mine, after all.”
She smiled, not a good look for her. “True, I must allow them in and out.” She paused, watching him with an intent stare he knew was supposed to make him squirm.
He never squirmed. Instead, he yawned. Loudly.
“Eventually.”
True. She could keep them stumbling around in the dark for years, if he hadn’t thought of that already. But she couldn’t interfere with the little witch. That one was protected by a Celtic trio of goddesses who wouldn’t take Artemis interfering with or harming their own very well at all. Scratching his side, he remembered very well how pissed off those three could get over one of their own. But in the end? He’d won. He always did. It was almost boring how often he won.
“Now, now, Artie. No need to get upset.”
She raised a perfect eyebrow.
“If you harm the little witch, I am certain you won’t regret it for eternity, darling. How is that manhunt going? Still holding out ‘cause Papa wants you to? You know, I can help with that. Not me personally, I don’t do virgins any longer, but I know a few good men.”
She didn’t rise to his bait. He doubted she ever would. The ice queen didn’t understand the things she missed.
“The witch is safe. There’s no harm to her.”
“Quick to say that, aren’t you? These Celtic goddesses have a temper, don’t they?”
Crossing her arms under her full breasts, she nodded. “You are avoiding the real problem, Ares. You want your—”
“Yes, I want what is mine. And my men? They will bring it back, or you and yours will suffer. No one takes what is mine. The witches were tricky, but I am a god, and they will not be forgiven!”
His voice rose to fill the room, but Artemis simply smiled her simple smile.
“Of course you want your toy back. But at what cost? You wish to harm the witch? You had best listen to your own advice. The Celtic goddesses are not something to mess with, brother, and, if I’m not mistaken, this will be the second time you have done so…or mayhap the third? No matter.” Flicking her fingers, she strode to his altar and ran a hand along the empty marble. “You may get your toy back, but you will not come away unscathed. This is my jungle you trespass on, and I rule it completely.” She turned and the blue of her eyes glowed as she let her god-like strength flow outward. “I will not abide your trespass, or your men. Mark me well, brother, end this hunt, or you will feel my wrath in ways you will not enjoy.”
With that little threat, not a bad one by many standards, she disappeared.
He hadn’t remembered Artemis having such backbone. There must be more in that jungle of hers than he knew. She would thwart his hunt for the most precious of his belongings? Not a chance. He was the god of war. She might rule the jungle, and the hunt, but he ruled the battle, and the war had just begun, sister.
Time to contact his troops, and Aeros, his loyal Spartan, would obey like he always had—little witch or not. The man was better off never having met his woman, in Ares’ opinion. He’d find another to be his mate—or not. As long as he obeyed, Aeros would survive. And that was the most important thing. True bondings were not what they were cracked up to be, after all.
Running a hand over the altar once to feel the emptiness of the space, he stopped and clenched his fist.
No, true bonds were not what they were rumoured to be.
The jungle heat beat down on Tabithia, making it difficult to keep up the pace, but she’d be damned if she’d slow down for the ignoramuses behind her.
She’d thought they were good men, honest and brave fighters, not blockheads. Hell, they’d fought forever. They were legends for their bravery. Their honour.
Well, yeah, they might have their honour, but they also had their sleazy boss. Ares.
She needed a fried Twinkie. She needed a phone that worked. She needed a nap and, damn it, she needed a bathroom. And more than that? She needed to be alone.
None
She smiled, not a good look for her. “True, I must allow them in and out.” She paused, watching him with an intent stare he knew was supposed to make him squirm.
He never squirmed. Instead, he yawned. Loudly.
“Eventually.”
True. She could keep them stumbling around in the dark for years, if he hadn’t thought of that already. But she couldn’t interfere with the little witch. That one was protected by a Celtic trio of goddesses who wouldn’t take Artemis interfering with or harming their own very well at all. Scratching his side, he remembered very well how pissed off those three could get over one of their own. But in the end? He’d won. He always did. It was almost boring how often he won.
“Now, now, Artie. No need to get upset.”
She raised a perfect eyebrow.
“If you harm the little witch, I am certain you won’t regret it for eternity, darling. How is that manhunt going? Still holding out ‘cause Papa wants you to? You know, I can help with that. Not me personally, I don’t do virgins any longer, but I know a few good men.”
She didn’t rise to his bait. He doubted she ever would. The ice queen didn’t understand the things she missed.
“The witch is safe. There’s no harm to her.”
“Quick to say that, aren’t you? These Celtic goddesses have a temper, don’t they?”
Crossing her arms under her full breasts, she nodded. “You are avoiding the real problem, Ares. You want your—”
“Yes, I want what is mine. And my men? They will bring it back, or you and yours will suffer. No one takes what is mine. The witches were tricky, but I am a god, and they will not be forgiven!”
His voice rose to fill the room, but Artemis simply smiled her simple smile.
“Of course you want your toy back. But at what cost? You wish to harm the witch? You had best listen to your own advice. The Celtic goddesses are not something to mess with, brother, and, if I’m not mistaken, this will be the second time you have done so…or mayhap the third? No matter.” Flicking her fingers, she strode to his altar and ran a hand along the empty marble. “You may get your toy back, but you will not come away unscathed. This is my jungle you trespass on, and I rule it completely.” She turned and the blue of her eyes glowed as she let her god-like strength flow outward. “I will not abide your trespass, or your men. Mark me well, brother, end this hunt, or you will feel my wrath in ways you will not enjoy.”
With that little threat, not a bad one by many standards, she disappeared.
He hadn’t remembered Artemis having such backbone. There must be more in that jungle of hers than he knew. She would thwart his hunt for the most precious of his belongings? Not a chance. He was the god of war. She might rule the jungle, and the hunt, but he ruled the battle, and the war had just begun, sister.
Time to contact his troops, and Aeros, his loyal Spartan, would obey like he always had—little witch or not. The man was better off never having met his woman, in Ares’ opinion. He’d find another to be his mate—or not. As long as he obeyed, Aeros would survive. And that was the most important thing. True bondings were not what they were cracked up to be, after all.
Running a hand over the altar once to feel the emptiness of the space, he stopped and clenched his fist.
No, true bonds were not what they were rumoured to be.
The jungle heat beat down on Tabithia, making it difficult to keep up the pace, but she’d be damned if she’d slow down for the ignoramuses behind her.
She’d thought they were good men, honest and brave fighters, not blockheads. Hell, they’d fought forever. They were legends for their bravery. Their honour.
Well, yeah, they might have their honour, but they also had their sleazy boss. Ares.
She needed a fried Twinkie. She needed a phone that worked. She needed a nap and, damn it, she needed a bathroom. And more than that? She needed to be alone.
None
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