by Lisa Oliver
“It was a little difficult to make out, exactly. I was hoping you could tell me.” Lasse laughed. “I’ve never heard Thor in such a state. He called me up, talking nineteen to the dozen something about magic storms, perfect asses and how apparently you thought he’d rejected you as a mate.”
“Well, considering his first words to me, after he introduced himself, was that I wasn’t suitable as a mate because he was a god and I was short, I call that a rejection, don’t you?”
“Ouch.” Lasse’s face showed he was sympathetic.
“It gets worse.” Orin found Lasse surprisingly easy to talk to. “Then, the big lug tried to backtrack, telling me to forget the conversation because I was human and apparently humans don’t do well with the idea of immortality with one specific person. I told him I wasn’t human and knew exactly what mates were. I also pointed out to him that the decision to mate wasn’t only his to make – a statement Thor felt was akin to the entire universe falling apart because he was a god and gods don’t have equals in their relationships.” Orin sighed. “To be honest, with all that I’ve read over the years, about how the ancient ones have behaved in the past with each other, I can see where his ideas came from, but it doesn’t make them right. Oh, and he doesn’t like books.”
“The ancient Gods tend to be spoiled rotten. It’s all to do with them being worshipped so intensely I think, back in the old days. All those temples, celebrations and sacrifices went to their head. Take my dad for example. When he met his mate Claude, they claimed each other without talking about anything. Claude is an alpha wolf shifter and runs his own pack. Sei loved the sex but didn’t want to be tied to anyone – he even went to the Fates to ask if they would break the mating. They laughed him out of their domain and told him to suck it up and get used to it. You should see them together now; they are so soppy it makes you gag.”
“And you’re not the same with your mate, I suppose.” Orin teased. He didn’t feel any better about Thor’s rejection, but Lasse had a way of making him feel like part of the family, which was nice. “I know Thor won’t stick with me and if he thinks he can add me to his one-night stand list, he’s sorely mistaken. We’ve got nothing in common and he’s another one who’s sexual exploits have been chronicled through time.”
“Fated Mates don’t stray,” Lasse said, swallowing another hunk of bread. “Gods, this salmon is good.”
“Surely that rule doesn’t apply to gods? I mean sure, I know that with my genetics, I’d be faithful to anyone I claimed as mine, but surely the likes of you and Thor don’t have to adhere to the same standards. I’ve read texts for decades that tell of how morally ambiguous gods can be. No disrespect intended.”
“None taken.” Lasse held out his hand and another crispy loaf appeared. “Have some more.” He cut them both a slab of bread and then offered Orin the knife. “If you want my opinion, and it’s only a guess, I think the Fates left the gods alone for longer than time, thinking they would eventually forge their own lives. I mean, the likes of Thor and my father were revered for centuries – worshipped, but the modern generations have only read about us in stories. No one worships us anymore except for a few small sects and after the Great War we were forbidden to interfere in human affairs. So, people forgot about us.”
“Sad but true. Is that why you think the Fates are now linking gods to paranormal mates?”
Lasse nodded. “I started thinking along those lines when Thanatos found his mate. It was so surreal. The man had married but he had to face his wife’s death and I don’t think any of us really understood how lonely and cut off from life he was. He found the sweetest wolf shifter you could ever hope to see, and that little cutie is perfect for him. But then I thought, maybe it was because he was Death. You kinda expect him to be lonely, but then my dad found his mate too and I got to thinking why.”
“Why now, or why mates?” Orin leaned back on the pillows, rubbing his stomach. He was stuffed.
“You’re smart.” Lasse grinned, showing perfectly straight teeth. “Both actually. Think about it. Gods have roamed with impunity for millions of years. Millions. And yet here, in the twenty-first century, what do we do? What purpose do we have? Thor is typical of so many gods. He’s bored, lonely, and there’s not a force on this earth that will make him admit it. My dad was the same. Oh, his bedroom had a revolving door on it – when you meet my dad, you’ll see why. He’ll adore you, but he never stopped to talk to anyone except Abraxas and that was one day every five years. He took me and Nereus in when it was found we couldn’t live in the House of the Sun, but he didn’t really care about anyone outside of his family. Now he does. He has Claude and the twins and a whole wolf pack, and he’s more human now, if that makes sense.”
