by Macy Blake
Solomon growled. “Alpha Jerrick killed you.”
She scoffed. “You don’t think he’d let me off that easily, do you? Now why don’t you go back where you came from before you give me fleas, dog.”
Calli and Jedrek snarled. Jedrick took a step forward and growled.
“Oh, the puppies think they scare me? I’ve faced worse. Much worse. And survived.”
Nick wanted her dead. He clenched his fists. He really, really wanted her dead.
Jedrek lost control and bolted forward.
“Jed!” Nick barked his mate’s name. Jedrek skidded to a stop. He’d half-shifted, ready to get vengeance on Nick’s behalf. Nick knew it. He felt it. Saw the anger on Jedrek’s face. But Nick would be damned if he gave her what she wanted.
Even Solomon seemed surprised. Nick stepped forward.
“You want this, don’t you?” Nick asked. Jedrek touched his arm, but Nick didn’t take his eyes off her. “You want it to be easy, quick. You’ve been praying for this, haven’t you? Wishing from the crusty, black depths of your heart that they’d find you once more. End this for you. Give you the easy way out.”
She turned to him, hatred so deep in her eyes. “And who are you?”
“I believe you called me Lion. My family calls me Nick.”
She glared. “You aren’t a lion.”
Nick grinned. She flinched. “I gave it up so I could have this moment. But now… I don’t know. I think I have it wrong. I don’t know shit about all this, but I think… I think there’s something you fear worse than them.”
She snarled. “I remember you now. Sniveling brat. Always close to the tigers and the little bear. I killed her, you know. She was so weak. Jenny. Wasn’t that what you called her? And poor, poor Max. I took care of him not long after you left them. He cried for days. Begged for you to come save him. I put him out of his misery.”
Nick swallowed back the bile in his throat. He glanced at Jedrek, arched a brow. Jedrek growled, willing to do what Nick wanted. He’d reward him for that later. Much, much later. Well, maybe not too much. He had needs. Nick turned to Solomon. “Jedrek told me a story. About how you guys take creatures who abuse their roles here to the goddess for judgment.”
Solomon grinned. “We do.”
“I don’t know anyone who deserves judgment more than this piece of shit, do you?”
“No, Nick. No, I don’t.”
“And see, I think she has a few more secrets left in her. Secrets she is so afraid will come out. She’s more afraid of that than anything. She wants to die so she won’t tell. But I think… I think a goddess could get the truth out of her. What do you guys think?”
Solomon stepped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. “I like the way you think.”
A portal opened directly behind her and he shoved her through. She screamed in terror, but Solomon followed. Calli drew her sword and held it at the neck of the other witch as Nick stepped forward, too. Jedrek grabbed his hand and they walked through their second portal of the night. Together.
“I’m going to take this one to Zaire,” Calli said. “I have a few questions.”
“See you soon,” Jedrek nodded.
The portal closed behind them, and Nick found himself in a curious patch of forest. Everything here was quiet, not alive like the woods he’d spent the past week running through with Jedrek and Leandra. He would miss that most, those moments of peace with them at his side. But they’d figure out a new way.
He tightened his hold on Jedrek’s hand. Then he gulped. “Holy shit. Is she going to come?”
Jedrek grinned. “That’s how this works.”
Solomon had Mrs. Foote on her knees on the ground. He held onto her head, not taking any chances. Nick wasn’t sure how he felt about it all, but he didn’t have time to process. The forest came alive and began to glow. Sound returned and with it power. So much power Nick could hardly breathe. He closed his eyes. Jedrek pulled him in, tucked Nick’s face in his neck.
“Breathe.”
Just breathe.
Jedrek guided him down onto his knees, but he kept Nick wrapped in his arms.
“Goddesses,” Solomon whispered.
“What have you brought us?”
Damn. Even her voice had power. Nick wanted to look, but Jedrek held him steady. Probably not a good idea for a mere human to look upon a goddess. He’d probably vaporize or something.
