FrozenOriginsSeriesBook1

Zeus

ByCrystalDawn

Copyright2014byCrystalDawn

This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to people living or dead is a
coincidence. The characters and the story are a product of the author’s
imagination.

CoverbyCrystalDawnusingIstockimages.

Dedicatedtomothersforalltheydoandalltheyare.

Prologue

Thecompany,Origin,madevastadvancesinthefieldofDNAresearchbutno
one was sure what was going on in their secret research lab in Antarctica. The
facility had been built by the US government during the cold war and in the
nineteen eighties, budget cuts had forced its sale to the eager Origin company.
They had added four lower levels and made a discovery that had pushed their
alreadyadvancedDNAresearchmilesaheadofwhereitwas.

It wasn’t until the present that our government and those of several other
countries, received intel that Origin was growing soldiers and renting them to
terrorist organizations that were attacking many countries like the US and
Britain. These countries had the resources to track the terrorists back to their
suppliersandtakethemout.Theoriginalplanwastosimplytakeoutthefacility
with a bomb killing all with extreme prejudice. Someone high in the US
government decided that the research and the ‘products’ of that research could
benefitthemilitary.

Rumors flew around the capitol that it was because there was a possible alien
threatcomingandtheEarthneededsomeformofdefense,otherssuggestedthe
threat was supernatural and already part of our planet, still others felt it was a
plan to benefit those countries allied in taking down this threat. Even as the
specialopsteamthatwasneithercompletelymilitarynorcompletelyattachedto
aspyorganizationwasheadedtowardthefacility,noneofthoseinchargeofthe
missiontrulyknewwhattheyweredealingwith.

FrozenOriginSeries(1)

Zeus

Chapter1

TheGods

“IseeSantalookedatmylistthisyearandwentstraighttothetopofit.Aliving
breathingGIJanedollmadetomyspecifications.Oh,thethingsI’mgoingtodo
withyou,toyou.Doyouhaveaname,Doll?Hewhisperedblowinghisbreath
intoherearalmostmakingitimpossibleforhertothink.

“Santa didn’t send me, Honey. I’m Sierra, and I’m here to free you.” She said
proudofthefactthathervoicedidn’tshake.

“Nice try, Doll. Don’t be afraid, I’ll be gentle until you’re broke in. Feel that?
That’showgladIamtoseeyou.”Hesaidpressingaraginghardonrightagainst
her crotch. He started dry humping her and only the fact that another team
membermighthappenalongstoppedherfromsayingtohellwitheverythingand
just letting him fuck her. It had been too long and it showed in how slutty she
was feeling. She even knew there were cameras in every room and she didn’t
care.

“Youhavetostop.”Shesaidit,butitdidn’tsoundlikeshemeantiteventoher
ownears.“MyteamandIareheretofreeyou.”

“Isthatanewslangterm?Oh,Baby,I’mreallyfeelingit.Freemeallyouwant.”
Hewhisperedinherearrightbeforehesankhishot,wettongueintoit.Shewas
losingcontrolofthesituationandassecondincommandandonsiteteamleader,
shehadtodowhatwasneeded.Hepausedwhenhefeltthecoldmetallictouch
ofhergun.

“Sweetheart,I’mtheonlyoneallowedtopackaweaponinhere.Justhanditto
me easy and I won’t hold it against you, the gun that is.” He said sounding
remarkablycalmforamanwithaglockaimedathisreasonforliving.

“Youneedtoreleasemeandbackoff.I’mamemberofaspecialteamthathas
beensentintofreeyouandtheothersheldhere.Wearetakingoverthisfacility
andwecoulduseyourhelp.”

“Even if I believed you, Baby, I would be reluctant to help because when you
fail,mymaleswouldbestuckwiththeresultsofthatfailure.”

“Come on, big guy. We won’t fail, but I need to minimize the risks of any
casualties.What’syourname?”

“MynameisZeus.Iamaleaderamongstthegods.”

“Yes, the gods being what they call you and the others of your kind that they
havemade?”

“What do you need, Sierra?” He asked looking more curious than anything,
looking as if he was not yet decided if he would help her or not. A large
explosion rocked the building adding a sense of urgency. Even Zeus looked a
littlemoreinterestedingettingoutofhiscagetoseewhatwashappening.

“Hurry,comewithme.”Shesaidassheheldoutherhandandassoonashetook
itsheledhimoutthedoorofhisroom.“Ineedyoutotakemealongthehallway
tothedoorstotheroomsyourmalesareinsowecanopentheirrooms.”They
startedgoingdownthehall,oneroomatatimefreeinggodaftergodfromtheir
rooms. Intel said there were at least five hundred and all were male. The man
whohadgrownthemfeltfemalesinferiorforhisarmysononeweregrown.All
malesweresexuallyactiveandfertilesoreplacementscouldbebredasneeded.
Females were brought in at least monthly as a reward. These were usually
contractedwomanwhowerebroughtinblindfoldedsotheyhadnoideawhere
they went. They signed confidentiality agreements and were given no
informationsotheyhadnoinformationtoshare.

This facility located deep under the ice in Antarctica grew soldiers. It had
originally started out as some kind of military research facility but was bought
byOriginInc.Itwasinvisiblefromtheairbecauseitblendedinwiththesnow
covered terrain. It was only visible from the ground up close if it wasn’t
snowing, otherwise you might run right into it before you even knew it was
there.Theplacewasmassive,usedforamultitudeofpurposes,alisteningpost,
a training base, and finally a research station just before Origin acquired it for
pennies on the dollar. After all, who needs an isolated facility in need of
updating?TheofficialwhosoldittoOriginlaughedathiscunning,whileOrigin
smiledallthewaytoAntarctica.

Origin was well known for their work in manipulating DNA in embryos to
excludediseasesandtoassuretheparentschoiceofsexandothertraits.While
theaveragepersonmightnotbeawareofmuchoftheworkthatOrigindid,the
filthy rich were in a position to afford and use Origin’s services. It recently
became known to the government that Origin was doing more than just

manipulating DNA. They had actually grown their own army of soldiers who
theykeptlikeslaves.Thosewhotheyfoundofuseweretreatedwellenoughbut
thosethatdidn’tmakethecutwereoftenexperimentedonandeventorturedby
sadisticguards.Theyhadbeengivensomeinformationontheresidentsbutthere
werealotofholesinthatinformationtheyneededtofill.

ItwouldbenicetobeabletosaythatthisraidSierrawasleadingwasspurredon
by humanitarian concerns but the truth of the matter was that Origin had been
makingdealswithterroriststhathadattackedUStargetsandthoseofcountries
friendlytotheUS,sotheywereheretoneutralizethethreat.Zeusandhismales
wereluckythatsomeoneinthemilitaryhadtakenaninterestinthemfeelingthat
theymightbeavaluableassetundertherightconditions.Hadthatnotbeenthe
case,theywouldhavebeenbombedtohellasthefirstplanhadcalledforsince
thatwouldhaverequiredtheleastresourcesandnoriskoffailure.

Astheycontinueddownthehallopeningroomsandaddingmalestothegroup
goingforwardwiththem,Sierrahadtoadmitthatabombwouldhavecauseda
serious loss to females everywhere. The males that Zeus led were all sex on a
stick.TheywereOMGgorgeousandwouldcauseanywomanwhosawthemto
haveaseriouswetdream.Assheexaminedthemalesaroundher,shehadtosay
notonewasdeficientinanyway.Zeusseemedtoseeherattentionhadgoneto
someoftheothermalesandhegrowled,eitheratheroratthemalesthatwere
too near her. They must have bred some serious aggression into some of these
males.Sierrawonderedwhytheyseemedtoprefertobecalledmalesratherthan
men. While they were all superior examples of maleness, she couldn’t see any
extremetraitsalthoughthereweresomeunusualhairandeyecolorsandsomeof
themhadwhatshecalledvampireteeth.

Sierra didn’t get too excited about things like that because while those teeth
weren’tusualsheknewraretraitscouldcomeoutsometimesandsincethiswas
whatOrigincalledastockfacilityshewassuretheyhadhugesamplesofDNA
availabletogetwhatevertraitstheypreferred.Italsooccurredtoherthatifthis
wasastockfacility,theremightbeotherfacilitieswhereend‘product’waskept.
Itwasn’tsomethingshewantedtothinkabout,butoncethisraidwascomplete,
shewoulddiscussitwithMark,herboss.

Sierra was following Zeus now who had taken over the lead. Her eyes kept
droppingtohis‘bunsofsteel’whichflexednicelyashepacedquicklyalongthe
hallway wearing some seriously tight fitting shorts that looked more like

underwearthananythingelse.Shewasn’tcomplainingbecauseshewasgetting
aneyefullofsomethingworthpayingtosee.Onceinawhileshewouldjumpas
oneofhismalesaccidentallysqueezedsomethingtheyshouldn’t.Shewasused
to it with regular soldiers who she worked with on missions from time to time
and she could understand it from these males who didn’t have regular female
company,more.Atleastnoneoftheseguyshadbruisedheryet.Shefeltanother
accidentalsqueezebutthistimesheheardagrowlandZeusjerkedaguycloseto
herupagainstthewallbyhisthroat.Hesaidsomethingtohimhisvoicelowand
grumbling.Shecouldhaveswornhetoldhim‘she’smine’.

Assweetasitsoundedshewasdefinitelynothis.Shekeptherrelationshipsfree
and easy refusing to be tied to one man or male as it were. Her current
relationshipwithColonelKyler,nicknamedthekiller,waswaningforher.The
manwasgorgeous,notasattractiveasZeus,butfabulousbynormalstandards.
The problem was he had become jealous and possessive. It had surprised her
becausehewasrumoredtobetheloveandleavekindofsuperstudbuteitherthe
rumors about the trail of broken hearts left in his wake weren’t true or he was
tiredofthebachelorlifeandlookingtosettledown.

Hewasgoingtohavetolookelsewhere.Shehadonlyfallenintotherelationship
with him because she worked so much she only had contact with men she
worked around. She wouldn’t date anyone in her chain of command, on her
team,orassignedtoregularlyworkwithher.Kylerwasoneofthefewthatwas
attractive, available, not looking for anything permanent, and didn’t make her
breakherpersonaldatingrules.So,whatwastheproblem?Thesexwasgood,
butshefounditimpossibletolikehimbecausehewasanegomaniacandcruel.
Hewasn’tcrueltoher,nohewassweetandthoughtfulwithher.Itwaseveryone
else,excludingsuperiors,thatgottheharshedgeofhisanger.

Theyhadmadeittothesectionwherethelabswereandthosewhomanagedthe
facilityworkedandlived.Shehadn’tseenanydamagefromtheexplosionthey
hadheardsoshehopedithadhappenedoutsidethefacility.Thehallwayswere
overflowingwithfreedgods.Shesawhernerdycomputerspecialistinoneofthe
officesandmadeherwaytoher.Brandiwasbeautifulbutsheworkedathiding
itonthejob.Shehadnaturallyplatinumblondehairthatwomenpaidafortune
forinasalonbutsherestraineditinabunthatwassotightitpulledatherface.
She wore no makeup but her flawless skin required none. The baggy black
uniform,atleastasizetoobig,disguisedherkillercurves.

“Hey,bitch.Findanythingusefulyet?”Sierraaskedher.

Brandilookedupandsmiled.“Wegotalltheirfiles.Idownloadedthemallso
I’mfinishedhere.Doyouknowifthereisanyplaceelsefilesarekept?”

ShelookedbehindheratZeusbutdecidedhewouldn’tknowanythinglikethat.
ShecalledouttoBuzztheircommunicationsspecialisttoseewhathewasdoing
andifheknewanythingthatmighthelp.Heansweredfromrightbehindherand
shealmostjumped.SheturnedaroundtolookathimasZeusdrewnearer.“Hey,
Cap,wehaveallthepersonnelaccountedfor.JimandZippyareguardingthem.
Doc is checking out the main lab. She’s like a kid in a candy store. Colonel
Killer,ImeanKyler,isn’tsurewhattodowithalltheseguysbuthewantsyouto
take over the facility and settle everyone in for now.” Buzz was listening
intently.“Damn!I’llletherknow.”

“Whatdotheywantnow?”Sierraasked.

“You’renotgoingtolikethis.Asnowstormiscominginsohesentthecopters
home.We’restuckhereforafewdayscouldbeuptoaweek.”Buzzsaidwitha
grimace.

“Did you piss Killer off again? Give the poor guy a little.” Brandi said with a
smile. It seemed Kyler wasn’t hiding their relationship very well. That was
alright because it was ending. As temperamental as he was she was glad he
wasn’tinherdirectchainofcommand.

“Okay,let’sgetorganized.Heybigguy,wouldyoucomeinhere?”Zeuscame
overtoher.

“Thisisthedeal.We’reallstuckhereuntilthissnowstormbreaks.Ineedtoget
everyonesettledinforafewdaysandIneedaplacetostickthepeoplethatran
this place. Do they have a jail or retention area? I also need you to get your
malestocheckfordamagefromthatblastweheard.Getbacktousiftheyfind
any.”

“Theyhavetworetentionunitsforthosebeingpunished.Eachwillholdfourif
necessary.Wecanallstayinourroomsbutthedoorlocksmustbedisabled.You
will stay with me, she stays with Ares, he has claimed her. I already have my
malescheckingfordamage.”

“Look,youguysaresweetandall,butyoucan’tclaimus.Ourpeoplearen’tlike
that.Whydon’tyoutakeustotheretentionareaandwe’lltalkabouttheother

thingsoncetheprisonersaresettledin?”

Zeusledthewayafterhetoldafewofhismentostartdisablingallthelocks.
Theywentafewdoorsdowntotheretentionunit.Tworoomseachhadtwosets
of bunk beds. A bathroom was between the two rooms with a door into each
room. Fifteen people ran the facility with one being the manager. Six were
guards,fourwereresearchers,threeranthecafeteria,andoneheadjanitorwho
simplyoversawtheworkthatwasallhandledbythegodsthemselves.Theplace
was well run and much of the work was done by trustees which were gods.
Thereweresomeemptyresidencesthatwouldholdtheotherprisoners.Zeushad
thoselocksleftoperational.Eightwomenwereplacedintheretentionunits.The
manager and the six male guards were placed in the empty residences. They
weren’tputintheirownroomsbecauseSierrafearedtheywouldhaveaccessto
somethingthatmightaidinanescapeattempt.Shehadthemanagerbroughtto
herforabrieftalk.ZeusinsistedonbeingpresenteventhoughSierradidn’twant
himthere.Heprobablywishedlaterthathehadstayedout.

“Soyou’retheheadwarden?”Sierraaskedtheslightlyolderwoman.Shewasa
redhead,probablynaturaljudgingbyhereyebrowsunlessshecoloredthosetoo.
ShehadgreeneyesthatlookedcoldandcalculatingasshelookedSierraover.

“What do you want? You know Origin isn’t going to stand for this. They have
money,politicalallies,andthey’lldoanythingtokeepthesebadboyslockedup.
Thisonehereismypersonalboytoy.He’sverygood,ItrainedhimtodowhatI
like.”

“Yourpastabuseofgodsisirrelevant.Youwon’thaveachancetodothatagain
and what happens here, won’t be your concern once the storm breaks because
you’llbeoutofhere.”

“Imaynotbeheretoseeit,butyou’vebitoffmorethanyoucanchew,youover
confidentbitch.Youprobablyintendtoscrewhim.Iseehowyoulookateach
other.Oncetheyspringme,I’llgetevenwithyou.”Theredheadscreamedand
ranted at Sierra some more until she nodded at Standlee her biggest team
member.HewaseventallerthanZeussincehewasclosetosevenfoot.Hewas
builtlikeabearandalwayswonanyfightingcompetitionsthathewasinvolved
in.Hestoodoutbecauseofhissizebutshelikedhavinghimontheteamwhen
theyhadtofight.Hetookthemanageranddraggedherfromtheroomwhileshe
continuedtocussandyelloutthreats.Zeuswasclearlyembarrassedbywhatthe
bitchhadsaidandheleftquietlyrightaftershedid.

Oncetheprisonersweresettledtherewerestillalargenumberofresidencesthat
remained.Sheassignedonetothebigguy,Standlee,becausetheresidenceswere
setupforsomeonelarge.Therestofthemcheckedoutpersonnelapartmentsso
theywouldn’tbeontopofthegodssincealittledistancewouldn’thurt.Itwas
weirdstayinginaplacewithsomeoneelse’sstuffbuthopefullyitwouldn’tbe
forlong.Shewaslookingforthecafeteriawheretheyhadalldecidedtomeet,
whenZeusfoundher.

“Youshouldbeinmyroom.”Hesaidwithalittleangerandfrustrationbleeding
intohistone.

“I told you, big guy, it doesn’t work like that.” She didn’t know how to get
throughtohim,buttheycouldn’tjustclaimwomennomatterhowgorgeousor
bossythegodswere.

“Whereareyougoing?”

“I’m headed to the cafeteria to meet my team. We haven’t had any food for a
whilesowe’regoingtoscrounge.”

“I’llgowithyou.”Hesaidfirmly,shestartedtoarguebutsawhissetjawand
decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. What did it matter if he wanted to watch
themeat?Hell,maybehewashungrytoo.Hepushedinfrontofhertoleadthe
way. The guy was pushy but she wouldn’t be around long so she could put up
with anything for a little while, besides he was hot as hell and well worth
looking at. Under different circumstances she would be all over him. The
temptation to forget everything but the male walking ahead of her was strong
whichmadehernervous.

BrandiwasalreadywaitingwithBuzzwhenshegotthere.Jim,Zippy,andDoc
wereontheirwaywhileSuzy,Toni,Standlee,andRickwouldcheckonsecurity
beforeheadingtheirway.Thetablesweresetupsoalltheresidentgodscould
eatatthesametime.Sofareverythingshesawindicatedtheyhadbeentreated
well.Thefoodwastopquality,theroomswerenicewithattachedprivatebaths.
The clothing was a little skimpy but the males didn’t seem to mind and Sierra
sure didn’t. The males all looked healthy, well groomed, and didn’t seem like
theywerementallyoremotionallydamaged.Eventhoughallthatwastrue,they
stillseemedhappytobefreed.

Brandihadthemakingsforsomegreatsandwichesspreadoutonthetable.That
wouldbefinefortonightbutwiththreecafeteriaworkersinthebrigsotospeak,

tomorrowmightpresentachallenge.

“Zeus, do you have any suggestions on what to do for breakfast tomorrow?”
Sierraaskedhimbecausehewastheirresidentspecialist.

“Whatdoyoumean?Breakfastisservedfromfivetosixeachmorning.Ifthere
arealotofleftoverssometimestheyaresavedifanyonewantsasnackorsecond
breakfast.”

“Won’titbeaproblemwiththreeworkerslockedup?”

“No,thoselazywomenhaven’tdoneanyworkheresincetheydiscoveredthey
couldteachmymalestodoit.Alltheydoisdemandsexandwalkthroughthe
kitchentogettheirownfood.Wedoalltheworkhereexceptinthelab.Eventhe
guardsareonlyhereasaprecaution.”

“That’sgoodnewsbecauseyou’llbeabletotakecareofyourselves.”

“Doesn’teveryone?”

“No,noteveryoneisableorwillingtocareforthemselves.”

“Howdotheylive?”

“Otherstakecareofthem.Thisisaconversationbestlefttoanothertimesinceit
isverycomplicated.”

“Alright,sowhatelsedoyouwanttotalkabout?”

“Sinceyouarehere,whydon’twetalkaboutwhatyoucanexpectfromusasfar
ashelpgoes.”

“That would be nice to know. I was not sure what your people would expect
fromus.”

“The US has come here to free your people and help you to set up an
independentgovernmentthatwillberecognizedonaworldwidelevel.Youwill
be offered an advocate which I recommend you take. Your advocate will have
onlyyourbestinterestsatheart.Theyworkwithyoutoseeyourneedsaremet.
Theywillbethebesthelpinyourprocessofbecomingindependent.”

Zeussmiledather.“CanIaskforyoutobemyadvocate?”

“I’masoldiernotalawyer,Zeus.Itwouldnotbeinyourbestinteresttohave
measyouradvocate.Theonlywaywewouldstayhereisintheunlikelyevent
thatwewereleftbehindtoworkwithyoutoensurethesafetyofthefacilityand

toinvestigateexactlywhatOriginwasdoinghere.”

“Whydon’tyouthinkthey’llleaveyourteaminplace?Youseemtobegoodat
whatyoudo.”Hesoundeddisappointed.

“We usually go in first and out first. We do the high risk work then leave the
easystufffortheotherguys.”Sierrasaidwithawinkandasmile.Brandihanded
heracoupleofsandwichesandasideofchips.Sheduginwithgustofeelinga
sharp hunger now that the adrenaline was no longer killing her appetite. She
loved her job even though the risks were high and the losses of friends that
sometimeshadtobedealtwithwerehardtobear.ShewasashonestwithZeus
asshecouldbewithoutgivingawayclassifiedinformation.Shewantedhimand
hismalestosucceedandthrive.Hergovernmentandsomeoftheotherswould
help them, but they wanted something in return. This could work out well for
everyoneifZeusrealizedtherewasnofreerideonlygiveandget.Whilesheate,
Brandi made Zeus a sandwich which he took and started to eat. Since she was
finishedwithhers,sheexaminedhimasheate.

Hewasabigbruteatsixsevenmaybesixeightwhichsofarwasthetallestgod
she’d seen. He was muscled up perfectly without looking like he was on
steroids. His skin had a copper sheen but it wasn’t really dark only tanned
looking. She had a feeling the color was natural, perfectly complementing his
blackhairwhichwaslong;ithungdownhisbackinthickcurlywaves.Hiseyes
were a golden color she’d never seen the like of before but she’d swear they
seemedtoglowattimes.Itwasthelightandherowntiredeyes,shewassure.
He and the rest of his males were all wearing the same unusual shorts that
looked like underwear and when she examined them closely she thought she
couldseeahintofwhatlaybeneath.

They had all finished eating but sat there looking at each other waiting to see
whowouldspeakfirst.Zeuslookedunhappywithwhatshehadtoldhimbutshe
had been honest. They needed to get to bed so they would be rested in the
morning.SheandBrandiwerestayinginroomsnexttoeachother.Theycalled
themroomsbuttheyweremorelikeluxurysuitesinaposhhotel.Eventhoughit
wasluxurious,theywereoverthetopwithpersonaldecorativetouches.Neither
room was to their liking, both the woman who originally had the rooms had
peculiar tastes. The warden, whose room Sierra was staying in, had tastes that
ran to the bloodthirsty. Her art depicted scenes of beheading and torture of
peopleincludingtheelderlyandchildren.Sierraremovedallthosepicturesfrom

the bedroom. Brandi’s room was extremely prissy with pink everywhere,
feathersandflowersabounding,andpinkfakefurthrowrugslitteringtherooms.

Theonlyconsolationwasthatitwastemporaryforsoontheywouldbebackin
their own homes. She and Brandi said goodnight near the doors to their rooms
wishing each other sweet dreams. Sierra knew what she would be pursuing in
her dreams. She had seen Ares and figured Brandi would be hunting her own
sexygod.Shehadplansfortherestoftheirstaythatincludedalotofworkand
noplay.Shesearchedforsomethingcleantosleepin.Brandihadassuredherthe
bedcoversandsheetshadbeenchangedandsomekindofnightgownhadbeen
placedintheroom.Shefinallyfounditwhensheturneddownthecovers.She
mightfeelweirdsleepinginthisroomorwearingthisgown,butshewastotally
wastedfromlackofsleepsoshehadnochoice.

She was having the most wonderful dream, the kind that made you warm all
over and got your juices flowing, literally. She could feel the soft warm lips
rovingoverherskinandthefirmslightlycallusedhandsmovingcarefullyover
her body as if memorizing every inch of her. She moaned as a finger brushed
over her nipple causing it to harden even through her nightgown. A low growl
answered her, damn that was too real. She opened her eyes seeing a shadowy
formlyingoverher.Goldeyesglowedinthedarkenedroom,theonlythingshe
saw clearly that wasn’t shadowed. She started to struggle against the elusive
shapebutitheldherstill.Shefeltamouthonherneckandalittlepinchbefore
sheinstantlyfellbacktosleep.

When she first got up in the morning a vague dream lingered in her mind but
beforeshemadeittothecafeteriatojoinherteam,thememorywasgone.Zeus
sat at the table with her team waiting for her to join him. The sexual vibes
comingoffhimmadehermeltinside.Itwouldbeagoodthingwhenherteam
pulled out of here because she was becoming much too interested in the
gorgeousgod.

“Hey,there,everyone.Afterweeat,Iplantostartexploringthelevelsbelowus.
Scansfromoursatellitesshowlittleuseinanyofthem,buttheonejustbelowus
showsheatsignaturesinasmallareathatIwanttocheckoutfirst.Zeus,I’dlike
youtocomewithusifyou’rewilling.”Everyoneturnedtolookathim.

“Of course, I’m willing.” Everyone smirked finding hidden meaning in his
words.“Youhavesaidwewillberunningourownliveshere,soIwishtosee
everything.”

Shenoddedathimbeforegoingtogetherplate.Thebreakfastavailableinthe
cafeteria was exceptional showing Zeus had been right about the cafeteria
workersbeingunnecessary.Zeus,shewasn’tquitesurewhattothinkofhimand
the more she saw the more confused she was. He was attractive by any
standards,moresothananymaleshehadeverseen,hewasintelligent,seemed
capable,strong,andruledhisgodswithnosignofresistance.Itmadenosense
toherthatsuchamalewouldhavestayedherewithoutputtingupafight.There
was no sign that any rebellion had brewed or any challenge had been made
againsttheircaptors. Itseemedunbelievable thatsuchalpha maleswould have
allowedthemselvestobesubjugatedbutitseemedthattheyhad.

Shefixedherselfaplateofbacon,eggs,cornbeefhash,andabowlofoatmeal.
She knew they might not be back by lunch time and needed energy for what
would lie ahead. When the military had run this base, the levels below hadn’t
existed. Now with a total of five levels, all but the top one completely
underground, the place was the size of a city. No one, not even the personnel
they had captured, knew the extent of what Origin had been doing here for all
those years. At one time, it looked like all levels had been in use and possibly
thousands of genetically engineered gods had moved through here. What had
happenedtothemall?

Everyone ate quickly, eager to be busy doing something of value. Even Zeus
seemed excited at the prospect of seeing the whole of what his domain would
eventuallybe.Arescameovertousaswestartedtoleavethecafeteriaspeaking
toZeusinlowterms.Theyseemedtoreachanaccordwhichshewassurewould
affectthetriptheywereabouttotake.

“This is Ares,” he said with a look in Brandi’s direction. “He will be coming
withussinceheismygeneralandsecondinthechainofcommand.Ifwerun
intoanydifficulties,hewillbehelpful.”

WhatcanIsaytothat?“I’msurehewillbe.”Sierrarepliednotwillingtoargue
the point. She was just ready to get on with it. They moved to an elevator but
foundithadbeendisabledmakingherwonderwhy?Whathadtheyleftbehind
down there that they didn’t want anyone to see? They found the stairway but
access was locked and blocked. The lock was an easy matter, the blockage a
matterofhardworkbutZeuscalledonseveralofhisbig,beefygodstoremove
thepileofitemsthathadbeenstackedintheway.Itwouldn’tstopadetermined
teamlikehers,butitwouldhavestoppedthelazyemployeeswhomightwantto

lookbelowoutofcuriosity.

The second the blockage was removed the air hit her nose alerting her to
decaying flesh. Her eyes met Zeus’ silently agreeing that they needed to move
fastincaseanyonestilllived.Hadthishappenedlongagothesmellwouldhave
dissipated. They moved in an orderly, but hurried, fashion finding cages down
below.Thereweresignsthatthosecageshadoncebeeninhabited,butnotina
longwhile.Thefartherawayfromtheirentry,theworsethesmellgot.Thesight
thatgreetedthemneartheendoftherowofcageswasalmostenoughtomake
her,aseasonedsoldierwhohadbeenthroughhellandback,throwup.Inthefirst
cagetherewerebodiespiledupinvariousstagesofdecay.Fromthelargesizes
of what clearly were men, she would say these were all gods. It was the next
cagethatheldherattentionbecausetheywerealive,barely.Shepulleddownher
headpiececallingDoctocomedownwithanyhelpandwhateverequipmentshe
could manage. There were at least a dozen males that looked like survivors of
thecruelestPOWcamp.Theywereemaciated,coveredwithscars,freshburns,
scrapes,cuts,andtheywerefilthy.

In one corner of several of the cages was an open pipe that served as a latrine
nexttoasmallhosethathadwaterdrippingoutofit.Therewerenoremnantsof
foodexceptthetraysthatitwasservedonandthoselookedliketheyhadbeen
licked clean. Whatever was going on down here was wrong on every level
imaginable.Thegodsdownherewerebeingpunishedtodeathforwhatreason
she couldn’t imagine. One of them moved to the bars of the cage whispering
with a voice that cracked from disuse. It sounded like he called to Zeus but it
washardtobesure.SierramovedtoopenthecagewhenZeussteppedinfront
ofhertopreventit.

