Ares (Contemporary Mythos Book 3)

Ares advanced toward the stairs, and I didn’t move.

“Does that lead where I think it leads?”

He gave me a wry grin over his shoulder. “Afraid of a few wandering souls and floating ash?”

“It was a simple question.” I glowered at him as I brushed past, suppressing a gulp once my foot landed on the first step.

His hand slid over my back, and he kissed my jawline. “I promise he doesn’t bite.”

“I’m about to meet the King of the Underworld. Him biting me is the last thing on my mind, Ares.”

“You’ve met several gods. He’s just another with a higher status.” He led me down another two steps.

“How could I forget all the meddling goddesses the past few days?”

“Are you going to come down here so I can seal the hole or wait for someone walking by to fall in?” A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

I shifted my eyes and flopped down two more steps. He waved his hand and the spilling of light from outside disappeared inch by inch as the hole covered. We stood in complete darkness until his hand raised between us, a bright red glowing orb floated from his palm.

The orb brightened as he lifted it near my face. “We don’t have to do this right now, Harm. I’ve all the time in the world…literally.”

I shifted closer to him, tracing my hand through the orb, and feeling its tingles over my fingertips. “Are you trying to talk me out of this?”

His face hardened. “Never.”

“Then I think it’s about time I met your uncle.”

He curled his arm around me. In a flash of light and smoke, we appeared on a riverbank with black sand—the fiery sconces hanging above cast flickers of orange reflections in the water—The River Styx. Here I was about to become a living, breathing goddess, and everything remained surreal.

A deep snarl vibrated from behind us, the sound of claws scraping against the sand followed. Three pairs of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness.

“Ares,” I called out, reaching for him but not daring to take my eyes away.

Ares coaxed me behind him. “Stay behind me, gatáki.”

Not a lot of things admittedly scared me, but as the three giant dog heads plunged at us, I shrieked without regret.

Ares caught one of the snapping jaws with both hands, and the dog head snorted. Ares glared, and then suddenly…all three mouths started to lick him. Ares chuckled, scratching each head under the chin. All three sets of eyes closed, and its back leg bounced.

“I missed you too, boy. Been keeping up with your guard duties?” He cooed, nuzzling his cheek against the canine’s fur.

I stood dumbfounded. Moments ago, I thought I’d get eaten by a dog with three heads, and now the massive creature rolled on its back so Ares could scratch its stomach.

“If you haven’t guessed it yet, this is Cerberus.” Ares grinned, beating his forehead against the nearest dog head.

“I may have thought of that if I wasn’t preoccupied with the thought of you getting swallowed whole by a giant dog with three heads.”

Cerberus bumped one head into Ares’s side. Ares squinted, a slow smile crawling over his lips before he dove into Cerberus’s chest. The God of War and the guard dog of the Underworld proceeded to wrestle in a bout of barrel rolls across the sand.

Embers floated overhead, and a mysterious black fog gathered at my feet.

“Cerbie, you’re supposed to—” A man with long white hair and pointed ears appeared, stopping dead in his tracks when he spied Cerberus laying on his back with all three tongues hanging out.

Hades.

I clutched my shirt and backed away. It hadn’t crossed my mind we’d be showing up in this guy’s kingdom unannounced.

Cerberus jumped to his feet, catching Ares underneath one paw, pinning him to the ground. Ares arched his head back.

“Ares?” Hades shifted his eyes between him and me.

Ares tried to get up, but Cerberus pushed him back down. Ares waved. “Been a while, huh?”

“I see Cerberus hasn’t forgotten you.” Hades’s voice was deep and overlaid with scattered whispers.

Screw it. How did I become the meager mouse all of a sudden?

“I’m Harm.” I held out my hand.

He smiled down at me, the glowing white orbs of eyes brightening as he took my hand. “Harm. As in Harmony? The same Harmony who infiltrates most of Ares’s thoughts?”

