Gabriel's Mate

by Tina Folsom

  Again a blast of air came Triton’s way, threatening to uproot his balance.

  Choose? What did Zeus want him to choose between?

  He would have done well to listen this once, but his uncle’s tirades could go on for hours, and what was the point of taking any notice when he couldn’t change the outcome anyway? However, this time a sinking feeling spread in his stomach as if he was about to gamble away his life.

  “Uh, I, …” he stammered.

  An angry grunt was Zeus’ reply. “Option one or two. I’m leaving you a choice, but only because my brother has bartered for leniency toward you. Personally, I would crush you with my bare hands. Frankly, boy, I’ve had it with you. Would you like me to remind you of all the things you’ve done?”

  Triton’s memory was working just fine. He sure needed no reminder, but he knew better than to anger Zeus while his punishment still hung in the balance.

  “Ares’ house still stinks to this day after you dumped a barrel of fish into his atrium and let it rot there.”

  Triton remembered all too well. Served the bastard right though – it had been payback for Ares destroying any chances he might have had with the goddess Phoebe by spreading vicious (and of course entirely untrue) rumors about Triton’s sexual prowess – or lack thereof. Any god worth his salt would have reacted the same way.

  “Not to even speak of how you seduced the Nymph Metope the night before her wedding. Is nothing sacred to you?”

  Well, the dainty creature had asked for it – she’d virtually begged him to take her.

  Dear God, please show me how to make my husband happy, she’d prayed. So Triton had taken it upon himself to show her a thing or two. Well, maybe three.

  “Now choose before I change my mind!”

  Triton glanced around the crowd, trying to find any familiar faces amongst it. Somebody had to help him out. He couldn’t very well ask Zeus to repeat the two choices. If he knew that Triton had been daydreaming while he’d let out his tirade, there’d be more-than-hell to pay and all choices would be taken away.

  No, whatever he chose now would ultimately be better than what Zeus would hand down if angered even further.

  Triton spotted Eros and Hermes, two of his best friends, in the crowd. Maybe they would help him make a decision without Zeus noticing.

  As always, Eros’ tunic was slung low across his muscled chest, the material flowing elegantly down to his knees, covering his strong thighs. His bow and quiver hung over his shoulder. He never went anywhere without it. He stood over six feet tall, his dark brown hair cropped short. His friend Hermes, equally tall and strong and as usual wearing his winged sandals that could take him anywhere, stood next to him. He was a crafty fellow and could be relied upon to help him out of a dilemma.

  With a barely perceivable move of his head, Triton motioned to his two friends. Both moved their hands in front of their bodies, displaying a number of digits.

  From his fist, Eros let one finger emerge. Perfect, his friend had understood him. Triton’s gaze rolled to Hermes’ hand. Two fingers stretched out from his friend’s fist.

  By the gods! Those two weren’t in agreement?

  What now?

  Should he go with Eros, the one who’d never tried to shoot him with one of his arrows even though he deserved it? Not that they worked on a god, but they stung like Hades for a week. Or should he trust Hermes, who’d always had his back when it counted but occasionally played some nasty pranks on him?

  Which one of his friends had his best interest in mind? Eros or Hermes?

  Another thunderbolt indicated Zeus’ impatience and told Triton his time was up.

  “One. I’m taking option one.”

  Triton caught Eros’ wicked smile and Hermes’ disappointed stare before Zeus thundered on, “Very well, then. So you think you’re up for the challenge?”

  Triton swallowed the rising lump in his throat. “Challenge?”

  Instinctively Triton pushed his shoulders back to get ready for battle. He took an extra deep breath of oxygen, re-energizing his body. If there was a challenge to be met, he was ready. How hard could it be?

  “Frankly, I thought you would have chosen Hades instead.”

  Oh, fuck. He could have had fun in the Underworld. No wonder Hermes had suggested that option. The two of them could have hung out, since Hermes knew the river Styx and the path to the Underworld. Every time Hermes escorted another soul into Hades, they could have visited and had fun. Damn, why hadn’t he listened to him?

  Triton glanced at Eros and mouthed what the fuck? only to get a lopsided grin as a response.

  What for Olympus’ sake had he chosen instead? A sense of foreboding struck him out of nowhere. With bated breath, he looked at Zeus, avoiding his eyes and instead staring at his mouth. There was a pause which felt like an eternity before Zeus finally continued.

  “It is decreed then. Triton, you shall be cast out into the human world and only come back when you have found a mortal woman who loves you not for your beauty but your kindness and selflessness.”

  Zeus’ laugh echoed against the palace, then rolled down the hills into Greece. In his shock, Triton barely heard what the mortals would perceive as thunder. He couldn’t be hearing right. The mortal world? And under those conditions? Had Zeus gone off his rocker?

  “That should keep the bugger busy for the next century,” he heard a spectator whisper.

  “Like any woman will ever see past his looks – not a chance in Hades,” another replied and laughed.

