The moon was low in the sky, dawn threatening its appearance on the horizon, when they finally dressed and returned to her hotel room for a few hours of sleep.
Chapter Fifteen
If Pan didn’t know any better, he would think Katerina was a nymph. He began to wonder if somehow he’d triggered a change in her like with Syrinx. Perhaps it was possible he somehow altered his vixen as well. She’d had the stamina to match his, which, in an ordinary human, was impossible. Her body would have had a limit to the activity, the amount of friction, but didn’t. When they’d made it back to her hotel room in the wee hours of the morning, Katerina had promptly fallen asleep, but she should have tired hours earlier. In truth, she shouldn’t have been able to walk after all they’d done.
Smiling, Pan recalled when he first saw her in the woods and he imagined fucking her so hard they’d leave a crater in the Earth. They’d left deep indentions in the ground last night, proving him right. He’d tried to let her rest several times throughout the night, but every time he did, she’d be willing and ready for him again, and he couldn’t resist her.
Just thinking about the events from the night before had him hard and ready for her, but she had to deal with her friends in a few hours. Not only that, but she had to face Dionysus in a meeting Rick and Cindy had set up. Pan wasn’t eager to allow Katerina within the other god’s sight.
Katerina rolled over and snuggled against him, sleeping with her mouth wide open. He figured she’d be embarrassed by that and didn’t plan to tell her. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her, drawing her closer, and then kissed the top of her head.
He’d deluded himself in thinking he could keep her, thinking the night they’d shared was proof they were meant for each other. If Katerina was smart, she’d leave here and get as far away as she could. What future could he provide for her? Sure, he could fix up the house, buy her pretty things, and make love to her so hard the ground quaked, but how long would it last?
Katerina was mortal, and regardless of how it perplexed him that her stamina far outlasted a normal human’s, she wasn’t a nymph—but not even they were immortal, unless their mother or father had been a god. If Katerina had been a nymph, they’d ruined any chance of removing his curse because they hadn’t waited until a lunar eclipse to have sex. It still wouldn’t have mattered because Pan was immortal and wouldn’t revert to a human form to live out his remaining years. In short, Katerina’s mortality mocked him.
Completely lost in his thoughts, Pan hadn’t noticed her waking. She was currently studying his somber expression. “What’s up?” She wiped at her cheek, and her skin grew flushed. “Oh God, I drooled on you, didn’t I? I’m sorry.”
How could he not love this woman?
He blinked, momentarily taken aback by the direction of his thoughts. Looking down at her, he smiled. “You didn’t drool on me, vixen. Though I can’t say the same for last night when your tongue was acquainted with a certain part of me.” He chuckled as she turned redder.
No. He hadn’t misthought before. He did love Katerina. Syrinx, he’d desired, idolized even, but since he’d made such a mess of things her place in his heart was more a tribute to his failure to protect her more than anything else. Sometimes Pan imagined all the different ways he could have saved her. With Katerina, he lived for every smile, every blush—even when her random spurts of shyness were completely uncalled for—and he even looked forward to her smart-ass little remarks. She was his equal in so many ways.
Too bad he couldn’t keep her.
“You’re frowning again.”
“Do you think you could convince your friends to sneak out of here with you? Without Dionysus knowing you left.”
“What?” She shuffled around until she was on her back and could see him without straining her neck.
“Meeting with Dionysus isn’t a good idea. He’s up to something, and I know there is at least one satyr here with him. I heard Rick and Cindy mention Pavlo. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.”
“He’s not going to kill me. Why go through all the trouble of putting this together if that was the goal? Why not make a move on you before now? Anyway, by the time I could actually convince them to get packed and leave with me he’d be knocking on the door wondering why I’m late. Not to mention, the van is in the shop. You tossed it on its side like it was discarded trash, remember?”
He’d been living in the moment perhaps a little too well. “Oops.”
“’Oops,’ he says. Typical man.” Katerina pried herself from his grasp.
“Where are you going?” He tried to pull her back in bed, but she wouldn’t have it.
