The Daughter Trilogy Bundle

by C. M. Owens

  He nods. "It was my carelessness. I knew Devin was a hands-off area with you. I should have been more cautious in my approach."

  I squirm a little. They're all under the impression I'm in love with a man who is still a complete stranger, more so now than when I first met him. He has broken my heart, and now I've been thrown into a world that is so surreal... I don't even know where to begin in trying to understand it.

  "I think I've figured it out. I want to lay the facts out for you, and let you draw your own conclusions to see if I'm not completely crazy," Devin's voice interjects from nowhere.

  I turn to see him in a dangerously low pair of jogging pants, and he's pulling on a sleeveless shirt as he stalks toward us. His perfect, toned, deliciously defined abdomen is slowly hidden as the shirt cascades down. My quivering bottom lip seeks refuge between my teeth, and my body starts to heat while the wind stirs.

  "Adisia," Theia says in a warning tone, and I realize the lights are flickering.

  The embarrassment from his mother's observation is enough to snuff out the small fire before it becomes the raging inferno that leaves me drunk and out of control. Devin smirks a little and avoids making eye contact with me so he doesn't entice the flames to return.

  "Starting from the beginning, her mother's abandonment was the first trigger, but she was too young to change at the time. The fear of being left alone has forced everyone around her to love her almost too much. She's been radiating that energy since she was an infant."

  "That would mean a very powerful source. Radiating such energy takes more power than I've seen since you," Theia says to her son.

  "Men go mad around her, leaving them completely beguiled and often obsessed," he continues.

  "That's not really what you think, is it?" I question.

  He ignores me and continues. "When I met her, something between us sparked. I think that was the second trigger. That explains her sickness and the boiling water in our shower. When I left her, the abandonment issues struck full force, and several breaker boxes blew up in her apartment building. Then, of course, there was the engine combustion when were sharing a dangerous look. I triggered something because of my passion for her and hers for me."

  Why emphasize the word passion when speaking to his mother? Fuck. Now I'm mortified.

  "I think that's crossing a line of over-sharing," I whisper to him with a red face full of humiliation.

  How can a guy tell his mother shit like this?

  Devin grins too big to suppress it after hearing my voiced embarrassment, and he finally acknowledges I'm in the room. He shakes his head and steps lightly toward me as he speaks.

  "It's pertinent information to discovering your origins," he murmurs.

  Then he turns back around to meet the hesitant eyes of his mother.

  "I think know where you're going with this, but you know as well as I do that it's preposterous. There's no way. Especially with her sky opening act. That never came about with her."

  Her? Me? Someone else perhaps? Irritating cryptic immortals.

  "Here's the deal sealer. Every mortal that ever dated her cheated on her. They always came back within a week. Now what do you think?"

  Her eyes widen in shock. Everyone is silent, and now mortified is in the rearview mirror for me. They haven't yet created a word that fully describes how incredibly humiliated I feel.

  "Seriously? Would you like to post my personal life on the internet as well? You asshole," I exclaim.

  He steps toward me, but I move back. I don't want to look at him right now.

  "I see… I don't know… it's just too… What else brings you to this conclusion?" Theia stammers.

  "Well, if that's not enough, my leaving her triggered even more of a stir when it-"

  I interrupt his imperious speech. I'm sick of hearing how he's my trigger, how he left me, and how tragic I was when I was so helplessly destroyed.

  "I've been left before by men I've spent far more time with than you. I've been destroyed and left with thousands of pieces. I knew you for a hot minute before you decided you didn't want me," I grumble.

  "I never decided I didn't want you. I was trying to keep you safe," he argues. "I've never stopped wanting you in the least bit since the day I met you."

  Oh no. Look away. Look away. This is not a conversation to have in front of his mother!

  "Anyway, like I was saying, he's not the first guy to dump me, so I don't see what this has to do with anything."

  "You never loved anyone like you do my son," Theia bluntly states.

