by Marie Medina
As they fell asleep in each other’s arms, she stroked his chest. When she heard his breathing steady, she whispered, “I love you.”
He responded by squeezing her close. She snuggled against him and fell asleep, holding him close and listening to the beating of his heart.
* * * *
Alala watched Shadow swatting at Ace’s tail. She turned when she heard a soft laugh behind her.
Eris was walking into the gazebo and watching the two black cats play.
Alala sighed. “So is there anything we can do?”
Eris shook her head. “But I really don’t think you should worry. Even if Apollo won, he wouldn’t kill Ares.”
“I know that. He’s certainly not the warrior type. I’m afraid Zeus would let Ares kill Apollo.”
“Apollo is Zeus’ son as well.”
“That doesn’t mean much around here.”
“It means something, even to an arrogant bastard like Zeus.”
Alala shrugged. “I just don’t see the point.”
“You really don’t understand?”
She shook her head. “I do understand what Ares feels, but I see it as my place to ask for a champion. If I wanted Apollo challenged, I would have done it. Ares has no right to volunteer to defend me when I never asked him to do so. It’s bullshit.”
“Lots of things are.”
Alala rolled her eyes. “Come on. I don’t need you to be stoic. I need you to help me.”
Eris sat beside her and stroked Ace’s head. “I don’t know what you need me to do. Do you want me to convince you Apollo is a monster so you’ll hate him?”
“What do you think of him?” She knew Ares thought she was being naïve about Apollo, but she wanted to know what Eris thought.
“I think he’s even more arrogant and conceited than his father, and he has the worst attitudes toward women. He can’t even get along with his sister. He’s impossible to be friends with.”
“But why? He’s the god of truth. He was the first healer. What happened to him? He’s never been to the Underworld, and he’s never been through any great trial. He can be sweet and kind. He can.”
“I know, but that doesn’t make his other flaws go away.”
Alala thought about the tree. “This is going to sound weird, but why does Apollo like trees?”
Eris raised her eyebrows. “Trees? What do you mean?”
“When I hurt Aphrodite, after he healed her he healed the tree. I asked Hypnos why he did that, and he seemed surprised I didn’t know.”
Eris puzzled over this. “I’m not sure I—” Her eyes widened. “Holy shit.”
“What? What is it?”
Eris bit her lip. “Did you ever meet a nymph named Daphne?”
Alala thought for a moment. She’d met hundreds of nymphs over the years. “I don’t remember.”
“It doesn’t matter. Not really. But I think she’s the reason.”
“What? She liked trees too?”
Eris shook her head. “Let me see if I can explain. I never thought of this before, but I’m surprised you don’t know the story.”
“What story? Tell me.”
“Apollo had just won a big battle when he ran into Eros sharpening his arrows. He made fun of Eros because his strikes only made people fall in love and didn’t bring what he thought of as conquest and victory. Eros was angry, but Aphrodite was the one who didn’t like it. So, she had Eros make two arrows, one of gold and one of lead. He shot Apollo with the golden one and made him fall in love with Daphne. Then he shot her with the lead one, which ensured she would never love Apollo no matter what.”
“Sounds like Aphrodite.”
Eris nodded. “And probably the reason he later became erotically fixated on her. But at the time, Daphne was the only one he wanted, and he couldn’t have her. He was pretty determined. If I remember right, one day he actually started chasing her when she tried to get away from him. She asked her father Peneus, the river god, to help her. He couldn’t do much against someone like Apollo, so he did the best he could.” Eris paused.
“What did he do?”
“He turned her into a laurel tree.”
Alala wanted to laugh, but she knew Eris was serious. “So what happened?”
Eris forced a smile. “She’s still a tree.”
“Are you serious?”
She nodded. “Aphrodite offered to release her and undo the spell, but Daphne refused. See, the spell has to be lifted from both of them for it to be lifted at all. But Daphne likes being a tree, and she refused to have the spell lifted.”
“But the lead arrow. It’s been used before. Isn’t that dangerous? They corrupt the soul over time, don’t they? Couldn’t it kill her?”
“Not while she’s a tree. Its effects are halted.”
“So Apollo still loves her, but she’d rather be a tree who hates him than give him a chance, even though she knows it was a spell?”
Eris nodded.
“No wonder he hates women!”
“He doesn’t hate them. He’s just never going to love another one.”
“Where is she?”
“By the river where her father lives.”
Alala felt a heavy sadness settle on her. “It’s terrible.”
“It doesn’t excuse him though.”
“It makes him worthy of at least a little pity. Doesn’t it?”
“I suppose.” She shook her head. “You’ve never been like me and Ares.”
“Well, I’m glad.” She could tell her words had hurt Eris’ feelings, but for the moment she didn’t care. “I guess that’s why he doesn’t love me. I’m too flawed by things like compassion.”
“He does love you, and that’s unfair to both of us.”
Alala shrugged.
“Look, I’ll ignore anything you said about me. I know you don’t mean it. Why would you think he doesn’t love you?”
