by Lila Jean
“Perhaps, but nothing will keep me from my mate.” Flynn squared his shoulders, angry now. “Not even Odin. The love for my mate is stronger than the love of my god.”
Zane watched the demigod, tense and unmoving, for several seconds. Slowly, something shifted within him, and he finally relaxed, seeming to accept the answer. “Good,” he said with a relieved nod. “I’m sorry, Flynn.” He patted the demigod’s shoulder. “I had to make sure Tina would be safe.”
“I understand.” Flynn leaned against the wall again, relaxing once more. “No harm done.”
“Ugh, so many feelings.” Draven grimaced, though he couldn’t completely hide his grin. “Go kiss somewhere else, ladies.”
“Idiot,” Flynn said with a chuckle.
“What’s your plan, Tina?” Anthony asked, ever focused on the task at hand, his voice tense and quiet, as if he was preparing to hear something he didn’t want to know.
“It’s this.” She tapped her temple. “I connect with Odin via the god connection.” She held up a hand to Flynn’s protests, though Zane and Draven nodded along. “I see what he wants, if I can reason with him, and see if his connection to Flynn can perhaps sway him to join us. If not, we’re back to the drawing board, and I will permit a little more running and hiding while we come up with another plan.”
“But he can see into your mind, too,” Killian pointed out, standing and gesturing toward her in frustration. “He’ll know where we are.”
“Then don’t tell me where we’re going.” She shrugged. “Damara will help me shut him down if that happens, but just in case, prepare everything. Zane, pick any safehouse you want, with any requirements, anywhere on Earth. Don’t tell me where it is.” She rubbed her neck as she thought through the risks, spouting off solutions as she thought of them. “As soon as the connection terminates, we leave. Blindfold me if you want to in case he lingers for a bit once the conversation ends.”
“I like the blindfolding idea.” Draven smirked. “I think I have a few blindfolds sitting around here somewhere, and while you’re all tied up …”
“Draven, focus.” She smacked his shoulder playfully but couldn’t suppress a chuckle at her horny dragon prince.
“What’s the goal, here?” Anthony asked, a concerned expression on his face. “What are we hoping to get from this risk?”
“An ally.” Tina’s smile fell, and she squared her shoulders defiantly. “Think about it, Anthony. We’re out of options. We have nothing else to do but run and hide, run and hide, and I won’t live like this. I won’t make you live like this.” She gestured around the villa, thinking of the dozens of houses they’d stayed at thus far, sick to death of aimless wandering and near-death experiences as they ran from their pursuers. “We all deserve better. We deserve a real life, and if I can convince the king of the gods to work with us, barter with him even, we stand a chance against the other two.”
“I’ll start packing.” Draven stood and kissed her on the cheek, his hand slipping to her ass and squeezing moments before trotted out of the room.
She blushed, his warm touch still lingering on her skin even through the clothes, and she kind of wished he would come back so she could see what other kind of mischief he wanted to get into.
For now, however, she had to focus on the task at hand.
Killian stood and kissed her forehead, all chivalry and charm, and left to pack his own belongings. Zane squeezed her hand reassuringly before turning his attention to his phone and tapping away at the screen, and Anthony kissed her deeply, leaving without a word but with an intense expression of desire and longing.
When only she and Flynn were left in the room, he crossed to her and took her head gently in his massive hands. “I will always do everything in my power to protect you, Tina.” He kissed her nose, his warm lips leaving goosebumps along her skin. “Even against the All Father.”
“I know, Flynn.” She set her hand on his, holding him to her as her eyes fluttered closed. His warm touch soothed her, reminding her of all he had done to keep her safe, and she trusted him completely. No magic could break their bond.
“We’ll let you know once we’re ready.” Flynn kissed her, his mouth on hers sending tendrils of affection and love deep into her core. “Rest up. You’ll need all your energy to do this.”
