by Amy Sumida
“I wasn't going to ask you to.” I waved that away. “I just need to know if you think this will pass or if I should prepare for war.”
“Pass?” Sin's silver eyes widened as he made a huffing sound. “This won't just go away, Vervain. They're out for your head. Marduk is frothing at the mouth. You humiliated him; the Tablet Man. No one does that.”
“Mommy, who's he?” Lesya, seated to my left with Vero between us, asked.
Vero just stared at Sin solemnly.
“Did she say mommy?” Sin asked in surprise.
“I told you about my children,” I reminded him. “This is Lesya, my daughter with Kirill. Lesya, this is Uncle Sin.”
“Hello.” She looked him over. “You were with my mommy when she was bad?”
“I was, but I didn't think she was so bad.” He winked at her.
Instead of giggling as I expected, Lesya just looked up at her father, seated to her left. Kirill smiled reassuringly at her and stroked her long hair.
“And this is Vero,” I leaned back so Sin could see Vero better. “My son with Trevor.”
“You look just like your daddy,” Sin said to Vero.
“Yes,” Vero said then shoved a piece of sausage in his mouth.
“Talkative kids.” Sin looked back at me as if he expected different from my children.
“They can be.” I glanced at them in concern. Then I waved at my husbands. “This is Kirill, Azrael, Re, Odin, and you already know Viper.”
My men nodded at Sin, and I went on to introduce the Intare at the table.
“This is the General?” Aidan asked me.
“That's right,” Sin confirmed. “At least I was. Now, I'm an outcast.”
“Sin, I'm so sorry,” I said softly.
“It's okay, sweetheart. I never liked them much anyway. And those I did like still like me. So, it's about the same as it was before you showed up.”
“Here you go.” Trevor slid a plate in front of Sin then went to take Vero out of his highchair. “Come on, Son, you can sit on Daddy's lap.”
Vero hugged his father as Trevor slid onto the vacated chair but didn't say anything. Once Trevor was settled with an arm slung over the back of my chair, Vero laid his cheek on my upper arm and watched Sin carefully.
“Is there anything you can tell me about their plans, Sin?” I asked after he'd had a few bites. “Anything that could help me reach a truce with them?”
“You want a truce?” Sin asked in surprise. “Wow, you really are different.”
“I was evil,” I huffed.
“Not entirely,” he protested. “You treated me pretty well. I mean, besides blowing me off.”
“Nonetheless, I'm back to my non-evil self,” I insisted as I evaded the questioning stares of my husbands. Viper already knew about Sin's unsuccessful pursuit of me and he only smirked. “And I'd rather not go to war with your pantheon because of things I did when I wasn't myself.”
Sin sighed. “I don't know how to stop this war, Vervain. You came into their land and took it from them. You killed one of their main gods and ground the others beneath your heel. That's not something easily forgiven and it's never forgotten.”
“I zink I take children outside,” Kirill stood up and swung Lesya up into his arms. “Vero? You vant to come?”
“Daddy.” Vero hugged his father tighter.
“I guess I'll go too.” Trevor gave me a long look.
“I'll come and get you when we're done,” I promised.
Kirill and Trevor took the children outside while Odin and Viper got up moved into the vacant seats.
“So, you don't think there will be any reasoning with them?” Odin resumed our conversation.
“I don't see how.” Sin grimaced. “I can tell you that they're all in Bahrain gathering to attack you, but they won't be able to do that until you come out of the God Realm.”
“Yes, I know.” I glanced at the other men. “I wanted to wait them out.”
“That won't work.” Sin shook his head. “The longer they wait, the angrier and more desperate they'll become. They'll find a way to smoke you out, and you won't like their methods.”
“Any suggestions?” Azrael asked him. “You know these gods; what would you do if you were us?”
“I'd run,” Sin admitted. “But I don't have ties like you do, Vervain. I don't have people they could use against me.”
“My people are here,” I reminded him.
“Are they?” He lifted his brows at me. “All of them?”
“Oh, fuck,” I whispered. “I have human family and friends in HR. Do they know where my mother lives?”
“I don't think so, but if you have any human ties on Earth, they'll find them,” Sin said. “I'd put them under guard if I were you. Then I'd gather my allies and all the weapons I could muster.”
“All right. Thank you, Sin.” I laid a hand on his shoulder. “You didn't have to come, and I appreciate it. If there's anything I can do for you, just say the word.”
Sin stared at me for a long moment then said, “I'll keep an eye on the Mesopotamians for you. If they leave Bahrain, I'll call.”
I gaped at him. “Really?”
“Really.” He pulled out his phone. “But you gotta give up the digits, mama.”
I laughed and gave him my phone number. “Text me. Phone calls don't do well here.”
“You got it.” Sin promised then went back to eating with gusto.
Chapter Seven
Not only did Sin promise to call when the Mesopotamians left Bahrain, but he also gave us addresses for the homes of several prominent Anunnaki—the collection of 600 Mesopotamian gods who rule the rest. Sin is an Anunnaki, which is how he knew so much about his pantheon's plans even though they were mad at him. Evidently, you can't kick an anunnaki out of a meeting.