Alala wished she could take the words back. “Why do you think? Because he hasn’t said it.”
She expected Eris to defend him, but instead she looked very surprised. “He hasn’t?”
She shook her head. “We’re sharing a bed, but he still hasn’t said it.”
“Alala, listen. He’s no good at that stuff. I think he’s told me he loves me a grand total of maybe four times, and I think he’s only said it to his mother maybe twice. I know he’s never said it to any other woman. I’d know if he had. Why don’t you give him some time?”
Alala felt tears behind her eyes, but she pushed them back. “He has all the time in the world. I’ll wait forever.”
Eris sighed with exasperation. “I’m the melodramatic one, okay? Don’t think like that. You’re worried about the challenge, and it’s making you doubt things.”
“I’ll believe it when he says it.”
“Can’t you feel it now?”
“I need more than that.”
Eris folded her arms over her chest. Alala had no idea how to make her understand.
After a moment, Eris turned back to her. “Listen. Ares and I are very alike. When Hermes and I got involved, I drove Hermes crazy. He had to fight to get me to show emotion. I was scared to show emotion. I couldn’t trust him for so long. It makes no sense to me now, but then I did my best to protect myself from feeling too much.”
“You didn’t think he was perfect for you right off?”
Eris laughed. “I wanted to fuck him for a very long time. I thought he was arrogant and snobby. I knew he was a good man, but I didn’t think he was the man for me until after we’d slept together. And even then I was stubborn.”
“I understand that, but I’ll have to change my mind on my own, if I’m going to at all. I wish you could say something to ease my mind, but right now I don’t think it’s possible.”
“I don’t see why not.”
Alala looked up into the sky. She wanted everything in her head to make sense, but somehow she knew only time would help her see what she needed to do.
* * * *
/>
Alala didn’t know what to do because she wasn’t used to Ares being so quiet. He was sharpening his sword, but instead of telling old battle stories, he was silent.
“Is anything wrong?” she asked.
He looked up absently. “I was going to ask you the same thing. I thought I already knew the answer though.”
“And that is?”
“You don’t want me to fight Apollo.”
Alala sighed as she watched Ares move the stone back and forth over his sword. “So why are you going to?”
He met her gaze. “Because I need to.”
“I didn’t ask you to. Shouldn’t it be up to me?”
“We’ve been over this.”
“Not thoroughly enough for me. There’s something Apollo didn’t tell you.”
Ares stopped. “What?”
“I didn’t know it was Apollo, that first time. But, after a few moments, I knew it wasn’t you. I didn’t care though. Whoever he was, he looked like you, so instead of pulling away, I kept going and gave him my maidenhead.”
Ares threw the stone across the room. She watched it go through the wall.
“Now who do you blame?” she asked.
“Apollo.”
She shook her head. “I made my own decisions.”
“There is nothing you can say, Alala.”
“He didn’t know I was a virgin. You know that. He didn’t force me. He seduced me. What he did was wrong, but I forgave him. I had someone to talk to when I could trust no one.” She thought of what Eris had told her. Not once had Apollo ever mentioned Daphne. All that time he listened to her cry and rant about her own unrequited love, but he never opened up to her. It hurt a little, but that pain was overcome by pity. Maybe his heart had grown hard over the years, but it was still there. She knew that.
“Alala? What can I say to you? I don’t want to talk about this. Do you think I like hearing what I did to you? How much I hurt you?”
She hadn’t thought he would take it that way. “No. I’m not saying you hurt me.”
“But I did.”
She nodded slowly. “But it’s over now.”
“Then grant me this. Let me defend the honor of the woman I love.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t do anything but stare at him.
He stood up and rushed to her. “Alala? What did I say? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You love me?” she whispered.
He stared back at her. “Alala, how can you ask that?”
She couldn’t take it anymore. “You haven’t said it! Never once in my life have you said it. We share the same bed, and you’re going to fight someone because of something that happened centuries ago, but you’ve never said it!”
She’d never seen him look so devastated. The color drained from his face, and the fire went out of his eyes completely.
“You’re right.” He stood up and walked away from her. “You’re right.”
“I love you, and that’s what I want in return. I don’t want only part of you. I want all of you.”
“Maybe I don’t deserve you.”
She ran to him and made him face her. “Don’t you dare say that.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. She held him tight when he tried to pull away, and he was gasping for air when she finally let go.
After he recovered, he cradled her face in his hands. “You know me. You were born to be my companion. Isn’t that what Lachesis said?”
Alala nodded.
“So will you forget everything you know about me? Forget what a bastard I am and believe me when I say I’m sorry?” He kissed her lips softly. “Believe me when I tell you there could never be another because I love you?”
“Yes.”
He pulled her to him and kissed her. He held her tenderly. His hands massaged her back as he looked into her eyes. “I plan on spending eternity making it up to you.”
She smiled up at him. “You already have.”
He shook his head. “Not really. And I also need to punish you for being so stubborn.” He slapped her on the ass, making her rub closer to him as she gasped. “That will keep us busy.”
