by Mara Lee
“Do you know how incredible you look?” Aega said, licking her suddenly dry lips.
He was stunning. A portrait of perfection—hard perfection.
Hes grinned. “No more incredible than you, little Goddess.” He dropped to his knees between her spread legs and began to knead the soft flesh of her thighs. “Softer than silk, and smoother than alabaster,” Ditheous murmured.
Aega groaned.
He leaned up to cup her full breasts. He tested their weight, rolling and squeezing the delectable globes. He pinched her pink nipples, loving how they tightened under his ministrations.
“I must,” he breathed out a moment before he captured one hard nipple in his mouth.
“Ditheous…” Aega arched her back and thrust her breast into his mouth.
He licked, nipped and bit the tautened nub. He used his teeth to rake across its satiny surface, ever mindful of his fangs.
She was sweet. She tasted so sweet.
Aega moaned, thrust her hips forward and wrapped her long legs around Ditheous.
She smiled impishly at his surprised expression.
Ditheous swooped down to capture her smiling mouth in a hot, ravenous kiss. He licked her full bottom lip and nipped the ripe flesh with his teeth.
“Oh yes,” Aega breathed.
His tongue dueled with hers. His hands anchored her head in place as he ravaged her mouth.
Spice and sweet-cream, how was it possible that she tasted of spice and sweet-cream?
Aega smoothed her hands down Ditheous’ taut back. She could feel him hard and heavy against her and her body strained in its effort to meet him … hold him … have him.
She tore her mouth free of his and inched closer still. “I need you. Do you hear me, Ditheous? I need you. I need to feel you buried deeply within me.”
Ditheous’ smile was triumphant, full of pride and intense pleasure. “Then you shall have me, little Goddess. You shall have me.”
He dug his hands into the soft flesh of her thighs, pulled them apart and with one forceful thrust, imbedded himself within her wet, pulsing pussy.
Aega moaned in ecstasy. Oh blessed be. He was so hot and hard, and he was stretching her so fully she could barely breathe past the pleasure.
Her legs once again hooked around his waist and then they were thrusting, bucking, flying away. Her pussy muscles were straining and clenching. She could feel him cold within her, and such delicious coolness only caused her own fire to rage.
“Harder, oh, oh, harder!” she demanded, hands digging into his arms as she rose to meet his thrusts.
“Goddess … sweet … so … sweet…” Ditheous punctuated each word with a hard thrust. His cock was pulsing, jumping, begging for release. He felt each muscle, each vein in his body straining … singing. The heat of her, the warmth that he had all but forgotten, flowed through his body, and she had done this; she had brought him warmth.
“Yessss…” Aega hissed, as her heart beat wildly and her toes curled under the pressure. “Yesss … oh … yesssssss…”
Ditheous felt her pussy quivering around his hard, full, cock. He dropped his gaze to her pale, bouncing breasts and felt his mouth moisten. His fangs crowded his mouth.
He could see it there—blood. Her blood sang through her veins, rushing deliciously just below her porcelain flesh.
The temptation proved too great. Ditheous dropped his head to the cushion of her breasts. He thrust his cock as deeply as he could within her wet, begging body and latched his mouth over her alabaster skin.
His fangs pierced her breast, and with the first warm rush of blood, he released his seed within her waiting channel.
Aega gasped and moaned as her own orgasm overtook her. Her heart was nearly beating out of her body and her breath was expelled on a grateful sigh.
Heaven. By the Goddess, she almost felt as if she were home.
* * * *
Aega zipped up her bodysuit and tossed Ditheous a saucy look.
He smiled. “If you keep staring at me like that, little Goddess … that suit will be unnecessary.”
She laughed and tossed her mane of white hair back over her shoulder. “Oh? And will you keep me prisoner here … naked? What will you tell your people?”
Ditheous, faster than the naked eye could see, came to stand beside her. He caught her within the loose confines of his arms. “I will tell them I found a Goddess … and one knows better than to let a Goddess go.”
Aega chortled and cupped his cheek with her hand. “Ditheous … oh Ditheous…”
“Will you not stay, Aega?” he asked, voice gone suddenly husky and low.
