by J J King
Hecate ~ The Wronged
Book II of the Gods & Monsters Series
JJ King
Copyright © 2019 JJ King
First Edition
All rights reserved.
Kindle Edition
ISBN-978-1-9995531-4-2
DEDICATION
For all my witches, bitches, & queens. Life wouldn’t be half as interesting without you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This one’s for Candace, my favorite witch.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
About the Author
CHAPTER ONE
Over two thousand years ago…
She watched it happen from the darkness.
A flash of lightning, so bright it lit the heavens, arched through the sky and crashed into the man, the shepherd, the one loved by the moon. She watched as Selene, the golden one to her darkness, tore herself from the night sky too soon for dawn to free her and flung herself over his body to protect him from further assault.
She saw his breath come in quiet gasps, so shallow she could barely hear them in the silence of the pasture as the sun rose in the east, signalling the dawn of a new day... and the death of Endymion.
He was dying in Selene’s arms, his life being cruelly ripped away by a weapon that could be wielded by only one god, Zeus. Selene raised her face to the sky and screamed and the sound ripped through Hecate’s dark soul and brought tears to her eyes.
Magic surged to life inside Selene, light and sweet, colored now with grief and madness, but it wasn’t enough. Hecate stepped free of the darkness, of the night that was her constant companion, and moved hesitantly toward the dying man and the moon goddess. Something pulled her, something insistent and unyielding, forward as Selene’s magic failed to pull him back from the edge.
Darkness, something Hecate understood all too well, flooded Selene’s heart and filled her with terror and clawing grief. She sank onto the singed grass and reached out to wipe a tear from Selene’s face.
There was surprise on that beautiful face now, and grief so powerful it dredged up a need to hold, to help, to save. Hecate held out her hands above Endymion’s body, offering her strength and power.
Hecate felt Selene open to the press of her dark magic that wrapped itself around her like a cloak and filled her blood with its power. Then lightness and hope pummelled her, pressing against her so hard, that Hecate had no choice but to open to it. Magic, so endless and intense it was all they could both do to hold on so as to not be swept away, overtook their bodies and minds. Hecate gasped as her magic fused with Selene’s.
An explosion of sound filled her ears, knocking her back on the grass as the sun rose high above Mount Latmus. Hecate blinked, raising her hands to her ears to press away the ringing that pounded at her mind. Her hand rose slowly as if she were drunk on too much wine and she stared down at her open palms as her vision doubled for an instant, as she became two. Then it was gone, an apparition, and she twisted to see Selene.
But only Endymion lay on the grass, silent and still as the dead. Hecate leaned closer and saw his chest rise and fall as he released a rush of air from his filling lungs.
Selene gasped, He’s alive!
The voice inside Hecate’s head reverberated, echoing back like a sharp cry into a canyon. She grasped her head and rocked, certain she’d given too much of herself, of her magic, and was now suffering the effects.
Where am I? the voice asked, suddenly alarmed.
Hecate’s breath came out in a shiver as the truth began to dawn. She steeled herself, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. There, in the darkness, in the absence of all else, was Selene, within her, a part of her.
Screams filled Hecate’s head, both her own and Selene’s as panic overwhelmed them. Then something shifted and Selene surged forward, pushing Hecate back into the darkness so fast that she lost all sense of time and place.
And as the sun rose high in the morning sky, Hecate sank into oblivion.
*****
Present day…
You should wear something other than black.
Cate slid the silky black dress over her head and tugged it down over her hips, ignoring the omnipresent voice in her head. The dress fit like a glove, like a second skin that she could shed whenever the urge possessed her, as it did tonight. She looked in the long mirror, not needing to look but wanting to, and approved of what she saw. A young, gorgeous, dark haired woman with gold flecked eyes that held a few too many lifetimes of knowledge.
I like black, she retorted, grabbing her clutch from the table. It, at least, had a bit of color in the gold metal that matched her eyes.
You look great in red, Selene said wistfully. I wish I could wear red.
Cate chuckled, amused by the childish pout in Selene’s voice. You’re gorgeous. Stop being a baby.
There was silence for a moment as Cate slipped her feet into the black spiked heels that completed her ensemble, then she heard a mumbled You’re a baby, and grinned.
Go, Cate pushed Selene mentally, distancing herself from her other half. See the moon…
…be the moon, Selene finished their ongoing joke with a sigh and reached out to mentally slap Cate on the ass. Go get ‘em tiger! Then she slipped away and disappeared from Cate’s mind.
Taking one last glance in the mirror, Cate stepped out the door, making sure to lock and charm it against intruders and evil. It wouldn’t do to come back to a vandalized room. She had a hot date tonight and nothing ruined the mood more than a break in.
