by Celia Aaron
“Being cheated on is not to be taken lightly. Believe me, I know. And I’ve had plenty of revenge fantasies. But the whole slave-torture thing is a bit extreme, even for me.”
“Nothing is extreme for them.” Liatra waved her hand at the air over their heads. “When Aphrodite discovered Ares’s plans for Roth, she made a deal with him. As a peace offering, the goddess gave Ares one more night of passion. In exchange, Ares promised never to harm Roth or instruct others to do so.”
I munched a lemon cookie, the flavor tart and sweet on my tongue. “Not sure how that helps me, really.”
“I’m not sure, either. But that’s all the information I have.” She made a “hmm” noise. “Surely there’s some way you can use that information.”
I nodded along as a plan formed in my mind. One that was dark, desperate, and bookended with betrayal. Had she known she was setting me on this path?
A slight glint in her eyes told me she did. But there was no going back. Not now.
I dusted the cookie crumbs from my lap and stood. “Tell me, where does Roth call home?”
12
Lilah
I accepted Roth’s invitation to stay at his chateau while working on my book. I wanted to keep my quarry in sight lest he try to go back on our agreement and skip town. He had been hard enough to locate the first time around, and I didn’t have any more days, much less months, to spare.
Bart seemed over the moon about having a guest in the house and made snappy arrangements to have all the things from my apartment brought across town as soon as possible.
By the time I’d been shown into a guest room next door to Roth’s, had a shower in a luxurious rainwater bath, and toweled my hair halfway dry, I heard Bart arranging my belongings in my sumptuous quarters. I strolled out in my bath towel and admired Bart’s handiwork. The mahogany walk-in closet dwarfed my meager supply of clothes and shoes. What few other items retrieved from my apartment were likely already hidden in the massive oak furniture.
“You work fast.” I closed the closet doors, barely catching my towel before it almost slid off me.
Bart eyed his feet again, doing his best to look away while he nodded in response. How in Hades did a sex fiend get such a gentlemanly butler? “If this is to your liking, then I shall leave you to your rest.” He backed slowly out of the room, never looking up at me as he closed the door.
The king-size bed beckoned, pillows piled high on top and a plush crimson duvet fringed with black satin covering the expanse. I allowed the towel to slip to the floor and crawled between the cool sheets, letting the silky layers caress my skin as I snuggled down into the feather mattress. I’d been up all night and hadn’t realized how drained I was until the whisper-soft sheets began warming my body. I fell asleep within minutes of lying down, slipping into a comfortable darkness.
Roth was in pain. He had fought the wolf hand-to-hand in the street and was much the worse for wear. He struggled to sit up. I went to him and knelt down to check him for injuries. Lifting his shirt, I ran my hands along his solid abs and chest. I looked for wounds or broken bones until he stilled my hands. His eyes were that deep midnight with a low amber light. Heat licked along my flesh, touching the surface of my skin and sinking to a deeper, darker place.
I moved to rise, but Roth kept my hands clasped in his as he pulled me to him. I knew I should resist him, but his lips beckoned. I rested on top of him, straddling him.
“Does this hurt?” I peered into his eyes.
“Not enough.” He leaned up for a kiss. Our breaths mingled as he wrapped one hand in my hair and stroked my back with the other. He was so warm against me. Wetness grew between my thighs as he caressed my tongue with his. We needed to leave. There was no telling who was watching or if the wolf would come back.
As if sensing my thoughts, Roth broke the kiss and breathed, “Stay.” It was a request and command.
Despite my misgivings, I pressed back down into him, my breasts against his hard chest, our lips meeting in a more urgent crush of warmth. He began to move against me, ever so slightly. He stiffened, his length pressing against my hot core. Gods, the pleasure he could impart if I only asked him to.
