The Tainted Web (The Godhunter, Book 7) (33 page)

“
I don't want you hurt,” I took his face in my hands and brought him closer. “It's hard to keep the balance but please remember that I love you, no matter what comes into my life or what horrible monster claims my attention next.”

“
Was that a reference to Iktomi or Arach?” Odin's eye twinkled.

“
I'm not sure,” I laughed.

“
Well, at least there are things I can do that none of the others can.” His whisper warmed my ear as I felt his touch along my inner thigh.

“
Hold on, cowboy,” I tried to pull away but he held me tight. “We're fifty feet away from everyone.”

“
And you don't have to remove a single piece of clothing,” he kissed me as his magic continued to make its way further up my thigh, rubbing against me until I began to shake, and then sliding inside me.

I tightened my arms around him, kissing him and pressing my hips against his. My hands trailed down his back, over the ridges of prominent muscle, and down lower, where I could fill my hands with his ass and pull him even closer. He groaned against my lips and I felt more invisible hands on my skin, running over me everywhere, kneading, scraping, rubbing me. I could feel him inside me, working up a rhythm while he was still pressed hard against my pelvis, and all the while I heard the celebration behind me, victory whoops and cries in the dark that seemed to urge us on.

It was wickedly delicious, standing there fully clothed while Odin made love to me with magic, but there was no substitute for the real thing, nothing like the feel of skin on skin. So I pulled away and he stared at me in shock until I smiled and led him inside.

We made it to the sitting room that adjoined the library before we started divesting each other of our clothing rapidly. Firelight filtered in through the half open curtains, illuminating Odin's beautiful body in mysterious patches, giving me only glimpses; the curve of a bicep, the cut of a tight stomach, the indentation of a hip, the glint of a peacock colored eye. It all shifted in and out of shadow.

I was seated on a loveseat, my clothes strewn about me, and he knelt between my legs, pushing them apart and then sliding his hands up over my hips to pull me against him in one swift move. My legs fell apart even further and I slid down, my back curving as my head was left to hold me up. He wrapped his arms around me, taking the pressure from my back and pulling me up to his kiss.

His mouth was hot and sweet with magic, the clean, invigorating scent of him washing over me, making me feel like I stood on a cliff with him, surrounded by the purest air. He slid inside me then, the hot, real flesh of him, and I pulled him closer, wrapped my legs around him and fell into the motions of loving him.

I was already halfway there, so it wasn't long before I threw my head back, his mouth at my throat, pressed against the vibration of the cries that I gave him. He continued to propel us forward into the abyss, past thought or reason, into the dark realm of ecstasy where only he and I existed, only this pleasure between us.

I fell shaking into that pleasure and Odin followed with a tightening of muscles and his own ecstatic cry.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Odin returned to the celebration but I wanted to bathe before I left for Faerie. I didn't think Arach would appreciate me showing up smelling like one of my other men.

After I'd bathed and packed, I went to say goodbye to everyone. Trevor raised a brow at me and then glanced at Odin. I just smiled and shrugged. He said he didn't want to see us together but he never said we couldn't be together at Pride Palace. Trevor rolled his eyes and gave me a quick kiss.

“So I'll see you in a few minutes then?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“
Yeah, I guess so,” I ruffled his shaggy hair, it was getting too long for him to leave loose anymore. “Maybe you better start tying this mop back.”

“
I could just cut it,” he shrugged.

“
Watch it,” I waved a finger at him, “you know I like long hair.”

“
Azrael has short hair,” he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

“
And Azrael's not my alpha,” I kicked his chair and he fell back into the grass. Before he could get up, I straddled him and put a foot on his shoulder. “You looking to be demoted?”

“
If it means your gonna do stuff like this more often,” he grinned wide, “then go ahead and demote me, Princess.”

“
It's Queen,” I laughed and stood back to help him up. “And don't you forget it.”

He grabbed my hand when I went to turn away, and pulled me back against his chest. “I'm your alpha,” he growled, “and don't you forget it.” Then he laid a kiss on me that had everyone around us hooting and hollering in delight.

“You got it, babe,” I said as we broke the kiss. “Just don't cut the hair.”

“
Aghhh,” he threw his arms out, “you have to have the last word.”

“
Yes, I do,” I giggled as I went over to kiss Kirill goodbye.

“
Stop playing vith him, Tima,” he admonished me.

“
He likes it,” I tucked a strand of hair behind Kirill's ear. “If Azrael shows up, can you tell him I'll be right back?”

“
Da, of course,” he pulled me onto his lap. “But don't you zink I should get kiss too?”

“
All my men are randy tonight,” I chuckled, “must be the fight.”

“
We get nervous ven ve almost lose you,” he whispered before his arms tightened and he laid his mouth gently to mine, kissing me so sweetly, so gently, that no one dared break the silence.

“
I love you, lion,” I whispered.

“
I love you too, my heart.”

“
Oh, I'll never leave if you guys keep this up,” I broke the moment.

“
Zat was point,” Kirill grinned.

“
Mom,” Vidar stood behind me. “You leaving?”

“
Just for a few minutes,” I gave him a quick hug. “You won't even notice I'm gone.”

