by Lila Jean
As Tina walked through each of the four rooms adjacent to the main chamber of her bedroom, she couldn’t help but smile. Sure, she might have been infused with an all-powerful goddess she didn’t quite understand, but at the same time, the goddess’s suite had a living room, a dining area, a closet, and a bathroom the size of her old apartment.
Technically, none of this was hers since it all belonged to the goddess who lived inside her, but at the same time the goddess lived inside her. Tina got to call the shots.
Amy sat cross-legged on the bed and finally let out an exasperated sigh. “Tina, stop drooling over the square footage.”
“I can’t! I’m freaking out!” She turned and looked at her friend. “I went to bed penniless and now I’m a billionaire.”
“It’s going to be okay.” Amy smiled. “And if you’re worried about how to spend your newfound riches, don’t be. I’m really good at spending money. I’ll show you how.”
“It’s not really the money …” Tina swept a hand down at her body. “This is fucking amazing, but it’s not me. It’s Damara, right? It’s me and her, forever, until the day I die. But what if I lose control of my body? What if the goddess takes over? What if—”
“Tina, breathe.” Amy jumped off the bed and pulled Tina into a hug.
“But—”
Amy cut her protestations off. “No. You’re going to be okay. It’s not a takeover. The goddess isn’t trying to usurp your body. She’s not an evil parasite. She’s a powerful and downright fun being from another dimension that’s hitching a ride. Damara didn’t ask for this either, Tina, and she’s probably just as scared as you. That’s probably why you’re feeling so nervous. You have your own emotions and hers, all blending together, and you don’t know how to tell the two apart.”
“But what if I do something she doesn’t like?” Tina asked, her cheeks flushing. “Like, I’m horny enough to fuck my way through a football team. What if I go do that and it pisses Damara off?”
“I’d be more worried about you pissing her off by not doing it.” Amy laughed. “You’re hot as hell and have super sex powers, woman. Enjoy this.”
Tina laughed. “Are you sure?”
“Definitely.”
“Okay.” Tina sighed deeply and returned her friend’s hug. Her shoulders relaxed a bit, and she had to admit Amy did kind of have a point. After all, if Damara wanted to have a good time, it was up to Tina to show her one, right?
“You are so fired, by the way,” Amy added, breaking the hug. “You’re already late to work and my dad is probably losing his mind without you.”
“I own a temple now. Who cares?” Tina shrugged and gestured around the room. “It’s all high class living from here.”
Amy grinned broadly. “That’s the spirit.”
“I should at least call your dad and explain. And, you know, quit, if I wasn’t actually fired.” Tina glanced around the room. “Where’s my phone?”
“Destroyed when we escaped. Sorry. Cracked the screen to hell. It’s dead.” Amy shrugged. “Guess you have to buy a new one.”
Tina’s shoulders slumped. “Damn it. Can I use yours?”
“Hell no.”
“What? Why not? Calling him is the professional thing to do, and you have the only phone.”
“Yeah, well, most professionals who quit their secretary jobs aren’t graduating to ‘goddess’ afterward.”
“So?”
“So,” Amy said with an exaggerated eye roll, “the fewer who know about this, the better. I’ll tell him what happened when I see him in person, but you and I have to keep our connection on the down-low, or I’ll be used against you as leverage. You already saved me once, and your newfound admirers might be counting on you to do it again.”
She shrugged. “Besides, Dad’s phone could be bugged when you call him. A man that rich has enemies, you know, and there are always other shifters who want to know what goes on in Wolfcrest. I can pretty much guarantee his phone is tapped.”
Tina frowned. “Don’t you spend most of your time drunk? How do you know all this?”
Amy laughed. “Thanks. Glad you think so highly of me.”
“Oh, hush. You know I love you, but when did you take Espionage 101?”
“Dad tells me some stuff, I guess.” Amy shrugged. “He’s made it clear I’m not supposed to talk about certain things over any phone line. The same should apply to you. I’ll try to find a secure phone line for us to talk on. It’s going to be lonely without you in Wolfcrest.”