  Fuck! Really lady?

  Devin looks down bashfully, and I glare at his smirking face.

  "I barely know him. I don't love him. I've been engaged before, so I think I know what love is."

  Devin sits down casually on the couch, and his eyes reach up to pull mine in. Fucking immortal. Damn him and his eternal hotness.

  I break eye contact when Theia speaks with a condescending smile.

  “Immortal love is far different. He's your trigger, which is surreal for our kind. He has a connection with you I've never seen before. This is far stronger than you're giving it credit for. It's actually too strong. This sort of bond is much more-"

  She stops, pauses, and turns to Devin.

  "That's where you're going with this. You know this is who she is. I see a little better. What happened after your abandonment?"

  "Every guy in the entire town sent her flowers. I didn't really think that much about it. I thought the possible infection had heightened her sex appeal to the mortals. They were obsessing over her, though, in a mindless, helpless sort of way."

  Theia takes a deep breath. "I can't believe this. This has never been heard of. If this is true, they're going to be after her more than they're after the rest of us."

  "I know. Believe me, I know," he almost mumbles, his smile vanishing.

  "What are you talking about?" I insist, my foot stomping the ground to accentuate my adamant demand.

  "We believe you to be a daughter of Aphrodite," Theia says with a tone of awe.

  Kry's glass drops and shatters against the ground. I squirm uncomfortably as they all stare at me - gawk at me rather.

  "That makes sense," Ther exasperates while gripping his head.

  "A lot of sense," Kry adds with the same exasperation, relief seeming to find his eyes.

  "Why?" I ask, still drinking in all the crazy.

  "Because we couldn't fucking get you out of our heads," Ther grumbles, and I flush instantly.

  This is so absurd. Surely I'm not believing any of this. I'm getting a migraine.

  "So, wasn't Aphrodite all about love and flowers? How is this such a big deal?" I ask while completely ignoring Ther's last remark.

  Devin answers, sounding a little agitated.

  "I told you not to believe the crap you read. Some of it is half truths, but most of it is a bag of nonsense. Aphrodite was the only corporealized entity that embodied love, passion, lust, and many other emotionally discharged energies around the world. You said the whole town was crying. When did that start?"

  I shrug. "I'm not sure."

  "Were you crying when they were?" he asks.

  "No. I was all cried out at that point, or at least I thought I was," I mumble.

  His lips tighten as a guilty look covers his face.

  "The town was crying the tears you could no longer shed. They grieved for you when you were too exhausted to continue. It's another key piece to the puzzle that proves your origins. It also makes you a target," he mutters with reservation.

  "Why?"

  "Because the daughters of Aphrodite were deemed too strong to contend with. They could assemble an army by simply walking through a crowd. Athena was believed to be the embodiment of virtue, and most of the mortal world believed her to have never had children, but that is another falsehood. She did believe herself to be the embodiment of virtue, though nothing could be further from the truth. She loathed Aphrodite because she thought of her as her a
dversary. Aphrodite was the opposite of virtue in Athena's eyes, and she considered her to be a threat.

  "She and her daughters hunted and killed the daughters of Aphrodite for centuries, leaving none left in existence... or so we thought. Athena's self-righteous quest led to the massacre of numerous women. Aphrodite mourned herself to death - literally.

  "The daughters of Aphrodite were strong, but they never had a father of a higher power. Aphrodite only bore children from mortals... or so we thought. You're an anomaly, and we have to learn more about your other half."

  Okay. I just thought the crazy side of the scale had been broken. It has just sunk into the floor, and now it's tunneling through the earth on its quest to find China.

  "If Aphrodite had such a child, why didn't she step up when the others were being slaughtered?" I ask.

  "Because there was something greater at stake. She most likely had a love or another child of her own. There's no way to tell without finding your real mother. She can probably do just as you do, and she'll be the best one to teach you."

  The wind outside slaps the side of the house, and windows begin shattering all around.