With Sin's information, we were able to direct Blue's vampires better and detailed reports of the Mesopotamians' movements started pouring in. Despite what he said, Sin did try to negotiate on my behalf. He was seen speaking with Marduk himself. But Sin was also seen leaving with an unsatisfied look on his face so I don't think the negotiations went well. I wasn't surprised; Marduk started off hating me, before I even did anything bad. He has a deep dislike of dragons that had begun with the Goddess Tiamat, who had been a dragon and a witch. Add faerie to that and she would have been me. So, yeah, I had rubbed him the wrong way simply by breathing.
Ninkasi was also very supportive, welcoming the vampires into her club and giving them access to the private, upper floor where only Gods were allowed. That surprised me a bit. Ninkasi had been nice enough to me but after all I'd done as the Dark Star, I expected her to side with her pantheon. I would have. Then again, Sin and Ninkasi were close, and he had been my general. He probably protected her through all of my madness. She might have even benefited from it.
On top of our espionage, I set a lion guard on my human family and friends then started assembling a list of allies to ask for help. The Intare and Froekn were a given and so were the Valkyries. Artemis returned with an answer from the Olympians, and they'd support us as well. They were already keeping an eye out for any Mesopotamians outside of Bahrain. In addition to the substantial might of the Greeks, Hell's Demons would fight for Azrael, the Fire Fairies would follow Arach, and the Egyptians would rally for Re.
I could also ask the Nagas, Thunderbirds, and even the Celts to help us, but I'd rather not, for various reasons. The Nagas are generally peaceful and even though they owed me for saving several of their people from Hanuman, I didn't want to ask them to fight if I didn't have to. The Thunderbirds have fought with me before, but I felt as if they'd paid their dues, and the Celts... well, we've had some rough patches. Even without those groups, we'd still have thousands of soldiers if needed. Our odds were good. Oh, excuse me, that was a missed opportunity. Let me revise; the odds are ever in our favor.
So, why did I have this sour feeling in my belly?
I headed down to our communal gym to work i
t off. Normally, I'd go with one of my men, and we'd work out together during one of the times that the gym was reserved purely for our use. It's not an elitist thing. I'd been caught having sex with Kirill on a weight bench once, and the Intare had decreed that this was never to happen again. They weren't allowed to have that kind of relationship with me, which was a good thing mostly. It meant that they could freely date whomever they wished. But it also meant that one of their reasons for existence went unsatisfied. The Pride had been created to serve its goddess in all things and there would always be a sexual undercurrent to my relationship with my lions. Usually, it wasn't a big deal but seeing me naked and having sex tipped the scales. So, they put aside a couple of hours every other day for our private use of the gym. This was not one of those hours but it hardly mattered since I'd be working out without any of my men.
I went into the long, rectangular room, passing orderly lines of equipment and the padded mats laid out for floor work or boxing. My strained expression reflected back at me from the mirrors lining one wall. A few werelions were on the machines, working out with earbuds in. They looked surprised to see me but when they realized it was only me, they grinned a greeting at me then went back to their exercise.
The free weights and benches were in the back corner, but I wasn't after those either. I just needed to move mindlessly; get some of this anxiety out of my muscles. I flicked on one of the numerous televisions that hung from the ceiling then settled on a recumbent bike. I'd zone out, sweat a bit, and hopefully rid myself of this tension at the same time. I started peddling.
I was about fifteen minutes in and sweating like a marathon runner when I noticed the strange undercurrent in the room. The air felt thick, heavy. I breathed in and was hit with a punch of lion musk that made my lioness sit up and purr. My eyes widened and swiveled to the side. The Intare who'd been working out had climbed off their machines and pulled the earbuds from their ears. They stood about ten feet away from me; shoulders hunched, rapid breaths lifting their glistening chests, and stares fastened on me as if I were prey. Their arousal hit me like a sledgehammer and made my head spin. My peddling slowed to a stop. I stared at my lions, not even registering their names, only that they were mine. Six of them in total.
My mind whispered horrible things to me. How I could easily handle six men; I have before. And don't they look delicious? Oh, the things I could do with them. They're mine; why not? I could spread the blond one beneath me and ride those luscious lips as I took the brunette's cock in my mouth. I could practically feel it running over my tongue and taste the salty flavor of his excitement. My skin ran hot with shivers as I stood, my gaze tracking the beads of sweat running down the blond lion's chest.
I could feel each of them down the magical cords that connected us. The Intare needed my magic to survive. They needed me to sustain them. And I needed them. It was a fair exchange, wasn't it? My lioness purred inside my chest and rolled. Her fur tickled my breasts from the inside out. Her tail whipped the back of my thighs, urging me on. I ran my hands over my hardening nipples and then clenched my breasts tightly.
“Tima,” one of them groaned. I think his name was Kieran. He was dark-haired and blue-eyed and had a body that I wanted to lick slowly. Everywhere. “I can't stop myself.”