Tina’s shoulders drooped, and she shuffled her feet. “You could stay here. At least for a while.”
“Hey, I’m not leaving you just yet,” Amy said with a soft smile.
“But you will. Someday.”
“I have a life to lead too, girl. We can’t all be goddesses. But don’t worry, okay? I’m not going to leave until you’re back on your feet. I’ve seen you refuse to let scary-ass werewolves in to see my father. You’ve ducked bodyguards and nearly gotten arrested twice. You can handle this, Tina.”
“I’d like to remind you that the police incidents were mostly your fault.”
“They were character building. You’re welcome.”
Tina chuckled. “You’re such an idiot.”
“Well, you know me. I—”
Outside, a car horn blared. Tina flinched, the jarring city noise out of place among the forests and gurgle of the garden steams. She raced to the window and peeked out, careful to keep most of herself hidden.
Tina’s window offered a clear view of the paved road that ran outside the tall white walls that surrounded her temple. Two limousines sat parked on the street as men funneled out of them both. Though most wore nearly identical suits and sunglasses, the occupants of each car glared at those getting out of the other.
“Oh shit,” Amy said softly.
“What? Who are those men?”
“Shifter royalty.”
Tina bristled. “What? Why are they here?”
“You’re a big deal, girl,” Amy said with a shrug. “By now, the human leaders, as well as the shifter and demigod kings, have been notified of what happened to you. Yours is the first known goddess merging in centuries.”
A blend of excitement and nerves bubbled within Tina. Over her years of working for Mr. Saunders, she had gotten used to the thrill of danger that came with being in a werewolf’s presence, but there were other shifters she had never met that were supposed to be infinitely more powerful. The dragons made her the most nervous, though she once heard the golden eagles were even more fearsome in battle. And the cats, well, tigers, lions, and leopards made her anxious. The untamed ferocity. The calm way predators stalked their prey.
When a shifter changed form, he became much larger than his natural counterpart. Tina couldn’t even imagine what a shifter tiger would look like, much less a dragon.
“Amy, why don’t the gods and goddesses visit Earth anymore?” She gestured at the limo outside. “Why am I the only one in centuries? Why is this such a big deal?”
Amy hesitated, and a flicker of sadness broke through her carefree expression. “Their magic was abused, and they stopped trusting us.” Amy patted Tina on the shoulder. “But don’t worry, girl. This is a neutral zone. If anyone, shifter or demigod, does anything violent in a god’s temple, it’s an act of war. They’re just here to talk.”
“Yeah, but I’m not too keen on what they want to talk about,” Tina admitted.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be here for the whole thing.”
Tina smiled, gratitude melting her nerves somewhat. “You’re the best.”
“Duh.”
Outside, the men took their time scanning the walls of the temple and its gardens, as if they were searching for something. Her, most likely. Each man kept his back arched and chest out, likely to look more intimidating.
Amy chuckled. “Prepare yourself. You may see more than one naked man in the next few days.”
“Wait, what?” Tina spun around to find
an impish grin on her friend’s face.
“We shifters don’t care about being naked.” The werewolf heiress shrugged. “Our shifts rip our clothes to shreds, so most of the time we strip down before a shift. It’s a cultural thing. Even other shifter men don’t care about being naked around each other.”
“That never happened at your dad’s office.”
Amy’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “Thank God, but duh. It’s a place of business, and no one would need to shift there.”
“So that means …”
“Yep. Prepare to see some glorious naked man booty.”
“Amy, you pervert.” Tina laughed and smacked her friend’s shoulder, but Amy just laughed.
Tina stared out the window as the last man walked through the temple doors below, and she chewed her nail as her mind raced. “Amy, when we first met, you told me you would never answer questions about being a shifter.”
“Yeah, and I appreciate that you never asked. You’ve always been really respectful about it.”