“I need to shower.” She didn’t have to explain why. She still had leaves in her hair and dirt smudges all over. She glared at him. “How did you get so clean?”
“One of the perks of being a god.”
She rolled her eyes and sauntered off to the bathroom. No reason why he couldn’t join her. It would be unkind not to help her with those hard-to-reach places. He stretched and sat up, a smile on his lips. He’d slept in human form despite Katerina’s assurances she didn’t mind him as a satyr, that she’d overcome her issue with his feet. He didn’t want to accidently kick her with a hoof or jab her with a horn while she slept.
Remaining in human form, he strolled into the bathroom, yanking the curtain back, and eliciting a squeak of surprise from her.
“Oh, no you don’t.” She pushed at his chest when he crowded her space. “We have to meet with the others in less than an hour.”
“That’s plenty of time. I have skills.” He flashed his most smoldering smile and took smug satisfaction when she made a sexy little noise without realizing she had.
Deciding to draw out the seduction a little while longer, Pan snagged the pink loofa from her hands and poured her coconut-mango scented body wash on it, replacing the bottle on the side of the tub where he’d retrieved it. She eyed the loofa suspiciously and backed up a step.
“I’m perfectly capable of washing myself, thanks.”
“Undoubtedly, but what kind of person would I be to not help those in need? Besides, taking care of dirty, dirty women is a specialty of mine.”
She snorted. “I’m not that dirty.”
“Absolutely filthy. Now, turn around and put your hands on the wall.”
“What’s with the macho alpha male posturing? I didn’t mind it last night, but damn you’re bossy.” She crossed her arms, making her bared breasts lift and press together. His gaze was glued.
“If you turn around and put your hands on the wall, I’ll reward you.”
She seemed to consider his offer before she rolled her eyes and turned around. “Fine, but not because you want me to do it. I’m just curious about the reward.”
He laughed as he began scrubbing her back, slowly, making her body arch in response to the sensation. “You know what they say about curiosity, don’t you?” Pan didn’t give her a chance to respond before he lifted one of her feet to rest it on the side of the tub and entered her, finding her clit with his free hand. The loofa dropped, forgotten as it rolled under the spray of the water.
***
Curiosity killed Kat or almost did anyway. Five consecutive orgasms in a row, all in less than ten minutes, had been her reward. He hadn’t lied about being quick. She shifted around on the sofa in Dionysus’ suite, wishing she’d had time for a nap to recover from the shower. Cindy and Rick sat on either side of her, and they both kept giving her strange looks. Did they know what she’d been doing all night and all morning in the shower? Was it written all over her face?
She tried really hard not to blush, but knew she failed. Pan was in the woods, keeping his appearance cloaked. He would wait for her to finish her business with Dionysus and her friends as he stood by in case she needed him. “One scream, just one, and I will rip his fucking head off,” was the last thing he’d said before she finally convinced him not to come with her. There was still hope the other god didn’t know Pan
was near. Granted, it was a really small chance.
Dionysus—Mr. Bach, she had to remember not to call him by his real name—had to take a very important phone call, or so Pavlo told them when they arrived. Kat found herself staring at the man. His hair was much shorter than it had been in ancient times. He fidgeted a bit under her close inspection, but if he knew what she was thinking about, he didn’t make it obvious. Pavlo flitted around, bringing them all bottles of water and chitchatting about the weather and every other common topic of small talk while they waited.
Feeling a gaze on her, she turned to the right and faced Cindy. Kat raised a brow, questioning without speaking. They’d been friends long enough that words weren’t always necessary.
Cindy raised both her brows in response. It was a sarcastic, Really? You’re going to play coy with me?
Kat shrugged with a slight frown and shake of her head. Whatever do you mean?
Cindy glared. She was not dropping this conversation or lack thereof. Luckily, Dionysus chose that opportunity to stroll in from the closed-off bedroom. To avoid staring and making it obvious she knew the truth about him, Kat took in the surroundings again. The suite was awash in the same maroons and greens with dark brown furniture as the smaller rooms. It had a separate bedroom that connected to the living room they were in, with a small kitchen area beside the front door. It smelled like lemons.
