Blakely
The amusement drained from the gods breathtakingly beautiful face the longer I sat there gawking at him. I guess he wasn’t the understanding type, because if he was he’d know how utterly mind blown I was right now.One of the wolf gods had answered my call.What was even more surprising what that he hadn’t known who I was at the time of our deal. Clearly the same couldn’t be said now, though. Before I could think to ask him what his name was, Duncan groaned and sat up from the floor.He twisted his bulbous head towards him and scowled, “Who the fuck are you?”The god didn’t skip a beat, reluctantly looking down at Duncan as though he were no more important than the wood scattered along the floor.“You want to know who I am and not the savage beast ready to gouge your eyes out?”Duncan craned his head my way, his hands still clutching his round belly.How rude!I scoffed at the two of them. “First I’m a rabid wolf and now a savage beast. Is that how you plan on doing it? You’re just going to insult me to death?”“Not her, foolish human.” The god shook his head, messing up that perfect ebony hair of his. “I’m talking about him.”Even I had the sense to scoot back as a massive wolf sauntered in through the open doorway. Its fur was the color of fresh snow, made brighter by his eyes which were of the deepest, darkest blue. Its tongue flicked out to lick its muzzle. All the while it stalked Duncan with murderous intent.I might’ve felt bad for the guy if he wasn’t a raging, misogynistic prick.The wolf’s eyes left Duncan for a fraction of a second, flicking over to my face. I held back a gasp, another glimmer of recognition hitting me square in the chest.No, this couldn’t be that wolf. It had been years since I’d last seen it. It was impossible.Faster than Duncan could scream, the wolf lunged. Its teeth sank into his shoulder, slicing through muscle and bone. He dragged Duncan out kicking and screaming, into the night where his cries continued without faltering.The god stood a mere five feet away, his arms folded over his broad chest and a lopsided smirk on his face. Of course he’d enjoy hearing Duncan’s cries for help.We locked eyes and he shrugged, “he likes to play with his food.”“Lovely,” I croaked, wondering if I’d suffer the same fate.Hearing Duncan’s final breaths helped me make my decision. My childhood was spent fighting for what scraps of freedom I could get my greedy fingers on. If I was going to die it would be on my terms.I snatched the shotgun off the floor, mimicking Earl’s movements until something clicked inside the barrel. Fuck, please let this work.One of the god’s dark, angled brows lifted. “I wouldn’t do that if I were—”BOOM!The bullet slammed into his chest. Liquid silver painted the front of his shirt. Never in my life did I think I’d see the blood of the gods with my own eyes. All of my hopes and dreams came crashing to the ground in a messy inferno because the damned god hadn’t moved an inch.He wasn’t dead. What he was, was pissed.His plump upper lip peeled back, revealing perfect teeth with two sharpened canines. Every muscle in my body tightened until I could no longer move.Two strides were all it took for him to close the distance between us.I sucked in a ragged breath, tears stinging my eyes that I refused to let fall. He was so close I could smell him. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t help but drink him in. This god smelled of moonlight, primrose, and pure magic. My body must’ve not gotten the memo that we were about to die, because my mouth watered.He leaned in close to my face. Just when I thought he’d bite it off, he flicked my nose.“Bad wolf.”Magic snared my mind and squeezed until I promptly passed out.It could’ve been hours or days, but eventually awareness settled back into my body.Thick arms cradled me, one beneath my legs and the other supporting my back. I didn’t stop to think who those limbs belonged to. The air around me felt thicker than normal. It’s touch like swimming through a river of fresh silk. Even its scent was different.The shrill cry of an animal rang out, echoing for several seconds. I didn’t recognize the creature it had come from, a fact that chilled me to the bone.I knew the forest like the back of my hand, but wherever I was—it felt foreign.Suddenly, there was this voice singing in my head. Much like the strange air, it surrounded my body and tickled my flesh. It was sensual and masculine. Dark, but surprisingly playful. It oozed the kind of earth-shattering magic that instantly made me wary.Magic only the gods possessed.