by Tamara White
All the guys are waiting expectantly for me in the driveway as I leave my little pool house and climb into the car, ready for a new day. And maybe today, I can try get some answers.
The moment we pull into the school’s parking lot, I slip out of the door and make a beeline for the library. I’m supposed to be working on my Hecate and Ares project with Zane, but I know he has a class this morning, so I told him I’d do research and just share my notes. We’re already behind because of me taking the past two days off. Zane, thankfully, had notes of his own so we can combine them, but I still need to do my part.
The library door slams shut after I barge in and I breathe out a sigh of relief to find it empty. I head straight to the shelves on mythology, passing by the librarian’s desk on my way, which is strangely empty too.
Okay… she must have just gone to the bathroom. No need to get freaked out.
As I get closer to the shelves, I hear a voice whispering among the stacks. I can’t quite make out what they’re saying, but if I had to guess, I would think they were saying ‘Hecate.’ Maybe Zane beat me here and is just trying to mess with me? I’ll show him not to try and scare me.
I follow the voice until I’m led to a section of books titled ‘Witchcraft.’ What the hell? Why are there books at a college about witchcraft, especially when there are no witchcraft-related courses?
I run my hands along the spines and then a particular book sends a zap of static electricity up my arm. I look at the spine. Origins of Witchcraft. Wonder how the hell I got shocked by a book? I pull it off the shelf, curious, and flip to the cover page, where I see the subtitle ‘Hecate’s Power.’
I already know a little about Hecate from our mythology study sessions, but to see a book that references her as the original source of witchcraft has me intrigued.
Everything Zane and I have discovered about her so far claims she was considered the Goddess of Witchcraft, Sorcery and Necromancy. In some stories, she is said to have walked the Earth, mourning the loss of her child, while others depict her as a virgin goddess.
Turning the page, a gasp escapes my lips and I am unable to look away from the picture in front of me.
The woman has stunning glossy black hair, which flows out behind her, as if the wind is playing with it. Her eyes are bright—the electric blue of lightning as it lights up the sky. She looks exactly the same as the portrait of the woman in the headmaster’s office.
I take a quick look around the room for a place to sit, and notice a sofa seat pushed up against the wall. Setting my bag down on the floor next to it, I curl up on the sofa, pulling my legs under me and propping the book in my lap.
I stare at the picture, completely captivated. She looks so beautiful and strong. All dark and mysterious. In this picture, though, her eyes show such pain and heartbreak. What could cause a goddess so much pain?
Turning the page, I begin to read:
Hecate, Goddess of Witchcraft, Sorcery, Necromancy and all things Magic, is often depicted as the Virgin Goddess, although this is just myth.
As Goddess of all things Magic, Hecate was all powerful, and was both loved and feared by humans, gods and friends alike. Humans bowed to Hecate’s beauty and power, convinced she could curse them if she so wished. Despite their fear of her, many became devoted followers of Hecate. As a reward for their loyalty, she gifted her followers with her own magic, creating the first human witches.
Widely considered the Goddess of Love, Beauty and Procreation, Aphrodite was Hecate’s closest ally and friend, or she was until she was consumed by jealousy.
Aphrodite knew of Hecate’s growing attraction to one of the other gods. Shortly after their relationship was widely recognized, Hecate and her lover became pregnant. Such a thing was unheard of in the Realm of Light.
The gods were unable to have children together. Demigod children had been born of pairings between gods and mortals, but two gods had never been able to conceive a child before then. Even after the creation of the demigods, a true god had never been conceived. Even those born of gods and demigods were no more powerful than the human witches Hecate had created.
The miracle of Hecate’s child was celebrated far and wide; even the Earth Realm felt her joy. It’s said that, in a moment of bliss, Hecate gifted her witches with a boost of magic to help them better protect her unborn child.
Her happiness, however, was short lived.
