Alpha Rising (10 page)

Freya sat with a flourish in her throne made of rose petals infused with gold. Then Avarr and Hall took positions on either side of her. Their presence let the others know that to fuck with their goddess would bring serious wrath down on their heads. In Folkvang, Freya’s immense power extended to her guardians as well.

She smiled with beneficence. “Oh good. You’re all here.”

“Of course we’re here.” Mercury grinned back. “It’s time for the games to begin.”

Hall groaned to himself as he noted the deities in attendance. Athena and Mercury weren’t too bad until they started harping on which of their worshippers were better, Greeks or Romans. Even in the present day, when most humans worshipped money, Hall would have told them neither. The Norse still ruled, but he didn’t think they’d appreciate his feedback.

Horus he liked, even though the Egyptian god’s insistence on keeping the head of a falcon and body of a man kind of freaked Hall out.

Lugh annoyed him as only Celts could with their ceaseless love of fighting.

Mithra made his eyes hurt. The Persian sun god shone too brightly, all the time.

Sedna was a particular favorite, since the Inuit goddess loved animals, though she favored marine life. She gifted Hall and Avarr with a large smile before turning her attention back to Izanagi, a Japanese deity with manic-depressive issues. Deserved, in Hall’s opinion, since Izanagi had abandoned his wife in hell to rot with demons.

Cagn and Raven, both trickster gods, he trusted as much as he trusted Loki. Not at all. But Quetzalcoatl… The big bastard loved a blood sacrifice as if the Aztecs still ruled their section of Midgard—or Mesoamerica, as the humans referred to it. If not for that, Hall would have pegged Q as his favorite. The guy loved sports and played a killer game of lacrosse.

Freya clapped once, and a loud boom settled everyone into their seats and into silence.

“I know we’re missing a few of you, but we have the major players, so we’ll get started. I’m so excited to be emceeing this year,” Freya gushed.

The others showed their appreciation with fireworks and sweet-song from birds that appeared and disappeared in seconds.

“Thank you. As you know, we don’t get to play often, so we need to take advantage of this decade’s games. Otherwise, it might be half a millennium before our next opportunity. There’s been much speculation as to where we’ll be playing. As you know, we played in Rome last time. And before that, Atlantis.”

“And we all know how that turned out.” Sedna shook her head.

“Yes, well. We’ll have to be more careful that we don’t sink any islands if we lose, now won’t we?” The look she directed at Athena had her flushing.

“Hey, that was my uncle. I know Poseidon can be a little hotheaded.”

“A little.” Mercury snorted.

Hall silently agreed.

“In any case,” Freya interrupted before an argument could start, “we’ve come to a consensus among your primaries. We’re going to be holding the next
Ludos Deorum
in Midgard.”

Raven blinked. “Uh, we kind of knew that already, Freya. Where
exactly
?”

Freya frowned. “Well, technically we could have held the games in Asgard or Niflheim. So, really, Midgard is a bit more specific.”

Hall bit back a grin. None of the gods like playing in their own heavens and hells. Midgard—the middle realm, the
human
realm—was an obvious choice. His goddess loved stringing them along.

“Oh, get to it, Freya. I have an earthquake to get back to,” Izanagi snapped.

Mithra rolled his eyes. “I have a drought. Whatever. I’m in no hurry to rush back to a lack of worshippers and too much work to do.”

“What he said,” Cagn agreed.

Freya held out a hand, and a puff of rose petals fluttered over the gathering. “And our next location for the Games of the Gods is…the United States!”

Raven beamed. His home turf. “Outstanding.”

Q frowned. “We couldn’t stretch that south at all?”

“I’m sorry, Q. Maybe next time.”

“Damn.”

Hall felt for the guy. But from what he’d heard, once the games started, things could get bloody. Q had a tendency to forget it was a game and go all-out Armageddon.

“Who’s refereeing this one?” Athena asked.

