by Hati Bell
“It’s tick tock,” Kellsey snapped, with an eye on Leroy who wasn’t even standing a hundred yards away.
Hera’s eyes were aimed at him as well. “Silly, silly lion of Nemea,” she said. “Did you really think you could confine your beast into a cage forever? Or that you would have a happy ending? You were created to serve me, and serve me you shall.”
Leroy gave a chilling roar that rebounded through the hills and stepped towards Kellsey.
She feverishly thought about how she could avoid a new confrontation with him. She would never be able to beat him unless she tried to strangle him. Her only option was to flee, but then she would have failed to get Hera to lift the curse. She stepped backwards towards the sea. Cats didn’t like water, right?
“Accept her offer, Hera,” a voice sounded suddenly. Riz appeared out of nowhere. He pointed at Kellsey so they flanked Leroy from both sides.
“Why should I? You know what I want.” Hera once again looked speculatively at Krik. “A Kraken is exactly what I need. That beast can destroy entire cities.”
“So can I,” Riz said grimly.
Hera’s lips curled into a smile and Kellsey realized that this had been her plan all along. “Yes, so can you,” the goddess conceded. “They didn’t call you the Destroyer for nothing.”
“That was a long time ago.”
Kellsey saw the hatred and envy between the two. “I’m missing a lot of subtext here, aren’t I?” she asked. Both Riz and Hera ignored her.
“The day after tomorrow it will be twenty-five years since you left Chaos. Tell me, what have you promised the monster?” Hera asked with a sugary-sweet tone of voice.
“Something I will never give him,” Riz said tightly.
“Ah, but that’s what all men think who have struck a deal with him. They forget that not even gods can get out of a deal made with him.”
“What is she talking about?” Kellsey asked, worried, keeping an eye on Leroy who bared his razor-sharp teeth.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Riz said.
“I can guess what you promised him,” Hera said. “There is only one payment he would accept in exchange for your freedom.”
Kellsey wasn’t the only one who had enough of Hera’s innuendos. Krik was done with them too.
He rose from the water and let out a cry that echoed and re-echoed through the hills. Four gigantic tentacles brutally slammed down before Hera’s feet. Kellsey had to hand it to the goddess; she didn’t even flinch.
“He is indeed magnificent,” Hera said, while drops of water shot through her body. Apparently she was only present in her astral form.
“Do we have a deal?” Kellsey asked once again. “The helm of Hades in exchange for Leroy’s life. A life without a curse.”
Hera stared into Krik’s open muzzle, looking disgusted and scrunching up her nose. Kellsey knew from experience that his breath smelled like rotten fish. Apparently, Hera’s astral ass could smell. Exactly what kind of odor had the goddess expected a Kraken to produce? Chanel No. 5?
“In exchange for the helmet and Riz’s assistance I will lift the Nemean curse… for this generation.”
Kellsey could guess what the goddess meant, but she had to ask. “For this generation?”
“Leroy will no longer have to live with the curse, but any of his children will. It looks like you have to make a choice. If you give me the Kraken, I will lift the curse permanently.”
It was a no-brainer, really. She could live without kids, but not without her lion and Kraken. “Krik stays here.”
There was a spark in Hera’s eyes and for a moment Kellsey thought she saw surprise and approval in them.
“Very well,” Hera said. “I can appreciate a woman who ripped out the heart of an unfaithful man.” She snapped her fingers.
Kellsey saw the red disappear from Leroy’s eyes and the tension flow out of his body. He remained in his mythos form though. He roared again, though less fierce this time, and stepped towards Riz.
Riz kept an eye on Leroy while looking at Hera. “I’ll bring you the helmet after Kellsey’s birthday,” he said.
Hera turned to her. “Good luck the day after tomorrow.”
What a strange way to wish her a happy birthday. Maybe it was a Greek thing. “And you good luck with Zeus,” Kellsey said politely.