“Oh, Maiden. Oh, Maiden, so fair and slight. With sapphire hair, and eyes so bright. For twenty-one years, the curse did sleep, but the time has come for the beasts to leap!Be it miles and miles of land or sea, there’s not a place on this earth where their Maiden can flee. She journeys to the border far to the east, taken to their lair where they’ll feast and feast!”I cracked open an eye, then quickly shut it.I had to be dead because there was no way I was in the arms of the same god that had knocked me out twice now—a score I was without a doubt keeping track of.A throaty scoff pulled me from my internal spiral. “I can practically feel your distaste, oh rabid one. You can cease pretending you’re asleep. We’ve crossed the border now, so it doesn’t very well matter.”My eyes snapped open.Oh, Goddess. I crossed the border—the fucking border. The mist of Emrys was all that kept the mortals from trespassing into the realm of the gods. Well, that and the threat of imminent death, but still.Trees larger than I’d ever seen stretched up into the sky, kissing the plump clouds that hung above our heads. They were a breathtaking mixture of lavender, cornflower blue, and carnation pink. The tree’s twisted limbs were covered in wide leaves, the colors muted under the cloak of darkness. A chill slithered up my spine.This was the forest of Adira, goddess of the Hunt.The god holding me an arms length away from his chest cleared his throat with a heavy note of impatience. “I’m aware this is all very new to you, but it doesn’t matter. If your mortal brain hasn’t processed it yet, then I highly doubt it ever will.”“Are you always this pleasant?”I should’ve kept my damn mouth shut, but I was having a very stressful night. Seeing as I was going to die anyway, there was no point in holding onto my manners. A huff sounded from off to the side. I craned my head and caught a glimpse of snow-white fur.Those starburst eyes of his glowed, silencing me instantly. A gentle breeze shifted the ebony hair hanging over his forehead. “You shot me in the chest and have the gall to complain about my attitude? Seeing as you’re awake and we’re past the border, you can walk on your own.”Without warning, he dropped me. I yelped as I landed on a sharp rock. It dug into my ass, and I knew later on, if I lived that long, there would be a lovely bruise. A snarl slid past my lips, deafening in the silence. The god froze, and I wondered if this muddy patch of earth would be where I died.Giving me the slightest glimpse of his chiseled jaw, he turned his head and dragged his eyes down to where I sat in a useless heap. His tone wasn’t angry, but worse. It was intrigued.“You dare snarl at your god?”My god? The pieces clicked into place, and my jaw dropped. This wasn’t just one of the three gods of our kind. No, this was Azrael.God of the Wolves.That left Draco, God of the Lycan’s, and Orion, God of the Mages. Our three species, all created by the Moon Goddess herself, Lunette. But where were they? Maybe that was why Azrael hadn’t killed me yet. Perhaps he was taking me to the others.Why was some sick part of me excited by that?I clamored to my feet and whipped around, quickly scanning the forest. Everything looked the same. There was a weight to my pocket that made me pause. Dad’s compass!Hope threatened to spill across my face. I quickly smothered it beneath a blanket of curiosity. “Where are we?”“As I previously mentioned, we just passed through Emrys’s mist. Welcome to the forest of Adira, mortal.”“First off, I have a name. It’s Blakely, thank you very much. And is that whose voice I heard back there?”Azrael paused, a glimmer of confusion brightening those starburst eyes. The wolf at his side, who was so large his head eclipsed my own, huffed. “You heard Emrys? Interesting. He’s usually rather shy. What did he say to you?”I pursed my lips, mulling over whether I should tell the truth. Gods were tricky beings, always searching for the upper hand. I needed to be careful now more than ever, but it wasn’t like Emrys had said anything I didn’t already know.“He sang me a song.”Azrael laughed, loudly. The sound was pure music, the embodiment of night itself. I swore the stars twinkled at the sound. “That sounds like Emrys. It would be smart of you not to pay him any mind.”The wolf cocked his head like he might disagree. An unsettling feeling washed over me the longer I stared at the beast. There was an intelligence in his eyes that felt unnatural.“If you’re Azrael, then where are Draco and Orion? The legends say you three never go anywhere without each other.”His eyes sparkled with humor, as though I were the butt of a very funny joke.“You’ll meet them soon enough. Will you behave, or do I need to knock you out again?”