“Viracocha.” A creator god out of the Andes. That seemed to mollify Q somewhat. “Now, let’s eat, drink, and be merry. And place bets of course.” Freya turned to wink up at Hall. “My money’s on our team. I’m taking the first challenge.”

The pantheons had different gods in charge of each round. Freya apparently had round one. He could only imagine who’d be assigned round two. Loki, if he had to make a guess. Best to get the trickster out front and out of the way before he started on grand notions of world domination…
again.
Once the pantheons had chosen their representatives, those representatives in turn would select their human pawns. Then the fun really started.

He and Avarr remained by Freya’s side in Sessrumnir for a few hours before she left the festivities.

She stopped in the hallway bridging the party from the rest of the palace. “Thank you, my pets. You’ve been wonderful, as usual.” She kissed Hall’s cheek then Avarr’s. Heat strummed from her touch to Hall’s groin, making it impossible not to think of sex. Of Eira.

“Almost. You’re so very, very close.” She gave him and
Avarr a look he didn’t understand. And then, in a blink, she vanished.

“I really hate the pop-out. As much as the pop-in.” Avarr cupped himself. “Fuck, I’m hard. Let’s get out of here.”

Hall agreed wholeheartedly. “You said it.”

They left the hall and took a few side stairs to the warriors’ wing. Mostly falcons and eagles were in residence, but they passed a trio of battle-cats as well. Good men, fighters who knew how to hold their instincts in check, to hunt when needed, and how to embrace their felines and seriously nap when the mood struck.

He and Avarr entered their chamber, and Hall finally relaxed. Though still half-hard, the walk had pretty much cured his erection. Even as thoughts of Eira brought it back.

“This wait is killing me. She’d better be worth it.” He tore off his shirt, suddenly overheated, and flung himself back on his bed, a handsome construct big enough to fit three of him.

“Hmm.” He heard Avarr moving around the room. “I think I know what’s been holding us back.”

Exhausted after being on constant guard all day, Hall mumbled, “Oh?” before letting himself drift in a relaxing haze.

“Yeah, but I’m going to fix it.”

The bed dipped, and Hall blinked up into dark eyes as Avarr descended. “Avarr?”

When his friend’s lips touched his, Hall froze. Though they’d engaged in sex together with others, they normally didn’t touch each other all that much. Not like
this
. But the contact turned him rock hard, and he was kissing his best friend back.

Then Avarr’s hand snaked between them, and Hall forgot everything but how fucking good it felt to be in the arms of someone he loved.

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From USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan’s Dante’s Circle Series:

His Choice

As the youngest son of Lucifer, Fawkes has long since known what paths his future could take. He could follow his father’s footsteps, stealing the souls of humans and slowly lose his own, or starve himself and wither away until he finds his true half and forms a bond that can not only save his life, but his soul.

Leslie Masterson’s life has been one torment after another. A submissive wolf, she’s tried to hide in the shadows of her Pack and find the will to live another day. After her brother—the man who has beaten her verbally and physically her entire life—is killed when he challenges the Alpha, Leslie finally sees a path to freedom.

It only takes one look between the two for them to know that they could be the answer to each other’s prayers, but some of the Pack isn’t ready to let Leslie go. It will take the strength of a fiery demon from hell and the love of a submissive wolf to overcome not only their past, but their chance at a future.

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From Leia Shaw’s Shadows of Destiny Series

Destined for Eden

A war is brewing in the supernatural world. Eden, a werewolf misfit adopted into a shifter pack, is eager prove herself on her first mission in the rebellion. Being paired with the legendary Dalton Bane almost makes her faint in an embarrassing fangirl moment. But it quickly sinks in that he doesn't trust her, just like everyone else.

Rebel shifter Dalton's only passion is protecting the colony. The last thing he needs is a distraction in the form of a flirty werewolf named Eden. But as danger approaches, he learns that underestimating the sexy little wolf is a big mistake.