When he left, Tina sat once more and faced the sliding glass door, the darkening sky helping her to clear her mind as she prepared to go into the god connection willingly for the second time. Deep in her core, her intuition told her to focus on the god she wanted to speak with, to lower her guard only for him, and Tina knew she could do it. With Damara guiding her, however subtly, she would be fine.
When the signal came that her men were ready to leave, Tina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, lowering the metaphorical brick wall she kept in her mind to block out the other gods from forcing their way into her thoughts. As the bricks and ivy broke away, she focused on Odin’s face, doing her best to recall the details of his expression and features from the first time he had made himself know to her. Back then, he hadn’t said a word, merely looked at her with a knowing expression and disappeared without a trace.
As she waited, calling to the king of the gods, light drained from the room around her, throwing her into sudden darkness. Her eyes opened, she could still feel her body and the rough carpet beneath her, but all light faded completely, as if she had gone blind.
She had done this enough that she was no longer scared, just concerned about the conversation to come. Everything rode on this one discussion, and she had to make it count.
In a flash of red and gold blistering through the darkness, a man’s face appeared, large and looming over her in the shadows as if it were on a large screen. His styled dark hair framed a handsome tanned face, his eyes blazing with white light, proof that she was speaking to the god himself and not his human host. A dusting of facial hair lined his jaw and mouth, and as his eyes focused on her, his intense expression warmed her, shooting slivers of desire through her thighs before she could rein in the instinctive lust.
“Hello,” she said, trying to be cordial and unassuming. “I didn’t catch your name last time we spoke.” She scanned his face, wishing she could see more than just his head and neck. “I’m Tina.”
“Damara knows who I am.” His voice echoed, warbling ever so slightly as the sound thundered around her like a storm cloud.
Though Zane and Flynn had read the Book of the Gods and were certain of this third god’s identity, Tina took a moment to check in with Damara and see if their assumptions were correct. She reached into her core, connecting with the light in her body as she asked the goddess who this really was.
“Odin,” Tina said, her voice soft and quiet.
He nodded. “And you know why I’m here.”
Tina hesitated. To be honest, no, she didn’t know for sure why he was here, but deep down, her intuition flared in warning, feeding her the answer and confirming the worst. “To take Damara home.” Tina frowned, frustrated. “What I don’t understand is why. I haven’t done anything to you, and Damara chose me.”
“Did she?” Odin raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Damara was forced into this world. We know the facts, child. Do not lie to me.”
“I’m not lying.” Tina lifted her chin, doing her best to be respectful to the All Father despite his rude tone. “She was forced over by three werewolves, yes, but not by me. I was just trying to save my friend, and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Tina hesitated, her fingers brushing her abdomen, and she smiled slightly. “It may have happened by accident but connecting with Damara is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. She’s amazing, and I love being her host.”
Odin’s expression softened, though it didn’t lose its hard intensity altogether. “Child, I am king of the gods, but there are laws even I must obey.” He frowned. “Laws were made, and rules were broken. I am here to collect the goddess you humans stole from our world through forbidden magic.”
“But she’s happy, Odin.” Tina took a step forward, pleading for her goddess more than herself. “Damara is taken care of, and I’m making sure she experiences Earth the way she wants to, by her rules.” Tina smiled, thinking back over all the goddess’s impulses and needs Tina had been happy to fulfill between the sheets as well as outside of them. “We’re close, and I’m protecting her in everything I do. I’ll fight to the death to keep her safe from harm.” An idea struck Tina, and she ran with it. “Is there any way I can change your mind? Is there any way you would let her stay?”
Since Odin was the All Father, the other two gods would have to obey his commands. If she could convince Odin to let Damara stay, the other two would have to leave her be. Tina held her breath, eager for his answer.
“I’m impressed with your connection to her, child,” he admitted, and Tina felt as if his glowing eyes were penetrating her very soul, looking at the things she would never see. “I confess, there is one way for you both to remain.” He nodded slowly, looking away from her as he spoke.
