Defenders_Sons of Olympus_Reverse Harem Romance

by Helen J Perry

  Jasper huffed a laugh. “I suppose I'm not used to your attachment to society. There was once a time where mankind decided you were a fit sacrifice, you know.”

  Lauren gulped. She wondered when and where that event took place, but at the same time, wasn’t sure she wanted to think about it.

  “Well, that’s going to happen again if I don’t get home and assure my aunt and uncle I’m okay.”

  Jasper’s eyes hardened into coals.

  Lauren sat up, realizing the nuance of what she said was lost on him. “Sorry. I was trying to be funny. It failed.” She lifted both her hands.

  “They will harm you?” He asked, his tone dark.

  “No. No, that won't happen. No one's going to hurt me. I promise.” Lauren cupped both sides of Jasper’s jaw and leaned forward to kiss him. “I’m safe.”

  “I will always worry. They took you from us once. We can’t always be beside you when you walk through the world of Man. Not even Hermes can protect you all the time on your travels. Not even Artemis.”

  “They won’t do anything that bad. The worst that’s going to happen is if Odelia gets it in her head that I deserve a lesson or something. I hope after the car crash she isn't going to be causing too much trouble for a while.”

  “She will protect you.” Jasper waved his hand in the direction of the pup.

  “Was one of you guys behind what happened to Odelia?”

  Jasper pursed his lips, then shook his head. “It isn't our place to harm or attack. My place is to watch and defend. But if anyone thinks they can injure you, I'll not be kind.”

  “Do you know what happened that night? To that gang that left me tied up, I mean?”

  “Many have watched out for you. We were hunting a group of Gegenees in the forest. We hoped to capture them unharmed and send them back because clearing up dead giants is a messy operation. It's not as if we can just leave them laying around for anyone to find.”

  “What are Gegenees?”

  “Giants. Their six arms makes them hard to restrain, but it's better we do and send them home alive rather than kill them.”

  “Okay.” Lauren marveled at how far her life had branched off from the mainstream that she was having a serious conversation about giant monsters with a guy who was hotter than hell.

  “We were pretty close to the group when we ran in to Artemis chasing the same beasts. She told us she'd seen you being dragged through the trees and she'd set one of her followers to watch you and ensure no harm befell you. She would only intervene if your life was in danger. Bringing people back from the dead is something the gods don't like doing too often. When she told us what happened we abandoned the Gegenees, leaving them for her to hunt down. She may have also avenged your violation.” His smile suggested he approved.

  “The chains were to capture the giants?”

  “Yes, we've adamantos chains and nets stashed in various places for when we need them. If entities creep in to your world we try to take them back unharmed and leave no evidence. It goes against the grain, I'll admit. Killing them is a lot easier than capturing them.”

  “Don’t worry, about me, okay? Nothing bad will happen to me again,” Lauren said. “At least, I hope it won’t.”

  “I'll always worry,” Jasper repeated. He leaned forward and kissed Lauren.

  Lauren’s heart raced, and she wormed closer. All it took was a single touch for the butterflies in her stomach to take flight. “My heart cares too much for you.”

  In the stillness, they said their goodbyes, taking longer than necessary to do so. Lauren was drawn to Jasper as she’d never imagined possible before their first meeting.

  The kisses they shared were long and slow, uniting them in passion.

  Jasper’s hand wandered to places more private, and before she parted, they made love again among the blankets.

  Afterward, Lauren rose from their bed on wobbling legs and dressed.

  Jasper saw her out through the wooden door, which led to Sparta, a place such as none Lauren had seen before. It was beautiful. The plain simple buildings stood constructed around an open courtyard. In every direction, distant mountains surrounded them. She heard people nearby but saw no one. She had little time to take it in before he led her through the rift between realities. Finally, Lauren stood back by the rotten log with the pup on her heels.

  Cheeks red and hair messed, she made her way back through the woods with the little dog in pursuit. Nothing in life was entirely flawless, but Lauren was pretty sure it was on track to being as close to perfect as it was possible to get.