“Dr. Silverton, I’m relieved you are well. Your crew, myself included, was so terribly worried something bad had happened to you.”
Kat stood to shake his hand. “Thank you. It was only a scare—no harm was done. Everyone is okay. I would like to forget about it and move on.”
He nodded in greeting to the Martinezes and took a seat in the armchair across from them, crossing his right ankle over his left knee. “Let’s cut the shit, shall we?”
Kat frowned. She had to have misheard. “Excuse me?” To her left, she felt Rick stiffen, clearly taking offense to the man’s tone and use of language.
Dionysus continued as though he hadn’t heard her, “I know you’ve learned the truth about the Jersey Devil. I must confess, he moved in on you much sooner than expected.”
Kat gaped. She snapped her mouth shut again.
“What is the meaning of th—” Rick began.
“Shut it, young man.” Dionysus waved a hand at Rick dismissively. Too baffled to protest, Rick complied. “Where were we? Oh, yes. The Jersey Devil. I felt quite foolish once I heard of him a few years back, as I should have known after he first appeared in the area and revealed himself to humans. You see, some of the others have the bad habit of being spotted, and then they become urban legends around the areas they were sighted. I shouldn’t have been surprised. If I had thought to look for him that way sooner, I would have.”
“Mr. Bach, why are you—” Kat began, but she was cut off as well.
“Dr. Silverton, I know you know who I am. The speculative gleam in your eyes when I entered the room said as much. Furthermore, you’ve been staring at Pavlo as though you’ve seen a ghost and don’t quite believe what’s in front of you.”
Pavlo sheepishly peered at his feet. Cindy and Rick seemed to be too bewildered to comment at the outlandish turn in the conversation. All they did was gawk.
“Call me Dion, would you? It’s my name, or at least the short version I have started using the past few centuries. Less conspicuous.” He’d pronounced his name Die-on.
Rick gave Kat and Cindy a concerned glance. He obviously believed Dion to be a few screws loose.
“Um, Dion, then. Why go through the ruse of sending a film crew here if you knew the truth about the Jersey Devil? Why not make contact yourself?” What Kat really wanted to know was why she had to be involved at all.
Dionysus made a great show of bowing his head and looking forlorn. “He wouldn’t have welcomed my visit. I made a great mess of things in the past.” He met her gaze, “If you know about Pavlo and who I am, you know what transpired.” He straightened in his chair, resting his forearms on the armrests, and met her gaze. He seemed to have forgotten the Martinezes were present at all and was talking only to her. “You don’t understand what it was like in Greece in the old days. Men and women devoted their lives to appeasing the gods. They gave us sacrifices of meat, of jewels, of virginity and women...” Dionysus glanced at Pavlo.
“After a while, we expected these things rather than appreciated them. Power corrupts more than any sin. When you have it, you think you are invincible and stop thinking about your actions, let alone the consequences of those actions. You take the power for granted and cease considering who is harmed by your actions and your demands.”
He inclined his head ever so slightly, “I was one of the worst because I was so well-loved by the citizens of Greece, but ended up becoming the very thing I didn’t wish to be. I provided wine, merriment, and entertainment. I left Olympus and celebrated with them. I didn’t sit upon my pretty throne, hidden in another realm, only to come down to plant my seed into the belly of a woman and leave her to raise the brat on her own. I associated with my followers. I provided for any bastards I begot upon them. After...events of my past I do not discuss, ever, I forgot why I did these things. I became Olympian more than I ever was before.”
As Kat contemplated what events could have changed his demeanor, a knock at the door sounded. Dionysus nodded at Pavlo, who in turn made his way to the door and opened it. A tall, gorgeous man with long black hair came in. It was Melancton. Kat recognized him right away. The only difference from the man she’d seen in Pan’s memory was in his clothing. His hair was the same length as it had been, stopping slightly above his hips. The short sleeves of his shirt displayed the scars she’d glimpsed through Pan’s memories. Pan ambled in after him, dressed as he had been the day she met him.
