Goddess’s Choice

by I. T. Lucas

  It was mind-numbingly boring, mainly since she’d been at it for the past couple of hours.

  Any other day, she would’ve just quit. After straining her mind for so long, the test results were iffy anyway, but not today.

  Syssi had never seen Amanda in such a bitchy mood before. The woman was scary. Something or someone must have pissed her off big time during her lunch break because she’d come back sullen and practically snarling at everyone.

  Hannah and David had done the smart thing and had left an hour ago... Ran for their lives was more like it.

  But not Syssi, no, Amanda’s precognition experiments favorite test bunny had to stay behind.

  Soon, she’d have to stop. Her eyes were tearing and her headache was blooming into a full-blown migraine. In a few minutes, she’d have to tell Amanda she couldn’t take it anymore.

  Sighing, she rubbed her blurry eyes as the lab’s door opened with a creak.

  Curious to see who it was, Syssi peeked between one flashing symbol and the next...

  And lost her concentration.

  Or rather had it blown to pieces.

  The man closing the door was breathtakingly handsome; tall, broad-shouldered, and perfectly proportioned under the conservative charcoal suit he was wearing. The suit looked expensive, and it had been probably custom made for him, but she was sure it wasn’t hiding any flab. The guy looked like he was all muscle.

  Holding himself regally as he scanned the lab, his posture was somewhat stiff, until he found Amanda and loosened marginally.

  As he glared at her, his deep blue eyes were hard and sad, making him appear angry, or frustrated.

  He smoothed back his chin-length tawny hair in what seemed like a nervous habit, brushing the curling ends with his fingers and forcing them away from his angular, beautiful face.

  Holding her breath, Syssi felt faint, her heart racing wildly and her legs turning to rubber. With an effort, she pulled air into her oxygen starved lungs and rubbed her tingling arms.

  “You can save your breath, Kian. I’m not going to let you drag me away to your lair. There is nothing you can say that will persuade me to abandon my work. It’s too important, so turn around and go home.” Amanda circled her finger and pointed it at the door.

  When he didn’t budge, she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, staring him down while tapping her high-heeled shoe on the concrete floor.

  So, this is Kian, Amanda’s brother. Wow.

  He looked nothing like Syssi had imagined he would. On the few occasions Amanda had mentioned her brother, she’d referred to him as the old goat, or the stupid old goat, painting in Syssi’s mind an image of an older guy sporting a goatee and thinning, wispy hair.

  In her wildest dreams, Syssi couldn’t have imagined him as the magnificent Greek-god-facsimile standing before her. Although, with Amanda as his sister, she should have known better. A stunning woman like her boss just couldn’t have an unattractive man for a brother.

  Syssi felt like an ugly duckling next to these beautiful swans. Who wouldn’t? No mere mortal could achieve this level of perfection.

  Forcing her eyes away, she tried to do a disappearing act by sliding down in her chair and hiding behind her computer screen. Too shook up to continue the experiment, she went through the motions and pretended to be working, using it as an excuse to stay out of sight.

  There was no way she was attracting attention to herself. If she were lucky, Kian would leave without ever noticing her.

  Syssi didn’t think she could survive an introduction.

  Her reaction to him was so immediate and so overpowering that she had no idea what to do with it. She’d never responded like this to a man.

  Syssi had never been one of those girls who idolized movie stars or rockers, and their big muscles and gorgeous faces had left her indifferent. Looks just hadn’t been all that important to her. All she’d ever wanted was a nice, intelligent guy who was decent looking.

  And yet, here she was, yearning with terrifying intensity for a man that could never be hers. Men like him didn’t exist in her world.

  He was beautiful, yet all male, there was nothing feminine about his perfect features. And his sophisticated business suit didn’t fool her. Kian exuded a kind of primitive power and dominance that terrified her.

  Because instinctively she felt compelled to submit to it.

  Where the hell were these thoughts coming from? Even the terminology was foreign to her. What was happening to her?

