Love Potion: A Valentine's Day Charity Anthology

by Graceley Knox

  I'm totally hiding. Not like “hiding in a closet with two gods” kind of hiding. But hiding nevertheless. Broc and Herc have been chasing me down and showing up everywhere I try to settle. I need time to think about everything—time to process my feelings and disappointments. I wish being in love with two men—two gods—was my only problem. Even if there is some competitiveness between them, it's nothing they can't handle.

  It's my job. It's my entire existence. Living forever comes at a price, and that price is loneliness. I have friends. Hela makes all of this worth it, but I watch the world pass me by with no one to watch it spin with me.

  I can't help but think that maybe life would be easier if I were human. If I gave up being a Valkyrie and found a couple of hot humans to settle down with. Twelve hotties equals one god, right?

  Definitely. By that math, Hela has a harem of forty-eight mortals. Seems about right.

  I'm probably just a conquest anyway. Gods get bored and start fighting over things they can't have. Living forever gets mundane, so they have to stir up trouble to pass the time. Spoiler alert—I'm the trouble. And when they realize they're bored of me, it'll just be me to suffer the consequences.

  Bottom line: it's too risky.

  I just wish my heart would get the memo. Especially now, as I'm sitting in this underworld cafe drinking something that resembles coffee but also gives you the ability to stay awake for seventeen days. Both Hercules and Broc walk inside, determined eyes landing on me the moment the door chimes.

  Well, hell.

  "How do you keep finding me?" I ask incredulously, but both of them ignore my question and start talking at the same time.

  "We can—"

  "I'm not giving—"

  Broc looks at Herc and closes his eyes in annoyance before turning his attention back to me. "I'm not giving up on this. I know last night scared you, but there's something between us, all of us. Don't you think it's worth exploring?" He reaches forward and takes my hand before raising it up to kiss my knuckles. The love stone around my neck vibrates again.

  "And we're fucking gods. What honestly can they do to us? We will figure this out, Val. We've been playing this dance for far too long. The lingering looks, the banter. You care for me—I mean us. Don't even try to deny it," Herc adds while grabbing my other hand.

  Tears fill my eyes and threaten to spill over. He's right. I was constantly looking for reasons to see them, going to Broc's club, making sure to get assignments that would require me to see Herc. I've always sought them out and danced along the invisible line of intimacy.

  “I just...what am I to you both?” I ask, needing to know that this isn’t some fling, that they aren’t just pursuing me because they’re bored.

  Hercules steps forward to answer, lifting his hand to push my pale blond hair behind my ear. “You are infuriatingly curious. You’re quite possibly the sexiest person I’ve ever had the pleasure of kissing, and I find you absolutely irresistible. You make me laugh. You see me like no one else, and your sense of duty is so admirable. I want to explore this between us because I can’t imagine feeling this way about anyone else.”

  Oh gods, he’s perfect.

  “As for me?” Broc then says before leaning closer to me. It seems like the entire cafe has gone quiet and we’re all alone, hiding in a pretend bubble where responsibilities can’t find us. “I’m drawn to you in ways I can’t even begin to explain. My entire existence is about giving the world pleasure, and you’re the only person to ever return the favor. Looking at you makes me feel good, Val. I’m addicted to hearing what you’ll say next.”

  I let out a rush of breath, feeling anxious but knowing what I have to do. "Can we keep it a secret? Keep doing what we've done? Just for now, at least. Just until I've found the god of love and restored balance. Then afterwards, we can take on the leadership council together."

  “Fair enough. Let’s go get the dude and get this over with,” Herc says with a no-nonsense nod that accentuates his chiseled jaw perfectly. He then claps his hands and rubs them together enthusiastically.

  Broc, who apparently doesn’t understand the meaning of secret, leans forward and crashes his lips to mine, so overwhelmed with happiness that he can’t stand the distance between our bodies any longer. And I let him, because damn he’s good. I breathe in his scent before pulling away, feeling dazed and shocked that somehow I’ve managed to get these incredible gods all to myself.