  It was getting late in the day, and she expected Aunt Lori would have left for work already. She also hoped Uncle Joe wasn’t home yet, although she knew it would be a close thing. When she arrived outside the house, Lauren stopped short, momentarily taken aback seeing not one, but two cars in the driveway. Her aunt at least should have been out.

  “Come here,” Lauren whispered. She gathered the animal into her arms and tucked her against her chest. The house lights were on, and she couldn’t work out how she’d sneak up to her room with the dog while evading detection.

  Going in through the back door wouldn’t cut it—not this time. Boldly entering through the front door and sprinting up the stairs seemed the best plan. She'd pass her urgency off by claiming a bad case of diarrhea.

  Or something.

  Lauren scrunched her nose and unlocked the front door, but her plan was foiled and the passage to the stairs blocked by Aunt Lori and Uncle Joe waiting for her in the front hall.

  Taken aback at seeing the dog, Aunt Lori demanded, “What's that?” She planted her fists on her hips and glared. “Lauren?”

  “It’s a puppy,” Lauren murmured. She shielded the animal from her. No one was going to take the pup from her, not even her aunt. She was a gift from the Spartans, and she would keep Lauren safe.

  “You know the house rules, Lauren,” Aunt Lori said sternly. “We don’t keep pets here. Puppies are destructive.”

  “Not her,” Lauren argued. “She’s housebroken already, and she’s quiet. You won’t be able to tell she’s here. You haven’t noticed so far.”

  Aunt Lori’s shoulders tensed, and Lauren expected to hear the terms of her punishment next, but to her surprise, Uncle Joe squeezed her shoulder instead. Aunt Lori looked at her, and Uncle Joe shook her head.

  “This isn’t the kind of conversation we should be having right now,” Uncle Joe said. “Let the girl have her puppy, Lauren. At least for now. Lord knows she’s been through enough.”

  As if she understood, the pup perked her ears, and her pink tongue rolled out of her mouth.

  Uncle Joe shot an understanding smile in Lauren’s direction, who wondered if he’d known all along. Uncle Joe had always been far more lenient when it came to bending house rules. Nevertheless, it was Aunt Lori’s house, too, and Lauren tried to be respectful. Grateful they took her in, she seldom pushed at the boundaries.

  “What’s going on, then?” Lauren asked. “It isn't like you two to party in the hall by the front door. Ummm, or for Aunt Lori to be home. Is there something happening?”

  “There is.” Uncle Joe held out his arm to guide Lauren through the open door to the sitting room. “Why don’t you come sit with us and talk?”

  Lauren wondered if she was in trouble.

  “Not with the puppy,” Aunt Lori said. “It isn't allowed on the furniture. It can stay in your room until we iron out exactly what we’re going to do about it.”

  “It’s a she,” Lauren said.

  “It, he, she, they can stay in your room. Then come join us in the living room.”

  A pang of guilt mixed with embarrassment made Lauren want to bolt and avoid all future conversation with her relatives, just in case it was about her. They couldn’t possibly know about her new love life and, at twenty, she had nothing to be ashamed about.

  She was sexually active, but she hadn’t left condoms around the house or a vibrator in the bathroom or made a mess with
lube. She’d not even sneaked a man in through her window at night, but the fear remained.

  It simply wasn’t the sort of conversation they’d have.

  Lauren made her way up the stairs and deposited the pup on her bed. She paced back and forth, then curled up into a ball and looked up at Lauren with her strange eyes.

  “I know. You stay here, okay? I’m just going downstairs to talk, and then I’ll be right back up. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Lauren scratched her behind the ear, and the pup closed her eyes.

  When she went back downstairs, she found her aunt and uncle sitting together on the couch.

  Lauren sat in the armchair across from them.

  Still looking flustered, Aunt Lori may not have recovered from the shock of meeting the puppy.

  Uncle Joe beamed. “So, there are some things going on around here lately,” he began.

  Lauren shifted nervously in her seat.

