by Lila Jean
She shook her head. “Just that he’s familiar.” She shrugged and stared at the floor, biting her lip as her eyes glazed over, lost in thought. “Damara knows him, somehow, and all I could glean from the interaction is their knowing each other is not a good thing.”
Flynn tensed, his mind racing with possibilities as he sifted through all of the gods he had researched in his lifetime. Though Tina was the first goddess to Earth in centuries, most gods throughout history had loved each other and got along swimmingly, especially since there were so few of them living in a foreign world. A few of them were more aggressive than the others, conquering this or that land, demanding tribute and whatnot, but they were often put in their place by the other gods and goddesses on Earth.
Deep down, Flynn couldn’t deny the hope that this new visitor was his ancestor, Odin. If it were, Flynn would have instant ties to the god, and perhaps that would let Flynn reason with Odin. If not, perhaps Flynn could leverage his position as a descendant of the god of gods, the king of the immortals and the ruler of their alternate world to make this new arrival go home. Worst case, Flynn would send the god home himself.
“There’s more,” Killian pointed out, pacing the room as he spoke. “The missing diplomats.”
“None have gone missing in weeks, Killian,” Zane said.
The eagle shifter folded his arms, frowning. “Which means something worse is coming.”
“Or that the culprit was found,” Draven said with a shrug.
“I would have heard about it.” Zane shook his head. “I have connections everywhere.”
“Keeping Tina safe is more important.” Anthony offered Tina a seat on a nearby couch and sat beside her, whipping out a small dagger from his boot and polishing it as he spoke. “I want to personally gut whoever is responsible for hurting our citizens, but we need to prioritize.” His gaze hovered briefly on Tina. “There’s too much at stake right now.”
Flynn nodded. “Even if we solve this diplomats case, it won’t give us enough leverage to sway our fathers’ opinions of Tina.”
“I think this pertains to everything else.” Killian shook his head. “I think it’s all connected. We can’t ignore it.”
“And we won’t.” Flynn set a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We just need to focus on one imploding catastrophe at a time.” He winked.
“Very well.” Killian chuckled. “I’ll continue working on this when I can, and I hope the rest of you join me in it soon.”
“I’m not sure what to do about this god, though.” Tina tapped her finger thoughtfully on her chin.
Flynn let out a long, slow breath as he debated their options. “Either this god is here to help you transition into being a goddess, or he’s here to take Damara home.” Flynn’s heart clenched at the thought of anyone taking Tina from him, and his hands tightened into fists as rage crackled through him.
No one would harm her and survive. As he scanned the other princes’ tense faces, it seemed they were all having similar thoughts.
“Should we go after him first?” Killian asked.
Tina frowned and shook her head. “I don’t even know who it is.”
“Zane?” Anthony nodded toward the tiger shifter. “Any word on this guy?”
“Astonishingly, not a peep.” Zane rubbed his jaw, clearly pissed. “If not for your connection to him, Tina, I never would have even known he was here.”
“Now that scares me,” Flynn admitted, his heart skipping a beat at the thought of something passing by their master spy.
Draven chuckled. “I didn’t think it was even possible for you to have holes in your web of information, Zane.”
“I guess there’s just the one.” Zane shook his head but couldn’t hide a smile. “I’m already working on fixing it. There’s an ancient artifact, one that might help us figure this out.” He ran a hand through his tousled hair. “It will tell us who this guy is, what he can do, and whether or not he’s really a threat.”
Flynn frowned. “What’s this artifact? I’ve never heard of anything that can do all that.”
“It’s just a lead.” Zane smirked, a mischievous look in his eye. “I don’t know for sure if it’s real, yet, but I have a good feeling about this. Until then, I don’t want to get your hopes up.”
“Very well.” Flynn nodded to the tiger shifter. “When you’re ready, get me, and we’ll go. Whatever you need.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s settled.” Flynn crossed his arms as his massive biceps pushed against his chest. “Until then, Tina, I don’t recommend we go looking for this guy.”
“Agreed,” Anthony said.
“Ditto,” Killian added.
“Sounds good,” Tina said with a nod. “No one goes after this god until we have more information on him.” Her eyes scanned each of the princes sitting before her, and Flynn’s heart skipped a happy beat as she met his gaze. “No one engages with him, not yet.”
“Agreed,” Zane and Draven said in unison.
“In the meantime, I think each of you should try speaking to your fathers one on one,” she continued.
“I guess that’s the best place to start.” Flynn sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not sure how much luck well all have, but we have to start somewhere.”
“Exactly.” She nodded. “Test the water, see what they want out of the situation that we can give.” She set her hands on her hips and stared out the window, her voice lowering to almost a whisper. “There has to be a compromise here somewhere.”
“I won’t bother,” Anthony said, his gaze drifting to the floor. “It’ll take the full weight of four armies plus your magic, Tina, to make my father back down.”
Tina watched him with a compassionate expression, and Flynn couldn’t blame the wolf shifter for staying away from his father. King William had forced Damara into this world in order to use her powers to enslave the rest of the five kingdoms, and Flynn hated the wolf king for it. That said, Flynn also had the greedy old man to thank for bringing the love of his life to him. Without the king’s selfishness, Flynn would have never met Tina, and now he couldn’t think of finding joy in his life without her. He would never have realized who the princes really were, never formed the brotherhood that glued them together, kept them moving forward even while the world crumbled around them.
