The Wolf's Hunt: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (The Goddess's Harem Book 2)

by Lila Jean

  “Sire,” Venus said, dropping to her knees before Odin. “This can be explained. It—”

  “Enough from you,” Odin said, his voice low and dark. “You ran from me like a coward, and you may consider this both your trial and verdict.” He seethed with rage. “For the attempted murder of Damara in both worlds, I sentence you to the eternal death.”

  With one simple motion, he drew a sword from the sheath on his waist, and the blade began to glow with silvery light that shimmered like sunlight on an ocean.

  Flynn was breathless as he looked at the ancient and powerful weapon, the mighty Gram, a legendary sword that had decided battles and won wars, one Flynn had only ever read about and seen in paintings. It was one of Odin’s most fabled weapons, second only to Gungnir, and usually locked away deep in the vaults beneath Odin’s temple, as no one but Odin’s hosts were allowed to touch the legendary weapons. Flynn couldn’t believe he was seeing Gram with his own eyes, and though his primary focus was protecting Tina, he still fought the urge to kneel in respect before the god he had descended from.

  But the way the blade shimmered, glistening with a light of its own, reminded Flynn of the white light in Tina’s blade, the way the metal had absorbed her energy and even burned Ares’ skin beyond repair. Flynn had never seen such magic before, but it was clearly different, and perhaps even powerful enough to harm the goddess herself and not just the host.

  “Odin, no,” Venus groveled on her knees. “I beg you, don’t—”

  Without another word, Odin ran the shimmering blade through Venus’ heart. The goddess gasped, hands hovering just out of reach of the blade, and a trickle of blood escaped her lips. Ash spread from the wound, consuming her body. She wheezed, the damage done, and collapsed onto the asphalt road in front of Damara’s temple, nothing but dust.

  Flynn instinctively put himself between Odin and Damara, unwilling to let anything happen to his woman, even if he fought against the god he was descended from. It was heresy in the demigods’ world for him to defy his own god, a crime punishable by death, even, but he would do it for Tina. He would do anything for her.

  Odin surveyed the scene, and even Ares remained silent, putting away his fire whips as he cautiously watched the king of gods take in the scene. No one spoke, everyone breathless, waiting for the most powerful god in existence to break the silence.

  “You disappoint me, Ares.” Odin shook his regal head, his grip on the sword tightening, the blade still brimming with vibrant light. Flynn looked nervously at Damara, and she caught his eye, those white eyes glowing, brilliant as ever, though she smiled reassuringly.

  “Odin, dear king,” Damara said, her voice surreal and airy, the sound so like Tina’s voice but overlaid with another woman’s soft tone. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

  “And you, my friend.” Odin nodded briefly to her, his expression hard and unchanging despite the cordial words. “You continue to impress me.” He gestured to her body. “How did you overtake your host? So often when we’re forced to this realm, we’re unable to do so for many years.”

  “It’s not me, dear king.” Damara smiled. “It’s my host, Tina. Her selflessness and courage allowed me to make my final connection with her, and she trusted me enough to open her heart to me completely. I did not overtake her by any means, but rather, she risked everything to let me speak. She is truly impressive and worthy of every compliment I could give.” Damara turned her head briefly toward Flynn, smiling again, calm despite the deadly chaos around her. “I ask that you let her live, Odin, and me to stay. I feel she has more than proven herself.”

  “No!” Ares snapped, disgust and anger distorting his features. “This breaks our laws, Odin, the laws you set into place, the laws—”

  “The laws you yourself have already broken!” Odin shouted over the god of war. “I made a decree, issued a god challenge, and you broke it! You defied me!”

  Damara lifted a delicate eyebrow, turning her head toward the god of war, as if to drive Odin’s point home. Flynn glanced between the three gods and back to the pile of ash in the street that served as Venus’ corpse, the surreal sense that he was now merely a spectator overwhelming and, admittedly, a bit frightening.