I cocked an eyebrow, and we both turned to look at Ares. He grumbled and shoved Cerberus’s paw away before leaping to his feet. “It’s been a long time since I’ve navigated this type of—” He put one hand on his hip and with the other gestured between us. “Situation.”

“We’re a situation?” I folded my arms.

Hades chuckled, his white floating hair shifting with every bounce of his shoulders. “I think my nephew is referring to feelings.” He poked at his chest, directly over his heart.

“As if you have the best track record with emotions. It’s been what? Months with the new Queen? Doesn’t make you a damn expert.” Ares flicked his hand.

“You’re right. I should refer you to Eros.” An evil grin played on Hades’s lips.

Ares glowered. “I wouldn’t be caught dead around that cherub.”

“As if I have to ask, but what brings you two down to my humble abode?” Hades steepled his fingers.

One of Cerberus’s heads sniffed my hair. I froze, staring sidelong at the face that was twice the width of my body.

“Cerberus.” Hades made a clicking sound. “You’re distracting her.”

Cerberus’s shoulders slumped before he walked away.

“You already know what I’m going to ask, don’t you?” Ares crossed his arms.

Hades nodded. “I may have thought both of you crazy if this would’ve happened months ago, but if a mortal woman could learn to love a god who tortures the damned in Tartarus, why could one not feel the same for the God of War?” He arched a brow.

For a brief moment, Ares and I turned into shy teenagers. We caught each other’s gazes but looked away. I curled my hair over an ear, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

“I assume you’ve talked this through? Given it some thought? It isn’t exactly reversible.” Hades’s flame crown flickered.

Ares slid his arm around me. “I’ve given her every possible opportunity to bail out. She’s more stubborn than I am.”

I elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted but flashed a pearly grin.

“Have you talked to him about it?” Hades frowned.

“He isn’t my keeper. I’ll deal with him if he chooses to whine over it.”

“Good to know.” He held up his palm and a swirl of smoke and embers collected. “I’ve dealt with him enough lately to last a millennium. I could use a break.”

I stared at the embers floating in Hades’s hand, in my gut knowing it held the power to turn me into a goddess.

Ares kissed my ear. “Are you ready, Amazon?”

I turned to look at him, searching in his eyes for the final and ultimate push. A story played in his gaze—a life. The warrior. The protector. The spirit we all search for within ourselves. He represented all these things and more to all of humanity, but for me…he’d be my partner. My equal. The other half of my power.

“More than ever,” I whispered.

Hades half-smiled as he brought his glowing hand toward me. He cupped my cheek and my back arched. A surge pulsed through me to the tips of my toes, searching, exploring its domain. Heat coursed through my neck, sending trickles of electricity down my spine until finally, it settled. The power raged through me as if it had nowhere to go—no means to break free. My chest heaved, and I leaped on Ares, kissing him, devouring his essence with every slide of our lips.

I pulled away, realizing we were still in the Underworld—standing in front of its king, Ares’s uncle. My hands wrung together as I tried to control myself, attempting to push the power into any corner it was willing to go. It wasn’t like suppressing anger. It was too much. I needed to release it, and he was my solution—the only resolve I’d consider.

“You uh—should take her somewhere,” Hades said with a playful smirk. “Don’t forget to give her this.” He tossed Ares a glowing orange crystal.

I kissed Ares’s neck, waiting for him to port us somewhere—anywhere. It could be on the top of a cliff for all I cared.

“Ares. Don’t be a stranger. Stephanie’s going to be quite disappointed she missed meeting you.”

Ares snickered as I unabashedly reached a hand into his shirt, scraping my nails over one of his pecs. “Deal. And Hades—” He kissed the top of my head. “Thank you.”

Hades bowed his head, and we flashed away, appearing in the middle of my apartment living room. As soon as my feet were on solid ground, I ripped Ares’s shirt in half.

I gasped. “Holy shit.” Staring at the mess I’d made of his shirt, I let my fingers drag down my prize—him. Every inch of tanned carved muscle glistened, waiting for me to claim it all.

He shrugged off the tattered remains of his shirt.