“Where are we going?”Azrael continued walking, that massive wolf keeping pace at his side. I stumbled, practically running to catch up. I knew enough about the god realm to fear the vicious, cunning creatures lurking in the dark.“We are going to my home, the mansion of stars.”Both he and the wolf easily navigated the rocky, uneven terrain. It took every ounce of my concentration not to fall behind. The stray roots seemed hell-bent on knocking me over, almost like they had a personal vendetta against me.That was impossible though, right? The trees weren’t alive…A shudder worked its way down my spine. “Is that where you’re going to murder me?”He didn’t turn or falter, but simply shrugged. “Orion will almost certainly murder you once he catches wind of your attitude. As for me, I’m interested in seeing how long you last. The others didn’t have your…fire.”“That’s so comforting.” I tripped over another tree root and cursed under my breath.I had no clue how much time had passed when we finally stopped for the night. All I knew was that my feet ached something fierce, and my stomach was a grumbling mess of knots, and indigestion.Azrael sat on a bed of moss; his back propped up against the trunk of a rather massive tree. His legs were crossed at the ankles, the laces of his combat boots untied. He was so unusually beautiful that it was hard to peel my eyes away from him. The moonlight seemed to seep into his skin, giving it this unnatural glow that did strange things to my insides.“Your stare is unnerving, you know.” The hem of his t-shirt lifted as he folded his arms behind his head. He snapped his fingers, “is this what the humans call eye-fucking?”The acrid taste of anger burned my tongue. “Like I’d ever eye fuck you.”He cracked open an eye, “what was that?”“Nothing.”I waited what felt like hours for Azrael and his beast to fall asleep. Holding my breath in fear that I’d wake them, I stood from my spot and slipped away into the forest.Blakely This was by far the stupidest thing I’d ever done.Actually, scratch that. The stupidest thing I’d ever done was make a deal with a god, then shoot said God in the chest with a rifle.Running through an ancient, magical forest in an entirely different realm with nothing more than an antique compass paled in comparison to that.Once I was far enough away, I found a tree to hide behind and pulled out dad’s compass. A warbled croak sounded in the distance and my heart leapt in my chest. Next came a series of scattered chirps, throatier than any birds I’d ever heard in the mortal realm.The needle spun erratically, darting to the left and right, before finally pointing straight ahead.North, that’s where I needed to go.I set off in that direction, my attention flickering between the network of root and stone at my feet, and the trees looming over my head. Clusters of plants dotted the forest floor, surrounded by bioluminescent bugs. If it weren’t for their indigo glow, I might’v
BlakelyWithout elaborating Azrael plucked a little black bag from his pocket and tugged at the draw strings. A finely ground powder sat inside, sparking in a rainbow of hues the moment it hit the open air. I shifted back a step when he caught me gawking.“This is stardust. It’s a very rare concoction Orion created. It’ll transport us into the mansion of stars. Since I can’t trust you not to go bounding off into the forest, we have no choice but to use it. He’ll be rather angry when he finds out, so I’d steer clear of him once we arrive.”The shard of mirror was unusually cold in my hand. Even though I had almost been sucked inside the thing, having a weapon provided me with a small sense of comfort. It grazed my collarbone as I folded my arms over my chest. “Does Orion have a stick up his ass or something? This is the second time you’ve mentioned his bad attitude.”Azrael’s lush, but messy hair fell back as he laughed. I was momentarily stunned by the musical sound.“That is exactly
OrionWith a wave of my hand and a quick burst of magic, I finished replacing the last of the broken wards.Exhaustion loomed over my head, followed closely by agitation. A steady ache had taken up residency behind my eyes. Leave it to Azrael to make my job harder than it already was. Three hours it had taken me to replace the protective spells he’d so negligently blasted through.There wasn’t a single part of my body that didn’t ache. My muscles, much like my heart, had all but turned to stone. I glided through the foyer lost within my own head and took the stairs two at a time.This new girl Azrael had rambled on about for the better portion of an hour couldn’t possibly be the one we’ve been waiting for. I’d long ago given up hope we’d find a solution to our predicament, but I knew Az hadn’t.No, he’d remained abhorrently optimistic about the entire thing.Massaging the bridge of my nose in an attempt to alleviate a growing headache, I made my way down the network of halls, taking i
