From Origins

by Mary Ting

  “I missed us so much,” he said, between taking breaths and gingerly kissing my neck.

  I opened my eyes to see the twinkling lights blend together on the trees, then I saw colorful dots and streaks explode in the sky.

  “I see fireworks, Mason,” I mumbled, dipping my head back from the pleasure he was giving me. We needed to stop, but my hands traveled down his chest. I wanted to touch all of him, every part of him.

  “I see them too, but you’re making me explode inside, Echo. We need to stop or I’ll end up showing more than I should.”

  I knew what Mason meant, and it made me giggle when he pulled back, panting and looking dazed.

  A noise behind the bush made us turn, alert. Mason and I got ready to shoot our lights.

  “Come out,” Mason ordered.

  Raising their hands, out came Jack and Mona from behind the bushes. “It’s just us.” Jack gave an innocent smile and a nervous chuckle.

  “What were you doing there?” Mason asked. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  “Don’t be silly, Mason,” Mona added. “We were admiring the stars and eating our dinner out here. It’s too loud in there with all the music blasting. We’re kind of old for that.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Jack spat. “I’m not old. I still got the smooth groove in me.” Jack did a funny twirl with his hips.

  “Oh, not that. Please not that.” Mona shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands, then placed them by her side.

  Mason grabbed my hand. “Well…have a good evening. Sky and I will be heading home soon. We’re going to say our goodbyes to everyone first. So we’ll start with you.”

  When they didn’t get the hint, Mason tugged me along after we said goodbye, and started walking toward the castle.

  “I told you he was a great kisser,” Mona said. “He’s got a nice ass, too.”

  I didn’t know if it was for Mason to hear, but his lips twitched to a grin.

  “Stop staring,” Jack grumbled.

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “Those two sure know how to entertain themselves.” Mason squeezed my hand and kissed the back of it. “It’s good to see things are getting back to normal.”

  “It sure is,” I seconded, as I happily looked up at the fireworks shooting from above.

  “Well…well…well…look whose styling.” Nick whistled, as Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades entered Bella Amore.

  All three wore jeans and black T-shirts that clung to their chests. Talk about being hot in there. I was sure they’d turn heads, looking like cover models on a runway.

  “Hades forced me to,” Zeus said, strutting toward us with his chin held high. “I feel so strange, almost naked without my cloak. Hades told me this…” He waved across his body with his hand…“is what people wear.”

  “Never mind, Zeus,” Poseidon said, giving a shoulder rub to his brother. “He’s upset we didn’t teleport.”

  “How did you get here?” Mason asked, moving a chair off to the side. He was rearranging the tables. There was still a lot to clean up and fix. Luckily, the fire was mostly isolated to one side of the restaurant. Thank goodness, Noah and Tim were able to put out the fire before it had spread.

  Hades slowly raised his lips into a smirk. “I did. I drove a car. I watched you and I learned by…how do you say...hands on driving? Oh, don’t worry….” He tossed a set of keys up in the air in front of Mason and watched them land in Mason’s hand. “It only has a few minor scratches. Oh…and you might need a new bumper. At least I returned it to you in drivable condition.” He patted Mason on the back. “You were right. Driving is so much fun.”

  Mason stood in total silence with his jaw dropped practically to the floor, staring at the set of keys in his hand.

  “It’s just a car. Get a new one.” Nick nudged Mason to snap him out of his stupor.

  “When did you…? How?” Mason sneered.

  “I wanted to know what it felt like to drive one, so I took one of yours. I didn’t think you’d mind. After all, you told me I should try it.”

  “I didn’t mean my car,” Mason grumbled.

  I thought for a second he was going to lunge at Hades. Nick must have thought so, too. He locked his arms around Mason. “Steady, Mace.”

  “You have a nice…what do you call…restaurant?” Hades said, gaping about. “You need to tidy up this place. No one will want to dine here.”

  “It’s under construction,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “And be considerate and ask next time. That’s what people do.”