She grinned as she stepped into the elevator alone and waited for the doors to close. It was nice to joke with Selene again. She’d been in such a mood lately. Not that Cate blamed her, they’d each gone through rough times over the years, but things were different now, there was hope. In the brief time they spent together each day, a precious five minutes at dawn and five at dusk, there was so much more to do than sulk and fight. They had plans to make, big plans, god foiling plans. Thanks to Medusa and her devilishly handsome god of a lover, there was hope now, the first real hope they’d had in eons. Cate didn’t know why Selene couldn’t make the leap as she had.
She was supposed to be the light one, after all.
The concierge’s eyebrows lifted as she stepped into the foyer of the posh hotel she’d chosen for this month’s little indulgence. He moved smoothly over to her, his gaze never flitting over her body as most men would, and let the corners of his mouth lift. “Ms. Dark,” he tipped his head to her, “how may I be of service to you tonight?”
And there it was, the entire reason she’d travelled halfway around the world to find tonight’s delight. Vegas was the city that didn’t sleep and she had no plans of closing her eyes tonight, not when there were so many delicious treats to sample.
Cate arched an eyebrow and smiled slowly. This was one of her favorite hotels and Mr. Corrs was one of her favorite people. He always knew just where to find what she wanted. “Well,” she tapped a black tipped fingernail against her lips, “I’m in the mood to watch beautiful people do unspeakable things.” She fluttered her eyelashes demurely. “I don't suppose you can help with that.”
His chuckle spoke volumes. Without blinking, he lifted a hand to his ear where a com link fit securely over the curve of his ear. He spoke quiet
ly into the microphone then flashed her a grin. “Your car is waiting outside. Jerome will drive you to the club and wait for your safe return.”
Cate smiled slowly and patted the chest of his impeccable Italian suit, enchanting a crisp grand into his pocket. The universe was hers to play with and he was a delight. The universe could part with a little compensation to keep her happy.
She strode across the foyer as if she owned the place and prepared for a night of utter debauchery.
Cate sipped on champagne while the driver wove his way through the back streets of Vegas, to the high roller locales, not accessible to the vacationers that came by the droves to gamble and play. She could have merely blinked and been at her destination, she had more than enough power to travel anywhere she wished, but she enjoyed the small, everyday luxuries of the wealthy and liked drawing out the earthly pleasures that helped reenergize her earthbound powers. Sex, for her, was like wine. You could get it cheap and drink it fast but what was the point?
“Ms. Dark,” Jerome interrupted her thoughts. “We’re here.” He waited for her acknowledgement before shutting off the car and coming around to open her door.
Cate took his offered hand and stepped, delicately, from the car. “Thank you, Jerome,” she murmured, offering him a catty smile as well as another grand. She was in the mood to spend big tonight and everyone was going to benefit. “You don’t need to stay. I’ll find my own way home.” The upturned tilt of his lips when he saw the tip lifted his face from handsome to delectable. Cate eyed him for a moment then leaned into his ear and whispered, “Then again, you could always accompany me inside.”
She turned on pointed heel and walked away, knowing she’d just delivered a blow to his system. When she heard the jingle of keys being handed to a valet, Cate smiled and glanced over her shoulder. Yes, she thought, he’ll be eager to please.
He followed her inside the unimpressive building, through a door guarded by two men with well-hidden guns and enough technology to give any geek a major boner. As with any secret sexy club, the plain facade of the building was replaced by opulence once she passed that inner door. Inside, the thrum of sensually pulsating music filled the air along with the scent of honeysuckle, coconut, and satsuma. Beautiful people moved to the rhythm of the music, lost in the fantasy world that existed only inside this club and only for the lucky few. Cate let her eyes skim the room but found no one to pique her interest.
She crossed the room, heading for a long corridor that ended in another door, this one painted a deep burgundy and guarded by a woman dressed in an ankle-length black velvet dress that looked as if it had been painted onto her pale, creamy flesh. Cate ran her gaze from the woman’s shoes, which were spectacular, to her mane of deep auburn waves and sighed in simple pleasure. She’d found another playmate to fill her evening.
Cate glided toward the woman with Jerome in tow. Her cat eyes, a deep, emerald green that looked almost too intense to be real, tracked Cate’s movements, lapping her up inch by inch. Cate’s lips turned up slowly, knowingly, and her blood heated.
“Ms. Dark,” the woman purred, knowing exactly who Cate was. This really was the best club in the city, which is why she made it a priority to visit every so often. Of course, with the world at her disposal, this was just one of hundreds of debaucherous paradises she frequented when her energies needed a boost.
Cate held back from touching the woman and let her eyes do most of the talking. She felt them burn hot and saw the same reaction in the woman’s gaze. “Call me Cate,” she murmured, lifting an eyebrow slightly. “And what is your name?”
“Bianca,” the woman’s voice was breathy now, laden with desire that hummed through Cate’s veins.
