Jessica Florence
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events, and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of those terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.
Jessica Florence © 2016
Cover by Okay Creations
Editing by Librum Artis Editorial Services
Chapter One
Thalia
Sweet gray eyes looked at me with mischief in their depths before taking off across the lush field toward a large tree.
“Where are you going, little one?”
The sound of giggles behind the tree had me walking towards that angelical sound. As I got closer, the little boy’s head peeked out from around the trunk of the tree.
“Why don’t you come out and tell me who you are, little one?” I stretched my hand out for him to take. He looked around nervously before putting his hand in mine. His was so small in my own, but it felt right. My other hand reached out and brushed the light brown hair that was hanging over his eyes.
“Who are you, little one?” I repeated my question. He smiled and leaned in to give me a hug. Catching me off guard, we fell to the ground, but I wrapped my arms around him so he would be safe.
“I’ve got you,” I whispered into his hair.
“They want me dead. Please don’t let them take me, mommy.” My heart dropped.
I woke with a loud scream, my hand reaching for my heart to calm its erratic beating. I looked around and realized I was in Tristan’s bed, in his apartment. Seconds later, Tristan appeared.
“Thalia, are you okay? What’s wrong?” He looked scared, which was not something I was used to seeing on him. Being the god Anubis, not too many things frightened him.
“I had a dream; there was a little boy.” I shook my head, trying to tell him about the rest of it, but I could not. Then it all came back to me. Our wedding. The quick escape and revelation.
“I’m pregnant.” The words came out on a whisper as my hand went to my stomach in shock. Isis said I was pregnant, but how? I mean, I had my period before the wedding. My head was spinning with thoughts of a baby. Tristan’s arms were around me, holding me.
“I can feel it now; I’m not sure how I didn’t feel the change in you before. You carry life, my love.” He whispered into me. Tears leaked from my eyes. I wasn’t sure what emotions I was feeling. Mine? His? I felt elated, fearful, scared, relieved. I didn’t know how I felt about this revelation.
“How do you feel about this?” I asked, turning to see his face. Was he upset? Was the fear and worry from him? He kissed my cheek and put his forehead to mine.
“I was worried when we left the reception. You passed out and wouldn’t wake up. About the baby? I’m beyond happy that you carry my child, but I am also anxious because I do not know what the others will do. Something like this has never happened before.” You could tell he was nervous. I was, too.
“What do we do?” I pulled back and looked him in those gray eyes.
“We stay together, and keep you healthy so you can grow our child safely. Everything else we will figure out as it comes.” I nodded. What he said made sense. I think I was still in shock from everything I didn’t even know how to feel.
“How about I make you some breakfast? You were passed out all night.” My stomach growled at the thought of food, making him grin like a fool.
“I guess that’s a yes. Why don’t you go soak in the tub, and breakfast will be done when you get out.” He gave me a kiss on the forehead and left the room to make me food. I slowly rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom, taking care of my morning business then starting his large soaker tub. The tub was becoming my thinking tub. I soaked in it when I first found out Tristan was Anubis, the Egyptian god of the underworld. I was so confused, feeling like my world was upside down. But I embraced it, and even found out I was a big part of it. I was the daughter of Aphrodite and Alexander the Great, reborn after destroying the god-killing blade that had killed me. I had been through so much. My eyes drifted to my left hand, to the black rings I had given Tristan back in ancient Memphis, Egypt. The rings gave me eternal life with Tristan as long as I wore them. They also kept me grounded when I first came to consciousness after being taken by Orion, and my past and present self were battling inside my head.
On its own, my hand moved to my flat stomach.
Pregnant.
I still couldn’t believe it. I had never really thought about children. Me, a mother. The thought didn’t scare me too much, so that was good. An image of the little boy in my dream popped into my head. Was that my son?
“A sweet boy,” I whispered to my stomach. A boy much like his father. Black hair, gray eyes. My heart warmed, thinking about having a child with my love. Tristan would make a wonderful father. So fierce and protective, but patient, and so wise.
The child of a Greek demigoddess and an Egyptian god. What a mixture.
“What were you thinking of, love?” Tristan’s soft voice came from the door. I looked up to see him smirking at me. I loved that smirk.
“The baby,” I confessed. He stayed silent, but his eyes moved down to my stomach.
“My dream was about a little boy with brown hair and gray eyes. I was wondering if we were having a boy.” There was little hitch in my voice. The next thing I knew, Tristan was naked and in the tub, holding me.
“It’s going to be all right, love.” He tried to comfort me.
“They are going to come after him.” Tears started to flow. I was feeling protective of our child already.
“Thalia, listen to me. This child is a blessing. What better parents could you ask for than us? We are warriors, remember. We will fight with everything we have to protect the baby. We will be okay, all three of us.” He kissed me and I found myself gripping him and pulling him closer. We were desperate for each other. I needed him. I needed his love, his comfort, his pleasure. I needed to forget what was happening around us, just for a short time. He understood immediately, his kiss growing into a more passionate fire. We moved until I was sitting above him.