I bit down on my lip, trailing my eyes down his tattoo, landing on the orange substance glowing in his palm. “What is that?”

“Ambrosia. It’s what will make you immortal.” His tone was deep and commanding as he held it out to me.

I reached, and he balled his fist over it.

“Nuh, uh, uh, gatáki. What’s your rush?” He gave a sly grin.

I curled my fingers in his belt loops and pulled myself against him. His hardened girth pressed against my hip. “That’s not very nice.”

His eyes brightened, and he wrapped my hair in his free hand. “I’m not nice.” He kissed me deep and rough. With every thrust of his tongue into my mouth, more and more of me became his.

He pulled away long enough to break off a crumb of the ambrosia, bringing his fingers to my lips, placing it in my mouth. A tingle surged through my jaw.

More. I needed more. More ambrosia. More him.

“Bed,” he commanded with a sultry gaze.

I nibbled one of my fingers as I backed into the bedroom. With one flick of his wrist, my clothes disintegrated. In a flash of blinding red light, he appeared in front of me, reaching behind to grab my ass.

“You’re a goddess now, Harm. The only place for that power to go is out. So, use it.” He closed his mouth over my neck, kissing, licking, biting.

I pressed my hands against his remaining clothes. Like falling sand in an hourglass, they fell to the ground in tiny pieces, piling at our feet.

He slowly tilted his chin down, kicking through the scattered debris of his clothes with a chuckle. “Interesting.”

I wrapped a hand around his length, stroking him, coaxing him toward the bed. He broke off another piece of the ambrosia and fed it to me with heavy-lidded eyes.

“Lie down,” he growled.

I thought about laying on the bed, and in a swirl of autumn-colored leaves, I appeared exactly where I intended.

Ares crawled over me. He rested the ambrosia against my lips but didn’t feed me any. Instead, he dragged it over my chin and the dip between my breasts. As he took one nipple into his mouth, the brush from his beard making it harden, he slipped another piece of ambrosia past my lips.

“Do you feel it, gatáki? Eternity seeping into you with every bit of ambrosia?” He dragged his tongue down my stomach, circling my belly button.

It was like an increasing pulse that fluttered away with every piece given. His tongue lapped between my folds, and I cried out, gripping the bed sheets. His beard tickled the insides of my thighs as he trailed back up to my face, feeding me half of what remained of immortality. Every muscle clenched, and a warmth traveled the length of my spine. He lifted my legs to his shoulders and plunged into me with a snarl.

His sudden intrusion mixed with the building transition within me from the ambrosia sent me into a euphoric daze. I looked up at him as he made his eyes blaze like the war god he was. He rocked in and out of me, the volcano between my hips simmering, bubbling until it erupted. He tightened his arms over my legs, pinning me to him as I writhed under his touch.

He pushed my knees apart, wrapping my legs around his waist, and dipped on top of me. With every roll of his hips, I lifted my own to meet him. Our bodies were accustomed to fighting, dodging, predicting the opponent’s movements. For once, we were able to give into ourselves, let the chips fall where they would.

He kissed me, dropping the remaining ambrosia into my mouth. Starbursts exploded behind my lids, and vibrations skirted down my legs and arms. With immortality settling in, our powers balanced one another. Ares grimaced, clenching his arms on each side of my ribs. His eyes burst open, and a wide grin slowly morphed over his face. His thrusts paused, but he stared down at me as if seeing me for the first time.

“Ares? What is it?”

“Thank you.” His expression softened, but a harsh crease remained near his eyes.

“For?”

Slowly, ever so torturously slow, he moved in and out of me. “I never knew war could experience a sense of peace. Or that I even wanted to.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the boulder that’d been resting on my shoulders for decades melting away.

“I know exactly how you feel.” I cocked a wicked brow. “But you’re not getting all soft on me, now are you?”

He thrust once, harsh and deep. “Never.”

I yelped, my hips bucking skyward.

He pressed his cheek to mine. “I hope you don’t have any plans for a while. We’ve got a lot of celebrating to do.”