  “A series of events have unfolded, and your aunt and I have kept them from you.”

  “We wanted to be sure,” Aunt Lori added.

  Lauren blinked. “A series of events?” she repeated.

  “The progression isn’t so important,” Aunt Lori said. “It’s the conclusion that counts.”

  “Which is?”

  Uncle Joe broke out into a toothy grin. “I’ve landed a job in Riverside in a specialized garage offering me twice the salary I make here in Beaumont.”

  “And with Riverside being a bigger city, I’m certain to be able to find a job with better hours and better pay,” Aunt Lori said. “So we’ve decided to accept the job offer and move.”

  The great distance to Riverside was about the same length as the gap between how Lauren felt and how she ought to respond to the news. Miles.

  Riverside was a four-hour drive from Beaumont.

  Her shoulder blades pinched together, and she sat up a little straighter, hoping to hide her crushing shock. She should be pleased for her aunt and uncle, that they were doing well and their prospects were improving; however, she only thought about how far she’d be from the three Spartans.

  “We’re moving at the end of the month,” Uncle Joe said. “We’re putting the house here up for sale, and if we can’t find anyone, we’ll rent it out. We already have a home in Riverside we’re looking at. In a few days, once we get this place on the market, your aunt and I are going to make an offer on it.”

  “And there’s no better time for us to do it. You've finished high school, you only have a part-time job. You should find it easier to get better-paid work in Riverside too.” Engaged fully in the excitement of the conversation, Aunt Lori seemed to have forgotten the puppy and didn’t notice Lauren’s reticence.

  “Now our financial prospects are looking up, we’ll be able to send you to community college, Lauren. Your aunt has already investigated and found out there are some excellent schools in Riverside. If we talk to admissions, we might be able to get you in soon. If not, you can start in the winter semester. Maybe that would be better, anyway. It would give you time to settle in and find a part-time job.”

  Lauren looked at the two of them, divided. “That’s…that’s great. Congratulations, Uncle Joe.”

  “It’s a lot to take in all at once, isn’t it?” Uncle Joe asked.

  “Yeah.” Lauren bobbed her head, glad for the out. “It is.”

  On the one hand, it was exactly the life she’d dreamed about—outside of Beaumont, she wouldn’t need to worry about everyone who’d known her growing up at school. People who knew her history. People like Odelia or her goons. The education she’d wanted was within her reach, even if she wasn't sure what path she’d follow. She could expect a fresh start.

  But over the last few days, Lauren had started down a new path and begun to form new visions of her perfect future. If she moved, would she have to give it all up?

  Life with the Spartans called to her, but how could it continue over the distance? The men would wait as they always had, Lauren was sure of that. But Lauren didn’t want them to wait. And Lauren wasn't at all sure how they'd meet up so far from this forest.

  And what about what Lauren wanted for herself?

  “Why don’t you sleep on it?” Uncle Joe suggested. He took Lauren’s hand. “We’ve had lots of time to think about it and get used to the idea.”

  “The excitement is still really fresh for us too, though.” Aunt Lori positively beamed. “I’m sure after a good night’s sleep you’ll be ready to start getting your life in order for the big move. Maybe you can investigate schools, too. You can look into the programs offered, and maybe something will catch your eye and inspire you.”

  Lauren didn’t need any inspiration. Inspiration thrived just a few miles away, tucked in a place between dimensions, bound to the woods.

  She swallowed. “Definitely. I think sleeping on it’s a great idea. Am I excused?”

  “I don’t think we had anything else to tell you.” Uncle Joe pursed his lips and looked at Aunt Lori. “Lauren?”

  “The only thing I want to add is if you’re going upstairs, make sure the puppy doesn’t pee on your bed.” She shook a finger in Lauren’s direction. “And if he’s up crying through the night, he must go outside. I don’t care if you think it’s cruel.”

  “No. I understand. She won’t.” Lauren rose from the armchair, but it felt like she’d left her stomach behind. She couldn’t move. Not now. But it wasn’t like she could stay, either. “Congratulations again.”

