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 Holy Moon Goddess, was I just flirting with Azrael, God of the mother-effing wolves? Bah, of course I wasn’t. He’d made a lewd comment, most likely to stroke his already over-inflated ego, and I simply knocked him down a peg. Really, I was doing the world a favor. Was there a medal for that? There should be. It was bad enough he was the most attractive man I’d ever seen, and judging from that smirk he knew it too, but he also held all the power of a god. Beautiful and deadly. A combination my lady parts seemed to love. Clearly, I needed therapy and a cold shower. I didn’t so much as glance his way until we were both in the kitchens, sitting at the island as we had been mere hours ago. The feast laid out before us spewed steam and a myriad of mouthwatering scents into the air. Once again, there was no meat. I was pleasantly surprised the magically possessed mansion cared about my dietary restrictions. There were platters of smoked vegetables, heavily seasoned with someth
Blakely The look I gave him was so brutally dry that he laughed. I tried not to be mesmerized by the musical sound of it. “Despite what you might think, Orion doesn’t enjoy killing. We were created for one purpose, to serve the moon goddess. Finding Lunette, freeing her from her shackles, it’s something we cannot fight. Removing the curses that bind us is the first step in doing just that.” I picked at the dead skin on my lip. “Okay. How can you go about doing that without killing me? If I’m the key or whatever, then don’t you need me alive?” Still facing me, he began walking backwards, leading the two of us further into the maze. The sound of rushing water, likely from the fountain at the center, continued to grow louder. “Yes, we need you alive. The memories can’t be retrieved from a corpse, and you—” he spun back around, “You just so happen to be the first of your line to survive Orion’s spell. No one’s been able to shatter it the way you have. That means something.” Despite t
Blakely I didn’t even get to enjoy my post-nightmare high thanks to a certain god. The year I’d spent at the blood mage’s camp hadn’t just scarred my body, but my mind too. Sleep was a constant battle that I rarely ever won. To hide the damage of my mother’s decision, I bought an alarm clock and kept my bedroom door locked at all times. I couldn’t risk attacking dad or Lina should one of them think to wake me up. Yes, I was a partially insane mess; no, I didn’t want to talk about it. Ignoring the problem had worked for me before, and it would have to do now. Besides, judging from Orion’s piss-poor attitude, there weren’t psychiatrists in the godly realm. Guess it was a good thing I was a pro at compartmentalizing. Azrael laughed beneath the pillow I suffocated him with, his chest rumbling beneath my forearms. Blinking the cobwebs from my eyes, I debated on whether or not I should continue my attempt at murdering him. Would killing a god earn me bragging rights? It fucking better.
Blakely The library was located in the spiral tower I’d ogled yesterday during our walk through the gardens. It was just as breathtaking inside as it was outside. There were thousands upon thousands of books, more than any public library I’d ever seen. Most were tucked away in neat rows on the shelves lining the walls. A staircase wrapped curved around the length of the room, going up, up, up, with no clear end in sight. Texts both old and new soared through the air on all levels of the library. Some flapped their pages like wings, while others glided on a phantom breeze. A pair of books that appeared to be part of the same series collided with one another. The first then proceeded to chase the second further up the tower before vanishing on the fourth level. Azrael gracefully plopped down on an antique leather sofa and gestured at a group of wooden tables just a few feet away. “Help yourself. Should you need something specific just ask the mansion.” I bit the tip of my tongue. “
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