Cimmerian Shade: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Collection

by Kiki Howell

  More.

  His kisses move from my knees.

  More.

  His facial hair brushes against my sensitive inner flesh and scratches the surface of my rounded thighs. He loops his arms under me, grabbing my buttocks, with the heel of my feet hovering above his shoulders. Endymion pulls my aching wet sex right toward his face.

  More.

  He takes a deep whiff and a whimper escapes my lips. An aching cry of being so close, yet so far. I arch my hips forward, a slight nudge, and amidst the darkness of my eyelids, I hear his damn chuckle. It’s weakening and frustrating. I grunt sitting up, about to open my mouth, when he delivers a wicked lick. And as if struck by Zeus’ lightning bolt, I surge backward.

  Endymion’s hungry licks ravish my sex. Over and over, and my toes curl against his expansive shoulders.

  “You taste fucking amazing,” he murmurs. “Why haven’t I had you before?” He places his lips back on my sex.

  A raucous scream explodes out of me.

  You haven’t had me because you were a difficult mortal.

  Waves of exhilarating bliss build me higher. Another shrilling scream erupts into the temple, echoing.

  What is this mortal doing to me?

  More strokes of his tongue. My body tenses and I squeeze my thighs around Endymion’s head.

  More.

  Rough hands grasp my bottom, holding me in place. His tongue slips down from my sensitive nub and into my folds, penetrating my wet core. He’s sending me right over the edge.

  More.

  I rock imperceptibly against his tongue. Endymion continues to penetrate me, teasing the outer and inner areas of my sex. Sucking and kissing. Nibbling and blowing softly on the delicate flesh.

  More.

  Heavy flat licks breathe fire through my veins, with sharp intensified sensations building on the precipice. I buck against his face and moan into the intense carnal atmosphere. He’s relentless, increasing pressure and amping up the speed. My body tenses as if all the muscles inside of me are trying to withdraw, to clam up, to hide from his oral onslaught.

  Endymion shows no mercy.

  Within moments the floodgates burst open, expelling warm liquids from my sex. Waves of blinding white bliss ravage my body.

  Chapter Eight

  EYES CLOSED, MY breathing is heavy and uneven. All I can do at the moment is lie there with my legs still tangled between Endymion’s strong arms. I allow the rest of the orgasm to surge through me, one ripple at a time, as he kisses my sex ever so lightly. I can’t take any more pressure.

  My legs twitch, and my limbs are spent. I know without his support of my legs they would have flopped open, too tired and weak to hold themselves up. When I attempt to open my eyes, at first everything is blurry and there’s a fuzzy orange glow. Eventually, they are able to focus and I watch as Endymion shifts his weight from between my thighs. My legs falter to the side without his full support, but with his hands still securing them in place, he adjusts himself and my legs, placing my limp across his lap.

  My eyes find his beautiful green gaze and I giggle.

  Endymion smiles. “Forgive me, I could not resist.” His voice is thick with no remorse, and the dim candlelight has the bottom of his face glistening from my orgasm.

  “What is there to forgive?” I ask on a heavy breath, feeling like I’m soaring. “You have done no wrong.”

  “You are right, my love. Your screams were music to my ears, and you tasted like heaven. I do not know why I waited so long.”

  Because you were a difficult mortal.

  Instead, I respond with, “I did not know that heaven had a taste.”

  “Ah, never did I.”

  “Describe the taste of heaven.”

  “It’s the sweetest and richest red wine that I would bottle and sell.”

  I laugh. “You would sell my arousal?”

  “I am confident that if I got my merchants to say that it will attract a husband, every young maiden within Elis will own a few bottles of your exquisite liquids.”

  My smile still hasn’t disappeared. “You can’t be serious.”

  “The downside: we would be in bed all day, every day, milking you dry.”

  “Why, Endymion, are you finally entertaining the thought of sleeping with me?”

  “I’m always entertaining the thought,” he admits playfully.

