“You must be certain before you start a war with Aerios.”
Ciro swung to face his friend and walked toward him until he could feel Sisqo’s breath against his face. “Before I start a war with Aerios? Oh no, my friend. That ship has long sailed. Aerios started this battle a long time ago. I was perfectly happy to let him go on throwing his little tantrums. But he is not going to quit, and I cannot let him go after Carter again.”
“So his name is Carter. You have not told me much of this man—in fact you have not told me anything at all.”
“It is not important.” Ciro backed away and picked up the bottle of whiskey. He stared at it before taking a long drink.
“Obviously it is. You cannot ignore this man—he is what the fates have woven for you. And to top it all off, Aerios has taken a liking to him. No one wants that.”
“I cannot keep falling for him, Sisqo. I can no longer entertain the idea of being with him.” He glared at the bottle of alcohol. All he felt after drinking the crap was worse. His head throbbed more, his knees weakened and his throat burned. “This stuff does not work. I do not see why humans consume so much of it. It does nothing for the ache.”
“That is why there are programs for people who overindulge in alcohol, Ciro. You cannot drink too much of it.”
After lowering the bottle to the counter, he turned to walk out of the room.
“Ciro.”
He stopped and looked over his shoulder.
“You do know that if you need assistance with this, I will be there. I cannot see you break like this and do nothing.”
A smile crossed Ciro’s face. “I know, my friend. But some roads a man must walk alone.”
“Are you forgetting, Shiver? You are no man.”
Ciro nodded and exited the room. But he didn’t gain the silence to ponder, as he’d hoped. There, sitting on his bed, was Hera.
“Oh what fresh hell is this?” Ciro muttered.
He shook his head and leaned against the doorframe, watching the woman who had hated his mother so deeply that she’d turned all his mother’s offspring into monsters. Her black hair was flawless. It cradled a lovely face with eyes colder than the coldest weather he could create. She had a body to die for and that was probably what happened to anyone, other than Zeus, whoever touched her. They ended up dead.
“Why are you here?”
“I heard you have fallen in love,” she said simply.
“I see. So I guess you are here to wallow in my heartache. If that is the case, Step-mother, you can leave the same way you arrived here.”
Walking farther into the room, he stripped off his jacket then peeled off his shirt.
“You have grown into a rather sexy, young Shiver, Ciro,” Hera cooed, floating up behind him and running a hand over his shoulder then down to the center of his back. Ciro arched away in disgust and whirled around to face her. Lightning snapped across the sky outside as a gust of wind imploded the window in the room. “Do not touch me!” He growled.
“Oh!” Hera shivered visibly.
It wasn’t the reaction Ciro had been expecting. He wanted to scare her half to death but he should have known better. His roughness only aroused her—he could smell it.
“This one has fire.”
“Why are you here?”
“I am here because, well…I may be of some assistance.”
“You ruined my mother’s life, took away my birthright and the inheritance of my brothers, and now you want to help me? I would not take it if you were the last goddess on Mount Olympus. Now go to Tartarus.”
“Hell—Hades would not like that. What I would rather do is stay right here—” She lay out on the bed with a come-hither look.
Ciro walked closer to the bed and kneeled between her legs. Curling his hands into fists, he braced them on either side of her head. Leaning in closer, he lowered his mouth to her ear and lifted a hand to her face as his weapon appeared. It was a long lance shaped like a lightning bolt, sharp enough to take off a god’s or goddess’ head.
He pressed it against her flesh and took great pleasure in her surprised gasp. “Let me make a few things perfectly clear. I want nothing from you. I have never asked you for anything. I do not even like you. Come near my mother or me again, and you will regret it. Now get out.”
She nodded jerkily. When he released her, she vanished and so did his weapon. Taking a breath, he pushed off the bed and strode to the chest. He’d just taken a seat and began peeling off his watch when Sisqo yelled his name from downstairs.
“Can I get no peace?” he thundered, pulling the door open.
But the moment he walked to the balcony prepared to holler at Sisqo, his words died in his throat. “Carter?”
“Hey—we need to talk.”
“How’d you find me?” Ciro questioned.
Carter shrugged. “Would you believe Google?”
Ciro knew it was a lie but swallowed nervously. He’d called in a few favors and had had his house removed from Google Earth so that meant Carter’s riches brought connections in high places. Even with that thought, he was still nervous as he descended the stairs slowly until he was face to face with his very heart. Hearing Carter’s heartbeat was as if he was watching his very own soul pulse before his eyes. He titled his head, staring into Carter’s gaze, wondering why Carter had searched for him.
“I will go out on patrol,” Sisqo said, clearing his throat. “Ciro, call if you need anything.”
“Take Adrestia with you,” Ciro shouted, without taking his eyes off Carter. He didn’t want to look away because he was sure Carter would disappear.
“Sure,” Sisqo replied.
Ciro waited until he heard Sisqo’s footsteps disappear, the door closed and the rev of a motorcycle engine outside before he stepped away. “Would you like a drink?”
“No—I just need some answers.”