“It does.” The pang Orin felt over the plight of the gods was something he’d felt for years. He often used to muse what it might be like to have all that power, and yet no one to completely trust or cling to when they were having a rough day.
Lasse stood, and brushed the crumbs from his fingers. Then he cupped his hand over his mouth and huffed out. “Darn, my breath still smells of salmon.”
“Try a slice of that cheese,” Orin pointed to a particularly tasty Edam. “That should kill it, although, you know I’m sure if Jason wants to eat seafood, like as a craving because his baby’s related to Poseidon, you should let him eat it. Cravings are an indication of something a body needs because they are lacking something.”
“I’d forgotten all about that side of things,” Lasse threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Abraxas had Helios stopping for fresh Halibut every day for about three months when he was pregnant with me. When he was pregnant with Nereus he craved crab meat for weeks. I will have to learn to be a little less protective, or Jason’s going to have me sleeping on the couch.”
Orin marveled at how easy it was, talking to Lasse. If only things with Thor were that simple, and, just like he expected a god would do, Lasse picked up on his feelings. “Don’t give up on Thor. He opened his mouth and his god-given arrogance came out, but underneath that arrogant exterior is a guy with a heart of gold. You did the right thing. You put him in his place and very few people can do that. Believe it or not, he’s worried sick he’s ruined things before you’ve got a chance to get to know him. Get some sleep. From the looks of things, Thor’s inappropriate comments isn’t the only thing weighing on your mind. No, I don’t need to know what it is, but Thor has asked me to take the pair of you down to Poseidon’s lair tomorrow, which I will. It’ll give you the chance to meet Jason and Artemas. Believe it or not, you’re family now and with the gods on your side, there’s nothing you can’t achieve – even taming Thor.”
I don’t want to tame him, Orin thought as he watched Lasse leave. Climbing under the covers, he snuggled into the ridiculously soft pillows and closed his eyes. I just want someone to love me for once in my life. To accept me as I truly am. Surely, that’s not too much to ask?
Chapter Seven
“For a god, you can be a right dick, did you know that?” Seeing Jason sprawled across his couch like he was staking a claim did nothing to improve Thor’s mood. Lasse was in there, with his little cutie, and as much as Thor trusted his friend with his life, the whole situation didn’t sit right with him.
“I’m a god. I’ve never had to censor what comes out of my mouth before.” Thor paced. Thunder crackled under his skin and his fingers tingled.
“You told your Fated Mate, yes your Fated Mate, they’re not dirty words, Storm Boy, that he was short. You get a fantastic gift from the Fates themselves, and instead of praising his beauty, or his bravery or any other shit like that, you put your huge foot in your mouth and told him he wasn’t suitable for a god because he was short.”
“Small of stature. I was being polite.”
“Short,” Jason snapped back. “It means the same thing no matter what fancy words you use.”
“Huh. You can talk about fancy words. When was the last time you told Lasse how handsome he is? Or brave, or l
oyal or supportive or just damn sexy?”
“Lasse wanted me from the moment he saw me, because he saw me for the gift I was. I thank the Fates every day he gave me a chance to apologize for my oafish behavior.”
“I don’t understand why the Fates started giving people of the god line mates, anyway.” Thor stopped pacing long enough to count off his fingers. “Poseidon, Thanatos, Sebastian, Nereus, Lasse and Abraxas. For fuck’s sake, who’s next – Hades?”
“Hades is actively mate hunting according to Nereus.” Jason shrugged. “He heard about Sei and face it, it can’t be fun ruling the underworld with nothing but the hell hounds and Cerberus for company.”
