What in the name of Hades? He'd run smack into a nymph at the very time he needed to find one. Yet, something was considerably wrong. Had his body gone on shutdown because the Satyr Moon was close? No, that couldn't be right. Ariston hadn't had that happen. He'd been drawn to Lily so strongly that Pegasus was sent to chaperone them. So why now, when it mattered most, did his body decide to close off desire and arousal?
Words spoken in anger flooded his memories. A thyrsus breaking. Edicts and curses and yelling. Pan's glowing red eyes. Dread swept through his veins like ice.
That motherfucker.
Adonis released a string of expletives that actually gave the thus-far-unflinching Sage pause. Good, then she wasn't completely immune to shock and danger. "What's going on?" he asked though he had a really good freaking idea, and if it were true, it made this whole situation almost tragic. Part of him was ashamed he'd ruined whatever attraction had Sage drawn to him, but if he was right, there couldn't ever be anything between them. Not after what Pan had done to him. He turned away, unable to look her in the eye. Might as well tell her the truth. "I'm damaged." Cringing, he continued, "Satyrs were cursed a long time ago, and only nymphs can break the spell…so to speak. If we had sex, it would have to wait until the Satyr Moon—a lunar eclipse."
Sage didn't respond immediately, but she surprised him when she touched his shoulder; it was almost comforting. "There's a lunar eclipse the night of November first. Would that work? Maybe that's why I've been drawn to this spot, to you. Let me help."
When he could do no more than stare at her like she was crazy, she added excitedly, "If I were granted abilities, I should use them to help others. Like a superhero."
He had…no words. "A superhero?" He shook his head. "How old are you?"
She winced at his harsh tone but didn't break eye contact. "Twenty-two."
"Gods. You're practically still a child." He took several steps away. She fantasized about satyrs and superheroes and witchcraft. He should be shoving that dress back over her head and sending her home to her parents. Or straight into a church to confess.
"I'm an adult. I'm in college, living on my own—well, with a roommate. I'm not a novice at sex, and you don't have to be a jerk about it. If you don't want me to help you, say so."
His eyelids slammed shut and he turned away. Breaking his curse was everything, but being around him wasn't good for her. He would only corrupt her, bring her down. She'd grow to hate him like everyone else did. For some reason, the thought of Sage hating him was more than he could bear—this gorgeous girl who sought to help him, no questions asked. She was too trusting, too good, and the world would chew her up and spit her out for it. He wanted to protect her, but couldn't. She wasn't for him. Couldn't be with him, couldn't save him, and she damn sure wouldn't be ruined by him.
Then again, he couldn't touch her in the way she wanted, so maybe she was safer than he gave her credit for in his presence. And wasn't that the kicker? Finally, something had gone right for him, and he couldn't even have it. He would have to watch his freedom from this hell he'd been trapped in for centuries pass him by.
"You can't help me. Nobody can." He met her gaze, sadness overcoming him as rage boiled with in him. His hands shook and he clenched them tightly at his side. "I made a mistake, several if we're counting. A god bestowed an additional curse on me, one I didn't truly understand until tonight."
Her brow wrinkled as she tried to make sense of him. "What does that mean?"
Pan's words echoed in his memory, like they were spoken only yesterday. "I hope one day you find a nymph who desires you more than anyone else ever will, and your own hubris prevents you from reciprocating it."
The sting of his fingernails pressing into his flesh made him loosen his fists, but he didn't feel any better. "It means you were to be my salvation, but I can never desire you or gain my freedom." Adonis put his hands on her shoulders and met her gaze, leaning in close. "We can never have sex. It's physically impossible for us. I'm sorry for interrupting your…" He released her and gestured at the candles. "Dance."
3
Sage wanted to be offended by his annoyance and harsh tone. How was she supposed to have known she was a nymph and not a witch? There hadn't been a handbook to accompany her abilities! But the anguish in his voice and his eyes made her wonder if there wasn't a way to help him. More than that, she couldn't believe satyrs were real! When she'd opened her eyes and caught him staring...
