“You know I want him dead. You couldn’t have yelled? Called for me? No. Maybe he was right. Maybe you believe you belong to him. Maybe you still love him, not me. Am I right?”
“No, Ares.”
He snarled as he let her go and stalked away, leaving her alone at the bar.
Juliet blinked back tears as she slumped onto a bar stool. She couldn’t remember the last time she cried. She wiped at the trail of tears that cut paths down her cheeks then scooped up the shot of whiskey on the bar. It burned as she downed it.
She was alone again. She might as well get loaded. Without Ares, there was no reason to go on.
* * * *
Juliet stared up at the rock ceiling and sighed. She couldn’t sleep no matter how hard she tried. Maybe because it was night when she was supposed to be wide awake. Or maybe it was because the thoughts wouldn’t stop swimming in her head.
She managed to get halfway through a bottle of whiskey before she realized the alcohol wasn’t even dulling her senses. She couldn’t get drunk if she tried. It was one more thing the curse stole from her.
And speaking of the curse, she could feel the ever familiar burn in her belly. She contemplated walking out of the club into the night. She found her way to the hospital before and struck gold. Maybe she would get lucky again.
She slipped off the barstool with her course firmly laid out. Before the toe of her shoe hit the cement floor, the noisy, crowded fight club disappeared. The ever familiar cave that Ares called home surrounded her. She fully expected for him to leave her, to make her figure her own way out. He felt betrayed.
She searched the cave to find him on the other side of the bed dressed again in his shirt and slacks. By the glare in his eyes, he still felt betrayed. Nothing had changed.
He didn’t raise a finger to make his enormous wardrobe appear. Without a word, he opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him.
Juliet pondered following him. Could she change in the big closet too?
He stepped out and snarled at her.
It was then when she remembered he could read her thoughts. She bit her lower lip in embarrassment as she glanced at the floor. She gasped as she watched her gown melt away to the floor. She was naked for a brief moment before she was swaddled in a blood red silk nightgown. She fought back a smile. Now wasn’t the time. But she did find it amusing that he snatched the opportunity to see her in the buff before he reclothed her. He couldn’t totally hate her.
He turned down the satin sheets of the bed.
Juliet gasped as she saw the never ending chasm that now ran from the head to the foot of the mattress just wide enough to swallow a human, or vampire, whole. From where she stood, she couldn’t see the bottom. It separated the spot where he slept from the spot where she slept. She could share his bed but there was no way in hell she could touch him.
Maybe he did hate her.
He slumped down on the mattress then with a silent stare demanded the same from her. She crawled under the covers and tugged them to her chin. The lights in the cave dimmed to black.
Ares snored softly.
Juliet was still staring at the ceiling with the desire to feed growing stronger.
She glanced beside her. The chasm was still there, still blocking her from having any contact with the god. She slipped her fingers inside to estimate the depth. Maybe it was an illusion. If it were, she would scoot across the bed until her arms were wrapped tight around him. She pulled her arm back as her hand slid too far for her liking. She tossed to her side, to lie away from him and huffed.
She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. The craving clawed at her insides making slumber impossible. Her nerves started to ache in a deep, primal fashion. Part of her wanted to wake her lover. They shared thoughts and emotions. He had to feel this.
A loud snore stole away her hope. He didn’t feel squat. He was fast asleep.
Juliet threw the sheet off of her and sat up. Ever so careful not to wake Ares, she rose off the bed and shuffled through the dark room. Being a night creature came in handy at the moment. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the blackness. She looked around for a scrap of her clothes. Of course, they were nowhere to be found. With a sigh of defeat, she climbed the stone staircase. First, she had to find a way out of this cave. Then next on the agenda would be finding suitable clothing that didn’t make her look like she was about to film a porno.
She stumbled backwards and almost tumbled down the steps as she nearly collided with another body.
A tall, beautiful blonde dressed in a military uniform gripped onto her arm to keep her from falling. “Hi,” the blonde greeted.
