“What are you cooking?” I asked again with a giggle.
“Well Ms., Mr. Odin asked me to cook something you would like. He told me that you are from the south, so I made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, butter beans, turnip greens and cornbread. I also made some banana pudding for dessert.”
“Wow, really?” I haven’t had food like that since I moved to Maine.
“I must say, it was hard work. It takes a lot to make food like this,” she said laughing. “Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes.”
“Thank you. I will get everyone to the dining room.”
As Odin and I left the kitchen I asked, “You had her make all of that?”
“You haven’t been eating much lately and I figured if you had something to remind you of home, you would be able to eat.”
“Thank you. I can’t wait to try it. My mouth is already watering.” Odin went to the third floor of the castle and I went to the second, so we could gather everyone for dinner.
Once everyone was seated Cinzia and Genevra started bringing out the food. Everything looked so delicious I couldn’t help but lick my lips which caused Cal to start laughing at me. “What?” I asked.
“You must be starving,” he said.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because your eyes got big and you licked your lips like you were ready to devour every bit of this food.”
“A girl has got to eat Cal.” We started piling our plates. I got some of everything while the others took everything but the turnip greens. They looked at them like they were disgusted. The chicken was juicy and cooked to perfection with a hint of spice behind it. The potatoes weren’t lumpy which was good because I hated lumpy potatoes. Everything was cooked just how I liked it. “I don’t know how she did it, but this food is amazing,” I said to no one in particular.
“It is tasty,” Odin said.
“It’s greasy,” Ambi complained.
“That’s what makes it so good. Nothing like a little fat to add some flavor,” I said with a smile. When we were done with dinner, Cinzia brought out the banana pudding. It was topped with whipped cream and cookie crumbs, just the way I liked it. “Oh, my gosh that looks good.” I was the first to dig in. “Mmm, y’all have got to try this,” I said with a full mouth. The guys laughed at me while Ambi just looked disgusted.
With a full belly and no plans, I decided to read a book in the library. I got comfortable on a bean bag and was beginning to get lost in the book when a knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” I called out.
Odin walked into the room, “My dad just called, and he needs me to come to his office. Would you like to come with me?”
I didn’t want to go with him, but Odin knew I wanted to see where he worked. And if I was pretending everything was normal between us, he knew I would want to go. “Sure,” I said.
A big smile played across his face, “Great.” We headed for the car and toward his father’s office.
“Your father works in a house?” I asked confused as we pulled up to a house instead of the office building, I was expecting.
“No, he works from home.”
“So, this is where you come when you go to work?” He nodded in response. “Not what I imagined. I thought you actually worked in an office building,” he laughed at me.
We got out of the car and headed inside. It was a fairly sized house. The outside is yellow with white shutters. There were flower beds along the house that was filled with brightly colored flowers. They reminded me of when Odin took me to Croatia. As we stepped inside Draven greeted us. He pulled me in for a hug squeezing me a little too tight.
“How is my favorite daughter-in-law?”
“I’m your only daughter-in-law,” I joked.
With a laugh, he said, “Yes but you are still my favorite.”
“What did you need me for?” Odin asked.
“Well I guess straight to business then. Lilith if you don’t mind, you can wait in the living room. Get comfortable and make yourself at home.”
They headed toward the back of the house, so I went into the living room. I was flipping through the channels on the TV when I heard a noise coming from behind a door off of the living room. I walked over to the door and stuck my ear to it. Another sound came from behind the door. I knocked lightly. There was shuffling so I slowly opened the door.
A woman sat in a chair in the middle of the room staring blankly at a TV. “Hello,” I said. She had black hair like Odin’s, but it was starting to gray, and she had the same glowing green eyes Odin wore. They were just as breathtaking on her as they were on him. She was elegantly beautiful.
She looked at me and smiled. “Hello,” she said softly. “Who are you?”
“I’m Lilith, Odin’s wife.”
Her eyes lit up. “You married my boy?”
“Yes mam’,” I said shyly.
“Come sit with me dear.” I walked in and sat next to her. “It is so nice to finally meet you. Odin talks about you all the time.”
I smiled, “Forgive me, but I don’t know your name,” I said embarrassed.
“I’m Adreana.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Same to you. So, tell me, how has my boy been treating you?” I told her what I thought about Odin before I found out what he had done. No matter how bad he betrayed me I wasn’t going to down grate him to his mother. She told me stories about when he was a child. She told me that one time she had cleaned a sliding glass door so well that when he ran through the house to go outside and play, he ran right into the door falling flat on his butt. We were laughing so loudly we didn’t hear Odin and his father walk into the room.
Draven cleared his throat, “What’s going on here?” he said with a look of admiration.
“I’m sorry I didn’t stay in the living room?” I said feeling like I shouldn’t have come in here.
“It’s quite alright Lilith. Drena, how are you feeling?” Draven asked.
She ignored his question and looked at Odin, “I like her,” she said smiling. “You better do everything in your power to keep her.”
“I plan on it,” Odin said as he walked over to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. “She’s definitely a keeper.”
