Hades' Return

by N. J. Walters

  Paul shrugged. “He didn’t come himself this time. Sent another guy. Strange-looking dude. Spooky too.”

  “What does this mystery man look like?” Stavros asked once again.

  “Tall, dark hair, good dresser. Always in a suit.”

  Stavros swore long and low. Toni had the feeling he knew who Paul was referring to. Was Stavros involved in what was happening to her?

  Toni crept closer, needing to understand what was going on, why this mysterious man was targeting her. Stavros jerked his head in her direction. His nostrils flared and the clawed paw disappeared, replaced by a normal arm and hand in the blink of an eye.

  Toni felt nauseous. Her skin was clammy. What was going on? The whole world had gone crazy.

  “Are you going to kill me?” Paul asked. Toni was wondering the same thing. There was no doubt he was capable of it. Dressed, he was formidable. Naked, his true character was revealed. Stavros was a dangerous predator.

  In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Toni’s fingers itched to hold her camera, and she cursed the fates that she didn’t have it when it was usually close at hand. The play of light and shadow on Stavros’ skin made him look primal and fierce. All the muscles of his body were delineated to perfection. He was hunter and protector. With his hair flowing down around his shoulders and his square jaw tilted to the side, his face was masculinity personified. The images she could capture of Stavros would rival anything she’d ever done. No, scratch that, they would be the best work she’d ever do.

  Stavros picked up Roy’s gun and flowed to his feet, his movements fluid and smooth. He held the gun in front of him and Toni held her breath. “No. I’m going to let your boss do that when you don’t deliver. And, trust me, by the time he’s done with you, you’ll wish I had killed you.”

  He turned and walked toward her, leaving Paul yelling after him.

  Toni ignored the man and focused only on Stavros’ face. He looked calm but determined. He stopped in front of her, reversed his hold on the gun and handed it to her. She took the weapon. It felt heavy in her hand. Roy would have used it on her if he’d had half a chance. “Go inside and pack up your things. It’s no longer safe here.”

  Toni did her best to ignore the fact he wasn’t wearing any clothing. “We need to call the police.” That was the sensible thing to do.

  Stavros shook his head. “The police can’t help you. You’re dealing with something beyond your wildest nightmare.”

  “But you can help me.” It wasn’t a question, but he answered her.

  “I can.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I will. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  “Who are you?” she whispered.

  He shook his head, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her toward the house. She kept her gaze away from the two dead bodies as they made their way to the front door.

  Paul groaned and called after them, begging them not to leave him. Toni stumbled, but Stavros kept her moving forward.

  “It’s locked,” she told him. “I went out through the bedroom window.”

  Stavros raised his hand and she heard the locks unlatch. “Now it’s open.” He turned the handle and pushed the door open. The living room light came on by itself. She gasped and stood there, trying to process yet one more impossible thing.

  “I’m going crazy,” she muttered. “It’s the only explanation.”

  “No.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “Not crazy. Pack up your things and come with me. I’ll explain everything once I have you safe.”

  She could do this. It wasn’t like she had much choice. No way was she staying here with two dead bodies and an injured man outside. Still, she couldn’t help but ask, “What about the guy in the yard?”

  Stavros shrugged. “He has his cell phone if he wants to call for help. I don’t think he’ll contact the authorities. And I’ll be surprised if there’s a trace of any of them left here by morning.”

  Toni shivered, stepped inside and hurried into the bedroom. She carefully set both guns down on the bed before turning on the bedside lamp. She looked longingly at the bed. What she really wanted to do was crawl under the covers and pretend none of this had happened, but that wasn’t an option.

  Thankfully, she didn’t have much stuff to pack. She was used to traveling light when she was on the road. It didn’t take her long to stuff everything into her duffle bag and carefully place both weapons in an outside pocket. Then she went to the kitchen and packed up her laptop and cameras, placing them carefully into their protective cases.

  When she was done, she rinsed off the few dirty dishes and set them in the drain tray on the counter. Then she threw what little food that remained into a box. Once she left here, she wasn’t coming back, not for anything.

  Stavros patiently waited while she worked, but there was a sense of anticipation, of readiness about him. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t over. Not by a longshot.

  “You’re naked,” she blurted. Heat crept up her cheeks and she knew she was blushing. But really, she couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room any longer. Stavros was standing naked in the living room like it was no big deal.

  And it was a plenty big deal. It was impossible for her not to notice. His hair flowed around his broad shoulders. And the man didn’t have a six-pack. He had an eight-pack. She could easily see him gracing the cover of any magazine. And he’d never have to be airbrushed. He was perfection.

  “Let’s get out of here.” He reached for her duffle and slung it over his shoulder. “We’ll take your car. You won’t be coming back here.” Stavros lifted the box of food and tucked it under his arm. He raised one eyebrow in question when she hesitated.

  Okay, so he was going to ignore the fact he was naked. If he could, then she could too. Toni took a deep breath and glanced around the room. Nothing of hers remained. She couldn’t help but feel that her life had irrevocably changed. Whatever was going on, she needed to get to the bottom of it, needed to understand how her life had gone from normal to crazy in the span of a few hours.

