Angel laughed. “C’mon, you know as well as I do causing lust isn’t my forte. I’ve never seen the point of striking mortals with arrows just to see them create a baby that needs to be born. Then what happens? Humans get divorced, break up, and striking them was solely done to make sure the kid existed or to point the person in another direction? It’s lame.”
Jack couldn’t argue with that. He had a conscience that wouldn’t let him take away someone’s free will simply because it was on a list of people to strike with arrows. Therefore, Angel became the god of romantic enchantment, helping the unlucky folks fall out of love when they were cursed or poisoned.
“You’re still angry you fancy the mortal.”
“No,” Jack disagreed quietly. “I’m angry the mortal overheard our conversation. You didn’t think that was something I should have been made privy to prior to the exam?”
Angel gently rolled his shoulders. “I could’ve said something, yes. Though you might not have answered honestly that you care for her if you knew she was there.”
“I don’t care for her,” Jack shot back, feeling a strong desire to launch a rough ball of ice at his old friend. He also felt he was lying to himself. “She’s part of a prophecy that—”
“That brings together both the fire and winter nations,” Angel finished. “Yeah, I recall. I’ve only heard you complaining about it for six or seven decades. So what? You like her, and she’s…well, she doesn’t hate you.”
Jack gently laughed as he shook his frosted white head. “I honestly think that’s what I hate most about her,” he admitted. It wasn’t Elle’s inability to fear the wrath of the gods. It was also her inability to fear him. She was such a stupid little thing. But may the gods help him, Jack still found her intriguing.
A cackle of laughter sounded from one of his oldest acquaintances. “That’s actually entertaining. Your reason for hating her is that she cares enough to defend you. Do you not see how sad that is?”
Jack remained silent, his eyes raking over the ocean. Large waves hammered roughly at the cliff far below, showing the tide was rather violent. “Poseidon must be in a mood,” Jack muttered distantly, focusing on the patterns of blue-green water hitting the edge of the cliff angrily. The noise created a lovely ripple of water on rock, something that would only happen when monster waves hit something roughly.
“What aren’t you revealing, mi amigo?” Angel pushed with dark furrowed brows. He ignored Jack’s offhand attempt to switch conversation. “There has to be more to the prophecy than meets the eye. Why does it annoy you to harbor feelings for the girl—”
“I DO NOT harbor feelings for her!” Jack countered ferociously. “I thought I was cursed into wanting to touch the mutt—”
“Name calling will not change that you have feelings for her,” Angel interrupted, taking a large swig from his own bottle.
“Are you secretly working for your father to push this arranged marriage together?” said Jack through gritted teeth.
The god shook his dark head, seemingly offended by the very insinuation. “Gods no. I pray to Lady Gaia herself someone daggers me before I resort to making people love or hate each other for a buck. No, I actually overheard my scandalous sister complaining to Aphrodite how she couldn’t get you to bed,” Angel said, resisting a snicker. “Hell hath no fury like a granddaughter of Aphrodite scorned. But it made me see maybe you actually do have strong feelings for the mortal girl. You’ve been on and off with Voluptas for years. When I saw you just now about to rip apart Apollo, I figured it was time to intervene…”
Jack cracked his neck as he continued to watch the waves below. Voluptas lately reeked of desperation. She always had; Jack never took what they had seriously to care. He could never take her seriously when she was constantly having affairs with just about anyone available, man or woman. She was a fling who was nearly always available when Jack wanted entertainment.
Still, there were no feelings while being involved with Voluptas. Time with her was merely a distraction from his horrid life. Jack’s thoughts drifted to first kissing Elle. It was under a masquerading moment that it was done, but it stirred something deep inside him. The first brief kiss with his kitten brought to life a light in him that Jack long ago thought extinguished. It was a feeling of pleasure being around another person.