  "No," I protest, an eerie crawl to my tone.

  The wind picks up harder, and Devin stands to walk to me as the electricity surges violently, causing things to reach the point of eruption.

  "This is to keep you safe. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you," he promises.

  "You already have," my unfamiliar voice echoes with a wind chime sound.

  The trees begin to snap, and the winds around the house threaten to pull it apart.

  Devin slowly wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his arms. I can feel my tears of a lifetime's resentment starting to pour, and the rain responds by slashing into the broken windows.

  "I've got you. Nothing is going to happen," he coos.

  I shove him off of me, and he catches himself against the couch. I walk out and stare at the crazy storm I've just brought forth.

  "Stop!" I scream.

  The winds stir harder, and I take a deep breath. I think of my brother carrying me around in a red wagon. I think of Clara and me playing in the sandbox together. My mind fills with pleasant memories, and the winds slowly start to calm.

  I think back to the first time Clara met Henry, and how she giggled so excitedly. I think of how we danced for the school talent show in eighth grade, and I laugh to myself when I see how terrible it looked.

  I slowly open my eyes to see the sky has completely cleared, and only a few ruffled leaves fall to tell the story of the short storm. I turn back to see Devin and the others standing on the porch.

  "I can do this without her. If you find her, I swear I'll lose all control. I never want to see her," I growl, and the winds slightly stir in response.

  I take a deep, cleansing breath before walking back to the house. Devin takes my hand, but I jerk it free. I stare him in the eye, and my voice reaches an icy tone.

  "I don't care what you or anyone else thinks. I'm not ever going to be in love with a man or an immortal who watched me fall apart and did nothing to stop my pain. I'm still the same person. I've broken my rule before, and I gave you a second chance. Just like before, I ended up humiliated. No third chances for you or my mother."

  I walk by him, and he calls to me from behind.

  "Adisia. Please don't do this. I want to be with you," he sighs.

  I stop, turn, and glare.

  "Then you should have thought of a way to keep us together before you ripped us apart," I snap.

  When I walk in, his people have already reassembled, and they're desperately trying not to look at me. I point my question toward Theia.

  "Do I have to stay here? I don't know you or anyone here, including Devin. I want to be around my family or no one at all. I've never done well in groups of strangers."

  She frowns slightly.

  "Your family could be at risk if you return. I know we've had an unorthodox introduction, given my rudeness when I thought my son had fallen in love with a mortal, but perhaps we could start over. We need to help you before you hurt yourself or someone else."

  I look at Devin as he walks in, still drenched from the down pouring rain I unleashed.

  "I don’t do reintroductions. They end with the same consequence as the first."

  His eyes fall to the ground, and Theia speaks gently so as not to provoke my anger.

  "Your father's half has to be strong to enable you to deny your Aphrodite half the satisfaction it seeks from Devin. It's only when your Aphrodite half intoxicates you that you succumb to your true desire. See? We're learning more about you already. We need to learn as much as possible to ensure your safety and the safety of the ones around you. Maybe I could get you a cup of coffee or tea?"

  I sigh loudly when I feel the storm trying to brew.

  "No. I need a shower. I'll clean up my mess when I get done."

  I look around at the shattered windows and the flipped over furniture pieces left by my storm. Devin walks toward me, but I turn and walk away before he reaches me.

  Stay calm. How can I do that if I'm stuck around him?

  The water streaks against my skin, cleansing me of the toxic day. The soap lathers and removes the grit and dust from my hair and body. Mango's heavenly scent reaches my nose and brings a slight smile to my face.

  I push my head under the water and smile against the warm stream covering my face.

  I open my eyes, and there's a creepy, crawling, disgustingly hideous spider staring at me from the ceiling. I scream and fall out of the shower, bringing the shower curtain with me. I hear the tile floor crack from the impact, and I cringe at the accidental damage I've now added to this house.