The goddess actually gave a sincere smile and disappeared. Krik expressed a happy cry. After a high-five with her fist to the tip of a tentacle, he disappeared back into the sea.
Her lion walked towards her. He rubbed his mane over her legs. She knew it was his way of apologizing.
She sat down on her knees and lifted her head so they were eye to eye. “Don’t think you’re getting away with this,” she said, while she stroked through his golden fur. “Why don’t you change back so we can make up the right way. By the way, I know where I want you to have your piercing. It’s on the same place I’ll rip off if you ever kiss another woman again.”
He rubbed his head over her legs again, this time more forcefully, and she almost landed on her ass. Although the man was usually careful with her, the lion clearly wanted to play.
“Kellsey.”
She spun her head to Riz. Her cheeks turned red. She had completely forgotten about his presence. He looked like he wanted to say something. “Yes, Riz?” she asked when he remained silent.
There was an uncertainty in his eyes that she hadn’t seen there before. “Tomorrow,” he eventually said. “Tomorrow we need to talk.” Then he turned around and walked away.
“Climb on my back.”
Her eyes shot to her lion. “Leroy?” She couldn’t believe she was able to talk with him telepathically, though she shouldn’t be surprised. Hera’s curse was lifted. Apparently, the white noise between her and his animal had also disappeared.
He licked her cheek. “My back,” he repeated. “I’m not a centaur, but I’ll give you the ride of your life.”
Now how could she say no to that?
24
LEROY
Leroy stared at the door behind which Kellsey was taking a shower. He had wanted to join her, but knew he then wouldn’t be getting anything done. All the Callahan brothers had just arrived. It had taken some time and effort to throw a last-minute surprise party for Kellsey. Jolene turned out to have a special talent for it and took care of everything with just a phone in her hand.
Tomorrow it was exactly twenty-five years ago that Kellsey had escaped from Chaos with her brothers. It was also the day that Moloch would assert his claim on her. Riz was going to tell her the truth tonight. But not until after the party. He didn’t want to cast a shadow over the festivities.
Kartal’s cage was moved to the living room and the mystical weapons that Riz had collected were hidden in discreet spots in the room. The Callahans wanted to be prepared for any contingency. None of them said it out loud, but they feared that this could be their last birthday together.
Leroy’s lion growled and he felt his claws shoot out. He had to give it his best to curb his beast. Nothing could have prepared him for the connection he had felt when his animal half telepathically connected with Kellsey for the first time. The Nemean lion was finally whole again, without a hint of madness, except being madly in love with Kellsey.
They had spent the night in the Highlands. He had crossed rivers, climbed hills, and raced through forests with her on his back. Only when they had finally returned home by sunrise had he changed back into a man. He had thrown her on the bed and had groveled.
She had accepted his apology the Kellsey way, by putting her hand on the spot she had chosen for his piercing, which was his dick. He had nodded with a grimace. Apparently, that hadn’t been a joke.
He frowned when he saw the helmet of Hades laying on the closet near the mirror. She kept forgetting the thing.
He sat down on the edge of the bed when the bathroom door opened. It immediately smelled like wild cherries. Kellsey had wrapped a towel around her. His lion growled app
rovingly.
“Come here and put on your Docs,” he ordered. It was time for that particular fantasy of his to spring to life.
She laughed while her fingers combed through his hair. “I thought men only had a pump fetish.”
“Nah. You. In your Docs. Gets me hot every time.” He leaned back on his elbows and stared at the gorgeous blush that spread over her face.
Kellsey had a great body. She was toned, with enough meat in all the right places, just as he liked it. He rose up and pulled away her towel. When her full breast came bare he couldn’t stop himself from pulling her nipple piercings. His amazon liked a little pain. She moaned when he kissed them.
“Soon we will have matching piercings,” she said, her eyes narrowed.
He chuckled. “That we will.”
“Maybe I’ll like pulling yours too.”