OrionImmediately returning to my study, I found myself once again lost deep within thought. Azrael’s earlier words circled my head in an endless dance, but this time they weren’t alone. Ismene’s were there as well, a warning I hadn’t bothered to take seriously until now.“She will come bearing a gift. A shard of the soul mirror, tainted with Mirari’s blood. This is the girl you have been looking for.” It wasn’t that I doubted the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. I simply stopped believing that things would ever change. That our problem had any form of solution. I plucked the jagged piece of mirror out of thin air. Over the years, the most basic forms of magic were taking more and more energy. It was an omen; one I wasn’t quite ready to face.Faint pulses of magic clung to the scrap, tied within the dried specks of blood. Disbelief formed crystals of ice in my chest, muffling the flame the mortal had stoked.I quickened my pace. Ismene’s words weren’t to be ignored. If this girl trul
Blakely The rage I felt towards that dickhead of a god lasted a whopping ten minutes. I stumbled down the wooden stairs, trying my best not to fall on my face. A retort began to build in my chest, or maybe it was a good old-fashioned scream, when Orion slammed the door and locked it behind him. “Screw you, asshole!” I screeched into the darkness. Anger and sheer desperation had my eyes watering. No, I would not cry. That jerk of an immortal didn’t deserve the satisfaction. Two sconces attached to the far wall flickered with little tendrils of flame. I held up my hand in front of my face and squinted. My empty stomach clenched with fear. I could barely see its outline. The darkness down here wasn’t normal, but what was normal in the godly realm? I craned my head and began to take in my surroundings. A smooth cement wall stood to the left of me, and another several feet ahead. To the right was a row of stacked boxes. There were a few out of place, forming an opening I could easily
Blakely “It’s awfully unfair of you to ignore me, little wolf. I told you I had no idea you were locked in the basement until this morning. The moment I found out I rushed down there to spring you.” Azrael pouted, his voice dripping with sincerity. One look at the tricky god and I could tell he was fighting a smile. Hah, like I’d buy a single word of his crap. My ass was still sore despite the cushy bar stool I now sat on, and I was almost certain I now had a bruise in the shape of Draco’s mouth. I made a face, then turned to the feast spread out before me. The mansion did a hell of a job conjuring up every fruit known to man, both mortal and immortal, along with a side of yogurts, nuts, and other various toppings. Not trusting the strange food cultivated in the godly realm, I stuck to the basics and plopped a perfectly ripened strawberry into my mouth. A moan slid past my lips, which I muffled with a cough. I wanted to devour everything in this kitchen. Including the god sitting j
Blakely I was getting very, very tired of gods throwing me over their shoulders. At least Azrael didn’t stomp like his brother. Orion’s shoulder had left a splotchy bruise on my stomach that still wasn’t fully healed. My hair had fallen into my face, obscuring the room we’d just entered from view. It wasn’t until I was slung backwards, my ass hitting the cushioned seat of a chair, that I was finally able to see. All around us were bookshelves. They lined the walls, towering high above our heads, nearly kissing the domed ceiling speckled with glittering stars. Draco padded past each one, waltzing over to the corner of the room before sitting on his hind legs. I’d yet to see the god of the Lycans in his human form. It was hard to believe he preferred living as a wolf when his kind were forced to shift every full moon. Old tomes sat on many of the shelves, but also cluttered the room in messy stacks. A large wooden table sat just a few feet away, pushed up against an open window. The
Azrael “Was that really necessary?” Orion exhaled sharply through his nose, a tell-tale sign that he wasn’t in the mood. That didn’t change the fate of the unconscious girl lying in my arms, snoring softly as though she hadn’t a care in the world. I dragged my eyes away from the gentle slope of her cheek, and from the bright tresses of hair hanging down her back. The bedroom door swung open on a gust of magic. Since Orion’s was now drained, it had to be the mansion. Draco stalked ahead, his hackles half-raised, and padded inside. Shattering Orion’s spell hadn’t just sapped his magic, it had also blasted the wards over the land to shreds. He wouldn’t be able to erect them for a while. Not until his magic replenished. Draco would likely spend the night patrolling the grounds. We’d lost nearly a dozen mortals in the past to the creatures lurking nearby. Too many for it to be a coincidence. Someone didn’t want us to break the curse. I released a long sigh. Now that the girl was uncon