  “Shit,” Hercules says before tensing. I draw my eyes to him then follow his line of sight to the door, where none other than Maximilian himself is standing, looking at me with pure, unadulterated joy. He caught me. He really fucking caught me. Broc and I were being foolish, blatantly sealing our arrangement with a kiss in an underworld cafe. The god of pleasure is hard to resist; his powers, combined with the love stone I’m safeguarding, make it nearly impossible to refuse.

  “Well, look what I found,” Maximilian says before everything goes dark.

  Chapter 8

  "What happened?" I question the dark room which is all hazy as I lie on the floor, staring up into it. I was with Broc and Herc...about to go after the guy we suspect is the god of love. Everything was fine, and then I can't remember what happened. The room is cold, freezing cold, but I can't sense anyone or anything in it.

  "Hello?" I question, starting to get more than a little bit worried. My years of training start to awaken my muscles, making me tense and ready for attack. I feel around my body, not finding any of the weapons that I usually carry and feeling a bit disturbed that someone stripped them from my body without my permission. I try to sit up only to realise my wrists and feet are bound by something that feels like string, but it’s impossible to break no matter how much I struggle.

  Suddenly, lights blast into the dark room, and I close my eyes as they adjust to the intensity of it. When I open my eyes again, I see I'm once again in front of the council, bright lights shine down on the seats, showing off the various scowling faces looking down at me. Though they’ve never particularly looked welcoming, there is a heavy tension in the air. My eyes scan the crowd, gathering my bearings until I see Maximilian at the center of it all, grinning like he’s won a prize.

  "Please stand," one of the council women, who I can't remember the name of, demands. I follow her command and smile tightly at them, wondering what the hell is going on.

  "You are accused of having relations with not only the god of pleasure but Hercules as well," Maximilian states, rather proudly and smugly.

  "You have no proof," I say, trying to call his bluff, because we definitely had relations—steamy, mouthwatering relations—but I'm not telling them that. Suddenly, I remember him seeing Broc kissing me at the coffee shop. Dammit. That portal really did one on my memory.

  "I saw you kissing Broc, and we have video evidence from previous encounters," he states. "We are horrified that you have broken our rules. These rules are in place for a reason."

  “And what reason is that, exactly?” I ask, making my spine go rigid as I stare at them. I feel the edge of my lip lift into a scowl.

  “There’s a balance! We get our missions behind the scenes!” the councilwoman shrilly declares. “We aren’t to interfere with their destiny; we safeguard their powers and guide them towards redemption at the creator’s discretion.”

  “So basically, we’re the creator’s bitch, destined to do his bidding,” I answer, deadpan. I suppose if I’m going to be stripped of my powers, I might as well go out in style. Everyone gasps, appalled at my blatant fury. "They’re old rules that make no sense. You can't help who you love!" I snap back, knowing I'm not helping my cause by arguing with them, but I'm not going down without a fight.

  "You can and should have. We are blessed to keep the balance, to be just and unswayed in our work of looking after the gods. To fall in love with any of them is to be swayed, to be untrustworthy, and therefore you cannot be a Valkyrie any longer," she says, and with one more disgusted look at me, she holds her hand in the air.


  "I vote for her to be made human and live out her days on earth with no powers," she firmly states.

  "I agree on the vote," each of them says until only Maximilian is left.

  "May I have a word with the accused alone?" he asks, leaving me confused.

  "Five minutes," the woman warns before waving her hand. I then appear in an interrogation room with Maximilian, sitting in a metal chair while he looms over me.

  "Sentence me and get it over with," I mutter to him. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

  "I can disagree, which means a full court judgement would be needed with a hundred witnesses. I could also make sure all those witnesses side with me in the judgement," he says, waving his hand and removing the top button on my shirt with a flick of his wrist, making me jump up out of the chair. He then places his hand on my cheek, leaving it there as I try not to cringe.

  "What would you want in return?" I dare to ask, even though I'm pretty sure I already have an idea. Maximilian has always made it abundantly clear what he wanted from me.