A delightful shiver passed through her. She was still aroused—and naked—as hell, and there was nothing to be done for it apparently. What had such a handsome man done to get cursed? Was he truly unaffected by her, or did he only mean he couldn't touch her until the eclipse?
There was one way to find out: stick with him and see what happened next. She wouldn't pressure him, but now that the possibility had presented itself, she couldn't walk away. Her curiosity about him, not just his erotic nature, intrigued her far too much. Because she was a nymph? Perhaps…but here was the evidence that something had happened to her, and he had answers she needed.
Being a nymph made a hell of a lot more sense than witchcraft, come to think of it. Her attachment to nature, to plants. Interest in Gaia, Persephone, and Demeter. Why else would she have found herself in this predicament, drawn here specifically? Everything had happened a particular way for a reason…to lead her to Adonis.
"You didn't interrupt anything," she replied finally. She wanted to know more about him, and couldn't if he wasn't willing to talk to her. "I was dancing for you. It was supposed to draw out a lover whom Gaia deemed worthy of my offering. It sent you." If Gaia were real, why send a satyr that Sage couldn't touch unless it was a test of some sort…but for whom?
He shook his head, and long blond hair shimmered in the candlelight. His horns were glorious jet-colored pillars shooting up from his head. The tips looked sharp, and she wanted to touch them—wanted to touch him again. He stood there, in nothing but worn, ripped jeans and a black T-shirt with a Led Zeppelin logo on it. His hooves were barely visible in the darkness, but hard to ignore once noticed. How far past his feet did he look different? Now that she was paying attention, she could see the slight unnatural curve of his legs. How fascinating. Would he be offended if she ran her hands over them? Her curious nature wanted nothing more than to see him in his full glory, but from his scowl, that wouldn't be happening. Not yet, anyway.
"We aren't going to happen, sweetheart." His tone was flat. The hard, thin line of his mouth matched it. "You're mistaken. Gaia, and the rest of the Primordials, are long gone. Let's say that, maybe, your nymph magic had sway over me coming out here when I did. It doesn't cancel out the fact that it's impossible to act on anything of a sexual nature together."
"I very much doubt that." She took a step forward, and he retreated one in turn. "Nymphs and satyrs go together like peanut butter and jelly. What's not right about us joining? Smushing together like a sandwich."
It was difficult not to giggle as he blinked in disbelief. "Did you just compare sex—us having sex—to a peanut butter sandwich?"
"And jelly. Don't forget the jelly. The messy bits are the best parts."
He didn't say anything but gawked at her. She got that reaction a lot. Since she didn't really have a filter most of the time, it didn't bother her. Perhaps the fact that he had to wait for the eclipse was his problem. Sexual frustration tended to make one quite the grump, after all.
"Well?" she pushed. "How about it then? I can wait until the eclipse."
"Y-you...you." He cleared his throat. "Are out of your mind. I told you, not even five minutes ago, that I am in-ca-pa-ble of going through the Satyr Moon ritual with you, and you are insisting on doing it anyway. And how is that going to work, hmm?" He crossed his well-toned arms and she barely suppressed the urge to lick her lips. Arm porn at its finest. "My body is not responding to you. Do you understand that? Do I need to spell it out in cruder terms?" He rushed forward and took her hand. Before she could decipher
his intention, he placed her palm against his groin. "I'm cursed. More than any of the others of my kind. I cannot have sex with you…even if I want to."
The pain and anguish in his tone broke her heart for him, even as the words sank in. Some of her arousal deflated, but not all. She pulled her hand away. His touch on her skin had sent tingles through her. Surely Gaia wouldn't have set them into each other's paths if there was nothing to be done. "Curses have work-arounds, don't they?"
His eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious right now."
Sage shrugged. She didn't have anything to do for the next few days, and she'd just found out she was a supposedly mythical creature, and so was he. Did he think she wanted to twiddle her thumbs at home when there were satyrs in Georgia suffering from a curse where she, a nymph, was the only cure? Not on her watch. She was a problem solver. A go-getter. A help-people-out-er. A curious-about-satyr-sex-seeker. And there was never a puzzle she couldn't put together.