“What is it?” Tina leaned forward. “Name it, and it’s done.”
Odin smirked, apparently impressed with her answer. “My intent was to watch you, learn more about you, and most likely, simply kill you. After all, Damara was brought to Earth illegally, and I doubted you would be worthy of her magic. However, seeing that your connection with her has advanced so quickly, I will allow you a proper trial, befitting a god.” His smile faded. “This is your one chance to stay, and dear girl, you must use it to impress me.”
“Very well.” Tina squared her shoulders. “Shall we begin?”
“Not here.” Odin shook his head. “In person, I will better be able to tell who you are, judge your character, and ferret out lies.” He tilted his chin ever so slightly in challenge. “Besides, it will show me your courage, which you must have to live on Earth as a goddess. There will be those who seek your power, always, and they will leverage your every weakness to obtain it.” Odin frowned. “Therefore, you must come to me and face the other two gods I brought here as enforcers.”
“I’ve met them,” Tina said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Both of them have a history with Damara, Odin. Venus wants to kill Damara, and Ares is out for blood, as well.”
“Interesting and not altogether surprising,” Odin said with a subtle nod. “But alas, gods do not operate as humans do, child. Our law is rigid and often unfair, but such is the way of immortals. Both he and Venus won the right in battle to be here with me until Damara returns to our world, and I will not deny them their right.”
Tina didn’t like where this was going, and she wasn’t sure she had properly explained that Venus wanted to kill Damara in both worlds. “But Odin—”
“That’s enough,” he said with a shake of his head.
She frowned, knowing she wouldn’t get a word in edgewise while his defenses were up, wondering if she should pull the plug on this whole thing, but she needed one more piece of info before she decided. “This trial,” she said, gesturing toward the god before her. “What are the terms?”
“You come before me within seventy-two hours, state your case, at which point I will render a verdict.” He cracked his neck, and the sound sent a shudder down her spine. “If I rule in your favor, the three of us will leave immediately, and you will be left alone.” Odin paused, as if for effect, and she wondered if the All Father had a flair for the dramatic. “If I rule against you, I will give you forty-eight hours to say your goodbyes. I am not heartless, child, and I will not strike you down where you stand, nor will I allow the other enforcers to do so, regardless of their grudges with Damara.”
Tina didn’t like where this was going, but the All Father himself had just issued her an ultimatum. She reached into her core, asking Damara what to do, and her goddess was resolute. They needed to go to the trial, to prove that Odin should let Damara stay. He was a god of his word, and no harm would come to her or her princes under his care.
This was it, the only chance Tina would have to convince the gods to simply go home.
“I accept,” she said, head tilted in pride. “Where shall we meet?”
26
Tina
When Tina came to, she was surrounded by her amazing men. They circled her, everyone concerned, Anthony’s hand on her back as she blinked herself awake.
“I spoke with Odin,” she said without waiting for anyone else to break the silence. “We have to go to his temple.”
She updated them on the new plan as she pushed herself to her feet, brushing off her clothes as she prepared for the long journey to an isolated island not far from her own temple in Bali. When she shared every detail of her discussion with Odin, she made to walk out of the room, only to feel a gentle tug on her arm.
“Tina, wait,” Anthony tenderly grabbed her hand, slowing her until she turned to face him. “This isn’t the only option.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and brushed his nose against hers, the intimate gesture shooting ripples of longing down her spine, and her eyes fluttered closed on delicious impulse. His voice lowered to almost a whisper. “We don’t have to do this.”
“We do,” Flynn said from behind him, breaking the spell. The demigod clasped a reassuring hand on Anthony’s shoulder, but Flynn’s face was dead-set and certain. “Tina’s right. We can’t hide anymore.”
“She deserves better, Anthony,” Killian said softly. “I’ve thought about it more, and we can’t keep hiding.” The eagle shifter ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “For her sake as much as ours, we can’t keep running.”