  Hades winked at me. I almost smiled back at him. It was difficult to resist his charm, and I couldn’t blame them for trying things they’d never done before. I was sure they were curious about new inventions, and having to adapt must be daunting.

  “What’s that smell?” Poseidon’s deep blue eyes twinkled. “I smell food.”

  Before we could reply, the three gods dashed into the kitchen, scaring Everett. He had his hand over his heart while exhaling air just as fast he was inhaling.

  “Who invited them?” Everett asked, turning down the flame.

  Nick pushed through between Hades and Zeus. “Well…you see….” He scratched his head. “I had a bit too much to drink at the party two nights ago, and suggested that maybe they could blend in with us. We could let them rent one of our houses, and offer them a job when Bella Amore is finished.”

  “Are you crazy?” Mason spat. “Too much to drink? So then you must have been really wasted to have such thoughts…yeah…you weren’t thinking.”

  Hades’s eyes flared up as he moved closer to the burners. “You think we can’t hold a job and act like humans? They don’t believe in us anyway. Maybe it’s time.”

  “No.” Zeus looked at Hades sternly. “They can’t know about us. It’s the reason why we want to follow the Grand brothers, and perhaps we can…you know…the word when you spend time together.”

  “Hang out?” I answered hesitantly.

  “Yes.” Zeus nodded. “Hang out. So we can properly act among humans without exposing ourselves. How are we to learn the ways of humans if we don’t understand them?”

  “True,” Everett said, stirring noodles with a spatula inside the huge pot that could hold enough for an army. “I guess I can teach you to cook in this kitchen, since we won’t be ready to open for at least a month.”

  “Sounds good,” Nick said, folding the kitchen towels into a pile. “I can teach them how to be waiters, too.”

  “Excellent,” Poseidon said.

  “Cool.” Hades looked so proud. “I can say ‘cool’ right?” He looked at us for confirmation.

  Everett gave him the thumbs up. Then Hades repeated Everett’s action.

  “We might as well start now.” Mason arched his brows, most likely thinking this was an awful idea. “But let’s do one thing at a time. We’ll set up the living arrangements after the restaurant opens.”

  “Sounds like a good plan,” Zeus agreed, with a grin.

  “I agree too, but….” Hades bent low and looked at the flame burning underneath the pan. “Why is this fire so low? How do you expect it to even cook anything?”

  Before we could answer, Hades released fire from his hand. Not only did he char the chicken and the pots and pans, he started a fire in the kitchen that shot to the ceiling, spreading across the top. Suddenly I felt wet all over. The emergency sprinkler system kicked in. Then it felt like a bucket of water was thrown at me. Water was dripping down my hair and over every part of me. I slowly looked up, my teeth chattering as I shook from the cold. Poseidon looked absolutely astonished. We were all drenched, except for Zeus and Poseidon.

  “Uh…sorry. I kind of lost control there.” Poseidon posed a nervous half grin.

  “Out!” Mason’s temper was at its limit. Light flashed from his eyes and out from his fingert
ips.

  Everett looked mortified. “That…that was my chicken…my special recipe.”

  “It’s a sign that it sucks, Everett.” Nick chuckled. “I’m definitely not eating it now.”

  “Maybe it’s time to go back to Olympus,” Zeus suggested.

  Mason rolled his eyes and released a long sigh. “You can come with us to our house. We need to dry off and change. I’ll order pizza.” He took my hand and started walking out the door, but stopped to turn to Hades. “Oh, by the way….” He handed the car keys back to Hades. “You can have the car. Next time, please ask. I know gods don’t have to in your world, but in mine, you should. It’s just uncool.”

  Hades nodded apologetically. “Sorry about the fire.”

  “Yeah…well…that’s fine. It’s going to be more than a month for sure now until the opening. What’s another couple of weeks?” Mason said, then started walking again.

  “What’s pizza?” Zeus questioned Poseidon from behind us.