Blakely One Year Later “They better not be late.” Orion huffed, ever the grump. “I don’t know why you thought it a good idea to let them galivant off together.” I crept up behind him as we passed a copse of trees a mile or so away from the mansion and leapt onto his back. Of course, the man was built like a damn pillar, so it took a harsh burst of my magic to send us toppling over into a nearby field of wildflowers. As we rolled, Orion wrapped his arms around my body, protecting me from harm. No matter how many times I told them I was an all-powerful immortal now, my mates never failed to protect me. I propped my elbows on Orion’s chest and watched as the scowl marring his beautiful face was replaced with a begrudging smile. He never could stay angry when I was around. I craned my head to look at Draco. On his back was a pack full of all our things. “Here seems like as good a spot as any.” His eyes flared with heat as I shifted myself onto Orion’s lap, straddling him. When I mov
Blakely I listened with open ears and a wounded heart as Ulrich went over the casualties on both sides. Mara, Goddess of Wrath, and Rosalind, Goddess of Beauty, had both been taken down in the fight. Even though they fought on Solana’s side, it was still life lost. I couldn’t help but wonder who would step up to take their place. Vasu, God of Serpents, had escaped during the chaos. Ulrich announced that he’d likely lay low for a few decades until the memories of the battle weren’t so raw. Amora broke into tears as Dhara announced Nyssa’s death. She and Casimir had died within seconds of one another. Whilst Nyssa met her end blocking a blow meant for Dhara, Casimir succumbed to his injuries at the hands of a corrupt beast trying to attack the stream of families evacuating the city. I was relieved to see Ozul, a thick bandage wrapped around his head and a dazed sort of smile on his face as he sat next to his father, Cielo. Both regarded Lina and I warmly. Aspen, whose attitude was
BlakelyEven as the hours passed, I didn’t move from Lina’s side.As I went to take her hand, I realized there was something tucked within it. Prying her fingers away, I found our dad’s compass resting in her palm. Agony consumed me as I cried until my voice gave out.That was how Lina had found me. The compass that was meant to always point towards home led her right to me.To her, I must have been home.I could feel the other Gods and Goddesses approaching, entering the courtyard whilst the wolves—my people—remained a comfortable distance away. I could feel them mourning for me and knew that somewhere deep down they and their wolves felt a whisper of my pain.Orion knelt at my side and quietly explained that Sirona had arrived to heal my injuries. It killed me not to let my mates pull me away, to console me like I knew they wanted, but I simply couldn’t leave Lina’s side.I had failed her. It didn’t matter that I needed to defeat Solana. I was a Goddess, for fucks sake, and I couldn
Blakely I turned my attention to Solana and lunged. Shifting mid-air, I managed to rake my claws across her shoulders before she swung her staff, nailing me in the side. I had severely underestimated the force of her blow, because it sent me skittering across the throne room floor. As I rolled, I shifted back into my human form and unsheathed the sword at my hip. Power cascaded through me, turning the blade black as night. I swung it at Solana and watched as the metal glittered with flecks of stars. The Sun Goddess stepped to the side and caught my blow with the middle of her staff. Sparks of silver and gold flew and the world around me blurred as I met Solana’s movements. Lunging and dodging, gritting my teeth when she managed to land a blow that seared straight through my armor. I could tell she was toying with me, pinning me beneath her paws like a cat having caught its dinner. She had thousands of years’ experience on me, but I had so much more to lose. It was sheer desperati