  I shriek as Devin flashes into the room. I scramble to cover myself with the shower curtain, and his eyes lock with mine. The water splashing from the showerhead begins to boil and bubble in response to the shared heated gaze.

  He walks toward me, and I feel the drunken desire filling me as my strength begins to fade. He bends and opens a cabinet door to pull out a towel.

  "Sorry. I heard a scream," he says softly with his menacing, wry smile still cocked to one side.

  My eyes dance as the bubbles begin exaggerating their boil.

  "I saw a spider," I whisper.

  He smirks slightly, and the steamy gaze pushes the room into a haze. Every surface fogs over with a thick coat, and he smiles a little more.

  He wraps the towel around me, and the water shuts off by itself. I look around curiously as he helps me up.

  "You did that?" I ask.

  His devious smirk smugly spreads. "Yes."

  I scowl a little. "My elevator too?"

  He lets an adorable throaty chuckle free. "Yes. I have the ability to manipulate sound waves as well, and I used my ability to fuse together the tattered wires."

  Now I'm fighting a grin. My Aphrodite half is starting to intoxicate me. I have to stay strong, but it's hard to do when I feel his hands burning against the towel he's securing in place.

  Our eyes are desperately clinging to each other's, and my hands slide against the thin shirt he's wearing to feel the secret of his perfect body hidden beneath.

  "I don't want to do this until you want me - all of you," he murmurs in forced objection.

  My Aphrodite half surges through me and my body moves against his. The passion is oozing from me, and the monster inside is begging to be unleashed. My lips graze his arm as my eyes begin their burning torment once more.

  "Take me now, and we'll worry about the rest later," I dare in a tone that's almost sexy enough to even turn me on.

  He smiles his smoldering, full-flashing grin, and his lips graze mine lightly, forcing my body to throb in desire.

  "I like this half of you," he taunts. "This half wants me, needs me, and begs me."

  He starts to cover my mouth with his and my hands grip against his shoulders. Just as I'm about to quench my goddess's thirst, he pulls back. My body almost distorts to po
se my writhing pain when he withdraws before I even feel truly teased.

  "But I'm not going to take advantage of you when this half is in sole control. I want all of you, just like I used to have. I'll change your mind," he says with a seductive wink.

  My hands drop from his shoulders, and he turns to walks out. The door slams in front of him when a wind finds its way into the room, and I know I’m the one who just did it. I can see him smiling through the cloudy mirror.

  "You're getting a little control," he murmurs with his back still turned. "That's good."

  He tugs at the door and forces it open. I skulk out with a mystifying pout, and listen to him treading lightly down the staircase.

  Very slowly, my sanity begins to return. The problem is, I want him regardless of my anonymous half. It's not just Aphrodite begging for him, it's all of me. I'm just smart enough to know the consequences for revisiting an old path.

  Oh, but damn, that path is so good in bed. Now I just sound like a goddess wanting sex as opposed to a sex goddess. And I sound crazy.

  Good grief.

  Devin is propped against a post on the porch while he stares out at the lake. The house was cleaned up completely before I could help. The windows are still robbed of their glass, but I can't exactly do anything about that.

  I walk up behind him and resist the urge to wrap my arms around him.

  "Feel better after your shower?" he asks with his back still turned.

  No. I fucking want you so bad it hurts. Happy? Asshole.

  I take a deep breath, praying I can show some dignity around him for a change.

  "How'd you know it was me?" I ask while intentionally avoiding his question.

  He slowly turns to face me. "I can feel your presence now. It's sort of hard to explain, but I know when you're near, and I can feel so much from you."

  Please don't feel me fighting my addiction.

  "Ah. Well, I came to tell you I have to go home. My parents are used to me checking in, and Clara will be fit to be tied if I don't go see her. Not to mention, I have a job - that is, if I haven't already lost it. I have bills to pay, things to do… I can't hide out here no matter how badly you want me to."