by Haley Weir
"No, it's my fault," she panted. Olivia touched her tingling lips with the tips of her fingers. "I need to control this. How do you do it?"
"I'm not exactly known for my self-control, Olivia." Eros tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You inspire the fiercest and most raw form of love in those around you."
"Then why can't I find it for myself?"
Eros flinched and dropped his hand to his side. "That's the rub, isn't it? I spent every waking second of my existence nurturing desire and lust...but it's a hollow form of love that pales in comparison to what you have." He gestured to Olivia with a wave of his hand. "I've never been in love. Just looking at you now makes me yearn for it."
"Someone will love you, Eros. But I don't think that someone is me," she breathed in frustration. "I came out tonight looking for fun. Hooking up with the Olympian that literally fills people with lust seemed perfect. Now that I see the real you...the guy who would go against his brother and all of the gods in Olympus to keep me safe…I think you deserve so much more than being used for selfish pleasure."
~*~
Uninhabited, Canada
The building smelled of must and mildew, snow covered the roof that looked like it would cave in at any minute, and the word “condemned” had been written in red spray paint on the exterior wall. And yet Balor sensed the unmistakable aura of magic nearby. Hours of tracking Styx, Olivia, and Adonis left him angry and exhausted. He was soaked to the bone and shivering despite his natural warmth as a bear shifter. His head throbbed painfully. Balor tried to quiet the voices with a long drag on his cigarette laced with Deadly Nightshade, but the concoction failed to take the edge off. He banged on the rickety door and shouted, "Styx, I know you're in there! It's Balor. Open up before I freeze to death."
The lower-level deity poked his head out of a partially boarded up window. "You look like shit, Fur Ball."
"Open the door."
"Olivia isn't here," Styx said with a shrug. "And, unless you're selling cookies, I don't see a reason to open the door. You messed up, pal. Liv is getting real sick of you running hot and cold all the time."
"Open the damned door!" Balor waited a second more. When Styx refused to move, he lifted his hand to blast the door with a spell. However, it swung open before the words even left his lips. Adonis allowed him entry with a murderous expression on his perfect face. Balor squinted his eyes at the strange nest of blankets piled onto an old mattress in the corner. "I see the three of you have made quite a home here for yourselves."
"Olivia didn't want us using magic," Adonis retorted. "She says humans have to live like this every day and it isn't fair that we can just will things into existence. I've learned through her just how selfish magic is."
"Even more so for a god like you, huh?" Balor failed to keep the hatred from his voice. Adonis quirked his brow in response, and it took everything within Balor not to take him up on the challenge in the Olympian's eyes. "I know first-hand how selfish the gods can be."
"Why are you here, Basilius? You know Olivia doesn't want to see you."
Balor swallowed his pride for a moment. "I need your help."
Styx clapped dramatically before shoveling a handful of cotton candy into his mouth. "I never thought I would hear a Son of Samael ask for help...it's rather humbling."
"Shut up," Balor and Adonis said simultaneously.
"Look, I need to earn her forgiveness, all right? I don't like asking for your help any more than you like helping me."
Adonis tensed. "You're in trouble, aren't you? This isn't for Olivia; you're doing it for yourself."
Balor cursed under his breath and kicked over an old chair that practically disintegrated on impact. A cloud of dust choked him for a moment. He coughed into his sleeve and tried to calm himself. "We can help each other."
"I don't think she needs your kind of help, Basilius."
"It's Balor!" he snarled. "And that isn't for you to decide."
"Like you didn't let her decide when you pulled the location of the sword from her memory? Be thankful she doesn't remember that." Adonis rushed him. The Olympian slammed Balor against the door, breaking through the rotted wood. "The reason you can't decipher her memories is because you can't look past your own bullshit long enough to pay attention to the one good thing you have."
Balor shoved Adonis off of him and pushed to his feet. He brushed off his coat, sneering over at Styx, who had done nothing to step in. "Say what you want about me, but I'm not who you think I am. Everything I've done, I did to protect those I swore to cherish above all. The one thing I did for myself might cost me Olivia…and I need to fix this. I don't know what I'll do without her."