Juliet stared at her baffled then glanced behind her. The bear like snore she got in response answered her question. It wasn’t Ares. At least it didn’t seem to be. She turned back to the blonde and studied her. They had met once before the first time Ares took her to the club. She frowned, puzzled. “You’re Athena, correct?”
“I am,” Athena answered.
“I’m sorry. Ares is asleep.”
“I’m not here to see Ares. I’m here to see you.”
Juliet’s brow creased deeper in confusion. “Me? Why me?”
“If my brother is asleep, what are you doing up?”
Juliet huffed. “I have something I have to do. I’m looking for the way out.”
“Oh, hun. There’s no way out. Ares pops in and out. He does the same for you.”
“Then how did you get in?”
“He’s a god. I’m a goddess. We’re siblings. We have the same abilities for the most part. Where did you need to go?”
Juliet shrugged. She was glad the dark could hide her burning cheeks. “It’s not important.”
“Do you need to feed?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s not exactly a secret. You’re a vampire. It’s in your nature. So do you need some athletic hunk? Or does any ole’ person do?”
Juliet gaped at her for a second. “A hospital. I try to feed on those ready to cross over to death. I only feed on those hunky guys you mentioned when the chemotherapy drugs and morphine take a toll on my system. That’s how I met Ares. I usually patrol MMA fights for the most pompous, arrogant asshole in the bunch.”
Athena laughed.
Juliet winced. The musical sound was sure to wake Ares.
“Sounds like my brother. Come on, I’ll take you.”
“Why would you help me? I thought Zeus banned the gods from helping us.”
“We’re banned from changing you. He said nothing about lending a helping hand. Besides, I want to get to know the girl my brother has fallen so hard in love with.”
“Fallen in love with? Hardly.”
Athena wrapped her hand around Juliet’s. “Ares hasn’t caused havoc in at least a week. At least it’s not up to his usual capabilities. I’m doing half his work. I can only assume it’s because of you. Come on. I have a place for you.”
The dark cave disappeared around Juliet. In the blink of an eye, it was replaced by the sterile white walls of a hospital. Juliet scanned her surroundings for any idea of where she was. It certainly wasn’t like the hospitals she usually found her victims in. The signs nailed to the wall were in several different languages and personnel in fatigues worked alongside the doctors and nurses. She gasped in sheer terror as she glanced down at herself. Wearing a silk nightgown in the middle of a medical facility would be sure to get her locked up in the mental ward.
Her lingerie had disappeared. Instead, she was wearing the same scrubs of the other nurses. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Athena dressed the same.
Athena leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “We’re in a military hospital in Germany. Follow me. He’s this way.”
Juliet followed the goddess down the corridor to a room at the end. Inside was a body wrapped from head to toe in gauze. The machines around him monitoring a sign of life were eerily quiet. The whole scene made Juliet uneasy and that said quite a bit being a vam
pire.
She could hardly hear Athena as she spoke, “Roadside bomb. He managed to put himself between it and his buddies. He has burns all over his body.”
Juliet shook her head. “Athena, if he has any sort of chance of living…”
“He lost brain function several hours ago. The machines are keeping his heart beating. I’m unsure why they haven’t ended life support yet. He’s a hero. He should be allowed to die a hero’s death.” Athena glanced at her. “I’ll step outside. Do what you need to do.” The goddess strode across the room and leaned against the doorframe.
Juliet tilted her head as she studied her. This whole thing must have disturbed Athena to come find her in Ares’s cave. She tiptoed to the bed and examined the body lying there. Was he a husband? A son? A brother? Someone’s lover?
She sighed. She couldn’t think about things like that. It just made what she was about to do harder and the ache coursing through her was about to cripple her. She nudged the gauze apart around his neck until she found a piece of skin she could work with. She sucked in her breath, bared her fangs, and sunk them into his flesh.