“Give it your best, babe.” He could see something was bothering her. He knew it wasn’t about them. They had already discussed their issues last night. Kellsey wasn’t the type who bottled something up and then went nuclear on his ass. “What’s up?”
“I have to ask you something about Cupid’s arrow.”
He’d been wondering if she would ever confess that she had wanted to seduce him with that arrow. “I’m glad your arrow missed me,” he whispered into her ear.
“What?”
“It wouldn’t have worked anyway.”
“Why not?” she squeaked in indignation.
“Because I already love you, babe. Have for years. Whether the arrow had hit me or not, it wouldn’t have changed my feelings for you.”
Kellsey gasped and he tried to stifle his laugh. “You knew about my truth-or-dare?”
“Of course. Lea told me during the Blood Games.”
“That slag! I’m sure she warned you not to kiss me.”
He put his hands on her ass and pulled her against him. “Actually, she proposed a twenty-four-hour sex marathon.” The fairy had tried to outsmart Kellsey by revealing her plan to him.
“Did she now? And what was your answer?” she asked sweetly. Her golden eyes sparkled and her fingers tapped on his shoulders.
“I turned her down, of course,” he said quickly.
“You’d better.”
“I was gonna change into a monster that night, after all,” he explained.
“You could have kept that part to yourself,” she grumbled.
He smiled. “Forget her. There’s only one thing you have to remember.” He took her hand and put it on his heart. “There’s only one woman this man and lion want and that’s you.”
She melted against him. “That sounds much better.”
“Besides, I had already planned to help you win,” he admitted.
“You did?” She look surprised and he shook his head. She really had no idea that he’d been carrying a torch for her for years.
“Yeah, I did. It gave me the perfect excuse to kiss you. And to show, just for twenty-four hours, what I really felt for you without creating any expectations with you.” Her eyes turned soft when he admitted the last part. Just a few weeks ago, he hadn’t been able to fight for them. Hell, only yesterday it has seemed as if his life was over. An endless ride in a long, dark tunnel without Kellsey’s light to guide him in the right way.
“I still have to ask you something about Cupid’s arrow,” she said to his surprise. “I kind of need his arrow with the lead tip.”
When she chewed on her bottom lip and put on her “what, don’t you trust me” face he knew something was up. “The arrow that turns love into hate?” he asked.
She nodded. “You see I, eh, have a wee bit of a problem as in a… stalker on my tail. Hitting him with the hate arrow seems like the easiest way to get rid of him.”
Leroy grabbed her chin. He knew an easier way. “Give me his name. If this stalker stops breathing ’cause his head is ripped off, the problem will resolve itself.”
She pretended to think about it. “No, I don’t think that’s an option. See, I don’t wanna hurt him. So, wanna join me on a new road trip? This time to find an arrow?”
Something wasn’t right. “I already have that arrow in my vault, Kellsey.”
“You do?” She sounded disappointed and he made a mental note to schedule a road trip soon.
“Yeah. It’s one of the items I’ve found during my travels, but there’s no market for it. Oddly enough, no one wants to pay for an arrow that turns love into hatred.”
She shifted on his lap. “Leroy, I have to tell you something.” She started telling him how she’d accidentally hit Macan with the arrow. He let go of her ass when he found that his claws shot out. The thought that another man, especially that alchemist, believed he had a claim on her was unacceptable.
“He made you a fucking ring?” he asked with a growl.
“Forget about the ring.” She waved away his question. “Will you give me the arrow?”
“Of course.” How could she doubt that after everything they’d been through? He would never understand her. His amazon was an enigma and it was just the way he liked her. Guess it was true what they said: women were meant to be loved, not to be understood.
“Excellent,” she said, sounding relieved. “Give me the arrow and I’ll take care of this wee problem.”
Over his dead body would he let her chase after the alchemist on her own. “I’ll help,” he offered smoothly.
This earned him a frown. “There’s no way I’m gonna let you bite Macan’s head off, Lee.”
“Who said anything about biting?”