  Finally able to gather enough strength, I sit up on my elbows. “Endymion, I want to please you. Let me taste you—I want the flavor of your seed on my tongue. I want to know the feel of you in my hands and inside of me.”

  He shakes his head. “Tempting. So very tempting but in time, my greedy goddess. Tonight was my gift to you.”

  Shifting my legs from out of his lap, I sit beside him and ask, “I do not understand. A gift is something that one possesses.”

  “It’s not every day a mere mortal like myself gets to lay eyes on a goddess.” He raises a hand to caress my face. “It’s not every day that a goddess decides that a mere mortal is worth spending time with.”

  “Endy—”

  His finger slips over my mouth, keeping me from talking. Something in the air has changed. It happened just like that, and now Endymion is somber, his hard gaze staring into my pupils. “I don’t like that you and I can’t go anywhere else. We hide in this old temple when I have a whole kingdom that I control.” His hand drops from my face. “And yet here you and I are, mortal and goddess, hiding as if we were common thieves. As if we are unworthy of decent shelter. I couldn’t even take you to a brothel to bed you.”

  I ask, “What’s a brothel?”

  “It’s a place where men and women meet to fuck. To be clear, I would not ever take you to a brothel.”

  “It does not sound that horrible of a place.”

  On a sigh he says, “Why are you so innocent?”

  “Is being innocent so troubling?”

  “No, never.” He laughs to himself as if I had said something humorous. He narrows his eyes back on me. “Nevertheless, I hate it and love,” Endymion whispers, watching me in such a way, familiar tingles spread over my skin. Hard bumps rise in their wake.

  This mortal doesn’t have to do much to rattle my nerves, but it’s in a good way.

  I smile at him, welcoming the sensations and knowing that I always feel safe within his presence. Never afraid or uncertain. With Pan, there is always an underlying fear that I somehow manage to control. A sense of loyalty to the god who had unveiled both the divine and mortal world in a light that I could not see before.

  Endymion smiles back at me, and my heart picks up pace.

  Why can I not stay here? Forever in his presence?

  Guilty thoughts consume me but I push the feelings down.

  I don’t know what staying here on earth would mean for me or for my siblings, but would it be so bad? To stay here where I'm at peace?

  I could still return to Olympus to complete my ceremonial dance. I can still help Eos and Helios with keeping the balance.

  Even so, I already know the answer.

  It’s disheartening—I am Selene, the moon goddess. I have a calling, a sacred burden that my siblings and I carry with us for all our existence.

  Endymion extends a finger under my chin and lifts my face until we lock eyes. “Selene, you are my gift, my light in this vicious world. Bestowing upon you oral pleasures, I would do again without expecting anything in return. To taste and smell you, to hear your moans of bliss. To feel your soft thighs against my cheeks again, I would do in a heartbeat over and over again. You are my selfish pleasure,”

  Snagging my bottom lip between my teeth, I don’t respond. A dull pain throbs inside of my chest. It’s small, barely there, but very obvious.

  I want to stay.

  Endymion leans into me, a breath away from my lips. “You cannot do things like that, and not expect me to ravish you.” The fact that I am biting down on my lip is arousing him.

  “Ravish me,” I beg with wide eyes staring into a
fervent green gaze. I hope that Endymion will see the burning need that he had planted inside of me from our very first encounter. I hope that he will finally see how cruel he’s been with withholding himself.

  Instead, the mortal pulls away, withdrawing his finger and presence. “Greedy little goddess.”

  Why is he so cruel?

  I sit back, expanding the space between us.

  Endymion continues after a quiet heartbeat. “Hypothetically, what if I wanted you to stay?”

  My voice is hushed while I stare at the flames flickering to the side of us. “I can’t.”

  I want to stay, forever in your embrace.

  Everything makes sense when I’m with you.

  “Hypothetically, what if I told you that I need to find a beautiful maiden to wed?”

  My breath halts and without thinking, I ask, “Have you found one?”

  “I believe so and my people would love a goddess as their queen.”