Before I can read any more, a hand slams down on the book, almost causing me to shriek in surprise. I was so caught up in what I was reading, I forgot I heard a voice in the library. Now my heart is racing a mile a minute as I look up into a pair of green eyes filled with mischief.
“Hello, love. Fancy seeing you here.” Hades is standing above me and I’m so shocked by his presence that I don’t stop him when he pulls the book from my hands, slamming it shut. I jump at the sound and have to take a deep breath to center myself.
“Why are you here?” I ask.
He smirks at and pulls me to my feet, the book having disappeared. I frown, trying to figure out why he’s here. Does he have classes here or something? Surely not. He looks to be too old to be a student, but he could be a professor.
He reaches up and cradles my cheek, his hand feeling hotter than it should. “I’m here to watch over you.”
What?
He bursts out laughing. “Just kidding, love. I’m here to pick up something the dean owes me. As for you, though, you’re late for class. I think you let yourself get distracted.” He grins and I look down at my watch.
Shit, he’s right! If I don’t hurry, I’ll be late.
“Crap! Thank you.” I pick up my bag and hurry out of the library, only slowing when I get clear of the double doors. I look behind me, surprised to see an empty hallway. Why isn’t he following after me? This is the only way out of the library.
I turn the corner out into the main hall and run right into a hard body, bouncing off of it and landing on my ass. “OW!” I exclaim as I glance up, ready to rip into the idiot who was just standing at the corner like that.
To my surprise, Jaxson is looking down at me with a playful smirk. He looks like he wants to help me up but knows I’m irritated with him. “Sorry about that,” I say, getting to my feet. “I lost track of time and was trying to run to make it.”
My stomach feels uneasy that I didn’t mention Hades to him, but I still feel like he is supposed to stay my secret.
Together, we walk to class, which is one I share with him, and he sits up the back with me. Halfway through the lecture, he puts his hand on the back of my seat and starts to play with my hair. I have to use every ounce of willpower I possess not to let myself get distracted by his touch.
Even after class is over, he sticks close by me. Zane is in my next class but Jax follows me in anyway. I take my seat beside Zane and Jax sits behind me.
The class passes uneventfully and we all meet up for lunch after. Before they have a chance to sit down, though, I stop them. “Uh, guys? Do you mind if we go somewhere a little more suited to a private conversation? Maybe outside?”
Carter seems to understand what I want and nods hurriedly. “Yeah, sure. Come on. We’ll go find a seat while you guys get some food.”
We find a quiet spot at the edge of the patio and, while it’s a little chillier out here, I’m glad for the small amount of privacy it gives us.
We take a seat and the others all come out a couple minutes later with trays of food. Jax slides a tray over for Carter and I to share, while the others sit down and start digging in in. Carter starts eating while I pick at the food he avoids.
When I’m finished, the guys are still eating. The anxiety builds until the first question just pops out. “Did you guys share Joy?”
Jaxson coughs, choking on his mouthful while food goes flying across the table from Carter’s direction, barely missing Zane’s face. Cooper is just staring at me with wide eyes and Zane is opening and closing his mouth as if unsure how to answer. Then after a moment of
silence, Carter starts to laugh hysterically
I frown, punching him in the arm. “Stop making fun of me. I’m being serious. I want to know the truth, did the four of you share her?”
Jax clears his throat, his eyes watering from having forced his food down. He shakes his head quickly, taking a sip of water. When he puts the bottle back down, he meets my eyes across the table. “No. We never shared Joy. She was my girlfriend, not any of the others’.”
I frown in confusion. “But you said you guys share. Why was she different?”
“Because she’s a bitch,” Cooper mutters from across the table.
Jax glares at him before answering. “Look, it’s not that we typically share. It’s that we want to share you. Only you.”
That doesn’t make any sense. Why me? What makes me so special? And why decide to share me? Wouldn’t they want me to pick just one of them?