She snorted and gave him a playful shove.
He would have had liked to start their day differently but knew she would be restless until they had resolved Macan’s issue. He kissed her and got on his feet. “I’m gonna go get that arrow from my apartment.” It might also be time to officially move his stuff into the Asylum.
“I’ll go with,” Kellsey offered and she turned around looking for clothes.
“No need, I’ll be right back.” He couldn’t let her leave the bedroom while the living room was being prepped for her surprise party.
His palm smacked her ass, hard, making her jump. “Don’t forget your helmet,” he warned.
She opened her mouth to tongue-lash him, but he nipped that in the bud when he took her mouth in a rough kiss.
He grinned. Yeah, she was gonna make him pay for the ass slap, but he could live with that just fine.
25
KELLSEY
With Leroy’s slap on her ass still fresh in her memory, Kellsey left their bedroom a while later and took the stairs down. She’d placed the helmet neatly on her head, of course. She smiled as she imagined his reaction when he would suddenly feel invisible teeth in his butt.
The sounds emanating from their living room made her believe her brothers were once again using the space for a sparring session. This happened on occasion with six alpha men living under one roof. No matter how big said roof was, they enjoyed challenging each other. She had therefore expected to stroll into a testosterone match, but instead walked straight into a nightmare.
Her brothers lay scattered over the floor like bowling pins.
The living room, which they had cleaned up earlier today, had been completely destroyed. The front door and an entire wall had been knocked out as if they had come into contact with a demolition machine. A shredded “Happy Birthday!” poster whirled on to the floor.
The reason for all the destruction stood like a nuclear bomb at the front door. The only way she could describe him was as a mutated human beast. Slices of flesh and muscles hung from his deformed body like melted cheese. He had a gold ring through his nose, horns, and the most malignant eyes she’d ever seen.
“It’s time to pay your debt, Rizzz,” the creature hissed.
Three women circled around Riz. They wore black shadow-like robes, a curtain of smoke. Their lips were moving but no words were coming out.
Riz spoke in a language she’d never heard before and he
walked right through the women. Blood was flowing from his nose, but he wiped it away and walked on to the creature.
Her other brothers were worse off.
“Get your filthy paws off me! Don’t fucking touch me! You won’t have me again! Never again!” Levi snarled, his back against the wall, his eyes like charcoal while he fought against invisible enemies. Kellsey had never seen him so enraged and frightened at the same time before. He seemed lost in a dark world in which he was chasing away his demons.
Kuno’s massive frame sat on his knees, staring in front of him with dull eyes. Her largest, most stable brother was reduced to a wreck. “So much blood. She’s dead. Dead,” he growled. “My mate is dead.” His trembling hands gripped his silver hair. When he changed into a wolf and howled for his lost love, chills went up her spine.
Qasim and Kartal stood opposite each other, as in a face-off. They had shackles around their wrists which prevented them from disappearing up in blue smoke. They each had knives in their hands and were taking turns stabbing each other. Her stomach turned when they continued to maim each other until their flesh had changed into bloody canvas.
Ronin lay on the floor, his back pierced with his own sword. “Can’t move,” he mumbled. “So slow. Am so slow.” It hurt to see him like that. As if someone had shackled a tornado. It was unnatural. All of it was unnatural.
Think, Kells. Think. You have to do something.
But she didn’t even know where to begin.
“When I heard you were letting her fight, I thought she meant nothing to you,” the creature hissed. “Just like all other living beings. That was the Rizzz I knew. The Rizzz who would keep to his end of the deal for which I have been waiting for twenty-five years. But then I discovered that you had taken her under your wing. That you were turning the world inside-out in your search for objects of the gods. All of which could be used against me. I sent my vampires’ nest to you during the Blood Games. As a little test. You failed, Riz. I now know that you don’t intend to return her to me as you had promised. No one leaves Chaos without paying a price. And no mythos gets out from under a blood oath without the Furies making him pay.”
