by Mila Young
Unfortunately, Hades hadn’t been able to reel X in, despite how he’d managed to shatter the darkness. Whatever Hades still had to work through, X was free and using his freedom to dominate the world. He’d laid low for a while, but it was only a matter of time before he struck again. So I asked the gods to keep a vigilant eye over Catina as well as staying close to me.
Until X resurfaced, I’d train, mastering my power, getting used to the magic I could wield and practicing with every weapon I owned. When the day came that X showed his face again, I’d be ready. And I hoped to have four gods at my back.
“So,” Heracles said when we took a water break. “Have you spoken to Hades lately?”
Heracles knew how I felt about Hades—he’d been the first person I’d talked to about developing feelings for the god of the Underworld and Apollo, way back when they first arrived on Earth. Damn, that felt like a lifetime ago. Three, actually. I smirked at my own lame joke.
I swallowed the water. “No, he disappeared. I went to his place a couple of times, but he hasn’t been around. I’m starting to think maybe he stayed in the Underworld—perhaps finding a way to finally eradicate X. I want to give him space until he’s ready to come back.”
When I said that, a pang of sorrow shot into my chest. More than anything, I wished for Hades to return to Earth. I wanted to see more of him, to talk him.
I couldn’t help but feel like him staying away was partly my fault. But there wasn’t much I could do about it. If Hades intended to be scarce, I’d have to wait for him to come back.
If he ever did.
“Just give him time,” Heracles said. “The downside of being alive for eternity is not really having a concept of time. Give him what he needs, and I think he’ll return.”
My throat grew scratchy. I hoped he would. I didn’t say so out loud. Instead, I picked up my scythe. “Have you seen me work with this?” I asked. “I’m pretty decent with it.”
Heracles chuckled. “I haven’t, but I bet you’re going to show me.”
And I did.
Heracles and I trained for six hours straight before he finally told me he had to go.
“I have to go see my dad,” he explained.
“You’re meeting with Zeus a lot lately,” I pointed out.
His lips pressed together in a light grimace, and that worried me. “We have a lot to discuss. Maybe one day, I’ll tell you what it’s about. But I can share this—he’s proud of who you’ve become.”
It would have been great if Zeus came and told me himself. In the beginning, when I’d been unsure about who I was, he visited me. But now he remained on Mount Olympus, and I had to trudge through my self-doubt alone.
Although I wasn’t truly my own. I had Apollo, Ares, and Poseidon—and from Heracles, who was, and always would be a great hero.
“Will I see you tomorrow for another workout?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I have to go out of town. But I’ll send Ares. I hear you two get along just fine.” He winked at me.
I smiled and my cheeks heated, which was so unlike me. But there was no denying my reaction or his words. It was true, Ares and I made a great team. Who else did a fighter need but the God of War to practice with? Plus, we always got down to some different kind of exercise when we were finished. And I became hot just thinking about our time together.
“Well, I’ll see you around.” But I hesitated and instead of walking away, I approached Heracles and hugged him. I looped my arms around his solid torso, resting my cheek against his chest.
He stiffened at first, then embraced me in return and chuckled. “What’s this all about?”
“Life’s short. I don’t want to regret anything.”
He rubbed my back, and I pulled away. “See you later.” And I left the center while he remained behind, doing God-knew-what.
I climbed in my car and drove to Catina’s place. Since she’d returned, she’d taken a few days off work, and Tina allowed it. I told Catina I’d reported her as a missing person, and she was dealing with her boss and the local journalists insisting on hearing her story. Of course, she turned them all down and stuck with the story of not remembering who abducted her and that he must have released her one day because she woke up in the woods.
With Apollo’s approval, I gifted her with his necklace. The essence of the moon shone light in the darkest of times and repelled X in a way. So maybe it would offer Catina a few extra moments for escape or to call me if the monster returned.
When I knocked on her door, I called out, “It’s me.”
