In the Nyx of Time

by Amy Sumida

  “Thank you for bringing this to me,” Hades said sincerely. “I will—”

  “Hades!” A blond, statuesque woman strode into the room; pushing past the God Squad.

  Three men followed the blond in; one was even larger than Thor, but all of them looked ferocious. They took up a position behind the woman as she confronted Hades.

  “Sober up, Hades, we... ” she blinked in shock as she realized that Hades was already sober. “Oh.”

  “Demeter,” Hades said crisply, “what are you doing here? And with Froekn?”

  “Fenrir.” Thor nodded to the biggest guy in greeting.

  “Thunderer,” Fenrir growled back.

  Fenrir; the Wolf God. I stared at him; he was starkly handsome and piled with muscles. Wild, dark hair flowed to his shoulders, and a stubborn chin jutted out beneath severe lips. A scar ran down his face—splitting his left eyebrow into two—but it only added to his savage beauty. The men who were with him looked similar enough to be related to him; one, in particular, could have been his brother—he even had the same shade of honey-brown eyes. But the other man had blond hair and icy blue eyes like a husky.

  As distracting as Fenrir was, my stare was drawn to the smaller version of him. Something inside my chest was shivering, and I had to stop myself from running to the stranger. He felt my gaze on him and turned sharply; his eyes as intense as a predator on the hunt. But as soon as our gazes locked, his softened, and his lips parted in amazement. He left his post and walked over to me in a daze. I met him halfway.

  I knew there was a conversation happening around us, but I couldn't hear it; I was too fascinated by this man. I reached out a hand, and so did he. Our fingers were just inches away from touching when Re broke the spell.

  “Vervain?” Re snatched my hand away. “What are you doing?”

  “I... ” I blinked, looked up at Re, and then back to the man with the honey eyes. “Honey-Eyes,” I whispered softly.

  “Minn Elska,” the man said brokenly as he reached for me.

  All conversation stopped as the stranger and I embraced; his lips seeking mine. I met his mouth eagerly as memories burst into my brain; this man circling me, the two of us making vows beneath a full moon, his teeth on my skin—marking me, and a great chasm of love that we both fell into.

  “What the fuck is happening right now?” I heard the woman—Demeter—ask.

  “I have no idea,” Thor murmured.

  “I believe my fiance has found another of her lost husbands,” Re said resignedly.

  “Husband?” Honey-Eyes whispered as he pulled away from our kiss. He continued to hold me as he stared down at me in wonder. “Yes; that's it. You're mine; I remember binding our souls. You have a piece of my wolf inside you.” He laid his hand to my sternum and then frowned as he blinked. “Or you should.”

  “VéulfR?” Fenrir asked in a deep, rumbling voice that was full of confusion.

  “Father, this is my mate, Vervain,” he said.

  “Trevor,” I whispered as his name came to me.

  “That's what I like to be called,” he said with a smile.

  “This is utterly bizarre,” Demeter declared. “Control your wolves, Fenrir.”

  “I can't control a mate bond.” Fenrir scowled. “Although, I have no idea when this bond was set.”

  “In another time,” I said as I let Trevor go. “Our lives have been changed by a god named Aion so that he could get revenge upon me, and Nyx could get revenge upon Hades.”

  “By killing my wife,” Hades concluded with a grim look.

  I nodded.

  “That's what I was coming to tell you,” Demeter said with a baffled look. “I've been investigating Persephone's murder, and I hired the Froekn to search for any suspicious scents at the scene of the crime. They found one and they tracked it here. It leads to Tartarus, Hades.”

  “Where Nyx lives with Erebus,” Hades growled. He set his ferocious stare on Demeter. “We shall have our vengeance, at last, Demeter.”

  Demeter smiled viciously. “We need to do this right; Nyx is a formidable opponent.”

  “Nyx and Aion,” I reminded her.

  “Then we should be doubly careful,” she said. “I'll gather the forces I have available to me.”

  “And so shall I,” Hades agreed. “Give me two days and meet me back here with your people.”