She swallowed. “I cannot.”
He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Can’t you?”
“I … I…” She rested her head against his for a moment before pulling away. “I … truly cannot. You are a proven distraction.”
Ditheous grinned. “Come, let us distract one another again.”
She laughed and pulled free of his embrace. “Stop. I must go. And you … do you not have someplace to be? It is nearly dawn.”
At the mention of the dawn, Ditheous’ face grew taut. His jaw worked back and forth and his hands clenched noticeably at his sides.
Suddenly there was no softness in his face. “Yes … you should go.” He turned on his heel and began to walk away from her.
Aega’s mouth dropped open in shock. She quickly materialized herself in front of the door, blocking his exit.
“Pardon?”
Ditheous’ face was cold and unyielding, completely different from just moments ago when he had playfully kissed and held her.
“I agree with your decision to go.” His face was completely devoid of any emotion. “You are right. We have dallied long enough, and I do not have the luxury of time.”
A slow flame worked its way through Aega’s body. She could feel heat spreading through her tight limbs and she knew her amber eyes had to be reflecting her burning fury.
How dare he! How dare he dismiss her. It mattered little in her mind that she was the one who had spoken of leaving first. How dare he take it upon himself to dismiss her so casually, so cruelly.
“You … you…” Aega sputtered. Her heart was thumping and tripping wildly within her chest, and this time not from pleasure.
*
Ditheous’ eyes grew wide as Aega began to glow and shine. Her eyes were shooting amber fire and her entire body seemed to pulse and twinkle as if cast by fluorescent lights.
She was magnificent. She was also hurting him.
“Aega … your light.”
“Fuck the light, and fuck you!” Aega did not realize that she was levitating. She continued to glow as her anger magnified. Light shot from her fingers and even her hair crackled and seemed to burn.
Ditheous ducked behind a chair as a stream of sunlight shot in his direction. He covered his eyes and tried to shield himself from the furious Goddess who seemed intent on frying his ass.
Not that he didn’t deserve it. His behavior moments before had been more than callous. But the mention of dawn had pulled him out of his fantasy, made him remember who—what—he and Aega were.
He was a Vampyre. She was a Goddess … a sun Goddess, no less. Could the Fates have woven a more twisted tale?
“Aega!” Ditheous swore as a stream of light caught him on his shoulder. His shirt sizzled immediately. “Aega … please … I am sorry. Please … desist.”
*
Aega heard Ditheous’ plea through the fogginess in her head.
For the love of Zeus. What was she doing?
She tempered her power back and drew the sun from the surface, housing it firmly within her, where it belonged. “You can come out now,” shea called out.
Ditheous moved out from behind the chair and came to stand before her. “I offer you my deepest apologies,” He said formally.
Aega’s brow wrinkled. “You are offering me, an apology? Was I not the one that just nearly incinerated your sorry hide?�
�
Ditheous inclined his head. “Yes. However, I deserved your ire. My behavior was … unseemly.”
Aega sighed. “Please. You do not need to speak as if we are both actors in some bad play.”
He merely nodded.
“I should be offering you an apology. I am a Goddess. I know better than to lose control of my power.”
“And I am a Vampyre. I know better than to taunt a Goddess,” he said with a small smile.
“What a pair we make.” Aega shook her head and sighed deeply. “I should go. And you … you should get yourself to safety.”
Ditheous laughed sardonically, sweeping his arms out. “Do you not see … I am perfectly safe, little Goddess. The sun would not dare to breach this hole of mine.”
Aega took in the lushly appointed room; a room without windows, a beautifully furnished tomb.
And she felt trapped, banished to a mortal span of life on Earth. How must Ditheous feel, trapped forever … banished forever to the dark—a world without light.
She reached out to touch his face, but Ditheous grabbed her wrist and pulled her flush against his hard body.
“What do you play at, little Goddess? What is your game?” His words were cold, but the heat was unmistakable in his eyes.
“This is not a game to me,” Aega said softly.