If she weren't mistaken, his disappointment had stemmed not only because he'd realized she was what he needed and couldn't have, but he'd wanted her. There'd been heat in his eyes when she caught him watching her dance. A catch in his breath. "I am serious."
"Gods," he whispered to himself. "You're stubborn and possibly insane."
"You wouldn't be the first to think so." When he didn't make a move to leave or comment, she crossed her arms. Shit, I'm still naked. "I should put on some clothes—unless..."
"I'm going to regret asking this." His nostrils flared. "Unless what?"
She gestured at herself. "You sure you don't want to sample any of this?"
A tic started in his jaw, and he turned around and walked away.
Too much, Sage. Too much. You're harassing the man. She chased after him, not even bothering with her clothes, belongings, or the candles. It was supposed to rain tonight, but at least her bag was waterproof. She wasn't about to let a satyr disappear into the night. She might not get to play in the way she wanted, but she still had a lot of questions.
The only reasonable explanation was she'd been sent to torment him. Had Hermes done this to test him—to see what Pan's curse would do? Adonis would never forgive the god for such a thing, either god if Hermes were behind this latest debacle. At the same time, if not for his lack of arousal, he would have succumbed to her seduction. He'd have taken her right there inside that circle of candles. Lost his chance at becoming human again forever by sleeping with a nymph mere days before the Satyr Moon.
And he would have enjoyed it. Gods, he'd been enraptured with her beauty and seductive movements at first, before he'd gotten freaked out by the implications of what she was and how that affected him. Still, her curiosity and lack of fear intrigued him. There had to be something wrong with her though if she had real interest in him, and that issue might be her incessant chatter. Sage said whatever came to mind without thinking about it and was shockingly forward. Weren't humans of this era supposed to be more concerned about harassment and consent and what not?
She confused him more with every breath she took. Truthfully, his annoyance stemmed from the fact that his dick was cursed in more ways than one, and the more wanton she acted, the more pissed he got that his body wouldn't behave as it should.
She wants me, not caring about my past, and I can't do anything about it.
Pausing, he sighed and then started walking again. He'd thought retreat was the best way to make it clear he wasn't interested, but he could hear her hurrying to catch up with his long strides. He bet she hadn't even put the candles out or grabbed her dress. A muffled expletive affirmed that thought. She was chasing him barefoot in the dark—so much for the earth not harming her. Foolish girl. As a wood nymph, she couldn't be far into her powers or she would have little trouble navigating her element in the dark. Adonis stopped abruptly, gritting his teeth when she crashed into his back with a grunt.
Sage clung to his hips as she steadied herself, breasts pressing against his flesh. He hissed in a breath. The pleasant sensations of a woman's touch felt strange without anything stirring his more primitive appetite. A phantom tickle that refused to bloom into physical stimulation.
"Gather your belongings. Put those candles out. I'll wait." He couldn't have her burning down the trees that kept the world away from his sad little home. He also needed her to dress herself. The longer he stared at all that skin she'd laid out for him, the more aggravated he became. Staring at a feast, hungry with no appetite. Godsdammit.
"You won't leave?" Skepticism colored her question.
She was the worst best thing to happen to him in a long time. He wanted to leave, but if he assumed correctly, the curse would be back in full force without her. If she stayed near until he could find Hermes or get into town on Halloween, he wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone and losing control until he found someone he could have sex with.
"I won't." He didn't turn around, but after a moment of hesitation, she went back in the direction of her candle circle. Adonis rubbed his face. Why him? It had taken nearly destroying his twin's chance at happiness and then Hermes helping him rehabilitate himself to get the last of Dionysus' influence out of his system. He was thinking clearly for the first time since his immortality and wished he could atone for the way he'd acted in the past. Ariston still refused to speak to him…
Adonis didn't blame his twin for his anger. It was deserved, and if they'd been in different shoes, he'd have reacted the same way. What would Sage say about what he'd nearly done? Would she want him when she found out he was no better than trash in a gutter?