  And right now, Stavros was the key.

  It might be smarter to run back to the city and catch a flight home to Maine, but deep in her gut, Toni knew the problem would only follow her.

  No, as much as she might want to flee, she had to stand her ground and fight whatever storm was coming her way.

  She squared her shoulders, slung her camera bag over her shoulder and grabbed her laptop bag. “I’m ready.” She turned off the lights and strode past him. She paused on the porch long enough to lock the door before heading to her car.

  The sedan she’d rented at the airport was still sitting where she’d parked it the day she’d arrived. Stavros opened the trunk without the key. Toni ignored that little tidbit. The man was Houdini, not seeming to need keys for anything. She set her bags next to the duffle and the box.

  “Do you have a purse?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “My wallet is in my camera case.” She rarely bothered with a purse considering she was always dragging around her camera bag or a knapsack. She dug her car keys out of her bag and clutched them tightly in her hand.

  Stavros closed the trunk and then went around to the driver’s side and opened her door. Paul must have heard them, because he called out again. She glanced toward the backyard. He was bleeding heavily from his wound and that would attract all sorts of critters.

  “You can’t help him,” Stavros told her. “He signed a deal with the devil and the devil always collects.”

  A shiver went down her spine. Why did she have a feeling Stavros meant what he said literally and not metaphorically?

  Toni had to angle her body to fit between the car and the open door. Stavros held the door with both hands, his fingers curled over the top of the frame. “Toni.”

  She paused before sliding into the vehicle. She looked
up and he leaned down and kissed her. Her toes curled and her body heated the moment he touched her. He slanted his mouth over hers, tasting and tempting, taking and giving.

  Toni knew better than to go down this road again. Stavros had proven he could blow hot and cold. She really didn’t need any more complications in her life right now. But she couldn’t help but respond to his ardor.

  He cupped her face, stroked his thumbs over her cheeks, curled his fingers around her neck. His tongue stroked hers in a sensual slide. Her knees went weak. She moved to get closer but the car door was between them.

  Like a dash of cold water, reality reared its ugly head. Toni pulled away. “We have to stop.”

  Stavros’ eyes were dark pools of passion, but he nodded his agreement. He stepped back and waited while she slid in the driver’s seat. When he shut the door, she took a deep breath. “Get a grip on yourself,” she muttered.

  Stavros climbed into the passenger seat. Still naked. Toni started the car and pulled away from the cabin. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “My place. Just turn right at the end of the driveway.”

  Hades was not happy. Those three inept humans had had one job and one job only. Bring the girl to his demon. Still, it wasn’t a total loss. He had two new souls to torment and another on the way.

  He motioned to his demon, the one he’d used to negotiate with the humans. “Go and collect the remaining human for me.” He was almost dead, his blood seeping the ground behind Toni’s house. Hades wanted the body claimed before some gator dragged it off.

  “And bring me the bodies of the other two as well.” Better to clean up his mess than leave any evidence.

  “Yes, my lord.” The demon bowed deeply and hurried off. The creature’s quick compliance and bowing and scraping soothed Hades’ temper.

  Really, if you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself.

  He stared at the darkened mirror, wishing he could see what was happening. Soon, he’d be able to find them. In the meantime, he needed to prepare. It was going to take quite a bit of power if he hoped to slip out of his realm for a few minutes to kill the woman with Stavros. Maybe the warrior didn’t love the woman, but he was protective over her. It would have to be enough.

  Hades was tired of this game. Tired of those infernal immortal warriors. He hated losing, and he hadn’t won a round in this battle. Even when he’d thought he’d won, he hadn’t. All the warriors were alive and well and six of them were happily mated.

  Hades growled and headed toward the door of his chamber. He stepped out in the hallway and quickly transported himself to the very depths of his domain. This is where the nastiest and most powerful of his creatures dwelled.

  He motioned to the one nearest to him. The ten-foot tall skeletal creature lumbered toward him. Hades felt the demon’s resistance, but the creature had no choice but to obey. Hades laughed and caught the demon by the throat. “Your purpose is to serve me, and I’ve decided you can best serve me by dying.” With that, he opened his mouth and began to suck the life-force out of the demon.

  Power flowed into Hades. It felt incredible. He’d made do with weak demons for too long. This was how he was supposed to feel. Unbeatable. Invincible.

  When the demon was totally drained and no more than a shriveled husk, Hades dropped the body. Then he motioned to a demon cowering in the corner.

  Chapter Five

  Stavros knew Toni was confused. Hell, he was confused. He’d never expected to run into someone like her during his self-imposed exile here in the bayou—a woman who stilled the restlessness inside him, who completed him in a way he’d never dreamed possible, a woman he wanted in his life forever.

  And when he said forever, he meant it. Immortality made that a very real possibility.

  Neither of them spoke on the drive from her cabin to the one where he was currently living. He’d called on some of his power to clothe himself on the drive over. Not all the way, but he was now wearing a pair of leather pants. He figured it was the least he could do. He probably should have done it sooner, except there was a part of him that liked the way she looked at him when he was naked. In spite of her best efforts, he knew her gaze had kept coming back to his bare chest time and time again, and lower.