  Didn’t he know it? Triton was graced with his mother’s beauty: blond hair, blue eyes, and a classical nose. Coupled with a perfect body, there wasn’t anything Triton could physically improve upon. There wasn’t a day that went by when he didn’t get a come hither look from a woman – goddess or mortal. Or scornful looks from gods or men who saw him as clear competition for the affections of their women. But it appeared that his good looks could become a hindrance in his quest to return home.

  Triton tossed Eros a pissed off look. Why on earth had his friend – make that ex-friend – given him such bad advice? Eros’ smug smile said it all – he had a secret agenda. He’d wring the love god’s neck as soon as Zeus was gone, and then afterwards, he’d find out Eros’ motives.

  Hurt him first, ask questions later.

  “You will also be stripped of all your godly powers while you reside on earth,” Zeus continued. “Any god helping you with your challenge will be punished.”

  The big god let his gaze sweep over the crowd, lingering more than a few seconds on Eros and Hermes.

  “This also goes for any gods not assembled here today.”

  Well, that took care of Dionysus then. The quartet was practically inseparable. But while he wasn’t present at Triton’s sentencing – and most likely out carousing somewhere in the human world – Dionysus would surely come to his aid if need be.

  On Olympus friendship meant more than kin – considering that with all the inbreeding going on, practically everybody was related anyway.

  Both Hermes and Dionysus were his cousins, while Eros was a cousin twice removed (and if Triton could help it – completely removed after the stunt he’d just pulled, giving him such disastrous council).

  “In addition,” Zeus droned on.

  Was the old god still not done? What else could he add that would make this any worse than it already was?

  “… any god found interfering with Triton’s efforts to secure the love of a mortal through his kindness and selflessness, shall be …” Zeus made a dramatic pause. In the silence that followed, one could have heard the tear of a virgin drop to the ground – not that there were any virgins left on Olympus thanks to the unquenchable libido of Zeus himself.

  “… rewarded.”

  Cheers greeted the free-for-all-let’s-screw-Triton-over announcement. His uncle was one sick bastard. Many of the Olympians were assembled, all wearing their long flowing tunics, some in white, some in more cheerful colors. Most face
s looking back at Triton were familiar.

  He spotted Artemis who was decked out in her hunting gear, soft leather boots caressing her long muscular legs. Triton caught her eye and winked at her. When he was back after his sentence, he’d make a play for her. It would be fun, especially since he knew his annoying half-brother Orion coveted her too. Now that would be a worthy challenge: which brother would bed her first.

  Now that Triton had received his punishment, he reconsidered his assessment of Danae, Zeus’ current mistress. Looking back, she hadn’t been such a great lay after all. At least she wasn’t worth the kind of harsh revenge Zeus had taken on him. All she’d done was lie there with her legs spread. She hadn’t even sucked his shaft. He was in the right mind to go back there and make her suck him off so at least the punishment would fit the crime.

  But of course, that wasn’t possible. Zeus would make sure he wasn’t going anywhere but down the mountain into mortal Greece. And he would keep a tight leash on his mistress from now on – that was, until he lost interest and moved onto somebody else. Which would probably happen even before Triton returned from Earth.

  “So, it is done.” Zeus turned and walked across the terrace toward his opulent white marble palace.

  “Off to Greece, then,” Triton mumbled to himself.

  Zeus spun around and gave him a nasty grin. “Greece? You’re not going to Greece.”

  “But, where, if not –”

  “You’re going to America.”

  Triton’s heart missed a beat. America? The land of bad television, consumerism, and people obsessed with beauty? What were the chances of finding a woman there who could love him for anything but his beauty? While Triton often ventured into Greece and Italy for some erotic adventures, during which of course he had to disguise the fact that he was a god, he’d always avoided the Americas. They held no interest for him. Of course, Zeus knew that fact full well.

  A moment later Zeus was gone, and the spectators dispersed. Triton looked over to where Eros and Hermes stood and noticed Orion grin just behind them. The god of the hunters was a royal pain in their collective butts. There was no love lost between them. Triton graced him with an undignified look, but even now, Orion could barely contain his glee before he turned and walked away.

  His two friends tried to remain positive.

  “Don’t worry, you can handle it,” Eros claimed.

  Triton slammed his fist into the love god’s stomach. “That’s for giving me such brilliant advice.”

  “Hey, I meant well.”

  “Should’ve listened to me instead,” Hermes said with a smug smile on his face. “But no, you thought I was tricking you. Now, would I do that to you?”

  “Yes, you would, and you have,” Triton said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

  “Not this time. Hades would have been a blast.”

  Like he needed to be told. Hades might have a bad rep amongst mortals, but a crafty god like Triton could have made it work.

  “Maybe you should have listened to Zeus in the first place, rather than daydreaming again.” Eros caressed his bow.

  “Or maybe you shouldn’t have shagged Danae in the first place.”

  “Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but that’s not going to help me now. So, what’s the plan? How are we getting out of this one?” Triton asked and gave his friends an expectant look.

  “We?” Eros and Hermes responded in unison.

  “You’re on your own on this one,” Eros proclaimed.

  Hermes nodded. “Ditto.”

  “Jerks!” Triton didn’t get a chance to continue chastising his friends. A moment later, he felt a strong force rip through his body transporting him off the mountain.