  Oh, God, just make him leave already.

  She was going to take these embarrassing thoughts with her to the grave. No one, and she meant absolutely no one, would ever find out that such absurdities had ever flitted through her mind. She might not be a bra-burning feminist, but she would never let anyone dominate her either.

  “Why are you being so stubborn? Did I really need to drop everything and come over here because you wouldn’t listen to reason? There is real danger out there, and I can’t let you—” Kian stopped mid-sentence as Amanda held a finger to her lips, shushing him, and pointed toward the back of the room.

  “Syssi, stop hiding and come meet my brother Kian.” Amanda was getting closer, waving her hand in invitation.

  Syssi remained glued to her chair, hoping the floor would split open and swallow her up.

  “Come out, girl. He doesn’t bite... much.” Amanda’s snort sounded like a cackle.

  Syssi shrunk away from her. The woman’s sarcastic tone sounded positively evil, evoking in her imagination an image of the beautiful swans morphing into ugly vultures.

  “Stop it, Amanda! You’re scaring the girl with your idiotic comments!” Kian snapped.

  Syssi felt like laughing—a crazy, cackling laugh. She wasn’t scared of them. Why would he think that? What really scared her was her own reaction to Kian. She was intimidated out of her freaking mind, and now Amanda was forcing her to show herself.

  No guy had ever terrified her like that. On occasion, she’d felt awkward, a little uncomfortable, and her accursed uncontrolled blushing had always been an impediment to her romantic life. But this was so out of her realm of experience that it was panic attack inducing.

  As Kian’s footsteps got closer, sweat broke out over her face and her stomach roiled. And then he was standing right beside her, extending his hand to help her up.

  No-no-no-no!

  Except, what choice did she have?

  Lifting her head, Syssi thanked providence, her cursed foresight, and whatever else that had prompted her to take a little extra care with her looks this morning. She had blow-dried her hair, put on a little makeup, and worn nice pair of pumps that added three inches to her height.

  At least she wouldn’t look like a complete midget troll standing next to all that perfection.

  But then, as her eyes made it all the way up to his face, her heart skipped a beat. This spectacular man was looking down at her with uncensored male appreciation.

  Enthralled by the hunger in his eyes, she took his offered hand, the jolt of energy passing through her body bringing on such strong blast of desire that it stunned and shamed her at the same time.

  If her legs felt like rubber before, now her knees dissolved completely. She was holding onto his hand for dear life, her whole weight leaning on it. “Sorry, my legs must’ve gone numb from sitting too long,” she managed in a hoarse whisper.

  In the silence that followed, the hunger she saw in Kian’s expression burned like an inferno before abruptly turning into scalding ice.

  The change was startling.

  As he straightened, his posture stiffened, his eyes hardened in disapproval, and his mouth narrowed.

  He looked angry again. Forget angry, he looked savage, cruel. But this time his displeasure was directed at her, and not at Amanda.

  Syssi felt her face heat up. She must’ve misinterpreted his expression, and her response had been totally inappropriate. Worse, her attraction to Kian must have been blatantly obvious for
him to notice it, and he decided he wanted nothing to do with her.

  Oh, God.

  A guy like that probably had women throwing themselves at him constantly; prettier women, elegant, sophisticated, assertive. He was so far out of her league, he might as well have been from a different planet.

  Mortified, she lowered her eyes.

  13

  Kian

  Kian had been ready to chew Amanda’s head off for shushing him, but then she’d pointed her finger at the girl hiding behind a large computer screen.

  Curious, he’d dipped his head.

  All he had seen under the desk were jean-clad, long legs and a pair of slender, heeled feet, but his enhanced senses had registered the girl’s rapid heartbeat and the acrid aroma of her fear.

  The two of them snarling at each other’s throats like a couple of feral beasts, they must’ve scared the girl. And then Amanda had made it even worse with her sarcasm, sounding like a wicked witch and fueling the girl’s fear instead of trying to ease it.