  Even now, his cock was swollen with need. It went beyond the mere physical. No other woman would do. Only Toni.

  She pulled the rental car to a stop in front of the cabin and turned off the ignition. The light was on over the door. He’d remembered to use his powers to turn it on just before they turned into the driveway. The silence grew even louder.

  Stavros sighed, opened his door and climbed out. What he had to tell her wasn’t going to be easy for her to understand or accept. In fact, it might have her reaching for her phone to contact the authorities. And while that wouldn’t be a problem in the long run—not with his powers fully restored and the money he now possessed—it would be a nuisance.

  Toni slammed her car door shut, not bothering to get her bags from the trunk. “You finally ready to tell me what this is all about?” She brought up short and stared at his legs. “You’re wearing pants.” It came out like an accusation.

  “I thought it would make you more comfortable.”

  She shook her head. “Where did you get pants?” Her voice rose with each word she spoke. “This night just keeps getting crazier.” She threw her hands in the air. “I mean, first there are three men who want to either kill or kidnap me for some unknown reason. Then I see a gigantic jaguar, which is impossible. Then you’re there, totally naked, in the same place the jaguar was only moments before. Furthermore, you seem to know the unknown man who wants to harm me.” Her chest was heaving by the time she finished her rant. Her hands were balled into fists by her sides and her entire body trembled.

  He thought about reaching out to her but figured she wouldn’t want him touching her right about now. She was right. This was a lot for her to take in. It was a lot for anyone. And it was all his fault for paying special attention to her.

  “I’m an immortal shapeshifting warrior.” Better to get that out upfront.

  Her blue eyes widened and she took a step back. “Ah, okay.” She reached into her back pocket and then stopped. Looking resigned, she took another step toward the car.

  Stavros figured either she’d forgotten her phone, it wasn’t charged or she couldn’t get cell service out here. Either way, he was grateful. “I’m not crazy,” he assured her.

  She nodded but didn’t look convinced.

  He raked his hands through his hair, knowing what he was about to do might send her running and screaming into the night. He reached for the opening of his pants to remove them and then decided what the hell. He imagined them gone and they were. Once again, he was naked before her.

  “How did you do that?” Her mouth was open and she was staring at his blatant arousal. His cock flexed beneath her heated perusal.

  “I can do all kinds of things,” he told her. “And I wasn’t lying when I told you I was a shapeshifting warrior.” He turned around so she could see the tattoo that graced his back. “I am the jaguar, and it is me.”

  Facing her once again, he spread his arms wide. “Watch.” He embraced the changed and allowed the jaguar to slide from inside him. His body became long and lean. His head reshaped and his jaw elongated. Huge fangs sprang from his gums. Sleek fur took the place of skin and paws replaced hands and feet. The man was gone, replaced by the jaguar.

  Stavros faced Toni. She was staring at him, her face pale. “Holy shit.” She took a step back, stumbled and landed on her butt. He hurried toward her, concerned she’d hurt herself.

  She was going to die. That was Toni’s first thought when the massive cat leapt at her. She threw up her arms to ward him off even knowing it wouldn’t do her any good. It certainly hadn’t helped the men who’d come to her home, and they’d had a gun. Her
weapon and theirs was locked in the trunk of her car and of no use to her.

  When deadly claws didn’t rake over her skin, Toni peeked out from behind her arms. The cat was sitting next her, calmly waiting for her to acknowledge him. She peered into eyes she knew. There was no denying they belonged to Stavros.

  “This isn’t possible,” she whispered, even though the evidence to the contrary was right before her eyes. The cat lowered his head and butted it against her arm. The gesture was so much like a housecat that she automatically reached out and scratched him behind the ears. The jaguar began to purr. Realizing what she was doing, she yanked her hand back.

  Okay, so maybe Stavros was telling the truth. Unless she was having some sort of hallucination, an out-of-body experience, or her mind had lost its grip on reality, the only truth was the one sitting in front of her.

  “You really are the jaguar.”

  The cat chuffed his agreement.

  Toni swallowed hard and reached out to touch the amazing creature once again. No, not a creature. Stavros.

  The jaguar’s fur wasn’t really black. It was covered in dark rosettes that enveloped his entire body, making him appear to be one solid color unless you were as close as she was to him.

  His breath was warm on her face as he chuffed again.

  “Okay, I believe you.”

  The cat stood and flicked his tail as he walked several paces from her. The play of muscles beneath his sleek coat of fur had her wishing for her camera. But she didn’t think he’d appreciate it if she jumped up, got her equipment and started snapping photos. Better not to anger the shapeshifting warrior.

  And, yeah, it was going to take her a while to wrap her brain around that one.

  Stavros began to shift once again. Only this time, instead of morphing into a cat, he became a man once again. Thankfully, he was wearing those leather pants he’d worn earlier. Not that they were much of an improvement. They clung to his muscular thighs and slender hips like a well-fitting glove.

  She looked away from the prominent bulge in the front of his pants. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about sex, no matter what her libido wanted. His bronzed chest was once again on display. A smattering of dark hair spanned between his two nipples before thinning to a line that ran down his midsection and disappeared behind the waistband of his pants.