  My heart freezes. “A goddess you say, what does she look like?”

  “Long hair, the color of a raven’s feather. White pale skin that shines as bright as the moon. She has these odd lilac eyes, and this absurd obsession with trying to seduce me.”

  My lips twitch, “She sounds lovely.”

  “She sounds deprived.”

  “She sounds like she knows what she wants.”

  “Then marry me,” Endymion demands, eyes staring right at me and urging me to say the right words to make this my reality.

  I want this, I want him and whatever comes with it. So why can I not just say the one simple word to make this finally real?

  This isn’t where you belong.

  “Endymion.” His name makes me cringe because it’s not the word that I wanted to say.

  “Selene.”

  My heart aches, “I can’t.”

  “I know.” He drops his gaze and looks to the side.

  A heavy silence falls on us.

  I hate this. It isn’t fair.

  I begin to trace my thumb and biting down on my bottom lips, I fill in the quiet. “Why hypothetically?”

  He extends his arm and reaches for a leather satchel. Opening the bag, he pulls out three small pouches, grabs one of the three, pulls on a string, and loosens its hold at the top. Slipping a few fingers into the pouch, he pulls out a few circular purple fruits—they look like grapes.

  After he had tossed a few into his mouth, he answers. “Because I already know your answer. I'm saying hypothetically because it makes the disavowal less harrowing.”

  Ouch.

  My eyes tear up, “That’s not fair.”

  Without missing a beat, Endymion is right in front of me, cupping my face tenderly. “I know it’s not fair and I do not mean to upset you.”

  “What if I wasn’t a goddess?”

  “What if I wasn’t a king?” he counters.

  “Would that change anything?” I ask regardless.

  He kisses my forehead before settling back. “Our circumstances are what they are. They cannot be changed, but we should make do with what we can.”

  “How are we to make do?”

  “Tell me that you want to be selfish with me,”

  I smile, “Every time I see you.”

  “You see it’s a start,” I glare at Endymion and parting my lips to speak he cuts me off. “Selene, tell me about you.”

  I shrug, relaxing my legs out in front of me. “What about me?”

  “You haven’t told me if you have a divine lover waiting for you to return home.”

  No divine lover in the sky, but a beast of God on earth.

  Shaking my head, I answer, “No divine lover waiting for me to return home. How about you, King Endymion? Do you have a beautiful damsel waiting in your chambers?”

  He doesn’t miss a heartbeat with his response. “The only damsel I want in my chambers is you.”

  “So you can look at me, but never touch.”

  A broad smile parts his lips. “Yes, and I’ll have the best artists in all of Elis paint an exquisite naked portrait of you.” He tosses a few more grapes into his mouth, emerald eyes glistening.

  Looking at my toes wiggling, I ask, “Why do you refuse to show me your home?”

  “I don’t refuse,”

  “You do,”

  He pauses for a moment, then suddenly shifts closer toward me. “Some may not be as accepting of your presence,”

  “How can someone not like me, if they have not met me?”

  “I’ll tell you what, there’s a festival tomorrow night, join me.”

  “What’s a festival?”

  “A huge event that everyone attends, and there are music and food.”

  “I don’t know...” I say, I’ve been avoiding going outside despite having the ring.

  “It can work.” Endymion’s eyes are wide with the notion. “It won’t be for too long. I’ll give you a quick tour of the kingdom and then we can come back here.”

  He actually believes it could work, and I want to believe him.

  Pursing my lips, I study Endymion. “Something could go wrong.”

  “Maybe, but what if it goes well?”

  “You are being very optimistic.”

  “I had a taste of heaven’s sweet nectar to help encourage me.”

  “Endymion, I’m being serious.”

  He matches my stare. “So am I.”

  “I don’t know...”

  “How about you think about it and if you do decide to come, I’ll meet you here. If not, we will meet on another night.”

  “Will you be upset if I don’t show up?”

  “Selene, I could never be upset with you. You’ve graced me with your presence and I got to taste that pretty little cunt of yours.”