  Intending to rectify the situation, he’d crossed the short distance to the girl, when it had suddenly dawned on him that Amanda had called her Syssi.

  The same girl she wanted him to seduce.

  Amanda’s schemes aside, though, he needed to do something before the poor thing fainted. And at any rate, he was intrigued.

  Extending his arm to help her up, he was curious to see her face, but it was hidden behind a curtain of wavy blond hair. It wasn’t exactly blond, though. Several shades of light browns, blonds, and gold intertwined to create a spectacular whole. Taking a sniff, he knew it wasn’t the kind that came out of a box. There was no residual smell of chemicals—just the light flowery scent of her shampoo. Not that he would’ve minded one way or another. Amanda colored her hair from time to time to change her looks, and it wasn’t only about keeping her identity secret. She simply enjoyed it.

  With a little sigh, the girl seemed to gather enough courage to look up at him.

  Kian was dumbstruck.

  Syssi was beautiful.

  Staring at her lovely, blushing face, he was entrapped by her guileless gaze. The man who’d bedded thousands of women was rendered speechless by one blushing girl.

  Kian couldn’t explain it if he tried.

  Yes, she was lovely, beautiful, with pale, flawless skin, and a small straight nose, and those perfectly shaped, plump, pink lips that were utterly kissable.

  But what had delivered that gut-crunching punch was her big, bright, blue-green eyes.

  In that brief moment, when their eyes had first met, he’d gotten a glimpse of her soul.

  Startled, he kept staring, captivated, feeling as if he knew her—was coming home to her after being lost for a long time. It was all out there in her sincere, open face: the intelligence, the kindness, the shadow of sadness that shouldn’t have been there.

  And a hesitant, hopeful expression.

  So sweet.

  The girl was attracted to him, and she wanted him to like her.

  Her lashes dropped over her expressive eyes, and she bit down on her lower lip before taking his offered hand.

  Incredibly, that one small innocent touch stunned him, igniting an incinerating erotic current that burned a path straight from her fingers down to his groin.

  What the hell?

  Cursing the traitor in his pants, Kian was grateful for his suit jacket covering the evidence of his response. The girl looked flustered enough without getting a gander of that, and besides, he hated giving Amanda the satisfaction of being right.

  Syssi was all that Amanda had claimed her to be and more.

  Now that he got her standing, Kian could also appreciate her deliciously curved body as Amanda had so aptly put it. Skintight jeans hugged long slim legs, the gentle curve of her hips narrowing into a small waist. Perfectly shaped breasts, substantial but not too big, strained her T-shirt, stretching it across her chest. And through the split neckline, he got a delightful glimpse of the rounded tops.

  Damn! Amanda had been right. Syssi was exactly his type.

  And she was blushing!

  What girl blushed these days? None that he’d encountered lately, and for sure none so gorgeously delicious.

  That demure demeanor just floored him.

  Combined with the slight whiff of her arousal intermingled with that of her anxiety, the potent elixir cranked the dial of his lust all the way up, turning it into a burning need. His venom-glands began pulsating, swelling and dripping venom droplets down his elongated fangs into his mouth. The damned razor-sharp things were threatening to punch out over his bottom lip.

  Kian pressed his lips tight. He could just imagine the sight of him flashing these beauties, a monster straight out of a horror flick. He’d bet Syssi’s arousal would be gone in a flash. She would run screaming, and that hopeful infatuated look would be gone for good.

  But oh, man, how he wanted her.

  His imagination ran amok with the things he wanted to do to her, the erotic scenes flashing rapidly through his mind.

  First, he’d tighten his grip on her hand and yank her to him, holding her sweet curves flush against his front, then grab her nape to tilt her head up and catch her lips, kissing the living daylight out of her. When he’d gotten her all breathless and panting, he would lower her to the desk and peel those tight jeans off her...

  Yeah.