  “I’m just clueless as you. I’m sure we can eat it, don’t you think?”

  “Write it down so we can tell the others. The more they know before they assimilate, the easier it will be.”

  “Cool,” Hades said, as we exited Bella Amore to Mason’s car.

  I had to admit…they were brave trying to adapt to the new environment and to the new culture. They were pretty cool themselves.

  It was sweet of Mason to ask me out on a date. I had no clue he had planned this trip for us until today, nor did I know we were going to another house they owned up in the mountains. Mason told me to wait in the car. He needed to do something before he’d let me in. I wondered what he was up to. Whatever it was, it was exciting.

  It had taken us a couple of hours to get there, but I didn’t mind the drive. The scenery was beautiful and breathtaking. It had felt like we were getting closer to the clouds when Mason drove on the winding road. Though it was nerve-racking to drive up the lane that barely fit two cars, the view was amazing. We could see the tips of the trees and the snow that seemed just a touch away. They had reminded me of whipped cream on ice cream sundaes.

  Mason opened my door. “Ready?” He gave me his hand and helped me out. The sudden touch of the cold wind smacked my body, making me tremble and crinkling my nose. I loved the smell of the refreshing, cold winter. As my snow boots sunk, I looked behind us to see two sets of footprints and the white blanket of snow that covered as far as I could see. I turned my gaze to the cabin house where we were headed. It reminded me of the gingerbread house my parents and I used to make during Christmas, minus the sweet decorations.

  “I was always ready. The question is, are you?” I snuggled under his arm. His arm squeezed my shoulder and locked me into his chest. I loved his acts of affection toward me.

  Mason let out a chuckle. “So true, but you can be sure I’m ready now.” Something about the way he said those words got me thinking. What did he mean by that? “Before we enter, I need to tell you something,” he continued. “I need to blindfold you.”

  “Mason?” I released a sigh. My anticipation was growing with every step, and he’d just added more.

  Mason wrapped a cloth around my eyes and led me up a couple of steps. I heard the creak of the door being opened, and the noise of the wooden floor squeaking beneath my feet. I knew we were inside when I felt warmth brush against me.

  Without a word, Mason untied the blindfold, and what I saw before me brought tears to my eyes. The fireplace was lit. Countless candles placed around every inch of the room illuminated it like a sunrise. Rose petals adorned the hardwood floor, scattered about in every step I took, and the aroma of something delicious churned my stomach. The cabin was bigger than I had thought it would be from the outside; but then again, all of their houses were pretty large and decorated with the finest of furniture.

  “For my princess, who deserves to be treated like one.” He kissed the back of my hand, watching me stare in wonder.

  “Mason…you are amazing.” I jumped into his arms. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say.”

  Mason led me to the dining table, where a candlelight dinner was already set. “You don’t need to say anything. Let’s eat first. I’m starving.”

  “You’re always starving,” I giggled. Mason scooted my chair in, and placed a napkin across my lap. “You know…you would make one fine waiter. I don’t think your female customers could keep their eyes off you.”

  He sat down and placed his cloth napkin across his lap. “I only care for one.” He winked. “And I can tell she’s always looking at me. I don’t mind, because I’m always staring at her.”

  “Did you plan this all by yourself?” I asked, cutting through the halibut and taking a bite.

  “Actually, Nick and Everett, and believe it or not, Hades, helped me.”

  “Hades? Really?” I chuckled, taking a sip of water.

  “Just as we entered, they went out the back door. Who do you think started the fire and lit all these candles?” Mason snorted. “Not that my brothers couldn’t, but Hades could do it with one shot. It was Nick’s idea. He wanted to save time, so he could meet up with Kayla. Looks like they’re going strong, despite who he is.”

  I nodded with a smile, thinking of my cousin. “Yes…she’s awesome. She still asks me on the phone if it was a dream. I can understand though; sometimes I wonder too. But I don’t want you to be my dream. I want you to be my reality.”