“Why share this now?”
Amy sighed and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “With everything you’re about to face, you need to be prepared. You—I mean, I’m worried and I just, you know—ugh, don’t make me talk about my feelings, Tina.”
Tina chuckled and wrapped Amy in a hug to bury the conversation. Truth be told, that was as close to a heart to heart as they’d ever had. Tina had learned long ago that Amy wasn’t the feelings type.
Someone knocked on the door, and Amy crossed the room almost instantly, her long strides whisper-quiet thanks to her wolf stealth, to open the door. Sometimes, Tina wondered if she spent too much time around shifters. She had come to take for granted how truly exceptional they were.
Ray stood in the hall, her hands clasped in front of her. Tina frowned and suppressed the biting desire to ask what the hell the woman wanted now. Ever since they’d met, Tina couldn’t help the feeling that Ray just couldn’t be trusted, and more than once she’d heard the woman muttering about the goddess choosing the wrong host.
“Yes?” Tina asked instead.
“As I’m sure you’ve seen, our guests have begun to arrive. Amy, I’m afraid I must ask you to leave.”
Amy snorted. “I’m not going anywhere until Tina says she doesn’t need me here.”
“It’s for your own safety,” Ray said quietly.
“No way.”
“The choice is yours, Amy.” Ray shrugged. “With so many royals and dignitaries here, I can’t guarantee your safety. I simply do not have the staff to ensure the royals don’t roam, which I can virtually guarantee they will do. They want to meet Tina, and I would hate for them to also discover you. I thought we would have more time, but the royals surprised us. I didn’t think they could possibly arrive this early.”
“Tina’s kind of a big deal,” Amy said with a wink.
Tina blushed.
Ray gestured to the hallway. “If we go now, I can take you through a secret tunnel to a waiting car without them seeing. But if any more of the royals arrive, I can’t be sure you won’t be spotted.”
“I told you—”
“It’s okay,” Tina interrupted.
Amy raised one delicate eyebrow in surprise. “You sure?”
“I’m a rich, super-hot goddess,” Tina said with a wink. “I’m fine, but you were kidnapped, Amy, and I’m sure you need time to process that. I don’t want you in any more danger.”
Amy’s shoulders drooped, and a flicker of sadness broke through her normally badass exterior. Amy had probably been stifling her own fear in order to help Tina through all this crazy.
That sealed the deal for Tina. She pulled Amy into a tight hug. “I’m serious. You can go. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll get you that phone, okay? We’ll talk soon.”
Tina smiled. “I know.”
Ray nodded. “A wise choice. Tina, please wait here until all the royals arrive. We’re doing everything in our power to make sure none of them try anything devious, but I need to know where you are at all times.”
With a stiff nod and one last smile to Amy, Tina ushered them out the door before she lost her resolve.
When the door closed, Tina’s smile instantly fell. She returned to the window, mostly hiding her body as she stealthily watched the men walk along the stone path in the middle of the water surrounding most of the temple. They wanted something from her, and she was going to find out what.
6
Killian
Killian Blackwood sat in a tree at the edge of Epara, his enhanced vision zeroing in on a girl standing in one of the topmost windows. He rested his elbow on his knee, perfectly balanced on the branches as he surveyed the temple.
A goddess on Earth. Even after seeing her, he still couldn’t quite believe it.
A massive golden eagle darted into the canopy, barely shaking the leaves despite his sudden entrance. Killian rolled his eyes as his younger brother shifted into his human form and climbed down the final few branches to join him.
“Father wants your report,” Ethan said with a bored huff.
“I just got here.” Killian shook his head in annoyance. Nothing they did was ever good enough for their father. Never fast enough, never perfect enough, never quite right. “You know that. He knows that.” Killian threw his hands up. “We all know I have nothing to report yet.”
“Sure, sure. I’ll let him know you haven’t learned anything …” Ethan craned his head, his gaze roaming the temple windows. “Where is she by the way? Is she hot?”