A moan rose from my throat as he kissed me deeply. I began rocking against him, getting a slight buzz just from the friction. I wanted the barriers gone, wanted to feel him, all of him. Like a genie granting a wish, now we were in bed at his chateau. I was still astride him, but there was nothing between us. No clothes, no hesitations. His eyes, still that enchanting mix of man and demon, took me in. He reached up and cupped my breast gently before rubbing the pad of his thumb over my nipple. As if he couldn’t wait another second, he caught the other peak in his mouth and nipped me lightly. Now my moan echoed through the room.
I was ready for him, wanted him so badly. Sensing my need, he growled low in his throat and flipped us so he was on top. My legs spread wide, he moved his fingers down my body, causing me to tremble at the light touch. His gaze never strayed from my eyes, looking into my most secret places. Roth’s fingers caressed ever lower, touching me gently but electrifying me at the same time. He claimed my mouth, possessed me with his urgent kiss. When he sank a finger deep inside me, I arched up, needing more. More of him, more of his touch. When he sank in another, I cried out.
“Please.” My voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper against his lips.
“What do you want, carissima? It’s yours. Anything.”
“Inside me.”
“Only after I taste you.” He brought his fingers to his mouth, licking at my wetness. His eyes closed and he groaned, pleasure in every note. I had never seen anything so erotic in my immortal life. He positioned his head at my core, ready to feed his length into me. I shifted my hips up to him.
He began pushing, the sweet pressure overwhelming my senses, until I sensed a change in the air.
Something was off. Something had changed. Now I was on my side. A hand was trailing up my leg, cupping my bottom. Another hand at my breast, palming the mound. I felt the wet heat of a mouth teasing my nipple once more.
It had to be Roth, taking his time with me. Relaxing back into the bed, I scissored my legs at the rush of sensation his touch gave.
“Roth.” It was a whimper.
“Not quite,” a deep voice replied.
Confusion shot through the billowy softness of my dream, stripping away the seductive illusion. My eyes fluttered open to find a strangely familiar and stunningly gorgeous naked man in my bed. He gave me a friendly smile while his hand rested on my breast. I scrambled back from the intruder as a scream leaped from my throat and shattered the stillness of the unfamiliar room.
13
Roth
I JUMPED FROM my bed when I heard Lilah’s cry. Barreling through the door, I exploded with rage when I found Apollo naked in her bed.
“Apollo!” The room shook with my fury.
I jumped over the scrambling Lilah and wrapped my hands around the god’s throat.
Apollo let out a jovial laugh and punched me in the jaw like he was giving me a love tap. A decidedly painful one. But I wasn’t fazed. My only focus was on squeezing the life out of any man who’d dared enter Lilah’s bed.
In an instant, Apollo escaped my grasp, retreating across the room and holding his hands up in a peace gesture. “Whoa, old pal. I thought she was fair game.”
I launched myself at the god again, punching him in the nose and tackling him to the floor. Lilah cried out in dismay, which put me into a violent frenzy. I let the darkness inside me take control and redoubled my efforts, laying into the god with all the power I possessed. After several minutes of wrestling, punching, and clawing, Apollo had gotten the upper hand and locked me into a choke hold.
“Holy Hades, what’s gotten into you?” Apollo gave me a friendly hair ruffle, despite the fact that we were both badly bruised and bleeding profusely from our noses.
“She’s mine,” I bit out, though I struggled to keep hold of consciousness agai
nst Apollo’s boa-constrictor grip. Lilah watched us from the bed, the sheet pulled up to her chin, and her eyes as big as saucers.
“That’s fine. You usually share, is all.” Apollo’s tone was affable as he finally released the grip from around my neck. “I didn’t know you’d staked an exclusive claim on this one. To my memory, you’ve never done that before. Anyway, truce?” He gave my neck what Apollo undoubtedly believed was a friendly squeeze, though I thought a blood vessel in my eye might have burst from the pressure.
“Yes,” I growled.
“Atta boy.” Apollo let up.