I didn’t take it slow when I impaled myself on his hard cock; I moved fast and hard. His hands gripped my hips, helping me keep rhythm. Water was sloshing over the tub from the rapid movement. I cried out into his mouth, and his lips moved down my jaw and to my neck. I felt the comings of a powerful orgasm building in my core. Tristan felt it and bit down on my neck. The pain mixed with pleasure sent me over the edge, screaming out in ecstasy. Tristan’s hands gripped me harder and his release came swiftly.
I rode out his release and fell against his chest. His hand trailed softly up and down my back.
“I love you,” I whispered against his neck.
“I love you.” He kissed my head. We didn’t sit there too much longer since there wasn’t too much water left in the tub and what water remained had turned cold. We dried off and got dressed. Thank God I had moved some clothes over here a few weeks back.
“Come, let’s eat breakfast and figure out our next step.” He wrapped his arm around me and led us to the table.
Tristan had cut up some fruit and made us omelets that looked divine. My stomach growled and I heard Tristan’s chuckle, making me roll my eyes.
“Eating for two remember?” I sat down and chomped on a piece of watermelon.
“Yes, I’m quite aware.” He was trying to hold off his laughter.
“Leander
and Lacey are on their way here.” Leander! Lacey! Shit, I had been so consumed by my thoughts of having a baby that I forgot my best friends. They were at the wedding when everything happened.
“They are fine, love. Ease your stress. The gods have no quarrel with them, and they left as soon as we did.” Tristan’s hand shot out and caressed mine. I felt myself deflating. They were on their way here. Everything was okay.
We ate in a comfortable silence, both lost in our own thoughts, I guess. As soon as I was done, I filled up my water bottle and settled on the couch. Tristan followed shortly, and I snuggled against him as soon as his bottom hit the cushion.
“So.” I wasn’t sure what to say next, it seemed like there were so many things left to say, yet I couldn’t find the words. A knock on the door interrupted me from trying to put words to my thoughts. Tristan flashed out of my arms and to the door.
“Thalia!” The sound of my best friend’s voice came flying through the door. As soon as Tristan opened it, my little red-headed friend came rushing towards me with tears in her eyes.
“Oh Thalia, I’m so glad you’re okay. I didn’t even know what happened until Leander grabbed me and pulled me out of the reception room.”Lacey wrapped her arms around me, and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back, thankful she was ok.
“I’m glad you guys made it out safely. I was worried,” I admitted. She pulled back and looked at my flat belly, then back up to my face.
“So you really are pregnant?” She seemed almost afraid to ask. I nodded.
“Yep, apparently gods have super sperm,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. Tristan smiled but Lacey still looked a little off.
“Are you, um, all right with all of this?” She was asking if I was ok with having a baby. I looked her straight in the eye as I responded.
“Absolutely. I mean, the timing is a little early, but it would have happened eventually. He already has parents who love him a lot.”
“Him?” Lacey, Leander, and Tristan all asked in unison. I laughed, thinking maybe I should tell them about my dream.
“I had a dream about a boy. Looked like you.” I turned my head towards Tristan but he flashed to stand right behind me , his hands on my stomach.
“A boy,” he purred, remembering that I told him about my dream, and obviously finding this a very good thing. I looked over to see Lacey grinning at me, and Leander standing there patiently. I kissed Tristan’s cheek and walked over to him. Leander was my best friend. Even before I had known about him, Aphrodite and his father Ares had asked him to watch over me. We were destined to be in each other’s lives. His arms opened and swallowed me up.
“I’m glad you’re well, Dove,” he whispered into my hair. I nodded. There were no words to say. He knew how I was feeling, and I knew he just needed to hold me, to feel I was safe. When we pulled back, he gently tugged me toward the couch and sat down. Lacey joined him on his other side, and Tristan sat next to me. It was snug, but I liked it that way.
“I think we need to come up with some sort of game plan.” Leander spoke up first. We all nodded. There was so much to do, so much to think of. I didn’t even know where to start.
“I’m pretty sure you need to see a doctor, to make sure everything is going okay,” Lacey piped up. A doctor was a good starting point, but did they have doctors who could handle a situation like this? The child of a demigod and god was not likely to develop like a human baby. Sensing my thoughts, Tristan spoke up.
“There is a doctor at Leander’s gym. We should talk to him, and then we can go from there.” He lifted my hand to his lips, and pressed a kiss to it. My love swelled in my chest as his eyes closed briefly, savoring the feeling from our touch.
“Yeah, Dr. Geoffrey. Good guy. I’ll give him a call as soon as we are done with this conversation and set it up. Gotta make sure Leander Jr. is doing well.” He winked and I giggled. Oh boy, the name game was starting early.
Chapter Two
Tristan
I rolled my eyes at Leander’s joke about Leander Jr. That would not be happening. Everyone fell silent after their light laughter. I figured now was the best time to bring up the hard topic.
“We need to meet with the gods.” I took in their matching faces of shock but continued.