  Flynn was a demigod, sure, but these were three gods in full-burn, all of which held the life of his lover in their hands, and even with all his power and the abilities Damara had given him, Flynn could only do so much. If they tried to take Tina from him, he would fight them to the death, gladly, but he had to be realistic of the outcome. His grip on his sword tightened as the gods spoke, and he prepared for the worst.

  “They will abuse her here,” Ares said, gesturing toward Damara as he implored Odin to listen, his voice tense and urgent. “The shifter kings, the humans, even the king of the demigods wants her power!” Ares cracked his whip against the ground in frustration. “If we can’t even trust our own descendants, what good is this world, Odin?” Ares gritted his teeth and nodded toward Damara. “There are so few of us left, dear king, and these abusers on Earth could take her from us, forever!”

  Flynn raised his eyebrows in surprise at this new bit of information, but it suddenly all made sense. Over the years, many gods had indeed been bled to death, abused, their magic drained from their hosts’ bodies, but Flynn had always assumed the gods had merely returned to their world, battered and bruised but not dead. It seemed that was not true, that the remaining gods were survivors, that the rules Odin had put into place barring any more gods from coming to earth were as much to protect their lives as their psyches.

  “She may call me ‘dear king,’ and no one else,” Odin snapped. “You overstep your bounds. To answer your point, Ares, I am aware of the risk.” Odin’s voice became calmer. “But it seems there is plenty of abuse, plenty of betrayal, among my own subjects.” He wrinkled his nose in disgust. “With Venus’ betrayal, , I’ve had to kill one of my own. And now, I’m faced again with the same deadly choice. You have defied me one time too many, Ares.” Odin glared at him, and the silvery light in his blade intensified.

  Instantly, the flames along Ares’ whips burst to life, and he tensed, shifting his feet into a battle-ready position. “I fear nothing, Odin.” Ares lowered his head, back arched, biceps tense with the need to fight. “Not even you.”

  “Oh, but you do fear me,” Damara interjected, and Ares nearly snarled as he turned her attention toward her. “You fear what you cannot control.” She smirked, the small dagger in her hand almost blindingly bright. “Odin, we are within the bounds of Epara, and as such, I hold dominion here, even over you. You know those laws.”

  “I do,” the king of the gods admitted with a frown.

  “I rather like laws.” Damara sighed wistfully. “They protect us, and most of the time, they keep order. But here, in this world, the laws were broken, and that cannot be undone.” She met Odin’s intense gaze. “Sending me home, killing this beautiful host, I won’t allow it. Not now that I’m here, not now that I love her so dearly.”

  Odin lifted one surprised eyebrow. “What are you saying?”

  “For his crimes against me, Ares will die.” She glared at him. “Tina and I told him as much when we awoke Epara together. My promise was simple. Should he continue to attack me, he would die in both worlds.”

  “I won’t let a woman kill me,” Ares snapped. “Not even you, Damara. If you so much as try, I will destroy you here and make you pay dearly for those words when we return home.”

  “And if I tell you to return home?” Odin frowned, his attention still focused on Damara. “If I order you to leave?”

  “I will disobey.” She lifted her regal chin. “I will not let you harm Tina, nor will you harm her princes. They have my protection, now and always.” She sighed, her eyebrows tilting. “I ask that you step aside, Odin. Please. Of all the gods, I respect you most of all.” Damara’s mouth tilted downward in an elegant frown, shoulders arched in defiance despite the sadness in her voice. “I don’t wish to ever hurt you, dear king,
nor would I enjoy a battle against you. However, for them, I will do it.”

  Flynn’s chest welled with gratitude, relief sinking through him as he finally realized Damara’s intentions. She would issue a god challenge against the king of gods himself if it meant protecting Tina, and that alone made Flynn feel at least momentarily at peace. Grateful to her, he beamed up at the goddess, knowing full well the other four princes were probably doing the same, all of them more concerned with Tina’s welfare than their own.

  “Very well, my friend.” Odin nodded and sheathed his sword. “As you stated, you have dominion in Epara, and this human host of yours has convinced me she can keep you safe.” He smiled warmly. “The connection you two have is powerful, and I’m satisfied.” Odin turned toward Ares, his expression turning deadly. “You, however, have outstayed your welcome. I have no authority here in Epara, but should you step foot outside these walls, I will kill you myself.”

