The War Within (Curse of the Gods Book 1)

by Danielle James

  "Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

  "Yep," Poseidon agreed. "While I have no problem watching you wither and die, your sister would not. She is not a nice goddess and you know with her intellect, she will find a way to break her curse. We can't have her running amok without you to counterbalance her."

  "Fuck her," Ares growled.

  He hated it but he also knew it was true. Athena lived and breathed to start trouble, more so than Ares did. Only her brand of trouble rarely involved fists or swords. She used manipulation and was exceptional at strategy.

  "Nah," Poseidon said, "I have my mate and I couldn't be happier. I think it's time you found yours."

  Emma, the lovely warrior who had helped him immediately filled his mind and his heart thudded harder in his chest. Just the thought of her caused him to breathe a little faster and all his nerve endings to go on alert.

  "I don't have a mate," he said out loud. But somehow, he knew he did. She was the answer, even if he didn't really know the question.

  "That's a lie and you know it," Poseidon said sternly. "Anyway, I'm out of here. I got other things to do besides babysit you. Get better, get out of this place, and go find her. Break your curse man, or die just like the rest of the humans on this planet."

  Ares watched the retreating back of his former enemy. When Poseidon had become more ally than foe was unclear to him, but it had happened. Eons of animosity made him weary of accepting help, but as it was, Ares felt like everything he knew was falling apart. The Sea God was making sense and there was something markedly different about him. As he closed his eyes, Ares knew in his soul that he would be finding Emma, whether she was the key to breaking his curse or not.

  ***

  Athena growled under her breath as she watched the Sea God exiting her brother's hospital room. She had heard everything that had been said. What was Poseidon thinking? The world would be a better place without Ares in it. All the God of War did was make trouble. She waited a suitable amount of time before entering his room.

  “I thought I felt your disgusting presence,” Ares said without opening his eyes. “What do you want?”

  Athena plastered a smile on her too beautiful face. “I have come to help you, brother.”

  Ares snorted and opened his eyes. “Yeah I’m sure you did,” he said with heavy sarcasm.

  Athena pulled a chair up next to his bed and sat on the edge of the seat. “You’re going to die in this place,” she warned him. When he pressed his lips together and didn’t answer her, she continued. “You should have never escaped. I only followed you to make sure you stayed out of trouble and sure enough, as always, you have found it. You must return to Olympus. We both must.”

  “Not happening,” Ares replied, glaring at her hard.

  “We will die here!” she shouted at him. “Why can’t you see that? We were cursed to live out eternity in our own world, but that wasn’t enough for you. Immortality and unlimited power wasn’t enough! You have to stand against everything that does not please you. Why can’t you see where you are wrong?”

  “Poseidon broke his curse,” Ares pointed out. “I intend to break mine.”

  “And what about me?” she pleaded with him. “I have no way to break mine.”

  “Then go home,” he told her. Ares didn’t give a shit whether Athena lived, died, became mortal or rotted in the Underworld.

  “I cannot,” she admitted. “I was only able to escape because you distracted the beast. I would never make it past her again.”

  “Then I guess you’re fucked,” Ares said with a smile.

  Athena dropped all pretenses and stood. She glared at her brother hard enough that he felt it. “Fine, do as you wish. But know this, you will never possess the ability to care for anything other than yourself. You will never get that human woman to help you. She will not believe you are the God of War. She'll think you are insane, and you are! You have condemned us both. The difference is, I am smart enough to know when I have made a bad decision. You are not. You will rot in this filthy realm and die covered in the stench of your own ignorance.” She held her back straight and her head high as she stormed from the room, leaving behind the heaviness of her anger. The air was thick with it.

  Ares felt the bite of guilt once again. This time, for involving his sister. What the hell was wrong with him?

  Chapter Seven

  It took three days before Ares felt good enough to find his clothing and leave the hospital. Of course, the nurses did not want him to go, but it was time. He had spent enough time lying around and feeling sorry for himself. That was yet another new emotion to him. Never in his life had he felt pity for any soul, especially himself. Was this what being human was like? How did the poor saps ever learn to function?

  As soon as he was outside, Ares walked immediately to Emma’s apartment. The trip was more taxing than he was ready to admit and by the time he arrived, he was out of breath. That didn't stop him from knocking on her door. The way she made him feel... there was no way he could describe it. It seemed that with each passing day, Ares felt something new. She made him want things. Hell, she made him want, period.

  And then there was what Poseidon said. Emma was the key to breaking his curse. The Sea God had been freed by his mate, so was Emma his mate as well? He didn't know but he was willing to give it a shot if there was even a tiny chance that it may break his curse and he could have his power back without being condemned to be human or stuck back on the sky mountain.

  When the door opened, Ares let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. His warrior was as beautiful as he remembered. It felt as though an eternity had passed since he laid eyes on her and his entire soul relaxed with one look into her eyes.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  “I had to thank you,” he said honestly. “You may have saved my life.”

  Emma huffed. “May have nothing. I did save your ass.” She held the door open wider, allowing Ares access to her home. “Come on in, you look like shit.”