“They don’t know you, they’ve been severely abused, maybe by women.”
Almost as if to prove his point the god that had been trying to speak slammed
againstthebarstryingtoreachDoc.

“Okay,Icanseeyou’reright.IwantyourmalestoworkwithDocandwhoever
assistsher,toprotectthemandhelpmovethesegodstomedical.Theyneedcare
andsheisallwe’vegot.Iftheycanbesaved,shewillmanagetodoit.They’ve
gotplentyofhelpsoIwanttocontinuetocheckoutatleastthislevelbytheend
of the day.” Zeus nodded his head regally, looking at her but he seemed to
communicatewithAresaswellwhotookovergivingoutaminimumoforders
but getting everything done. It was impressive to watch how everyone worked

likeawelloiledmachine,gettingthemalesoutofthecellandtakenupstairsto
medicalbeforesheandZeushadmadeitoutofthearea.

They moved on with a few gods and those on her team that had no medical
training besides first aid since they all had that. She hoped they wouldn’t find
anymorecellsfullofpeopleoranysignsthattherehadbeenany.Herstomach
wasstillqueasyandherheartsickfromwhattheyhadseen.Everyoneelsehada
halfsicklookontheirfacesmatchingthewayshefelt.Somehowandsomeway
someonewouldpayforthis,shewouldseetoit.

“It looks like some kind of lab back here.” Brandi said as she pointed to the
right. A large lab with small portable cages and all manner of equipment was
nexttosomekindofstorageroom.Therewasaroomontheothersideofthelab
that appeared to hold large coffin like containers that on closer inspection
appearedtobecryogenictubes.Whatthehellwerethesepeopledoinghereand
why?Atleastthetubeswereempty,hadtheybeenfullitwouldhavecreepedher
out.Theycontinuedon,findinganofficebehindthelabbuttheyhadleftlittlein
that room. The computers had been pulled but the wires were still there
testifying to their presence in the past. File cabinets sat open, empty of their
contentsforthelargepart.Thefewpapersthatwerelefthadnoinformationof
anykind.Judgingbythelackofdust,everythinghadbeenmovedrecently.

Shecouldonlyconcludethattheyhadexpectedtheraidbutnotsosoon.Itmade
her wonder what they had removed from here, how much of it was human?
Therewashopeforatleastsomeoftheprisonerstheyhadfoundandreleased.It
wasagoodthingshehadstartedonexploringthefacilityinsteadofwaitingfor
the new team that would be sent to do so. In a week every one of those poor
males would have been dead. Origin had probably started at the lowest level
working their way up when they were removing the information and the
residents.Thefactthattheyhadtakenthetimetoassembleallthedeadinone
spotmadeherthinktheyintendedtoremovethemwhentheyleftbuthadbeen
caughtoffguard.

Therestoftheflooryieldednothingofimportancesoshesuggestedtheygoto
the next level down. Zeus agreed as she expected he would so they continued
downthestairsatthefarendofthelevel.Thistimetheairwasslightlystalebut
nohintofdecayorputridfleshhithernose.Someoftheotherswentupstairs,
maybetoeatorgotothebathroom,Sierradidn’tknoworcare.Iftherewereno
mistreated males, there was no need to have such a large team. The only gods

withthemnowwereZeusandAres.

“Howdidtheychooseyournames,doyouknow?”Sierraaskedunsureofhow
hewouldfeelaboutthequestionbutreallywantingtoknow.

“They said we were as far above humans as the gods. One of the doctors who
created us was a fan of Greek mythology so she picked names from that. Our
leaderswerenamedafterthehighergods-Zeus,Ares,Poseidon,Hades,Apollo-
others were named after the type of work they would do-Eros, Hercules,
Hypnos, Asclepius. When they ran out of names they just made them up to
soundliketheothers.TheysaidourfatherwasCronosandhewaspartofallof
us. I’m not sure what they meant but if we are all sons of Cronos, we are
brothersoratleasthalfbrothers.”

“It seems hard to believe that you are all half brothers, but I’ve seen many
strangethings.Thereissomethingotherworldlyaboutallofyou,butIjustcan’t
placeit.”

Theymadeittothenextfloorseeingmostlyroomssimilartodorms,smalland
boxlike, with little room and a bathroom shared by five or more rooms. Group
livingwasfamiliar,settingherateasewhileshesearchedforsignsofsheknew
notwhat.ShenoticedAresstuckbyBrandi’ssideeventhoughshemovedaway
fromhimcontinually.ZeusstayedclosetoheraswellbutSierradidn’tbotherto
wasteherenergymovingbecauseshesawhowstubbornhewas,ithadnothing
todowithenjoyinghisclosenessorhispossessivebehavior.Oncethatfloorwas
thoroughlycheckedout,theyreturnedtothetopfloor.Theywouldeatandmost
ofthemwouldturninforthenighteventhoughSierrahadnointentionofdoing
so.ShehadadatewithsomecomputerfilesintendingtogothroughallBrandi
haddownloadedinthedaystheywerelefthere.Theseweretheysamefilesthat
had revealed the subfloors that Origin had added to the original facility. It had
beenasurprisesincenoonehadknownthefacilityhadbeenexpanded.Itwas
somethingtoputinherreportwhenKylerarrived.

Sheworkedherwaythroughseveralfilesfindingafewanswersbutnottheones
she needed. According to what she had read, superior human DNA had been
procuredfromvariousmaleswhilefemaleswithcertaintraitshadbeensearched
for.Oncetheeggswerefertilized,theDNAhadbeenmanipulatedinuterowitha
strand identified as Cronos added in. Who was Cronos and why was he
consideredworthyofbeingthefatherofthegods?

Shereadanotherfilewhichmentionedanearlierlineofgeneticallyengineered

malescalledsupermenbutCronoswasn’taddedtotheirDNA.Itsaidtheirline
was no longer being bred but had been disbursed. What did that mean, not
terminated,butdisbursed?Hadtheybeenintegratedintothegeneralpopulation
orhadtheybeensoldassoldiersorworkersofsomekind?Themoreshefound
outthemorequestionsshehad.Sheglancedattheclockseeingitwasafterone
inthemorning.Tomorrowshewantedtofinishtheexplorationoftheremaining
floors.Shehadbettergetsomesleep,notlikelastnightwhereshehaddreamed
andbeenrestlessallnightlong.Itwaslightsoutandnightynightforher.

She could feel the warmth of hands and lips. The same dream again, or so it
would seem. Did that mean if she kept her eyes closed it would just continue
pleasantlyasitwasdoingnow?Shetingledalloverwhichwassomethingnew
toher.Itwaslikeshewasdrawn,maybeevenboundemotionally,toherdream
lover.Itwasjusttoofreakysosheopenedhereyesonlytoseetheglowinggold
ones and feel the slight pinch of a bite that just scratch her skin before sleep
claimedheragain.

Damn,thiswasgettingold!Wasitadreamorwasitreal?Shesearchedherneck
frantically for a sign of a bite or even a scratch only to come up empty. She
searchedtherestofherbodyforanysignthatshehadbeenusedorabusedbut
found none. Only an ache that came to her when she thought of her dream, an
ache that made her do a little self help in the shower so she could relieve the
need she rarely felt and never this strong. It was like she was becoming a
teenager again. She thought about Kyler, but she had no desire for him at all.
That relationship was down the drain, she just needed to tell him. The only
picture that came to her mind as she sought relief was Zeus in all his naked
glory. Not that she had seen him fully exposed but those thin shorts the gods
wore didn’t hide much. Once the word was out every female soldier, spy, or
governmentworkerofanykindwouldbegtobeassignedhere.Shewouldleave
ittothem,gettingoutofheresoonwasherplan.

Heralarmwentoff,she’dforgottentoturnitoffwhenshehadwokeearly.Shit
happens and it happens often. Today they would explore all the way to the
bottom.Somethingtoldherthatsecretswerehiddenwaydowndeepifshecould
justfigureoutwheretheywereplaced.Shehadgottenaweirdvibeoffthegods
since she had met them, well once she had stopped creaming her jeans over
Zeus.Thatgodwastoodistractinganddistractedsoldiersendedupdead.Itwas
funnyhowquicklyshehadgottenusetocallingthemgodsormales,butmaybe
itwasbecausetheylookeddivine.

Cleanedanddressed,shehurrieddownthehallhopingnottobethelasttoarrive
today.Nomatterhowlongittook,sheintendedtoclearallthreelevelsthatwere
left.ShearrivedlastagainexceptforBuzzwhoshewasn’tsureintendedtoshow
sinceshehadn’tmadeitmandatory.Everyonefinishedeatingsoitwastimeto
leave without Buzz. They swung by medical to get an update on the gods
recoveredfromthelargecelldownstairs.Docindicatedshewantedtospeakto
herprivatelysosheledhertoanofficeattheendofthelab.

“I’veneverseenanythinglikethisbefore.Sierra,thesemenarenotfullyhuman.
Idon’tknowforsurewhattheyarebutoncewegotthemuphere,cleanedthem
up, and fed them, their rate of healing was phenomenal. Everyone of them has
not only survived, but they are now in better health than I am.” Doc looked at
herwithacombinationofconsternationandexcitement.

“Sowhatisyourtheory?”

“Whatever the unknown DNA that was added to theirs is, it has some
unbelievableabilitieswhichwilltakesometimetounderstandoncewefindout
what they all are. You know what this could mean to the human race? Future
generationscouldhaveextendedandimprovedlives,wemightevenbeableto
adaptitforuseonfullygrownhumans.Thepossibilitiesareendlessonceweget
ahandleonexactlywhatwehavehere.Thinkofthediseaseswecouldcure,an
endtobirthdefects,itwouldbeunbelievable.”

“Justhowdoyouplantodothat?”

“Well we’ll need to take samples, there’ll be some experiments necessary, but
it’sallforthegoodofhumanityasawhole.”

“Youcandowhateveryouwanttoaslongasyougetvolunteerswhounderstand
exactlywhatyouplantodotothemandwhy.”

“ButSierra,they’llneveragree.”

“That’s their choice, their right to accept or reject being lab specimens. I
wouldn’twanttodoitandIwouldn’taskitofanyoneelse.Thatispolicyuntil
someone else changes it. I honestly have to say I hope no one will.Iftheydo,
we’llnothavedonetheseguysanyfavorsfreeingthem.”

Doc’s excitement dimmed a little as she seemed to think over what Sierra had
said.“Iguessyou’reright.I’llexcludetheinformationfromthereports.Ican’t
vouchforthosethathavehelpedmehere,butifanythingcomestolightitwon’t

bebecauseofme.”

“It’stherightthingtodo,Doc.”

“Yeah,whydoestherightthingalwaysrainonmyparade?”

“You’reagoodperson,Doc.Sometimesithurtsnomatterwhatyoudecide.”

Sierra and Doc walked out to the lab where the others waited for them. If she
didn’tknowbetter,shewouldsaythatwasalookofapprovalonZeus’facebut
there was no way he could have heard the conversation she and Doc had just
had. She shrugged it off while she listened to Doc explain to Zeus how all his
menwerehealingwell.Zeusnevercorrectedheraboutcallingthemmalesrather
thanmenwhichmightmeanhewasbeginningtounderstandsettingthemapart
from the average man might draw unwanted attention to their differences
whatevertheymightprovetobeorshewasjustmakingtoomuchofsuchalittle
thing.

There were three levels left to explore so they started with what was called
subleveltwo.Eventhoughthetoplevelwaspartlysubmerged,itwasconsidered
above ground. Now they would see the levels that Origin had added which
should give them some insight into what Origin intended when they took over
thefacility.Theyrusheddownthestairs,excitedtogetonwiththeirwork.They
were immediately greeted with lab equipment that Origin had apparently not
botheredtomovetellingherthatitmightnottellthemmuch.Nopaperworkor
computerswerelefttogivethemanyinformationandsheintendedtohaveDoc
comedowntoseewhatthelabcouldhavebeenusedfor.

Thenextlevelwassetuphalfasresidential,halfasoffices.Thelastlevelwas
the most interesting because part was set up, or at least appeared to be, like a
schoolincludingdorms,theotherpartlikeanursery.Thismayhavebeenwhere
younggodswereraisedandeducated.Itwasobviousfromtalkingtoanyofthe
godsthattheireducationwasabovethatoftheaverageperson.Zeushadtoldher
thatallofthemwereataminimumbilingualandmostspokethreeorevenfour
languages because Origins had sent them out on missions around the world.
Eachgodwasalsotrainedintwocareersincasetheyhadtogoundercoverina
country or if they had to be abandoned for a short while until they could be
recovered.Origindidn’tbelieveinlosingtheirgods,theyalwaystriedtorecover
them.Thatwasjustonemorereasonfindingthetorturedanddeadonthesecond
levelhadbeennotonlyshocking,butsurprising.

These males were highly intelligent, skilled, strong, and would make great
strippers.Maybethatlastpartwasn’tsomethingtoconsider.SheglancedatZeus
whotendedtostaynearhernoticingthewayhismusclesflexedandthebeauty
ofhisform.Itwasoddbutthemoretimeshespentwithhim,thelessshenoticed
the masculine perfection of the other gods. They faded into the background no
moresignificanttohersexuallythanfemaleswouldbeeventhoughsomewere
nearlyashandsomeashewas.Ifshewashonest,rightnowshewantednothing
more than to push him down on the small cot in front of him and have her
wickedwaywithhim.Itwassounusualforhertobethiswaythatitmadeher
worrythatshehadanestrogenimbalanceorsomethingequallyworrisome.She
wouldcheckwithDoctonightbeforesheturnedintoseeifshewasill.Maybe
shehadashotorsomethingthatwouldgetherbacktonormalandstopthekinky
dreams. With that decision made, she got on with the exploration on the last
level.

It was a nondescript door that stood out in her mind because it looked too
innocent and unassuming. It was almost as if a great deal of thought had gone
intohidingitoutintheopen.Thelockwasagoodoneandthepadlockaddedto
it seemed like too much for the closet that it would likely turn out to be. Zeus
andAresstoodbackwaitingforhertodecidehowshewouldgetintothespace
thedoorprotected.Theyhadmadegoodtimewiththeirexplorationanditwas
barely past lunch with just this last space to explore. She was too stubborn to
leaveitforlaterbutshehadnoneofthetoolswithherthatwouldgainherthe
accessshedesired.

“Anysuggestions,Gentlemen?”Sierraaskedofthetwogods.Mostoftheothers
had gone back upstairs as the search took a turn to the boring with no new
discoveriesorhiddensecretsrevealed.

“We both have a natural talent at opening doors.” Zeus said before offering to
giveitatry.

Shenoddedandwavedherhandtowardthedoorinacceptanceofhisoffersohe
strode to the door immediately. He had no equipment unless you counted his
superior strength so she was prepared for failure not paying close attention to
what he did. It was the click indicating the lock was now open that caught her
attentionashejustseemedtoturntheknobbeforethrowingopenthedoor.She
knew something was going on here but the stairway going down into an
unknownlevelthatthecomputerfileshadn’tmentionedandtheblueprintsdidn’t

show,engagedhercuriosity.Zeusinsistedonleadingthewaywhichnolonger
surprised or irritated her since she seemed to be accepting him, which was
anothersurprise.

“Ares,guardherwithyourlife.”Zeussaidmakingherwonderwhatthehellhe
thoughtwasdownthere.Aresnoddedashelookedaroundasifheexpectedus
to be overwhelmed by an unknown enemy. We made our way down into what
wasasmallbasement,maybetoosmallforthesatellitetorecognizeashollowed
out. The smell of earth and dampness tickled my nose neither pleasant nor
offensive but just there. Once we were at the bottom of the steps she saw that
thisareahadnotbeenencloseduntilshesawadoorthatseparatedoneareafrom
therest.Itwasmorelikeadugoutareathanalevelorevenabasementexcept
for the wall with a door in it. The ceiling was the floor above with no
improvements,thefloorandallbutonewallwasdirt.

“WewillcheckouttheroombutIwantyoutorunifthereisanytrouble.”Zeus
saidtoSierra.

Shelaughedlikeitwasthebiggestjoke.“Areyounuts?Thisiswhatmyjobis,
to check out this facility making sure it’s safe for the others who are coming
soon.”

Zeus and Ares once again seemed to communicate without speaking a word
which was driving her crazy. “Damn it, if you two are going to talk say it out
loud.”

“Brother,ifIdonotcomeoutofthisalive,seetomyfemaleforme.”Zeussaid
toAres.

“Dothesameformesomymindwillbeatpeace.”AressaidtoZeus.

“Whatinthehellisallthisabout?”Sheaskednotcaringwhotoldheraslongas
someonedid.

“When we were young, the teachers whispered about a dangerous place below
thefloorsthathidagreatdanger.Thereweremanyrumors;itwassaidtobethe
tombofCronosourfather,therestingplaceofagreatbeast,someevensaidit
wastheplacewheredangerousmaterialswerestoredbyOriginandourcreator.
No one was ever brave enough to venture there to find out for sure and
eventuallyasyoungdo,weforgotallaboutit.Nowitseemsthatatleastpartof
the stories are true, there is a secret place under the floor.” Zeus said with a
neutrallookonhisface.Shecouldsensenofearordeceptiononhispartmaking

herwonderwhatthehellshewasinthemiddleofthistime.

Commonsensesaidsheshouldcallinbackupbutshewasreluctanttoendanger
othersiftherewasarealthreat.Shewasalsoalittledoubtfulthattheroomwas
anythingbutastorageroom.Maybetheywouldfinallyfindsomeoftherecords
thatwouldilluminateOrigin’splanandbackground.Speakingofillumination,it
wastimefortheflashlightstheyhadbroughtwiththemtobeuseful.Itwasclear
Zeus and Ares intended to move forward so she headed toward the door with
them. A shiver ran over her as Zeus’ hand touched the door knob causing a
clickingsoundasitunlocked.Therewassomethingtohisabilitytoopenlocks
thatshewouldtrytoremembertodiscusswithhimlater.Fornow,herattention
was strictly on the task at hand especially since the dangers they faced were
incalculable.

He opened the door cautiously as a stale smell oozed out of the enclosed area.
AressteppedupnexttoZeusshininghislightinthroughthedoor.Sierratriedto
lookinbutshecouldn’tseeanything.Oncethedoorwasfullyopenitwasclear
that there was something in the room so she pushed up against Zeus in an
attempttosee.Heputhisarmaroundherwaistpullinghercloseinaprotective
fashion. She couldn’t deny how good and right it felt to be at his side. This
wasn’tafeelingsheneededtogetusetonordidsheneedtobeencouraginghim
sinceshewouldbegonesoon.Thethoughtmadeherfeelsadbutshekepttelling
herselfitwasforthebest.Oncetheysteppedthroughthedoor,theinteriorofthe
roomtookherbreathaway.Therewasalargeplatformthatlookedtobemade
outofgoldcontaining what she would call a sarcophagus. There were pictures
alloverthewallsoftheroomwhichlookedlikeitwasanaturallyformedcave
ofsomekindthathadbeenturnedintoatomb.

Itwassurprisingthatthetombwasfullofintactartifactsthatnodoubthadgreat
value. It made her wonder if the greatest value might not be in the contents of
thegoldencasketinthecenteroftheroom.Wasthistheanswertothequestion
ofwherethemysteryDNAhadcomefrom?Ifso,howwasitviableafterallthe
yearsthathadpassed?Itjustseemedimpossiblethatitcouldbe.Shegotonher
comandcalledforsomeofherteammates,especiallyDoc.Itwasn’tlongbefore
severalofZeus’godsappearedmakingherwonderhowhecommunicatedwith
them when he had no com. The questions just kept multiplying while the
answerswerefewandfarbetween.

Onceshewasthroughwiththistombifthatwaswhatittrulywas,sheintended

togetsomeanswersfromthegodsthatwererescuedfromthesecondfloor.Zeus
hadbeenassurprisedasshewaswhentheyhadfoundthem,butheknewthem
because he had been raised with them. He would probably want to be present
when she questioned them, he might even protest her right to question them at
all. She knew she could get him to agree but she really didn’t want to use this
attraction between them to get her way, it wouldn’t be fair to him to let him
believe they could ever have a relationship. His males that had appeared now
surroundedthecasketandwereliftingthelid.Maybesheshouldhavepaidbetter
attention to what they planned to do because she wasn’t sure that was a smart
idea. They had just moved the lid off and over when a screaming voice said,
“Nooo.”

Dochadfinallymadeitdowntothemwhereshewasn’tapprovingofwhatwas
happening. One of the rescued gods was dogging her every step. Sierra
wonderedwhohewasassherememberedhimgrowlingatDocwhenshecame
in the cage to help him. Maybe it hadn’t been an ‘I’m going to rip your throat
out’ growl but more of a ‘hello sexy’ type. It would take time to figure these
godsoutbuttimewastheonethingshedidn’thave.

“Whatthefuck,Sierra.Theyshouldn’thavetouchedanythingmuchlessopened
what looks like a sarcophagus without a team here to insure nothing was
contaminated.Howcouldyouletthishappen?”

“HowcouldIstopit?We’vetoldthemtheyrulehere,it’snotourplacetostepin
andtakeover.Whateverthey’vefoundhere,belongstothem.”

Docwhispered,“Youknowthat’snothowthingswillgodown.Assoonasour
peoplefindoutaboutthis,they’llbeheretotakeover.”

“Thenthat’ssomethingweneedtostopbymakingsuretheydon’tfindout.I’ll
calltherestoftheteam,tellthemitwasjustastockpileofoutdatedequipment
andthegodsaregoingthroughittoseeifthere’sanythinguseful.”

“Iknowyou’reprettybigonhonorandallthat,butthere’smoretothis.You’re
soprotectiveofthem,thatbigguy’sreallygottentoyou.Haveyou…?”

“Have you? I noticed you seem to have a big guy of your own.” Sierra said
noddingtowardtherescuedguythatclungtoDoc’ssidelikeashadow.Hewas
standingbackbuthehadn’twantedto.DochadinsistedhelethertalktoSierra
withouthimatherside.

“HadeshasjustdevelopedaslightcrushonmebecauseIhelpedhimwhenhe

wasill.He’llgetoveritsoonenough.”

“Sure he will.” Sierra said with a smirk. She looked at the male in question
seeing the look on his face that made her wonder had he heard their
conversation.Howwasthatevenpossibleasquietlyastheyhadspoken.Shegot
onhercomtellingtherestofherteamnottobothertocomedowntojointhem,
it was a false alarm because there was nothing exciting down there. Doc was
right and she would have to reevaluate her actions and motives. Normally she
would have felt bad but followed orders anyway reporting all findings and
relevantinformation.Shewasbecomingabadsoldierbutshedidn’tknowwhy,
yeah,shedidknowwhy.SheglancedoveratZeuswhowaswatchingherclosely
realizingshewaswaytooattachedtoaguyshedidn’tknow,hadn’tsleptwith,
and would soon be leaving behind. She so should have found the time to have
some hot monkey sex with him because she had to admit she wanted to more
thanshewantedanythingelseinliferightnow.

Doc headed over to the oversized coffin. “Sierra, come quick.” She said in an
urgent tone. Sierra sprinted the short distance to look into the sarcophagus in
completeshock.Shehadexpectedamummyorgiventhenoticeablemoisturein
theair,askeleton,butneitherwerepresent.Whatshewaslookingatwasamale
creature that looked like he had just gone to sleep. She could see a vague
resemblancetothegodsinthismale,butthisonedidn’tlookhumanandwould
never be able to blend in. Where the gods topped out at the six foot eight that
Zeus said he was, this one was at least seven feet. He was bigger, bulkier and
thereseemedtobesomethingattachedtohisbackthoughshecouldn’tseewhat.
A blanket of feathers lay beneath him from his ankles to his shoulders and his
face looked alien with ridges on his nose, slightly pointed elongated ears, and
skinthatwasalightblue.Therewasnotellingwhathiseyesmightlooklikebut
they seemed proportionately larger than a human’s. They also seemed more
roundedaddingtothealienlookofthemagnificentcreaturesheexamined.

He wore what looked like a loin cloth made out of an unusual material she
couldn’t identify. It had intricate embroidery in rich colors. He had on an
armband that was made of gold and of good workmanship. He wore a hoop
earringononeear,itwasgoldalso.Hischestwasuncovered,hisfeetbare,and
hisravenhairlongandbraided.Primitiveweaponshadbeenplacedathisside,a
bowandarrow,aspear,alargeroundshieldwithagoldendragonemblazoned
onit,andanornamenteddagger,itshandlelookedlikeivory.Apouchlaybeside
him which when Sierra picked it up and opened it, was filled with ancient

looking gold coins. The markings on them were unfamiliar and the coins were
differentsizes.Itwaslikehehadpreparedforalongjourneytotheafterlife,but
arrived here ready to wake instead. She knew nothing about him but felt a
twingeoffearthatmadeherhopehewouldn’twake.

Beneaththefeatheredblanket he was laid out on were furs. The outside of the
boxlikecontainerwas paintedandcovered withscenesof huntingandfighting
withCronosactivelyparticipatinginboth.Shedidn’tknowwhattomakeofhim
orthedrawingsonthecavewalls.Shepulledouthercellphonewhichshewas
in the habit of carrying even though it was useless here, and took pictures she
wouldsendtoafriendwhowasanarcheologistassoonasshehadachance.She
wascarefulnottoincludeCronosinanyofthepictures.

Eventhoughhewasexquisite,shefeltnostirringofdesirewhichsurprisedher.
Shehadfeltnothingforanyofthegodssinceshortlyaftershehadarrived.Any
saveZeus,whoshedesiredwithafiercenessthatworriedher,consumedher.She
hadheardofwomenbecomingobsessedwithmenbefore,butneverinamillion
years would she have thought she would be one of those women. Her mind
should be on the current situation, not on how tempting Zeus looked or how
much she wanted to touch him with her fingers or even her tongue. An ache
betweenherlegsstartedthengrewmorepainfulashereyesdevouredhiminch
bygloriousinch.Thishastostop!Shethoughtitbutcouldn’tseemtomanageit
especiallyoncehiseyescapturedhers,hewouldn’tlookawayandshecouldn’t.

This is insane! Heat rushed through her body but they weren’t even touching.
His eyes fucking glowed, there was no longer any doubt in her mind as she
lookedrightintothem.Whatthehelldidthatevenmean?Theyhadjustmadean
amazing discovery, were in the middle of making major decisions, and she
couldn’tlookpastherlibidoandthereasonitwasrunningrampant.Atleastit
seemedthathewassufferingfromasimilardilemmaashiseyeshadn’tlefther
either.

“Sierra?Areyoualright?”DocaskedasSierratriedtobreaktheconnectionshe
hadtoZeussoshecouldanswerDoc.Ittookeverybitofstrengthandresolveto
doso,leavingherwithaheadacheforhereffort.

“Yes,I’mfine.JustalittletiredbutI’llcatchuponmysleeptonight.”

“Liar! You never stop working. Don’t think for a minute I’m not aware that
you’vebeenstayinguplategoingthroughthecomputerfiles.Youneedtolearn
to delegate. The male members of the team are acting like they’re on spring

break.Theyspendmostoftheirtimeplayinggamesanddrinkingwiththegods
inthatrecroomtheyhave.”

“I’m aware. You know we were told not to proceed and to just wait for
replacements.”

“Iknowbutthoseordersarejustcrazy.Anyonewouldwanttogetintothisand
gain knowledge.” The two women smiled at each other. They knew they were
alikeintheirpursuitofthetruth,ahigherthanusualmoralcharacter,andadeep
commitmenttodoingthebesttheycould.Theywerealsodifferentintheirareas
ofinterestbecauseSierrathoughtifitwasn’tmedicalorbiological,Docdidn’t
evenwanttohearaboutit.Sierraontheotherhand,didn’tmindhearingabout
medical information but she preferred the condensed version. She wasn’t a
geniuslikeDocnorwassheaspecialistinanyareadealingwithbiologybutthat
didn’tmeanshewasn’tsmartenoughtofollowmostofthethingsthatrelatedto
themissionsshehadgoneonsofar.Shewasn’tsureifthatwouldbetrueofthis
mission. It looked like this situation might be way over her head intellectually
becausetherewassomeseriousshitgoingonwithwhatmightbealienDNA.

It was a lucky thing that Doc, who was a specialist in DNA of all kinds and a
geneticist as well as a medical doctor, no need to mention genius again, was
alongfortheride.Itlookedlikeitwasgoingtobeaninterestingoneevenifit
wasashortone,forherbutnotforDocwhowouldbestayingbehindwhenthe
restoftheteamleft.Itwashardtosaywhowastheluckyone;Docbecauseshe
could stay to explore her interest in Hades which no matter how much she
denied it was obvious, or Sierra who would escape before she fell into a trap
whereherdesiremightcauseanaddictionifactedon.