  "You to be mine. I'd look after you, marry you and be yours. You need not love me, just fuck me and keep me happy," he purrs, leaning close to me. If I were a smart woman, I would just say yes and find some way to escape later on. But I'm not that kind of woman. I smile, leaning closer and swiftly pulling my knee up right between his legs.

  "Fuck," he growls out in pain, falling to his knees as he holds his junk.

  "I'd rather be human and fucking myself for the rest of time. Thanks for the offer though," I say, stepping back.

  "Pretty and fucking stupid," he growls, hobbling away and using his powers to make the judgement room appear again. I stretch my wings out and gently touch the soft feathers, knowing I’ll miss them more than anything. Love came at a price, and I have no idea if it’ll be worth it.

  "I agree on the vote," Maximilian the asshole shouts, and I close my eyes.

  "Can I say something before you do this?" I ask.

  "No, yo—" Maximilian starts to say, but the councilwoman cuts him off.

  "Carry on, Val."

  "You all think this life is perfect, that you are happy without love and married to your work. To be blessed with wings and these powers is amazing, yes, but you’ve turned it into a curse because of the self-inflicted rules you give your people. Love should be boundless, beautiful and never pushed away. I believe in my heart, in my soul, those two gods are my fate." I finish my statement and close my eyes once more. "Now serve me my punishment, because I will never be sorry for loving them."

  "Valkyrie, you have broken our laws, our sacred rules, and now you will be stripped of your powers before being sent to earth. May the humans support your feelings on love more than the Valkyries do,” Maximilian states before a rush of power slams into me from all directions. My feet leave the ground as the power gets stronger, feeling like it is burning into my soul. I scream, a scream that feels like it never ends as the pain intensifies. My body feels like it’s being ripped in half. Each fiber of my existence is torn apart, bit by bit until there’s nothing left of me. I welcome the darkness that takes over, clinging to its sweet relief while dreaming of pleasure and unloved gods.

  Chapter 9

  “Stop moving, you’re going to wake her up,” a voice says while I burrow deeper into the mattress, enjoying the low, baritone voice that’s chiding another.

  “She’s pressing her fine little ass into my cock. You try keeping still,” another voice hisses, and I slowly start to wake up, stretching as I take inventory of the hard body holding me. And there’s a brief moment, for about three heart beats, that I forget that I’ve been stripped of my wings and am no longer immortal. Everything feels absolutely right.

  “She’s totally pretending to be asleep. Time to wake up, Val. Can’t hide forever.”

  “But sleeping and pretending that everything in my life isn’t a complete shit storm sounds like so much more fun,” I say with a grumble, which makes Broc laugh behind me. I slowly maneuver out of his arms and sit up, pulling the crisp white sheets up with me, covering my bare chest.

  “I’m sorry about your clothes,” Herc explains in a rush. “When your wings were removed, there was blood...we had to...”

  I slowly reach out and crush my index finger over his plump lips to shut him up. Since when is Herc nervous? “This isn’t the first time you’ve seen me naked, hmm? Just the first time without wings...” I roll my eyes. “Well. Way to be sensitive, I really appreciate it,” I reply sarcastically, not really caring. I’d always known that it would come to this eventually, didn’t I? I’d always give up forever for them. Even if what we had was only temporary.

  I rub my eyes then watch the two of them exchange a glance. “Val, we have a solution,”Broc says before kissing my shoulder.

  “Fucking me until I can’t remember how fucked everything has gotten?” I say, only half joking.

  Herc kneels at the bed beside me and places his hands in my lap. “That is on the agenda for today,” he says before smiling at Broc who is positioned behind me. I feel my hair being lifted from the back of my neck, and a light chain is wrapped around my neck as a thudding, pleasurable pulse shoots through me. He comes around to smile at me.

  “Hell, Broc, what are you doing to me?” I ask when a bright light starts to fill the room. I gasp, looking down at the love stone hanging from the dainty chain Broc has fastened. It hits just below my collarbone and is now pulsing with light, filling me up with warmth as I try to steady myself. I lean back, hitting my head against the headboard as everything goes dizzy.

  “Whoa, maybe we should have waited,” Herc says as the light begins to fade. I feel different, like I’m glowing within. And after a few more moments of silence, where I steady my breathing, Herc speaks in a soft tone.