For the very first time in over two hundred years since his family passed away, Jack enjoyed being around another living being. The mortal Elle looked at him with such trust and compassion, Jack found himself disappointed that she had only looked at him like that thinking he was Apollo.
Jack craved to have her lovely coffee-brown eyes watching him with warm sincerity. But at the same time, Jack also didn’t want that—he didn’t want Elle thinking they were truly meant to be together. The moment she believed in the prophecy, the sooner it would come true. Jack continued to watch the thrashing waves below, remembering just how much he loved the feeling of Elle’s plump bottom lip pressing against his and how he relished the way her warm arms felt gently wrapped around his neck. Jack closed his eyes as he thought about the annoying demigod. He enjoyed simply embracing her…
“You know, part of being a child of the great Cupid is being able to sense romantic turmoil in someone…” Angel trailed off, looking on the verge of cackling with laughter.
Jack’s left eye gently twitched, angrily remembering Angel could no doubt sense his strange feelings of desire at the moment. Morphing a large ball of ice soundlessly in his hand, Jack launched it at the back of his old friend’s dark head, causing him to topple backwards roughly.
“I have to see her.”
“Figured,” Angel muttered, rubbing his dark head as he sat up. “Good luck, Frostbite.”
Jack transferred himself back to Grape’s Wrath, determined to see that the girl made it back to the palace without Apollo doing something that would no doubt cause Jack to want to harm him horribly. To Jack’s utter dismay, Elle and Apollo were already gone. As his left hand twitched and a silver name of a city crossed his palm, Jack knew he had to get back to work. That was how he knew that a new territory needed snow or a thick layer of frost—Mother Nature would send out the name glittering in silver on the palm of his hand. With heavy annoyance, Jack shot off to cover the proper places in frost.
Chapter 12
By the time Jack had gotten back to Winter’s Kingdom, it was nearly four in morning. He found himself grateful immortals could go without sleep for weeks. Jack wanted to sleep but knew he had other things to do that evening.
Jack would simply pop in on the sleeping girl and make sure no member of his family had harmed her. It was only transferring himself to her sleeping quarters did Jack find something was incredibly wrong. There was a lump under her covers, but it lacked a heartbeat. Panic raced through Jack as he teleported over to the bed to rip off the covers.
A large pillow was under the blanket.
Jack tried mentally focusing on Elle’s soft heartbeat, wondering if perhaps his panic was for naught and she was close by. He breathed a sigh of relief realizing he was right. Elle’s heartbeat gently sounded from the neighboring living room. Transporting himself to the area, Jack found the mortal was tucked in a ball on the couch, fast asleep as her head gently rested on the arm. How long she had been sleeping there, Jack did not know.
She looked awfully uncomfortable. He nearly wanted to leave her there on the couch out of annoyance she gave him a fright. Jack quietly took in how soundly she slept. Quite a few nights she had woken up gasping for air, a cold sweat leaving her. No doubt nightmares of some of the things she had seen thus far since her abduction. Jack felt it probably would have been kinder to leave her fast asleep on the couch, but he was still slightly intoxicated. Even if he wasn’t, Jack wanted to feel Elle’s warm body underneath his fingertips. With ease, Jack plucked the mortal from the couch, one arm cradling the back of her dark head and shoulders while his other one wrapped under her bare legs. Jack watched Elle quietly for a moment, sti
ffening as she started nestling her head against his chest. She sighed gently while she slept, looking utterly peaceful.
That was the moment Jack realized he had never held a woman like this before. He had never before cradled one against him. Humans weren’t allowed to know of his existence, and he had never before allowed an immortal woman to hold herself against him such as this. Jack had thrown women on a bed before, but he had never held one close to him with an intent to tuck her in.