Blakely I was in the middle of beheading a sentry, their pale blood splattering across my face and slicking the blade of my sword, when Azrael returned to my side. Orion quickly followed, finishing off the last few enemies surrounding him. More and more sentries were pouring in from the adjoining streets. Fear claimed me because I knew sooner or later our forces would be overwhelmed. One look into Orion’s eyes told me he knew this already, but we had no choice but to press forward. The four of us took off down the street, leaping over craters blasted into the stone by Cielo’s lightning. As we ran, the sound of fighting slipped into the distance. Here and there sentries would pop out at us. Only a select few had magic, but that didn’t make those with weapons any less dangerous. I hissed in pain as sentry hurled a small, skinny dagger at me. It clipped my shoulder, carving a slice deep enough to make me wince. Flinging out my hands I morphed the moonlight into razor sharp threads. T
Blakely Ulrich led the way down the tunnel. Within the hour we saw glimmers of light streaming through the darkness. A set of stairs carried us up into the basement of a vacant home. The walls were made from smooth stone, illuminated only by Orion’s cerulean flame. Pushed against the wall were bits of furniture, each one covered in thin white sheets. My mates crept up the stairs, scoping out the place to ensure no one was inside. As they waved us forward, ushering us into a living room, I couldn’t help but drink in our surroundings. It took some time for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did I realized the furnishings weren’t too different from what one might see in the mortal realm, only sans technology. I made it a point not to look at the framed pictures hanging on the walls. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stomach seeing what family might have lived here in the past. It would only make me wonder where they were now. Two large windows made up the front of the house
Blakely When I awoke, it was to the gentle rustling of the curtains blocking off our alcove. Rubbing my eyes, I twisted around in Draco’s arms, nearly mashing my face into Azrael’s chest in the process. I yelped when Amora’s face appeared from in between the slats of the fabric. The others awoke at the sound of my surprise. Her mahogany hair was braided over her shoulder. As she spotted us her heart-shaped lips tipped up into a smile. “Oh, you four are just the sweetest.” She cooed, “Look at you all cozied up and in lo—” Orion’s snarl cracked across the room, “Amora, out.” With a dreamy sigh she set a stack of clothing down on the floor and gave us all another dazzling smile, “Ulrich wants me to let you all know we head out in one hour.” The second she left I scrambled to my feet. I dressed so quickly that the others were still half-naked by the time I finished. None of them commented, which I knew they wouldn’t. My mates understood that this time I had with Lina was precious, an
Blakely Draco brushed my hair over my shoulder with gentle fingers, his lips coasting along my neck. My eyes fell shut as a shudder worked its way down my spine, and my body came alive. Even after all we’d been through, I still couldn’t believe these men—these Gods—were mine. Draco with his never-ending support, Orion with his cold fire, and Azrael with his playfulness. They were each a part of me now, and while I still knew so little about their long lives, I was determined to spend the next century learning. “Amora was very insistent we spend what might be our last night together.” His chest rumbled with a growl. “Elias threw out a few ideas, of course.” Azrael’s lips tipped up as he dragged his eyes down my body. I returned the favor, my core clenching when I spotted his hard length straining against the seam of his breeches, “She was nice enough to conjure these blankets for us.” “Did we mention Elias placed a silencing spell over this room?” Orion chimed in with a husky purr.
Blakely My mates and I met up with Shax, who was standing in a group with those accompanying us into the city. Dhara had already started working on the evacuation tunnels, and while her magic would’ve been useful in tunneling to the tavern for us to grab provisions, we couldn’t risk draining her. What mattered most were getting these people out of the city. I had studied the map time and time again, memorizing our route. Katya’s friend, who happened to be a Sphinx, knew the owner of the tavern personally. They had been corresponding with letters, slipping them past Solana’s sentries. He knew we were to arrive tonight and had several crates of food prepared. “Alright, kid. You ready for this?” Ulrich clapped me on the shoulder with so much force I nearly toppled over. Of course, that led to Orion snarling in his face. Azrael had crept around his back, his claws lengthened and poised at his throat. Even Draco hovered nearby, ready to remove the God of War from this world. I waved al