Since X had taken Catina, even though he had simply appeared in the room, she was nervous about everyone who knocked on her door. It was understandable; being kidnapped was traumatic in and of itself. Being abducted by some kind of immortal God, demon, or whatever made it much worse.
Catina opened the door and hugged me, her body slightly shaky. “I’m so glad you’re here. I was starting to get lonely. I don’t like being alone these days.”
“I had to finish working out with Heracles.” It felt amazing to use his real name, rather than keep secrets from my friend.
Since Catina realized I wasn’t exactly human, I’d told her everything. That my mentor wasn’t just any old personal coach, but Heracles, son of Zeus himself. That the four men I’d been involved with were gods.
“Did Apollo pop over earlier as I promised?” I asked, wanting her to know someone was always looking out for her, and she didn’t have to live in fear.
She sighed loudly, fingering Apollo’s pendant around her neck. “He’s eaten nearly half the food in the fridge. How much does he eat?”
I laughed.
“I still can’t believe what’s happening,” Catina said after we sat down in the living room with coffee. “You’re training with Heracles. You say it like it’s nothing. But it’s still impossible to wrap my mind around. And your whole family? I’ve known you since high school and somehow you’ve hidden yourself from me completely.”
I smiled. “I couldn’t exactly go running around telling everyone I was a hero. Kids get bullied at school for saying stuff like that.”
She laughed. “Well, I’ll forgive you for not sharing that kind of news with your best friend. How are the rest of your guys? Or should I say gods? Extremely sexy gods! I don’t know how you control yourself around them. Just having Apollo lounge on my sofa had me in awe. Not that I was looking at him in that way, he’s yours, but I mean…hell, he’s hot.”
I chuckled. “He is. And the rest of them are fine.”
“Damn fine,” Catina interjected, her eyebrows arching.
“You get used to it,” I said, laughing.
“I don’t know how. Those guys are hotter than anyone I’ve seen before. I understand now why you can’t just choose one. No wonder you want to be with all of them.”
I was still laughing. The fact they were gods wasn’t what it was about, although it sure didn’t hurt. And sleeping with them was amazing. But it was about how I felt around them, how they responded to me, how our powers linked up and became something bigger than when we were alone. I had a special connection with them all and I didn’t want to sacrifice any one of them. They meant the world to me, and the more time I spent with them, the more I intended to do whatever I needed to keep them forever.
When all three of the gods were okay with me dating all of them, why did I have to change anything? They weren’t all about exclusivity, and it worked for me. In some ways, I was so much more like them than I was like the humans.
“I’m not here to talk about me,” I demurred, changing the topic. “I’m here to find out how you’re doing.”
Catina shivered and looked into her cup. “I guess I’m okay. I get nightmares that are full of darkness, and I can’t help but see those fiery eyes. Whenever I see them, I try to turn away, but I always feel like I just can’t help but fall into them.”
I placed a hand on her arm, letting her know I was there for her. X had eyes that coul
d control anyone’s mind, and it was one of the ways he used to consume humans. Catina was lucky he hadn’t destroyed her.
“Have you been staying at the apartment completely alone?” I inquired. She hadn’t been back to work, and each time I spoke with her, she was home.
“Well, not completely alone.” She glanced up at me. “Oliver’s been keeping me company. He’s coming over soon.”
“What?” I asked in surprise. “Oliver?”
She shrugged again, blushing. “It turns out he’s a really nice guy. We’re getting along quite well.” She hesitated, her lips pinching, and she studied me with a mischievous gaze. “We’re kind of dating.”
I shook my head, surprised but not shocked. “Are you being serious? It happened so quickly.”
“Yeah. But you know how it is. When there’s something that works, you just can’t fight it.”
I giggled. Had Catina just compared her relationship with Oliver to my relationship with the gods? But I understood what she was saying, and I was gushing with joy for her. I couldn’t believe she was with Oliver, but she deserved a happy ending. The human one. As did he.