“Well son, Lilith, I will see you out.” Odin kissed his mom on the cheek before leaving the room.
“It was nice to meet you Adreana,” I said.
“Same to you dear. And I hope I get to see more of you,” she said as she pulled me in for a hug. She whispered in my ear before I pulled away from her, “Be careful Lilith. Don’t let Draven get your baby.”
I pulled away from her shocked. “What?” I asked quietly.
“Come now Lilith, you must be going,” Draven said. Reluctantly I walked toward Odin and he took my hand as Draven walked us out to the car. “Lilith, you have to know that Drena is sick. She says things she shouldn’t. She has gone mad.”
“I didn’t mean to impose on her. I heard a noise and was curious as to what it was. I’m sorry for not staying put where you said.”
“It’s alright my dear. I’ll be seeing you soon.” He stepped into me giving me a hug. I got in the car and shut the door. He and Odin shared a few words before Odin got in next to me and drove us home.
Chapter Three
The ride home was awkward because Odin kept smiling at me. Becoming tired of the smiling, I asked, “What Odin? Why do you keep smiling at me like that?”
“I am just really happy right now?”
“About what?”
“My mom. She hasn’t said a word in over a year. When we talk to her, she just stares blankly at that damn TV. Not only did she speak to you, but she spoke to me. And she was smiling. You don’t know what this means to me,” he said excitedly.
“All in a day’s work,” I joked.
“Ah Lamia Mea I love you so much.” He grabbed my hand in his and kissed the back of it. “I am so excited I can ba
rely contain myself.” I couldn’t help but laugh at him. Seeing him this excited made it easy to forget about his betrayal.
When we arrived home Odin immediately started telling everyone about his mom. Everyone started getting just as excited as he was. It was contagious.
“Did you put a spell on her to make her talk?” Gunner asked.
“No, I would never do that,” I said feeling offended.
“Are you kidding Gunner, all it takes is her smile to make anyone fall in love with her. Right Tristan?” Odin said jokingly.
Tristan and I shared a look before I spoke to him with my mind, “He must be in a really good mood to joke about that.”
“I know. It really is amazing that you were able to get her to speak. She hasn’t spoken to anyone in a very long time.”
“All I did was talk to her.”
“Yes, but she talked back,” Odin said still wearing a huge grin. I flopped onto the couch and started flipping through the channels. Tristan sat beside me while everyone else was still making a big deal out of nothing.
“There is nothing on TV,” I said throwing the remote down onto the coffee table.
“Want to play Skip-Bo?” he asked. “I think I might actually win tonight.”
“Sure, but don’t plan on winning.”
He walked away to get the cards and I headed to the kitchen in search for some more banana pudding. While I was bent over digging in the fridge some arms grabbed me from behind causing me to scream out and flail. “Jesus Lilith, it’s just me,” Odin said.
“Don’t do that. You about gave me a freaking heart attack.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I pulled the pudding out of the fridge, “Want some?” I asked still flustered.
“No thanks.”
“Good. That means there is more for me.”
“It’s good to see you eating and keeping it down.”
“I guess the ba…” I cut myself off. I almost messed up and told him about the baby. “I mean Cinzia really knows how to make my favorite. This stuff is delicious.”
Just as he was stepping in for a kiss Tristan walked into the kitchen, “You ready to lose?” he asked.
“No, I’m ready to win.” I pulled away from Odin and grabbed my food, “We are playing cards, want to play?”
“No thanks. Have fun,” he said.
When Tristan and I sat down at the table I started talking to him with my mind, “I almost accidentally told Odin about the baby.”
“He didn’t catch on, did he?”
“No. But earlier today before we went to his dad’s he asked me if I was pregnant because of how I haven’t been feeling good lately. He wants to take me to the doctor.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him no obviously. But he said if I’m not better by next week he will take me himself.”
“Then I guess that gives us one week to get things in order.”
“There is something else.”
“What?”
“Odin’s mother told me to be careful and to not let Draven get my baby. Why do you think she would say something like that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Tristan, I’m scared. What if they catch us? I can’t let them have my baby.”
“I promise you with every fiber in my body they will never get your baby. At least not while I’m alive.”
“Thank you.”
“You two sure are quiet in here. You guys usually play a very intense and loud game,” Latham said.
“Would you like to join us?” I asked.
“Sure.” The three of us sat there playing cards for the next two hours until exhaustion took over me.
I excused myself from the game and went upstairs to take a hot bath. I ran the water as hot as I could stand it before stepping in. Sitting in the hot bath immediately relaxed me. I put my earbuds in and tuned everything out around me. Closing my eyes, I started to doze.
The music faded, and laughter took its place. I wasn’t angry or scared of Slaaneth anymore. Meeting him in my dreams was such a common occurrence I was growing accustomed to it. “Slaaneth.”
“Lilith, nice to see you again.”
“Can’t say the same. What do you want this time?”
“Still the same thing. I want your baby Lilith.”
“Why?”
“It’s my ticket to freedom. Your baby carries my blood. I can smell it.”