Chapter Eight
Ares folded his arms behind his head on top of the pillow. The floor beneath the bed vibrated violently to mimic his anger. He glanced at the chasm that ran down the center of the bed to keep Juliet and him apart as they slept. It suddenly healed itself like it was never there. There was no point for it anymore.
He woke up at the sound of a laugh, one that hadn’t come from his lover. He knew the laugh. He spent thousands of years listening to it and it pissed it off then like it did now. For some reason unbeknownst to him, his sister stopped by and made off with Juliet without so much as a hello. He was angry already that Athena wouldn’t give him a straight answer whether she would help him or not. Now that she stole Juliet away from him, he was absolutely furious.
His eyes narrowed as a figure appeared on Juliet’s side of the bed.
Athena plopped down on the mattress beside him and crossed her legs beneath her. She eyed the sheet covering him warily. “You better have something on under there. That is something I do not need to see.”
“Where is Juliet?” he demanded as he sat up.
“She needed to feed, you asshole. You knew that, didn’t you? You share some strange bond with her that none of us have with anyone. You knew the craving had set in.”
He pressed his lips in a thin line. “Yes. But it was minor when we arrived back here and I fell asleep. I planned to find her someone to feed on before sun up.”
“Putting your needs before others, like normal.”
“Where is she?”
“Right now she’s at a military hospital in Germany feeding.”
Ares’s voice shook the cave and caused a small earthquake. “You just left her there?”
Athena tisked at him. “Of course not. She’s feeding. I’m standing at the door keeping watch.”
“You’re right here sitting on my bed. How can you be there and here at the same time?”
“I’m a goddess, silly. It’s what I do. You could do it too, if you expanded your horizons.” She leaned closer to her. “You need to let up on the jackass routine. Juliet is a good girl. She deserves to be loved hard. And to be with a good man. I’m not sure you know what a good man is.”
“I’m what Juliet needs. I’m going to end her curse. By the way, can you help me or not? Can you change her?”
Athena popped off the bed. “Oh, look. She’s done. I have to go. Talk with you later. Oh, you need to be at dinner Sunday. Stop leaving me to deal with your mother. Bring Juliet. That ought to liven things up.”
“Athena, will you please fucking answer me?”
The goddess disappeared without a trace.
Ares slumped back against the headboard with a huff and crossed his arms over his chest. Athena was usually the one with her head square on her shoulders. When did she become so flighty?
He glanced at the stone staircase when he heard something scuff the stone. Juliet descended the steps still wearing the satin nightgown he had dressed her in earlier. He scowled. “You’re back.”
“I am.”
“You fed dressed in that.”
“Porn shoot. I blended right in.”
Ares temper peaked. The quaking floor echoed it.
Juliet waved her arms at him. “I’m kidding. Lighten up. Athena changed it to scrubs when we reached the hospital. No one saw me like this but her.”
“Better not have.”
Juliet crawled onto her side of the bed then tossed an ebony curl off her shoulder. “Ares, whatever I did to anger you, I’m sorry.”
“You know why I’m fucking pissed.”
“You can search my heart. You do it when I don’t want you to so do it when I do want you there. Ares, I don’t love Antonius. I’m terrified of him. He not only cursed me with this, he convinced me that I was worthless. For centuries, I’ve believed I was lower than the dirt I walked on. I still do. I know I don’t deserve the love of the god of war.” She dropped her head and closed her eyes.
He could see the hint of a tear forming in the corner of her eye.
“More than once I sat at the edge of the shadows at daybreak waiting for the sun to turn me to dust. I chickened out before it rose. And I say you’re a coward.”
Ares stretched across the bed and pulled her into his arms. He didn’t have to search her heart. The sorrow and shame she felt were thick between them. He knew the emotion well. He felt worthless to his parents. He had since he existed. It was the most horrible feeling in the world.