Catina and I would always be friends, even though she knew who I was now. She was still my connection to the human world, and despite being privy to the fact I carried some kind of godly power and dated three gods, we were still going to have girls’ night and gossip.
The balance between my divine life and my human life was important. The gods gave me enough of one, and Catina somehow managed to stabilize it out with the other. The shit with X was far from over, but it was great to know I had one foot firmly in each world.
And now I knew who I was, I could figure out what I wanted from life. Plus, I was ready for whatever X had in mind for me.
Bring it on.
By the time I arrived home, Ares stood outside my apartment, wearing the most mischievous grin, his blue eyes sparkling beneath the sun. Dressed in jeans that hung low on his hips, black boots, and a matching tee, he stretched a hand out toward me. His fingers curled around my wrist.
“Perfect timing.” He drew me closer, and I tucked the car keys into my back pocket before falling against him.
“What do you have in mind?” I wrapped myself around him, loving how his body burned with heat. Damn, he smelled so musky and delicious. I lifted my gaze to find his grin widening, and a tingle fluttered in my gut. He was so gorgeous—from the glimmer of his eyes to the husky sound of his voice. My heart beat quicker as I pictured him stripping me and having his way with me once we got inside the apartment.
He ran a hand through my hair and cupped the back of my head before leaning down and kissing me. It was full, open-mouthed, and so hot, I quivered under him. His lips were fire, searing me in an instant. I let myself fall, adoring everything about him.
The world around us tilted, and I held on tight, because moments later, a cool breeze washed through my hair and I broke free from his hold.
We now stood in a parking area behind several blocks of apartments.
Farther to our right I spotted a white trailer with half a dozen people, mostly uniformed cops, waiting to be served by the man sticking out the side window taking orders on a notepad. The breeze swished past again, bringing with it the most delicious aroma of slow cooked beef roast and baked bread. My stomach rumbled for food.
“Where are we?” I loved when the gods whisked me away to different destinations and surprised me, because who the hell didn’t love such devotion. My men were growing on me with each passing day, and I wanted them more than anything. Sure, at the back of my mind, I reminded myself they were freaking gods who lived forever, unlike me, but I refused to think about those implications. Not when for the first time I felt as if I finally belonged somewhere.
“California. They make the best tacos here. You’ve got to taste the fish ones.”
I looked across at Ares, a hand flying to my chest as giddiness swarmed through me. “I love tacos.”
He winked and looped an arm around my waist then hauled me against him. He walked us to an empty wooden table with upside down plastic milk crates for seats. “Take a load off. I won’t be long.” He stole a kiss lasting longer than a few seconds and swept me off my feet, literally, sucking on my lower lip. “You taste like candy,” he breathed before lowering me to the ground and walked away to grab us food.
I flopped down on a crate, tingling all over, checking out Ares’s ass in his jeans. Gnawing on my cheek, I had to pinch myself to believe I had such men in my life.
Police occupied the few tables around us, most of them chatting loudly, laughing. We must be near a police station.
Someone gave a wolf whistle behind me, and I turned around, along with half the officers.
Poseidon and Apollo strolled toward me, smirking, almost glowing beneath the sun that suddenly shone brighter in the clearest sky.
My heart skipped a beat to see them strutting closer, clear they’d planned this rendezvous with Ares, and that had me bubbling with excitement. After all the shit we’d gone through, I loved getting together with them over a meal.
While some of the cops returned to their food, a couple of the females at the table next to us eyed the newcomers, devouring them with their gazes. And who could blame them…? Hell, they were staring at gods.
But they were all mine, and my toes bounced under the table.
“Hey gorgeous,” Apollo said, taking a seat next to me, planting a kiss on my lips, his hand on my back.
Poseidon sat on the other side of me, his fingers crawling over my thigh, and he leaned in, stealing a longer kiss. “Missed you.”