Thor grudgingly agreed. The underworld was fun when he wanted a fight, but it was a gloomy and lonely place for the most part. “Okay, so Hades deserves a mate, and Sei is sickeningly in love with his. Lasse and Nereus – gag worthy. I’m not cut out for hand feeding a significant other and staring longingly into someone’s eyes.”
“What color are Orin’s eyes?”
“Sea green.”
“So, you did notice something other than the fact the man was short.” Jason chuckled. “And of course, you didn’t have a complete fit at Lasse wondering what the hell you’d done to offend…what was it you said? The most perfect ass in existence?”
Don’t remind me. Fuck. Orin’s ass should be cast in gold and set on an altar for Thor to worship. “What’s taking Lasse so long?” Thor waved his hand in the direction of the hallway. “Aren’t you getting all possessive and jealous because your mate is in a bedroom with another man?”
“Lasse will be doing what he does best, making friends with your mate. Talking to him, asking him about himself and generally showing that poor boy that not all gods are assholes.” Jason coughed and then laughed. “That could take a while. You got anything to drink around here that’s non-alcoholic?”
“Take your pick.” A range of bottled beverages appeared on the coffee table. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now. I thought you were supposed to be telling me how to get Orin to talk to me again?”
Jason took his time, examining every label on the range of drinks Thor provided. Finally, selecting one, after what seemed like an hour, he unscrewed the cap and took a healthy swig straight from the bottle. “Hmm, not bad. I’ll have to ask Lasse to stock some of this stuff.”
“Asshole.” Thor resumed pacing.
“Look, I don’t know a fuck about hearts and flowers and all that soppy stuff. That’s Lasse’s gig, not mine. Me, I think you need to slap yourself around the head and think of ways to grovel. I’d suggest sexing the guy so hard he can’t remember his name, but it seems your sweet mate is immune to your lust. Anyway, why are you worrying at all? You pretty much said you didn’t want him as a mate anyway.”
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I just thought maybe him and me should talk about what we have in common first. He’s a book nerd, man. He’s like a super short, shiny version of Artemas.”
“There you go with the short comments again.” Jason sighed. “Did you ever stop to think, that when the Fates were pairing us with the other half of our soul, that the whole point is our mate won’t be like us? That the pair will complement each other with individual strengths that are equal to each other?”
Thor huffed. “There’s that damned equality concept again. I’m the Norse God of the Storms. There is no equal to me.”
“I could think of at least a half a dozen gods who’d disagree. Forget about being a god for a moment. Think about yourself as a man.”
Yeah, right. Thor grimaced to show he was listening.
“Okay, it might be a stretch for you, but run with this idea. You’re a man and the Fates send you another man as a mate. A man who is exactly like you. He’s big and strong. He loves to get into brawls, win every fight – physical or verbal. He’s never wrong. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, including you. He’s always on the go, one activity after the other and at the end of the day all he wants to do is chug down some beers, belch, and fuck your ass before passing out.”
“I’m not that bad.”
Jason quirked a dark eyebrow. Thor wondered if he knew that his hands were curved protectively over his stomach.
“Okay, so, me and this hypothetical mate you’ve created would be busy active people.”
“You think?” Stretching his legs out and putting his feet on the table, Jason leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. “You and the hypothetical mate would be fighting all the damn time. You’d never get to do anything because you’d both be arguing over every single facet of your lives, right down to who’s going to bottom. Sounds exhausting to me. Imagine doing that for eternity.”
Thor did think about it. He barely noticed Lasse coming out of the spare room, stopping just long enough to say Orin was sleeping before whisking Jason home. He thought about the highlights of his life, and realized every one of them happened when he was with another person – usually Lasse. And as the sky slowly lightened and the world was at that point where the new day was hinting its promise, he thought about the concept of loneliness and how his heart hardened when the world stopped believing in him as a deity. As the sun slowly peeked its way through the gaps in the skyscrapers, Thor was prepared to concede there was a good chance the Fates might know what they were doing after all. Now all he had to do was work out how to fix the problems he’d caused.