  “It was always you,” he murmurs, and I look longingly in his eyes, feeling love bloom through my chest at the sight of his silver eyes and broad chest hidden behind a black T-shirt.

  “What was always me?” I ask.

  “You, Val. You were supposed to be the new goddess of love.”

  I smile, a laugh escaping my lips as I try to process his words. “I can’t possibly be the goddess of love, I’m a Valkyrie—”

  “Were. You were a Valkyrie,” Broc interrupts. “Remember when it glowed in the closet? When we were together...together? It sensed you then.”

  “That can’t be right...” I say in disbelief. “If what you’re saying is true, then if I accept this...then I...” I lean forward, crashing my lips to Herc’s in disbelief. This can’t be real. This can’t be happening. Because if it is, then I’m the luckiest damn woman—goddess—in the world.

  “I love you,” he whispers over my lips. “I love you so much.” I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling and guiding him towards me. Beside us, Broc shifts, placing me between the two of them.

  I turn around and give Broc a kiss, smiling when I feel his pleasure flow through me. Herc’s hands start running up and down my sides as he places kisses along my neck. I break away from him and take a moment to breathe in how absolutely perfect this is. “So how does this work? Am I suddenly a goddess now that you’ve placed the stone around my neck? I thought I was supposed to choose?” My eyes feel heavy with lust, but this feels like important information.

  “She finally gets the threesome she asked for, and now she wants to know how to become a goddess? Typical,” Broc says before pushing the sheet lower and sucking on my pebbled nipple. I arch my back at his touch and try not to moan too loudly.

  “It’s simple, Val,” Herc says before leaning closer, his breath washing over the ridge of my ear and my neck. “Just say yes.”

  At that, Broc plunges a finger inside of me. “Yes,” I breathe out in a whisper, feeling waves of god power flowing over my body and igniting every cell inside of me. It feels incredible, heightened by Herc’s and Broc’s bodies crowding around me.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t think that was loud enough. I n
eed to hear it again,” Herc teases, and I’m pushed onto my back, and my thighs are pulled open as Herc settles on top of me. “Say it again,” he orders before thrusting inside of me.

  “Yes!” I moan, using my free hand to grab the pillow currently behind my head.

  “Louder, Val. We want the whole world to hear,” Broc encourages, trailing his pleasure magic along my skin before directing it at my clit.

  Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand yeses fall from my lips as I accept both of them, and my back arches as crashing orgasms that feel like love and forever fill me up. I feel my heart bloom from my acceptance of this new life. Forever and always with gods that loved me all along.

  Chapter 10

  "Val, I promise you my soul. For now, for eternity, and for all of time," Herc says, and I try not to get emotional. Since becoming the goddess of love, emotions are my thing and can no longer be ignored. They must be embraced. Though my work of trying to change the Valkyries’ laws is not going to plan at the moment, I did get Maximilian to resign from his council position. I've also made three Valkyries leave their jobs for love...so I don't know if I'm close to changing their laws or not.

  Broc clears his throat, and I quickly turn to him. I run my eyes over my men, how their suits perfectly fit them, and how much I am looking forward to our wedding night later on. I am going to take these suits off slowly. Broc raises an eyebrow at me, like he can read my every thought, and I give him a cheeky wink before he starts talking.

  "My sweet Val, I promise you my soul. For now, for eternity, and for all of time," he repeats the ancient words. I look down at my fingers as they burn slightly before two rings appear on my wedding ring finger.

  "I love you two," I say, and they pull me into a hug as the crowd cheers. Broc gently kisses me before letting me go for Herc to kiss me. When the crowd’s cheers die off, I grin.

  "Time to party!" I shout into the packed apartment. Someone turns the music on just after I shout, which makes me feel like a badass. It might not be the romantic bonding ceremony with flowers and stuff, but it is ours. Sometimes traditional just isn't for everyone. This apartment is our new home, right next to Hel's place because I wanted to be close. Plus, I love the underworld, and so do my gods. So do most gods.