“You’re a prince, for goodness’ sake. Can you even feign chivalry? Or is that too much for your teenage brain to handle?”
Ethan shrugged. “It’s not a complicated question.”
Killian groaned and returned his gaze to the stunning woman as she curiously watched the demigods and cat shifters arrive. Yes, she was beautiful, no question.
“Are you watching her change?” Ethan prodded as he tried to get a better look from his vantage point deeper within the tree.
“That’s disrespectful. If I find out you’ve been doing that to the women back home, I’ll whoop your ass in our next sparring session. You’ll be black and blue for a week even with your enhanced healing.”
That, thankfully, shut him up.
“I wonder what her powers are,” Killian said under his breath, more to himself than his younger brother. Ethan, thankfully, didn’t speculate.
Whatever her gifts, he knew that the shifters and demigods alike were ready to kill each other to control her and her abilities. They both feared and coveted her, a dangerous combination for everyone involved.
It must have been torture for her.
Killian made one final visual sweep of the temple, including possible exit points. He figured they likely had at least two secret tunnels, maybe three based on the temple’s size. From his calculations, there were probably no more than forty priests and priestesses, most of which would be human.
Hardly a strong enough force to control so many powerful shifters in one place.
Tense and unsure of what was to come, Killian stood. Time to give his report to his father and make their arrival official.
7
Tina
Tina groaned and kicked her feet off the edge of the bed, squinting as the brilliant sun streamed through the open window. The humid air clung to her skin, and she fanned the sweat pooling on her face.
According to the golden clock on her bedside table, Amy had been gone for scarcely two hours, and the boredom was already starting to get to Tina. She’d expected to start meeting people immediately, but thus far, no one had so much as knocked on her door.
Tires screeched outside, no doubt another limousine arriving with more royalty. With a few tugs on her silk robe to adjust the loose fabric, she made her way to the window in time to see another limousine arrive. A tall man with salt and pepper hair and a thick beard threw open the door before the chauffer could reach it and leapt out. He stormed down th
e stone pathway leading to the temple’s front door. He paused and spun on his heel, eyes focused on the limo while he impatiently tapped his foot.
Her eyes flicked back to the limo in time to see a familiar face step out and adjust the sleeves on his black suit. He paused fleetingly, his eyes darting up to hers.
Anthony.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He gave her a quick nod before walking toward the older man. They huddled on the path, and Anthony shook his head more than once as they argued. Tina wished she could hear what they were saying, but the older man stormed into the temple and out of view. Anthony, however, took one of the side paths into the temple gardens. Hands in his pockets, he meandered up the stone pathway and disappeared into the lush greenery.
Tina sighed with relief, grateful to have a familiar face among all the powerful men who had been arriving all morning. Amy was a lush and a bit of a drunk, but she was a great judge of character, and Tina felt a little lost without her.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself away from the window and flopped back on her bed, but as she lay there staring at the ceiling, she felt the boredom of the morning weighing down on her, suffocating her. If she stayed here, she was going to go insane.
No, she needed to get out of here, she was already committed to meeting these people, and what better to start with than Anthony. Sure, she didn’t know him that well, but as a rule, she got along pretty well with all of Amy’s friends, and since both Amy and Anthony were close that was good enough for her.
“You know what, screw it.” Tina leaped from the bed and moved toward the closet. “I’m a goddess, dammit. Not a damsel who needs to be locked in a tower.”
The closet didn’t have a single pair of pants, so Tina yanked on the first dress she could find that had fabric thicker than a sheet of paper and snuck into the hallway. With every turn, she did her best to find her way to the garden.
The main problem was avoiding everyone. The last thing she wanted was to stumble into Ray or some angry royal she didn’t know. Moving slowly and carefully, she peeked around each corner, and after only two wrong turns, one of which led her to a disheveled broom closet, Tina finally ended up in the garden.