  Ares smiled and accepted her invitation. He couldn’t help but to watch the sway of her hips as she turned and walked in front of him, leading him into her home once again. He followed behind, closing the door after he entered. “I don’t know why you helped me, but thank you.” He was grateful, he realized. Add that emotion to the ever growing list of strange shit he was feeling.

  Emma motioned for him to sit in a comfortable looking recliner and Ares did, folding his large body into the chair. “You didn’t give me much choice,” she told him. “I thought I asked you to leave me alone.”

  Ares shook his head. “Listen, I don’t know why you affected me the way you did, but you made an impression on me. I’m not good with people in general.”

  “No shit,” she remarked under her breath.

  “But you touched something in me, something I can’t explain. You make me want to be better,” he continued as if he hadn’t heard her comment.

  “You don’t even know me,” she said as she sat a mug of something hot in front of him. Ares lifted the cup and smelled the aroma of sweet, hot chocolate.

  “I know more than you think,” he said. When her eyes widened, he continued. “Not like you think. I didn’t look you up or even follow you around. I have no idea what kind of job you have and I don’t know if you like cream in your coffee. But I do know that you possess a strength that most females do not. I know that you have a very large heart and that you are a kind soul.”

  Emma snorted. “Yeah, tell that to my editor.”

  “I’m serious,” he said. “I would like to know more.”

  “Are you asking me out?” she asked him, “Or at least, trying to?”

  Ares chuckled and the motion sent shockwaves of pain through his still healing chest. He showed no sign of weakness to her, though. He had been weak enough in her presence to last a lifetime. Which according to both his sister and Poseidon, was getting shorter by the minute.

  “I suppose I a
m,” he answered her.

  If a date was what it took to get her to fall for him, then a date it would be. He would feed her, give her wine, and then fuck her until the only name she could remember was his. It was a good plan. His body began tingling all over just at the thought of her beneath him, calling his name for all the gods to hear.

  “I’m sorry, but no,” she told him.

  Ares was stunned. He had never been denied anything he wanted before. “No?” he asked.

  “No,” she repeated. “I’m not interested in dating. Not you or anyone else for that matter.”

  “But,” he started, but there was nothing he could think of to say. She had turned him down flat and he chose to ignore the stab of disappointment he felt.

  “I hope you understand,” she continued, and took his empty mug from his hand. When had he finished it? And then she opened her front door, effectively dismissing him. “I’m glad you’re okay. Be careful from now on.”

  Ares stood, not wanting to overstay his welcome. If this warrior was the key to saving his ass, he needed to tread very carefully. Before he left, he stopped to look at her once more as she held the door open. Her eyes were bright and serious. She meant every word that had just fell from her luscious full lips. Her hair curled around her face and Ares had raised his hand to touch it before he realized it. The strands were soft as silk between his fingers, just as he had known they would be.

  “I hope you will change your mind,” he said, standing too close to her. He could smell the scent of her shampoo. He could feel the heat coming off her body. Ares leaned in closer and when she didn’t flinch away, he gently pressed his lips against hers.

  All hell broke loose in his body at the slightest bit of contact. Electricity zinged from her soft lips to his own, down his spine, and straight to his groin. He hardened painfully, and Ares suppressed a groan of pleasure. He was thrilled to hear her sharp intake of breath just before her body stiffened. She jerked back away from him and anger flashed in her eyes.

  “Don’t ever do that again,” she warned.

  Ares smiled at her. “I won’t do that again without permission,” he promised.

  He turned to leave and Emma closed the door solidly and loudly behind him. He meant what he said, he wouldn’t kiss her again without permission. But she would be granting him that permission, he thought as he walked away with a stupid grin on his face.

  ***

  Emma rested her back against the door and willed herself to breathe normally. She could hardly believe what had just happened. That man, Ares, had just kissed her. As much as she wanted to believe that it had been horrible, it was not. His lips had been warm and demanding on hers, just like she knew he would be in bed. Her entire body had responded to him, and that was a problem. Emma did not want or need a man in her life. Been there, done that. Still, there was no denying the instant attraction she had felt for him or the reaction her body had. She was going to have to change her panties after only one kiss! Pushing herself off the door, she went to her room to do just that. Maybe even to take a hot shower. No, better make that a cold shower, she thought to herself.

  She had just made it into the bathroom and had her hand on the faucet when there was another knock on her door. Emma sighed heavily. It seemed that in the past few days she had spent more time than normal answering her damned door! At first, she thought it was Ares again and her heart began to pound in her chest with anticipation. She didn't want to see him, so why was her body acting like she did?

  Emma abandoned her shower to tell him to go away. She yanked the door open hard only to find that it was not Ares on the other side. Instead, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen was standing there. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders like silk and her perfect features were something out of Hollywood, only etched with concern.

  "Can I help you?" Emma asked with reservation. There was something about this woman that Emma immediately did not trust.

  "I think you know my brother," the woman said.

  Emma shifted her weight and held the door so that only her face was visible. "Who is your brother?" she asked.

  "Ares," the woman said.