  “Two days.” Demeter agreed and then strode out of the room.

  Fenrir started to leave as well, but then he noticed that his son wasn't going with him. He sighed deeply and turned back around.

  “You're staying with her, aren't you?” Fenrir asked Trevor.

  “I have to,” Trevor said simply. “She has my heart. If I leave, it will stop beating.”

  “Stop being so melodramatic,” the blond man said. “Get her number or something.”

  “This isn't a woman I've picked up in a bar, UnnūlfR,” Trevor growled. “This is my mate. I feel a bond with her, but we haven't set it yet. I need to claim her.”

  “You just met her; this is crazy is what it is,” UnnūlfR declared.

  “Can't you feel the weight of magic on us?” Fenrir asked UnnūlfR. “Can't you smell the truth on her? Something has changed our world, and I have a feeling that it's affected more than your brother. We're joining this hunt, and Trevor is staying with his mate; that's final.”

  “Yes, Father,” UnnūlfR said, but he glowered at me as he left with Fenrir.

  “Your brother is charming,” I said sarcastically.

  Trevor laughed; a great burst of sound that had a tone of relief to it. Then he picked me up and spun me around.

  “I've felt wrong for years, and now, I know why,” Trevor said. “It was you; your ghost has haunted my heart.”

  Blue cleared his throat.

  “Give them a second,” Re snapped. “Don't you remember what it was like when you first reconnected with her? Nothing exists, but the two of you.”

  Blue frowned and went silent.

  “There are others,” Trevor said as if he knew it already. “These are two of your consorts?”

  “Yes.” I broke away from Trevor to introduce him to the men. “This is Re and Blue.”

  “Welcome to the family,” Re said with a tight smile.

  Blue only nodded at Trevor.

  “I'm happy for you, Vervain, but we need to put your love life on a back burner for now,” Ull said. “Persephone has gone unavenged for far too long.”

  “Thank you, Ull,” Hades said. “But let Vervain bask in the love she has; we should all treasure that gift if we can find it. Besides, there's nothing more to discuss here; I must assemble the gods who are loyal to me and those who loved Persephone enough to rally to my call. Nyx is a Primordial, and I won't risk her escaping us.”

  “Shall we return when Demeter does; in two days?” Thor asked.

  “That would be most welcome.” Hades nodded. “And thank you again, Thor, for bringing Vervain here with this information.”

  “You're family, Hades,” Thor said softly. “Anything you need; you just say the word.”

  “Vengeance, my friend,” Hades said. “That's what I need, but we shall get it together.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  When we reached the tracing room, Blue, Re, and Trevor paused to look at each other.

  “You're welcome to join us in my palace,” Re said to the men.

  “Re,” I said softly. “Are you really okay with this?”

  “What better way to adjust than to spend time together?” Re said.

  “I'm not ready to adjust,” Blue said crisply. “Go and have your reunion, Vervain. When you're done, spare some time for me, and I will be content with that.”

  “Thanks, Blue.” I stretched up to kiss him quickly.

  “Remember your promise,” he whispered to me.

  I nodded, and Blue traced away.

  “And then there were three,” Re said as he held his hands out to Trevor and me.

  We took his hands firml
y.

  “Two days,” Thor said to us. “We'll meet back here. The tracing chant is; Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”

  “Aristotle,” I whispered. “I can't even... it's just so damn sad.”

  “Hades and Persephone shared something sublime,” Thor said softly. “We were all envious of what they had, but now... ”

  “Love is risky,” Re said as he glanced at me. “The greater it is, the greater the risk.”

  “But who isn't willing to take that risk?” Thor asked wistfully.

  “We'll see you soon, Thor,” I said gently.

  Thor nodded, and Re traced us away.

  Re, Trevor, and I came out of the Aether in Re's tracing room; a bare room of pale stone. Then Re led Trevor and me upstairs to a guest bedroom.

  “I'll leave you two to reconnect alone. Take as long as you need,” Re said. “I'll be waiting in my bedroom if you'd like to join me later.”

  “Both of us?” I lifted my eyebrows.

