OF WAR Anthology Novels 1-3

by Lisa Beth Darling

  Steadily, Hera’s hands moved downward past her shoulders, to the mid of her back and down further toward that soft mound of her butt. Something stopped her. Her hands lingered over the area for a long moment before she looked up to see Alena’s eyes were closed. Hera’s hands went from Alena’s back to her lower abdomen where they lingered again to feel the new life forming within. Right now, it wasn’t anything but a bunch of minute cells constantly dividing and forming. Nevertheless, it was glorious; there had not been an addition to the Olympian Line in a very long time. The idea of being a Grandmother once more instantly filled Hera with joy. Alena didn’t know yet, there was no way that she could and Hera thought, this being her first child and all that she shouldn’t tell her. She should wait and let the new couple find out about their impending blessed event the Old Fashioned Way.

  If circumstances were different, that would be exactly what Hera would do. But circumstances were not different; Alena was not going to spend the next few weeks—or even days—lounging around Ares’ cave. She was going to go off to War with him in one manner or another, it was clear Alena wouldn’t be left behind no matter what Ares had to say. For another moment she pondered the idea of remaining silent again; if Alena knew, if Ares knew, then perhaps the unborn child would keep them from performing to their optimum levels. Perhaps they would play it too safe and that would lead to disaster.

  Hera made her way around Alena once more. “You’re pregnant.”

  Alena’s eyes flew open. “What?” She could not have heard that right. It was part of a dream or something, she’d just been standing here letting that warm healing energy envelop her, and she had drifted off. “Are you sure, Great Mother?” It was a strange question because Alena already knew Hera was right. She could even pinpoint the exact moment of conception; yesterday morning when she tried to get out of bed and felt that stab of pain.

  “Positive.” Hera smiled, wondering why Alena wasn’t warmly receiving this news. “Ares will be very happy. He will welcome this child with open arms.”

  Well, yes, that was one thing off her mind. Somehow it did not make the situation any better. Maybe he would welcome the baby but what kind of father was Ares? His only living offspring hated him. History told her that Ares was a terrible Father, he had thousands and thousands of children, most of which he paid no attention to whatsoever. Perhaps they were the lucky ones, those who went ignored and neglected by a man who should have loved them, protected them and cared for them. What if the baby did something bad, something that babies are apt to do and it made him angry? What if she did something that made him angry? What if something happened to her and Ares was left with the baby alone? What if, what if, what if…

  “He loves you, Alena. He would never hurt this child or you,” Hera assured as though she could read Alena’s mind. She couldn’t, not really; then again, she didn’t have to. Everything Alena was thinking was clear in those stormy gray eyes of hers. “Your love has tempered him and for that I, dear Alena, am eternally grateful to you.”

  Hera, grateful to her? That sounded impossible. Fantastical. Insane. “Don’t tell him. Please, Great Mother, don’t tell him,” Alena stuttered and then looked up to gaze in Hera’s eyes, seeing her happiness at the thought of being a Grandmother once more. “I should do it, don’t you think?”

  “Of course you should be the one to tell him this wonderful news, but it won’t be long before he knows. He will feel the child’s heartbeat when he makes love to you.” Hera knew that Alena had no immediate plans of telling Ares anything but Alena needed to know that her time was short here. “What weighs on your mind, child? You shouldn’t have a care in the world; you should be walking on air.” Hera reached out and took Alena’s hands into her own. “My Son loves you; he will keep you and the child safe no matter what it costs him. Don’t let Cernunnos ruin this for you.”

  Long ago, Alena gave up on the idea of being mother to her own child and so she taught at schools and worked for orphanages to make up for that bitter disappointment. This news should make her ecstatic. She was in love with Ares and he was in love with her, they were going to have a child together, a family of their own. This should be the most joyous news she ever received in her whole life. Alena let her eyes wander away from Hera to take a stroll around the room at all of the different weapons and armor decorating this room and every other room in the cave. Yes, there were times in Life when one had to stand up and fight for what was right or what was theirs. She could think of little times when one might need to put another human being through the torment, anguish, and humiliation of the devices in the small room hidden way down at the bottom of the cave.