Cindy leaned in and whispered, “Why is Peter involved in this nonsense?”
At the same time, Rick muttered, “I knew he was up to no good. Can you please explain what is going on here?”
Kat exhaled in a rush and braced herself for their reactions. “I’m sorry, but I wasn’t completely honest with you. It is hard to believe either way, but the short version is that Peter is really the Jersey Devil, and he is also the god, Pan. Dion Bach is Dionysus, and the two other men are satyrs. I’ll explain it more as soon as we get out of here.”
Her friends stared at her, blinking.
“Perhaps you were out in the woods too long,” Rick stated after a few long moments that felt like hours. “Do you need more water? Are you feeling dehydrated?”
Cindy shook her head. “I don’t know, Rick. Either she is overly tired and imaginative, or the whole lot of us are crazy. We saw the Jersey Devil with our own eyes. Maybe we should believe what she is saying.”
“I was going to tell you after this was all over. I know it’s a lot to take in on words alone.” She chewed on the edge of her lip under her friends’ scrutiny. Soon they began bickering amongst themselves and, thankfully, forgot her for the time being.
Pan’s gaze settled on her, assessing. Then he glared at Dionysus who had risen from his chair as Melancton ushered him into the room. Dionysus had the good grace to look abashed, but Kat didn’t believe he was genuine. The whole ordeal seemed off to her. Like he was putting on a show. She didn’t believe he regretted his past actions regardless of the sob story he’d been putting on for her benefit before.
“It’s good to see you again, Pan. It’s been a long time.”
“Not long enough.” Pan moved to stand behind Kat, and his hands landed on her shoulders, squeezing lightly. She pretended she didn’t see the speculative look from Cindy or the confused glower Rick was transferring between Kat and Pan. “I found Melancton roaming around the hotel. He wouldn’t be here for you to hide behind unless you feared I’d come after you. I’m here. You and I have words to exchange, but whatever you have to say to me doesn’t merit the involvement of the humans. Let them leave.”
Why was Dionysus involving Cindy and R
ick? It didn’t make sense.
In fact, Dionysus acted as though he’d only just realized the Martinezes were present. He glanced at them and frowned. “They insisted on being here when I spoke to the girl. I grow weary of pretending to be a human, albeit a wealthy, powerful, and incredibly handsome one.”
Kat rolled her eyes.
Dionysus wasn’t finished droning on, “I don’t have the patience to pretend Katerina doesn’t know who I am or who you are, and I believe she isn’t keen on pretending the same. I’m sure she would have told the other two eventually.”
So she was Katerina to him now, was she? It was the first time he hadn’t referred to her by her title. The entire facade had collapsed.
“You know, I’ve gone through a lot with you in the past, Kat, but everything being discussed here isn’t possible or rational.” Rick looked from Pan to Dionysus after his outburst, beseeching some sort of confirmation that they were talking crazy.
Dionysus sighed. “I miss ancient times. People had faith in the unknown. They didn’t require demonstrations.” He snapped his fingers and the glamour fell away from Melancton, who stood behind Dionysus as a sentry. Perhaps in case Pan acted on any notion of revenge.
Melancton was exquisite, even as a satyr. His legs were covered in black hair, thin at the top like Pan’s, thicker closer to his dark hooves. Matching horns arched upward, stopping at sharp points above his head. He was fully naked, revealing an abundance of scars on various parts of his body, and impressive. Showing no sign of discomfort due to his sudden exposure, Melancton’s lavender gaze regarded those who studied him. He glanced at Kat briefly before turning away.
Cindy sucked in a breath, and she covered her mouth. Rick stood slowly, slack-jawed. He stumbled over to Cindy’s side of the couch and covered her eyes with his hand.
Yeah, Kat had been there. She yawned. A strange world it was when she was no longer surprised at witnessing a man go from fully dressed human one minute to naked mythological creature the next.
The Cursed Satyroi: Volume One Collection Page 18
