game,” I said. “Thank you, Re; it's lovely.”
Next was Kirill's gift. A palace-like hotel gleamed off the pages of a shiny brochure. The Oberoi Amarvilas. With views of the Taj Mahal, starlight dining in private pavilions, and a luxury spa, it looked incredibly luxurious.
“I booked us Kohinoor Suite,” Kirill said. “It has view of Taj Mahal from every window, its own dining room, and a terrace.”
“Thank you, Kirill, it looks amazing.”
Finally, there was Azrael's envelope. I grinned at him as I opened it. There was a brochure for a hotel called Tierra Patagonia in Chile. The hotel spread out across an alien landscape in a single curved line that blended with the terrain. Behind it, snow-capped mountains soared.
“Every room has a view of the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia,” Azrael said. “They have a luxury spa, hiking, catamaran trips through the glaciers, and horseback riding.”
“It looks as if I'm being given the world,” I said softly as I looked from Az to each of the others. “Thank you. I don't know what to say beyond; I have no idea when we'll find time for all of this.”
“We're making the time now,” Re said. “That's the point. After dinner, we'll decide who goes first. Then starting tomorrow, we're taking you on our mini-vacations.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise. “What about Lesya?”
“You'll only be going with one of us at a time,” Kirill said. “The rest of us can manage Lesya without you.”
“Okay.” I chewed at my lip as I considered it. Then, in a steadier voice, “Yes; let's do it.”
The men smirked and swept away their envelopes as they replaced them with tantalizing dishes they'd cooked themselves. A wide array of cuisines clustered on the table and somehow they went together. I gleefully ate a bite of Kirill's Beef Stroganoff and followed it with some of Toby's flatbread dipped in Re's hummus. Oh, that sounded naughty.
We talked and laughed and enjoyed each others company in a way we hadn't for a very long time. My lioness magic made the men like brothers but—as with real siblings—they had their disagreements. Things could get rough and tense between them, stretching their bonds. This dinner was just what all of us needed; a chance to reconnect and strengthen our connection to each other. An opportunity to remember what was most important to us.
“Time for dessert!” Re exclaimed.
The men stood and started clearing the table.
“What's for dessert?” I asked eagerly.
“You are, my sweet wife.” Re's wicked smile was back.
“Excuse me?” I looked warily from man to man.
Not that I haven't been with all of them at once before but the last time had been when I was under the influence of lioness hormones, and the time before happened when there were fewer men involved.
“This is how we'll determine who goes first with the Valentine's excursions,” Trevor explained. “You will be blindfolded, we will have dessert, and then you will pick who dined the best.”
“Who dined... ?” I gaped at him.
“Re came up with it.” Odin rolled his eyes. “But we all agreed. This night is supposed to be about you.”
“We will each have a chance to pleasure you. No fingers allowed; only tongues,” Re said. “In between, you will be bathed with cool water and refreshed for the next contestant. When we've all had a taste, you will decide which number was the best.”
I blinked at Re in shock.
“It's just a little fun, Tima,” Kirill whispered in my ear as he undid the zipper of my dress.
My clothing fell to the floor as the other men closed in. Soon, I was naked and being lifted onto the table. Kirill laid me back gently as Re positioned my legs; knees bent over the curving edge. Azrael and Odin spread my thighs as Toby came forward with a blindfold.
“I don't get to watch?” I pouted.
The men settled into their seats and grinned at me.
“You wouldn't be able to c
hoose,” Toby said as he slid the blindfold over my face. “This way, you'll be impartial.”
Darkness blocked out the images of my men sitting at that round table in their designer suits, but I could still see them in my mind. And I could see myself; laid out naked before them, hair fanned out beneath me and legs spread wide. I shivered from the eroticism of it, the blatant sexual hedonism. The blindfold forced me to focus on my other senses and my body instantly became more sensitive; anticipating the coming pleasure. I could smell each of them and their rising arousal; a heady, primal aroma that enhanced my excitement. And all that was before they spun me slowly. When the table stopped, I had no idea who was sitting between my legs.