He cradled her close to him as he rocked her. “You are not worthless, Juliet. You are brave. You are kind. You are beautiful. You don’t deserve the love of the god of war. You deserve the love of the entire universe and you deserve to have the god of war kneeling at your feet in worship of you. And I swear to you I’ll be doing just that until the end of time.” He tilted her chin up to capture her mouth with his, “I love you. Nothing will change how I feel.” He kissed her deeply for a long moment before he pulled his lips from hers.
She gazed up at him, her cheeks stained with tears. “But Antonius.”
His lips trailed to her face to kiss away her tears. “I told you I will kill him. If anything, I have more reason to now. But I will not force you into it. I’ll find him under my own power and with my own sources. And I will keep you far from him.”
He felt her fingers in his hair as she shivered at his touch. He continued to kiss her, ignoring the erection growing rock hard in his pajama pants. This was all he wanted, to kiss every spot of exposed flesh he found on her. He wasn’t exaggerating when he said he would worship her. He would until the world ended and beyond. He finally found his kindred spirit, someone who felt abandoned by the world like he did. He heard the mortals call theirs soul mates. Whether that term applied to Juliet and him he wasn’t sure. He only knew that he would belong to her for eternity.
Juliet arched her body against him then cupped his chin in her hands to stop him. She nudged his face up and parted his mouth with hers. Her tongue stroked and poked at his to get it to play.
He was more than happy to participate. He knotted his hand around hers as he deepened the kiss.
Her body molded against him in surrender. He wrapped her tight in his embrace crushing her little body against his chest. He was so lost in her kisses he didn’t feel her hand slip between them until she had nudged his pants down and wrapped her fingers around his rigid cock.
“You really want sex?” he questioned.
“Would it be sex?” she countered.
He let go a low hiss at her touch. “What else could it be?”
Her cheeks tinted pink as she bit her lower lip and looked away. He could hear the words bouncing around in her mind but she was too bashful to say them. Love. She wanted to make love. They were connected in every possible way but physical at that moment.
He would give her anything she wanted, anything in the universe. Mo
st of all, he would give her himself if that was what she desired. His mouth roamed the curve of her neck. “Take the reins, baby. Your very wish is my command.”
She turned back and beamed at him with a beautiful grin.
The onslaught of kisses resumed, stealing his breath. He trailed his fingers across her ribs then her thighs. Their clothes disappeared into thin air. He hugged her tight and turned all control to her.
She pumped her fist up and down him a couple times then rose up on her knees. Her lips never left his as she guided the tip barely inside her.
He groaned as she sheathed him completely.
Her thrusts were slow and deliberate as she rode him. Her lips roamed his, his cheeks, his face. He palmed her breasts in his hands, pinching the pink nubs between his thumbs and forefingers. He clenched his eyes shut as he lost himself in the ecstasy. No sex had ever been like this for him before. His entire body reverberated in pleasure. He felt the floor tremble beneath them as it mimicked his trembling.
Juliet gazed down at him breathless. “The shaking. You’re shaking. Are you okay?”
He traced her chin with his thumb. His cock thickened as he felt her clench tighter. “Promise me something.”
Her hips quickened. Her breath hitched faster. She was getting close. “Anything.”
“Never leave me. I know you’ll leave our home. I’m an asshole. I’m bound to piss you off. But never leave me. Because without you, I can’t survive.”
“Our home?”
He kissed her long and deep. She dug her nails into his arms as she peaked. He could hear her cries through their bound lips.
Juliet was panting as they broke apart.
“Our home, our bed, our life.”
She smiled. “Never. I’ll never leave you.”
Her fingers were feather soft as she caressed his face. She bounced up and down on his lap. He gripped her ass to direct her long, slow strokes. He fought the urge to flip her on her back, drive hard into her, to take control. It was his nature to be in power. His balls clenched hard and he felt his cock swell. He had never teetered on the brink of release like this before.
Her breath was warm in his ear as she whispered, “Come for me, my king. Fill me.”
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