“We finally found her, my goddess. The one who used her magic against the cubs so long ago.”
A burst of angry magic pounded against him and Nick tightened his hold on Jedrek.
“Easy, sister.”
Another voice, this one as fierce and powerful as the first.
“Show me,” the first goddess said.
Nick had no idea what that meant, but after a second he felt her magic again. So weird. He wanted to look, dammit.
And then he got his chance.
Jedrek
Jedrek held Nick to him and waited for the goddesses to decide the fate of the woman who’d hurt so many of the people he loved. The kids— Goddess, they deserved this. They deserved to know the monster who’d hurt them for so long was gone. And Nick. Jedrek couldn’t believe that he’d fallen head over heels for a stubborn lion— human. Nick was human now. But just as strong and fierce as he’d been before. It was good to know those traits weren’t the lion’s alone.
“Jedrek.”
He raised his head, eyes damp. He hadn’t even realized he’d been crying. Couldn’t, in fact, remember the last time he’d shed a tear. “Yes, my goddess.”
“Come to me. Bring your mate.”
Jedrek nodded. He gave Nick one last squeeze before letting him go. He rose then pulled Nick to his feet. Nick hadn’t opened his eyes. “It’s okay, Simba. You can look now.”
Nick opened his eyes and glared. “Ass.”
Jedrek grinned. “Your ass.”
Nick poked him in the ribs.
Instead of retaliating, Jedrek wrapped his arm around Nick’s shoulders and turned him to face the goddesses. Only two of the three sisters were present. Their fire goddess and the earth goddess. She hadn’t taken her eyes off Nick from the moment he turned around. And Mrs. Foote, well, she’d vanished. Last he’d looked, both goddesses had hands on her, and then… nothing. Jedrek hoped she burned in hell.
Jedrek guided them closer and Nick didn’t seem to know where to look.
“This is some crazy shit. I mean, uh. Stuff. Shit. I mean. Dammit.”
Jedrek laughed. The goddesses did as well.
“Such language. I believe he thinks we have not heard it before, sister.”
Nick groaned. “Sorry. It’s been a really crazy couple of weeks.”
The earth goddess stepped closer. She held out her hand to Nick. “May I?”
“Uh, may you what?”
“See.”
Jedrek leaned in. “She can see your memories of the last few weeks. She wants to see from your eyes what happened.”
Nick made the strangest face Jedrek had ever seen. “Uh, that’s cool and all but, uh… see, I just sort of met this guy this week, and well, things happened. Really, really good things. But private things. And, you know. Look. I’ll just say it. Orgasms. Lots of orgasms happened. And that’s not something I care to share, okay?”
Jedrek thought the gates might open and swallow him down into hell.
Solomon choked and started cackling. The goddess did as well. Nick’s goddess, on the other hand, simply looked smug.
“You think I’ve not heard it before?”
“Oh, come on. That’s just…wrong.”
She grinned. “I will not look at the private times between you and your mate. You have my word.”
Nick glanced at Jedrek, a question in his eyes.
“It’s good.”
He turned back to her and shrugged. “Okay. Just don’t be surprised at how many times I thought about lube over the past week.”
Jedrek groaned and the goddess rea
ched out and touched Nick’s head. Her eyes glowed a stunning emerald green and within seconds, it was done. She stepped away and sniffed, wiping a single tear from her cheek. “You are a true champion, son of Xsayarsa.”
“Son of what now?”
She grinned. “Tell me… Nick, I believe you are called in this realm… how did you decide to set the lion free?”
“I don’t know.” Nick shrugged. “I just figured… everything that happened, you know. It was all fucked-up magic. And even though it fought me— Damn, did that lion fight me— when the coven was doing their thing, it wasn’t messing with me. It was messing with him. So I figured they needed whatever it was making me lion. That was the dark magic. I’m worried about the other kids, though. What this means for them.”
“And what would you say to those kids, Nick? Would you tell them how evil the animal inside is? How dark it is?”