I rose and leaned against the wall, taking in air in huge gulps. I still felt the urge to stomp Apollo into the ground, but the red was fading from my vision, and my senses were returning to normal.
Apollo wiped the blood from his nose. “If I hadn’t been a god, you would have torn me to pieces.”
When my brain began functioning again, I grudgingly admitted to myself that Apollo was correct—in the past, I hadn’t minded sharing any of the women who visited my home. The fact that some of the most beautiful females on the planet—mortals and immortals—were frequent guests had long ago attracted the attention of the notorious playboy Apollo. And I couldn’t refuse the request of a god, no matter how much I might have liked to.
Apollo and I had struck up an unlikely companionship, with Apollo staying at my Paris mansion for weeks on end at times. Over the years we’d shared more than just conquests, and I considered him one of the only friends I’d ever had, though I knew how fickle the gods were in both friendship and favor.
“I guess I’ll take my leave.” The god ran a hand through his golden hair. “I’m sure Corinne is up for a little down and dirty.” He gave Lilah a lascivious wink that had me growling a warning at him. “I’m going, I’m going. Relax, scrapper.”
The door closed solidly as I gave Lilah an appraising look. “Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She relaxed her arms the slightest bit so the sheet came to right below her collarbones. Her pale skin was luminous in the afternoon light. “He startled me. That’s all.” She frowned. “And copped a major feel.”
The rage rose in me again and I knew my eyes were changing into those of the incubus right in front of her. I was helpless to stop it. Her grip tightened on the sheet for a fraction of a second before she said in a soothing tone, “I’m okay, really. Just kinda freaked to wake up to a strange perv in my bed and then you two fighting half-naked. Well, he was all naked, but you get the idea.”
My eyes turned back to their dark hue as the anger faded, though jealousy surged through me when I thought of Apollo’s hands on Lilah.
“Umm, are you okay?” She inclined her head toward my bloodied body.
“I’ll heal.” Before I could stop myself, I was sitting on the bed beside her, putting a hand up to her neck. Though her brows lifted slightly in surprise, she didn’t move away from my touch, which pleased me immensely.
“How is your neck?”
“Already good as new.” She smiled slightly. “Immortal, remember?”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Her hand strayed to her neck where the ancient runes pulsed along with her heartbeat, worry turning the corners of her lips before she gave me a weak smile. “Though this whole strange-guys-keep-pawing-at-me business is a not so refreshing change of pace.”
I tried to put a lid on my surprise. Each night she visited Red-Handed, every male in the room had kept an eye on her. Several had even attempted to approach her but held back when caught in her fierce gaze. Lilah’s appearance was beyond enticing, and she radiated confidence, which might as well have been eau de sex for the immortals surrounding her. The VIP room was abuzz with speculation about the mysterious raven-haired beauty at the bar, with several vampires making plans to follow her home. I’d made sure they never even made it to her building, much less her doorstep.
I enjoyed watching her too, noting the gracious curves of her body and the silky mane of her hair. I’d longed to touch her but was far too wary. One look at her determined little chin should have told me she wasn’t one of the regular thrill seekers who desired an unforgettable night with an incubus. She’d wanted much more from me. I wasn’t a fool—I knew the book wasn’t the only reason Lilah was on my trail. But if playing along with her meant I could surround myself with her, I would do it happily.
A rhythmic sound began wafting through the paneled walls. After a few seconds, Corinne screamed Apollo’s name as her headboard banged against the wood. Lilah’s cheeks flushed as she looked past me toward the sound. Such innocence.
“Well.” She cleared her throat, eyes still glued to the wall as Corinne’s moans continued. “I guess we should get ready to work.”
“Of course. Unless you had other things on your mind?” I followed her gaze to the wall. Teasing her came naturally. I loved the color that painted her cheeks, loved the way she responded to me.
“You can leave now.” Her voice was curt, though I’d caught the glint of excitement that sparked in her eyes at the veiled suggestion.