"You love her?" Adonis questioned.
"I need her." The admission was a shock even to himself. Styx growled from his perch in the window, and Balor rolled his eyes. "What's the difference?"
"I don't have the patience or the time to explain it to you, but for a sage, you're pretty clueless." Adonis opened his cell phone and dialed a number. Balor couldn't quite make out the other side of his conversation. When the call ended, it was clear that something had upset Adonis further. The usually peaceful deity practically foamed at the mouth as he stomped back into the building.
"What's his problem?"
"He's in love with Olivia," Styx revealed. "I'm falling for her too, so we're a bit protective. Adonis hates the thought of her with someone who can't appreciate her for who she is. Not to mention, this is the second chick he lost to your family."
"I remember he went on a date with Diana."
"The poor guy is built like a brick shithouse, but he's got a soft and chewy center."
Balor stared at Styx as though he were insane. "Do you only think about food?"
"No, I think about banging Olivia until she can't walk, and I think about my marsh. Seeing as I can't have either of those things, I may as well enjoy one of the few pleasures this world has to offer."
Balor followed Adonis inside. A sonic boom blasted them both into the air, sending them sprawling into the snow. Burning debris rained down around them. Balor pulled to his feet and ran towards the burning building as Olivia stepped out of the wreckage. "Oops," she said coyly. "I sort of can't hear anything! Is everyone all right?"
Styx flew over and landed beside her.
The two of them exchanged a few words, but Balor couldn't hear past the pounding in his ears. Whatever was said, it stole the smile from Olivia's face instantly. She looked directly at him, and Balor felt the world shift...no, not the world, but him. Balor was thrown to the ground once more as the change came over him. His bones cracked and popped, rearranging beneath his skin as his body bulged in unnatural proportions. Fur spread along his limbs, covering Balor in a thick pelt. The flames of the burning motel danced in his eyes as his bellow of agony morphed into a beastly roar.
Chapter fourteen
Uninhabited, Canada
The bear ran off towards the trees as Olivia stared down at the place in the snow where Balor had stood. She had never seen him shift in the years she had befriended his family. Giddeon, Seth, and Madeu were able to change into their bear forms with ease, while Caleb and Balor preferred to use weapons and magic. A deep sadness and sympathy sparked within Olivia. She knew he endured mental pain from his connection with the gods, but never had she considered that his pain was also physical. It seemed all magic had a price. Olivia looked back at Eros, meeting his vivid gaze as he stepped out of the flames of the disintegrating building.
Her unlikely ally nodded his head in response to the silent question in her eyes.
Olivia sprinted after Balor. She followed the pawprints in the snow, ducking under low-hanging branches that obscured the path he had taken. Her boots crunched on the frozen earth beneath her feet and cold air burned her lungs, but still, she ran. The pounding of her footfalls echoed in the forest, synchronizing with the beat of her heart. A flash of darkness whipped past. Olivia stopped in her tracks. She glanced around, scanning the trees
for any sign of Balor. Her breath came in raspy gasps that released steam into the winter air.
A low growl caused her eyes to snap to a cluster of frostbitten bushes that arched over the mouth of a small cave. “Balor?” Olivia crouched lower to the ground and crept closer. Glowing eyes stared back at her from the darkness, but she felt no fear. Her hand lifted, reaching out to touch him. The warmth and softness of his fur were at odds with the fierce snarl that escaped the bear. Olivia smiled brightly as she inched closer. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she buried her face into his pelt. Though he looked different, he still smelled the same. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to cause you pain.”
Balor released a small huff that tickled her arm.
“I guess we both have to stop running in circles,” Olivia supposed. “I can’t just disappear when you say something that upsets me. Fate brought me to Destiny Falls almost six years ago with Casey, Rina, and Diana. I told myself for a long time that it was just coincidence, but I don’t believe in coincidences.” Her laughter caused him to curl around her like a living blanket and she snuggled against him. “I believe in divine interventions, vampire hunting, and voodoo hex bags under the floorboards. Maybe it’s time I start believing in myself?”