Chapter2

AllMine

Itwasachallengetobehim,tobeinchargeofthosesomuchmorethanhuman
thathadbeenrestrained,cheatedasitwere,oftheirfreedomtobealltheycould
beandhavewhattheywantedmostofall.Whatwouldyouthinkwasthething
that these males he was in charge with wanted most? It shouldn’t be hard to
guesswhatanalphamalestrong,smart,andcapablewouldwishfortomakehis
lifecomplete.Yes,itwasamatebutonewhowascapabletoo,fornotjustany
femalecouldmanageamalelikethat.Shehadtobesmartenoughtocarryona
conversation, strong enough not to be broken, desire sex often enough to keep
up, and have both character and backbone. Beauty, that was in the eye of the

beholderandhismalesandhedidn’toftenagreewhatmadetheperfectfemale.
It seemed they all liked different things in a female so they agreed to disagree
andeachpursuedtheirownpersonaltype.

Eachmalehadinhismindcertainqualitiesthathethoughthewoulddesirebut
thoseweresubjecttochangesinceallfemaleshadabeautyoftheirown.Sierra
was his perfect female though he would have said before he met her that
stubbornnessandresistancetohissexappealwouldn’tbetraitshewouldenjoy,
hefoundthatthechaseandthehuntexcitedhim.Itexcitedhimmoresobecause
he knew his victory was assured not so much by the mating ritual he enacted
while she slept each night, but by the results that ritual revealed to him. The
ritual itself only tested compatibility or so he’d been told by the scientists that
had studied it when some of his males had accidently bonded with females
brought in to give them relief. It also made some small changes to a female if
shewascompatible.

To truly and completely bond with Sierra, he would have to inject her with a
massivedoseofhisvenomwhichwouldbedoneduringsexsoitwouldnotbe
sopainful.Thesmalldoseshegaveherjusttestedtoseeifshecouldtolerateit
and prepared her for the large dose he would give her eventually. The thought
excitedhimandhefelthisachingcockstretchandlengthenevenmore.Massive
byhumanstandards,aloverhadtoldhimitwaspornstarlength.Hehadbeen
with human females enough to know she could take it and enjoy it. Once they
were mated she would go through some physical changes, maybe they had
startedalreadyfromthesmallamountsofvenomhehadgivenher.

Heclosedhiseyesimaginingshewasrightnexttohim.Thefirstthinghewould
noticewashersweetfemininesmell.Itwaslikehoneysucklemixedwithmusk,
sweetness and sex all rolled up in one beautiful package. Soft brown eyes that
lookedlikehisfavoritechocolateexceptwhentheysparkledwithhumorwhich
wasoftenwhenhewasaround.Hewasn’tsureifhemadeherlaughinagood
way,orifshefoundhimamusinginabadone.Hermouthlookedsotastyhejust
wantedtosuckonherfullbottomliptosampleit.Herlipswerered,hercheeks
oftenrosy,moresowhenhewasaroundandhehadtoadmitheenjoyedmaking
thosecheeksturnthatlovelyroseshadeasoftenaspossible.Herhairwaslong
so she often wore it braided or in a ponytail. It was brown, wavy more than
curly, and highlighted with shades of red and gold. When he looked at her he
sawthemostdesirablefemalehehadseenorcouldevenimagine.

Shewasn’ttall,likeheoncethoughthewantedbutshewasintheaveragerange
at five foot six. She had enough on top to fill his big hands and her ass filled
themthesameway.Herskinwaspalerthanhislookinglightlytan.Sheworeher
nailsshort,buthebettheycouldstillleavesomebeautifulscratchesonhisback
if he made her loose control. He thought about that often, making her lose
controlthatis.Sincehehadmethershehadbeengoodtohispeople.Sheeven
helped them find Cronos before the others came so they would never know he
wasthere.

Now they had discovered where their father was for better or for worse. If he
wasacceptingtothem,theymightfindoutwhattheyweretrulycapableofbutif
he was against them, he would have to be destroyed. Zeus hoped he was with
themsincealltheywantedwastoliveinpeacewitheachotherandtheworld.
He knew Sierra wondered why they had accepted their lot in life without
fightingback.Sheneveraskedbutinherplacehewouldwonder.Itwassimple
really because things for them could have been so much worse. Had they all
beenheldandmistreatedlikeHadeshad,theywouldhavefoughteverydaywith
alltheyhadtogaintheirfreedom.Sincetheyweretreatedwellasfarasslaves
go,theywaitedpatientlyfortherighttimewhentheyweresuretheywouldwin
andwhentheywouldhavehelptotaketheirplaceintheworld.Theywereloyal
toeachother,asbrothersoftenweresothethreatsOriginmadetopunishthem
allformistakesonemade,weretakenseriously.Noonewantedtobethecause
ofpaintotheirbrothers,noone.

Youarethinkingofheragain,myfriend.Aressentthemessagemindtomind.

I find I can think of little else. I ache to claim her, need just to touch her. She
denies me at every turn. Zeus answered his friend who was a brother to him.
Howgoesyourpursuitofherfriend?

Imakeevenlessprogressthanyou.Areallhumanfemaleslikethesetwoexcept
theonesthatworkedforOrigin?

Idon’tknowbutforthesakeofourbrothersIhopenot.

Another voice entered their mental conversation. The one they call Doc seems
just as bad if not worse. Once I was healed she wanted only rid of me. She
wouldn’tspeak,ignoringmeasifIwasn’tthere.

Hades,itwassogoodtoseeyoualive,brother.Weweretoldyouandthosewith
youhaddiedonamission.

We wished many times while we were caged that we had. The mission was to
take out an orphanage so the government and their western allies would be
blamed.Onceweknewthetarget,werefusedtoproceed.Thoseinchargeofthe
mission thought a quick death was not punishment enough. The sadistic SOBs
tortureduswithinaninchofourlives.Thedeadyousawshowtheirestimateof
whatwecouldstandwasnotalwaysaccurate.Adoctorwasaddedtothegroup
tokeeprecordssotheywouldbetterknowwhattoexpectwhentheysendgods
intothefield.

IamsorryIletyouandyourmalesdown.Hadweknown,wewouldhavefound
awaytofreeyou.

Itwasn’tyourfault,Zeus.Youcarryourtroublesonyourbackasiftheyareyour
own.Nooneblamesyou,werejoicethatwewerefoundandfreed.Itwasworth
oursufferingtocomebackasfreemales.Whatmadeyousearchthesublevels?

Thatwasmymate.Ijustwentwithhertokeephersafe.Shedoesasshewishes
refusingtoallowmeanycontrol.Iwasgladinthiscaseorwewouldhavefound
youtoolate.

Itwasfate’sintervention.WhereisPoseidon?I’venotseenhimyet.

He follows another of my mate’s team around looking for crumbs of affection.
Sheisnoeasiertomatemaybemoredifficultsinceshewasinterestedwhenthey
first came but he hesitated to pursue her due to his history. Once he saw he
neededher,shefeltrejectedsonowsheavoidshimatallcost.

WhatofHercules?

Hewasonamissionwiththeothersonhisteam.Ibelievethesnowthattrapped
mymate’steamherehaspreventedhisfromreturning.

Allthreegodswerequietnowthattheyhadcoveredwhatwasimportant.They
allthreehadtheirownpersonalgoalstomeetaswellasbeingatthetopofthe
leadershiphierarchy.ThefemalesthatworkedforOriginwereeasytodealwith
sincetheyjustclaimedgodsaccordingtorank.ThemanagerhadclaimedZeus
andwhilehehadlittleinterestinher,shehadeasedthephysicalpainthatlackof
sex would cause him and taught him what pleased some females. He was glad
that she was imprisoned and would be punished for her part in enslaving his
males.Hades,Poseidon,andAreshadalsobeenusedbyrankingfemalesbelow
the manager. Visiting females made use of the other gods leaving the largest
group of gods with the females brought in by Origin for the purpose of sexual

release.Drivenbyneedalone,thegodshadnochoicebuttofindreleasewhere
theycould.

Things were different now and Zeus wanted a mate for each of his gods. Why
couldtheynotfindtheirotherhalfashumansdidonthemoviestheywatchedon
TV?Sincegodshadtointeractwithhumansonsomeofthemissionsaswellas
toprovideawaytorelieveboredom,Originhadallowedmoviestobeshownin
therecreationroom.Ithadshownaworldthegodsdesperatelywantedtobepart
ofbutcouldn’tbe.TheymightnotgetallthethingsshownonTV,buttherewas
nolongeranyreasontheycouldn’thavetheirownsliceofhappiness.

He wasn’t sure where his Sierra was but he knew she was probably working
throughthecomputerfilestryingtounderstandallthatoriginhaddonehere.He
had much better hearing than she thought he did, his enhanced senses had
allowedhimtokeepupwitheverythingherteamhaddoneortriedtodo.What
hehadseenandheardhadmadehimsureshecouldbetrustedandthatshehad
their best interests at heart. Some of her team had been tempted to take
advantageofthem,tousewhattheyweretofurthertheirowneffortsbutshehad
convinced them not to. He wanted to make their mating permanent but even
thoughhewassurethroughheractionsandwordsthatshewasreadytobehis
mate,shehadnotrealizedityet.

The storm was abating making him believe that Hercules and his team would
return,butalsoworryinghimthatthereplacementteamwouldarrivesohismate
andAres’matewouldleave.Heneededtotalktohisfemaletoseewhathecould
dotogethiswaywithoutlettingherknowwhathewanted.Heclosedhiseyesto
seeiftheirattractionwasstrongenoughtolethimknowwhereshewas.Hegot
agenerallocationwhichmadehimthinkshewasinherroom.Hewentdownthe
hall to her room knocking on her door. He heard a flurry of activity as she
hurried to open it. She wore only a sleep shirt and if he was right, nothing
underneath.Anachingneedshotthroughhimbutheforceditdown.

“I must speak with you privately.” He said as he pushed her backward so he
could enter. He closed the door then turned and walked forward as she slowly
backedup.Shehitthechairnexttoherbedhalffallingintoitashetooktheone
besideit.

“Youtoldmewewouldgovernourselvesoncewereceivedthehelptolearnhow
to.Isthistrue?”

“YouknowIwouldn’tlietoyou.Youwillgetanadvocatewhowillhelpyou.

Thegovernmentswhohavehelpedfreeyouwillaskthingsofyou.Youshould
try to get the most concessions out of them for the things you do. You have a
commodity they want since you are an independent group with serious battle
skills. Your advocate will help you get what you need. At first they will be
generous but it won’t be long before they expect more from you. Don’t waste
your opportunities on frivolous things. Decide what you need first, what you
want second. You have no food, water, or other necessities. See to those first
and hide things like your special abilities and your door in the basement from
thosewhocomeafterme.Theywillnothesitatetotakeadvantageoreventake
controltogetwhattheywant.”

“IthankyouforyourhelpbutmorethananythingIneedyoutostay.”Helooked
inhereyeswiththedesirehefelt,knowinghiseyesglowedather.

“That’s something else you can’t do. The glowing eye thing will make them
suspicious of you and your abilities.” He noticed she ignored his statement of
howheneededher.MaybethisadvocatecouldhelphimtokeepSierraandher
teamherewiththem.

“Iwilltellmymalestohidethosethingsthataren’thuman.”

“Onemorething,Kylerwillbeherewithhisteam.Nevertrusthimfurtherthan
you can throw him because he is not here to help you. He is here to serve our
governmentinwhateverwayhecan.Hewillresentyouthemomentheseesyou
becauseheisusuallytopdog,whenhefacesyouhewillfeelinadequateandhe
doesn’tlikeit.”

“Heisyourlover?”Heaskedeventhoughheknewandittwistedhimupinside
becauseshebelongedtoZeusnotKyler.Itwassomethinghewouldprovetoher
thentoeveryoneelse.

“Hewasbutit’snotgoingtoworkoutanymore.”

“Hewillnotenjoybeingkickedoutofbed.”Zeussaidwithasmileeventhough
jealousywaseatinghimup.Atleastshewasbreakingitoffwiththismanwho
noone,notevenher,seemedtolike.

“He’llbehereinthemorning.Trytofindyouradvocatefirstsoyoucanspeakto
thembeforeanyothers.IthinkitwillbeWaverly,she’safriendofmine.Icall
herWaybutshemaynotwantotherscallingherthat.Ifyougether,you’vegot
itmade.She’ssmartandgoodatwhatshedoessoshe’lltakegoodcareofyou
andyourmales.”Asadhalfsmileghostedacrossherfacelettinghimknowshe

wouldmisshim.He’drathershewouldstaysoshewouldn’thaveto.

He knew he had no reason to stay any longer but he wanted to linger in her
company. He stood so she stood too as he thought she would. He moved in so
fastshecouldn’tmoveaway,pullingherintohisarms.Hefeltherheartflutter,
her pulse pound, her breath speed up, and her heat rise. Yes, this was how it
shouldbewhenhewasnearhismate.Heloweredhislipsteasingherswiththe
barestofbrusheswhilehishandsstrokedherbackgently.Hecamebacktoher
lips,pressing,slidinghistonguealongtheseambetweenherlipsthensinkingit
inwhensheallowedit.Heexploredtherecessesofhermouthandplayedwith
hertonguemercilessly.Itfeltsogoodheneverwantedittoendassheclungto
himnolongerputtingupanyresistance.Heslidhishandsunderhershirtthen
moveddowntoherasstograbtwosofthandfulsandsqueezedfirmly.Hepulled
her up until she twined her legs around his waist to hang on while he did his
worst. He rocked his hips causing his heavy erect cock to press firmly against
herwetachingseamandbrutallyhitherclit.

Hewaitedforherprotestwhilehehopedshewasbeyondthinking,wishingonly
tofeel.Shemoanedwhichtoldhimshewantedhimandatleastwasconsidering
takingtheplungewithhim.Ithadtobeenoughthatheknewshewantedhim,
because somewhere she found the will to ask him to stop so he did. His cock
dripped with the sign of his need but he honored her by stopping when she
asked.Hedroppedachastekissonhermouthturningtoleavebeforehelostall
control.Hetriedtoassurehimselfshewouldbehissoon,buthefeltnobetter.
Heneededtohavehersoon,orhewouldexplodeoratleasthisoverhardcock
would. He rushed to his room going straight to the shower to ease himself. It
wouldbeasmallrelief,butreliefnevertheless.

Hesetthewaterashotashecouldbearwhichheimaginedwashowhismate’s
skin would be once they got past the foreplay. He soaped up with his usual
manlysmellingbodywashthatworkedasshampootoo.Hereachedlowtograb
hisballsrubbingthemfirmly.Hemoveduptogriphisstaffwithhisstronghand
slidingitupanddownslowlybutpickingupspeedashewent.Hemoaneddeep
in his throat as his mind conjured a picture of Sierra that he held onto as he
continued to stroke himself from root to tip enjoying the slide of the slippery
soapashecontinuedtomovehishand.Fasterandfasterhishandmovedupand
down bringing him to the verge of release until he finally went over the edge
withayellashishotcumpouredoutinanendlessstreamuntilitcoatedthewall
before him. He rinsed off feeling a little less pressure and no longer aching as

muchforhismate.Oh,hestillneeded,wanted,andwasdevelopingabondfor
herdespitehisinabilitytotakethenextstepbuthehadeasedhisneedforalittle
while. He went to his room lying down in his bed wooing sleep because he
would need the strength in the morning. He moved restlessly for a short time
beforehesankintothedepthsofarestfulslumber.

Themorningthatwouldseethearrivalofmorehumansdawnedlikeanyusual
day.HewentinsearchofSierrawantingtobewithherknowingtheywouldtry
to send her away today. He dressed before going to the cafeteria which was
wherehewouldfindSierraforbreakfast.Hewastherebeforeherbutheknewit
wouldn’tbelong.Hewasn’tlookingforwardtomeetingKylerfearinghewould
wanttokillhimfortouchinghismateeventhoughitwasbeforehehadknown
her. When it came to Sierra, he wasn’t reasonable, he might even be a little
crazy.Hefeltherbeforeheevensawherandasheturnedhisbreathcaughtin
hischestashereactedtohercloseness.Evenwithoutthefinalbonding,hefelt
totally committed to her to the point that he couldn’t imagine them being any
closer.

She sat down by him with her plate full of food surprising since she rarely ate
that much. She must feel the need for strength to handle what the day would
bring.TheyweredoneeatingwhenshementionedshewantedtotalktoHades
aboutwhathadhappenedtohim.Hewonderedwhysinceshewasn’tintending
to stay with him. His intentions were to get her to stay or get her back if that
didn’tworkbutherintentionsseemedtobetoleavewithoutevercomingback.
Hetriednottofeelrejectedeventhoughthatwaseasiersaidthandone.

“Whatdoyouwishtoknow?”Zeusaskedher.

“Iwanttoaskhimwhyhewasbeingkeptbelowincages.Whatwasheandthe
othersbeingpunishedfor?”

“Theyrefusedtokillchildren.Noneofmykindwouldeverdoso.”Hercomwas
makingsounds.

Sheadjusteditbeforespeakingintoitthensheturnedtohim.“Theyarehere.”

Hedidn’thavetoaskwhoorwhattheirarrivalwouldmean.Hefollowedherto
thelandingpadtomeetthenewarrivals.Therewerefourbigcoptersthatlanded
andnoneofthemweretheirsmakinghimwonderwhereHerculesandhisteam
were.HerecognizedKylerassoonashesteppedoffthecopterasifheowned
theworld.Hetookaninstantdisliketothemanbeyondthatofjealousyfromhis

intimate knowledge of his mate. He examined him trying to figure out what
Sierra might see in the man remembering she had never seen a god before she
methim.Hesupposedhewastallforahumanatsixfootthreeandhisshoulders
werefairlybroadproportionatetohisheight.Hishairwasblondbutbuzzedsoit
addedlittletohislooks.Hiseyeswerearticblue,coldwithlittlefeelingshowing
untiltheylituponSierra.

The heat that filled them made Zeus want to pound him until he no longer
moved but he knew he had to hold back. The lack of feeling on Sierra’s face
helped him keep control even when Kyler came forward like he was going to
hug her. She stepped back keeping him the distance that one might an
acquaintanceratherthanalover.

“What’swrong,Sierra?You’reactinglikewedon’tevenknoweachother.”He
saidwithahurtlookonhisface.“IknowIshouldhavetriedhardertogetyou
andyourteamoutearlierbutitworkedoutforthebest,didn’tit?”

“Itcertainlydid.”Shesaidsarcastically.Nowforthefirsttimeheseemedtotake
noticeofZeusandhismen.Hiseyesnarrowedashelookedaroundthencame
backtorestonherface.

“Tell me you didn’t get your funk on with one of these…these guys.” He said
clearlyrememberinghimselfbeforehesaidanythingoutofline.

“Itwouldbenoneofyourbusiness,butno,Ihaven’tgotmyfunkon.NordoI
intend to do so anytime soon.” She said pointedly. He didn’t take it personally
sinceherealizeditwasn’taimedathim,butKylerdidn’ttakeitwellatall.

“Youdon’tmeanthatSierra.Iknowwedecidednottogetserious,butIwantto
changethat.I’vemissedyoumorethanyoucanimagine.”Hesteppedforward
again as she stepped back and away from him. “Is it one of them, have you
becomeinterestedinhim?”HeaskedpointingatZeus.

“I’vesimplydecidedtomoveonKylerandthefactthatyou’redoingthishere,
showsmeit’stherightthingtodo.”

“YouandyourteamareleavingwithinthehourandI’llseethatyounevercome
back here. You’ll come crawling back to me when you realize you can’t have
him.”

“Kyler,you’reafool.IplantoleaveherewiththeunderstandingI’mnotcoming
back. That was always the plan but now you’re acting like it’s a punishment?

You’renotevenmybossandneitherI,normyteam,answertoyou.”Shewalked
awaytowardanotherfemalewhowaswaitingwithhermouthslightlyagape.

“Yougogirl.”ShewhisperedtoSierra.“Giveittothebastard.”Sierragavethe
femaleahug.

“Youtakecareofthesemalesforme.Theydeserveabreak.”

“YouknowIalwaysputmyclientsfirst.It’llbeokay.Iwishyoucouldstay,we
have so much catching up to do. Maybe when I take my next vacation we can
paintthetownred.”

“YouknowwhereIammostofthetime.IhavetogoloadupbutI’llfindyouto
saygoodbye.KeepaneyeonKyler,he’sanass.”

“I remember him from other cases. I’m not likely to forget with some of the
thingshe’striedtodo.Don’tworry,sweetie.Hecan’tbegoodenoughinbedto
makeupforalltheshityou’dhavetoputupwith.”

“We didn’t spend any time together except in bed.” Sierra said with a cheeky
grin. It hurt Zeus to hear her speak about being with Kyler as if the sex was
good.Itwouldn’tbeanythingcomparedtowhathewouldmakeherfeel.Itwas
timetogettheplangoingtogethisandAres’matesback.

SierrawentpasthimtogetherstuffsohewentuptoWaverlytotalk.“Ineedto
speaktoyouaboutwhatweneedifyou’reouradvocate.Iwishtowastenotime
gettingthingsstraightenedout.”

“Iassumeyou’retheleaderhereandthatSierragaveyouaheadsupaboutwhat
toexpect?”

“Yes,shetoldmeafewthingstohelpme.DoIhavetodealwiththatjerk?”

“I’mafraidsobuthedoesn’tmakethefinaldecisions.Ifhebecomestoo much
ofaproblem,wegooverhishead.Heisn’tmyboss,youare.”

HeledherawaywhileKylerjustwatchedthemgowithabemusedlookonhis
face.ZeustoldArestoassignmalestokeepaneyeonthenewhumans.There
were about twelve of them, three females the rest males only eight plus Kyler
wouldbestayingtheresthadcometodeliverfood,water,andequipment.Only
Docandtwoothersthatassistedinthelabremainedbehind.Sierrafoundthema
fewmomentsaftertheysettledintostarttheirtalk.ShesaidgoodbyetoWaverly
emotionallywhileheandhersaidanawkwardgoodbye.Hewantedtoholdher

butknewshewouldn’tallowitsohejustshookherhand.Thatwasjustwrongto
himthathesaidgoodbyetoherinsuchacoolunemotionalway.Hisheartached
as he watched her walk away but he promised himself he would soon get her
back.

“So,Zeus,tellmewhatyouwant.”Waverlysaidwithasmirkonherfaceasshe
lookedtothedoorSierrahadjustexited.

“Iwantherback,herandherteam,insteadofallthesenewpeople.Dowhatyou
havetobutgetthembackassoonaspossible.”

“Youknowthat’sgoingtopissheroff,right?”

It was his turn to smirk. “I’m sure there’ll be fireworks and you’ll have to go
around that dipshit that came here to take charge. I’m sure it won’t be the last
timeeither.Icantellhethinkshe’sgoingtorunthingsaroundherebutthat’snot
going to happen. I’ve been watching some news feeds in the ex-manager’s
office.Iknowtherearerumorsmakingtheroundsaboutusbutnooneknowsfor
surewhatisgoingon.Isitinourbestinteresttooffersomeoneanexclusiveto
getourstoryouttherethewaywewantittold?Wecouldjustgivethemenough
information to make it worth their while. I understand public opinion can go a
longwaytowardhelpingusmeetourgoals.”

“You’re smart, I’ll give you that. We just need to be careful when it comes to
bringinginreportersofanykind.We’reluckythatweareisolatedenoughthat
they’reunlikelytocomeuninvited.I’llworkonthepublicityandrequestSierra
and her team return, is there anything else you need for now? Maybe food,
water,clothing?”

“Womenformymales.”

“Allofyourmales?”

“No,Ares,Hades,Apollo,Iandoneortwoothers,neednofemalesbroughtfor
us.”

“I think I may know a way to raise some money for you while bringing in
females.Youguyswillneedsomefundsormygovernmentwillrunalloveryou.
These girls are just for a little fun and games right? Your males aren’t hard on
thesegirlsarethey?”

“No,notanymoresothanhumanmales.Whatdoyouhaveinmind?”

“Iwanttorunalottery.Sellticketsforwhattheywillbring,thewinnerscometo
aweekendeventherewithachancetohookupwithasexgod.Wecan’tcallyou
guysgodsallthetime,butsexgodsfityouwell.”

“How about you, Waverly? Are you single?” He noticed she stiffened and her
expression wasn’t as friendly. It made him realize she was Sierra’s friend and
consideredhimSierra’smale.Itmadehimsmilebeforeheexplained.“I’mnot
asking for myself, I just wondered if you might enjoy meeting some of my
males. Of course if we have an event, you’ll attend as well.” He saw her
instantlyrelaxassheunderstoodhiswords.

“We’llgettoworkonthisrightaway.Itwillhelpyouachievesomestatusasan
independententity.”

Once he and Waverly were through talking, he felt better about the future
although he did notice she ignored his question about if she was single. He
suspected she might be like his mate, Sierra, which was single but not looking
for anything permanent. The careers they had chosen probably made
relationshipshardtomanagesotheyshunnedlongtermmalesintheirlives.He
hadnodoubtthatWaverlywouldhaveagodinherlife,shewastoomuchlike
hisSierranottoattractone.

He leaned back in his chair thinking about the situation they now found
themselves in long after Waverly had left. They were considered free now so
theycouldbethemastersoftheirowndestinies,butwithitcameawholenew
set of responsibilities for him. His males lives wouldn’t change as much as his
becausenowhehadtomakethedecisionsthatwoulddeterminehowtheywould
live.Theyneededmoneytosurvive,Waverlycouldhelpwiththatbutultimately
itwouldbehisdecisionwhethertheywentaheadwithherideasornot.Heknew
thatthefirsttwothingshehadtodowastocarveoutaplaceforhismalesina
worldthatforthemostpartdidn’tknowtheyexisted.Thenextthinghehadto
dowasgetlargeamountsofmoneytoturnalabfacilityintoapermanenthome
that eventually would house not only his males, but mates and children. It
seemedthathischallengingjobhadjustrampedupindifficulty.

Theonlythingthatwouldhelpeasehisstresswastohavehismatenearhim.He
needed to see her, hear her, and smell her, even if she wasn’t ready for him to
touchher.HehopedWaverlyliveduptoSierra’sfaithinherbecausethatmeant
hismatewouldreturntohimsoon.Thefirstthingheneededtodowastoclaim
themanager’sofficeashisown.HewentthereonlytofindKylerensconcedin

theofficewiththingsbeingmovedabout.Zeushadneverbeenthetypetoback
downfromaconfrontationortowaitforsomeoneelsetodealwithit.

“It’sagoodthingIfoundyoubeforeyoufinishedsettlingin.Youhavefoundthe
wrong space if you are looking for an office, this one is mine. The office you
willbeassignedistwodoorsdown.”Zeussaidwithauthority.

Kylerstoodupstretchingtohisfullheightwhichnomatterwhathedidstillfell
short of Zeus’ height. He tried to be intimidating but it just didn’t work when
dealingwithamalethatwastaller,broader,andhadbeengivenmoreauthority
in the situation. Zeus bit back the smile that threatened to come to his face
knowingtherewasnoneedtofurtheralienatethemanjustbecauseofhispast
relationshipwithSierra,eventhoughapartofhimwantedtobeathischestand
growl.Instead,hestraightenedtohisfullheightwhichwasseveralinchestaller
andpuffedouthischestwhichwasnotablylarger.Hewasn’tsurewhowasmore
surprised more, Kyler or him, when Kyler submitted leaving the room after
instructinghismentomovehisthingstotheroomtwodoorsdown.

NowthathewasalonewithallKyler’sthingsremoved,helookedattheempty
roomwonderingwheretheoriginalfurniturehadendedup.Hesummonedsome
ofhismaleswhoappearedsofastheknewtheyhadbeenstayingclosetohim.
They made a search finding and bringing him the things needed to make the
office perfect for his needs. He now had a desk to work from, a computer to
workon,andchairsforbothhimandanyonewhocameintotalktohim.Hehad
all the supplies he needed including a phone that worked both in house and
throughsatellitecapabilitiesaroundtheworld.Theonlythinglefttodowasto
decidewhathewasgoingtodowithit.

Helookedattheclockrealizingheneededtogotothemeetingroomtohavehis
firstofficialsitdownwithhisadvocateandKyler.Thiswouldtellhimwhatthe
outside world expected of them as well as what he might get from them. He
made his way down the hall silently greeting those of his males that he saw
while receiving their greetings mentally. It felt good to have contact with as
manyofhismalesashecould.Ithelpedeasethepainsofleadershiptoseewho
hewasfightingfor,hisfamilysincetheywerebrothersall.Thetiesthatbound
them together were deeper then just blood going beyond shared experiences
because they were forged with all that and with the trust they had built by
coveringeachother’sbacksduringonemissionaftertheother.

Overtheyears,hehadrunmissionswitheverygodpresentandafewnolonger

withthem.Ithadstartedwhenhewastwelvesincegodsmaturedearly.Ateven
so young an age there were few men that could match him in any type of
combat.Hismentalabilitieswereaboveaverageforanadult,evenatsotender
an age. He had been born to lead as were Apollo, Ares, Hades, and Poseidon.
That’s why they had been given the names they had and why they had been
given the responsibilities they had. He was the leader of all the gods while the
others each led an assigned group. He wasn’t the first born, none of them had
survivedthemistakesthathadbeenmade.Eventually,alltheproblemshadbeen
corrected and all the evidence of those problems destroyed. He didn’t like to
think about his brothers who had not made it or the suffering they had been
throughonlytofinddeathwaitingattheend.