  What is wrong little whore? Finally realizing you have gotten into bed with the Devil.

  Alena pushed the words away. She didn’t know if what the Druid said was the truth or not, maybe he really was just trying to scare her, to manipulate her. Maybe she was in more danger now than she ever had been before. Letting go of Hera’s hands, she laid her palms on her abdomen as though she could feel the baby there, but she could not. Not yet. “A baby,” Alena whispered to the wind, wishing she could be happy.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Bad Company

  1

  High on Olympus, Aphrodite sat at her pink marble vanity, in her pink marble bedroom, in her very large and grand pink marble temple brushing her honey blonde hair with a brush made of pink coral. As she stared at her reflection in the heavy—and overly large—mirror, she wondered why Ares did not see her the same way anymore. She was more beautiful than Alena by far, had a better body, too, she could service a man better than that wretched little Fey. Why did he seem so happy with her? How could he draw her in close and hold her sweetly the way a Lover should?

  Yes, she had Apollo and he was a fine enough Lover but he lacked Ares’ passion, his fire, his lustfulness. Not to mention, Apollo was lacking about five or six inches in a very important bodily area. It was she, Aphrodite, who had given Ares children, a legacy beyond War. She loved him; she would have done anything for him. What was that dried up old biddy going to give him but dusty pussy? Yet there he had been, wrapped up in her arms, letting her make love to him while he confessed his love for her.

  Handsome and charming as Ares was, the other Olympian women wouldn’t go near him, except his own Mother. They were all afraid of him, afraid of crossing him, afraid of the stories they heard about him. Aphrodite was the only one who took pity on Ares and let him into her bed so that he would know the full satisfaction that came with sex. At the time, she didn’t know it would stretch out over seventy years and include five children. (None of whom Ares gave a damn about.) When their affair started, Aphrodite didn’t know that she would come to hope and pray that Ares would take her away from Hephaestus and keep her by his side where Aphrodite felt she belonged.

  Yet, when their affair was uncovered, Ares embarrassed her in front of all of the other Olympians. Ares didn’t stand up for Aphrodite at all; he didn’t say he loved her or that he even cared about her. He just let them laugh while he told them all that she’d been unfaithful for nearly the last century and the children Hephaestus thought were his were actually Ares’, including Eros. That didn’t make Hephaestus very happy and she had to live with him for another two thousand years.

  Hephaestus was hideous and Aphrodite could never stand the touch of his rough blacksmith hands on her smooth alabaster skin. She hated the stench of the smoke and sweat of the forge that sunk so deeply into him it never came out. Night after night she silently suffered the intolerable insult of letting him run those rough hands with their burs and their calluses all over her as he grunted like a pig over her and surged in and out of her with no technique whatsoever.

  Ripping the brush through her long locks, she let out a squeal of anger.

  “What’s wrong, my darling?” Apollo asked as he sauntered into the room. “Problems?” Apollo never fooled himself into thinking he and Aphrodite were in love even though they were long-time Lovers.
He cared for her and her for him but that was about the extent of it as they were, more or less, stuck with each other here on Olympus. Zeus had Hera. Hades and Poseidon had their respective Kingdoms. Athena never had a man in her life. Eros, although delightful and rather good in bed, was still her Son and up until two hundred years ago or so he did have Psyche. “Ares giving you troubles?” he whispered as he leaned in from behind her to kiss her on her flaming cheek and gaze at her in the mirror.

  “Am I not a beautiful woman?” Aphrodite asked the mirror more than Apollo.

  “The most beautiful,” Apollo assured but not without a mocking undertone. “More beautiful than the Dawn.”

  “The most desirable woman?”

  “Always you are the one who turns the heads of men so swiftly they nearly break their necks just to get a look at you.” Taking the brush from her angry but delicate hand, Apollo gently began running it through her hair in the hopes of calming her. “Why do you let this bother you? It’s not as though you’re still in love with him, is it?”

  Ares’ little Fey wormed deeply beneath Aphrodite’s skin; the Goddess of Love was seething.

  With a great huff, Aphrodite folded her arms over her ample breasts. “Certainly not!”

  “I know you wanted him to pine away for you forever and he will once she’s gone.”