The thought caused Jack to watch the mortal carefully, wondering if he watched her long enough it would reveal the strange desire he had to constantly protect her. As Elle shivered gently in his grasp, Jack realized one of the reasons he was growing fond of her was that she did not realize how truly good-looking she actually was. Elle seemed to be quite oblivious that she possessed bewitching good looks. Her perfect red lips always looked kissable. Her long brown mane seemed to be silently begging for someone to knot their hand in as they kissed her deeply. A few stray freckles dotted her cheeks, visible if someone looked close enough. Elle’s skin looked paler than it had been when she first came to the palace—no doubt the temperature and lack of sunlight was getting to her. Pale skin or not, she was easily the most beautiful thing Jack had seen in his immortal life. Although it was amazing to him that the young Elle had no idea she could turn any man’s head quite easily. It was no wonder why Apollo loved her; Elle was truly as beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.
Growing annoyed with his own thoughts, Jack started to lay Elle down on her bed, only to find Elle’s fingers were gently digging into his shirt. He rolled his eyes as he started to move his fingers against hers to unclench them. To his surprise, Elle smiled as soon as his cold, nimble fingers brushed hers.
“I knew you would come,” she mumbled, exhaustion in her voice. Jack froze in place, stunned the girl spoke. Did she think he was that idiot Apollo?
“Stay,” said Elle, her fingers adamantly holding onto Jack’s shirt with a force.
Remaining absolutely silent, Jack didn’t exhale a breath as he waited to see if perhaps she was talking in her sleep. Considering she didn’t open her eyes or acknowledge she in fact knew who was holding her, Jack assumed she was. Leaning her back down, he watched the young woman soundlessly. Elle did not remove her fingers, causing Jack to kneel before her bed. He quietly waited for her grasp to become gentler to remove her fingers from his shirt. Jack could only watch his beautiful betrothed in silence while the prophecy he was told centuries ago rang through his core memory.
The frozen prince will not walk alone;
His fiery love was long ago written in stone.
Together they will bring the product of fire and ice;
The true heir will be the one to bring together the opposite nations and suffice.
The frozen king shall love his bride,
For she will be the one to strip him of his foolish pride.
Although the love of fire and ice will burn bright;
There is no stopping the horror that will come to light.
The child of fire will burn horrid;
There is no stopping the fire daughter’s torrid demise.
Death will come, ready to sail.
There is no stopping it, she will not prevail.
The ice prince will realize on thy dying breath,
He loved her so, he wished her no death.
Jack watched the sleeping girl, all the while hating himself. The immortal god’s usual bitterness coursed through his veins. It was a different prophecy than the one the goddess Pele received. Jack’s prophecy was exclusively for him alone when he went in search to see if the prophecy of fire and ice was accurate. Jack detested the idea that he was falling in love with the mortal Elle sleeping beside him. Little did she know she was born to die.
Chapter 13
Elle could not help herself attempting to hold onto Jack’s shirt for most of the night. Having him close by provided a sweet comfort to her. He made her feel safer than she felt with anyone else, Apollo included. Jack Frost had never before lied to her as Elle’s former crush had. As much as she hadn’t wanted to accept it, Angel had been right in his findings. There were feelings between them. A very long time passed where Elle still did not release her hold on Jack. An hour came and went.
“You no longer have to pretend you’re asleep,” said Jack at some point during the early morning hours.
Elle kept her eyes closed. “If I open my eyes, I pose the risk of seeing you mad. Keeping my eyes closed causes me to be able to pretend you’re not,” she said matter-of-factly. She was only half joking.
“Who says I’m angry?”
Elle near grinned. “You’re not throwing off heavy sarcasm,” she admitted in a sleepy voice. “You’re usually in a better mood when you are. It’s when you’re quiet that you’re upset.”
She felt his body clench beside her. “Are you still upset I overheard you and Angel?” Jack said nothing, causing Elle to gently open her eyes to find him hovering over the bed as he attempted to remove her grasp from his shirt once more. A stony expression was on his face, his eyes looking as though they were a million miles away. Jack refused to even look at her as he softly removed her hand from his shirt.
“Why were you in the other room?” said Jack finally.