“We have to know their plans, see if the shock of the baby has died down and everything is better.” I knew that unlikely; gods could hold a grudge for a long time. Hell even I could, but nothing but Thalia and the baby’s safety mattered. They were my everything. The girls were quiet; Leander spoke up first.
“I agree, we need to know what they are feeling. It could have blown over and there be nothing to worry about. Or they could be a problem.” He looked at Thalia and gave her his best reassuring smile. Lacey wrapped her arms around Leander, needing comfort. They both knew that the chances were slim that the gods have given up. But we were hopeful.
Thalia’s hand drifted towards her belly, cradling her flat stomach. Male pride blossomed in my chest. We were going to have a baby. I wanted children with Thalia; I was hopeful after our trip in the Amazon. Then she said she had bled, and my hope faded. But here she was, with my baby inside her.
“Don’t worry love; nothing will hurt our baby.” My hand joined hers, both of us protecting our child. She nodded, but I could tell she was still concerned.
Conversations of what we were going to do died after that moment. It was simple, anyway: meet with the gods, find out what their feelings are, and go to the doctor. Not much else we could do. I ordered everyone some Chinese food while everyone relaxed on the couch.
I walked into the bedroom to grab Thalia some slippers when I felt a sizzle of power behind me.
“Why are you here Horus?” I grabbed the slippers and turned to see my brother. He was always the responsible one, always following the rules, so it was hard to imagine why he was inserting himself into my situation.
“I’m here because I care.” His golden eyes held no malice; I stood and waited for him to go on.
“I heard you tell them you want to meet with the gods. I came to warn you that it’s a poor decision, brother. The gods are scared. They don’t know what a child of a Greek demigoddess and an Egyptian god will be like. So much power, and an unknown combination. They will try to destroy the baby, and Thalia too, if they must. You must not allow her near them.” I guess his words shouldn’t come as a shock. then I watched his face turn into a smile, which piqued my curiosity.
“What?”
“I, for one, am excited to have a little niece or nephew to teach bad things to,” he said with a sly grin. A smile broke out on my face. It seemed I had one less god to worry about.
“I’ve gotta go, but I wanted to let you know I have your back.” He slapped me on the shoulder and disappeared. At least something was going our way. I took few minutes to control my emotions before I walked back out into the room full of my family. That’s what they were—my love, and my brother, with his wife-to-be. That was only a matter of time I suspected. Thalia’s face lit up when she saw me and my heart stuttered. God, I fucking loved that woman. In two thousand years, my love for her has never wavered. So beautiful. So sweet. So mine. I felt my dick start to swell, thinking about how mine she really was. I wanted her, that was something that never calmed. I bent down in front of her and placed each foot into the slippers. She was smiling watching me.
“You’re going to be very attentive during this pregnancy aren’t you? Should I be worried that I might wake up covered in bubble wrap one morning?” she teased. She had no idea. While I might not go as far as bubble wrap, I was going to be pretty damn protective. I decided it would be wise if I just kept my mouth shut instead of answering her.
Slowly I crawled up on the couch next to her. Knowing what she was growing inside of her made my already-hard dick throb. Chills ran down my body. I leaned in while she had her head turned toward the TV and nipped her ear. She yelped and looked at me in surprise. Her soul turned hot, and aroused.
Goo
d, the expression on my face must have told her what I was thinking about. I leaned in again and pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips, moving over to her neck. Her breathing hitched and the beast in me growled.
“Yeah, I think we are going to get out of here.” Leander piped up, I didn’t even spare him a glance. My wife was in need of my attention. I vaguely felt Thalia wave goodbye but that was all they got. I heard a giggle and the door shut moments later. Thalia’s hand reached up and wrapped around my neck, keeping me attached to her.
“My wife,” I murmured against her. It was still unbelievable that she was finally my wife.
“My husband,” she moaned. Like that, all restraint or thoughts of taking it slow and sweet were gone. Uttering those words was my undoing. I flashed us to the bedroom, and in seconds our clothes were gone. My mouth moved over her luscious body, not leaving one bit untouched by my tongue. My finger delved into her sweet heat; she was soaked. She was always soaked for me. She started mewling, her hips lifting towards my finger, needing more. Wish fucking granted.
I was back up to her mouth, devouring her, while thrusting my cock inside her. Perfection. She cried out past my lips from the fullness in her body. I moved with long, hard strokes. My hands crept under her back and came up to grip her shoulders, pulling her down on my cock with every move.
“Fuck, Thalia,” I growled, the feel of her was driving me insane. Her pussy started to quiver as her moans got louder. I quickened my pace, moving harder, and faster. Her nails dug into my back and her legs wrapped around me, holding me tight.
“God, Tristan!” She screamed and came hard. My eyes closed, feeling every clench of her orgasm. She consumed me. Her mouth latched onto my shoulder and then she bit me, hard. The surprise and the straight pleasure from her love bite sent me over the edge. I kept moving as my release hit.
When we had both calmed, and our breathing was back to normal, I disentangled myself from her and went to the bathroom to wash. I returned and cleaned her up as well. She was laying there, hair all around her like a mermaid under water.
Battle of the Heart Page 1