“It’s time,” Zane said with a nod. “This is our one shot to get the gods on our side.”
“And if we don’t?” Anthony scanned each of their faces pleadingly, his dark features taught with worry. “What happens if he decides she can’t stay?”
“Trust me,” Tina said softly, pulling her wolf’s face toward hers, and he pulled her close, resting his forehead against her temple as he breathed in her scent. “This is a good thing, Anthony,” she assured him. “Odin said himself that he was originally going to kill me, but I convinced him to hear me out. This is already better than we had hoped.”
“How so?” The wolf prince wrapped his fingers around her wrists, commanding her attention, staring at her intently until she met his gaze. “He’s making the decision to let you live or kill you. Why are you giving him this power?”
“I’m not.” Tina laughed, genuinely surprised Anthony would think she’d do something like that. “Damara doesn’t obey anyone but Odin. He’s her king as much as mine, and I have to respect that. Besides, he won’t kill me, baby. I won’t let that happen.” She smiled. “I earned a chance to change his mind, and I’m going to do it no matter what it takes.”
With Anthony this close, Tina inhaled his woodsy scent, completely consumed by the wolf shifter’s strong and possessive presence. “Damara trusts Odin as a god of his word, and he’s going to give us forty-eight hours even if he decides against letting her stay.” She ran her fingers along his jaw, his warm skin shooting pinpricks of desire and warm delight up her arm. “That gives us time to prepare, time to plan, and even if everything goes south, we’ll stay one step ahead of him. We’ve done that so far, haven’t we? We can keep it up.” She sighed, a little disappointed in Anthony’s worry. “More than that, though, I want you to trust that I can sway him.”
“I do.” Anthony pressed his mouth against her neck and inhaled, the overwhelming sensation of his breath on her neck shooting rivers of need clear down to her thighs. She quivered in his overbearing touch, lost in him, in his trust and need to keep her safe. She knew Anthony, and he would do whatever it took to protect her, even if it meant doing something against her wishes. Tina would have to keep an eye on him in the coming days to make sure he didn’t overstep his bounds.
They left immediately, chartering a private jet under one of Zane’s false names, changing planes routinely until they hopped on a seaplane for the f
inal stretch to Odin’s island. With seventy-two hours to reach him, Tina suggested they find a place to sleep and rest up for the trial. The jet lag left her exhausted, and she wanted to make sure all of her men were rested as well.
When they finally landed the seaplane and walked along the beach of Odin’s small island, Tina looked up at the towering Viking fortress that dominated the center of the palm trees and white sand. It looked like something she would see on an icy, snow-strewn landscape, not this sunny tropical setting, but she doubted Odin cared much for the discrepancy. A sandy path led inland from the beach, and she marched at the head of her small group, most of her men in tow while Draven and Anthony slipped into the woods to scout.
Everyone seemed on edge, unable to relax until this whole mess was over, and she couldn’t blame them, though she walked with an arched back and a lifted chin. Odin might be the All Father, the one and only god Damara would even consider bending the knee to, but Tina still wouldn’t cower before him.
The building came into full view through the palm trees, layers upon layers of stories jutting into the sky, green moss growing along the steep black roofs. Tall and slender windows filled every available wall, and a bell tower stretched toward the heavens. A flock of birds flew overhead as Tina studied the structure, wondering where Odin would want to meet.
The front doors opened as she neared, and torches inside roared to life as she approached. Trusting in Damara’s assurances, Tina crossed into the temple, knowing it was already alive with Odin’s magic. She could feel it pulsing through the building, giving it life and power, but an oath had been made, and she and her men were safe, at least for now.
Inside was an elaborate throne room, the far wall covered in blue fabric draped from the ceiling and wrapped around the dozens of gilded columns framing an ornate royal blue chair. Statues of black ravens framed the seat, and white marble steps led to it from the polished throne room floor.