“Okay… you have to see how I’m having trouble understanding this, right? After all, you guys all want a relationship with me, saying that you are okay with sharing.”
Cooper holds his hand up to keep me from continuing. “Okay, maybe we should have explained a bit more. We used to date different girls but, no matter who we were with, the girls always seemed to bicker. It wasn’t until one drunken night we thought of the idea of sharing a girl. We never went ahead with that plan, though, because there was never a girl we all liked. But then we met you and we realized all of us had growing feelings for you. That’s what cemented the decision for us. We all want to share you, if you’ll have us, that is.”
“Oh. So you’ve never shared a girl before? Do you have any idea how this is supposed to work then?” Silence greets me and I plough on. “Look, I have been leaning towards saying yes to this arrangement, because I do like all of you and I’m curious to see where it might go. But… how am I supposed to be in a relationship with all of you? Like, do we create a schedule or something? How do we split time equally so no one gets jealous? And what do we do about sleeping arrangements? Will you get upset knowing I’ve slept with one of the others?” I lay out my worries one by one, feeling like this may be a lost cause. I mean, really? What was I thinking? One girl in a relationship with four brothers? It's unrealistic.
Carter shifts his body closer to mine, halting my tirade of questions. “Val, do you like us?”
I simply nod.
“Well then, how about we just give this a trial run? You know, you date all four of us at once and see how it goes? If it gets too much, then you can always back out. What do you say?”
I think over his words, not sure. I guess it might work. But I’m scared. What if I fall for all of them and they change their minds later, wanting me to choose?
Jess’ advice rattles around in my mind and settles my resolve. After all, you only live once. “Alright, we can try it. But I have some ground rules.”
All of the guys are now wearing massive grins, which is distracting while I’m trying to be serious. I focus instead on a spot behind Zane’s head, where I see Joy watching us through the cafeteria windows.
“First rule. When we get on campus, we aren’t dating. We can hold hands, but no kissing. I don’t want rumors floating around when I’ve barely settled in here. Whenever we’re at home, though, you can show affection.”
At this, the guys are nodding in agreement. “Now, as for dates. I don’t want any fighting, so if you can’t organize a schedule or agree upon dates between each other then I’ll end it.”
Jax smirks. “I think we can manage. And what about sleeping arrangements? I, for one, would love to spend the night.”
I sigh and sink down into the seat. “To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure there should be any more sleepovers. I’m worried that if things go too far with any of you, the others will get jealous,” I admit.
Zane leans forward and props his elbows on the table between us, a glint in his eyes. “Val, you realize we all know you had sex with Jax, right? We try to tell each other everything when it comes to you,” he explains when my mouth drops open in response. They talk about that kind of stuff with each other? That seems worse than when girls gossip for some reason.
“Okay, then. Now I am well and truly embarrassed. Why don’t we leave sleeping arrangements for another time? I’m going to go to class. Either that, or just go die of shame.”
Zane chuckles as I stand up. “Okay, babe. We’ll talk later.”
With that all sorted, we pack up and continue on with the rest of our day. Despite still being embarrassed, I feel happy for the first time in a long time.
Then when afternoon hits, my mood drops. The guys are all waiting for me to get in the car, but part of me is hoping Justin will show up. It just feels weird not having him pick me up at the end of the day. But after twenty minutes of waiting, I have no choice but to accept that he isn’t coming today. Instead I climb into the car with the guys, who decided to wait for me, and try not to let it bother me.
Jaxson turns to me before we exit the parking lot. “What do you want for dinner? First thing that pops into your mind. Go!”
It’s been so long since I’ve been able to choose that I freeze for a moment. “Uh, Italian?” I shrug my shoulders, unsure whether that was a good choice. I still have no idea what the guys like. They don’t say anything and my nerves continue to build as we drive. A few minutes later, we pull off the main road and park in front of a beautiful little restaurant at the end of the street. It’s a gorgeous ambiance, with glowing lanterns decorating the inside and a small outdoor dining area off to the side. Wicker chairs and tables are set up, decorated with pale green tablecloths and red napkins. It’s so nice.