Whatever came after them all, whatever tried to kick in the door, they would take it down as a united, unbeatable force. Whatever came, they would face it together.
5
Tina
Tina let Zane choose the next safehouse, and she was pleasantly surprised that he had secured a remote cottage in Montana with a vast field out the back to train in. She sucked in a deep breath of the crisp mountain air, savoring the summer air as a gentle breeze danced through her hair.
Behind her, Flynn pressed his body against her back, his hands on her shoulders as he kissed her neck. His massive body dwarfed her, all muscle, and the surprisingly gentle touch of his fingertips on her skin sent shockwaves of desire and need clear to her belly. Her body tingled, aching for more of him, so grateful for his constant strength and unconditional love.
“We should practice, darling,” he said, ever the voice of reason. “We need to make sure you get stronger every day.”
“Okay, bossy pants,” she said with a chuckle, turning around to face him. “What’s on the agenda today?” Her eyes drifted along his broad chest and the muscles pulling at his fitted shirt, her gaze drifting along his strong body and down to his zipper. She bit her lip at the happy memory of his hands holding her, making her feel safe in his arms as his hard cock pressed against her entrance. “Perhaps a bit of strength training?”
“Maybe in a bit.” He laughed and kissed her forehead. “For now, let’s focus again on your magic.”
“Oh, easy.” She grinned and closed her eyes, summoning her powers effortlessly. The more she practiced, the less she needed the blazing fury that had sparked her connection to Damara’s magic back
in their battle with the kings. Now, she simply looked inward, tapped into the swirling energy in her core, the magic she could touch and feel easier and easier the longer she spent with Damara.
She and Damara were connected, now and forever. They would always protect each other, do everything in their power to keep this connection alive for as long as they could. They were one, and no one would ever take Tina’s goddess from her.
Seconds later, she opened her eyes to find her skin glowing white. As she had back in the throne room, her feet lifted gently off the grass, the blades tickling her bare feet as she hovered. Tina smiled, leaning back into the power, letting it hold her midair as she all but orgasmed from the sheer immensity of her magic.
Dear god, all this power. It was beautiful, and it was hers.
As she rose, her eyes quickly met Flynn’s. She lifted gently until their faces were at the same height, which, considering his massive frame, left her a good two feet off the ground. She smiled warmly, and he followed suit.
“Good,” he said, his eyes wandering her body. “Now, your other powers.”
“Right,” she said, closing her eyes once more. The glowing and floating was nothing compared to the powers she had discovered the first time she met all five kings. She had seduced them and nearly made their hearts explode, controlled their bodies with nothing more than a flick of her hand. That was her true power, the deadly one.
As she reached into her soul to summon her full power, she felt the overwhelming, almost orgasmic connection to her surroundings that she had experienced back in the altar room under the strip club. She could hear Flynn’s heartbeat, sense every breath he took, feel every sultry swish of her dress against her thighs.
Once more, her world came alive.
Careful to protect her lovely demigod, to keep him safe and control her abilities, she lifted her fingers to his chin. With the gesture, the overwhelming thunder of his heartbeats sped up. The sound hit her ears like an erratic drum beat, wild and unnatural.
With her touch on his skin, her body hummed with lust. It radiated from her like perfume, infecting him, consuming him, controlling him. She stared deep into his eyes, waiting to see what he would do or say, but he merely watched her in stunned silence, enraptured by her power. For a while, neither of them moved. Slowly, almost hesitantly, his eyes began to snake down her torso, hovering on her breasts, and it seemed as though he would rip off her clothes at any moment, take her on the grass under the wide open sky.
She grinned. That sounded fun. Briefly, she wondered what it would be like to have sex with one of her men while he was ensnared like this, absorbed in her magic and lost in his primal nature, with their permission ahead of time, of course.
With a kiss on his forehead, she released Flynn. He blinked away the lustful haze and returned to her, his strong and powerful self once more. Without warning, he pulled her into a deep kiss, his hands cradling the back of her head as she explored his mouth, blisters of need and longing burning through her with every brush of his lips against hers.
“You amaze me,” he said softly, rubbing his nose against hers. “You’ve come so far, and so quickly.” His kissed the space beneath her eyes, his touch tender and loving. “You are truly impressive.”
“Flatterer.” She winked and pulled him into another kiss, wrapping her legs around him as she released her power, falling into him and letting his hands grip her ass to keep her upright.
For a moment, Tina became suddenly dizzy. Her vision blurred, and she paused mid-kiss, the sensation of losing her balance overwhelming her. She clung to Flynn, fighting off a surge of black and white spots along her vision. “What—” she slurred, trying to stay conscious.
In a violent wave of disorientation, she collapsed. Something, someone, caught her, but she was quickly losing connection with the physical world.
As the darkness crept in, a single golden memory sparked to life. She walked through a strange place, the walls made of glimmering gold and black stone, the hallways endless and welcoming after so long on the road.