  “Why not?” Re shrugged. “I wasn't lying when I said I like to watch.”

  “I'm not into guys,” Trevor said with a wary look at Re.

  “Neither am I; I assure you,” Re said. “But if we are to share Vervain, why not do it together instead of waiting our turn as if she were a horse to ride?”

  Trevor thought about this and then nodded. “Perhaps we'll join you in awhile.”

  “Great.” Re grinned. “I'll go prepare.”

  Re walked away, and I grimaced.

  “What does that mean?” Trevor asked me.

  “I have a feeling that it will involve props,” I said. “But let's not think about that now. Shut the door, Trevor.”

  Trevor smiled softly and shut the door behind him. Then he stalked over to me and circled me slowly.

  “I remember offering you my life,” he whispered, “because you spared it.”

  “Did I?” I murmured as I watched the thick muscles of his biceps twitch.

  Trevor discarded his clothing as he went, and I followed his lead; taking off the tight dress and tossing it aside. I wore nothing beneath it, and Trevor inhaled sharply to see me nude so quickly. A low growl tickled my skin as he pressed in behind me and laid his lips against my neck; right over Blue's bite.

  “And I remember biting you here to cover another man's mark; although, it wasn't this one,” he whispered. Then he lifted his head and asked, “Will you claim my life, Minn Elska? I would die for you; to protect you.”

  “Don't die for me; live,” I said automatically.

  Trevor breathed in deeply and shuddered against me. I turned in his arms and undid his belt. He stared down at me as I did; watching me push his jeans down his legs and reveal his thick shaft. It rose up eagerly; the pale caramel color of his skin blushed with rose near the end. I looked up at him and gave that blushing tip a naughty lick as I stood.

  Trevor growled and scooped me up before rushing to the bed with me. He laid me down on the crisp, cotton comforter and climbed up my body as he growled softly. I reached for him, but he snatched my wrists and held them in one of his large hands; setting them above my head.

  “Your needs will always come first; I would go hungry so that you may eat,” he tried again.

  “Your hunger would only hurt me,” I whispered. “My need is to see you thrive.”

  Trevor closed his eyes and shuddered; his hips settling between mine as the second vow was made and rejected. I felt the rightness in it; the bond growing between us. Ironic; that I must reject him in order to have him.

  “My blood and bones are yours,” he vowed as he released my hands and slid his hand to my cheek. “Just tell me that you claim them.”

  “Keep them,” I said. “All I want is your heart.”

  A shivering rush flowed through the both of us as Trevor shifted his hips forward and slid into me. We cried out with the power of the Froekn bond, and I clasped him tightly to me as I felt a part of his magic flow into me along with his flesh. A wolf howled inside my chest, and her eyes opened behind mine. I gasped as a piece of Trevor's soul settled into me; turning from male to female. If only I could offer him a part of myself in return, we could complete the bond, but I knew it was impossible. Our bond would have to be one-sided.

  Trevor went wild above me; slamming into me with powerful thrusts. I turned my head and bared my neck; knowing instinctively what he needed. As he brought us over the rim of rapture, Trevor lifted his head, howled, and then latched onto my neck. He emptied himself into me as he gripped my throat with his teeth. I moaned through my orgasm as he made savage sounds; his bite tight but not breaking my skin, and his hips driving home for one final thrust.

  Trevor released my neck and groaned in pleasure as he collapsed over me. He laid there for only a moment before he rolled to the side and took me with him. I fit perfectly into the curve of his side, and when I laid my cheek to him, his strong heartbeat comforted me. All of this insanity seemed perfectly normal with that sound in my ear.

  “And now, we are mated,” Trevor said with satisfaction. “No one can take you from me.”

  “I love you too,” I whispered.

  Trevor laughed. “In all of my years of searching for a mate, I never considered that she might be human.”

  “Much less a human with other husbands,” I murmured.

  “At least I know that you'll marry me,” he said with a grin.

  “And you're okay with the others?” I lifted up onto my elbow to look down at him.

  “I don't know; let's see.” He sat up and gathered me into his arms.