“You coming?” Carter asks from just outside my door, making me jump. I was staring for so long, the others had time to get out and are now watching me from the sidewalk. I nod and take Carter’s proffered hand with a small smile, trying not to let my nerves show.
He gives my hand a squeeze as we enter the restaurant. The waitress standing by the door smiles at us and hands us each a menu before directing us to take a seat wherever we’d like. Zane leads us out onto the side patio and heads to the section of chairs in the back.
Once we’re all seated, I look through the menu, trying to decide what I want. It’s a toss-up between the carbonara and lasagna. I haven’t had either for so long and they both sound awesome.
“Val, you’re drooling.” Zane laughs, startling me from my daydreaming.
Oh, crap. Talk about embarrassing! I reach up to wipe my face, refusing to look any of them in the eye, only to realize there isn’t any drool to wipe away. I glare at Zane and he just winks, refusing to be cowed by my glower.
The waitress comes over after a few minutes and takes our order. Cooper, Jaxson and Zane all get lasagna so I change my order at the last minute and get the carbonara instead. I can always try their lasagna. That’s if it’s not already gone by the time I finish with my food.
We all sit around talking about classes and assignments while we wait for the food to come out. I think the guys must sense my desire not to talk about the details of our relationship right now, because they steer clear of the subject.
However, no matter how much I try to distract myself, Justin is still in the back of my mind. Maybe I should go to his house after class tomorrow and explain?
Our food comes out quickly and I end up stealing more than I probably should off the guys’ plates, but not once do they object. In fact, they seem to find it endearing.
After dinner, Jaxson pays for our meals and make our way out to the car. As soon as I get in, a wave of exhaustion hits me. Cooper and Zane join me in the back and as I’m squished between their hulking forms, I let myself relax, closing my eyes with a soft sigh. I find myself struggling to form cohesive thoughts, so I just let sleep take me instead. I can worry tomorrow.
Twenty-Three
I’m safe. My guardian has me wrapped in his arms and the shadows can no longer reach me, but even so, my heart still pines for the others
.
I step away from my guardian, wanting to find the others, when the shadows part to reveal them standing strong. When I take a step forward, the shadows close in around them once more. I turn back, only to find that the guardian who was once by my side has disappeared. With my heart racing in fear, I start running, the desire to find them so overwhelming it makes me nauseous.
Out of the darkness, a shadow emerges, his eyes beseeching. “Come on, Valerie, let’s go,” he begs as those gray eyes burn into my very soul.
I reach out and take his hand, screaming when his touch burns within me. A sudden blast lights up the room and then my guardians are surrounding me. They each place their hands on me, offering their strength.
“Fight, Valerie. You are stronger than him. Your soul isn’t his to take; it’s ours to nurture.”
Holy shit! My head pounds when I wake and I can’t help but wonder why these dreams keep accosting me.
I go to climb out of bed, but then a set of arms tighten around me and I freeze. What the hell?! Who is in my bed? That’s when the events of the night before come back to me.
Justin ditched me after school, so the guys took me for an early dinner. Then on the way home, I fell asleep.
I relax and turn around, meeting the amber eyes of Jaxson, who smirks down at me. “Did you know you both snore and talk in your sleep?”
Oh my frigging god! No way! I knew my dreams were bad, but please tell me I don’t really snore!
“So what if I do? You didn’t have to stay and listen to me. Actually, why did you stay anyway?”
I decide to take the high road and pretend not to let the fact that I snore bother me. After all, he stayed in bed with me all night, so it couldn’t have been that bad.
He cups my cheek tenderly, gazing into my eyes. “You really don’t see it, do you?”
Huh? I have no idea what he’s talking about.
He seems to realize this and a cheeky grin emerges. “I guess I’ll just have to show you then.”