Hetriedtoclearhismindofunpleasantthoughtssohecouldgointothemeeting
withasharpunclutteredmind.HewentintotheroomtofindWaverlyandKyler
inabitterandphysicaldisagreement.Theydidn’tnoticehimatfirstsohecaught
part of their argument. Kyler had Waverly pushed up against the wall with his
body in full contact with her while her face was red with anger as her hands
pressed against his chest trying to push him away. Had he seen any attempt to
hurt her from Kyler, he would have immediately stepped in but under the
circumstances he felt it more important to be aware of what was going on
betweenthemsincehejustknewneitherwouldtellhim.

“Youaren’tgoodenoughtolickherboots.”Waverlyscreechedathim.

“Maybenot,butI’vedonemorethanthatandIwillagain.”Kylersaidsounding
more like a promise than anything else. “She is mine whether she knows it or
not.Youcouldbeaswell,Way,ifyouwantto.”

“Youcouldn’thandleoneofusmuchlesstwoandyouknowhowIfeelabout
you. It seems Sierra feels the same way now that she’s had a little taste of the
trueyou.”

Kylermovedforwardasiftoforceakissonher.“AmIinterruptingsomething?”
ZeusaskedreadytogetinvolvedifKylerdidn’tbackoff.

Kyler stepped back instantly but seemed at a loss for words as he struggled to
regaincontrol.“KylerwasjustmakingapassatmeintypicalNeanderthalstyle
which I, of course, declined.” Waverly said with disdain. “Why don’t we get
downtobusiness,gentlemen.Iusethattermlooselyinyourcase,Kyler.”

Zeussawthestrainbetweenthetwoofthemwishingheknewmoreaboutwhat

wasgoingonespeciallysinceitinvolvedSierrasomehow.Theyeachmovedtoa
chairsittingdownwheretheycouldfaceeachother.

“Wayhasbroughtupthefirstrequestthatyouhave.I’mafraidIhavetodenyit
becauseSierraandherteamaremilitaryresourceswhichhavetobeusedinthe
bestinterestofmygovernment.”

ZeuslookedatKylerseeingthejealousyandresentmentthathetriedtohide.It
toldhimwhatKylerandWayhadbeenfightingabout.NowhewouldletWay
handlehowtogoaboutgettingSierrabackwithoutKyler’sapproval.Hehadno
doubt Kyler would do all he could to keep Zeus from her, that was simply not
acceptable. He would push as much as he could finding out just how much
power he had and how much Kyler had without delay. The struggle for
dominancebetweenKylerandhimwouldbeginnowandZeushadthefeelinghe
wouldwingiventime.ZeushadfivehundredplusmennowthatHadesandwhat
wasleftofhisteamhadbeenreturnedandwouldhavemoreonceHerculesand
histeamcameback.HedoubtedKylerhadthatkindofsupportbuthewouldtest
himateveryturn.ZeusturnedtolookatWaylettingheranswerforhimwhich
wasnotaneasythingforadominantmalesuchashewas.

“Thatisunacceptableandifyoucan’tgrantthat,thereisnothingtotalkabout.”
Waysaidfirmly.

ThepurerageonKyler’sfacewassomethingtoseeasheturneditallonWay.
Zeus rarely saw strong emotions since he and his males had rigid control
instilledatanearlyage.Therewasnoroomforalossofcontrolwhenyouwere
a soldier but it seemed worse in a negotiator. Kyler had personal interests at
stakewhichmadehimapoorchoiceforarepresentative,worsewhenyouadded
hisfeelingsofinferioritytothegods.

“Youcan’tdothat,Way.”

“Watchus.”ShesaidasshestartedtostanduntilKylerspoke.

“Iwillconsideritandseewhatmybosssays.”

Zeus was pretty sure Kyler’s boss wouldn’t give a damn since he had no
personalinvolvementwithSierraorherteam.Kyler’srageandhiswillingnessto
give in even though he clearly didn’t want to, brought to mind that Sierra had
said her people wanted something from his. It was clear that this wasn’t just
aboutsavinghismales,butmoreaboutsavingthemforreasonsthatweren’tall
political. They started discussing things again. Kyler’s people wanted a small

militarypresenceamongthegodsmakinghimwonderwhyandwhatwouldthey
give in return for it. He had never had the commercial bent that Apollo had
whichmadehimsurethatApollowouldeventuallybetheoneinchargeofthese
negotiationsinthefuture.Thetalktodaywasjusttolayafoundationthatwould
telleachsidewhattheotherwantedandhelpsetexpectations.

Kyler had been a poor negotiator and the longer they spoke the more certain
ZeuswasthatKyler’speoplewerehopinghispeoplewoulddocertainjobsfor
themincludingtrainingspecialops.KylerhatedtheideaofZeustrainingteams
which had previously fallen under his prevue and he didn’t attempt to hide it.
ZeuswantedtogetthemaninthetrainingroomwherehecouldteachKylera
little about what a true predator could do. The thought made him smile inside
becauseherefusedtoshowemotionthatKylermighttakeadvantageof.Waydid
wellhidingherfeelingstoonowthatshewasinprofessionalmode.Thefemale
mightbeaprofessionaladvocate,butsheremindedZeusagreatdealofSierra.
He instinctively knew this female could rip someone’s throat out and she had
restrained herself with Kyler because she didn’t want him to know her true
abilities.Oncethegroundruleswerelaid,KylerleftwhichallowedhimandWay
tospeak.

“You can call me Way if you would like.” She said with a friendly smile. “I
know Kyler is an ass but Sierra thought they were only using each other for
physicalrelease.That’ssomethingI’msureyouwouldunderstand.”

Itwassomethingheunderstoodbutherattempttoreassurehimmadehimworry
thathehadn’thidhisemotionsaswellashe’dthought.“IdounderstandandI
know that you’re aware of my interest in your friend, but why do you think I
would care about a relationship she had before I even knew her that she has
ended?”

“Don’tkidakidder,Zeus.I’mtrainedtopickupontheslightestsignfrombody
language to expression that tells me disinterest or excessive interest. I already
knew your interest so it made it easier to see the level of that interest. Don’t
worry,Kylerhasnocluenorwillheever,basedonthewayhereadsyou.He,on
the other hand, is nearly transparent when it comes to his feelings. I think he
intendedtomarryherandcouldn’timagineshedidn’tfeelthesamewaybecause
he usually gets whatever he wants. The problem for him is he doesn’t usually
deal with alpha types so this has been a hard lesson for him. I spoke to Sierra
early this morning and her team is between assignments so they are available.

Eveniftheygooutonassignment,theyareusuallygoneaweekorless.”

“Iunderstand,howsooncanwegetthemback?”

“Tellmewhichonesyouwantbackthemostincaseitcomesdowntopickand
choose. Sierra’s team are all specialists so they may not want them all tied up
indefinitely.”

“SierraandBrandieareessential,theotherwomenwouldbegood,themencan
stay or go. My men respond better to females since those are mostly what we
workedcloselywith.”

“Youoryourmenweren’tconcernedaboutanyofthepersonnelthatwashere,
wereyou?TheywereallremovedwhenSierraleft.”

“Noneofuscouldcarelessaboutthemortheirfate.Ifanythingweallhopethey
are punished for their part in our treatment especially that of Hades and his
team.”

“Whathappenedtothatteam?Ihaven’tbeenbroughtuptodatesincejustbefore
theraid.”

“They refused to destroy an orphanage filled with children so they were caged
downbelowwheretheywerestarvedandtortured,sometodeath.”

“I’msosorrythathappened.”

“HadSierranotinsistedonexploringthesublevels,theywouldhavedied.The
personnelthatwasdownbelowleftthemwiththemainaccessblockedsoittook
anhourwithmanymenworkingonittosecureentry.I’vesincelearnedthereis
ahiddenaccesstothesublevelsfromoutside.Wehavesecuredit,butthatwas
thewaytheywerecomingandgoing.”

“That just shows your need for security,likecameras,onsite.Wewillneedto
getalistofyournecessitiesinordertobesureyouwon’trunoutofanything.
They will only help you for a limited time before they expect something in
return for it. If you want to have the freedom to say no, you’d better have
resourcesofyourownsetupbythen.”

He could see that running the equivalent of a small city was going to be
exacting.Iftheywantedtobeindependent,whichiswhattheyneededtobeif
they wanted to have control of their own lives, they needed money. That was
what it boiled down to, money made the world go around. Ares sent him a

mentalmessagethattherewasanincomingchopper,itmightbeHercules.Ifit
was, he intended to have a meeting with his top leaders. All top leaders could
communicatewitheachothermentallywhichwouldmeanHerculeswouldhave
aspotonthecouncilZeuswascontemplatingestablishing.Hedidn’twanttodo
this alone and he wanted his males well represented with the strongest leaders
amongthem.Whilehiswordwasandhadalwaysbeenlaw,heknewhewasn’t
perfectandhewantedtheadviceoftheotherstohelphimdealwiththehumans.
Whoknewtheywouldbesodifficulttounderstandandhavesomanyemotional
issues?

He went quickly to the landing pad where the chopper was setting down.
WithoutevenlookingheknewthatWayhadtrailedbehindhim.Apollomethim
but stood there staring at Way as if she were an all you could eat buffet of his
favoritedishes.Anothergodfallstothemerciesofanattractivefemalehuman!
Hewasn’treallysurprisedbecauseWaywasmuchlikeSierrawhichwouldmake
her appealing to a god but at the same time very resistant to him. Hercules
jumpedoffthecopterlookingjustlikethegodhewasnamedafter.Hismuscles
flexedashemovedemphasizinghislargesizesincehewasbothbroadandtall.
Helookedintentlyatthesmallhumanwomanelicitingadeeppossessivegrowl
fromApolloeventhoughhehadjustseenhermomentsbeforehimself.

Zeus watched as the god with the strawberry blond hair and sky blue eyes
prowled closer to his human as she backed up slowly. Apollo was staking a
claim,butZeuscouldn’tallowhimtodoityet.Hetouchedhisshoulderlightly
togethisattention.ItwasdifficultforApollotolookawayfromhisunclaimed
matebuthewrenchedhiseyesfromhertoseewhathisleaderwanted.

“You must wait, Apollo, so I can tell you what you need to know. All of our
leadersmustgotothemeetingroomwherewehavemuchtodiscuss.”Hercules
nodded while Apollo just growled in agreement under protest. They had been
raisedtogetherthoughnotallofthemwerethesameage.Originhadmadebatch
afterbatchofthemnotstoppinguntiltheyhadthenumbertheyneeded.Thefirst
fewbatcheshadbeendestroyedduetodefectsbutnotuntiltheyweresurethat
newbatcheswouldbesuccessful.Herculeswasfromalaterbatchmakinghima
yearorsoyoungerthanmostoftheleaders.

Zeus sat at the head of the table as they waited for Hermes and Dionysus,
generally called Dione. Ares, Apollo, Hades, Hercules, and Poseidon each sat
lostintheirownthought,nodoubtaboutfemales.Dioneenteredwithhistypical

smilesincehewasalwaysthehappygodwillingtoplayandenjoythecompany
of anyone who had time to spare. Hermes followed him with his com attached
speakingashewalked.Zeusoftenwonderediftheirnameswerechosentosuit
theirtemperamentsoriftheirabilitiesdevelopedbecausetheywereencouraged
duetotheirnames?

Hetookthetimetoexaminehisbrotherswhiletheywerepayingnoattentionto
him.TherewasAreswhohadravenhairandgoldeneyes,hewasbuiltsimilarto
Zeushimselfjustahairshorterinstature.Hewasintelligentastheyallwerebut
his gift was an uncanny ability to read people. He sensed emotions and could
sometimecatchthoughts,athinghemightbebetteratifheactuallytriedtodo
it.Apollowasthecolorfulonewithhisvividredblondhairandskyblueeyes.
He was nearly Zeus’ height but built long and lean like the runner he was. He
hadspeedandendurancewhichwasanunbeatablecombination.Hewasagifted
firestarterwhichcameinhandyonacoldnightinthedesertorthemountains
whentheywereonamission.

Poseidon was next with his black curly hair, deep black eyes, and ebony skin.
Hishadthebuildofaswimmerwhichwasnosurpriseandhisgiftwasanability
tobreatheunderwater.Hehadanextrasetofgilllikelungsbelowhisarmsthat
were hidden when he was dressed but had to be bared to allow him to breathe
whenheenteredthewater.Hisskillwasespeciallyusefulwhenaboatwasthe
target of an operation. Hades was an unexpected mix of jet black hair, golden
brown skin, and olive green eyes. He had the bulkiest muscles of the group
besides Hercules being built like a weight lifter. No surprise that Hercules was
builtinasimilarfashionbuthehadgoldenbrownhair,skintomatch,andeyes
thatmatchedthebluestsea.Hewasgiftedwiththegreateststrengthofanyofthe
gods,notjustsuperhuman,butsupergodstrength.

HermeswasevenleanerthanApollobeingbuiltlikealongdistancerunner.His
dark brown hair and deep purple eyes made him stand out even in a group of
gods.Hermeshadthegiftofsendingmessagesbeyondwhatanyofthemcould.
The core leadership of the gods could communicate mentally with each other
andtherestofthegods,butnotovergreatdistanceslikeHermescould.Dione
was the funny one whose chocolate brown eyes always danced with mischief.
Hislongcurlymediumbrownhairwaswornloosesoitswunglikeacurtain.He
was the charmer captivating women and making friends with males with a gift
forputtinganyoneateaseunderanycircumstances.Hewastallastheyallwere
withthesamebroadshouldersandwellmuscledbody.HewasmorelikeZeus

and Ares being well muscled but not bulky like Hades and Hercules. Zeus
thoughtabouthisowngiftwhichwassendingoutelectricityandthatwasn’tjust
lighteningbolts.Hecouldsendoutsmallburstsorlargeamountsatwill.

“Brothers,wehaveadifficulttaskaheadofusnowthatwearefinallyfree.We
mustsupportourselvestakingourlivesinourownhandstomakeofthemwhat
wewill.”

“Alwaysthedramaticone,Zeus.Can’tyoufindawaytomakethisalittlemore
funforus?

“I’m glad you ask, Dione, because I have a task that no other but you can
possibly manage.” Zeus knew it was wrong, but as he paused for effect, he
enjoyedtheworrythatcrossedDione’sface.Well,hehadaskedforitafterall.
“Wewillbehavingapartyforallthegodsandanequalnumberoffemalesinsix
monthsgiveortakeandyouareinchargeoftheevent.Planforextraattendees
sinceyouneverknow.”

It had the opposite of the expected result as Dione laughed and cheered. “This
willbesomuchfun,Ipromiseyou.Females,dancing,anddrink,whatcouldbe
betterforagod?”

“Apollo, we must negotiate with the humans to get the most for the least. You
willhelpmewiththattakingoveronceweknowwhattheyreallywantfromus.
Ares,Ithinkwemaytrytostartaprivatesecuritycompany.Weneedmoneyand
thatis our mainsaleable skill sowe will do whatwe can there.You will be in
charge of picking those who will be working for it and getting jobs that pay.
Hades, you will be in charge of Cronos and everything that happens in the
bottom level. That includes security but only around our father. Hercules, you
willbeinchargeofsecurityontheotherlevelsincludingkeepinganeyeonthe
humansheresoweknowwhattheyareupto.Youwillassignthemtheiroffices
if they need one and their rooms to stay in. Hermes, you will handle all
communicationswhichiscoms,internet,andanyTVorradioinuse.Poseidon,
youwillbeinchargeofourfacilitiesassuringwehavewhatweneedasfaras
suppliesgoandsupervisingtheconstructionweneedsowewillhaveroomfor
matesandchildrenaswellasguestswantedorotherwise.Anyquestions?”

TheyallspokeatoncesoZeuschosethemtospeakoneatatime.Henowhad
the help he needed, but their questions revealed how complicated each task
wouldprovetobe.“Makesmalldecisionsonyourown,leavebigonesforwhen
weallmeetasneededtoworktogethertosolveourdifficulties.Thiswillwork

since we are all family.” Zeus said hoping it was so since the situation was
overwhelmingevenforagod.

Theywentoveralltherelevantconcernsaswellasassigningthosewhowould
help each with their endeavors. The more ground they covered, the more Zeus
felt that things would soon be in hand. The weight on his shoulders seemed to
lift as he looked at each of his brothers knowing they were all capable of the
taskshehadassignedthem.Hisjobwouldnowbetoanticipateproblemsandto
makefinaldecisionsonanyproblemstheyfaced.Helookedattheclockonthe
wall thinking it couldn’t possibly be that late but his stomach growled letting
himknowhehadmissedbothlunchandsupper.Hedismissedthemeetingsohe
and his brothers could get some food, but as they ate their discussion revolved
aroundthemattersathand.HereferredDionetoWaytogethimstartedonthe
partyearninghimagrowlfromApollo.“Easymyfriend,Ijustwanthimtofind
outwhatkindofpartyshewishesustothrow,nottohitonher.”

“Maybe,butweallknowhowheisandthatfemalesseemdrawntohim.”

“She is our advocate so she must remain accessible to all of us. She will not
succumbeasilysodon’tworrysomuch.”

“Whatdoyoumean,Zeus?”

“These women are not like those Origin brought in. They are independent and
strong wishing to stay free without mating. I don’t understand them but I have
oneIwishtomatetoobutsheleftme.NowImustattempttogetherandAres’
mate back. It is confusing to have a female run away and I don’t like the
feeling.”

“IwillnothavethatproblemsinceIwilltakehertomybedandconvinceherto
never leave.” Apollo said with confidence. The others laughed enjoying his
boasting but those who had been around these new human women weren’t so
surehe’dsucceed.

“Letmeknowhowthatworksforyou.”Zeussaidfeelingsorryforhisbrother
already.He’denteredthetwilightzone,hejustdidn’tknowityet.Thetimehe’d
spent with Sierra had shown him that everything he thought he knew about
womenwaswrong.Thewomenthey’dhadcontactwithbeforeweren’tthetype
of women you wanted to mate, they were either women hired for a job that
wanted access to unlimited sex or women hired for sex that wanted easy and
generouspaychecks.

Itwastimenowtofinisheatingsohecouldgotobedwherehewoulddreamof
his sweet mate. He took a quick shower, no time for self indulgence now. He
needed some sleep with an early morning ahead of him. He and Way had a
meeting scheduled at six followed by a meeting with Kyler at six thirty. He
foresawadaysoonwhenhistimebecameavaluablecommodity.Hethoughthe
woulddreamofhismatebecauseshewasnotwithhimbuthewaswrong.

Hewasabouttogetonacoptertotakeatripthatwouldchangehislife.Notjust
hislifebutthelivesofAres,Apollo,Hades,andPoseidonsincetheywereinthis
together.Theywereraisedlikebrotherslearningtocountoneachotherknowing
eachothersskillsaswellastheyknewtheirown.Hecouldtellbylookingatthe
othersseeingtheiragesandwhattheyworethatthiswastheirfirstmission,the
one that would decide their future. If they did well they would go on more
missionsbuttheywouldhavemorefreedomathome,maybeevenbeallowedto
maketripstotheoutsideworld.Theirliveswouldimprove,possiblyevenbethe
kind of lives worth living. It would make the lives of their younger brothers
betterbecausetheywouldshareastheyalwayshad.

At twelve a human wouldn’t even be considered for such an undertaking but a
god,theywerealmostgrownandalreadyaslargeasallbutthemassivehuman
men. They had trained for this since they were able to walk so he knew they
would succeed. It was still only normal to be nervous and that feeling would
keep them alert. There was a retired special forces major with them since this
wastheirfirsttime.Themanwasstillyounghavingsignedonateighteenand
havingjustretiredatthirtyeight.Foranoldermanhewasinexcellentphysical
condition looking maybe thirty tops. Zeus figured the major was a real lady
killerandheintendedtogetsomeadvicefromhimafterthemissionwasdone.

They had accepted a nearby mission in Bolivia where some private companies
were tired of being in the middle of drug wars and hoped to prevent the
continuedgrowththedrugtradeseemedtobeexperiencing.Theyweresimplyto
attackalargestoragefacilitywhiletakingoutanyoftheirsoldiers.Easy,right?
It was just before the point where reinforcements arrived, not theirs, but the
enemies. Ares and Zeus planted the charges that would take the building out
whiletheotherssplituptakingoutanyofthementheycameacross.Layingthe
chargeswhichhadtimersonthem,hadgonewell,butleavingwasanotherthing
entirely.Theyhadregroupedafterthechargesweresetthinkingtheenemyhad
beenclearedfromtheareawheretheywerebesetbyanoverwhelmingforce.

MajorDunlevywaswatchingthemratherthantheenemywhichturnedouttobe
a fatal mistake. He was caught right between the eyes by a sniper with a high
poweredrifle.AportionofhisbrainssplatteredoverZeus’face.Intheconfusion
of their retreat, Zeus forgot to assign someone to see to the body that should
havebeentakenbackwiththem.Itwasamistakehenevermadeagain,butto
thisdayhefeltshamewheneverhethoughtofthatmission.Theenemyidentified
themajorinnotimesendingpartsofhimtohisfamilythroughthemail.Origin
hadconsideredthemissionacompletesuccesssayingthemajorwaspaidwell
andthatdeathwasapossibleoutcomehewasawareof.Zeushadalwayshoped
somedaytodosomethingforhisfamily,butOriginkeptclosetrackofthemwhen
theywereawayfromthefacilitysohehadneverbeenableto.

Escape wasn’t an option because one god had tried it. He was killed and his
gruesome tortured body placed on display until the trainers that worked with
themcouldnolongerstandthesmell.Theyweretoldandtheybelievedit,that
hadtheynotfoundhim,theywouldhavechosenoneoftheotherstokillinhis
place.Eventually,hewouldhavebeenfoundandthenhewoulddieaswell.The
worldwasacruelplaceforthosewhoweredifferentwithouttheprotectionofa
group or money. The lesson had stuck and all these years no one had been
willing to risk the lives of their brothers. They had considered an uprising, but
again they learned the place was wired to explode from an outside trigger. It
seemedtheyhadbeenluckythatthecurrentmanagerdidn’twanttodie.When
she found out about the explosives, she had them disconnected. If they’d only
known, they would have taken over months ago, even with the risk that they
wouldn’thavebeenabletosurvivewithfewresourcesandnomoney.

Hewokeupfromhisdreamsoakedinsweatandfilledwitharegretthatnothing,
noteventime,everdimmed.Helookedattheclockseeingitwasthemiddleof
thenightbuthefelthungrysohewenttogetasnack.Heintendedtoremodel
andmoveintothemanager’squarterssoonbecauseithadroomforamateandit
hadakitchenette.Therestofthecouncilandthematedgodswouldneedlarger
quarters when they could manage it. They would fix this place one room at a
time.

He fixed himself a sandwich and a glass of milk then as an afterthought he
grabbedacouplecupcakesbecauseheandallhismaleshadgodsizedappetites.
Hethoughtabouthismatewonderingifthechangesshewasgoingthroughwere
painful,buthecouldn’tregretthemsincetheymadehermorecompatiblewith
him. The scientists had studied the mating behavior and process of gods after

one of them accidently bonded with one of the female personnel. One of the
femalescientistshadfounditfascinatingstudyingitindepthsothegodscould
betoldwhattoavoid.Thefemaleworkerthathadbeenbondedwasneverseen
or heard from again. The god that bonded her went crazy for a time, was kept
druggedforpartofthattime,buteventuallyrecovered.Thescientisthadstressed
thatrecoverymightnotbepossibleforallgodsunderthosecircumstances.

Ruleshadbeendevelopedtopreventfurtherinstancesofmatingbondssuchas
nobiting,nocloseinteractionaftersex,andifsignsofclosenessbetweenagod
and a sex partner developed, all intimacies were halted. It worked since no
further matings had occurred after the rules were enforced until now. The odd
thing was now the bonds were starting without sexual intercourse making him
think it might be a matter of recognition of a perfect mate rather than a
developed attachment caused by mutual liking. He knew Sierra liked him no
matter how much she tried to hide it, but the bond he felt to her was
instantaneous and every moment near her and now every moment away from
her,addedtohisattachment.

Hehadevenbegunchangingherwhichwasoneofthethingsthescientisthad
discoveredthathadexcitedherandbroughtsupporttoherresearch.Ifgivenin
smallamounts,thevenomtheycarriedthatwasdistributedthroughabitetothe
recipient,wouldstartchangingtheirbiologytomakeitcompatibletothatofthe
gods.Insimplewords,itchangedthebiologyofahumanintothatofagoddess.
Full of enthusiasm over that discovery, the scientist had injected herself with
some venom she had milked from a god. It was the last thing she ever did
because it seemed that the venom was extremely poisonous to the majority of
humansandonlyworkedonasmallpercentage.Thosewerethefemalesthatfor
whateverreasonnatureselectedasacceptablematesforthegods.

Zeusobservedthatsofarthosefemalesthathisgodshadselectedwereextreme
alpha females that had desirable traits such as intelligence, strength, and
leadership.Hehadnotmetthefemaleaccidentallymatedbyoneofhis,buthe
would be willing to bet she had been a superior female. The scientist who had
injected herself while intellectually superior didn’t have any other alpha traits.
Shehadbeenweakbothphysicallyandmentallywhenitcametothosetraitsa
leaderhad.Noneofhismaleshadbeenattractedtoheralthoughsomehadbeen
forcedtopleasureher.Thathadjustbeenpartofthelifetheyhadlived,thelife
theywouldlivenomore.Nowtheywouldchosewomenfortheirownreasons,
hopefullythosetheychosewouldchoosetheminreturn.

Hethoughtofthefemalehehadchosen,theonehewishedwithallhisbeingto
mate.Hehopedherchangewaseasyforhergivinghernopainorconfusion.He
might not have started the change had he known she would leave him. Even
though she had said she would he had thought against all logic that she would
change her mind or he would be able to find a way to keep her with him. She
hadn’tchangedhermindeventhoughhehadseensignsshewasgrowingtocare
forhimandhehadnotfoundawaytokeepher,yet.

Chapter3

GoingBack

She woke up bathed in sweat, aching all over, and feeling ready to hurl,
hopefullyjustabadflubug.Ithadstartedwithslightsymptomsthathadseemed
more hormonal than anything but now they were physical and debilitating. If
they were called out on a mission she would be so screwed since she could
barely walk much less run or fight. Maybe she had just a little PMS but then
caughtsomeseriousillnessinthecavethatthecreaturewasburiedin.Itwould
explainthecompletechangeofsymptomsandtheseverityoftheillnesswhich
was hard for her to deal with since she was never sick. Oh, she had broken
bones, been shot, stabbed, beaten, and bruised, but the flu, coughs, colds, and
thosetypesofthingsneverbotheredher.

Herparentstoldheritwassuperiorgenes,butthatherattemptsatdyingwithher
crazyalbeitheroicactionswouldcatchupwithher.Abodycouldonlytakeso
muchandshehadputhersthroughitspaces,somaybeitwasrebellingnow.It
had been two days since she had left the facility where the gods were and she
foundshethoughtofZeusconstantly,yearnedforhimincessantly.Shehadnever
hadfeelingslikethesebeforenotevenasateenagerwiththefirstlovewhichshe
hadbeentoldisalwaysemotional.Sheadmittedshewasobsessedwiththebig,
handsomegodtothepointofalmostgoinginsanewithneedforhim.Howshe
would recover from it, she had no idea. It seemed to grow with time as much
away from him as it had grown when she had been with him. Could it be
absencedidmaketheheartgrowfonderandwhatshouldshedoaboutit?

She checked her email only to find dozens of messages from Kyler to go with
thedozensofmessageshehadleftonherphone.Theywerefromhispersonal
accountssoshefeltjustifiedinignoringthemsinceasfarasshewasconcerned
they no longer had a personal relationship. She was within her rights going by
theagreementtheyhadmadetowalkawayifeitherofthemwantedtoandshe

had had enough. She didn’t believe in long drawn out goodbyes, the blame
game,orthejustonemoretimethatothersindulgedin.

She dragged her tired ass to the kitchen where she made some chicken noodle
soup because wasn’t it suppose to cure all ills? It tasted good and her stomach
tolerateditsoitwasboundtohelp.Shethrewthedishinthesinkandhurriedto
gettobedbeforeheraching,tiredbodyrefusedtofunctionanymore.Shehad
eaten, which usually helped her get to sleep but not this time since she tossed
and turned thinking of her god constantly. She finally fell asleep hoping
tomorrowwouldbebetterthantodayhadbeen.

She woke stretching enjoying the feel of her body for the first time in over a
week.Itwasn’tbacktoitsusualconditionbuttheimprovementwasnoticeable.
Hercramps,whichwerethemostseveresymptom,hadlefthereventhoughshe
stillfelthotandachy.Maybethiswouldimproveinbabystepsbutaslongasit
improved, she wouldn’t complain. Her thoughts were still dominated by the
gorgeousgod,butherbodywasherbiggestproblemrightnow.Shegotuptoeat
feelingmorecomfortablewiththethoughtofrealfood,actuallyfeelingtheneed
forlargeamountsofrealfood.Thefridgedidn’tholdenoughfoodtomatchher
hungersoshejustletherfingersdothewalkingorderingenoughfoodtosatisfy
agod.Damn,couldn’tshestopthinkingaboutthoseguys?