Nick scoffed. “No. You kiddin’ me? The lion wasn’t fucked up. It was good. But there was dark magic attached. Hell, I don’t know shit about this stuff but—”
“You know more than you think. Your instincts speak to you, strongly, and you have the gift of listening. It is a great power.”
Nick gave her a look like she was off her rocker and Jedrek coughed to get his attention. He widened his eyes, trying to remind Nick to be respectful, but Nick just shrugged again.
“It’s not that great of a power. I mean, look at these guys. Portals and flames and shifting with their pants on. That’s powerful shit right there.”
The goddess gave him a quizzical look, then glanced at her sister. “He seems to want to be one of yours, sister. I believe he meets the qualifications.”
Jedrek nearly choked. He grabbed Nick from behind. Held him close. He couldn’t believe his—
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Nick said. “If you’re saying what I think you’re saying, thanks but no thanks. I mean, I love my mate and all—”
Jedrek choked again and held him closer.
“— Oh, yeah. Sorry Jedrek but I mean, come on. I think this is love, right? I don’t know shit about love but man, I can’t imagine a single day without you. The thought of it makes me crazy. And you’re clearly the most beautiful man on the planet. I mean shit, so fucking hot. And don’t get me started on the coolness factor of the hellhound. What’s not to love? Well, I mean, except your inability to cook. We need to work on that.” Nick turned to look at his goddess. “Could you maybe help us out? Because we might starve. It’s a problem.”
He’d never seen his goddess look more stunned.
“I… I…”
“Yeah, it’s too weird, right? I get it.” Nick turned back to the earth goddess. “But as I was saying, I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine being human. I think it’d be weird to have someone else as my alpha, now that I was one, you know? It doesn’t feel right.”
She smiled at him.
“I have someone who would very much like to see you.”
“Yeah?”
The goddess waved her fingers around and the trees parted. A lion walked through them. A very familiar lion. Jedrek gasped, squeezing Nick a little too hard in the process.
“Dude. Is that… that’s…”
The lion prowled forward coming closer to Nick before head butting him in the chest. Nick knelt in front of him and grabbed the lion’s face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. You know I didn’t. But dammit, they’re hurting kids. And I don’t want to think about what they’re doing to Leandra and the other mothers. It kills me to think there are more out there. I had to stop them, right? Someone hurts our pride, we hurt them.”
The lion threw back its head and roared. Jedrek couldn’t believe his eyes. Nick had tears flowing down his cheeks but he stayed strong, kneeling there in front of the beast.
The goddess touched the lion’s head and smiled. “You speak to him as if he is not you, but you are wrong, Nick. He is you. You cut away half of your soul to save the others, let half of you be stripped away. But I offer you this boon in return. I can return your other half to you, if that is your wish. But I’m afraid if I grant you this, I must ask for something else in return.”
“It’s what I want most, after Jedrek,” Nick said. “But it feels like a trap.”
“Not a trap. May I?” She held out her hand again.
“No funny business,” Nick warned. But he leaned closer and let her touch his head.
Nick swayed and when she removed her hand, he fell back against Jedrek. He looked to the lion, then back at her. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have a deal.”
She grinned and reached out once more. Jedrek looked on in shock and amazement as her magic flowed around them, trees and leaves circling them until suddenly he couldn’t see where Nick ended and the lion began. And then, there weren’t two of them anymore. There was only Nick, who turned in his arms and looked up at him with glowing golden eyes.
Jedrek couldn’t resist. He pulled him in and kissed him like he’d never kissed him before. Nick growled and jumped, wrapping his legs around Jedrek’s waist.
The goddesses both laughed, and the sound was the only thing that brought Nick up for air.
“Probably should have talked to you first. This is gonna be… crazy sauce.”
“I trust you.”
Nick grinned and kissed him again.
The goddess cleared her throat.