The large body against her side trembled. Olivia saw a flickering light in the depths of his eyes before the pelt receded, revealing smooth, unblemished skin. Balor pulled her against his bare chest, and Olivia tucked her head beneath his chin. She closed her eyes, content to just listening to his ravenous heartbeat. “I’m the one that should apologize,” he scoffed. “You’ve done nothing wrong...well, aside from stealing a celestial weapon and forcing me to chase you all over the globe.”
“Hey, I only went to Canada this time!”
“Anywhere that isn’t beside me is too far away,” Balor replied softly. Olivia was stunned by his confession. “No matter what anyone says, know that I feel things for you that I haven’t felt in a long time. The thought of you...being my mate is terrifying. You aren’t like your friends, Olivia. You run head-first into danger, and you don’t care what happens to you.”
She tilted her head up to look him in the eye. “So do you.”
“It’s different.”
“How?” she chuckled. “I never wanted to get close to you, Balor. I’ve seen you charge into battle beside your brothers without hesitation. Loving you could mean losing you and I...I don’t want to love you.”
Balor stroked her jaw with the pad of his thumb and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We knew from the very beginning that this would be complicated, but that didn’t stop us from stealing kisses in the shadowed corners of the castle or falling into each other’s beds.”
Olivia climbed into Balor’s lap, wrapping herself around him until their chests pressed tightly together. She felt each breath he inhaled as if it was her own. “I’m tired, Balor. I don’t want to run from you when I’ve been chasing after love my entire life. What I’m trying to say is that I care about you, and I want to be there for you, even if you don’t feel the same about me.”
“Whether or not I care about you doesn’t change my situation, Olivia. Of course, I care about you,” he sighed. “I’ve always cared about you.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Hecate. So long as she holds sway over me, I will never belong to anyone else. My body and my soul are hers to command as she pleases.” Balor shifted beneath her. He traced a pattern hidden in the intricate tattoos that covered half of his torso. Olivia brushed the mark softly. “I only have two choices to get rid of this…and I’m not sure I’m strong enough to do either of them.”
~*~
Uninhabited, Canada
The cold began to seep into his bones, and Balor knew they couldn't stay, but he held her a second more. For once, there were no promises, expectations, or judgments between them. Balor stood up with Olivia in his arms and carried her back to where the others waited impatiently. Styx grumbled about his tender bits trying to crawl into his body to escape the cold as Eros and Adonis tried their best to ignore the winged deity. Only Olivia was mad enough to find Styx even remotely charming. Balor found him to be exasperating at best. "Where to?" he asked the group of males that were oddly comfortable around a proclaimed Titan.
"We need to find someplace to train Olivia so…" Adonis gestured at the mess around them. "This doesn't happen again. It has to be someplace remote and somewhat durable, but nothing people would miss if—let's say—it caught on fire or imploded."
Eros scratched at his chin with a vacant look in his eyes. "How about an island? A beach would be a nice change from the snow."
"Do you have an island in mind?" Balor questioned. “One where the Olympians wouldn't find her?" He set Olivia down and summoned some clothing to hide his exposed body. The simple pair of jeans, shitkicker boots, and black sweater weren't anything special, but Balor didn't miss the appreciative glance Olivia slid his way. Even in the midst of the God of Beauty and the God of Desire, Olivia couldn't hide her attraction to him.
"How about Ogygia?"
Balor physically recoiled at the mention of the island. "I burned that bridge a long time ago. I'm not welcome there. Calypso wanted to be my magic conduit instead of Hecate, but I chose Hecate because she was stronger."
"The tiers to this god thing are really confusing," Olivia said. "How many gods are there?"
Adonis placed his arm around Olivia's shoulder. "Humans have fought wars and killed one another over that very question. Each faith has their own symbols and idols of belief. One is not more or less valid than the other."