  “Already?” I asked in surprise as I glanced down at his spent member. “Are you sure?”

  “No; that's the whole point.” He chuckled. “I'm going to need some time to recover. I thought perhaps I could be the voyeur for awhile and see if I can handle this.”

  “And what if you can't?”

  “Then I'll tear you away from Re and run off with you in my arms,” he teased.

  “Seriously,” I huffed.

  “Actually, that's probably what I'll do if my wolf goes crazy,” he said. “But then reason will return, and we can figure out another way to deal with this.”

  “All right,” I gave in.

  “All right,” Trevor repeated as he stood and then headed out of the room.

  “We're not even going to put some clothes on?” I asked.

  “That dress is not clothing; it's a come-on,” he said. “And why bother when Re will know exactly what we're there for.”

  “Point taken,” I said.

  Trevor nuzzled my cheek as he walked us down the hallway. “Which one is his bedroom?”

  “The door at the end.” I pointed to the largest door in the hallway; it was gold and had a sun symbol set over it.

  “Why did I even bother to ask?” He shook his head as he strode to the door. “Go ahead and knock, Minn Elska; I have my hands full.” He squeezed my ass to emphasize his point.

  “Re?” I called out as I knocked.

  “Come in!” Re said eagerly.

  I leaned down and opened the door, and then Trevor carried me over the threshold like a naked groom. But then he froze.

  Re had taken the coffee table from his sitting area and set it near the end of his round bed On it was a collection of toys, tools, powders, lubricants, and straps. Re himself was seated at the foot of the bed; naked. He smiled widely at us.

  “Welcome,” Re said as he held his arms out. “Shut the door and lock it; we don't want to be disturbed.”

  Trevor set me on my feet and glanced down at me with concern.

  “It will be fine,” I assured him.

  “If you say so.” Trevor shut the door and slid the lock into place.

  “Trevor's going to be the one watching for now,” I said as I strode over to Re.

  It's funny just how quickly I was adjusting to having multiple men in my life and having one of them be more experimental than I was used to. The time I'd spent with Re had swayed me and his
accouterments had ceased to be intimidating and had become enticing. I scooped up some leather straps and a bottle of massage oil on my way to him.

  “Lay back, lover,” I said as I dangled the cock harness before him. “I feel the urge to polish your sunstick.”

  “Gods, I love you,” Re groaned as he scooted back in the bed.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Trevor take a seat on the throne—aka the sex chair—and I grinned. Boy, was he in for a surprise when we eventually made our way over to him.

  At least, that's what I'd thought.

  I was bent over Re—worshiping his leather-adorned stick with my mouth as I massaged his lower regions—when I heard Trevor growl. I froze; assuming that he wasn't handling it well. But before I could look up, Trevor was behind me; spreading my thighs. I lifted my stare to Re's surprised one just as Trevor slid into me. I moaned around Re's flesh, and Re licked his lips as he deliberately lifted his gaze to watch Trevor. Re's hand slid into my hair as he sighed; pushing me down further on him. But Re didn't have to; Trevor's savage thrusts were forcing me forward, and Re deeper.

  “This is far hotter than I expected,” Re whispered. “And I know hot.”

  “Fuck,” Trevor groaned. “It is. Let me see you sucking him, Minn Elska.” Trevor's hand swiped my hair back and held it pinned to my neck. “All the way down.” He eased my head forward. “Re, touch her breasts.”

  “I think we have an alpha here, La-la,” Re said gleefully as he grabbed my breasts and started massaging them.

  I just stared at Re happily; I was far too refined to speak with my mouth full.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  “Before we go to fight this time god, I think you need to drink this,” Re held a bottle of golden liquid up for me to see.

  Trevor and I were still tangled together in Re's silk sheets. I glanced up sleepily, eyed the bottle, and then laid my head back onto Trevor's thigh.

  “It will also help you heal from any soreness that our activities may have caused,” Re added.

  I sat up immediately and reached for it. “Give it to me now.”

  “If I had a dollar for every time a woman has said that to me.” Re smirked.