  I make a face at him. “For a king, you have a foul mouth and, stop talking about me like—”

  “Like you’re a goddess?”

  “Exactly.”

  “You’re my goddess.” He smiles lying back, but not before taking me down with him. We shift on the blanket until we find a good position, with my head resting on his chest and our legs intertwined. Strong, warm arms wrap around my body like a cocoon.

  It kills me to know that I will have to go back home.

  Endymion says against my hair, “What are you thinking about?”

  “Who wouldn’t like me?” I ask remembering that Endymion said that I would not be accepted.

  “Some may be threatened by your presence,”

  “Like whom?”

  “It doesn’t matter,”

  “Will I see them at this festival?”

  “We won’t be there very long, so hopefully they won’t be a problem.”

  And Silence.

  After a while, Endymion questions. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothing,” I lie, tracing my thumb with my finger. I was thinking about my home, about my siblings and Zeus. I was thinking about myself and Pan. Endymion and myself. Everything was going through my mind.

  “You’re lying, and you want to know how I know?” I don’t reply. “You do this really odd motion with your fingers when you’re lost in deep thought. It’s like you disappear.”

  “Disappear?”

  “Yes, into your mind. You do it quite often, actually.”

  Conscious of my bad habit, I stop and snuggle closer to him, “And somehow you manage to always bring me back.”

  “For as long as you’ll have me, I will always bring you back.”

  Chapter Nine

  OUTSIDE, ENDYMION AND I said our farewells with a kiss that had my heart thundering against my rib cage. I could have sworn it wanted to leap out of my body and pounce into Endymion’s hands. It knows where it belongs.

  I want to stay.

  Let me stay.

  Please stay, are the whispers of my heart. Its own intimate song that seems to only get louder and more vocal the more Endymion and I see each other.

  Disheartened after our embrace, I turn away from him and close my e
yes. Focusing on my home, on a soft exhale I open my eyes, expecting to see Olympus. Instead, I see the golden Olympian gates.

  Why am I here?

  “You deceived us,” I hear a voice behind me and I suck in a nervous breath. It was the Horai, three daughters of Zeus

  Glancing down on my hand, I confirm that the ring is still there. On a sigh, I turn to find the three sisters behind me. The sisters of law and order. All three of them look alike with pale skin, not as ashen as my own with a flush of color. They have brown hair and striking blue eyes.

  “Zeus made himself clear,” The Horai speak in unison. “You were not to walk the earth. How long did you think you could continue to deceive us?”

  “I want to speak Zeus,” I say but I know that won’t happen.

  “Zeus told you that there would be consequences.”

  “I can ex—”

  One of the sisters snap their fingers and my ring disappears. “The decree was given,”

  No! “Give that back,” I demand and looking between the three sisters, I don't know which one took the ring.

  Another one of the Horai snaps her fingers and from the thick mist uproots chains that latch on to my legs. From the sky falls two more chains, which latch to my wrist and stretch my limbs apart. I do not know what is securing the tether but when I pull, they don’t budge.

  “Let me go!” I yell, trying to set myself free. I pull and tug, and it’s no use.

  “As per discussed, you will be punished.”

  Rattled, I shake my head. “No, this is absurd.”

  “One hundred lashings.”

  One hundred lashing, echoes through my mind. This has to be a mistake. The circumstances of the punishments were never disclosed.

  I jerk against the chains but it does not budge.

  Within one of the Horai’s hand a black strap appears, the length of it is excessively long. She curls her fingers around the base and with cold eyes, narrows her gaze. Hard bumps rise on my skin.

  Shaking my head, I demand. “Call forth Zeus, this has to be a mistake.”

  The Horai reply in unison, “The rules were clear and you disobeyed.”

  The one with the whip, raises her hand, dragging the whip along the ground and pulling it toward her. I realize that this is actually happening and she will strike me. Fear seizes my body. I close my eyes, expecting to feel the harsh assault when I hear his familiar mighty voice.