While she waited for her food to be delivered, she checked her emails. Damn!
Therewasonefromtheboss.Shewasluckyhehadjustsentitthismorningbut
sheshouldhaverepliedbynow.Shereaditsurprisedandalittlepissedoff.They
weresendingherbacktoZeus,um,backtothefacilitythatis.Shewonderedif
Kylerhadfuckedthingsuporifsomethingmajorhadgonedownthatrequired
herparticularskills.Thebellrangsoshewenttothedoor,hungerslamminginto
her as she caught the smell of food. It must not be covered to smell so strong
fromtheothersideofthedoorormaybeshewasjustsohungrysheimaginedit.

SheopenedthedoorpayingtheteenagerthenbringingherlargebagofChinese
foodinsidewhereshetoreintoit.Ifithadn’tbeensohot,shewouldhavejust
fallen all over it, but as it was she had to eat slowly so she wouldn’t burn her
mouth.Thefoodwasgoodandsomehowshemanagedtoeatitalleventhoughit
wasthemostfoodshehadevereateninonesitting.Sheputthatdowntothefact
she had eaten little in two days due to severe stomach cramps. She felt hotter
than usual, but since she was feeling even better now that she’d eaten, she
decided not to worry about it. Energy pulsed through her making her feel like
runningafewmilesorclimbingalargemountain,itwascrazybutshesuddenly
feltthatgood.

Shewentbacktolookattheemailwhichsaidshe’dbeleavinginthemorning
with her whole team and that they’d already been notified. She sent back an
affirmative answer, thought about asking for details, but decided against it for
now.Shepackedherrucksackwithheressentials,afewchangesofclothesfor
different situations, and a small bag of personal care items. In the morning
before leaving, she would strap on her weapons and wear her winter gear
including some appropriate boots. She wondered how long she would be there
causinghertopackanothersackthatoneofhersisterscouldsendtoherifshe

neededitdowntheline.

Shespentacoupleofhourscleaninghouse,tookanap,thenwhenshegotup,
she evaluated her other needs. She packed her computer after checking emails
onemoretimesettingitbythedoorwithherothergear.Shewentforarunthat
waslongerthanhercustomaryonewithoutevenfeelingwinded.Shenoticedan
improvement in her hearing, vision, and sense of smell but was she just
imaginingitorwasthisadream?Whenshegothomeshetookashowernoting
theintensityofthewateronherskinagainwonderingifallthesechangeswere
realorimagined.Shehadaglassofmilkandtwicetheamountofcookiesshe
usually had which also wasn’t usual for her in her well moderated life. Things
werealwayshabitforherwithnothingchanginguntilnow.

She went to bed early to get some extra sleep because she really wasn’t quite
herselfhopingshewouldbebacktonormalbymorning.Shewokeupreadyto
go, but if anything, the changes she had noted had only increased. Last night
Zeushadbeenapornstarinherdreamsandadamngoodone.Shehadneverfelt
suchpleasureinherlifebutshesuspectedifshesuccumbedtohisdesires,that
wasexactlythekindofpleasureshewouldfeel.Itwaslikelifeandeveryonein
itwasconspiringtopushherintohisarmsandhisbed,whichwasexactlywhere
shewastemptedtobe.

Sheheardtheknockonherdoor,madeonemorequickchecktobesureshehad
everything she needed, and she opened the door with bags in hand. The young
officer insisted on carrying half her bags, even though she could more then
handleit,butshecouldtellhewasawellmanneredgentleman.Therewasatime
she would have flirted, maybe even agreed to a date but he might as well be
choppedliverforallthatheappealedtohersexually.Nooneseemedexcitingor
appealingnowthatshehadmetZeusandshehadtoadmitshewasfallingforthe
topgod.Thelieutenantshotheradmiringlooksastheyheadedforthehelicopter
that would take her to the facility with a stop for fuel along the way. The Lt.
woulddropherthenheadbacktowhereverhecamefromonceshewasonthe
copter.

The pilot was one she had seen many times and one member of her team was
alreadyonboard.Theywouldpickuptherestonthewaybeforeheadingoutfor
themaintrip.Itwouldbealongtripwithnotalkingsincethenoiselevelwould
prevent them from understanding each other. Her sensitive ears seemed to be
bothered by the noise more than ever so she put on headphones listening to

musicinsteadasshenoddedtoeachcrewmemberastheystoppedtoloadthem
onboard. She listened to soothing music as she tried to work out exactly what
theyhadsentherbackfor.Thelookonthefacesofsomeofherteamindicated
theymightbewonderingwhytheyweresentbacktoo.

The flight was long and uneventful in between listening to music and sleeping
but Zeus arrived to greet them right away. When their eyes met she felt
electricityshootthroughhermakingherwholebodyawareofhim.Damn, that
never happened before. He stepped forward looking like he meant to say
something but then his lips pressed tight without him saying a word. He
motioned to them so they followed him inside where they could speak without
theloudnoiseofthecopter.

Kyler hurried in to see them too with his assistant following behind like a lap
dog.Sierrawishedshecouldlikeherbutshehadnevermanagedto.Brendafelt
thesamewaysoitwasamutualdisliketheyshared,itbeingtheonlythingthey
shared.Kylerstaredatherlikehewantedtoeatherwholebutthosedayswere
over. She could tell even if his look tried to absorb her essence that he wished
she wasn’t there because of Zeus, no doubt. This was going to be an awkward
anduncomfortablemeeting whichshewould havepreferredto avoid.Thebest
thingwastogetonwithitsoitwouldbeoverthentheycouldallgettothework
thatwassetbeforethem.HertasksforthedaywouldincludetalkingtoDocand
checkingonWayjusttobesureeverythingwasgoingalright.

TheyallsatdowninthemeetingroomwithBrendadirectlyacrossfromher,talk
about bad luck. Brenda was taller than average for a woman at about five foot
ten. She was lean and athletic with a penchant for fighting and a rough way
around others, especially other woman. Her hair was a deep chestnut, her eyes
brown,andhermilkwhitecomplexionwiththeslightestoffrecklesonlyacross
thetopofhernosewouldprobablyseemcutetomostmenoratleastshewould
be until she opened her mouth. She had the personality of a snake with no
redeeming qualities that Sierra knew of. While examining her she had noticed
herattentionseemedtobemostlyonZeuswithitwanderingtowardKyleronce
in a while and her expression was like a kid in a candy store. That better not
continueoracanofwhoopasswouldbeopenedonheranditwouldhurt.She
couldmoonoverKylerallshewantedtobutZeuswassimplynotforher.

ZeusopenedthemeetingbythankingSierraandherteamforreturningtohelp
them acclimate to their new life in what to them, was a new world. Kyler

listenedwithastonyexpressiononhisfaceandhiseyeswerecoldasiceasthey
staredatZeus.Inaroomfullofregularmen,Kylerwasusuallythehandsomest
manaroundbutinaroomofgodshewassadlylackingwhichwouldbehardfor
someonelikehimtohandle.Kylerhadoftenhadtoomuchpride,whichwasone
of his biggest failings since he put himself above those he lead, those who led
him even if he tried not to show it, and his adversaries which caused him to
sometimesunderestimatethem.Hishairwasblond,buzzedlowsoitalloweda
clearlookathisstiffunyieldingprofile.Angerradiatedfromhimlikeheatfrom
afireandhemadenoefforttohideitorreinitin.

Zeus covered some trivial matters that didn’t relate to her team dismissing
everyone else but asking her to stay at the end of the meeting. Meeting alone
withZeuswasthelastthingshewantedtodobutifshewasgoingtobeherefor
atime,itwassomethingshewouldhavetogetusedto.Oncetheroomwasclear
except the two of them, he stood moving in her direction. Her fear of being
trapped in her chair, made her rise before he reached her. He stopped once he
was close enough to touch her, but he held himself back from doing so. She
found she almost wished he would even though she would never admit it, not
eventoherself.

Shelookedinto hisgoldeneyes andfeltherself softeningtowardshim, feeling
thedesiretothrowherselfintohisstrongarms.Shefeltlikerunningherhands
throughhislong,curlyblackhairtoseeifitwasassilkyandsoftasitlooked.
Hiscoppercoloredskinbeggedtobeexplored,stroked,andlickedallover.He
was her image of masculine perfection down to that sexy low voice that made
her melt. Her core heated sending moisture to the apex of her thighs in
preparationofhiscompletepossessionandshecouldswearfromthelookonhis
faceandthewayheinhaledthathecouldsmellit.Hercheeksheatedwhileshe
wonderedifhetrulycouldknowhowshefeltorwhatherbodywanted.

“I’mgladyoucameback.”Itwasalmostlikeheheldbackthewords‘tome’.It
wasprobablyherimaginationbecauseamansogorgeoushadnoneedtocome
afteranywomanmuchlessonelikeherthatwantedtoremainfreeoratleastshe
thoughtshedid.Shewasn’tsurewhenshehadstartedtoquestionthewayshe
wantedtoliveherlifebutthat’swhatshewasstartingtodo.

“Ididn’treallyhavemuchofachoice.Iwasorderedback.”

“Youdidn’twanttocome,really?Youdon’tfeeleverynerveinyourbodycome
tolifewhenyouarenearme?Youdon’twanttoforgetabouteverythingjustso

you can throw yourself in my arms, just so I can love you? If you deny it, I’ll
knowyouasaliar,mymate.”

“I’mnot…we’renot…”

“Wedon’tbelongtogether,wedon’twanteach?”Hesteppedrightupagainsther
pullingherintohisarms,hiskissbrandedher,claimedher,andsearedhertoher
verysoul.“Nowwhatdoyouhavetosay?”

She looked at him unable to speak or even move after his kiss had stolen her
strength, her very breath from her lungs. She just looked at him like she
imagined prey would look at a very large, very hungry predator. When her
breath,herthoughts,andherabilitytomovereturned,shedidwhatanyrational
creature with a healthy dose of self preservation would when presented with a
dangerousunstoppabledestructiveforce.Sheranlikethedemonsofhellwereat
her heels. She ran all the way to medical where she had allies that would help
protecthereventhoughshewashalfafraidhewouldfollowher.

“Whoa,lady.Whatthehellisgoingon?Youcametearingintotheroomlikea
teamofterroristswereatyourheels,butnooneisfollowingyou.”

Sierra glanced back just to be sure. “I’m just wound up from a long flight and
neededsomeexercise.”

“Sure,ifyousayso.”Docsaidlookingatherskeptically.

“Ineedafavorbutithastobekeptquiet.”

“If you can’t trust family, who the hell can you trust? Anything you need, just
ask.”

“Thanks.IknowIcanalwayscountonyou.Ineedyoutotakesomebloodand
checkforanythingthatmightaccountforemotionalshiftsorflulikesymptoms.
I’vejust been outof sorts tothe point it worriesme. I needto be onehundred
percentformyteam.”

“ComesitonthestoolandIwillpokeyouwithmyneedle.”

“Vampire!”

“Youshouldn’tsaynaughtythingswhenyouneedfavors.”

“Iknowyouwon’tholditagainstme.I’mreallyworriedDoc.”

“It’sokay,Cap.I’llfigureitoutifit’sphysical.”Shepulledtwolargetubesof

blood before pulling the butterfly needle out. Sierra always marveled at how
goodDocwasatherjobbecauseshecausedlittlepainandalwaysmanagedto
drawthebloodwithonestick.

“Letmeknowassoonasyoudo.”

“Ofcourse,you’llbethesecondonetoknow.”DocpromisedasSierraleftthe
office.Shefeltbetternowthatshewasdoingsomethingtosolveherproblemor
atleasttofindoutwhatitmightbe.HernextmovewouldbetoseeWayjustto
besureshewasokayaswellastofindouthoweverythingwasgoing.Hadshe
been less stressed, she would have asked Doc where Way was but she wasn’t
goingtogobacknoworDocwouldrealizejusthowmessedupshewas.Sierra
was always calm, cool, and collected, under control regardless of the
circumstances.Shedidn’twantDoctoseethatZeushadputachinkinherarmor
thathadnowgrowntoahugegapinghole.Whatwasitaboutthatgodthatwas
drivinghernuts?Itwasn’tliketherewasn’tabunchofthem,buthewastheonly
onewhodrovehercrazy.

UnabletofindWayinanyoftheexpectedplaces,sheleftamessageonherdesk
for her before turning in to get some solid rest in her assigned room. The
manager’ssuitewasnolongeravailablesinceitwasbeingremodeledandKyler
had claimed the next best suite. She didn’t blame him but did wonder how he
was enjoying the pink and violet theme of the room which had even irritated
Brandiwhenshehadstayedinthere.Atleastthatgavehersomethingtolaugh
aboutbecausedamn,shehadneededalaughwithalltheshitcomingdownon
herlately.

It took her a while to relax enough to even think of sleeping but once she had
taken a long and relaxing shower, she was nearly there. A warm glass of milk
withahandfulofcookiesgotherevencloser.Itwasfunnyhowanytimeshehad
milkandcookies,shethoughtofherdad.Itwasn’tbecausehehadmadethem
for her. He had died when she was young in some kind of drug raid but her
family had never gotten full disclosure. He had finally gotten a hero’s burial
once his body had been recovered. Service to their country ran deep in her
familyandallhersistersservedinsomeformoranother.Heroldestsisterhad
givenahusbandinthenameoftheircountry.Awidowattheageoftwentyone
withayoungboytocarefor,noonewasmoresurprisedthenSierrawhenshe
wanted to continue in the military. Sierra had talked her into going into
somethinglessdangerousthanthefieldworkshehadbeendoing.Ittookpulling

in a good number of favors, but her sister had gotten a job that was safe and
suitedher.

Shehadproventobeamazinginhernewjobanditworked well for her since
her son went to a military academy and her schedule was flexible enough that
she was always available for him when he was on school break. Charlie, her
nephew, was a genius who needed the encouragement of his instructors so he
could reach his full potential. Her sister had been conflicted but in the end
decideditwaswhatwasbestforCharlieanditwaswhathewanted.Thewhole
familywasproudofthatlittleboy.Sierrawasalmostasleepwhensherealized
someone was pounding on her door. She drew in a deep breath, something she
wouldneverhavebotheredtodobeforeshemetthegods.Shecouldtellitwas
Wayatthedoorsowhensheopenedittoletherin,shewasn’tsurprisedtosee
shewasright.

“YouwenttoseeDoc,butnotme?”

“Shewaswhereshewassupposedtobe,wherewereyou?”

“I was in my office when you arrived but there was a scheduled meeting I
thoughtyouwouldbeat.”Waysaidpointedly.

“No one mentioned it so I went to all the places you might be but when I
couldn’t find you, I decided to take the time to rest like I told my team to. Do
youknowwhytheysentusback?WasitbecauseofZeus?”

“Yesandyes.Thegodiscrazyaboutyou.Ithinkhewouldbegoodforyoutoo.
Givehimachance,Sierrasoyoucanhaveabettermorefulfillinglife.”

“What,areyouplayingcupidnow?”

“No, I’m simply not interfering for what you think you want or for what he
knowshewants.”

“And,whatexactlydoesheknowhewants?”

“You,hewantsyouashismate,lover,partner,hewillnotrestuntilhehasyouor
he has used up every way he knows to accomplish that. I was loved by a man
thatwayonceandthereisnothinginthisworldlikeit.”

“I’m so sorry, Way. I know you went to pieces when you lost him, almost got
yourselfkilledtimeaftertime,butIamnotyou,andZeus,wellheisnotatall
likeGus.”

“It’stheloveI’mtalkingabout,Sweetie,notthemale.”

“Speaking about obsessive males, maybe it’s time for you to cast a glance at a
certainsungod.Ifyoucan’tpursueyourownhappiness,whyshouldItakeyour
advice?”

“It’s that old saying about always seeing what’s right for everyone except
yourself. Zeus would be good for you and I would swear that male loves you.
It’smorethanjustlustorobsession,hisfacesoftenswhenhespeaksofyouandI
can hear his heart in his voice as he says your name. His pain when you left
radiatedfromhiminwavesthatevendroppedsomeofhisgodbrotherstotheir
kneeswhentheywerearoundhim”

“OMG, Way, you are turning into a romantic wimp of the highest level. What
happenedtotherealWay,whatthehellhaveyoudonewithher?”

“Ihavealwayshadaromanticbentevenwhenwewerekids.Ididgrowalittle
coldafterGusdiedandIragedagainstthefatesforhisloss,butIrealizedIhad
mostof my familystill so Ineeded to get ittogether and suckit up. You were
glad when things got better, you said I didn’t make you cry all the time
anymore.”

“YouandGus,wow,youtwowerereallysomethingtogether.Youwerestronger,
betterthananycoupleIhadeverseenwiththeloveobviousforanyandallwho
looked. I’ll never have that, Way, nor do I expect or look for it. Cut me some
slack with the matchmaking tendencies, you know I’ll never take that advice
anyway.”

“Ijusthopeyoustubborn,muleheaded,girl,thatyoudon’twalkawayfromthe
bestthinginyourlifebecauseyourefusetoacknowledgeit.”

“Advice noted, and now that girl time is over, tell me what’s going on here.”
With that said, Way went on to explain all that had been happening between
ZeusandKyler,noneofitwasgood.ShealsosaidthatDochadbeenreassigned
backtotheteamwhereshewouldstayorgoastheteamdid.

“She will be pissed if she doesn’t get to stay because she has found some
interestingthingsaboutthegodsshewantstoresearch.”

“Shedidn’tsayanythingearlierwhenIspoketoher.”

“Youknowasadoctoryourhealthcomesfirst.Shewasprobablygivingyoua
chancetorestbeforeshebombardedyouwithherneeds.”

“Isitbecauseofthatgodthathangsoutwithher?Theonethatwasfoundcaged
downbelow?”

“Who, Hades? No, she runs away from him faster than you do from Zeus. He
alsodoesn’thavethereasonstogotoherlabthatZeushastoseeyou.Poorguy
may die from a heartache. It seems to affect these guys physically when they
can’tgettotheirchosenmate.”

“Don’tlaythattriponme,sister.Ithasn’tmadeyouhookupwithApollo.”

“You’rerightanditwon’tbecausehe’sbeatingadeadhorse.”

“I’llagreeyournoseisatadlong,butcomparingyoutohorseisalittlemuch.”
Sierrasaidwithalaugh.

Waypickedupahandypillowoffthecouch,throwingitather.“I’msorry.Are
wealittlesensitive?”SheknewWaywassensitivebecauseshedidn’thavethe
cutebuttonnosetherestofherfamilydid.Whenshewasyoungshehadbeen
teasedaboutbeingadoptedeventhoughshehadotherfeaturesfromherparents.
Talkmovedontootherthingswhiletheydiscussedpeopletheybothknew.They
just hung out, comfortable with each other from the long standing relationship
theyhadenjoyed.WhenWayleft,Sierrawasreadytogetthatlongawaitedrest.
Justbeforeshemadeittobed,aknocksoundedonthedoor.Sheturnedaround
toanswerthedoorsurethatWayhadforgottentotellhersomething.

“What did you forget this time?” She said as she swung the door open. Way
wasn’tstandinginherdoorway,Zeuswas.Herthirstyeyesdrankineveryinch
ofhimfromhissoft,wavyblackhairtohissandaledfeet.Sandalsweretheshoe
choiceofmostofthegodsiftheychosetowearanyshoesatall,onlywhilethey
wereinside,ofcourse.Whentheyleftthefacility,mostworeinsulatedmilitary
bootssincethatwaswhattheyhadalwayswornintheirpast.Hewasshirtless,
whichwasasurprisesinceSierrafiguredWaywouldhaveaskedthemtoadapt
to a more businesslike or military type of dress since they had visitors from
outsideregularlyandwouldhaveevenmoreoftenwithtime.

The male’s naked chest caused her breathing to increase while shivers of heat
ranthroughher.Thiswasnotagoodthing,sheshouldneverbealonewiththis
male.Heworethesameshortshehadwornthefirsttimeshehadseenhim,they
hidnomoreofhischarmsthantheyhadbefore.Itshouldbeillegalforamaleto
teaseafemalelikethat.

“May I come in for a moment?” He asked as he pushed his way in without

waitingforananswer.Hemovedtositonthecouchinthesmallsittingareathat
mostroomshadinadditiontothebedroomandthebath.Theseatingareaalso
had a small table with two stools which she would have felt more comfortable
sittingatwithhim.Hepattedthecouchnexttohimshootingherachallenging
look. She was no fool, that was a challenge she wouldn’t take. She crossed in
frontofhimsittingatthetableinstead.Heraisedhiseyebrows,clearlysurprised
athermoveandshecouldalmostseethewheelsinhisheadturnashetriedto
comeupwithadifferentstrategytogainwhateverresulthewasafter.

“Sweetheart, are you afraid of me?” He asked glancing meaningfully at the
emptyspacebesidehim.

“Ofcoursenot.Ijustwantedtogiveyouroomtostretchout.You’resuchabig
guy,afterall.”

“Yeah,babe,IamabigguybutI’mnotclumsy.Iknowhowtomovewithskill
and precision so you don’t have to worry about me.” She couldn’t miss the
sexual undertones in everything he said and it added to her awareness of him.
Damn him for being so sexy, so hard to resist, and most of all for forging
forwardrefusingtotakenoforananswer.

“I’m sure you’re very capable Zeus, but everyone has a personal space so I
choose not to invade yours or to have mine invaded.” She was proud of her
answer,lethimchewonthatforawhile.

Shebarelysawhimmove,hewassofastashestoppedinfrontofherpullingher
fromherchairintohisarms.Hisskinwasfeverhotasshefelthimagainsther.
Shewaswearingatanktopwithnobraandapairofshortswithnounderwear
since she had been about to go to bed. It seemed almost like no clothes at all
becauseshecouldfeelhim,everyhardmuscle,everyhardlinebutwhatshefelt
most of all was the massive hardness pressed between her legs. She tried to
swallowbuthermouthandthroathadgonedry.Forgettalkingorevenmoving
since she felt so weak it wasn’t possible to do anything but moan. He was
pressed so tightly against her that you couldn’t slide a piece of paper between
them.Thebiggestproblemwasshelikedit,noshelovedit,shelovedhisfirm,
hardbodywithsoftsmoothskin.Hesmelledlikemaleandsex,makingherwant
nothingmorethantoexperiencehimfirsthand.

Oh,my,whenhadhisshortsandsandalsdisappeared?Shefeltanurgetotouch
him,tostrokehismalefleshfeelingtheheatandthesilkyskinthatcoveredit.
Whenever she was around him she felt like a raging sex maniac thinking of

nothing but getting him in bed and staying there for days. She wasn’t paying
closeenoughattentionorshewouldhavestoppedhimwhenhestrippedherof
hershirt.Hisnimblefingersgrippedherbaredglobesholdingthemfirmlysohis
hot tongue and greedy mouth could devour them. The heat that generated,
threatenedtoconsumeherasherhandsbegantoexplorehisshouldersworking
down to his chest rubbing his already tightly beaded nipples until they were
impossibly hard. She was so distracted with his incredible body, hard muscles,
andsilkyskinthatshedidn’trealizetheywerebothnowcompletelynaked.

He had tortured her nipples until they were rock hard but now he eased back
taking her mouth like an invading conqueror. He slid his hands down, cupping
her ass then pulling her up his body until they were chest to chest. Her legs
automatically wrapped around his waist trapping his monstrous cock between
them. Had she taken a moment to think things through, his size would have
concernedhereventhoughshewasdrippingwetatthispoint.Shebuckedwhen
hisshaftslidalongherseammakingcontactwithherclitwhichsentsparksof
pleasure through her. Again her attention wasn’t where it should have been
becausehehaddistractedherwithpleasurecarryingherintothebedroomeven
asnowheplacedheronthebedpositioninghimselfontopofher.

Somethinginthebackofhermindbeggedhertostop,toresist,toholdfirmto
the belief she shouldn’t, couldn’t be with him like this. It was too late because
her body was filled with an aching need that tormented her, filling her with a
desireforhimandhimalone.Heslidhislegsbetweenherspositioninghimself
perfectlybeforestartingtoslowlyembedhislengthintoher.Hepausedallowing
hertoadjustandstretch,onlythendidhestarttomovehishipsagainsthersto
drivehimselfinfurther.

“Oh, God, Zeus you feel so fucking good inside me but I need more.” She
moanedashegaveherwhatsheaskforpushinginacoupleinchesmore.Heslid
hisarmsunderherkneesspreadingherwidebeforeeasinginevenmore.

“Just a little more.” He told her with a groan as sweat popped out over his
forehead from the strain of holding back. She promised herself once her body
becameusedtohim,hewouldn’thavetoholdbacklikethisanymore.Finallyhe
was fully seated in her glorious moist heat, slick with desire for him and only
him.Shefelthisballsrockagainstherassashishardshaftdrownedinthesilken
heat of her core. “Female, you feel like heaven.” He growled as he started to
rockinandoutsoslowlyshefearedshewouldcomeunglued.

Herbodytingledalloveraspressurebuiltreadyingforanexplosionthatwould
rockherworld.Hemovedfasterinreactiontoherpleas.“Oh,Zeus,Ican’twait.
Faster, baby, faster, that’s it, so good.” Volcanoes were probably like this just
before they blew emptying everything inside them. She felt her toes curl as
tensionstretchedhermusclesmakingherreachforsomethingjustoutofreach.
“Oh, dear God. Zeus!” She screamed as she was overwhelmed with a burst of
pleasuresostrongittemporarilyrobbedheroftheabilitytothinkorevenbreath.
SierrahadneverthoughtsuchintensepleasurewasevenpossiblebutZeushad
provenherwrong.

ShegaspasherabilitytobreathreturnedjustasZeusyelledouthername.She
couldfeelthehotwavesofsemenshootingintoherandinthebackofhermind
she realized they had not used a condom. In the front of her mind, his release
triggered her second one which was every bit as incredible as the first. They
clungtogethersharingthewavesofpleasure,twitching,rocking,andeventually
lying still in the comfort of each others arms. She was more exhausted than if
shehadtakenatwentymilemarchasZeusrolledthemoversettlingheroverhis
chest.Sheclosedhereyesjusttorestforamomentbutitwashoursbeforeshe
openedthemagain.

Shefeltachyalloverlikeanewrecruitduringbootcamp.Itwasafeelingshe
rarely had unless she was injured during a mission. She was either burning up
withafeverorhadanelectricblanketwrappedaroundherwhichwasimpossible
sinceshedidn’thaveanelectricblanket.Shemovedherhandencounteringsome
smoothsilkyfleshthatmadehereyesopentoseewhoseitwas.ItwasZeusand
asallthemagicalmemoriesoflastnightrushedback,shesawhiseyeslooking
back at her. She felt his hands start to stroke her in return, bringing an instant
need roaring through her. He rolled onto his side facing her and she felt his
interest jerking against her. It amazed her when she moved her hand down to
strokehimthathisbadboyhadfitfullyinsideher.Wellifitworkedoncewho
wasshetointerferewithhimdoingitagain?

Thistimewhenherolledagainhetookherwithhimsohewasontopwithher
underhim.Heleanedoverkissingherdeeplycausingthedesirealreadythereto
burn hotter. He slid down so his mouth was even with her breasts taking one
nipple in at a time in hard strong sucks that drove her wild. He kept drawing
them, sucking on them with hunger until she thought they were both raw and
tenderandherneedwaslikealivingthingbeggingtobeassuaged.Heslidhis
mouth and tongue down her ribs kissing, licking, sometimes lightly nipping at

her flesh before licking it to soothe it. He made his way to her bellybutton
circlingitwithhistonguebeforeplacingahotkissonit.Helickedatrailtherest
ofthewaydowntothejunctionofherthighs.Helickedtheseamofherpussy
elicitingalongdrawnoutmoanofpleasurefromher.Helickedhiswaybackup
burrowinghistongueinwhereherclitwas.

Shebuckeduptryingtogetmoreofthemarvelousfeelinghismouthgaveher.
Herfingersranthroughhishairwrappingthestrandsaroundthemsohecouldn’t
get away, not that he tried. He started to lick earnestly as if he had found his
favorite flavored lollipop. She moaned writhing under his eager ministrations
urginghimonwiththesoundsthatshemade.Helickedfasterandfasterasthe
need built until her juices overflowed as her orgasm rocked through her. He
lappedharderdrinkinghisfillseemingtosavoreverydrop.

Whenshefinallystoppedjerkinghestoppedalmostreluctantly.Hemovedback
uptolayakissonherlipsgivingheralittletasteofherself.Heimpaledherin
one smooth move making her whimper as he reawakened her spent desire. He
movedslowlyoutallthewaythensankintothehiltmakingthedeepneedturn
intoanevendeeperache.Theybothgroanedashepressedforwardhardbefore
drawing out almost completely before filling her to her limit again. He moved
faster each time giving her the chance to adjust to him slowly. Before long he
waspoundinginandouttoherencouragement.