Scowling, he chastised himself for caring. Rejection couldn't sting the emotionally numb.
"You did wait." Surprised, Sage's voice didn't hide her delight as she returned, attired in her thin dress and flip flops and carting a large bag. "Are we going to your lair? Do you have orgies there in the name of the Greek gods? Is the place decorated in sex furniture like an authentic pleasure den?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose and nearly started praying to the Christian God for strength and patience. "It's a house. There's no electricity. And sorry to disappoint, but no orgies or sex furniture." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "If your abilities have recently awoken, it may have you a bit out of sorts, and you'll get used to the overactive sex drive. It becomes a part of you that is impossible to completely ignore but can be tamed."
Sage snorted. "Who said I want to be tamed?"
Gods help him.
Jacen leaned back in the plush chair behind the desk and listened to the mortal man complaining about needing reservations for the week prior to The Aegean Inn's impending reopening. He tried to keep his face from expressing his annoyance, he really did, but he didn't think he succeeded. "Sir, I understand you need lodgings for those days, but we are not open that week. There's nothing I can do."
What should he say? That one of their good friends had been brutally murdered in one of the rooms in the staff quarters. That a fight between two satyr factions in the room adjacent to this one had caused tremendous damage that had recently been renovated? That the influx of satyrs finding their true loves was making it a bit crowded at night, and well…walls were only so thick?
"I want to speak to your manager."
"I am one of the owners and managers," Jacen replied dryly.
The guy huffed. "Is there anyone else? Anyone?"
Evander was enjoying a much-deserved sabbatical with Bremusa, and Calix still had not been seen or heard from since his imprisonment, followed by his disappearance. Orestes was dead, and though Melancton had recently joined the staff, he hadn't had to deal with customers yet—so that was out of the question. Though he'd probably intimidate this man without having to open his mouth, so it might have merit…
Enough.
"Pardon my frankness, sir, but what part of I'm one of the owners made you think there is someone over me that would change the answer I've given you already?" Most days, customer service didn't get to him, but some customers made him
want to drop his glamour and scare them out the building.
The man huffed indignantly. "I'm going to leave a strongly worded review on your website." He turned to leave.
"Be sure to include that we were closed for renovations and there were safety concerns. I'm sorry, but I will not risk the health or wellbeing of our guests before we get approval to reopen." It didn't matter anyway. They were booked for five months straight with no vacancies already past the opening date. Being a supposedly haunted inn in downtown Savannah, there were always people trying to get a room. Jacen often wondered if people would be as fast to reserve a room if they knew the things going bump in the night at The Aegean Inn were satyrs instead of ghosts, and guests weren't entirely off limits…when they were single.
His blood heated as the door slammed behind the angry customer while thoughts of his lover, London, filled his mind. She had come to this very bed and breakfast to look for ghosts, and what she found was him. Naked. Hooved. And especially horny, because…horns, naturally.
He smiled. That had been a fun night. He loved London, and he couldn't imagine ever being with anyone else, but one day he would have to. She wasn't a nymph, and because of that, he'd never be able to break his curse to live a normal life with her—if Pan couldn't fix it.
It was fine now, but in fifteen to twenty years? She would age, and he wouldn't. How long until it bothered her, and she resented him? How long until he had to watch her wither while he was trapped in immortality and in his prime? It was like one of her dumb vampire novels. He narrowed his eyes at the ceiling. Is that why she reads them? Didn't seem healthy if so.
Was their relationship the least bit healthy? The sex was off the charts, and as long as he was cursed, it would be. Even afterward, if Ariston keeping his satyr stamina hadn't been a one-off. She definitely had motivation for being with him, but sex alone was not what made a healthy relationship. He loved her, would do anything to make her happy, but the only thing he could do for the betterment of her was to let London go live a normal human life.
All Hallows' Satyr (The Cursed Satyroi Book 5) Page 3