Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More by Laura Howard, Kim Richardson, Ednah Walters, T. G. Ayer, Nancy Straight, Karen Lynch, Eva Pohler, Melissa Haag, S. T. Bende, Mary Ting, Christine Pope, C. Gockel, DelSheree Gladden, Becca Mills Page A
Authors: Laura Howard, Kim Richardson, Ednah Walters, T. G. Ayer, Nancy Straight, Karen Lynch, Eva Pohler, Melissa Haag, S. T. Bende, Mary Ting, Christine Pope, C. Gockel, DelSheree Gladden, Becca Mills
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the hall, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “This better be good, Em.”
“Oh, it is,” Victoria grinned from the couch where she sipped at a cup of coffee. She gestured to an enormous bouquet on the table. White roses filled the room with their heady scent, and hydrangeas and foxgloves filled out the arrangement. “They’re for you,” Victoria finished.
“Who…” But my insides fluttered when I opened the card. ‘ I am sorry. Call me. Ull. ’ I crumpled the card and chucked it into the trash bin. Letting out a word that would have earned Mormor’s disapproval, I stomped back to my room. If Ull thought some stupid flowers would make me fall all over him, he had another thing coming.
“Wait! Who are they from?” Emma pleaded.
“Who do you think?” I could almost hear Victoria roll her eyes as I slammed my door. Ull was getting on my last nerve.
----
B y the time my next Mythology class rolled around, I’d successfully avoided five of Ull’s calls and one personal appearance at my flat, no thanks to the lousy acting skills of sweet Emma, who was highly unconvincing in declaring I wasn’t home. I slipped into class at the last possible minute, but Ull was still waiting inside the door.
“Kristia,” he greeted me with his impossibly arrogant grin.
“Ull,” I acknowledged before making a beeline for the front row. He wouldn’t be able to bother me under the professor’s nose.
“Kristia,” Ull sighed. “We can do this all year. I have nothing but time.” He took the seat next to me as I focused on setting up my computer. “But trust me, you want to hear what I have to say.”
“I highly doubt that,” I muttered with all the civility I could manage. Use me once, shame on you. I wasn’t interested in going down that road again. Thankfully, Professor Carnicke chose that moment to launch into her lecture, and for ninety blissful minutes, decorum required Ull’s silence. As soon as she closed her book, I jumped up, stuffing my laptop into my bag and tripping over my feet in my rush to leave the room.
“Careful, Miss Tostenson,” of course Ull was right there to catch me. I snatched my arm away.
“Listen,” I countered angrily. “You aren’t into me. I get it. Stop following me around! Just let me be.”
“You do not mean that.”
“I really do! It’s embarrassing enough to have to see you every day, the last thing I want to do is listen to why you don’t want to go out with me again. You don’t owe me anything. Honest. Please, just leave me alone.”
“Kristia, it really is not like that.”
“I don’t care what it’s like. I have to go.” I raced out of the classroom and didn’t stop until I reached the Student Houses. I threw myself onto the couch and dropped my head into my hands. No wonder I’d always stayed away from guys. My life suddenly felt way too complicated.
----
“ U h , Kristia?” Victoria knocked on my door the next evening.
“Come in.” I raised my head from the literature text I was studying. Molière was always good for a laugh, and right now I really needed one. “What’s going on?”
“Well, I don’t mean to bother you, but I just tried to leave the flat, and I was stopped by these.” She held up a handful of white orchids. “And there are heaps more where they came from.” Her glee was poorly disguised.
“You think this is funny, don’t you?”
“You have to admit, most girls would be over the moon if Ull Myhr was sending them flowers.”
“Stalking them, more like it.”
“Whatever.” Victoria shrugged. “I brought the rest into the living room. I’m not one to tell you what to do–” I snorted at her blatant lie. “In matters of the heart,” Victoria continued indignantly. “But if the lad is that determined to talk to you, I’d wager he has something pretty important to say.”
I rolled my eyes and made my way down the hall. “What the…” Every surface of the living area was covered in vases of white flowers.
“Oh, it is,” Victoria grinned from the couch where she sipped at a cup of coffee. She gestured to an enormous bouquet on the table. White roses filled the room with their heady scent, and hydrangeas and foxgloves filled out the arrangement. “They’re for you,” Victoria finished.
“Who…” But my insides fluttered when I opened the card. ‘ I am sorry. Call me. Ull. ’ I crumpled the card and chucked it into the trash bin. Letting out a word that would have earned Mormor’s disapproval, I stomped back to my room. If Ull thought some stupid flowers would make me fall all over him, he had another thing coming.
“Wait! Who are they from?” Emma pleaded.
“Who do you think?” I could almost hear Victoria roll her eyes as I slammed my door. Ull was getting on my last nerve.
----
B y the time my next Mythology class rolled around, I’d successfully avoided five of Ull’s calls and one personal appearance at my flat, no thanks to the lousy acting skills of sweet Emma, who was highly unconvincing in declaring I wasn’t home. I slipped into class at the last possible minute, but Ull was still waiting inside the door.
“Kristia,” he greeted me with his impossibly arrogant grin.
“Ull,” I acknowledged before making a beeline for the front row. He wouldn’t be able to bother me under the professor’s nose.
“Kristia,” Ull sighed. “We can do this all year. I have nothing but time.” He took the seat next to me as I focused on setting up my computer. “But trust me, you want to hear what I have to say.”
“I highly doubt that,” I muttered with all the civility I could manage. Use me once, shame on you. I wasn’t interested in going down that road again. Thankfully, Professor Carnicke chose that moment to launch into her lecture, and for ninety blissful minutes, decorum required Ull’s silence. As soon as she closed her book, I jumped up, stuffing my laptop into my bag and tripping over my feet in my rush to leave the room.
“Careful, Miss Tostenson,” of course Ull was right there to catch me. I snatched my arm away.
“Listen,” I countered angrily. “You aren’t into me. I get it. Stop following me around! Just let me be.”
“You do not mean that.”
“I really do! It’s embarrassing enough to have to see you every day, the last thing I want to do is listen to why you don’t want to go out with me again. You don’t owe me anything. Honest. Please, just leave me alone.”
“Kristia, it really is not like that.”
“I don’t care what it’s like. I have to go.” I raced out of the classroom and didn’t stop until I reached the Student Houses. I threw myself onto the couch and dropped my head into my hands. No wonder I’d always stayed away from guys. My life suddenly felt way too complicated.
----
“ U h , Kristia?” Victoria knocked on my door the next evening.
“Come in.” I raised my head from the literature text I was studying. Molière was always good for a laugh, and right now I really needed one. “What’s going on?”
“Well, I don’t mean to bother you, but I just tried to leave the flat, and I was stopped by these.” She held up a handful of white orchids. “And there are heaps more where they came from.” Her glee was poorly disguised.
“You think this is funny, don’t you?”
“You have to admit, most girls would be over the moon if Ull Myhr was sending them flowers.”
“Stalking them, more like it.”
“Whatever.” Victoria shrugged. “I brought the rest into the living room. I’m not one to tell you what to do–” I snorted at her blatant lie. “In matters of the heart,” Victoria continued indignantly. “But if the lad is that determined to talk to you, I’d wager he has something pretty important to say.”
I rolled my eyes and made my way down the hall. “What the…” Every surface of the living area was covered in vases of white flowers.
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