The ache intensified in her belly until it was nearly unbearable before it burst
into the strongest pleasure she had ever felt. She could only compare the
sensationtofireworksgoingoffinsideofherripplingoutfromhercenteruntil
herwholebodywaslitup.Shescreamedhisnameatthatmomentnotcaringif
the whole world knew what a magnificent lover her god was. In that glorious
moment,itwasonlythetwoofthem,skintoskin,hearttoheart,withhisshaft
buried inside her so deep it felt like part of her. They lay together with him
wrapped around her both trembling from the strong physical and emotional
experience they had just shared. She couldn’t remember why she had resisted
him at all, not when he completed her and gave her everything she could
possiblyneed.Onceherbreathingandherheartrateevenedout,sheknewthey
would have to talk. Now that she had experienced sex with a god, she wasn’t
sureshewantedtostop.

“Let’s take a shower.” She suggested looking at him to see if he wanted to.
Aloneortogethersheknewsheneededtotakeonebeforeshedidanythingelse.

Zeus smiled showing off his beautiful dimples making him look younger and
charming.“I’llenjoygettingyouwetagain.”

Shewasaseasonedsoldierbutsheblushedlikeaschoolgirlatwhathesaid.She
left the bed naked leading the way to the shower. She got to the bathroom
turningtowatchhimwalkin.Hewasasincredibleasanyonecouldimaginethe
king of gods being. His face was beautiful, his body sheer perfection, and she
wantedhimagainwiththeshowerbeingtheperfectplacetotakehim.Itwasn’t
a massive shower but it was plenty big enough for two people even having an
appropriatelypositionedledgethatmightbeusefulsometime.Shesetthewater
to the right temperature pulling Zeus in she set about ravaging him with her
hands and her mouth. He gripped her hard trying to control her play but she
pushed him against the wall then held his arms out to his sides. He started to
struggleagainstherbeforehedecidedtoletherhaveherwaylikeasmartgod
should.

She kissed him to reward his good behavior then she moved down to his hard
nipples sucking them to make them harder. She worked her way down as the
waterflowedoverbothofthemmakinghermouthslideeasilydownhisribsto
hisbelly.Shecouldfeelhimshiverslightlyasherlipsmovedlower,perhapsin
anticipation? She moved her hands to his balls enjoying the feel of them. She
massagedhisballsfirmlyhearinghimhisswithpleasureevenbeforehertongue
begantotormenthiscock.Hewrithedassheslidhertonguealongtheunderside
ofhisbulgingcockandoverthetipwhereshelickedhimlikeanicecreamcone.
She licked off the slightly tangy drop of precum that tempted her, looking for
morebeforeslidinghishotthrobbinglengthintohermouth.Hebuckedagainst
herslidingdeeperintohermouthuntilhehitthebackofherthroatbuthewasso
thickshecouldn’tpreventherteethfromlightlyscrapinghisentirelengthasit
movedinandout.Hedidn’tseemtomind,withalookofecstasyonhisfacehe
moanedinpleasureeachtimehethrustintohermouth.

She squeezed one ass cheek with one hand and his balls with the other as he
thrust faster and faster finally coming in a frenzy screaming her name. She
continuedtodrinkhisessenceuntilthelastdropwasgone.Sherosetoherfeet,
leaningagainsthimfeelingthetremorsrunthroughhisbodyintheaftermathof
hisvolcanicorgasm.Shefeltdesirableandpowerfultogetsuchareactionoutof
a god among men. He held her tightly as if he would never let her move from
where she was right now. It was a pleasant thought to be held safe and warm,
comfortedfromalltheharshrealitieslifecoulddeliver,butsheknewthatwould

just be a dream. Life would intrude regardless of what they wanted, it might
eventearthemapart.

Shepushedthosekindsofthoughtsawaytoenjoyhertimewithhergod,yes,her
god. She pushed away from him getting some soap in her hands. After she
lathered up she washed him starting with his chest working her way down
cleaningeveryfabulousinchfrontthenbackincludinghishair.Hedidthesame
for her making her buzz with desire by the time he finished. He seemed to be
readytogoagainjudgingbyhisenthusiasticmalemember.Withthewaterstill
runningoverthem,Zeustookcontroloftheirneedforeachother.Heliftedher
withhishandsonherasssosheputherarmsaroundhisneckhangingontight.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and he turned to press her against the
wall.Heslidhishandbetweenthemtomovehiscockintoplaceathercenter.
He slammed it in with one hard thrust and they groaned in unison as he
bottomedout.

This wasn’t a gentle joining but a claiming by a dominant male. He took what
shewaswillingtogive,returningpleasuretoher.Hehammeredintoherpushing
her passion until it exploded in another awe inspiring climax. Her pussy
squeezedandgrabbedathiscockuntilhegrowledaloudreleaseofhisown.She
laughedwithherfacepushedupagainsthischestmufflingit.

“Whyareyoulaughing?WasitsomethingIdid?”Heaskedlookingalittleput
out.

“No,Sweetheart.Iwasjustthinkingthatifwekeepthisup,Iwouldneverhave
toexerciseagain.”

Hesmiled.“Youdon’tliketoexercise?Icanhelpyouwiththat,Babe.Thisis
muchmorefunanyway.”Shecouldn’thelpbutagree.

Zeus looked at his watch which was the only jewelry she had seen him wear.
“Damn,wehaveameetinginfiveminutes.You’dbettergetreadyquick.Ihave
torunbymyroomtodresssoI’llmeetyouatthemeetingroom.”Heputonthe
clothes he had come with and hurried out the room after giving her a heart
stoppingkiss.

Sierradressedandputherhairintoaponytail.Sheputonthesneakersshehad
packedwhichworkedoutwellforinsidethefacility.Sheheadedtothemeeting
roomseeingZeusalongtheway.Heactedasifhewasgoingtoholdherhand
then pulled back. It wasn’t smart to let people know when you were involved.

She wished they could say to hell with it but they couldn’t. They entered the
meeting as Zeus opened the door for her then followed her in. Way and Zeus’
councilweretheonlyonespresentforthispartofthemeeting.Hehadwarned
herthateverythingsaidnowwasconfidentialbutlatertheywouldbejoinedby
Kyler and his people. That part of the meeting was more public so
confidentialitywasn’taproblem.

“Nowthateveryoneishere,IwanttostartwiththeinterviewthatZeushaswith
World Matters Magazine. They will be arriving in the morning, so I hope you
studiedyourlistofquestionssoyou’rereadytogivethemanswers.”Waysaid
gettingthingsstarted.

“I’ve got everything under control so don’t worry about me. I’ll give them an
interview they’ll never forget.” Zeus said with the confidence all the gods
displayed. Sierra bet the reporter wouldn’t know what hit her or him. She also
bet Kyler knew nothing about the interview and would have a calf when he
foundout.

“Okay,then.ThenextthingisthelotteryfortheHalloweenBallwhichyouneed
tomentioninyourinterview.Thenextdaythewebsitewillgouptosellspots
for female attendees which at ten thousand dollars a spot times five hundred
spotsshouldgiveusagoodstartonthefundsweneedforsomeoftheplansyou
wanttocarryout.”

Sierrasattherestunnedbywhatshewashearing,butitseemedtheyhadfigured
outhowtolookoutfortheirownbestinterestswithalittlehelpfromWay.She
was the best at what she did always looking out for the best interests of her
clients but she had gone above and beyond for the gods. Maybe Apollo had
somethingtodowiththatbecauseaccordingtoDoc,Waywasn’tasimmuneto
himassheclaimedtobe.Thatwasn’tsurprisingbecausewhatwomanofmere
fleshandbloodcouldresistagod?

Nowthatprivatemattersweretakencareof,Areswenttothedooropeningitto
let in those who waited outside. Kyler strode in his eyes immediately seeking
andfindingSierra,lookingatherfirstquestioningthendrawingconclusionshe
clearlydidn’tlike.Hestompedtherestofthewaytothechairhewouldsitin,
glaringwithhateandjealousytowardZeus.Hehaddrawntherightconclusion
however he had managed to reach it. Sierra told herself she didn’t care what
Kylerthought,buthehadsomealliesinthehigherrankswhichwaswhyhewas
chosentodosomethingheobviouslyhadnoskillat.Thejobhefilledrightnow

wasoneofadiplomatwhileKylerhadnotoneounceofdiplomacyinhim.Why
wouldhewantataskthathewasn’tsuitedtoandclearlydidn’tenjoy?Itwashis
tickettothenexthighestrankifhecouldshowhewaswellroundedinanyduty
that might come his way and while the rank and file had no need of political
abilities, those who were leaders aspiring to the highest ranks did. Kyler was
nothing if not ambitious but he was not up to this task because he had already
alienatedallthegodsandthosesuchasWay,thatworkedwiththemtoimprove
their situation. Once the interview took place, there was a good chance that
Kylerwouldberemoved.Sierrahopeditwassobecauseifhewasdifficultnow,
hewouldbeimpossibleafter.

Thetalknowwasmoreofanegotiationthatwasgoingnowhere.Theonlything
Zeus agreed to was a permanent military presence but only if they built their
own facility nearby but at least a mile away for the privacy of both groups.
Kyler’s anger grew as the meeting went on, his little pet Brenda sitting at his
side seemed to encourage it. Sierra knew she and Brenda would have a
reckoningifthebitchstayedforlong,itwasoverdue.Themeetingfinallyended
buttheaggravationjustkeptoncomingwhenKylermovedovertoherstanding
closetowhisperinherear.

“Iknowyoufuckedhim,Si.Heisn’tevenhumanbutyouchosehimoverme.
YouwillbothpayforthatinwhateverwayIchoose.”Hisvoicebrokealittle,a
sadlookcameoverhisface.“IwasfoolenoughtothinkIlovedyou,butIdidn’t
knowyouatall.”Hestompedawaynevergivingherachancetoanswernotthat
sheknewwhattosay.

Zeuscameovertoherwantingtoknowwhathe’dsaid.“Hewantsrevengefor
usgettingtogether.HethinksIonlylefthimbecauseofyou.”

“He’s a fool. Even I could tell you had no deep feelings for him and I didn’t
knoweitherofyouatthetime.”Sierranoddedonceagainnotknowingwhatto
say.SheandKylerhadbeenoverbeforesheevermetZeus,shejusthadn’tseen
him to tell him. The fact that they went weeks without seeing each other or
caring that they did, showed neither of them were invested in the relationship.
Hemightclaimitwaslovebutshewassureitwasonlypridehewantedrevenge
for.

Analarmsoundedcausingpeopletolookupasifwaitingforconfirmationthat
therewasanemergency.Thealarmwentoffandallclearwasbroadcastedover
thespeakers.Noonelookedsurprisedanditwasoddbutreliefwasn’tvisibleon

anyone’sface.“What’sthatallabout?”SierraturnedtoZeustoask.

“The alarms have been going off regularly. We think there may be a short or
errorinthesystembutwecan’tfindit.”

“Doyouhaveanyoutsidecameras?”

“They would have to be high tech to handle the cold and protected from snow
andice.Itwouldmakethemexpensive.”

“I’msureOriginhadsomewaytoseeifthefacilitywasapproached.Settingoff
alarms is one way to test security and lull you into a poor response. If Origin
intendedtoattackthat’swhattheywoulddofirst.Didn’tyouguyseverusethat
strategy?”

“No,wewereonlysentintoassaultoncethegroundworkwaslaid.Theyhada
humanteamthatdidthepreparations.Wenevermetanyofthem.”

“Soundstomeliketheywantedtolimityourabilitiestokeepyoudependenton
them.”

“Yes,anditworked.Wealmostoverlookedwhatmightbethepreparationsfor
anassault.Kylercertainlyhasn’thelpedus.”

“Kylerisallaboutassaulttoo,buthehasteammemberslikeBrendawhoshould
recognizethetactics.”

“They either are not smart enough or they intend us to fail in protecting our
home.”

“Letmehelpyouwiththis,Zeus.GivemesomeofyourmalesandIwilltrain
themaswego.Findonethatisgoodattrickeryanddeceptiontobeinchargeof
them.”

“DoyouknowwhotheGreek’sgodofdiscordwas?”

“Ican’tsaythatIdo.Hermeswasgodofliarsandmischief.”

“Yes,buttheyhadnogodofdiscordorstrife,onlythegoddessEris,soourgod
of discord is Eres. Many of the goddess names were changed to masculine
forms.Hewillbegoodtosecondyouinthis.”

ZeussummonedhimandmomentslaterErescametothemeetingroom.Sierra
thoughthimveryyounglookingwithaneasysmileandmischiefshininginhis
reddishbrowneyes.Hishairwasblack,themostcommoncoloramongthegods,

his skin a tan color. Frisky was the word that came to mind as he greeted her
earningagrowlfromZeus.Hewasaladiesman,thefirstshehadfoundamong
thegods.

“Sorry,greatZeus.”Hesaidwithabowandaflourishofhishands.“Ididnot
realizeshewasyours.”Hesentanaudaciouswinkandgrinherway.

“She is mine so never forget it again. I have an assignment for you. Gather a
teamof…”

“Tenfornowtillweseewhatisgoingon.”Sierrasuppliedthenumberforhim.

“Ateamoftenthatarenotassignedelsewhere.Pickthosewhoarestealthyand
deviousofmind.”ZeuslookedtoSierrawhonoddedinapproval.Zeussenthim
onhiswaytoassembleateam.

“Heseemsveryyoung.”

“HeisasoldasIambuthekeepsyoungthroughmischiefandjokes.”

“Icanbelieveit,helookslikeaprankster.”

Sierra’sphonewentoff,itwasatextfromDocmarkedurgent.“Zeus,Imustgo,
Doc needs me.” Zeus nodded as she took off walking quickly. Was it her test
resultsorsomethingelseentirely?Sheroundedthecornerrushingintothelab.
The conflicted look on Doc’s face did little for her already stretched emotions.
Docusheredherintothesmallofficesheusedclosingthedoor.

“Isitmyresults?”

“Yes,itisamazingandunbelievable.”

“Inagoodway?”

“That depends on what you are looking for. Just let me put this as straight
forwardandsimpleasIcan.Youarestartingtoshowsimilaritiestothegodsin
your blood. I have taken blood voluntarily from many of them and you most
closelyresembleZeus.”

“I’mgoingtofuckingkillhim.”

“He’stransformingyouisn’the?”

“Itcertainlysoundslikeitdoesn’tit?”

“Iguesshedidn’task,thenforgottotellyou?”

“Isitreversible?”

“Iwouldn’tevenbegintoknowhow.I’msorry,Sierra.”

“Notassorryashe’sgoingtobe.”Sierraleftwithafullheadofsteamstraight
back to the meeting room where she last saw Zeus. She was so angry, she
strugglednottocry.Wasthatafemalethingordidsomemengetmadenoughto
crytoo?

She arrived at the meeting room where Zeus was talking to some of his males
still.Shewaitedimpatientlyandheseemedtonoticeshewasn’tinagoodmood.
Hequicklyfinishedwithhismalesbeforeclosingthedoor.“Doctoldyouabout
thechangeyouaregoingthrough?”

“Yes,howcouldyou?Iwasn’tdreamingyoubitme,wasI?Whyweren’tthere
bitemarks,howdidyouputmetosleep,whatkindofchangescanIexpect,and
whyme?YouknewIwantedtobefree.”

“No,youweren’tdreaming.TheshallowbitesIgaveyouhealquicklybecause
of something in the saliva that also dims pain and causes sleepiness as a side
effect. You will be faster, stronger, your senses sharper, and you’ll notice an
increase in intelligence. It allows you to access a dormant part of your brain. I
didn’tchooseyou,notreally.NaturechoseusforeachotherandIcouldn’tresist
the pull, I know you felt it too. Maybe your will was stronger than mine but I
couldn’t help myself. I will never be able to help myself around you,
Sweetheart.”

“Idon’tknowwhattosay.Youshouldhaveaskedme,barringthat,youshould
haveadmittedtowhatyouhaddone.IwasillthewholetimeIwasgoneandI
didn’t know why. I saw the changes but I thought I was crazy. I just can’t be
aroundyourightnow,Ineedtothink.Ican’tthinkwhenyou’renear.”Shecould
seethehurtonhisfacebeforehehidit.Hewassensitiveemotionallyforsucha
strongpowerfulman.Itmadeherfeelbadtobringthatlooktohisfacebutdamn
it,hewaswrongtodothethingshehadwithoutherconsent.Shehadlovedher
daddymorethananythingintheworldbuthehadbeenamanlikeZeus.Hehad
madedecisionsforhermomthathadhurtherinthelongrun.Ofcourseitwas
his lack of control that had hurt Mom the most. He had been a handsome man
soughtafterbyfemales,buthecouldn’tsaynoevenafterhewasmarried.Sierra
hadeightsistersbutonlytwowerefullsistersthoughallhadbeenbornduring
hismarriagetohermom.

ItmadeherwonderifZeuswouldbelikehiminthatwaytoo.Wouldhegivein
to a desire for other women the second she wasn’t at his side? She wasn’t her
mother, she would never put up with that from any man. Her mom had stood
besideherdadthroughthickandthinonlytolosehimbeforetheageoffortyin
the last year before he planned to retire from military service. He had died on
another continent, far from home but helping others while in the service of his
country. Sad, but dying during military service was a tradition in her family at
leastfortheraremalethatwasbornaDunlevy.

She blinked back the tears that always surfaced when she thought of her dad.
She had other problems to concentrate on and they were in the here and now.
She went down the hall to the room that housed the main computer and what
security systems they knew the facility had. It just didn’t seem adequate for a
facility this size with few cameras and only one main alarm that triggered for
breaches but didn’t indicate where they were. Something wasn’t right, she was
sure they were missing a large part of the security puzzle. If there were more
camerasoutside,someonewouldhavetogoouttheretofindthem.Inside,she
was sure there had to be a room to view the cameras and watch the security
sensors. This had been a military base so even outdated equipment would be
betterthannonesotherewasnoreasontostripdownwhatsecuritywasalready
there.

Thethoughtoccurredtoherthattheyhadhiddenitasacountermeasureincase
thegodstriedtotakeover.Ifthatwastrue,personnelcouldstillbetherereadyto
direct an assault on the facility to reclaim Cronos and some or all of the gods.
Theywouldlosethefacility,buttherealvalueherewasintheirlivingresources.
Sierra wrote up a plan to search out any hidden rooms or bunkers outside the
facility. A slow methodical search should reveal anything they had missed and
she would ask for use of the satellite briefly to see if it showed anything.
Tomorrowshewouldstartonhernewtask,tonightshewouldinviteoversome
sympatheticfemalecompanionshipsoshewouldfeelbetter.

ShegotonhercomcontactingDoc,Way,andBrandi,toinvitethemoverafter
work. She went by the cafeteria appropriating what she needed to make some
pizzas.Herroomdidn’thaveakitchenbutBrandi’sdidsoshetookitoverfor
thegettogetherinstead.DocwasbringingsomealcoholandWayhadaboxof
moviessotheywereset.SierragottoBrandi’splacesettingtoworkonagood
variety of pizzas. Once she started cooking them, they smelled so good she
worriedthattheywouldbeoverrunwithextraguests.Thecafeteriawasn’tbad

buttheynevermadepizza.Shehadextradoughsoshemadeacouplebigdump
cakesusingcherryandblueberrypiefillingshefoundinBrandi’skitchen.

Thegirlsseemedtoknowwhenthepizzawasdonecominginasshepulledthe
firstoneoutoftheoven. They all sat down to have a piece while Doc handed
them each a cold beer. “Got together with Zeus, did you?” Way ask between
bitesofpizza.

“Howdidyouknow?”Sierraasksurprisedbutshereallyshouldn’tbe.

“Theheatedlooksshootingbetweenthetwoofyoujustaboutburnedeveryone
intheroom,Hon.Besides,Kylerjustabouthadastrokewhenhedrewthesame
conclusion.He’salreadyreportedhissuspicionstohissuperior.”

“IguessIwon’tbeheremuchlonger.”

“Wrong,they’rehopingyourrelationshipwillsoftenhimtowardstheUS.”

“Ofcoursetheywouldlookforanadvantageinit.IbetthatpissedofKyler.”

“You’ve no idea. Watch your back and Zeus’ since he’s not used to political
plotting.”

“We’renotgettingonwellrightnow.”

“Youdon’tsay.Iwouldhaveneverguessed.”Waysaidrollinghereyes.

“Make up with the man. He’s a fucking sex god and don’t waste your time
telling me he isn’t hot stuff in bed too.” Doc tossed into the conversation. It
seemedallthegirlsthoughtsheshouldforgiveandforgetsoshecouldgetZeus
back in bed. Sierra had to admit the idea had merit, just the thought of him
holding her made her heat. The rest of the evening continued along the same
vein until half drunk, everyone headed to their own rooms and beds. She was
walking along on the way to her room when someone stepped out in her path.
She wasn’t impaired, not really but she still managed to run right into a hard
malebody.OnedeepbreathtoldheritwasZeusandjusthisscentmadehergo
half crazy with need. He picked her up carrying her into his rooms, she didn’t
protestalthoughshewasn’tsurewhynot.

“I missed you.” He whispered into her ear, his breath tickling her skin as he
spoke. Just that little contact made goose bumps break out on her skin as heat
rushedthroughher.

“I missed you, too.” She admitted before she took the time to think. “But I’m

stillmadatyou.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to handle things between us. I’ve never had a
relationshiporknownafemalelikeyou.”

“Isthatgoodorbad?”

“You’regoodwhenyou’rebad.Wannabebadrightnow?”

“Hellyeah.”Shesaidastheirlipsmetinasearchingkissbeforeitturneddeeper.
Shecouldn’tresistthethingshemadeherfeel.Ifitwasfromwhathehaddone
toherorjustthenaturalattractionshehadfelttheinstanttheymet,shecouldn’t
say.Allsheknewwasthatshewantedhimtothepointthatithurttodenyit,so
shewouldtakehimuntilthedesirewasgone.Inthebackofhermindtherewas
something she needed to remember but the second he touched her all rational
thoughtwasgone.

Shewokeslowlytryingtorememberwhatshehaddone.

She felt movement realizing she wasn’t alone but once again she’d given in to
herdesireforthehandsomegod.Hemadehergiveinwhensheshouldrun.He
was gorgeous but it went beyond that, she felt like they were kindred souls
meanttobetogether.Ifshefoughtagainstit,foughtagainsthim,itwasalosing
battle.Shehadneverbelievedinfatebeforebutitwasliketheyweredestinedto
betogether.Itwasliketheuniversehadconspiredtosetinmotionaplanwhere
they became addicted to each other. He reached for her even though they had
madeloveuntiltheearlymorninghours.Itseemedthatgodswereinsatiableand
shewasbecomingjustlikehim.

Zeus pulled her on top of him running his hands down her back until he
squeezedherasscheekstoencourageher.Shelickedherwaydownhisneckto
his chest where she licked his brown nipples until they beaded up hard which
made him groan. He reached down to grab her breasts gently massaging them
thenmovingtohernipplestotweakthemuntiltheywererockhard.

“Baby,please,Ineedtobeinsideyou.Iachetofeelyourtightwetpussywrap
aroundmycock.”

She shivered with desire feeling her core grow wet with need for him. She
moved her hips up as one hand guided him to her entrance. She sank slowly
feelingimmensepleasureasshesankdownonhiminchbyinch.Shemoanedat
the feeling of fullness as he was fully inside, enjoying the feel of him as she

wiggled on top of him before she started rocking back and forth. Faster and
harder,shemovedoverhimdrowninginhisbeauty,hissensuality.Shefrozeas
pleasureovercameherandshescreamedhisnameinalongkeeningsound.Her
pussy gripped him, squeezing so hard she felt every part of him including the
jetsofhotsementhatfilledher.

Shit!Theyhadforgottentouseacondomagain.Whatwaswrongwithherthat
themomenthetouchedherallreasonflewfromherhead.Ifshewasn’tcareful,
shewasgoingtogetknockedup,couldalreadybeknockedup.“Zeus,weneed
tostartusingcondomsorwe’regoingtoendupwithababy.”

“What’swrongwiththat?Wearematesandmateshavechildren.”

“Theyhavethemwhentheyareready,whenthetimeisright.”

Theydroppedthediscussionbecauseitwasmorningwithworkwaitingforboth
ofthemtodo.

Chapter4

Demons

HewatchedasshewalkedawaytogetstartedwithEresandhisteamchecking
outsecuritythreats.HetrustedErestowatchoutforherknowingthegodmight
be into fun and games but he had a serious side. He also knew Sierra was
respectedbyherteamandhercolleagues,eventheoneslikeBrendawhodidn’t
like her, didn’t want to mess with her either. He hoped she could help them
becausesecuritywasaproblem.Theyhadbeentrainedtoattacknotprotectsoit
wasn’tasurprisehisgodsdidn’tadjustwellwithoutanytraining.Herculeswas
gladtohaveherandEreshandlethatpartofsecuritysincekeepingupwiththe
humansinthefacilitywaskeepinghimbusy.MeanwhileHadeswashavinghis
own trouble keeping Cronos hidden from those same humans. Some of the
humans,Kyler’steaminparticular,reallyneededtogettheirownplacetolive.
Sierra had suggested prefab, so he had passed the suggestion on. The
governmentmadeallkindsofexcusesaboutwhythatwouldn’twork.Waywas
goingtopushuntilKyler’steamwasoutontheirownbecausetheycouldn’tdo
anythingwithCronosuntiltheyweregone.

Hethoughtaboutheralldaynomatterwhohewaswithorwhathedid.Shewas
hisandheintendedtokeepherforever.Itjustmadeitevenmoreimportantthat
he got the future secured for his gods and any mates they would have, starting
withhisown.Thealarmwentoffagainandhenotednoonemovedbecauseit

hadbeenafalsealarmsomanytimesnow.Sierrawasrighttobealarmedbythe
complacency everyone showed. If an enemy attacked they would take heavy
lossesbeforeanyonerealizedwhatwashappening.Sierrawasoutsidesearching
foranyoutbuildingsthatmightexistsohegotagroupofgodstogethertohelp
searchalongtheouterwalls.

Brandi was Sierra’s computer expert and she had assured him that the alarms
weren’t set off by the computer so they were physically attacking the facility
somewhere.Heheardasoundlikesomeonewastryingtogetinadoor.Oneof
Eresteamfellinthedoorwithbloodblossomingaroundhisshoulder.Heyelled
fortwonearbygodstorunhimtomedicalwhereheknewDocwouldtreathim.
HesentamentalmessagetoArestorounduphisteamforbattle.Herantothe
armory, getting handguns for his waistband and a machine gun to carry. He
dressedintheinsulatedgearincludingbootsthatwasavailableintheclosetnext
tothearmory,headingtowardthemaindoorwithinfiveminutes.Hegotoutside
wheretherewasnonoiseatall.

He found an unknown intruder lying near the door with wounds on their chest
andthigh.Theywerebarelyhangingontolifebuthemessagedhismalestotake
himtomedical.MoregodspouredoutthedoortohelpbutZeusknewthebattle
had been fought already, win or lose. His mate was out here and he needed to
findher.Hesawdropsofbloodscatteredonthesnowsohefollowedthepathto
anotherwoundedintruder.Thisonewasonhisfeetbutwoundedenoughtobe
movingslowly.HewasstillarmedbuthehadnoideaZeusandagroupofgods
hadcomeupbehindhim.Hedisarmedhimeasilythenpassedhimofftosome
malestotaketomedical.Sofarhehadonlyfoundintruders,otherthanthegod
whohadmadeittothedoorwounded.

The next intruder he found was beyond help so they left him there for now.
Sierra,Eres,andhisteamwerenowheretobeseenwhichwasdrivinghimcrazy.
Hesawlightsinthedistance,ahelicoptertakingoffmakinghimfeelafearhe
had never felt before. Had the intruders gotten his mate and Eres team? Were
theytakingthemawaywheretheywouldneverbefound?Hiskneesfeltweak,
hestruggledtostaystandingashisbrainprocessedwhatwasgoingonworking
through the possibilities looking for a glimmer of hope. Ares stood beside him
tryingtosendacalmingmessagetohimbuthiswholeworldwasfallingapart.
Hedidn’tseeitatfirstsincehewasconcentratingontheacheinhisheartand
theroaringinhisears.

LookoverthereZeus!Aressenthimthemessageandheturnedtolookseeinga
hatch had been thrown open. Sierra and Eres came toward him. “Your female
kicks ass, Zeus.” Eres said as they approached. He knew she was good at her
job,butfearforhersafetyhadoverrodeeveryotherthought.

“Whatdidyoufind?”ZeusaskedSierrabutEresanswered.

“Shewasrightaboutasecuritystationoutsideaswellasthecameras.Youcan
see several cameras set up around the perimeter of the station. The helicopter
thatleftbroughtsomeoftheseguysbuttheypickeduptheonesthatwerehiding
here.Sierrathinkstheywereswitchingthemoutandwillprobablydebriefthose
theytookwiththemforanythingthatmighthelpthemgetusback.”

“That’swhatSierrathinks,huh?”AressaidsmilingatEres.Hemustthinkitcute
thatEreslikedZeus’matesomuch.

“Yes, she also thinks there is a way into the facility from here, maybe into the
chamberCronosisin.Wehaven’thadtimetosearchthisstationproperly.”Eres
continuedunawarethatAreshasteasedhim.