“Then what is it? Why are you here? Why did you…?” His jaw clenched.
“Sleep with you?” she smiled. “Because I wished to. Because you move me, Ditheous … move me as I have not been moved in a very long time.”
His eyes swirled with turmoil. He knew he should remain hard, unyielding to her words, and yet he could not. Her face was beautiful, earnest. And he saw no deceit in those amber eyes of hers … just need? What could she possibly need of him? “Do you hear yourself, little Goddess? Do you hear what you say? You are a Goddess. What business could you possibly have with a … a … Vampyre?”
“I only wish to help you, Ditheous.” Aega looped her arms around his waist and smiled. “Will you not accept my help?”
Ditheous allowed his hands to settle on the rounded globes of her ass and smiled slightly. “Do I have a choice?”
Aega pretended to think it over. “Mmmmm …no. Did you yourself not say, you should not refuse a Goddess?”
He squeezed her ass and delighted in the sexy moan that Aega emitted. “I’m not certain that is exactly what I said, little Goddess.” He laughed, “But it will work.”
Aega pressed a quick, but heated kiss to his laughing mouth. “I shall return tomorrow eve. And hopefully by then I will have more answers.”
He nodded, now solemn. “Yes, answers. I would like to have those. Would you tell me one thing, Aega?”
“If I can,” she replied softly.
“Do the Gods have anything to do with Rochelle’s disappearance and the havoc that has been playing out in my territory?”
Aega stiffened. By Zeus, what to tell him? And how much of what she said was the truth? Even she did not know the true workings of the Gods. Had Persephone told her the entire truth? Was the Queen of the Underworld merely concerned over her blood kin’s welfare? Or was there a higher purpose to her visit, and to her bargain with Aega? And could she fool herself into believing that she possessed Hades’ dagger by mistake? No, the King of the Underworld had to know what his wife was up to, what Aega was up to. And in that case … would he allow Aega to help the man that he himself had inadvertently cursed?
“I must speak to someone, Ditheous. I will meet you back here tomorrow, at dusk. We’ll talk more then.”
Ditheous narrowed his eyes. “We will talk, little Goddess.”
Aega cupped his face. She caught his lower lip between her teeth and lightly bit the soft, full, flesh. “Unless you can think of something better to do than talking.” She winked and dematerialized in front of his blinking eyes.
Ditheous rubbed his temple and sighed. But as he left the room he found himself smiling.
Chapter Seven
Hermes was waiting for her when she materialized in her living-room. The God was resplendent in a doublet made of gold brocade and his dressy winged sandals.
Aega let out a frustrated sigh. “Hermes, it has been a very long night. I am not in the mood for any of our banter, be it light or otherwise.”
Hermes dropped gracefully onto one of her settees and stretched out his long, bare, legs.
“It has been a long night, Aega. And where have you been?” He eyed her suit with hot, eager eyes. “And dressed like that?”
“What I wear is hardly any of your business.” She brushed back a strand of stray hair and stared at the God contemptuously. “I see you’ve been to a party.”
Hermes waved his hand imperiously. “One of Bacchus’ boring affairs. Wine, women, it is all the same … always the same.”
“Have you never heard of knocking, Hermes?” she asked suddenly. She was sick and tired of these unannounced visits. She was banished to Earth, and even here she was not free of the meddling of those above.
“Oh, but what fun would that be, Aega?” Hermes laughed. “Every time you see me, the expression on that beautiful face of yours is priceless.”
“The expression is one of disgust,” she said dryly.
Hermes only laughed harder. He stood, and glided over to Aega’s still form. “You have ash on your suit.”
“Pardon?”
Hermes reached out and ran his hand down the front of hers suit. He stopped when he reached her breast, molding his hand around the soft, firm globe.
Aega stiffened.
“There is ash … ash on this lovely suit of yours, my dear.” Hermes removed his hand from her breast. “And if I am not mistaken … it is no ordinary ash. Hmmmm … what have you been up to?”
Aega took a step back. “Again—it is no business of yours.”
Hermes’ eyes narrowed suddenly. “Are you so certain of that fact, my dear?”