  Oh wonderful, more about the man who had invaded Emma's every waking moment. "What about him?"

  "May I come inside?" The woman asked. "I need to explain something to you."

  For reasons she did not understand, Emma opened the door. It was as if her body was operating on autopilot. She had no intentions of allowing the strange woman in her home, but yet she did it anyway. She watched as if from a third person's point of view as the tall blonde bombshell entered the apartment and then closed the door behind her.

  "My name is Athena," the woman introduced herself, holding her hand out to shake Emma's.

  "Emma," she replied, taking the offered hand. Athena's grip was surprisingly strong for a woman.

  "I know what you must be thinking," Athena told her, taking a seat on Emma's sofa. "Ares and Athena. What were our parents thinking? Right? They were both teachers and my mother loved mythology. That's where we got our names." She brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Believe me, high school was no picnic, for either of us."

  "You said you had something to explain to me," Emma reminded her, anxious to hear what she had to say and then be rid of her.

  "Yes. First, I want to thank you for what you did for my brother. You may very well have saved his life, and for that, I am thankful. Our parents are long dead and he is the only family I have." She leaned back and crossed her legs, getting comfortable. "But Ares is different. He always has been. Life was hard for us growing up and he faced some special challenges."

  "I'm not sure what you're trying to get at," Emma said cautiously. It sounded as if Athena was about to tell her some bad news about Ares and, for whatever reason, Emma had already decided she didn't believe it.

  "Ares has mental issues," Athena blurted out. "He has a personality disorder in which he believes that he is the mythical God of War. That's how he got those scars. He fights every chance he gets. He even acts like the god. He is selfish, cruel, petty, and loves to fight."

  Emma scrunched her eyebrows together. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

  "Because he has taken a liking to you," Athena answered. "I'm afraid he'll hurt you."

  The thought of Ares doing anything to hurt Emma was simply unbelievable. She didn’t know why or how, but she knew he would never hurt her, at least not physically. Now, if she let herself get involved with him, her heart would be on the line and that was not an acceptable risk.

  "I'm not concerned," she finally answered the woman. "I have already told him to leave me alone."

  "And you think he will?" Athena asked her.

  "Don't know, but if he doesn't, I can call the police." Emma moved to her front door and opened it. "Thank you for stopping by," she said in a blatant dismissal. She was getting good at politely throwing people out of her apartment. She could have sworn she saw a brief flash of anger in the woman's eyes before she covered it up.

  "I only meant to warn you," Athena said, taking to her feet and walking to the door. "Keep away from him. He will only bring you grief." And then she left, leaving Emma to stare at her back.

  This time, when Emma closed her door, she made sure the deadbolt was in place. While Ares made her wary, this woman set her on edge. There was most definitely something dangerous about her. Something that Emma knew she didn't want any part of.

  Chapter Eight

  Harlem wasn’t as bad as the general public thought it was. Sure, there were gangs and miscreants, but the majority of the people who lived there were nice enough. Ares had been trolling the neighborhood, wondering what kind of trouble he could cause when trouble found him. Luckily, it wasn’t the gun-toting kind, but unluckily, it was something so much worse.

  “I can feel you following on my heels, sister,” he growled under his breath without looking back at the woman he knew was following him.

  Within seconds, Athena
was walking by his side. “Nice to see you up and around,” she said sweetly. “Looking to get shot again?”

  “Go to hell,” he snarled without breaking his stride.

  “It would seem that I am already there. Did you know that I can hardly influence the human’s will anymore?”

  Ares snorted. “Good. They don’t need the likes of you mucking around in their lives anyway.”

  “Nor do they need yours,” she added. “But that isn’t the point. Not only am I stuck in this hell, but I am losing my powers as well. Do you know what I had to endure? A headache! A freaking headache. I am an immortal and we do not get headaches."

  "That must have been horrifying for you," Ares said sarcastically. "Whatever did you do to alleviate it?"

  Athena huffed at his side. "I had to take human drugs. It was terrible!"

  Ares picked up the pace in hopes that she would tire of trying to keep up. She had a headache, poor thing. Never mind that he had been shot and had to have human surgery or anything, it just didn't compare to her woes.

  "You went to her, didn’t you?” Athena asked, slightly winded.

  “That is absolutely none of your business,” Ares shot back. It amazed him how very possessive he felt for Emma after only a short time. “Stay away from her.” Athena had better damn well stay away from his warrior. There were many things that Ares could imagine and his sister being within a mile of Emma was the worst. She would hurt her just for spite.

  “You should take your own advice,” Athena countered. “She didn’t accept you, did she?”

  Ares turned a corner and passed in front of a chain link fence. The dog inside the fence snarled and barked at them as they passed, the occupants of the house staring at them through the window the entire time.

  “Go away.”

  “Not a chance,” Athena told him. “Take me back to Olympus.”

  “You shouldn’t have followed me,” he growled. “And you shouldn’t be here now. Go home.”

  Athena stopped walking and looked at her brother with disbelief. “You really think that human is the answer to breaking your curse, don’t you?” she asked.