“We will be able to view everything that has happened here since we came to
help you. It is all on tape here for a year or more.” Sierra said to the group in
general.AllZeuswantedwastotakehertohisplaceandcoddleher.Hefeltthe
overwhelmingneedtotouchhersohecouldreassurehimselfthatshewastruly
alright. He fought against himself knowing she would not appreciate being
pettedinfrontofhismalesandherteam.Healsoneededtoconsiderwhatthey
had found which was of the highest importance since it showed Origin wasn’t
willingtoletthemgo.ItwasnosurprisethatOriginwantedthembackasthey
were a valuable commodity, a rare one impossible to replace without Cronos
whowasonlyvulnerabletoattackiftheywereunabletoprotecthim.Hadeswas
morethancapableofseeingtoCronos’safetysoZeusconcentratedonthematter
athand.

He entered the underground security observation station pleased that they now
had a place where they could watch for outside threats. The place was large
enoughforateamofsixtoliveinevenhavingasmallkitchenandaroomfor
the crew to relax in. When the facility had been liberated, no one had known
about the station so the crew living there had simply stayed undetected to
observe,passinginformationtoOriginandsettingoffthealarmstoconfusethe
gods in the hope that a successful raid could eventually be made on an
unsuspecting and complacent facility. It was Sierra who had saved them from

whatmighthavebeendisaster.Hefeltproudofthefemalehealreadylovedand
wantedmorethananything.

They started working their way through the station looking for any signs of a
door that might lead to the facility. No surprise that Sierra found it, especially
since it was more of a small access tunnel that a god would barely make it
through.Iftheotherendofthetunnelwasthesame,whichitwasexpectedtobe,
nowondertheyhadn’tfoundit.

“I’llgothroughtotheotherendsinceI’msmallerthanyouguys.”

Hecurbedhisdesiretoscreamno,knowingitwouldn’tbewellreceived.Going
throughwouldbetheeasiestwaytofindthedoorontheothersidebuthedidn’t
knowifitwassafe.“Weneedtobesurethepassagewayisemptybeforeanyone
goesthrough.”

Shesmiledandittoldhimshewasuptosomething.“Noproblem.”Shesaidas
sheopenedthedoormakinghimthinkforamomentthatsheintendedtojustgo
anyway. She paused, maybe for effect, then pulled a canister from her side
pocket,twistedsomethingonit,andthrewitinthedoorway.Sheclosedthedoor
thenturnedtohim.“Nowwewait.Nooneistoughenoughtostandthatstuff.”
He didn’t ask what it was assuming it was tear gas or a smoke bomb, but it
didn’treallymatter.Heshouldhaverealizedshewouldn’ttakeanyunnecessary
chancesbecauseshewasgoodatthisshit.HeglancedatEreswholookedather
in adulation. It wouldn’t be long before he was good at it too, then he would
trainateamthatwouldbeunbeatable.

He went through everything in his mind as he decided what they should
concentrateonnext.CronoswouldhavetowaituntilKyler’steamandanyother
untrusted humans were gone. A team would have to be assembled to run this
station, but they would have to be trained. Buzz was Sierra’s communications
specialistandsurveillancewashispurvey.Hecouldonlyhopetheywouldagree
to do this for them. Sierra and her team had already proved to be invaluable
while all Kyler and his people did was try to snoop and use up resources like
waterandair.Hecouldn’tgetridofthemfastenough,hewassurenoonewould
besadtoseethemgo,noteventhefemales.Noneofhisgodshadbeendrawnto
themlikehewastoSierra,thoughtheydidn’tmindusingthemlikewhores.He
wouldn’t interfere because he figured if they acted like one, let them be one.
Brenda was the worst, screwing one after another but still trying to get him,
Ares,Apollo,andotherswhohadnointerestinherliketheyweremarksonher

bedpost.Hehadtosmilewhenhethoughtaboutwhathisbeautifulmatewould
doifsheevercaughtBrendatryingtopoachonherdomain,itwouldbefunto
watchbecausehehadnodoubtSierrawouldwipethefloorwithher.

He needed to get his mind off his mate so he could get back to planning what
theywoulddonow.Thesoundofahelicopterremindedhimoftheinterviewhe
woulddotoday,shouldhavealreadydonebynow.Hehurriedoutoftheshelter
sendingSierraamessagehopingshewouldreceiveit,hisneedtobereadyfor
theinterviewasfastaspossibleoverridingeveryotherconcernfornow.Sierra’s
faceturnedtohimquickly,theshockedexpressiontoldhimshehadreceivedhis
messagesohertransformationmustbenearlyfinishedifnotcomplete.Hisgods
started rushing around to follow the mental commands he sent them, Hades
going to meet the reporter while the rest prepared themselves and Ares would
followhimaftermeetingthereporterandassigningheranescort.

Onceinside,Zeusquicklytookashower.AresknockedandenteredZeus’room
then Ares helped him to find the suit that Way insisted he should wear for a
formalinterview.“Brother,Ihopethisistherightthingtodo.TheUSwillnot
bepleasedthatwearegoingpublic.”

“Ihopeitisrightaswell,butifweleavethingsastheyare,Ihavenodoubtthey
willtakeadvantageofus.I’msuretheyarealreadymakingplanstodosowith
Kylerattheheadofwhateverplantheyhave.”Hewasdressedsoheheadedto
themeetingroomwheretheinterviewwouldtakeplacewhileAreswenttodress
himself.Everygodknewwhattodoincludingthesecuritythatwouldwatchthe
reportersandthosethatwouldwatchKylertopreventhimfrominterfering.This
interviewwouldhelpdecidethegod’splaceintheoutsideworldsecuringtheir
positioneitheratthetoporthebottomofthedogpile.

Heenteredthemeetingroombeforethereporterandhercrewgotthere.Hesat
inhisusualspotwherehebreatheddeeplycalminghimselfsohewouldproject
the right image. Ares joined him five minutes later, the reporter five minutes
afterthat.

“WelcometoOlympus,ourhome,mynameisZeus.”Hesaidasheheldouthis
hand to the female interviewer. He took her hand turned it and kissed it
flusteringhersomuchshejuststaredathim.Hesmiledattemptingtosetherat
ease. “Are you going to be the one to interview me?” One of her coworkers
cameupandbumpedintoher.

“Janice, you need to introduce yourself to the man.” A short female wearing

thick glasses with her hair in a tight bun said. Janice turned bright red but it
seemedshehadlosttheabilitytospeak.

Way came into the room wearing a skirt and jacket set looking polished and
beautiful. Her heels clicked on the floor as she efficiently came in taking
everything in hand like the perfect professional. Once she spoke to his
interviewer, the girl seemed to pull it together. Her crew had assembled the
recorders, cameras, and handed her her notes so they could begin. He wanted
nothingmorethantogetthisbehindhimsohecouldhuntdownhismatefora
more pleasant pursuit. Once the lights were on and the camera rolling, the girl
seemedtotransformintothekindofreporterheexpected.Hesupposedshewas
pretty with her huge eyes and flushed face, but compared to his mate she was
invisible.Shehadstrawberryblondehairwithbrowneyes,herlipswerepouty,
andhernosejustatadlargeforherface.Shelookedvulnerablenodoubtmaking
the average male want to protect her but Zeus wasn’t fooled. The moment the
camera went on her attitude and demeanor changed making him think of a
predatorcirclingprey.

He was no one’s prey so she would have an awakening if she tried to get
anything out of him he wasn’t prepared to give. She smiled as she introduced
herself, explained that the interview was for her magazine, and introduced him
beforegivingabriefbackgroundonwhoandwhatheandhismaleswere.

She

greeted him beginning the interview that would hopefully bring the gods the
attentiontheyneeded.

“So,Zeus,Icancallyouthatcan’tI?”

“Ofcourse,andI’llcallyouJanice.”

“Well,Zeus,theworldisdyingtolearnmoreaboutyouandyourfellowgods.”

“We’rejustmen,Janice.Wewantwhatallmenwantwhichistobefreetolive
thelifeofourchoosing.”

“Wellput,butdon’tyoufeeltheworldowesyousomething?”

“Not the world, but Origin definitely does for all those years of servitude. We
weredeniedtherighttomakedecisionsaboutourlives,forcedtodowhatever
we were told. Some of our men were tortured for refusing to carry out
unspeakableactsandsomeeven.Wearefreenowandreadytotakeourplacein
the world in a positive way.” The interview continued with Zeus and Janice
going back and forth with her trying to make them look bad and Zeus making

them look good. Finally, the last few minutes of the interview started after the
lastcommercialbreak.

“Allofyouaremen,right?”Janiceaskedwithasmile.

“Yes,Originnevercreatedfemales.”

“Aren’tyoulonelyallthewayouthereinafrozenwastelandwithnowomento
keepyoucompany?”

“It’s funny that you should ask that. We are planning on holding a Halloween
Masked Ball and we will be selling five hundred tickets to women on a first
come basis. The tickets will be for a two night stay with accommodations and
meals.Everywomanwillhaveadatetodancewith.”

“Youheardhimladies.TherewillbeawebsiteupfirstthingtomorrowatGod’s
HalloweenMaskedBall.comsobuyyourticketfastoryouwon’tbeonthelist.
One more thing, Zeus, while I have you here. You didn’t do this interview for
free,didyou?”

“No,Ididn’t.”

“You asked that we make a donation to our children’s charity in your people’s
name.IjustwantedyoutoknowWorldMattersMagazinedonatedtenthousand
dollars in the name of the gods. This is Janet Jones saying goodbye from
Olympus,homeofthegods.”

“Thatwentwell.”Wayobservedwithobviousrelief.

JanicecameoverextendingherhandtoZeuswhoshookitthistime.“Thiswasa
greatinterview.Ihopetoseeyouattheball.”

“Ipromisedthemagazineticketssomaybethey’llsendyou.”Zeussaidmaking
nopromises.HewasgladSierrawasn’taroundtowatchthewoman’sattemptsat
flirting.Nowthattheinterviewwasdoneandthereporteronherwayout,heleft
tofindhismate.Hesentoutsomementalmessagesonlytofindoutthathismate
had been busy while he was tied up in the meeting room. He moved down the
halltohisofficetofindher.

“IthoughtIsuggestedwewait.”Hesaidassoonasheclosedthedoor.Shehad
crawledthroughthepassagewayandtohisembarrassmentcomeoutinhisoffice
underoneofthetwomatchingbookshelvesonoppositewalls.Hehadn’tthought
aboutthemmuchbutwhenhehad,hehadassumedtheydidn’tgoallthewayto

thefloorsoatableorchaircouldbeplacedthereeventhoughhehadneverseen
eitherpieceoffurnitureinthatspot.Itseemedtheydidn’tgotothefloorbecause
oneofthemcamouflagedtheentrancetoatunnel.Hewalkedovertotheother
one checking around for any cracks that would show it opened too. Sierra had
comeupbehindhimandhejumpedwhenshespoke.

“I did wait until I was sure the tunnel was empty. I did exactly what you
suggested,Boss.”

“Boss,” he repeated raising his eyebrows. “Is that some kind of joke,
Sweetheart?Youdon’tseemtotakeinstructionsfromanyone.”

“Thatdependsonthekindofinstructions.”

“CometomyroomwithmesoIcangiveyousomeinstructionsyou’llwantto
follow.” Zeus said wiggling his eyebrows and looking lecherous. It made her
laughbutshewentwithhim.

Heopenedthedoorpullingherinbehindhimbeforeclosingit.Oh,yeah,hehad
her where he wanted her now. He stripped his clothes off quickly hoping she
would do the same. She did, but not nearly fast enough so he helped her in
betweenpassionatekisses. Naked, they pressed together their hot flesh sliding,
drivingthepassionhigher.Hecouldn’twaitonemoresecondasheliftedherup
tohiswaistwithhishandssqueezingherassashepulledcloser.Herbodyfelt
heavenlyagainsthis,herasscheeksfeltfirmbutsoftinhishandsasheliftedher
tolinetheirbodiesupbeforeheslidinsideher.Hersheathgraspedhishardrod,
the feeling was incredible as he slowly pushed his way in. Her muscles
contractedslowinghisprogressbutincreasinghispleasureashefelteveryinch
beingmassagedbyherwetheat.

He knew he wouldn’t last long like this so he moved a hand between them
searchingforthecenterofherpleasure.Hewantednothingmorethantomake
thisaboutherbutheneededtoreclaimhisfemaleaftershehadriskedherlife,
first fighting the enemy then in the tunnels where she might have come up
againstanymannerofthings.Hewouldtakeher,claimher,butshewouldenjoy
every moment of it because he would make sure of it. He found the spot that
madehermoanandheputhisattentiontoitashedrilledinandoutofher.He
wasawashindelight,herbodywrappedsotightlyaroundhimhewaswalking
thelinebetweenpleasureandpain.Heavenly, that’s how she felt, so close, just
holdbackalittlewhile.

She was moaning and trying to thrash around as he held her tight while he
pumpedintoherhard,fast,andoh,sodeep.Shefroze,onlyforamomentbefore
shewildlystartedscreaminghisnamewhileheslammedagainstherevenharder
continuingtobangintoher.Heturnednailingheragainstthewallpushinginand
outsofastitmadehimdizzy,orwasthattheorgasmthatloomedtryingtobreak
free?Heheardaroaringinhisears,lightsflashedbehindhiseyes,thefucking
earthmovedasheblewlikeavolcanohotjetsofcumunderpressureshooting
out into his mate. By the time her hot pussy had milked every drop out of his
eager cock, he felt weak for the first time he could remember. With her held
firmlyinhisarmsknowinghewouldrolltoabsorbanyinjuriesshouldtheynot
makeit,hestumbledtowardthenextroomintohiswaitingbed.

Sierra seemed to have fared no better as she moaned into his ear, shivering
againsthimclutchingtighterwitheverystephetook.Mine,forevermine.Noone
willevertakeherfromme. They would have to kill him first or die facing his
wrathshouldtheycomebetweenhismateandhim.Hefellungracefullyontothe
double bed that was in the small bedroom. It was one of the mini suites a
cafeteria woman used to have which he was using until the manager’s much
larger,nicersuitewasremodeledforhim,hismate,andanychildrentheymight
someday have. Thoughts of children made him smile because he liked to have
fun and he would enjoy playing with his children before teaching them what
theyneededtoknowtosurvive.Unlikehim,theywouldknowthejoysofbeing
achild,hewouldseetoit.Theywouldknowtheloveoftheirmotherandfather,
because even though Sierra hadn’t agreed yet to having children, he knew she
wouldbeawonderful,lovingmom.Hewouldgivehislastbreathtoprotectand
cherish his mate and their children. Their life would be good not because life
alwayswas,itwasn’t,butbecausehewouldmakeitso.Withthatfinalthought,
hewrappedaroundhisalreadysleepingmatebeforehetooslept.

He woke up feeling really good, incredible actually, maybe even the best he’d
everfeltinhiswholelife.He’dfeltbetteronceheknewhewasfree,buthaving
afamilyortheprospectofafamilyevenifitwasjusthimandhismate,made
everythingfeelbetter.Hismaleshadbeenagoodreasontodowhathedid,but
theclaiming of his mate, the possibility of all of them claiming mates, and the
continuity with the children that would come, pleased him more than he could
say.Evenifhismatedidn’tgivehimchildren,hewouldbethefavoriteuncleof
hundredsoflittlegodsandgoddesses.

“Hey, what are you smiling about?” He looked over to where the voice came

fromsmilingevenbiggerathismate’snakedform.

“I just feel so good when we are together I can’t stop smiling. You’re smiling
too.”

“I’m smiling because I just woke up in bed with the most gorgeous male I’ve
everseenandhe’snaked.Whatwomanwouldn’tsmile?”

“Youthinkyoumightgivethismaleakisstostarthisdayoffright?”

“IthinkImightbepersuadedwiththeofferofalittlemorethanakiss.”

Heleanedovertouchingherlipswithhisjustasanalarmwentoff.Thistimethe
response was immediate. His com and Sierra’s both went off at the same time,
but he had already gotten a mental message. They were attacking the hidden
dooronCronos’level.HeandSierradressedquickly,sheactuallymanagedtobe
ready first but had to go to her room for combat boots. The kind they all had
were insulated for the snow outside. She took off fast and rejoined him five
minuteslaterinhisofficewherehewasincontactwithHades,whowasdown
below, Eres who was in the station monitoring the cameras, and Hercules who
hadhismenplacedateveryknownentrancewithafewpatrollingforsurprises.

Shelookedathimexpectantlysohegavehertherundown.“Thereisagroupof
atleasttenintrudersdressedinwhitetryingtoblendinwiththesnowattacking
the door to the level Cronos’ chamber is on. We assume they are Origin or
someonesentbythem,butsofarwehavehadnolucktakinganyonealive.The
prisoners from yesterday that were interrogated assured us that Origin will not
stopattemptingtogetCronosorhischildren.”

“Don’ttheyknowyouguysarehischildren?”

“Wewerebredtopassashuman.TheyassumedwewereUStroopssincethey
know your people are here. There will be no safety for us until Origin is
destroyed and all their leaders dead or captured. Way says they have been
declaredinternationaloutlawsandalltheirassetsfoundincertaincountrieswill
beturnedovertous.Somecountriesrefusetohelp.”

“TherearesomecountriesthatprefertobenefitfromdealingwithOriginrather
thandoingwhat’sright.It’shardtounderstandbutitisthewaythingsare.I’m
sorryforthat,Zeus.”

“We will manage without them. Our plans move forward. The interview was
releasedthismorningonourwebsiteandwillgooutinthatmagazineattheend

oftheweek.Theresponsehasbeenpositive.Thewebsitewentupthismorning
and all the tickets have sold. We will use part of the money to prepare for the
event. Way has suggested another event at Christmas to bring in more females
andmoremoney,butIwanttoseehowthisonegoesfirst.”

“Wisemove.Whoknowshowabunchofhornygodswillreactwithfemalesand
alcoholavailable.”

“I’mmoreworriedaboutthefemales,mymaleshaveselfcontrol.”

“Suretheydo.”

“Sierra, we must go downstairs. They have blown the door and Hades needs
backup.” Zeus said urgently as he stood leading the way. He sent others who
wereclosertoo,butheneededtobetheretomakesurehisfatherwasn’ttaken.
Therewasamadrushgoingtothelowerlevels.SierragrabbedZeus’arm.

“Don’tleteveryonegodown.Ihaveabadfeelingthattheymayattackuphere
onceyou’veallhadtimetogetdownstairs.”

He fought his need to get downstairs to guard his father. He got on his com
tellingHerculestokeephisteamupstairswithsomeoftheothergodsforback
up. He sent Apollo and his team to the next floor and so on distributing gods
throughoutthebuilding.HeandSierrawentbacktohisofficewhichwaslocated
nearthecenterofthetopfloortowaitfortheenemytomaketheirnextmove.A
fewminuteslaterthefrontdoorwasblownandtenmendressedinblackcame
running in. It was clear there was more than one team attacking the facility.
Sierrathrewastungrenademakingeveryonescatterbuttheenemydidn’thave
time to get far enough away dropping like flies when it went off. It was just a
matterofpickingthemupandrestrainingthem.SherantotheofficewithZeus
followingbehindherjustintimetoseemoremendressedinblackcomingout
ofthetunnelthroughthehalfdooronhiswall.ThatmeantEresandhisteamhad
been overwhelmed which worried Zeus but he’d deal with that later. He sent a
mental image to get more gods to his office while he and Sierra attempted to
neutralizethemastheyexitedthedoor.

Sierra caught the first one as he tried to stand slamming his head into the wall
stunninghimwhilesherestrainedhimwithziptiesthenpushedhimintothehall
wherehelandedonthefloor.Ereswasright,shewasunbelievable.Hewasso
caught up in watching her he almost forgot to catch the second man. He used
Sierra’s tactics knocking his head against his desk, maybe too hard. The man

went down, no longer moving. He restrained him with zip ties but pushed him
underthedeskinsteadofintothehall.Heandhisfemaleworkedliketheperfect
team,takingturnsuntilalltenwereneutralized.

HerculessenthimamessagetellinghimEresandhisteamhadbeenrecovered
along with one helicopter. Some of the gods were injured but their intent had
beentocapturenottokillsononewereserious.Thebiggestinjuryhadbeento
Erespridewhichwaspainfullydamaged.Theyhadalsodiscoveredemergency
doorsnoneofthemhadbeenawareofthatweresunkintothedoorwaysonone
sideoftheregulardoors.HadtheyallgonetoprotectCronos,theywouldhave
been cut off and unable to protect their home. His mate was truly exceptional
and had proven her intelligence and loyalty. He wondered where Kyler’s team
was, but didn’t wonder long. They were all locked down in their rooms which
Zeushopedwouldgivehimthereasonheneededtogetridofthem.

Slowly teams were checking in, Brandi was getting the doors open, prisoners
were being rounded up, and Doc was treating the wounded both gods and
humans. Buzz was copying the tapes to send to Washington at Sierra’s request
including the tapes from the hallway that showed Kyler and his team taking
coverwhenthefightingstarted.HesawnoreasonforanyonebutSierra’steam
tobehereuntiltheybuilttheirownresidencenear,butnottoonear,them.The
attempttotakeCronosaswellascapturegodsworriedhimandthefactthatthe
attacks were back to back wasn’t good either. He was concerned that they had
unlimitedresourcesinthosecountriesthatclearlyfavoredthem.

HerculeswastakingrollonallgodsandKyler’steamsinceSierra’swasalready
accounted for. Two of Kyler’s team hadn’t been found yet, they were the only
twothathadn’tgonetotheirroomswhenKylertoldhisteamtolockthemselves
in.ItwasashameBrendawasn’toneofthem,especiallyiftheyhadleftwiththe
intruders.Thetapesfinallyrevealedthattheyhaddoneexactlythatmeetingwith
themoutsidethenfollowingthemtothehelicopterthathadgottenaway.Three
had gotten away, but one had been captured. Sierra cautioned against using it
untilitwasfullygoneoverandcheckedoutmechanically.Zeushadtoadmithis
mate was paranoid but she was usually right, so was she still paranoid if
everyonewasouttogetthem?

The satellite phone rang so he answered it which earned him a scowl from his
love.ItwasahighrankingdiplomatinWashington.SenatorTylerwascomingto
visittoshareinformationwiththem.Thehuskyvoicewasclearlyfemininebut

he was certain she had said she was the senator not his secretary. She would
arriveinthemorningwhichgavethemtimetocleanupthemessandquestion
the prisoners. He might be free but his life was crazier than it had ever been
before. He looked at his lover thinking he could deal with crazy as long as he
hadherwarminghisbed.

The rest of the day was spent bringing order to the facility and repairing the
damage created by the attack. They had met all together and in small groups,
everyonewasconcernedthattheattackswouldbecontinuouseventhoughthey
were loosing most of their people each time. Security improvements were
discussedandimplementedrightaway,butstilltherewasnosenseofsafetywith
the threat being unknown. Tomorrow, the senator would arrive causing even
moresecurityconcernsthathadtobedealtwith.Thedaydraggedon,butalot
wasaccomplished.

The sound of helicopters filled the air making Zeus wonder if this was their
visitor or another attack. Sierra was calm at his side showing no signs of the
troublehelookedfor.Hehadcometorelyonhersixthsensecompletelyinsuch
ashorttime.Sheleanedintohimsaying,“Thesenatorisinonehelicopter,the
otherissecurity.”

It calmed him that she knew that so he smiled at her then turned to wait for
someone to come forward and greet him. He was only half surprised that the
senator turned out to be a very attractive female probably in her mid to late
thirties although she didn’t look it. He estimated her age slightly higher due to
the position she held. Some of the gods who stood nearby ogled her but she
ignoredthem,greetinghimfirstformally,thengivingSierraafriendlyhug.He
couldn’t hear the greeting they exchanged since they whispered making him
thinktheywerehidingsomething.HegotthatfeelingfromSierraoftenthough
hecouldn’timaginewhatshewouldhidefromhim.

He led the way back to the meeting room where they would have their
discussion. “Senator, please take a seat. I’m not sure what you want to discuss
unlessit’sourrecentattacks.”HewassurprisedthatshemetwithhimandSierra
alone. She was giving him a great deal of trust, or perhaps the trust was for
Sierra.

“I have serious confidential matters to discuss with you. I need any coms or
recordingdevicesincludingcamerasturnedoff.”Shelookedaroundforthefirst
timeshowingsignsofnervousness.

He took off his com as did Sierra. “There are no other devices in here that I
knowof.”

“Buzzhassweptthefacilityforbugs,startingwiththisveryroom,Pris.”

“Thereareseriousmattersthegovernmenthaschosennottoactonortodivulge
toyou.”

“That is no surprise.” Sierra said with disdain. She might love her country but
shedidn’talwayslikeorrespectthosewhoranit.

“They have had reports of other gods held at other facilities but have done
nothingasofyet.Thereareatleasttwosmallerfacilitieslikethisandatesting
facilityforwhattheycalldemons.”

“Demons?”Sierraaskedconfused.

“Failed gods,” Zeus said. “The ones they called failures that they said they
destroyed.Doyouknowwheretheyare?”

“Whatmakesagodafailure?”SierraaskedlookingatZeus.

“Theycan’tblendinwithhumans.Theyaretoodifferent,looktoodifferent,but
apparently they have found uses for them after all. Origin would keep no one
that didn’t earn their keep. We have always been told if we were no longer
useful,ourdayswerenumberedbuttheyalwaysusedthedemonstheysaidthey
destroyedasanexample.Wherearemybrothers?”

“MyinformationsaysMexicobutnotfarfromCalifornia.”

“Isn’tthatoneofthecountriesthathaspledgedtheirsupporttous?”Zeusasked
notunderstandinghowthatcouldbetrue.

“Peopleandespeciallygovernmentsdon’talwaysdowhattheysaytheywill,but
itispossiblethatonlyafactionofthegovernmentsupportsthemoreventhatthe
governmentisn’tawareoftheirpresenceatall.Welcometotheworldofpolitics
and intrigue.” The senator said raising her hands up to indicate he was now in
themiddleofthatworld.

“The demons are our first priority because they are being tortured and I don’t
think they have been taught skills to defend themselves.” Zeus said looking at
bothfemales.Thesenatorwasanimpressivefemaleriskinghercareerifnother
life to help them. She reminded him of Sierra, funny that so far all the strong
attractive females he had met reminded him of her. “Can you give me any

details?”

Shewenttoherbriefcasepullingoutathickfile.“AlltheinformationIhaveis
inthereincludingthesupposedlocation.Youhavealackoftransportationand
experience on these kinds of missions. I might be able to loan you a couple
helicopters,butmorewouldbebetter.YouneedtoplanwellbutSierrawillbe
able to help you better than anyone else I know. Remember, this conversation
didn’thappen,weonlydiscussedyoubuyingsomeoutdatedmilitaryequipment
starting with two helicopters and if you were willing to run some dark ops for
theUSwhichyouarethinkingover.”

“Shouldwe?”Heaskedandshestoppedtolookathimintently.“Shouldwerun
theops?”

“I would check each op out before I accepted it. It will be difficult and
controversial if they want you to do it. The helicopters will be delivered in a
weekforyoutolookat.”Shepausedprobablynoticingtheanxiouslookonhis
face.“Youcan’trunoffhalfcocked.Itwillprobablybetwoweeksbeforeyou
cansafelycarryoutthismission.Itdoesthemnogoodifyouarekilledandthey
arepunishedfortheattempt.LetSierra’steamscoutthelocationforyoubefore
youmakeanattempt.”Henoddedknowingshewasrightbutthethoughtthathis
brothers were being and had been for who knew how long, tortured and
mistreated made rage flow through him. Nothing would make this right but
freeinghisbrotherswasthefirststep,vengeancewasthesecond.

“We’ll get everything lined out so we can go scout out things tomorrow. We
shouldstaytowatchthesiteforacoupleofdayssoweseewhattheirsecurityis
andtrytoseeifanyofyourfailedgodsareonsiteorcontactsomeonenearby
whocan.”SierrasaiddrawingZeus’attention.Oncehelookedatheritwashard
tolookaway,shewassobeautifulandtemptingtohim.

“Ineedtogonow.Iwilltrytogetalltheintelontheothertwosites,theyboth
contain regular gods but those sites have smaller populations than this one.
Maybe it would be best if it looks like locals attacked the demon site so they
don’tmoveanyonefromtheothersites.”

“Icanmanagethat.Ihavesomecontacts.”

“Iknewyoucould,Sierra.”ThesenatorgaveSierraahugbeforeleaving.Zeus
didn’tknowtheirrelationshipbuttheywereobviouslyclose.Hewantedtoask
her but he was afraid she wouldn’t tell him which would hurt him so he said

nothing.

“Tellme,Sierra,whywouldsheriskhercareer,ifnotherlife,tohelpus?”

“Thesenatorhasalwayswalkedthemoralhighground.Sheisalsoacloseand
trustedfriendtome,Doc,andWay.Oneofthosetwomusthavespokenwithher
aboutyoursituation.Justremember,Zeus,sheisriskinghercareerandherlife.
Don’tletherdown.”Zeusnoddeduncertainwhatelsehecouldsay.