Chapter Eight
Orin wasn’t sure what he expected when he made his way into the living area of Thor’s apartment, but it wasn’t the sight of his prospective mate sitting at a kitchen table in the same clothes he’d worn the night before, with a pensive look on his face. “Is everything all right?” He felt compelled to ask. While last night was a victory of sorts to him in terms of sticking up for himself, it was a petty one that didn’t sit well with him in the cold light of day.
“I feel I owe you a very big apology, but must confess, I am at a loss at how to deliver one.” Thor looked over, a sad smile on his lips.
That doesn’t sound like the Thor from yesterday. Orin edged closer to the table. Just being in the room with his mate sent his magic soaring, his body heating. “It’s possible we both got off on the wrong foot yesterday. You did zap into a stressful situation, for me at least, and I am really thankful you did. I was mere minutes away from fading.”
“Fading?” Sadness gave way to curiosity. “You have elf blood? I don’t know of any others who use that term.”
“I’m a hybrid.” Orin slipped into the nearest chair and rested his elbows on the table. “My father was elf, but he left my mother before I was born. She was a cat shifter. She died, must be fifty years ago now, and as my father’s family were never welcoming and I could never visit the elf realm because I am a hybrid, I’ve learned to get along on my own.”
“That must have been difficult, looking the way you do.”
So much for thinking he’d had a change of heart. “Look, if you’re going on about my lack of height again….”
“No. That wasn’t it at all,” Thor interrupted quickly. “I meant you’re very beautiful to look at, very striking for a man, and I guess that could lead to unwanted attentions at times.”
The anger drained out of Orin like a pricked balloon. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “That’s a lovely thing to say, and yes, it has been difficult at various times, although I do have magic which has proven helpful. Perhaps we both made assumptions yesterday that would be better ignored.” He stuck out his hand. “Hi, my human name is Orin Green. I’m half elf, half cat shifter and I believe we’re mates.”
“Hello Orin Green, it’s lovely to meet you.” Orin almost swooned as Thor took his hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his knuckles. “I’m Thor, no last name, God of Storms and I believe you’re right. We are mates and I’m looking forward to getting to know everything about you.”
The heat in Orin’s body bubbled hotter, lava shooting to every extremity. T
hor’s lips didn’t linger on his hand, but he didn’t let go of it either. Orin looked up, mesmerized by Thor’s gray eyes. It was as if someone sucked all the air out of the room. He leaned forward, not even aware he was doing it. Thor did the same. Eyes focused only on each other, Orin gasped as the god’s lips came so…damn…close….
“Well, isn’t this cozy.” Lasse’s voice sounded behind them, and Thor jumped back as if he’d been scalded, although he kept holding Orin’s hand on his thigh.
“We’re having a damn moment, here. Don’t you ever knock?” Thor snapped.
Lasse pointed at the clock. “Ten o’clock, on the dot, as requested. You wanted to be taken to see Artemas, remember. Unless you want us to come back later.”
“We should go,” Orin said quickly, unable to face his new friend while his face was the color of beetroot. He looked up at Thor. “I’m not putting the needs of a book ahead of you, no matter how important it might be, but….”
“The sooner it’s disposed of, the safer you will be, little one.” Thor nodded. To Orin’s disgust the god didn’t even look flustered after their near-kiss. “Perhaps, when we’re done down there, I can take you for a meal somewhere nice?”
Orin was going to have to start carrying around a personal fan, if only to stop his cheeks from burning. “I’d like that, thank you.” Thinking quickly, anything to divert his mind from the things he’d like to be doing, like stripping off and bending over the table, begging Thor to fuck him, he looked over his shoulder. “Lasse, it’s good to see you again. Perhaps you’d like to introduce me to your mate?”
“Such lovely manners, and you’re right.” Lasse winked at him. “Orin, I’d like you to meet Jason, also known as Ja in some circles; sphinx and holder of my heart.”
“Not literally I hope. That could get messy.” Orin turned so he could nod at Jason, awed by yet another tall, well-built man. He was glad he was sitting down; he felt positively dwarfed in present company. “Nice to meet you.”