Chapter Seven
Carter could not believe the house when he’d pulled up before it. It was grand to say the least, with vines growing on the outside like some haunted mansion from a movie. When Kofi’s friend at the station had come back with the address, Carter had thought for sure there was some mistake. Sure, he’d pegged Ciro as wealthy by the way he dressed. But the house before him spoke of old money. Fear rose within him. Suddenly he didn’t feel as though he should be there. He meant to turn back but something kept him going, and seeing Ciro standing before him, shirtless and oh-so-sexy, made his long ride there and any discomfort he felt worth it.
“What happened at my office?”
“About that—I will pay for the damages.” Ciro walked off into the kitchen. Carter followed him.
“Forget that. I’m an architect, Ciro. I can handle it. How did you get out the window without dying?”
“I think you should sit,” Ciro said, climbing onto a stool. “This is something you should hear, because as much as it breaks my heart to tell you, it now involves you.”
Kofi always told Carter growing up that he asked too many questions—that one day Carter would regret being so nosy. In that one instant, with those few words from Ciro, Carter was beginning to regret asking for answers. It was too late to turn back. He knew that.
Nodding, he sat across from Ciro. “Okay—go ahead.”
“I knew I should have stayed away from you, but I just could not help myself. You smelled so good and I just wanted to taste every inch of you, hold on to you for as long as I could, but I was being selfish.”
“There’s that word again. Ciro, just come out and say it, damn it.”
“I have pulled you into a familial battle that has been taking place for hundreds of years, and I am very sorry…” He stared at Carter for a while then licked his lips. “I am what you call a Shiver.”
“Say what now?”
“My father is Zeus.”
Carter arched an eyebrow then held up his hands while easing from the stool. “If you’re not going to take this seriously, Ciro, then don’t bother. Zeus? Jesus H Christ, what
is wrong with you?”
Ciro grabbed him. “Please…how else do you think I got out that hole in the glass? What kind of wind do you think would have enough power to break through or blow you over a desk? You cannot break that window by smashing a fist into—hell, windows up that high cannot be broken by a chair being smashed into them. You know that.”
Carter bowed his head and bit his lower lip, silently praying for patience. Lifting his head again, he exhaled and looked at Ciro. There was a sad plea in his eyes and, for the love of him, Carter couldn’t figure out why Ciro’s eyes drew him the way they did.
“This was a bad idea.” Carter stood. “Shit, sometimes I think I’m the neediest motherfucker on the planet. I mean, come on. Let’s be honest here. Any other guy pulled this shit on me I would be so fucking pissed off—but you—what is it about you that keeps me standing here putting up with this crap?”
Ciro looked up at him, shook his head and vanished. Carter looked around, wildly. He closed his eyes. That couldn’t have happened. A man couldn’t just disappear into thin air. But when he looked again, Ciro was still not there.
“Human beings have this knack to want everything in a neat, tidy bundle,” Ciro said.
He still wasn’t visible, and Carter’s heart was hammering inside his chest. How could he hear Ciro when he could not see him? Swinging this one way then the next, he wanted to scream. He stuck his hand out, hoping to feel Ciro—but nothing.
“Do you believe me now, Carter?”
Ciro’s breath was hot against the back of Carter’s neck. When he turned to look at Ciro, Carter was only fast enough to see Ciro disappear again.
“What else do I have to do to prove to you I am who I say I am— what I say I am?”
Once more, Ciro was behind him so Carter reached back, grabbed Ciro and turned to look at him. Ciro’s eyes flashed lightning—honest to goodness lightning streaks. He stepped closer, cradling Ciro’s face to meet his gaze.
“You’re not human…”
Ciro smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his beautiful eyes. He turned his head and kissed Carter’s hand, sending a nice, warm shiver down Carter’s spine.
“No. That is what I have been trying to explain to you.”
“You’re a god.”
“Not that either.”
“Then what are you?”
“I told you, Carter. I’m a Shiver.”
Carter couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“My father has a nasty habit of mating with those he shouldn’t,” Ciro explained, breaking through Carter’s thoughts. “It started out with him just transforming himself into what they thought was a human male and mating with humans, then it escalated—nymphs, humans, demons. Nothing stopped him. Not even the fact he was married to the most manipulative, evil goddess of them all. Then he mated with my mother, the Goddess of the Storm Winds, and Hera finally got angry enough to do something about it. She cursed my mother’s children, every single one of us. I was firstborn, so I got the brunt of it all. Ever since I was a child, I have been trying to protect others from my family.”
“But you didn’t turn out like the others—how come?”
“How come? Oh you mean why I do not thirst for world domination?”
Carter nodded.
“I know not. My brothers see humans as toys and expendables and I have been trying to fix that. But Aerios, the second brother to follow me, has been fighting me ever since he could walk.”
“The second brother to follow you?”
“Yes. I was first to be born—followed by my brother Koi and then Aerios. Anyway, now…”
“He’s set his sights on me. Why?”
“When Shivers hit the one-hundred-year-old mark,” Ciro replied, “we have our futures read by Gnóseis, the Mount Olympian Oracle. Because I was first in my species, they read mine earlier than they should have, when I was but a child—ten years old. I cannot forget the look on her face when she saw me. She told me my one true love was to be half man, half god. I dated only a few human males from time to time, a few demigods but I just couldn’t figure out whom Gnóseis was referring to. Then Aphrodite told me Gnóseis was wrong—that my true love was a human.”