I licked my lips as Kieran slid his shorts down, his long member popping free. It was bigger than I liked, but I'm a goddess; I could handle a little stretching, couldn't I? Keiran started stroking himself as he inhaled deeply. His breath came out on a rumble. I could practically see the pheromones riding the air. His whole body shivered, and mine mimicked his in sympathy. This was the workout I needed to relieve my tension. Ride a lion, not a bike, Vervain. I slid my hand down the waistband of my leggings and into my panties. I was slick with need. The first stroke made me tremble. I started rubbing furiously, my stare fastened on Keiran's cock.
“Fuck,” another man groaned and dropped to his knees. This one had skin like dark chocolate and eyes that promised a thousand delights. “Help us, Tima. You need to command us to leave or we'll all take you.”
“I can't,” I whispered as I stared at the enormous bulge in his shorts. “I don't know how.”
“Oh, sweet mercy,” the blonde murmured. “She smells so fucking good.” He yanked his shirt off and started for me. “I can't fight it anymore.”
He had nearly reached me when Viper stepped into the room.
“There you are,” Viper exclaimed merrily. “I wanted to show... you...” he trailed off as he looked around. “What the fuck?!” He roared.
It snapped me and the men out of our lust fog. I yanked my hand out of my pants with a horrified cry, and Kieran pulled up his shorts as a flush rose over his face. The other men stared from Viper to me with wide, horrified eyes.
“I'm so sorry, Tima,” Kieran stammered. “It was your scent. The sweat made it stronger. I'm sorry!” He ran out of the room.
“What the fuck is going on?” Viper asked again.
“Tima was working out,” Leo, a werelion from Africa who had been one of the first members of the Pride, said as he worked to calm his breathing. “She started sweating. Her pheromones hit us. We should have known it would be a problem. It's not her fault.”
“It's no one's fault,” I whispered brokenly.
“I need to get the fuck out of this room,” Tommy, the blond, interrupted as he ran for the door.
The other men hurried after him.
Leo paused at the door, “I'm sorry, Tima.”
“My fault,” I called after them. “Don't blame yourselves.”
“Pheromones?” Viper gaped at me.
“I can't,” I panted. “Fuck, Viper!” I yanked my top off. “I need you now!”
Viper's eyes went wide but then arousal replaced all of his confusion and he broke into a sprint. Within seconds, his hands were sliding over my slick skin and his mouth was settling over mine. I shoved my leggings down with his help and then fumbled with his shirt. As we kissed wildly, Viper's T-shirt got tossed to the floor and his jeans soon followed. The moment he was naked, I dropped to my knees before him, mindless with lust again. My passion had been punched up into the savage zone and then rapidly turned down to a simmer. It took barely anything to set me to boiling once more; all of those images returning to taunt me.
I had to have him in my mouth. I was about to start drooling. I pushed my lips over his blushing tip and slid them down his length with a moan. He tasted like heaven.
Viper groaned, his hand going to my head. “I don't know exactly what happened, but I'm starting to appreciate it.”
I massaged his sacks, and he inhaled sharply, his hips jutting forward. I was growling inside my throat, sucking greedily at him while sliding my lips over him. My mouth tingled with the taste and touch of him; the velvet skin—hot and hard, the rolling flesh pushed back to reveal that hidden plum, and that little slit at the top, perfect for tickling with the tip of my tongue.
“Vervain!” Viper growled and pulled out of my mouth with a popping sound. He panted as he stared at me. “Is this desire really for me or am I satisfying lust that they inspired?” He waved his hand back toward the door.
I could hardly make sense of his words, I just stared up at him blankly. Why wouldn't he let me touch him? I shifted my gaze down that beautiful, perfect chest to his tight abs and then the piece of him I needed desperately; his cock, wet from my kisses. I didn't know what to do. Instinct took over, and I turned around to bend over the bike, my forearms on the seat and my ass lifted in the air.
Viper groaned. “Damn it all; I don't even fucking care!”
His hands went to my ass, rubbing over my cheeks as he spread my legs with his. Viper grabbed my right knee and lifted my leg to prop my foot on the handle that hung horizontally to the bike seat. It put me in an awkward position but it also exposed me to him. The cool air on my core rocketed my arousal even higher. I looked back at Viper and saw him staring at my sex as if he couldn't decide whether he should lick or thru
st.
Viper made his decision, moving his shaft into place to prod my entrance. He slid inside me with one shove, both of us crying out from the pleasure. Then he started a wild thrusting, my wet passage and his equally-slicked cock making it easy for him to pick up speed. His hands went to my waist, pulling me onto himself. Animal grunts came from both of us, filling the air with primal lyrics to go with the music of slapping of flesh and the scent of sex. Heat prickled my skin, desire racing over me like fluttering wings. I pushed back onto his body desperately.
“Vervain,” Viper moaned, “I'm close.”
“Me too. Just a little more.”
Viper reached between my legs and started rubbing the apex of my sex frantically, his flesh pumping and throbbing inside me. My whole body clenched with the cresting then released as I went crashing over that precipice. I screamed with my climax, and Viper shouted my name as he emptied himself into me. I was so sensitized that I could feel his release shooting hot and liquid inside me. It sent me into another roll of ecstasy, my body jerking wildly. Viper clung to me and kept us pressed together until the aftershocks pulsed down to nothing, and we were left panting in pleasant exhaustion.