by Debbie Long
I turn when the door opens to reveal Morgan looking flustered and a tall stunning blonde behind her. My jaw literally hits the ground at the sight of her.
Morgan closes the door behind her, but not before peering out into the hall. She turns to us, looking at the goddess next to her and walking over to us and sitting down. The other girl follows.
“What’s going on Morgan? Did something else happen?” I ask, sitting opposite her.
“We are being set up.” she says. “I got there early because they moan like old ladies when we arrive dead on time or are late by a few minutes.” She rolls her eyes as the girl titters behind her hand.
I can’t help but smile at her. I turn back to Morgan, edging closer, “what did you hear?”
“Zeus wants us dead. He doesn’t want us to win this thing and has put every obstacle possible to make sure we don’t. When we enter that arena, we only have our weapon and god powers. All the rest will be stripped away. This is so we are all on an even footing.”
“What, you can’t be serious?” Clarissa sputters. “We haven’t even practised with them.”
“That’s the whole point. They wanted to see what we can do so they could eliminate them when we stepped into that place. I did wonder why they never really fought us too hard. We were never in any danger, not really, and now we know why.” Morgan looks towards the girl. “This is Daphnae, she has something to tell us all and my guess it isn’t good news. She was cut off when she started to say something earlier by Zeus. He doesn’t care about the fae, it’s us he cares about and what we can do. He is threatened by us.”
“Why, though? Have we said we want to be a part of this world? No. we never asked to come here, and if he just left us alone, we wouldn’t have been a threat to him. We wouldn’t have these weapons.” I too look at the girl. “So, what is it we have to know? What else do we have to deal with?”
“Your father has been causing quite a stir on earth. He got his powers back from hades after he released them from Tartarus. That’s what he wanted. He wanted you three out the way which you are, and he wants total power over all fae which he will get if he carries on in the destructive path he is on.” She looks at us all with a slight frown. “Zeus wants you dead so that you cannot reign here. Your father wanted you captured and brought here, that was his deal with Zeus. But what Zeus didn’t know was how powerful you really are and that you have total control over us all.”
“But we don’t want that. We just want to go home. We have enough on our plate as it is with being queens of the fae. We don’t need any other title.” I say to her.
“I know that. I can see that. But Zeus doesn’t, he sees you as a threat and will eliminate that threat at any cost.”
“He will disrupt the balance.” Clarissa says from the chair she is sat in.
“I don’t think he cares. It won’t affect anyone here, and the balance has already been tipped with you being here anyway.” Daphnae shrugs her pretty shoulders. She looks up at me and winks. I pull my gaze away when I realise, I have been caught staring.
“What do we do now? How do we get word to our men? We need them back on earth to tip the balance back in some way.” Morgan gets up and walks to the window. We all do that a lot, looking into the distance where we know they are residing in the big mansion we can see.
“You are aware you have wings attached to you back, right?” Daphnae says with a smirk. “Fly to them.”
“We thought of that with our dragons, but for some reason, they won’t come out here.” I say, walking to the window. “I didn’t think even think about our wings.”
“Wait, you change into dragons?” The pretty girl looks between us in shock. “You really are some supreme beings aren’t you.” She looks at us in awe. “Wow is all I can say and can’t wait to see that one day.”
“How come you sound like a teenager? Surely you would be a lot older if Artemis is your mother, right?” Clarissa asks her.
She laughs her tinkly laugh, and her body radiates a warm glow. “I am older than I look, but gods age differently. You must have noticed that the twelve all look like teenagers too?” we all nod. “We just don’t age the same way. When the twelve were captured and put in Tartarus, the academy kept going. But some of us decided not to attend until our parents were released.” She shrugs her shoulders. “When they brought you here, they decided to start the games again. I, and the other five, were chosen as leaders. I didn’t want to but didn’t have much choice in the matter. In fact, none of us did.” She looks towards the window again. “Go to your men, see if they can escape back to earth. Tell them there is a portal that we often step through when we are bored and when we go collect the demi-gods from the Earth.”
“Where is the portal?” I ask.
“In the forest. Just tell them that there is a minotaur guarding the entrance. He will only let you pass if you have permission and don’t piss him off. He will kill you on the spot, he doesn’t care, especially if he is hungry.”
“What the fuck? He will eat you?” Clarissa looks at her with wide eyes.
“Only if you piss him off.” She smiles. “Now go to them while the others are busy with the arena and the last preparations.” She walks to the window, opening them wide.
We all stand. Clarissa moves to the window first, spreads her wings and jumps. I gasp and run to the window just as she soars up with a laugh and hovers in the air. She is a dark beauty. Her wings flap and carry her as if she weighs nothing.