Elle didn’t feel she owed him any explanation, but his tone sounded as though he wasn’t in the mood to verbally spar. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Why?”
Elle watched him quietly. His skin was a brilliant color of pure chalk in the sunlight. Jack’s lips were the very palest of blue, looking as though he were left out in the cold for far too long. Even being a few inches from him an icy cold radiated from his body. Elle watched him with curious eyes, amazed over how such a wicked person could be so very inhumanly beautiful.
“I want to know why you’re afraid of me,” answered Elle honestly, finally breaking him out of his trance. Jack looked to her with surprise. Soon, a heavy glare followed.
“Afraid of you? Is that a joke?”
Elle gently shrugged. “You don’t want to admit there’s something between us. I’m no expert, but I’d say you were afraid of something.”
Jack openly laughed at the remark. “I’m not sure whether to find you perceptible or simply annoying.”
“I’m right, aren’t I?” Jack’s silence inspired her to continue. “I think you like me, and I think it scares you. Because actually caring about me would mean you were wrong. It would mean you didn’t need to spend hundreds of years hating me for simply being betrothed to you.”
“I need to leave.”
“Do you really, or do you just hate the topic of conversation?”
“You are quite vexing when you wish to be.” Jack chuckled, shaking his head.
He started to walk away, only for Elle to sit herself on the edge of the bed, curiosity overwhelming her. Jack looked down upon her with a harsh glare, looking very much like he would prefer doing absolutely anything than talking about this.
“What are you doing today?” inquired Elle.
“What’s it to you?”
Elle slipped off the bed to head toward the closet. “Boreas told me something weeks ago. Unless I’m spending time with you, I can never skip out on my etiquette lessons. So the two of us are going to spend some time together.”
“I don’t believe that’s a fine idea.”
“Why not?” Elle shot back. “You’re going to be stuck married to me if your dad has any say in the matter. I highly doubt one measly day with me by choice is really going to kill you.”
Jack gave a low grunt as he rolled his eyes. “All you truly needed to say was ‘thank you for moving me to bed, Jack,’” he said with thick sarcasm. “None of this ridiculousness you’re thinking of.”
Elle raised an eyebrow, resisting a smile. “I figured spending time with me willingly would be better than following me to places I go to with Apollo,” she mused, referencing the night before. Elle had seen J
ack the moment she had accidentally exploded a glass bottle after Hephaestus mocked Jack.
Jack momentarily looked surprised before he allowed his blanketed expression to return. It was apparent he did not think she had seen him. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Might as well just give in to my ridiculous demands then,” said Elle with a mischievous wink.
A ghost of a smile twitched at Jack’s pale lips. “What do you suggest we do, kitten? If I’m mistaken, you were forbidden to leave this palace until our marriage.”
“I wasn’t aware the almighty Jack Frost followed rules,” Elle replied with a grin.
Jack gave a brief nod. “Touché.”
Chapter 14
Elle did not know where Jack was taking her. He briefly explained he needed to delegate his responsibilities to another deity in order to take time off from his duties. While he was gone, Elle dressed herself in a simple silver tunic and strange leather ankle boots. She hurriedly brushed her hair and teeth, hoping to finish before he returned. She did. After he returned, Jack took a hold of Elle’s hand before bringing her somewhere very familiar and very frightening.
The arena.
The difference between Elle’s time in it and then watching the time Jack sparred was simple; there were no spectators. There was no one around to watch, criticize, or place bets. The large stadium was lonely and empty. Even still, Elle felt strange being back in a place that did not provide her comfort.
“Why are we here?” Jack disappeared for a moment before reappearing with swords, staves, knives, and a bow and arrow. He watched her expectantly, as if she should grasp why it was they were here of all places. It wasn’t until Jack tried handing Elle a rather large sword that her eyes bolted open. “You want to spar, don’t you?”
Betrothed To Jack Frost Box Set Page 30