  Mason gave me that sexy grin that produced funny feelings in my stomach. “Me too.”

  I wiped my mouth with the napkin. “If it’s okay…I’ll stay with you until this semester ends. I haven’t enrolled for the next semester yet, and I’m still deciding if I should return or wait till next school year, but I would love to work at Bella Amore, just to have something to do. What do you think?”

  Mason had opened his mouth to eat some broccoli but stopped. “You know I will support you in whatever you want to do. And of course I’ll hire you. In fact, I’ll teach you to run the restaurant and you can be the manager if you’d like. I’m not going to force it on you. I want you to know that the option is there.”

  I relaxed my shoulders and sat back in the chair. I didn’t know why I felt so intense. “Thank you.”

  “So…how is everyone doing?”

  “Mona and Jack are back at Kelly’s diner. Zara made my aunt forget everything that happened, which you already know. But she agreed not to erase Kayla’s memory, which you already knew too. Hmmm, what do you not know?” I took a moment to pause. “Well…my parents are living together. They’ve rekindled their marriage and everything is back to normal. It’s funny how it seemed so long since my dad was away, yet having them together, it feels like it never happened.” I took a second to breathe and took another bite of my fish before I continued.

  “Mom is dealing with having another child, especially not knowing what he or she will look like. Zara will help her through the process, tend to her needs… since she can’t go to a hospital. I think you know everything now.”

  We chatted and laughed as we continued to finish our meals. Mason had even bought cheesecake for dessert. After we finished, we sat in front of the fireplace. It was so romantic and peaceful, just the two of us, that I didn’t want the night to end.

  “Can you freeze time so we can be here forever?” I snuggled closer to him. The fire kept us warm, but touching Mason was better.

  “Here,” he said, draping a light blanket over us. “I wish I could. But I’m not God. But I’m just like a god in everything else.” He twitched his brows, biting his bottom lip.

  Yup…that did it. His arrogant personality and his flirtatious way turned me on immensely. It was bad enough being in the same room with him, just the two of us alone, but feelings of lust and desire tingling through my body made me feel way too hot.

  “I have to ask you something. Stand up,” Mason ordered, and helped me up. Still holding my left hand, he kneeled down and reached in his pocket with his other h
and. Peering up at me, his eyes radiated from the lights. “I already asked your parents for permission, and you already said yes, but I needed to make it official. We can take our time, though I prefer sooner rather than later. When you are ready, we can set the date. Skylar Rome…will you be my mine forever?”

  “Yes, Mason.” I choked up. “I already said yes, silly. You don’t have....” I stopped speaking when he slipped a huge diamond ring on my finger. “Mason,” I whispered, feeling a lump in my throat. I tried everything to keep the tears at bay, but they flowed through my happiness.

  Mason stood up and cupped his hands behind my neck. “Now, it’s official, soon to be Mrs. Grand. You can do with me as you please. I’m all—”

  Before he could say another word, I crushed my lips to his. Mason parted his lips and entered my mouth with his tongue. He kissed me back with so much desire and passion, that just his kisses alone filled me up. Mason slowed down while he nipped and licked my neck in that perfect spot that made me crumble even more, especially since the night his hands had gently touched me in the places he did at the Night Forest.

  I pulled off Mason’s sweater, ran my hands up his warm chest, and kissed his collarbone. Hearing a groan from him told me he liked what I was doing.

  “We don’t have to do anything,” Mason murmured, nipping by my ear.

  “I want to. It feels right tonight,” I said, between sucking his lips again. “Did you tell your brothers that you were going to ask me?”

  “They approved.”

  I knew Mason was giving in when he took his sweet time unbuttoning my sweater. “I want this moment to last. I want to make sure you remember our first time together,” he hummed in my ear.

  When the sweater was off, Mason draped the light blanket over me again, and kissed me as he undressed the rest of me. He led me down lower and hovered over me, using his elbow to support his weight so he wouldn’t crush me. Having the candlelight glowing around us made it enchanting.