  “No, he won’t, he’ll pine for her once she’s gone,” Aphrodite spat balefully. Once Alena was gone, Aphrodite would still have thousands of years to carry on an affair with Ares if she chose. If she did, she’d do it under Alena’s shadow and Aphrodite lived in the shadow of no woman. She was the one who cast the shadow and set the standard for them to achieve. “Unless she turns on him somehow.” Now the menace in her voice turned to thoughtfulness. “Or if he should turn on her…” If there was one thing that Aphrodite excelled at even more than making people fall in love, it was tearing apart relationships. She had eons of experience.

  “Ah, there’s my darling little vixen. I see you’re starting to feel better.” Putting the brush back on the vanity, Apollo leaned in close to her ear. “I don’t mean to spoil your wicked little thought process, dear, but that won’t be easy and Hera is watching you very closely.”

  “Hera, that frozen old hag, damn her and her devil spawn.”

  Apollo ran his hands through her honey-blonde hair and down to the nape of her neck where they settled gently at first. His fingertips moved around and around massaging the very tense muscles below. “Whatever you do, you just wait until Ares brings Artemis’ soul back to us.” The massaging fingers grew a little stiffer as they moved around from the back of her neck to the front. “You understand me? I want this so much that I am almost willing to get my own hands dirty this time, my lovely Aphrodite, and you know how rare that is,” he whispered darkly. Apollo always found it most tasteful to get someone else to do his dirty work for him, but he would not mind getting Cernunnos’ blood on his hands. “Do not impede Ares’ mission.” A little tighter still and Aphrodite let out a small grunt. “Artemis first. Ares and his little whore after that.”

  Aphrodite gazed at Apollo’s reflection in the mirror to see the somberness on his face. Apollo loved his sister and he would be quite upset if she were to do something to get in the way here. If he knew the things that Aphrodite did about Artemis and Cernunnos, Apollo would be even more upset. She would never tell those secrets, she would take them with her to the Underworld or else they might cause her arrive there prematurely. “Yes, of course,” Aphrodite stammered, suddenly not so cocky and then tried to sympathize. “Those horrible things he said about you today, I know they’re not true. You’d never harm a hair upon Artemis’ beautiful head.”

  “Good.” His grip did not ease up when he bent down for the last time to kiss her cheek. “Besides, Zeus promised the Fey to me and I intend to have her now that that belt is no longer in my way.” With a firm thrust, Apollo let go of Aphrodite’s neck and walked away to sit on the bed. Ares had been right about one thing; when Apollo discovered Alena’s identity he did intend to torture, rape and kill her, leaving her rotting corpse on Cernunnos’ doorstep as payback for not being more cooperative in finding Artemis’ killer. Now they all knew why Cernunnos had been so reluctant to be of any assistance.

  Apollo had to suffer more than he was willing to today and all because of Ares’ mouth. Thankfully, Eros had kept his own trap shut or Apollo might be missing an important appendage now. Ares wouldn’t take kindly to Apollo’s repeated indulgences in Alena’s mouth; the others wouldn’t give a damn. That was on his side. None of them cared about the Fey; they only wanted to use her and Ares, as best they could. “Why don’t you come keep me company while we wait for dear Ares to make his next move?” Apollo lounged on the bed and looked at her longingly, but he could see she was playing hard to get and wanted a little more coaxing. “Come here and I’ll show you just how beautiful, desirable, voluptuous, luscious, and sexy you are.” Aphrodite smiled and twirled a thick strand of hair around her finger playfully. Stroking that massive ego was apt to get one anything they wanted. “Come on.” Apollo lifted the white linen shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor while he patted the mattress.

  Stretching out her long bare legs, Aphrodite stood up from her vanity and sashayed over to the bed. Those Rubenesque hips swayed side to side and her soft milky white breasts jiggled enticingly. She stood next to him by the bed looking down; Apollo was very handsome with his blonde hair and his well-tanned skin. He was a worthy Lover even if he wasn’t the best she had ever had. No, that one was probably humping that little bitch at this very moment. Two could play that game. “Have you got something for me?”