  “You won’t have the chance, dear king,” Damara said, her mouth a thin line as she narrowed her eyes, staring defiantly at the god of war beneath her. “I’ll kill him first, or rather, Tina will.”

  For a moment, Ares looked at her, clearly confused, and when a look of realization and understanding finally crossed his face, he burst out laughing. “You’re giving control back to the girl?” Ares laughed harder. “This is a battle for life and death, for your freedom back home, and yet you would be so foolish as to give a human control?”

  “I trust her, Ares, implicitly so.” Damara frowned. “Trust is something you never were quite able to master, and yet it’s one of the most powerful forces in both worlds.” She sighed, disappointed, her head tilting up and down as she surveyed him. “It’s why you will lose, and when you die your final death, both worlds will be better for it.”

  “You’re a fool,” Ares spat. “But don’t let me stop you. By all means, make my win easier.”

  “You really are a disappointment,” Damara said softly. “You had so much promise, once, but you’ve become twisted and bitter, your lust for war only made worse by all the battles and bloodshed you caused throughout the years here on Earth.”

  She set a hand tenderly on her stomach, looking down at Tina’s body, and smiled. “Unlike you, I protect my hosts, care for them. Going full-burn like this wreaks havoc on their bodies, and I will never do it again. After today, Tina has all the power she needs to thrive, and staying any longer at full-burn would shorten her life considerably.”

  Damara laughed dryly. “Besides, Ares, I know your weaknesses. I know everything about you, more than you realize, and Tina is powerful in her own right. She won’t need me in control to effortlessly beat you senseless, not now that we’re fully connected.” Her smile fell. “I pity you, Ares, and I mourn who you once were. In death, I hope you find peace.”

  “Spare me your drivel,” Ares snapped, his nose wrinkled with anger, and he cracked his whips along the ground, leaving long black marks charred into the stone.

  “Best of luck to you, Damara dear,” Odin said with a nod. He turned his attention toward Flynn. “Do you still have that book you stole?”

  “I do,” Flynn said with a wary nod. “And I will return it, I promise.”

  “Good. No need. Give it back to me, and I’ll return it myself. Now that the matter of the Book of the Gods is settled, I have some advice, young descendant of mine.”

  “Yes?” Flynn asked, simultaneously overwhelmed and awed to be in the presence of his god, yet still uncertain he wanted to hear this guidance.

  “Get that dragon of yours and stand back.” Odin smirked. “That woman of yours is powerful, and I wouldn’t want you to get caught in the crossfire. This will be bloody. I know without a doubt she will win, but he will cheat.”

  41

  Tina

  Tina snapped awake, an overwhelming sense of déjà-vu flooded her mind as her gaze swept the decimated temple gardens.

  Odin stood by the edge of the lake, and Flynn offered her a reassuring nod as he and Draven, naked and in human form, joined him. Though Flynn looked calm, albeit a little worried, Draven all but seethed with rage. Anthony, Zane, and Killian, each of them in their shifted forms, stood at the edge of the road, tense and ready to pounce, Zane’s tail twitching in the air above him as he bared his teeth at Ares. The god of war circled her, glaring up at her, the whips dragging along behind him, setting fire to the lingering patches of grass unlucky enough to be caught in the way.

  A rush of power hit her then, a sudden, overwhelming chill, like having her head dunked in ice water. The cold flooded her veins, sinking into every pore, every follicle, every nook and cranny of her body and soul. Her bare feet hovered over the water, her body glimmering with light, the warm glow beaming through the several tears and holes in her war-torn gown.

  With a broad and happy smile, she closed her eyes, savoring the energy in her body. Deep down, she knew without a doubt that this power coursing through her veins was everything she had been searching for, that she had finally done it, that she and Damara were fully connected, fully united, once and for all. The full range of Damara’s powers were now at Tina’s fingertips, ready and waiting.