“
Okay,” he gave me one of his rare smiles and I pushed his long, black braid back over his shoulder. I was told he looked a lot like I did when I was Sabine, similar to how I looked now except more beautiful. I would have given anything to have blue eyes like his instead of my boring brown.

“
Vali,” I motioned his half-brother, my adopted son, over and gave him a hug. “Thank you both for coming to help today.”

“
Mom,” Vali huffed and rolled his eyes like a five-year-old. “Like we wouldn't come.”

“
Vali, you watch your tone with me,” I waved an angry finger in his face and he blanched but I couldn't keep up the pretense and started to laugh.

“
I guess this is what happens when your mother is younger than you are,” he sighed dramatically.

“
Don't worry,” I gave Odin a wink, “your dad's still an old man.”

“
Hey,” Odin narrowed his eye on me, “leave me out of it.”

“
What's this?” I ignored Odin and looked over Vali's shirt. It read:
Honorary member of The God Squad.

“
Pan gave it to me,” he held it out proudly. “He gave Vidar one too but we didn't want to look like twins, wearing the same shirt.”

“
Great,” I shook my head and walked away.

“
Don't you like it?” Vali called after me.

“
It's very nice, son,” I called back over my shoulder.

“
I don't think she likes it,” I heard him say to Vidar.

“
Shut up, she likes it,” Vidar said back.

I took a quick glance around, wanting to be sure Torrent was getting along okay before I left. He was sitting with Darius, Fallon, and Samantha, looking deep in conversation. I smiled, remembering the way his face had looked when I told him Iktomi was dead. He had shone, gleamed like light shining of water, for just a second and then smiled at me with such serenity, it transformed his face. I was glad he'd found some friends already, I was leaving him in good hands.

I walked into the shadows and asked the ring to take me to the Faerie Realm, specifically, The End of the Road, in particular, the moment when Arach had last arrived there.

One second I was listening to my children gripe at each other, the next, I was standing before Arach, listening to the night calls of fey creatures and the creaking of living trees who lived much more fully than those in any other realm.

“So I don't have to come after you,” Arach grinned. “I don't know if I'm relieved or disappointed.”

“
Your relieved and you know it,” I smirked as I took his arm and let him lead me down the road towards Castle Aithinne. “We're hoofing it, huh?”

“
Hoofing?” He frowned. “Oh, walking? Yes, there was no way to send word for a carriage. I didn't think you'd mind.”

“
No, it's fine,” I peered into the shadows, wondering what sorts of critters were out there peering back. I wasn't afraid, I knew Arach was probably one of the scariest things in the Forgetful Forest and I might rank up there somewhere next to him. I was just curious as to what was out in Faerie that I'd yet to see. “It's a nice night for it.”

“
Yes,” he looked at me sideways. “Did you enjoy the rest of the party?”

“
It's still going on,” I shrugged. “I figured I could come back to it right when I'd left, so it didn't really matter.”

“
Very true,” he grinned and then lifted his head at the sound of merriment up ahead. “The imps went on ahead, that'll be them.”

“
Ah, to warn everyone of our arrival?”

“
Probably,” he grimaced. “Who knows what they've been up to while I've been gone?”

“
No good, I'm sure.”

“
A Thaisce,” he grinned devilishly, “we're fire fey, we're never up to any good.”

“
Lovely,” I laughed. “So there's a chance they might have had the Wild Hunt without us?”

“
Not even a little one,” he eyed me. “Do you want to withdraw from the Hunt?”

“
No,” I sighed. “I mean, yes I do but I won't. I know I need to be there with you. I feel that it's important.”

“
It is,” he stopped walking and turned to me. “This kelpie tried to take you from me, twice. He stabbed you through the heart and when that didn't work, he used magic to play with your life because he thought it was fun to torture you before he tried to kill you again.”

“
Then he drowned me,” I said and let out a shaky breath. “Yes, I know.”

“
When you ride with us this time,” his eyes flared fire for a second, “I want you to remember dying at his hands, remember how he took joy in it, and then I think you'll look differently upon the actions of the Host.”

“
I'll try.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

I rode on the back of my dragon, at the head of the Wild Hunt, while we chased Kael through the forest... again.

The night air howled in my ears, adding to the chorus of screeches, squeals, and screams the Host was making. I held tight to the harness, breathing deep as I tried to do what Arach had recommended, tried to remember my death at the hands of Kael, but the images kept slipping away. My mind didn't want to take me back to that dark place, where sound was hollow and air was liquid. It wanted to protect me, keep me sane.

I swallowed hard and squeezed the leather beneath my hands, feeling it creak under the stress and focusing on that small movement instead of the frantic thrashing of our prey far below us.  Then the voice of Faerie filled me, shivering through my skin and filtering into my thoughts. She told me I could never accept the Hunt with my human and god natures clouding my judgment but that if I allowed her, she would temporarily dampen them, effectively allowing me a glimpse of what I would have been had Aednat never changed my blood to protect me.

I hesitated and could suddenly feel her amusement. A gentle reminder that she, above all others, wanted what was best for me. The simple fact that she'd offered me a choice should have proven her good intentions. It wasn't that I didn't trust her though. I was afraid of enjoying being fey. What if I didn't want my other pieces back afterward?