Balor clenched his jaw and stepped closer to Adonis. He knew the male had placed his arm around Olivia just to goad him…and Balor was ashamed of just how easily the god had manipulated him. "What sort of Titan is Olivia?" he asked between tightly clenched teeth.
"Love."
"The thirteenth Titan is the Titan goddess of love?"
"Love, protection, hope, perseverance, and sexual pleasure," Eros answered in Adonis's stead. "No god or Titan ever lords over one specific thing. We are many, and we rule many."
Olivia waved a dismissive hand in their direction as she shimmied out from under Adonis's arm. "Look, guys, this whole my godly arrogance is bigger than yours competition is entertaining and all, but can we get to that island before I start losing fingers?"
Styx wrapped his wings around Olivia with a cheeky smirk. "Are we still going to Ogygia?"
"No. If Balor isn't welcome, then neither are we. From now on, he's one of us."
Styx snarled and gave Olivia a pathetic expression. Balor smothered his laughter with a poorly executed cough. It was obvious that the others disliked him and wanted Olivia as far away from Balor as possible. But their efforts only made him want to be around her more. "We can go to my island," Balor suggested. "It isn't big, but there's enough room where we can—”
"You're only mentioning this now?" Eros snapped.
"Uhh...yes."
"Why?"
"Because it's my island, and I didn't want you, Styx, and Adonis tainting it with your entitled bullshit." Balor shrugged and took Olivia by the hand. He pulled her aside, dropping his voice to a whisper. "My island will make you feel a little uncomfortable at first. It's meant to ward off Olympians, but I don't know how it will affect a Titan."
"What about the others?"
"They'll get a few headaches and maybe a bit nauseous, but it'll be fine. I sort of like the idea of giving the gods a taste of their own medicine." Balor went to cast a portal, but Olivia stopped him with a shake of her head.
"It's time to come back down to Earth, Balor," she said. "I'll book a flight in the morning. For now, let's stay at a hotel in the city."
"What city? It's a village of supernatural creatures who named it Uninhabited because humans are smart enough to know that this frozen tundra shouldn't be a permanent residence!" Styx tossed his hands in the air dramatically and shook his feathers. "Most of th
is country is just trees, mountains, snow, ice...a bit of grass…more snow, water, frozen water—”
Balor silenced the rant with a snap of his fingers. Styx fell face down in scorching hot sand that covered the coast of Balor's personal island. Olivia gave him a droll look over her shoulder as she went to assist Styx. "Really? What happened with the whole booking a flight thing? I bet you couldn't go one hour without using magic."
"A bet I'm not willing to lose," he retorted. "Welcome to my humble abode. It rains mostly, but we'll get a few days of sunshine here and there. The mansion is further inland."
"Mansion?" Olivia rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? Not only are you from the bloodline of Zeus himself, but you're also Arcadian royalty. Explains the spoiled prince thing and the arrogant magician vibes you got going on."
"I bought the island for us."
In a mad scramble of limbs, Olivia fell to the sands beside Styx with a look of utter shock on her face. "You what?"
"I bought it when the cruise ship stopped in Dublin," he confessed. "I was going to ask you to run away with me, but you had already hit the ground running before I got the chance to ask. You changed me on that ship, Olivia. Not all for the best, but you changed me nonetheless."
Chapter Fifteen
Silver Shores
She stared at Balor long after Adonis and Eros dragged Styx off the beach. They stood less than a foot away from each other, not speaking a word or breaking eye contact. Olivia crossed her arms and watched a thousand emotions flash through his eyes. "All this time...since the moment I saw you on that ship, I knew you were there for me," she said softly. Embarrassment and shame colored his cheeks, giving the stoic shifter a very boyish charm. "Longer?"
"Casey's ball," Balor revealed. "My eyes haven't strayed far from you since I saw you standing there in that garish pink dress. You giggled like a child with a naughty secret and tormented my brothers. After that, I couldn't get you out of my head. Once I heard that you stole the sword and left the castle, I tracked you down."