“Well, Bianca.” Cate smiled again. “My friend and I,” she reached behind to take Jerome’s hand and pulled him forward, “are going to my usual room and would enjoy it immensely if you would care to join us.”
Bianca’s face flushed a gorgeous shade of rose and her breath hitched in anticipation. Cate knew the signs of arousal very well and prided herself in making as many people as possible rise to the occasion when she was in this kind of mood.
“I’m working,” Bianca barely whispered the words. A flash of disappointment crossed her beautiful face and was replaced almost immediately by one of determination. “But,” she mused, and an impish gleam appeared in her emerald eyes, “I was told to give you everything you wanted.” Her full lips turned up.
Cate chuckled. “Semantics make all the difference, my dear.” She reached for the door that lead to the rooms reserved for an exclusive clientele, letting her hand brush over Bianca’s silky smooth skin. Her soft gasp was all the encouragement Cate needed to grab her hand and pull her through.
The door clicked shut, giving Cate the perfect surface to push her new companion up against. She let the magic inside her, the aching pull of need that wanted to touch and be touched, seep out of her skin as she pressed her body against Bianca’s and brought her lips to hover for a delicious moment before crushing down in a passionate demand.
Bianca whimpered and closed her eyes against the sensual onslaught and her surrender filled Cate with intense pleasure. She bit down gently on Bianca’s full bottom lip and whispered huskily, “Let’s find a bed.”
They moved down the hallway, towards Cate’s room, kissing and touching, laughing and moaning as they got distracted by one another. By the time they made it to her door, Jerome had thrown off his uncertainty and was enthusiastically participating in the teasing fun.
Too busy to look for her key card in her clutch, Cate funnelled magic into the door’s lock and shoved it open to reveal a huge room, decorated in deep, dark, saturated colors. It had been stocked upon news of her arrival, as always, with her personal favorites. Cabernet, chocolate covered strawberries, grapes, and brie with figs and honey. Soft music played over the speakers and a king sized bed beckoned with soft Egyptian cotton sheets.
The tumbled together, all hands and mouths, onto the bed. Cate arched up and moaned as Jerome ran his hands up her body, lifting her dress in one swift motion to her breasts and lowered his mouth to her stomach. Her skin hummed and burned and she revelled in the sensation of her lovers’ hands on her.
Bianca tugged the dress up over Cate’s head as Jerome dipped his tongue into her navel, making her giggle then sigh happily. Cate arched her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the pulsing colors she saw behind her lids.
Need built in her as her lovers kissed and nibbled their way up her long body, never missing an inch. She rolled with them, caressing and biting bits of taut flesh until the air was scented with their passion and filled with cries of pleasure.
Cate’s power built slowly, steadily as her body writhed beneath theirs. It had been too long since she’d recharged her batteries, so to speak, with a good bout of sweaty sex. There was something about connecting with that base instinct that let her connect with the earth and her power in a way her rituals, herbs, and crystals never did.
Jerome’s mouth covered her clitoris fully and his clever tongue darted out to torment her senses. Cate moaned and sank her fingers into his hair as he moved over her and then into her. The heat of his mouth added to the fire inside her, driving her nearer to the edge and fulfillment.
Then Bianca was there, pushing Jerome aside and replacing his mouth with hers but not before taking him in a deep kiss. Cate lifted her hips and opened herself to the energy, to the magic, to life itself, and let her eyes roll back as Jerome thrust into her wet and ready body.
His movements weren’t soft. He grabbed her hips and lifted, fitting her to him and lifting her legs to his shoulders while Bianca ran her tongue up and down Cate’s body. The scent of sex perfumed the air while their moans of pleasure and the sound of hot flesh on flesh set the primal soundtrack. Cate fisted her hands in Bianca’s hair and tugged her up for a heady kiss that tasted of her own sex.
Pressure built by leaps as Jerome filled her over and over, his eyes never leaving her
s. They burned with passion and insanity, a little side effect of sex with the Queen of the witches. It wouldn’t last, she knew, but here, now, in this moment, her lovers’ insanity was delectable.
Cate’s body tensed, preparing for the moment of ecstasy, and the room brightened for one perfect moment. Her spirit, her soul, whatever it was that blessed her with magic, spilled over and glorious magic burst inside her mind, releasing a rainbow of brilliant colors that dazzled her. Cate screamed out and threw back her head as her body convulsed, gripping her lover tight and making him empty himself inside her. Not to be greedy, she directed her magic into Bianca and smiled at the resulting sounds of orgasm.
The room darkened again in the moments after, leaving all three spent and deliriously happy. Cate lay beneath male flesh and beside female perfection and closed her eyes. She deserved a little rest now, as did they. The night was far from over, after all, and they’d all need their strength.
*****
Cate, wake up. Selene's voice was insistent in her head and growing louder by the moment.