She smiled as she thought of what he might come up with as ‘punishment.’ “Stubborn? Me?”
“Yes, you. If you’d spoken up a long time ago, it might have saved us both some trouble.”
She began unbuttoning her top. “Perhaps if you’d noticed me before.” She let it fall to the floor.
He cupped her breasts and squeezed them together before unclasping her bra and throwing it on top of her blouse. “You should have done that.” He rubbed her breasts vigorously, pinching her nipples and making her sigh. “What man could ignore these?”
Alala wanted tell him so much. She didn’t know how to begin explaining what it meant to know, without any doubt, that he did love her. She couldn’t think straight though. She needed him too much. “Then stop ignoring them.”
He dropped back on the couch and pulled her on top of him to straddle his lap. This position put her breasts right in front of his mouth. “If that’s what you want.” He ran his tongue over one nipple as his hand reached up to begin massaging her other breast.
She moaned, arching to give him better access. “Yes.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her closer against him as he moved his mouth slowly around her breast. She sighed and ran her fingers into his thick black hair. She pulled, just a little, and he bit her nipple in response.
She giggled and made him look at her. “Say it again.”
He ran his lips over hers and looked into her eyes. “I love you.” He moved his hands up and down her thighs, and the rest of their clothes disappeared. “And I need you.” He ran one finger up the inside of her thigh and then moved it over her clit. He rubbed it slowly as he kissed her.
She sighed and moved against his hand.
He took the encouragement and explored her more. “You’re wet already.”
His fingers moved into her slowly, and she dipped her head down to kiss his neck. His breathing quickened as he stroked her, and she could feel his cock against her leg, hard and ready for her.
“I want your cock,” she whispered.
“Mmmm. What was that? I didn’t hear you.” He bit her neck as he moved his fingers deeper into her.
She got off him and pushed him down to recline on the couch, and then climbed on top of him. She put his hands above his head and with a snap of her fingers produced a pair of handcuffs and secured him to the couch.
When she met his gaze again, he looked very surprised and extremely aroused. “I like how much you keep surprising me.”
She brought her lips to hover above his. She’d wanted to do this to him for so long. “It’s going to get better and better with each passing day then.” She kissed him hard. She could feel the arousal coming off him in waves. Aphrodite could never be this for him. She was good at seduction and teasing. She would never be aggressive like this. She knew how to make a man want her, but she’d never take him like this. Alala knew what Ares needed and knew how to give it to him.
“You have no idea how right you are,” he said as she moved down to stroke his cock.
She rubbed him slowly. “Eavesdropping, are we?”
“You didn’t block me from hearing your thoughts. Mmmm. That’s amazing.”
“I know.”
“You are everything I need. I’m glad you know that.” He moaned again as she ran her tongue over the head of his cock. He closed his eyes as she took it into her mouth.
You like that? she asked.
Yes. Yes, I do.
She took his head to the back of her throat and ran her tongue up and down the shaft. She could hear him rattling the handcuffs. She looked up and smiled. “Something wrong?”
“I want to touch you.”
“Just give me a moment.” She took his cock into her mouth again and made him gasp as she began sucking.
He arched up to me
et her mouth, thrusting gently. “I want you, Alala. Please.”
She stopped and moved on top of him. She rubbed her pussy against him. “What do you want?”
“I want to be inside you. Right now.”
She trailed kisses over his neck. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
He groaned, rubbing against her. “Just wait until I get free.”
She snapped her fingers, and the handcuffs were gone.
His eyes lit up as he grabbed her by the hips and thrust up into her. She gasped at the sudden pleasure, and then moaned as he moved slowly, pushing deeper.
“Mmmm. You do know just how to take care of me,” he whispered.
She kissed him, giving in to his embrace completely. He thrust higher, and she felt her blood heating up. Being with him made her feel the same rush she’d felt on the battlefield at times, made her feel her own power even more. Her orgasm hit her suddenly, but it came slowly instead of exploding like before. He was thrusting steadily, deep inside her. Her release unfolded gradually, sending tingling pleasure all over her body.
“How are you doing that?” she asked.
He thrust quickly once, making her gasp as a jolt of pleasure shot through her, then continued his slow assault. “Just enjoy it.”
And she did. Her breasts became super sensitive, and she moved up as much as she could. He knew what she wanted and began sucking her nipples, using his teeth to make her gasp as her pleasure increased. Her orgasm continued to build. She began riding him faster. He slapped her on the ass and let go of her.
She rode him hard, her pussy wet and convulsing, and soon she was on the verge of coming again.
“Ares! Oh gods!”
He rolled them off the couch in a surprisingly swift movement and got on top of her, pounding into her as she came again. She cried out his name over and over again as her whole body went electric. She wrapped her legs around his back and squeezed, wanting more of him, wanting him to come.
He thrust one final time and came, capturing her lips and pressing against her. He settled on top of her, resting his head above her breasts.
After a moment, she asked, “How did you do that?”