I snuck a glance over the next table to where the ladies still gawked, and I wondered if their expressions were surprise along with jealousy that I’d snagged these incredible men all for myself.
“Of course, you all arrive as soon as the food gets here,” Ares declared, drawing my attention to him. He set a large tray filled with delicious tacos in the middle of the table—clearly he’d ordered far more than the two of us could eat.
Apollo chuckled and already reached for the food, as did Poseidon.
“Thanks guys.” I grabbed a taco before they all vanished. “I needed this.”
“I suggested we all meet in Italy for the best gelato, but I was outvoted.” Apollo took a big bite of his taco.
“Or Shanghai for delicious soup dumplings.” Poseidon glanced over at me and wriggled his eyebrows in such a devilish way, I leaned against him, loving how his warmth skipped over to me.
“Well, I organized this, so I got to pick,” Ares said. “Next time, feel free.” He gestured to the guys by waving his taco in their direction before taking a huge mouthful.
“Why here?” I asked.
He wiped his mouth, chewing his food before swallowing. “Amazing food, and I appreciate the dedicated work these officers of the law do, protecting people, keeping peace. It brings me joy to be in their company and look out for them.”
Made sense, since Ares was the god of war and civil order.
I returned to my meal. The tacos tasted divine, the seasoned fish melting on my tongue. I slouched, every muscle relaxed, and finished my first one, then reached for another. “Pretty sure I can eat ten of these bad boys.”
“Babe, I’ll order you as many as you want.” Ares smiled so gently, I beamed, unable to believe how much he’d changed since I first met him.
“We should definitely go for gelato after this,” Apollo added.
“Nobody wants gelato.” Ares chuckled. “It’s a girl’s desert.”
“That’s bull.” Apollo stiffened.
“Have to agree with Ares on this one,” Poseidon pipped in.
“I’ll go with you,” I said to Apollo. “I like gelato.”
“See,” Ares said a bit too loudly, drawing others attention. “Point proven.”
And all of them burst into laughter. I snuggled against Apollo and leaned in for a kiss. “I expect ice cream after this meal, you know that?”
<
br /> “Anything for you, sweetheart.”
We sat there, eating, laughing, discussing the true origin of gelato, and I couldn’t have been happier. Sometimes the simplest things were the best. I had three gods in my life who cared for me, adored me, and wanted nothing more than to make me smile. This was the kind of life I’d yearned for, although I couldn’t help it as my mind sailed to Hades. What exactly was he doing now?
Chapter 25
Apollo
I waited for Elyse in front of her apartment. I’d stopped at the florist and bought her roses. Red ones, the color of blood, the color of love.
We’d agreed to meet tonight as she’d been with Poseidon most of the day, and I missed her. I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. The past week, since we’d fought X in the Underworld, each of us had been with her, splitting up the time between us. The others kept an eye on her friend, Catina in case X returned. Elyse trained harder, and the three of us had scoured Chicago to see if X would pop his oily head out at any point.
He hadn’t shown himself, but neither had Hades.
I had no idea where the two of them were. I hoped that they weren’t together, in cahoots somehow. But since Hades had arrived to help us fight X, I was starting to think the guy didn’t want this world to have a bad ending after all. Maybe he was working on holding X in the Underworld to prevent any more damage on Earth, but it wasn’t like he shared anything with us.
Who would have known Hades could be a hero? I didn’t know why or how he’d changed his mind about being on our side, but he had, and that was what mattered.
I glanced at the screen of my phone, looking at the time. Elyse should have come home around six with Poseidon, but tonight she was taking longer. I didn’t panic, or think something had happened to her. She’d lost all of her extra lives, and she was down to the last one before her death was final, but she’d changed. She’d become a lot more responsible, and she looked after herself.
Having spare lives to keep you safe was a burden as much as a blessing. We’d all noticed that Elyse behaved differently, showing us that maybe she hadn’t taken her regenerating as seriously as she should have. And as long as she didn’t die one more time, everything was going to be okay.