“As you wish, carissima. Bartholomew will have dinner prepared for us downstairs.” I rose from the bed, noting the way she seemed to relax a little at my retreat. I couldn’t help but enjoy all the subconscious tells she had to let me know I affected her.
“After we eat, I want to get to work. We can set up in your study.” She attempted an all-business tone.
“Whatever your little heart desires.” Though I had no intentions of spending the night with her clinically asking me questions about my life. I had better ideas for our time together. Much better.
14
Lilah
Almost one year ago
A cave in the Valley of Thrace
I had spent hours picking my way through the barren landscape leading to Ares’s lair. Avoiding the lava flows and pitfalls that scarred the hellish valley that was home to Olympus’s vilest deity was half the battle. The other half was descending into the dark cave that lay at the center of it all, silently awaiting its next victim. When I reached its entrance, I didn’t slow my pace, but steeled myself for whatever horrors lay beyond.
Inside the stone walls, the dark was so complete I thought I might be able to touch it. I gave thanks to Artemis for my night vision and continued along a well-worn path through the rock, keeping my back to the wall as I went. The air was thick with sulfur. Pained moans from somewhere in the earth deep below me cut through the air at intervals. I felt as if I were descending into the very mouth of Hades, which wasn’t far from the truth.
After several minutes of pushing through the black, I found a set of steps carved into the stone, which spiraled down into the ground at a harsh angle.
Hanging in the center of the spiral stair were scores of bodies—immortals who’d been decapitated and left as a warning. Their bodies were riddled with arrows and cuts, clearly tortured before their souls had been released into Elysium or Hades. I’d expected brutality, but being confronted with it like this made my stomach churn, what little food I had in me threatening to splash all over the black steps.
The stench was nearly unbearable as I hurried down into the abyss.
When I finally saw the bottom, instead of relief, an overwhelming dread flowed through my veins. The thought of having my immortal life snuffed out in what seemed like a serial killer’s basement didn’t strike me as the way I wanted to go. My foot on the bottom step, I hesitated. I could still go back and live instead of dying here.
“Go back to what? A life of regret and loneliness. Never,” I whispered, trying to steady my nerves and shut off my self-preservation inner commentary.
I took the final step and started down a hallway lined with red candles that gave only a slight light to my steps. The walls oozed some sort of black gunge, and I didn’t even want to know what it was. Entering a massive chamber, a throne sat on a small island surrounded by water. Acrid steam hissed through hidden vents to fill the dark cavern. Hundreds of s
talactites hung from the ceiling like giant fangs waiting to rip my flesh from my bones.
Though alone, I could sense someone watching me. My night vision was still in overdrive, but I couldn’t spot what gave me the ominous feeling. I approached the throne, taking small steps and searching the ground for traps. Once I reached the moat that surrounded the island, I saw it wasn’t filled with water, but blood. The dark, syrupy liquid ran as if flowing from the ground, though I suspected the source of the “spring” was hanging in the spiral stair. The distinct smell of iron filled my nose, which should have been a relief from the sulfur fumes, yet it only made me want to run back the way I’d come.
As I assessed my next move, I suddenly felt something behind me. Whirling, I met only empty air. All the same, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I felt a presence, full of dark power.
“I know you’re here.” I tried to keep the tremble from my voice. A show of strength was the only way to get through this. “Reveal yourself.”
“You would dare give orders to a god?” A cruel voice rang in my ear as I was hit across the face so hard I sank to my knees.
I lifted my eyes to the perfect face of what could only be Ares. His fair hair and tan skin seemed completely incongruous with this burrow within the earth. Seven feet tall and built like—well, like a Greek god—a portrait of him would have urged the lust of any female. However, his eyes gave him away. They were as blue as the daytime sky but sinister beyond anything I had ever seen. Hate, anger, violence—all these and more lurked within them. I had never looked upon the face of true evil. It was unrivaled in both beauty and horror, making me want to retch from the very sight of it.