  “I’m working on it, why don’t you come a little closer and…lend me a hand or those pretty lips of yours?” Apollo invited as he ran his hand over his crotch to feel the bulge beginning to form as his cock stirred to life.

  “Looking for a little inspiration, are you?” she teased but only half-heartedly. She was the Goddess of Love and Beauty, the mere idea of being able to be with her should make any man stand at full attention. Then again, Apollo was not as young as he used to be so perhaps he could use a little help. Slowly reaching up to her shoulders, Aphrodite laid her hands upon the silver clips there and undid them. She let the sheer gown fall to the floor and stood before Apollo naked in all of her Beautiful Glory. “Better?”

  “Getting there,” Apollo teased as he continued to rub his own crotch, which was not starting to tingle with anticipation. “Those lips look lonely; perhaps you could find a place to put them,” he suggested not too subtly.

  “I could say the same for you.” Aphrodite knelt on the big soft bed next to him; she put her hand over his and helped him massage his own cock. “What do you say? Tit…for tat?”

  Apollo reached up with his free hand to grab those mounds of flesh sticking in his face and taunting him, he’d like to feel them on either side of his hard shaft. She let out a heated sigh when he tweaked one of those pert pink nipples between his golden fingers. “I do love your tits,” he moaned just before he put his mouth around the same nipple to feel it harden in his mouth and bring her down closer to him. They were definitely one—make that two—of Aphrodite’s less-menacing and thereby more-appealing traits. The hand at his growing crotch grabbed harder, massaged deeper as her back arched toward him so Apollo could get more of the fleshy breast into his mouth, leaving a trail of golden dust wherever he touched, nibbled, kissed, groped. The more excited he became the heavier, the thicker the dust he left behind. The hand on his own balls slipped out from under hers to cover it and move it up to the waistband, wanting her to relieve him of the linen that was becoming rather constrictive.

  Still leaning forward so that he could pleasure her properly, Aphrodite kept her hand behind her. She wiggled her fingertips between Apollo’s skin and the material to undo the three hidden ivory buttons that held the slacks in place. As she moved down from button to button those long fingertips sunk deeper and deeper into that
soft patch of blonde hair between his legs and against the hot growing shaft she was attempting to free. The last button out of the way, she grabbed hold of the waistband on one side, Apollo grabbed the other as they slid the slacks off and away from him.

  He was hard as a rock and ready for the starting gun before they hit the floor. Apollo grabbed Aphrodite around the waist and tried to settle her over him, but she balked and pushed away from him. “You may be ready but I’m not,” the Goddess of Love huffed with a bat of her eyelashes as she folded her arms over her wet heaving breasts.

  “Is that right?” Apollo cooed. “Well then.” In a very quick motion, he snatched her around the waist with both hands and gave her sexy body a good twist. Caught off guard Aphrodite landed on Apollo with her face near his crotch and her legs on his shoulder, but not for long. He reached down, grabbed her right leg and threw it over his other shoulder so that she was splayed out before him with her waiting pussy near his face. When he spoke, his breath was hot against her outer lips. “Tit for tat, right, my darling?”

  The cock in her face was hard and twitching; trying not to be overt Aphrodite took a sniff. It smelled clean. Never knew with Apollo, his cock could have been anywhere before he came into the bedroom. She, however, was fresh from a bath overloaded with lavender and rose petals. Her velvety hand closed around the pulsing shaft and brought it in line with her lips, one more sniff. Aphrodite began licking the tip, above her Apollo sucked in breath over his teeth and let out a heated moan before he started returning the favor.

  Aphrodite was not in her prime any longer, and so she wasn’t ready for Apollo’s entrance. In fact, she was quite dry but he would change that quickly. His fingers pushed apart the lips below the mound of blonde hair just before his tongue began to probe. It was Aphrodite’s turn to suck in a harsh breath although she had to do it through a mouthful of cock. When his finger entered with the tip of his tongue, she sucked him harder and those fleshy tits of hers pressed against the sides of him. All around them began to fade away but Apollo and Aphrodite were not lost to their Love or their Lust for each other. They were Lost in the pleasure they were receiving, the giving was only a means to an end. Here on Olympus, even making love was a selfish act.