“You’re always welcome here,” a man said, his voice echoing in the haze. “My home is and always will be yours as well.”
She turned around to see a handsome young man with a long dark beard approach her. His body hummed with life and power, with vigor and magic. His energy was so familiar, and it almost seemed like she could see through him, to his soul, to recognize the god living within a human shell.
With a jolt of surprise, she did just that. Not by name, but by his energy, by the way he tilted his head, by the way his power buzzed almost violently. It was the same god who had visited her in the god connection, the same one who had threatened her. Tina instinctively pulled away, but the memory wouldn’t let her go.
This is just a memory, she tried to tell herself, to calm herself down. No one’s attacking me. This is just a piece of Damara’s past.
In the memory, he was a lover, one familiar with the space between her thighs, and yet his name eluded her. Pieces of the memory were missing, fragmented and lost, on the tip of her tongue and yet so far away.
“You’re mine, Damara,” he added with a mischievous smile. “In all your many forms. Don’t ever forget that.”
“Quite the contrary,” she said with an airy laugh, not in control of the memory. When she spoke, her voice was strange. Lighter. Foreign. Not hers at all. “I belong only to myself. One day that will get through your thick skull, my dear.”
“We shall see, my love,” he said with a dark chuckle. “We shall see.”
With a gasp, Tina dragged herself out of the memory and back into the Montana sunlight. Sweat slicked her arms and neck as she stared at the blue sky, her five handsome men all hovering over her, each more worried than the last.
“What the hell …?” Tina sat upright, still dizzy, and a flicker of nausea burned up the back of her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep it at bay. “Where—what—I don’t …”
“It’s okay,” Killian said, his soothing touch on her neck sending ripples of calmness through her. She smiled with gratitude that her white knight would always be able to comfort her.
“Tina, what happened?” Flynn knelt before her, one arm resting on his knee as he examined her face.
“Is it another god?” Draven asked, frowning.
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “This was more of a memory, I think.” Tina rubbed her neck, lost in thought. “One of Damara’s memories from a past life here on Earth.”
“That’s amazing!” Zane leaned in and held Tina’s face with his hands. “What do you remember?” His excited eyes darted between hers, eagerly awaiting every detail.
“Calm down, professor.” She chuckled. “Give a girl some room to breathe.”
“Yeah, Zane,” Anthony elbowed the tiger shifter in the side, and Zane grunted a little before sheepishly leaning back.
“Are you willing to share the memory?” Flynn asked, his face more serious by the minute. “It might help us.”
“It was about the god that visited.” She shrugged, tapping her cheek as she tried to recall the fragmented memories of one of Damara’s past lives. “I think he and Damara were lovers, once.” Tina frowned deeply, catching Flynn’s eye. “He said she was his, always.”
“A jealous lover, how wonderful.” Draven groaned, rubbing his face in frustration.
“But what happened?” Tina looked at each of her men, trying to piece together the puzzle. “If they were lovers, why would he want to hurt her?”
“I don’t know,” Flynn said with a disappointed sigh. “But we’ll figure it out.”
“For now, you should rest,” Zane said, brushing his fingers along her arm reassuringly.
“Maybe I should push through.” Tina rubbed her neck, her head beginning to ache as the heavy memory faded. “Maybe I can get more memories if I stick with it and meditate or something.”
“You should definitely take a break.” Zane laughed. “I’ve read about these memo
ry surges, though Flynn might know more than me on the subject.” The tiger gave a gentle nod toward the demigod. “If you push it, you may block them out for even longer.”
“But why now?” She shrugged, exasperated that she’d seen such an incomplete piece of the picture. “What’s significant about such a small slice of a memory?”
“It could be many things.” Zane sat beside her, his comforting hand rubbing her back tenderly. “Tina, not all of Damara’s memories will make sense when they first come back, and they may not be pertinent to whatever’s happening. It’s a roll of the dice, really, until you build your permanent bond with her.”
“There’s usually a connection, though,” Flynn said, rubbing his beard. “The first memories are usually triggered by something happening at the moment.” He shrugged. “That’s what I’ve been told, anyway.”
“We’ll make sense of it all later,” Anthony said, offering Tina a hand. She took it and stood, leaning against his strong body and relishing in the woodsy scent of his cologne. He held her close, burrowing his face in her hair for a moment of reassurance, and she gratefully nuzzled back. “Tina, you should probably get some rest.”
“Thanks, babe,” she said quietly as he led her back to the safehouse. His possessive touch on the small of her back reminded her that he would always be there, even in the shadows, to keep her safe.
As the night sped by, Tina kept losing herself in thought as she recalled whatever she could of the fragmented memory. All of the details were so close, the name of the god, the date, his temple’s location, all of it, but each juicy bit of information was still just out of reach.
It bugged the shit out of her.
To distract herself, Tina called Amy on the secure phone her best friend had given her what felt like ages ago. It took a few rings, but Amy finally answered.
“Girl, you should not be calling me,” Amy hissed into the phone. “It’s dangerous, seriously. You have no idea.”
“Hello to you, too,” Tina said, rolling her eyes.