  Best of all, she knew how to use them because Tina had everything Damara possessed, her memories, her magic, her love, her power, her fearlessness. Tina was one with it, connected more to Damara than ever before, and most importantly, she no longer had even the tiniest scrap of fear for the god of war below her. She felt only pity, and even that was minimal.

  “You really think you can kill me, Ares?” Tina narrowed her eyes in annoyance as the memory of his conversation with Damara flooded into her, and the goddess caught her up to speed on what she had missed while Damara was in control of her body. “You didn’t come here as an enforcer for Odin.” Her nose wrinkled in revulsion as she finally pieced together his real motivation. “You were just trying to kill me so that when Damara returned to your world, weakened from the experience, you could capture her, make her your own, keep her contained.” Her hands balled into fists, and she nearly shook with her fury. “You coward!”

  “I did.” He sneered. “And I will.”

  “You have no idea what you’ve started with me, asshole.” She shook her head, dark laughter bubbling up in her chest as she looked down at him with disgust. “But you’re about to.”

  Despite his bravado and the twisted expression of hatred on his face, Tina could see through him now, see him the way Damara saw him, and he was afraid. She could smell it, taste it in the air, see the subtle way his eyes shifted over her, waiting for her to attack first in a last-ditch effort to gain the upper hand. She almost laughed with derision, this sad little god so clearly afraid of her and yet pushing his luck now that he had backed her into a corner, pursuing what he had thought was a house cat without realizing he had unleashed the lioness within her.

  What a fool.

  In her mind, blips of golden memory swam through her thoughts, one after another, little secrets Damara had accrued over the centuries she had known him, every little tidbit of his inner life and magic that he had never even realized he revealed to her, as he had never given her credit for her razor-sharp wit and cunning. Bit by bit, Tina began to see every weakness in his defense, every one of his preferred attacks, even how to wield his infamous fire whips.

  Firstly, wait for the perfect moment to strike. Patience will prove your greatest ally. Damara’s advice flooded her mind like her own thoughts, and Tina trusted the voice implicitly. She had already been pushing his patience, and she could stand to push it a little more.

  Just to unnerve him, she smirked, her body brimming with confidence and even a bit of wicked glee at the thought of finally rubbing his nose in all his failures, and she gripped her dagger tighter.

  Apparently, he had been closer to snapping than she had realized. He yelled, the battle cry loud and fierce, and aimed both whips at her face. They snapped through the air like flaming vines ready to wrap around her arms, her neck, her head, bu
t she wouldn’t let them.

  Secondly, use magic to shield your vulnerable skin from the fire in his weapons. Not even his fire can break through your light.

  Tina summoned Damara’s magic, the motion effortless, simple, and fast as lightning. In a split-second, her skin hummed with white light, the energy a barrier between her and anything that dared try to touch her. She grabbed the whips, the fires extinguishing with an ear-splitting hiss under her touch.

  For a moment, Ares merely stared at her in shock, mouth agape, frozen as he fought to find words. Tina grinned, taking perhaps a little too much pleasure in his terror, but only a little.

  Tina launched at him, her body flying through the air as though she had wings as she tackled him to the ground. Her skin buzzed with energy and life, his flesh burning beneath hers. He grimaced, grabbing her, trying to throw her off as her knee landed hard in his gut. He groaned from the impact as she smashed her fist into his nose. The satisfying crunch of the cartilage snapping filled her ears as blood flowed down from his nose and over his mouth.

  Her hand throbbed with pain from punching him in the face, her knuckles bruised from the force, but god damn had that felt good.

  Ares spat out the blood, his eyes glowing more intensely as he no doubt summoned whatever power he had access to, knowing full well that if he died here, she would send his immortal god-self to hell as well.

  With a powerful yank, Tina snatched the whips out of his hands as she rolled off of him. He grabbed at the handles, desperately reaching for them, but she pulled them out of his reach at the last second. With the whips in her hands, she funneled an intense wave of her magic into his weapons, burning them to ash. Dust blew from her fingertips, the black soot all that was left of the fearsome weapons that had killed tens of thousands.