“Son of Xsayarsa, you have your mission, but we have learned a great deal more from this foul excuse of a witch than simply the worst of her evil deeds.”
“Wow, that sounded like a line from a really bad movie.”
Jedrek groaned and pushed Nick away. “Behave.”
“What? It did.”
“Nick,” Solomon said, “Focus.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I’m kinda buzzed at the moment. Ready to get to work.” He glanced at Jedrek again. “Really should have talked to you first.”
Jedrek grabbed his hand. “We’ll deal with it.”
“That’s not all we must deal with,” the fire goddess said.
“Our brother is behind this. He used his abilities to manipulate magic. He is trying to gain power, enough power to defeat Sawyer and prevent him from fulfilling the prophesy.”
“I knew it,” Nick said. “He’s totally the air god, or whatever, isn’t he?”
She looked at him, a blank stare, and then nodded. Jedrek thought every bit of air had been sucked away from him. “What?”
“I told you,” Nick said. “There should be four. There’s four elements. Fire.” he pointed at Jedrek’s goddess. “Earth.” He pointed to his. “The water one. And air. Just like the coven. One was missing. Remember? I thought it might be the mother but that didn’t make any sense. Except… wait… what does that make Sawyer?”
The goddesses shared a look. “Our brother is something else. We are forbidden from speaking of this.”
“Of course you are. Does Sawyer know?”
They shared another look.
“So we’re about to have, holy shit, it’s like the Titan wars or some shit. What was it called?”
Nick turned to him, but Jedrek didn’t have a clue. His mind was still reeling over the realignment of the deities as he’d known them for as long as… “I don’t know.”
“Well, remember that movie? It was so bad. Battle of the gods, or some shit. The younger generation basically fought it out with the older ones. That’s how Zeus became king of the gods or whatever. Holy shit, is Sawyer Zeus? Can he like throw lightning bolts and shit?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
The wind had clearly been knocked out of Nick’s sails. Jedrek looked at Solomon, who seemed just as confused as he felt.
“What do we do?” Jedrek asked.
“You already have your tasks,” his goddess replied. “But beware. Our brother is devious. And now that he’s lost his only source of power, he will be desperate.”
“Lost his power?�
�� Solomon asked.
“Yeah,” Nick replied. “I’ve got that one. Will explain later. At least tell me you took care of that… woman. Because I want to tell Ben he can sleep tonight, you know? He deserves to know she’s gone forever.”
Both goddesses came toward him, and Nick stood tall. Jedrek had never wanted him more.
“She is gone forever. You have our word. And now we know all of those who helped her. My hellhounds have a new task of their own.”
Solomon grinned. “Happy to serve.”
“Good. We must work fast. Time is of the essence. Nick, you know what to do?”
“Yes, my goddess.”
She smiled. “You will serve me well, my champion.”
Before Jedrek could even process it all, they were gone.
Nick turned in his arms and then he had his mate wrapped around him.
“Holy shit. That was either the coolest thing ever, or the weirdest dream ever. I don’t… I don’t know which one I want it to be.”
“What do we need to do, Nick?” Solomon asked.
“First, I need to speak to my brother. Privately. But then I need…” Nick paused and cocked his head to the side, as if listening. “I need Ben. And Ollie. Can you bring them to our place?”
Solomon glanced at Jedrek, questioning, but he shrugged. He had no idea what was going on either.
“Sure,” Solomon said. He opened a portal, and after sending Jedrek one last look, he left.
Jedrek stood alone with his mate in front of the gates. Nick looked up at him, his golden eyes back again.
“I can’t believe that just happened.”
“No shit. What was all that Son of the X-man stuff.”
“Xsayarsa,” Jedrek said.
“Like that helps me.”
“Xsayarsa is the king of the lions.”
“Oh. How do you know that?”
Jedrek shrugged. He’d been around for a while.
“Wait, does that mean he’s like… my dad?”
Jedrek grinned and leaned their foreheads together. “No. Just means you’re in the lion clan.”