“Perhaps the question I should be asking is; what have you been up to?” Aega eyed the handsome God intently. “What do you know that I don’t, Hermes? What aren’t you sharing with me?”
Hermes gave a Gallic shrug. “Ah, dear one, you know that I cannot answer those questions. The Fates would not have it.”
“First, do not call me ‘dear one’. I am not your dear anything. Second, I very much doubt that what you’re up to has anything to do with the Fates.” Aega summoned her sun, and within seconds her body was a living, burning flame. She trailed her hot hands down his face and was satisfied when she saw him flinch. “If you do not have answers for me, Hermes, then you have nothing I want. And if you have nothing I want … then you should go.” She lightly dug her nails into the flesh of his cheek. “The fire will not be content to remain on the surface much longer.”
Hermes felt Aega’s flame burning its way through his body. His cheeks felt on fire and the pain was a tangible thing. But for a small flinch, he refused to move. He would not allow his Aega to see such weakness from him. He wanted, no needed, her to think better of him.
Oh, he knew she already considered him weak … a weak lackey. What God or Goddess on the Mountain didn’t hold such a poor opinion of him? For the love of Zeus, he was being used as a plaything for a sadistic Goddess, and he was being used with the full knowledge of his father; even he would not step in to stop Hermes’ torment.
The game hadn’t been played through.
“Aega,” Hermes’ voice had grown soft and lulling, “the situation has grown much larger than even you can know.”
Her eyes widened. “What? What is happening? And what is your part in it, Hermes?”
Hermes extricated himself from her grasp and readjusted his doublet. “Don’t you know, Aega,” his face was now coolly composed, “My part is as it has always been … one of servitude. For aren’t we all, in the end, but servants?” He tossed her a pitying look before he disappeared from her living room.
“PERSEPHONE!” Aega screamed the other Goddesses’ name at th
e top of her very strong lungs. Hermes had just taken off and she was in a fine temper. She was a Goddess of light. She did not take well to being so in the dark. “PERSEPHONE!” She felt frustration from the very tip of her hair follicles to the very bottom of her toes. “Unless you want a visitor in your dark little paradise, you’ll answer me. I’ll wake the dead, all of them. I have no qualms against disturbing their peace. Answer me!”
“The screaming is, as always, unnecessary. Not to mention, unladylike.” Persephone appeared before Aega. Her eyes were drawn together in a frown and her mouth was puffed in an annoyed little moue. She was dressed casually in a filmy, white gown and her hair was sexily disheveled. “What do you want?” Persephone’s face softened, “Your decisively shrill voice intruded upon a very nice, and rather unexpected interlude with my husband. We were just…”
Aega covered her ears. “I do not want to hear about it, Persephone.”
“Well then, you shouldn’t have summoned me. Or should I say, screamed for me.” Persephone sighed. “I’ll let you know, I don’t have much time. I can’t stay here for long. My energy is rather low. Hades was quite exuberant.”
Aega scrunched her nose. “Again, don’t want to hear about it.”
Persephone shrugged. “Fine, fine … what do you want to hear?”
Aega forced the expression on her face to remain calm, although inwardly she was seething. “I want to know what part Hermes plays in this little debacle that you’ve involved me in. I want to know why there are demons after Ditheous. And I want to know how much of this plot have you revealed to Hades.”
A muscle in Persephone’s cheek leapt and her eyes, already dark, deepened further still.
Aega pressed on. “It is rather difficult to guard a body when I do not know what the body is involved in, Persephone.”
Persephone narrowed her eyes. “Well … I’d say you know a lot more about what Ditheous’ body is involved in then you let on.”
“What are you implying,?”
Persephone laughed. “Nothing, I’m implying nothing.” She sat gracefully in Aega’s chair and smoothed out the front of her gown. “And … this is not why you summoned me.”
“You’re right.” Aega took a seat across from Persephone. “I summoned you because I think you know a lot more than you’re telling me. You sent me to guard Ditheous, you led me to believe that I would merely be protecting him from other Vampyre. You did not tell me about the demons.”