  Kian shook himself. He had to stop that train wreck before it crashed and burned. Reining in his runaway libido, he shackled it with the steel cables of his tight self-control.

  Bloody immortal hormones.

  This whole thing was absurd. If that little chit had anything special about her, it was her ability to turn both his sister and him into blabbering, romantic dolts. He was too old and too experienced for these kinds of teenage fantasies.

  Recognizing her...

  Feeling like coming home to her...

  He couldn’t believe this kind of nonsense even crossed his mind.

  It must’ve been just plain old lust.

  For the past couple of nights, he had not gone prowling, and his sex-starved body was kicking his hormones into overdrive and making him stupid.

  Sensing the change in him, Syssi pulled her hand out of his grasp and lowered her eyes, blushing again.

  Oh, fuck, her timid response just threw more gasoline on the fire of his arousal, spurring on the predator in him.

  Taking a deep breath, Kian hissed as he pulled it through his clenched teeth.

  Oh, great, now he was hissing... charming.

  He had to get out of there.

  As he turned away from her to face his smirking sister, he felt the girl’s hurt gaze burning holes in his back.

  “Now, who has his knickers in a twist? Dear brother of mine.” Amanda mocked his agitation. “Don’t pay any attention to his foul mood, Syssi. It has nothing to do with you. It’s just the way he is: An. Old. Grouchy. Goat.” Amanda walked over to Syssi and wrapped a supportive arm around the girl’s shoulders.

  It was a ridiculous standoff, with Kian brooding on one side, and the two women forming a united front against him on the other.

  When had he become the villain here?

  He just wanted to get it over with, haul Amanda home and get that smoke and drink he was so desperately craving.

  14

  Brundar

  Out in the hallway, Brundar leaned his shoulder against the wall, twisting his dagger between his fingers as he observed the sparse foot traffic of mortals passing him by.

  There was a common pattern to the way they talked, walked, the stuff they wore and the things they carried.

  They fit a certain profile.

  Some were leaving, walking in chatty groups of twos and threes, heading to the cafeteria or some other joint for their evening meal and making plans for later on. Others, holding on to their coffee mugs and their laptop cases, were coming in to do some late work at the labs.

  Behind him, Anandur chuckled.

  His
brother was passing the time by entertaining himself with stupid YouTube clips on his phone, oblivious to the fact that he was on guard duty and was supposed to be invisible.

  Idiot.

  Brundar rolled his eyes as he imagined the ghost stories Anandur’s disembodied chuckles might start. Glancing both ways, he checked to see if any of the students walking by them had overheard his idiot of a brother.

  A girl clutching her laptop hurried by him without a glance, and another walked away, too busy talking on her phone to notice anything. But something about the three guys coming his way made the hair on the back of his neck tingle in alarm.

  Snapping to attention, Brundar palmed the hilt of his dagger.

  The men didn’t fit the mold he’d discerned.

  With no coffee or laptops, the young men were built like linebackers and marched purposefully with the gait of trained warriors.

  They were heading straight for Anandur and him, staring right at them as if the fuckers weren’t at all affected by his concealing illusion.

  They shouldn’t have been able to penetrate his shroud... unless...

  Unsheathing his second dagger, Brundar assumed a fighting stance. Next to him Anandur did the same while speed-dialing Kian, proving he hadn’t been as distracted as he’d appeared to be.

  “Doomers in the hall. About to engage,” he said when the shit hit the fan.

  15

  Syssi

  As Kian ended the call and returned the phone to his pocket, his face turned from brooding to grim to determined, and his body seemed to swell with aggression.

  Something was up.

  “Is there another way out of here?” he barked, confirming Syssi’s suspicion.

  “We can pass through the kitchenette to the adjoining lab; its front exit door faces a parallel corridor.” Amanda hurried to grab her purse and laptop. “Syssi, take your stuff, we are leaving!” She was already in the kitchen.

  Kian urged Syssi to follow.