“This is crazy. We don’t even know how to fly.” I shout to her.
“Just trust them like you trust your inner beasts. Let them take over and carry you.” She gives me a little nod.
I take a deep breath and jump. I close my eyes as the air whips around me. They snap open the same time as my wings, and I’m suddenly lifted into the air. My wings flap effortlessly. They carry me towards my sister, who is beaming from ear to ear, and I can’t help but laugh. When I was in my dragon form, it was like I was a different person. Being in my human form with wings is an entirely different experience.
The air around me flows through my wings, through the delicate feathers. I fly towards my sister, my body gliding towards her. I hover with her and we both squeal.
“That was flipping amazeballs!” I shout into the wind.
“I know, right? I missed this.” She turns to watch Morgan do the same.
We watch her take a step off the ledge and walk towards us. I gape at her as she giggles into her hand. I look at her feet and see little air pockets that she is standing on.
“Show off.” I shout to her with a laugh.
We look back at the window to see Daphnae looking at us. We wave, and she waves back with a smile and watches us go.
We know where we’re heading, and I can’t help a bubble of excitement overtake me. I have missed my mates so much it hurts, and I can’t wait to have them hold me.
Daphnae
As I watch the three most amazing girls leave in a flurry of feathery wings, I can’t help but think how much danger they are in. My mother put me in the games to watch over them. She knew how powerful they are, she knew that Zeus would want them gone because they match him in power if not more.
Spending the little time with them showed me that they don’t want to rule here. Their heart belongs on earth with their mates. I sense that Violet is incomplete, though, almost as if a part of her is missing.
When they are mere dots in the sky, I turn to leave. I startle when I see Hercules standing there. I pop my hand on my hip, staring my cousin down.
“Stalker much.” I snap at him.
The cocky idiot smirks, “since when are you best buds with the fae? You do know they are our enemy, right? They may look innocent and hot as fuck, but they are planning something.”
I scoff, “you don’t believe that any more than the others.” I fire back at him. “They are not planning on taking over. Zeus has always been power-hungry, look what he did to the titans.”
“
My father knows what he is doing.”
“Really? You believe that after spending so much time on earth? You really think that three eighteen-year-old girls who thought they were human would want to take over here? You are blind Herc, and a fool if you believe your father's words.”
“What else would you have me believe Daph? These girls pop up out of nowhere with so much power it’s scary, and you want me to think they don’t want to rule us? That they don’t want to rule all?”
“And that would be so bad because?”
“We can’t have these halflings rule us. They don’t know how to even use their god-like gifts. Why on earth, were they gifted in the first place? What was the purpose.”
“Because they are the balance. They die, that balance is tipped and the whole world, every world will be affected.”
“How do you know all this Daph?”
“Because I saw it? I saw earth fall to a dark angel — Death, destruction and chaos on all worlds. Even here Herc, the balance was already tipped when uncle fought his parents and locked them away. It is a good job they were not killed because we wouldn’t be standing here otherwise.”
“You saw all of that?”
“Yes. They are the key to our salvation. They are the key to balance all and create harmony across the worlds. Why? I don’t know. But I do know, if they die, we all die.”
“Shit.” He rubs the back of his neck. “You know the others don’t care, right? They see something unnatural and want them dead. They will do everything in their power to succeed.”
“I know. That is why I plan on helping them the best I can. We are being watched, so we have to be careful.”
“Your right. Did you tell aunty this?”
“Yes, mother knows, and she has been trying to intervene. Zeus has threatened all of them if they get in his way. They don’t want to end up back in Tartarus when they have only just escaped the place. They are fighting among themselves. Mother said to make sure they make it to the finish line. Zeus has promised them, and he can’t back out on his word, it’s the law.”
“Then we protect them. Father will be pissed if he finds out what we have done.”
“Who cares. We will be away from him anyway at the camps. I have been there, and they aren’t that bad. Training, drinking and partying? I’m in.”
“Count me in too.” He laughs.
We look towards the window, hoping the girls have reached their mates. We have our work cut out for us. Three teams against four is doable, but the others are scary and vengeful and want them dead too.
Sighing, I turn away from the window and exit their room. I have to brief my team, and I feel it will take all night to convince them.
Chapter five
Morgan
We land by the door, and before we have a chance to knock, the door flies open, and I am engulfed in a wood-burning scent of Marcus. I breathe him in as tears prick my eyes. He crushes me to his chest and holds me tight. I pull back, looking into his own tear-filled eyes. I pull his head towards me, kissing him hard. Not feeling close enough, I climb up his body like a tree, wrap my legs around his waist and kiss him deeply.