  “Eros, payback’s a bitch,” he yelled, but wasn’t sure if the love god had heard him.

  Great, Zeus wasn’t even giving him time to pack for this trip.

  End of Excerpt

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  Excerpt of Venice Vampyr #2 - Final Affair

  Viola stared at the hostess. “But you can’t throw me out. I had nothing to do with this.”

  The hostess pressed the coin back into her hand and pointed to the door. “Out.”

  Suppressing her tears of desperation, she walked outside, pulling her cloak tightly around her. If that terrible man hadn’t beaten up her companion and knocked him unconscious, she would have lost her virginity tonight. And now? She was back where she’d started. And worse: she was banned from the club. It was the only place she knew where she could find what she wanted. Where would she go now?

  Viola let out a frustrated huff and raised her head. Her gaze fell on the man who’d started the fight. He was standing a few yards away, arranging his cravat. Before she could lose her courage, she approached him.

  “That was a terrible thing you did.”

  He gave her a bemused look. “You should be grateful to me, not badgering me.”

  “Grateful? You got me thrown out of the club.”

  “As I said, you should be grateful for that. You don’t belong there. You’re an innocent.”

  Anger churned up in Viola. “I’m not an innocent,” she lied. “I’m a widow, and I’m here to find some … pleasures.” It was the same lie she’d given Salvatore, even though he hadn’t questioned her motives.

  The man arched an eyebrow and raised one side of his mouth, mocking her.

  “Now you’ve destroyed my chances of being with a man tonight.”

  The man took a step closer, his body almost touching hers. His voice was low when he replied, “And you listen to me now, woman. The man you wanted to be with tonight beats the women he beds. It’s part of what get’s him off. He’s violent, and he enjoys seeing women suffer. Was that what you were looking for?”

  Instinctively, Viola took a step back.

  Was the stranger telling the truth? Had he truly saved her from being beaten? She shook off the thought. No, the two men probably had had some prior quarrel. “No matter. Now I have to go somewhere else to find what I need.”

  “Are you crazy? Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

  “I heard you loud and clear. Now, would you please direct me to where I might find another place like this? You owe me that much.” She thrust her chin up and waited.

  The stranger shook his head. “I will do no such thing. Go home and be glad you didn’t get hurt tonight.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Fine ... Maybe somebody else can advise me.” Viola turned on her heels but before she could even take one step, a hand clasped over her forearm and pulled her back. She snapped her head back to him, surprised by his boldness, and clenched her jaw.

  “Signore, I suggest you remove your hand now.”

  He didn’t yield to her threat. “You have no idea of the dangers out there. A woman like you shouldn’t be prowling the night alone.”

  “It’s none of your business. So, unless you want to bed me yourself, let go of me.” The moment she issued her threat to him, she realized that it was exactly what she wanted. When she’d watched him beat up her companion, she’d seen the raw power in his body. But she’d also seen that he’d held back. He was much stronger than he’d let anybody see.

  And the eyes that stared at her now in disbelief were the most sensual ones she’d ever seen on a man. They were a brilliant blue, which stood out in stark contrast to his black hair. His face had sharp angles, more rugged than elegant, and his shoulders seemed to bulge from his coat. He was tall, and the thought of his touch on more intimate places excited her. Where Salvatore had been handsome, this man was beautiful.

  However, the frown on his face suggested that he had no intention of accepting her impromptu offer. Well, maybe her looks didn’t appeal to him. She tried hard not to take his reaction personally. But to realize that she couldn’t get this man to tumble
her did put a chink in her carefully built armor.

  “So let me go then,” she repeated, not wanting to hear his rejection. His face had said enough. Viola jerked at her arm, trying to get him to loosen his grip on her, but he didn’t relent.

  “You want me to bed you?” he asked.

  She swallowed away her surprise at his question. Was he considering it? Her heartbeat sped up. “I’ve been a widow for a while and miss the touch of a man.”

  “Is that so?” His voice sounded as if he didn’t believe her. Was her story not good enough? She’d rehearsed it many times, and Salvatore had believed it.

  “Well, clearly, you’re not interested. So, don’t concern yourself. I’m sure I’ll find somebody.” Where and how she would accomplish this feat, she wasn’t certain.

  “Who says I’m not interested?”

  Viola looked up at his face and noticed how he let a long gaze travel down her body. She shivered and wet her lips. Yes, this man was stirring something in her. For some strange reason, he was breaking through the uncertainty she’d felt when she’d been in Salvatore’s company. Despite the sweet things Salvatore had whispered in her ear, she hadn’t warmed to him. Whereas this man—

  “There’s a place down this alley we can go to,” he suggested. “What’s your name?”

  “Signora Costa.” Her throat felt dry as sandpaper.

  “Your given name.”

  Her brain stopped working under the intense stare he gave her. “Why would you want my given name?”

  “Because I’d like to call out your given name when I thrust into you.”

  End of Excerpt

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  Other Books by Tina Folsom

  To download your copy of Samson’s Lovely Mortal (Scanguards Vampires #1):

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