“You aren’t going to touch my baby.”
“I will have that baby. I will take it when it is born just like I should have taken you.”
“My baby will not be a sacrifice, so you can get out of hell. I will kill you first.”
He laughed so close to my face I could smell his rotten breath. “Kill me? You could never kill me.”
“I will do whatever I have to do to keep you away from my baby.”
“This is getting boring. Till we meet again Lilith.”
I woke up just as Odin walked into the bathroom. “May I join you?”
I pulled my earbuds out, “What?”
“May I join you?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath trying to control the frustration. “Sure.”
He got undressed and slipped in behind me before asking, “Lilith, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“All day you have been avoiding me. Every time I touch you, you freak out. Did I do something to make you mad at me? Is this still about Tristan?” His voice had so much hurt in it I almost felt sorry for him.
“No, it’s not that. I’m just in a bad mood today.”
He started massaging my shoulders, “Maybe I could make you feel better.” He kissed the side of my neck while moving his hands lower down my back. His touch didn’t create the heat it used to, but it still felt nice. He began to run his fingers up and down my arms pulling me to lean on him. With my back laying on his chest, he lathered the loofah with soap and began to wash my chest.
When my chest was covered with soap, he dropped the loofah and took my breast into both hands squeezing them gently. I moaned from the touch. He slid his hands down my stomach until he reached my center. He gently caressed me sending a sensation through my body. He nibbled on my ear, squeezed one of my breasts and massaged my middle at the same time causing pleasure to flood through my body. When I reached my level of satisfaction I cried out with ecstasy.
Odin got up and stepped out of the tub. He pulled me up into his arms carrying me to the bed. He threw me down and flipped me over facing away from him. He pulled me onto my knees while he stood next to the bed. He thrust into me moving forcefully in and out. I couldn’t help but cry out from the pleasure. The sex was quick, and it didn’t take long for either of us to reach a level of release.
I crawled under the covers kicking myself for having sex with him. I knew I had to act like everything was normal but was having sex with him necessary? Odin crawled in beside me. “Are you sure everything is okay?” he asked.
I laid my head on his chest, “Yes. Everything is fine.”
“I don’t know. Something feels off about you.”
“Baby, I promise you everything is fine,” I said kissing him gently on the lips. We lay there in each other’s arms until he fell asleep. When I was sure he wouldn’t wake up, I slid out of his arms slowly. I grabbed a few things I knew I wanted to take with me. I grabbed the necklace my parents gave me, my iPod and a few of my favorite hoodies and I threw them into a duffle bag. I also threw in a couple pairs of blue jeans and t-shirts.
Before sneaking out of the room I spoke to Tristan with my mind, “Are you awake?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I’m coming to your room.” When I walked into Tristan’s room, he was standing by his bed in nothing but his boxers. He was gorgeous. His body was lean, but he was built. His abs sent heat flooding through my body. He fumbled with his clothes while I stood there an
d drank him in.
He looked a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you that fast.”
“Sorry. I barged in.”
“What did you need?”
I pointed to my head letting him know to listen, “I have my things ready for when we leave. Can I leave it in here?”
“Yes.”
“If we could leave as soon as possible that would be great.”
“Tomorrow I will make a few calls and let you know.”
“That would be great. Goodnight.”
“Sweet dreams, Lilith,” he said with a smile.
When I crawled back in the bed Odin rolled over, “Where did you go?”
“To the kitchen for some water.” I was really getting good at lying but somehow, I don’t think this is a good thing. I was ready to leave right now. I didn’t want to lay in this bed next to him. I didn’t want to hear his voice or see his face. I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to see him suffer. I wanted to watch him beg for mercy as I caused him excruciating pain.
He snuggled up to me and I wanted to push him off. I could feel my powers stirring inside of me. I was beginning to learn that my powers are connected to my feelings. Whatever feelings I have, my subconscious calls on whatever power fuels that emotion. And right now, hate was radiating inside of me and the witch inside of me was itching to unleash some fury. I rolled over facing away from him staring at the wall until sleep took me under.
Chapter Four
I didn’t wake up until well past eleven. I was anxious to see if Tristan had any news yet. The sooner I got out of this house the better. I rushed into my bathroom and took a quick shower. I dried off and threw my towel in the hamper. I walked back into my room naked and to my surprise, it wasn’t empty.
“Tristan what are you doing in here?” I asked.
“Lilith. I am so sorry. I thought you heard me say I was coming in.”
“No, I didn’t. What do you need?”
“Do you want to put some clothes on first?” he asked embarrassed. I didn’t mind being naked in front of him. He didn’t make me feel like I needed to hide. He may have been uncomfortable with my nakedness, but he never once took his eyes off my body. I didn’t mind him looking either. I confidently walked over to my dresser and slowly slid on a pair of red lacy panties. I then took out the matching bra, I slipped it on but didn’t fasten it. I walked over to where he stood and asked for his help. With shaking hands, he clasped the bra for me letting his hand rest on my back for a few seconds. I walked over to the closet, grabbed some clothes and let him watch me slowly get dressed.
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