I can feel his tears mingling with my own. I can feel his rapid heartbeat on my chest. I can feel his hands on my ass, cupping me that I find myself grinding on them.
When I break away, I look into those auburn eyes that burn with a deep fire and ignites my soul. “Where are the others?” I breathe out — my breath hitches when he moves his fingers.
He rests his forehead to mine, “they are at the gym, burning off some steam.” He walks me into the house they have been staying in. “I have missed you, cupcake.”
“I’ve missed you too.” I kiss him again, pushing his lips open so I can deepen the kiss. When his tongue touches mine, I hitch a breath.
My tummy flutters, my core tightens. “I need you.” I say against his mouth.
He growls, kicking open a door and sparing no time to remove my clothes and his. I watch him walk towards me. His bronze body toned and sculptured to perfection. The thick muscles in his legs twitch as he walks to me. My eyes spring to his hard length and then to his eyes that are watching me with amusement.
“Like what you see?” he growls, leaning into me.
“Always” I answer.
Marcus grabs me, so I am straddling his body. I cling to him as he moves us up the bed and he lowers me, covering me with his hard body. I can feel his length pressing into my stomach.
I look into his eyes that are still watching me. It’s almost like he is capturing my face. He cups my face, looking at me so tenderly before kissing me. My legs wrap around him, and I feel him shift over me.
I gasp when I feel his length at my entrance. He slowly slides in inch by delicious inch. I moan into his mouth as his hard length stretches me. When he is fully sheathed inside me only then does he begin to move. His hips move in slow movements that draw out a long groan from me. I needed this, I missed this, them.
I begin to move my hips with his, moving in perfect sync with him.
But it’s not enough, I need more. “Harder” I breathe out. My breathy moans become louder when he slams into me. His pelvis hitting my thighs, the slap of our skin connecting echoing around the room.
My body begins to hum. My skin begins to glow, lighting up the room in sun-kissed bronze. My breath hitches when that glow caresses Marcus. His eyes widen, then become hooded. He licks his lips before kissing me hard.
He growls against my lips, then pulls back abruptly. I yelp when he pulls away and quickly flips me over. He pulls my hips towards him as he kneels behind me. He presses my back, making sure I am pushed to the bed. I wriggle my hips making him chuckle. I gasp when he grips my hips, then buck when he slams into me hard.
My moans mix with his grunts. My centre becomes wetter. I push back into him when he hits the right spot inside me that makes my toes curl.
I reach between my legs, searching for my aching nub. Marcus sees what I am doing and picks up speed. I cry out when he hits me over and over again bring me to the edge of my release. How are these men able to make me come so quickly?
My release builds, and I have barely touched myself. The harder and faster he goes, the faster I move over myself until my orgasm rips from me. I cry out and again when Marcus pounds into me hard, finding his own release.
I slump forward when he releases my hips. He collapses next to me soon after. We are both breathing hard, and I’m still glowing like a beacon.
Marcus pulls me close, and I nuzzle into his chest. “I’ve missed you.” I say to him, breathing him in.
“I’ve missed you too, so very much. We were so worried about you and to find out you are a part of these games of theirs. Why though, why have they chosen you when you are not a god?”
“We would like to know that too.” A deep voice says from the door. I smile when I see Cole looking at me. Kyle and Trey flank him. I squeal, leaping off the bed into his waiting arms.
He holds me close, tucking his head into my neck. He walks further into the room and towards the bed.
“Why are you glowing like them, baby girl.” I smile again, looking over my mate’s shoulder and into the blue eyes of Kyle. He smirks and holds out his arms. I move from Cole into Kyles arms who draws me close. “I’ve missed you. Why did those fuckers take you?”
I giggle into his neck, “you have been in the company of those dark fae too much.” I kiss his neck and leap into Trey’s arms, taking him by surprise, but he catches me anyway.
“Hey, petal.” He murmurs. He stokes a hand down my back while the other rests under my bare ass.
I flush when I realise, I am completely naked, not that they seem to mind.
“Ummm, I like you naked in my arms like this.” Trey murmurs as he nibbles my ear. “I can see Marcus has had his fun, now it is our turn.” I pull back, looking into those moss green eyes. “Then you can fill us in on what has happened. I assume you have to go back.” I nod.
I bite
my lower lip and a growl echoes behind me. Kyle comes into view, tugging my lip from my teeth and devouring my mouth with his. He kisses me hard until I am breathless. Before I can catch my breath, Trey takes over. He pries my mouth open with his tongue, plunging it in my mouth and dancing with my own.
All of their hands are on me, all my mates are close. This is my happy place, with them. For now, I am going to enjoy my time with them before these games begin.
~