“So this oracle gave you the wrong information?”
“Gnóseis? I do not think she meant to.”
“With all the people out there wanting to kill you, Ciro, how can you still see the good in this woman?”
Ciro shrugged. “I do not know. It is not that I am taking her side—she has caused so many hardships in my life. I didn’t have time to develop when she had to do my reading. But Aerios has taken it upon himself to ruin my relationships but never has he actually put those men in danger. He just found other ways of getting rid of them—a haunt here, a lie there, hallucinations over there. When he crashed through your office window today, I knew Aphrodite was right. I knew for certain I had finally found you.”
Carter swallowed and stood. He paced the floor a few times, silently, trying to digest what Ciro had told him. It sounded like something out of a movie, but Ciro was right. How else could he explain the window and Ciro getting out without getting hurt? There was something else there. That gust of wind that blew him over his desk was unlike anything he’d felt or heard of before. Then again, Ciro had vanished before his very eyes, not once but twice. There was no logical way to explain that and he wasn’t seeing things. But did he really want to believe that some being jealous of his brother wanted him dead?
“So—your brother wants me dead to make you miserable for finding happiness all because your father couldn’t keep it in his pants? What am I supposed to do now?” Before Ciro could answer, he was off and pacing again. Taking a breath, he stopped and spun to face Ciro. “I felt you a little earlier. Outside my window. I heard you tell me you were there. Was I hearing things? Did it happen because I wanted you so much?”
“I was saying goodbye.”
“Goodbye?”
“I thought if I left you now, it would not be so hard later. Aerios would see that you weren’t my true mate after all then you would be safe from my dysfunctional family.”
“We’re going to have to talk about this,” Carter said softly. He was no fool. There was something happening around him and he just couldn’t walk away. If this thing wanted him dead, the best place to be was with Ciro. Besides, Ciro was interested in him. He could see that as clear as he could see the nose on Ciro’s face. “But not tonight—okay?”
“Can you stay the night?” Ciro asked. “I know I have no right to ask this after the trouble I have put you in. But please, can you stay?” He bowed his head with his hair spilling into his face. “Please stay with me.”
Carter could still see his eyes flashing a light that should scare him. Still, Carter walked around the counter and stepped between Ciro’s legs. He cradled Ciro’s face, staring into his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for because he hadn’t known Ciro very long, or for that matter, that well, but he needed to see something. Caressing Ciro’s cheek, Carter allowed his eyes to drift closed, took a deep breath and brought his lips across to meet Ciro’s.
One could tell so many things from a kiss. The taste of the kiss, the heat of the kiss, even the moistness, could give so many indications of what was between the two of them. He had to feel if there was anything more than physical attraction there. Playing this one by ear was out of the question. The throbbing in his chest had to be more than just wanting his dick sucked. It had to be something worth being in such danger for. When their tongues finally touched, a moan escaped Ciro, and it was as though Carter’s whole soul burst into a sweet flame. Groaning, he wrapped his arms around Ciro’s neck, catching the back of his head and pushing forward. Something jarred his heart, curled his toes and sent pleasure through his whole being. Finally, he managed to pull his mouth away and was shocked to see a gust of vapor leaving his lips when he exhaled, as though he was standing outside in the cold. Licking his lips, Carter inhaled and exhaled again, but th
e mist was gone. He looked at Ciro. The Shiver had his eyes closed, his pink tongue flowing over his lips, his neck stiff.
“Tell me what I need to do,” Carter whispered.
“Your family?”
“My brother Kofi.”
“We must protect him. Any way Aerios can hurt you, he will do it because he knows how much you mean to me.”
“I can’t mean that much to you.”
“Carter—I have searched three hundred years for the man who was supposed to be my one true love. Aphrodite led me to you, and everything that has happened inside me and with my brother says she was right.”
“How old are you, exactly?”
Ciro smirked. “Eight hundred and seventy-five. I know, I am very old and you are quite young and you may not want that but I…”
Carter choked and gasped. He reached a hand slowly down Ciro’s body to massage his cock. It was hard under his hand, throbbing slightly. “I want to still be able to do this, get a perfect erection when I’m that old.”
Laughing, Ciro said, “I can sense yours too. Do you want it sucked?”
Carter whimpered and pushed his hips forward. “Thought you’d never ask.”
They didn’t speak after that. Carter watched while Ciro slipped to his knees, gently eased Carter’s cock from the confines of his pants and swallowed it. A low hiss escaped Carter’s throat and his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Oh, baby…” Carter sighed.
Ciro merely moaned and sucked harder. Carter sank his nails into the Shiver’s shoulders. He rode his hips upward, shoving his hard dick further into the back of Ciro’s throat. Suddenly hot and cold air was washing over his arousal at the same time. It sent such desire coarsing through his veins, pulling with it his orgasm. Carter wasn’t ready to come yet—he fought against it, curling his toes, biting his lips, even tugging at Ciro’s hair. Nothing worked.
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