  Uncle Joe winked. “Life changes fast.”

  It did.

  Lauren had work in the morning and hadn't yet worked out what she would do with the pup. She couldn't leave the creature in her room. Jade was probably working in the library, and even if she wasn't it was too big an ask to expect Jade to look after an energetic puppy for so many hours.

  Only a few days ago Lauren wanted more work. Now it seemed she already had too many hours she'd have to spend at a job.

  She decided she'd have to find the Spartans before work and ask them to puppy-sit while she earned a living.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Lauren scrolled listlessly through the Google search on her phone, reading about the community colleges surrounding Riverside, with little interest in any of them.

  The dog slept on its pillow, inches away from Lauren’s head. She lay on her back, feet up, and now and then she’d twitch or kick. Lauren kept far enough away that she wasn’t hit. She couldn’t bring a wolf-like dog on campus; she couldn’t imagine that would go down well.

  Without the woods nearby, what was the pup going to do?

  What was she going to do?

  It wasn’t as if Riverside was a day trip away. Eight-hour round trips weren’t sustainable. Even if Lauren bought a car, she didn’t think she could manage it. And if she left on Friday night and came home early Monday morning to attend class, what explanation would she give to her aunt and uncle? If she told them the truth she'd sound crazy. She couldn’t tell them she intended to live in a magical cabin in the woods… a cabin without electricity. How would she charge her phone and keep in touch?

  Lauren buried her head in the pillow, defeated.

  What was she going to do if she stayed behind? With only a part-time job on minimal pay and with no savings, she couldn’t afford an apartment and groceries.

  No.

  She couldn’t see any way to make it work. She wanted the three Spartans, no doubt about it, but she didn’t want to sever contact with her life and family. She couldn’t see how she could keep both.

  Someone would get hurt.

  What would the men think if she left?

  They’d waited years and years to be reunited with Lauren, and for what? So Lauren could leave again? But then again, what difference would it make, just a few more years apart?

  But Lauren didn’t want a few more years apart. She didn’t.

  Lauren groaned. The pup rolled onto her side and stretched her arm over the top of Lauren’s head. Her tail
thumped Lauren’s shoulder.

  “You’re not helping,” Lauren said into the pillow.

  The pup wormed closer and licked the side of Lauren’s head.

  “Still not helping.”

  The animal huffed and rolled back over. When she was still, Lauren turned onto her side and tugged the pup close to her chest.

  No matter if they should part, she feared not, for the Spartans were in her heart.

  Alone, she spent many hours contemplating her prospects and keeping her deliberations close to her chest.

  Lauren certainly couldn't talk to her aunt and uncle about her dilemma.

  She didn't tell the men any of it when she saw the Spartans for puppy handovers before and after her shifts at the grocery store.

  Extra hours had come up at work, which kept her from spending much time with the men. She hadn't yet gotten to explore their home town of Sparta as she'd like.

  Their time together was limited and she wanted to enjoy getting to know them. Mostly they walked through the forest and talked. Sometimes they'd take her to Sparta, but they never left the vicinity of the compound where the three men lived together.

  The men were as often naked as they were clothed. Much as she liked seeing them that way, she soon grew accustomed to the fact that going without clothes was usual to them, not strange, and not necessarily erotic.

  One afternoon after completing her morning shift at the store, Lauren found her way to the rotted stump, still undecided between her options, and not clear what those options were.

  This time, she didn’t need to call out to find her men. One of them always found her when she wandered through the trees.

  Firm hands linked around Lauren from behind, and she let the air escape her lungs as a man pulled her close. She still couldn't guess which man when they approach from behind in silence like this.

  “Lauren,” the man murmured into her ear.

  “Hello.” She'd begun to recognized the men by voice alone. “Where are Zander and Jasper?”

  “They're here in this dimension. They're tracking stray Corax, they are difficult to catch because one minute they appear human the next they've grown wings and take to the air, that's if they've not completely transformed completely into ravens.”