“The senator has left.” Apollo came into the meeting room where Zeus and
Sierra sat each lost in thought. Other gods he had summoned followed him in
until the room was overflowing. Some gods had to stand behind chairs since
thereweren’tenoughchairstositin.

“I need three gods who can fly helicopters for a mission in two weeks. I need
oneofthosepilotsforatriptomorrow.Eresandtwoofhisteamwillgoonthe
trip with us. The senator came to see if we had any interest in buying some
surplusequipmentorwehadanyinterestindoingsomemissionsfortheUSon
an as needed basis. We need the equipment, I want to know what you think of
the missions. We don’t have to decide right now but give it some thought. We
havegottensomeintelthroughtheprisonersandothersources.Someishighly
confidential,butwemaynotbealone,theremaybeotherfacilitiesthatOrigin
ran.Someofourbrotherswethoughtdead,maynotbe,butwewillspeakmore
ofthiswhenmoreinformationbecomesavailable.ItissomethingthatKylerand
histeammustnotknow.”

“Areyousuretherearemore?”Hadesaskedwithapainedlookonhisface.

“No,butyoucanbesurewewillfindout.NoweveryonebutEres,mayleave.”

Sierra stayed sure that they would be discussing the mission tomorrow. Hades,
Apollo, Ares, and Poseidon all stayed too. “Eres, we have a mission for
tomorrow that you and two of your team will go on. We have some proof that
our demon brothers weren’t destroyed and instead have been used as
experiments.Theyarebeingtorturedandmistreatedsowewillfreethemfirst.”
Zeuspulledoutpicturesfromthefoldertossingthemonthetable.

Eres looked thoughtful probably deciding which of his males would be most
helpfulonthecomingmission.HeleanedovertolookatthepictureHadeshad
picked up, shock visible on his face. Sierra knew the new position Eres was
takingwouldchangethecarefreeyounggod.Sure,hehadbeenonmissionsfor
Origin since before he was a teen, but the weight of leadership was a heavy

burden.Hislaughlineswouldchangetoworrylinesovertheyears.

“Lucifer.”Hadessaidwithbrighteyesthatshowedhissadness.

Sierra looked at a man with the build of Zeus. He had flaming red hair, bright
greeneyes,anattractiveface,andahugesetofpurplewings.Bloodrandown
hisarmsalthoughshesawnowoundsandthepainofhisfacewascleartosee.
She didn’t know him but it made her want to rush to him, free him, and make
everything alright. She could see his resemblance to an angel, which was what
Luciferhadbeenbeforethefall.Hisnamefithisbeauty,hisredhairlookedlike
thefiresaidtoburninhell.

“They named him that?” Sierra asked her face showing her admiration of his
form and sadness at his condition. Zeus recognized that the demons and gods
appealedtofemales.Shecouldadmirethemallaslongassherememberedshe
belonged to him. He had noticed this morning that her smell had changed to
whereshesmelledmorelikehim,itpleasedhim.

“Theyuseddemonnamesforthefailedones.Theywereexperimentingtryingto
gettherightamountofCronos’DNAsowewouldblendinwithhumansbutstill
havegodtraits.Theyusedtoomuchwhencreatingthedemons.Theyusedless
for Ares, Hades, Apollo, Poseidon, and myself, a little less again for Hercules,
Eres,andthesecondlevelofcommand,andsomewhatlessthanthatfortherest
sotheleaderswouldbeeasytodistinguishandnotbechallenged.Theytoldus
every army must have Generals, Lieutenants, and foot soldiers.” Sierra nodded
herunderstandingandZeuscouldseewhathehadsaidmadesensetoher.

Theycontinuedthemeetinguntilallthenewinformationhadbeendiscussedand
theplanironedout.Hecouldn’tgettohisdemonbrotherssoonenough,buthe
had no choice but to wait and plan. He dismissed the meeting, grabbed his
mate’s hand dragging her off to his bed where he would celebrate his own
freedomuntilhecouldarrangefreedomforallhisbrethren.

Shesmelledsogood,sofeminineandsexual.Hepulledherinthroughthedoor
unwilling to wait another moment to claim her. He stripped hoping she would
follow his example but she just stood there watching him with a glint of
appreciation in her eyes. He moved to her with the grace of a predator pulling
herintohisarmskissingherwithpassionandskillwhileshemeltedinhisarms.
Heslidhershirtupoverherheadashemovedbackthentossedittothefloor
before kissing her once more. The bra unsnapped easily as he pulled it off
dropping it next to the shirt. His hands reached up cupping her breasts as he

tweakedhernipplesuntiltheywerestiffpeaksthatmadehismouthwaterfora
taste. Impatient he lowered his mouth to one then the other as he hungrily
devoured them. She moaned and he smelled her arousal as she writhed with
desire wanting more. He undid her pants sliding his hands around to the back
wherehecuppedherassfeelingthesilkybarelytherepantiesshewore.

Theywereawasteofmoneyandspacesoherippedthemoffandslidherpants
down.Achingandhardasarock,heneededhernoworhefearedhewouldgo
crazy.Itseemedhetookheragainstawallasmuchasinthebedbutthethought
didn’tstophimfrompressingheragainstthewallbehindherandslamminghis
needy staff deep into her welcoming heat. He groaned low and deep as the
pleasureofbeinginsideherrolledoverhim.Hewasalreadyontheveryedgeof
releaseashestartedtojackhammerintohernotholdingback.Heslidhishand
to her sensitive spot to make sure she came with him when he exploded. She
came before him as a scream came from her just as her body spasmed around
him clasping him in a near death grip forcing him to shoot his hot load inside
her.Itspewedforthhotandheavy,jetafterjetofhisseedgoingdeepintoher.

She would surely be the death of him. His breath escaped him as he jerked
unable to think of anything but his lovely mate and the feelings they shared.
Oncetheycalmed,hecarriedhertohisbedforgettingallaboutfoodoranything
else except sleeping wrapped around the warmth of his sweet mate. Tomorrow
andalltheyhadtodo,wouldcomesoonenough.

Morning, here already, time to test out the new helicopter. It wasn’t a problem
sinceEres,Sierra,andmostofherteamcouldfly,evenZeushadbeentrainedto
even though he didn’t have much practical experience. It was mostly for
emergencies which could come up on the types of missions he went on. This
missionwasjustforobservationwhichwouldbehardforhimsinceheknewhis
brotherswereinpainandneededhim.Sierrahadaplanwhichinvolvedmeeting
some of her friends in the area where the lab that kept the demons was. Her
friends,whichwerelocals,wouldhelpbreakintofreethedemonssotheywould
helpwiththisstagetoo.ShesaiditwouldbegoodforErestomeetthesepeople
if he was going to work missions. It seemed that Sierra had a lot of contacts,
someofthemalittleshady.

Everyone was loaded except him so he hopped onboard next to his mate. The
flightwaslongandboringsohespentitwrappedaroundhisfemalelisteningto
educational tapes. It was a habit he had gotten into when Origin had run the

missionshewason.Mostoftheotherslistenedtomusicorsleptalongtheway.
Hewasrelievedwhentheyfinallyarrivedatanondescriptgroupofbuildings.It
wassurroundedbyafencebutthegatewasopenfortheirarrival.Hecouldsee
guards wandering the grounds with rifles in their hands. There were certainly
enough of them but Sierra had told him that her friend did a lot of high risk
business.

Hismatesteppedoutmetbyabigguywithcoal black hair and eyes. He gave
her a hug like he was happy to see her speaking rapid fire Spanish that she
seemedtounderstand.Zeusdidn’tlikethewaythemaletouchedhisfemalebut
heheldbackthesnarlsandgrowlsthattriedtoforcetheirwayout.Shehadtold
him the man was a friend and an ally who could be a big help to them. She
turnedherfriendbacktowardthemastheyhoppedoffthechoppertointroduce
themtohim.

“Pedro, this is Zeus.” She said before going through all of his gods that had
comealong.Herteamallseemedtoknowandlikehimsotheygreetedhimon
their own. He took them to their rooms so they could rest but seemed shocked
whenshetoldhimshewouldshareherroomwithZeus.Hedidn’tobject,hejust
seemed amazed that she would share her room with a male. It made him feel
goodtobethefirst,onamissionthatwas,becauseheknewshehadbeenwith
Kyleratsometime.

Theywentintotheroomthathadadoublebedneedingtosleepbecausewhen
theywenttothelabwherethedemonswereheld,theywouldhavetobecareful
and alert. The room was simple but clean so sleep should come easily, but it
didn’t. Sierra slept almost instantly, but Zeus worried and wondered what was
happeningtothedemonswhilehewassoclosebutunabletohelp.Heheldher
closeinhalingherscentwhichhelpedtocalmhimsomewhatbuthestillworried
thathemightbeawakethewholetime.

Pedro woke them up a few hours later, it seemed Zeus had managed to sleep
after all. Pedro, who spoke excellent English, told them his men had been
watchingthebuildingtheirfriendsweresaidtobein.Sierrahadn’ttoldhimthey
were demons, Zeus wondered why. They had seen signs of prisoners but they
hadn’tactuallylaideyesonany.Theplacewaswellguardedforasmallfacility
whichmadePedrothinktheprisonerswerevaluable.Hestillhadmanagedtoget
twoofhismenhiredtherethoughtheywereonlyallowedtoguardoutside.

He, Sierra, and part of the team would go to the building with Pedro to see

everything for themselves. Zeus felt better to be doing something, so he was
readytogorightaway.TheydroveinahummerandaSUVtowithinamileof
theplace,thentheywalkedincloser.Thebuildingsdidn’tlookremarkablebut
hedidn’texpectthemtoosinceitwoulddrawattentiontotheirelicitactivities.
The high security fence drew enough attention to them already. He, and those
withhim,allhadbinocularssotheykeptaneyeonthegatewheresomeonewas
currentlypullingup.

“Doyourecognizethem,Zeus?”Sierraaskedgesturingtowardthegate.

“Oneofthemwasalabtechatourfacility,dirtybitch.Thedoctorsstoppedher
from causing any harm but she was sadistic and demanded sex from gods she
knewfoundherrepugnant.Ihopeshediesduringtheattack.”

“You, Zeus? Did she demand sex from you?” Zeus looked at her bright eyes,
knew if he lied she would kill the bitch that had tormented many of his men
ruthlessly in sexual ways. He couldn’t deceive her, but he could be completely
honestwhichmightservethesamepurpose.

“No,notme,butEreswasoftenhertarget.”Hesawangerfillherknowingifthe
situation was right the lab tech would go down. He looked over at Eres seeing
recognition and hate fill his eyes. If that woman was on the premises, she
wouldn’tfarewell.

TheywatchedforanotherhourseeingonemoreSUVcomeandtheonethathad
arrived earlier leave. It seemed like a lot of activity for a facility of this type.
Pedrohadsomehowgottenthespecsandhismenhadtoldhimtherewereone
hundred twenty five of what they termed inmates kept in a warehouse type
building directly behind the main facility. One hundred twenty five of his
brothershiddenfromthemforyears.Hewantedthembackandhewantedthem
backnowbutheknewtransportingthemwouldbeaproblem.Normallyeleven
passengerswouldfitintheHueystheywouldhavetotransport,butgodswere
bigsotenwouldbetight.Thatmeantitwouldtakeseveraltripstogetthemall
home,unlesstheycouldgetsomekindofplane.Therewasasmallairfieldnear
Pedro’splacewhichheprobablyusedtosmugglehisillegallootinoroutofhis
warehouses.

PedroGarciawasasmuggler,mercenary,andthiefbuttoSierrahewasafriend
soZeuswouldtreathimassuchtoo.Pedrowas tall,notas tallasa god,buta
littleoversixfeet.Hewasbuiltlikeafighterwhichwasaresultofhischosen
profession.Helivedthewayapiratewithoutashipwouldlive.Hismotleycrew

washeldincheckbyhisabilitytokicktheirassesinafightandthelargesums
ofmoneytheymadefromtheworkhefoundforthem.Helivedaloneenjoying
female company on a nightly basis, but keeping none for more permanent
companionship.ZeusthoughtPedrowouldbeconsideredhandsomeforahuman
anditwasprovenbytheeaseSierrasaidhedrewwomenin.

HethoughthewouldspeaktoPedroaboutrentingaplane,thethoughtofgetting
allhisbrothershomesoonmadehimfeelbetter.Hewaitedfortheopportunityto
approach him without Sierra noticing. Sierra bumped him hard on one side,
forcinghimtoshoothera‘whatthehell’look.

“IdealwithPedro,youleavehimbe.”Itmadehimwonderifshecouldreadhis
mindwhichdisturbedhimsincehehadn’tbeenabletoreadhers.

“No, I can’t read your mind but I can read your expression which seems to be
just as good. You’re staring holes into Pedro’s head.” Zeus had heard that
females were intuitive, he knew his female was good at everything so it made
senseshewouldbemoreintuitivethanmost.Hewoulddiscusswhatwasneeded
withherthenshecouldhandleitwhichsuitedhimbetteranyway.Heshotone
lastlookoverhisshoulderatthenightmarethathisdemonbrotherswereforced
tolivein.Onemoreweekgiveortakebeforetheywouldbefreewiththerestof
theirkind.

They returned to Pedro’s compound where Sierra planned to meet with Pedro
onemoretimetogoovertheplantofreehisdemons.Zeusintendedtositinon
thattalk,hejustneededtohearstepbystephowtheywouldfreethemandget
themhome.Theyallgotout,butSierraandPedrowentinadifferentdirection,
Zeus followed. They entered what he assumed was an office, Sierra started to
close the door, but Zeus caught it. “I’m in on this one too. I need to know
everything.”Shereluctantlysteppedbackclosingthedooroncetheywerein.

“Justlistenandsaynothingnomatterwhatyouhear.I’llexplainanythingyou
wanttoknowlater.Ihadhopedtokeepyoucleanofallthedirtydetails.”Her
wordsconfusedhimbuthewassurehewouldunderstandsoon.

Theywentthroughtheplantogethisdemonsout,hehadtoagreetheplanwas
good. The next part involved completely stripping the facility of anything of
value. It made sense so it would be blamed on local criminals instead of his
males. She had made a deal with Pedro where the profit was split sixty/forty.
Apparently that was the way things were done when getting Pedro’s help on a
mission. Pedro got a slightly higher percentage when the mission involved

retrieving something live or otherwise. He would loan them a 727 that could
holdoverahundredpeoplethattheycouldlaterpurchasefortwohundredand
fiftythousandiftheylikedit.Themoneywouldcomeoutoftheproceeds,sofar
a good deal even if he hated to profit from a rescue. The plane was so cheap
becauseitwas‘acquired’anditwasanolderplanebutingoodconditionhaving
recentlybeenoverhauled.Hecouldlivewitheverypartoftheagreementsofar
butthenextpartshockedhim.Pedrowantedallsurvivingpersonnel.Whatdid
he want them for? Could he really allow someone to be enslaved or tortured
eveniftheyrepresentedOrigin?

Sierra cleared that up quickly. “Pedro will ransom them back for a good bit of
money. I wish him good luck with dealing with the dregs of humanity. I do,
however,reservetherighttotakeafewshouldtheybeusefultoourcause.”

“Acauseisit?Youalwayscalleditamissionbefore.Doesithavesomethingto
dowiththisspecialmanofyours?Idon’treallyexpectyoutoanswer,Iagreeto
allusualterms.Letusdrinkonit.”Pedropouredthreeglassesoftequila.“You
gottheworm,Zeus,youluckybastard.”Hesaidashehandedhimhisdrink.

Zeuswasconflicted,hedidn’tlikeinsectsbutheunderstoodthatbeingaman,
hewouldsometimesbetestedindifferentwaysbydifferentgroupsorcultures.
Intheendherememberedthatoldsaying‘tothineownselfbetrue’.Heleftthe
little crawler in the bottom of his glass when he was done waiting to see what
Pedrowouldsay.

Pedrolaugheduntiltearscametohiseyes.“Don’tworry,bigman.Sierrawon’t
swallowthemeitherandshe’sgotbiggerballsthananymanIknow.”Hepicked
upZeus’glassandthewormslidintohismouth.“It’sgoodluck,andIneedallI
canget.”Hesaidashislaughterfollowedthemoutofhisoffice.

Zeusturnedtoher.“Areyounotinsultedbythecommentaboutyourballs?”He
askedthinkinghehadneverseenafemalewhowaslessaman.

“Itwasmeantasacompliment.HemeansIamtoughandcanfight.”

“Ihaveneverhearditusedforafemalethatwasn’tmanlybefore.”

“Youhavenow.Ididn’tknowhowyouwouldhandlethedetailsofthedeal.Lab
and security equipment are valuable, well worth Pedro’s time. He is an
invaluable ally and may come in handy on the other two rescues we have to
manage later. His price for the plan is fair since he hooverized it and found a
cleantitle.”

“Hooverized?”

“You know, like a vacuum cleaner, he has removed all signs of who owned it
before.It’sperfectforyourusebutitmayneedtobekeptelsewherebecauseof
the extreme weather. This year we are ending the winter easy, but the weather
can get impossible for a plane to survive without an indoor hanger which we
don’thave.”

“WhatdidOriginuse?Wewentplacesonplanesandhelicopters.”

“We’ve assumed they flew in then out as soon as possible. If not, you have a
hiddenhangarsomewhere.Maybeoldtapeswillrevealitslocation.”

They got ready to head back home. Home was a funny word, one Zeus would
never have used in describing the facility he was raised in before. Times they
wereachanging.

Chapter5

HeyBaby

Aresgreetedthemassoonastheylandedwhichshouldhavebeengood,butshe
didn’tfeelsogoodaboutit.Hisquick,“Weneedtotalk,”didn’tallayherfears
atall.ZeusgrabbedSierra’shandpullingherbehindhim.

OncetheywereinhisofficewiththedoorshutheturnedtoAres.“Report.”He
said in an almost military fashion. They might not be military but Sierra
understoodgodswerestrongalphaseveninthoseclassifiedasfootsoldiersand
disciplinewasnecessarytokeeporder.AresglancedatSierrainquiringly.“She
stays.”Zeussaidbrookingnoargument.

“Thereareacouplematterswemustdiscuss.First,SorosewasguardingCronos
whenhesaidhesawaslightmovement.Wefearhemaybewaking.”

“WhatdoesDocsay?”

“Yourelyonthatfemaletoomuch.Shesaysthereisnothingwecandoeither
way, to wake him or to keep him asleep. She recommends watching him more
closely so we can be sure whether it was a nervous reaction or a sign he is
waking.”

“Soundslikegoodadvicetome.”

“Iwouldliketoseesomeactiontaken.Iamtiredofwaiting.”

“Therewillbesomeactiontakenandyouwillbeinthethickofitbutitwillnot
beregardingCronos.Whatelseisgoingon?”

“Wewereattackedagainbutitwasahalfheartedattempt.Noonewashurton
eitherside.Ifeellikethereisareason,astrategybehindthisbutIdon’tknow
whattheyaretryingtodo.”

“Perhaps they want to keep you from leaving this place or make others fear it
willnotbesafefortheball,maybetheyareeventestingyouandyoursecurity.”
Sierrasuggestedthoughtfully.

“Maybe any one of those or all of them I don’t know.” Ares admitted sinking
deepintothought.“WhatisitIwillbeinthemiddleofsoon?”

“Wewillgofreeourdemonbrothersassoonaspossible.Getateamready,be
sure Eres and his males are on it. No more than eleven including you but not
Sierraorme.Yourbestfighters,yourmoststealthysoldiers.Twoorthreedays
togetreadythenwego.”Heknewhemoveduptheschedulebuthehadtohave
them back. Sierra said nothing waiting for them to be alone and understanding
hisneedtosavehismen.Shehadbeeninhisshoesbeforeandwouldprobably
bethereagainsometime.

AssoonasAreslefthepropelledhertohisroomwherehestartedtostrip.They
hadsharedaroomatPedro’sbutpaperthinwallshadcooledherdesirethough
hishadstayedstrong.Theyweredifferentintheiroutlook.Shewasembarrassed
tohavetheirlovemakingheard,whilehesaidhewouldgetmoreshitfromhis
malesifnonewasheardatall.

“Whyaren’tyougettingnaked,Babe?Weneedtocleanupalittle.”Zeussaid
motioningtowardtheshower.Shestartedthrowingherclothesoffassheheaded
towardthebathroomwithhiminhotpursuit.Themalewasjusttoodamnsexy!
Hepushedherintotheshowerholdingherjustoutofthesprayasheturnedon
andsetthewater.

Hepulledherunderwithhimsotheycouldenjoytherelaxingjetsofwaterjust
shy of being hot. He kissed her raising her heartbeat, making it go crazy. The
waterstreamingaroundthemraninsensualstreamsdownherbreastsandthighs.
It only increased her sensitivity and awareness of his lips, hands, and body
wheretheytouchedher.Hislipsplunderedhermouthashishandssqueezedand
pinchedhernipples.Thewaterhelpedhisbodyslideagainstherseasilysoshe
felt his hard length moving against her stomach. It made her ache to feel him
insidehertothepointthatshemoanedatthethought.

Hereacheddownpullingherupbyherasscheeksmovinghishandsoverthem
ashelineduptheirbodiessohecouldslamhissteelshaftintohertight,hotslot
untilhehitbottom.Theybothmoanedattheincrediblepleasurethatswamover
them.Shefeltenergizedandsensitivetoeverymovehemade.Hisstrongarms
liftedherupanddownwhilehishipsrockedintoherhittingalltherightspots.
Shefeltherpleasurespiral,liftingherupandovertheedgescreaminghisname.
Hefollowedclutchinghertightagainsthisbodywhiletheyjerkedagainsteach
otheruntiltheycalmed.Heslidherdownhisbodyuntilshewasstandingonthe

floor.Now,itwastimetogetclean.

Once they were through with their shower, after making sure they were both
squeaky clean, of course; they lay down to get some sleep. That was the plan
anywaybutplansoftenwentawry,soitshouldhavebeennosurprisewhenthe
alarmwentoff.Sierra’sfirstthoughtwastheymusthaveanotherhiddenplaceto
attackfrom.SheandZeusdressedquicklythoughshehadtogotoherroomfor
herbootsagainsincetheonessheworeinweren’tforcoldweather.Sherushed
backtoherroom,onlytofindfourstrangersthere.“Whoareyou?”

“Your worst nightmare, just come along peacefully and you won’t be hurt.” A
manaboutfiveten,builtlean,andhavingdarkblondhairsaid.Shelookedinto
his cold blue eyes seeing no warmth, no soul. She knew she would rather die
thanletthesementakeher.

“I don’t know who you are, but you must not know a thing about me either.
There is nothing peaceful about me.” Sierra kicked out suddenly clipping the
guy’schinknockinghimout.Twooftheothersgrabbedherarmswhilethethird
stupidly approached head on. She twisted kicking him right in the nuts. Score!
Hebentoverandshekickedhimintheheadthentwistedoutoftheholdofthe
guy on the right, turned away from him, then struck him in the balls with her
knee.Whilehewasdoubledover,shepunchedthelastmaninthenosecausing
bloodtosprayeverywhere.Sheopenedherdooryellingforhelp,afterallthere
werefourofthemwhohadprobablycomeinwithoutbeingseen.Shecouldn’t
letanyofthemgetaway.

Agnon,oneofthelowerrankinggodsrushedbybutshestoppedhimasthemen
rushed out to find her. Agnon was a tall, beefy god who looked like a
weightlifter,butshefoundoutthemalecouldalsofight.SheandAgnonfought
sidebysidetakingthealreadyweakenedmalesdowninmoments.Heradioedin
to have restraints brought as Sierra used her com to tell Buzz to check the
securitytapesfromtheareanearherroomandtracktheintrudersbacktowhere
they entered the facility. The attack was thwarted, the alarm off, and everyone
wentbacktowhattheyweredoingexceptforHerculesandhisteam.Sierrawas
concerned about being targeted personally but them getting to her so easily
concernedherevenmore.

Buzzcalledherwithbadnews,thesecuritytapewasinanendlessloopduring
the attack. That required access to their main computer which managed the
cameras and held the tapes. Buzz ruled out anyone from outside hacking in

leaving someone inside accessing the program in person. Things had just gone
frombadtoworsewithatraitorontheinside.SierrahadtosuspectKylerorhis
crew first because all of her people that would have access except Buzz were
gone. If Buzz was guilty, he would just make it look like it was done from
outsidewhichhehadn’t.

Zeus was headed her way looking fierce, which wasn’t unusual, but in a rage
which while not usual, wasn’t unheard of. “I was told you were attacked. You
willstaywithmesoIcanprotectyou.”Hegrowledlowashemotionedherto
followhim.

“That’s not going to work. We need to find out who helped them get in here
withoutbeingseen.Theymightgoafteraweakertargetnexttimeplusweneed
togetridofanytraitorsbeforethedemonscome.”

“You’reright,butIwantyoubesidemeanyway.Wewillworktogether.Where
wasKylerandhisteamwhileeverythinghappened?”

“Idon’tknowyet,butI’dlikeHerculestotalktothemandBuzzischeckingout
the tapes. I’m not sure how they knew I was back since we weren’t due back
until tomorrow. Maybe it was an attack for another reason but they changed
targetswhentheyrealizedIwashere.”

“I don’t know but when we find them, which we will, they will wish they had
leftyoube.”Sierrahadtosmileathisprotectiveness.Shecouldn’tdenyitwas
sweet,butshecouldtakecareofherselfbetterthanmost.Agnonhadstayedwith
her and Zeus turned to him. “You have my thanks for looking out for my
woman.”

Agnon, at six foot two, was dwarfed by Zeus even though he was built like a
bull. His chestnut hair was fine and straight halfway down his back. His eyes
werebluewithyellowflecks,hissmilebroadasheenjoyedZeus’praise.“Ilive
toserveyouandyourmate,Zeus.”Helookedabouteighteenbutwasprobably
mucholder.Helefttogetonwithhisdutieswhiletheywatchedhimwalkaway.

“Whatishethegodof?”Sierraaskedwithcuriosity.

“Rhetoric,sincehewasnamedafteranancientGreekrhetorician.Therewereso
manyofus,theybegantousecommonGreeknamesintheend.”

“Howmanyofyouwerethere?”

“I’mnotsurebutatleastathousand.”

“Thatisalotofbabiestoname.”Theirconversationfelloffastheybothbegan
tothinkabouttraitors,attacks,andthemissionahead.Oncetheysawtherewas
nothinglefttodo,theyheadedbacktotheirroomtorest.

Twodayspassedwithnoanswerstothequestionofwhohadbetrayedthem.It
was time to free the demons but they were concerned about the traitor finding
out about them. They decided to bring them in through Cronos’ chamber and
leave them off the first level. Kyler’s team wasn’t trustworthy so they couldn’t
knowaboutthem.ItwasoddthatKylerhadsaidnothingaboutZeusgivingthe
interview,therecenttrip,thefactthatKyler’steamwaslimitedtothefirstlevel,
and other matters. He hadn’t protested when Zeus had complained about his
teamhidinginsteadoffightingduringarecentattackeither.Nothingseemedto
bother Kyler nor did there seem any plans to pull him from his assignment, it
seemedtheywerestuckwithhim.

Theygrabbedtheirgearheadingouttothehelicopter.Theothertwohelicopters
weretheretoosotheydistributedtheteamequally.Pedrohadtheplanereadyto
flyoncethedemonswerefreeandSUVsreadytocarrythemwheretheyneeded
togo.Theweatherwascooperating,theirspiritswerehigh,soeverythingshould
goasplanned.PedrowaswaitingastheylandedwithSUVsandplentyofmen.
EresandSierrawithasmallteamwouldenteratanunmannedgatethatPedro’s
menhadthecombinationfor.Theywouldgothroughtakingoutasmanyofthe
enemyaspossible.Theywouldthensearchfordemonsfreeingthemandgiving
themclothingandgeartocovertheirwings,forthosewhohadwingswhichnot
alldid.Afewhadtailsbuttheywereeasilyhidden.

She looked at Eres as the gate clicked allowing them in. Zeus was probably
waiting impatiently driving poor Pedro nuts. She motioned for Eres to follow
her,notingthepoorconditionofthebackoftheproperty.Shehopedthedemons
weren’tinsucharundownarea,itmadeherconcernedwiththeconditionthey
might be in. They went in the building running into two guards almost
immediately. They took them down quickly using ties to restrain them. Eres
grabbed one in each hand carrying them to a room so they wouldn’t be found
easily. They continued finding guards here and there before they headed
downstairs. This was the lab area but was all but deserted. They found one
femalewhotheyrestrainedeasily.Theyhurriedbackupstairsmovingtoanew
buildingatthesidefindingfourguardsatonce.

SheandEressplitthemtakingtwoapiece.Sheshouldhavebeenmorecareful

but she ended up with a shiner. They rushed through the inside gate leaving it
open. They opened a set of double doors and found rows of individual doors.
Theysplituptocovermoreground.Sheopenedthefirstdoorsteppinginonlyto
be grabbed and lifted off the ground. “What do I have here? You should have
been more careful, Sweetheart. Didn’t they tell you I haven’t had a female in
years?” She looked at the familiar face, it was Lucifer. He looked even more
beautifulinperson.

“Lucifer,I’mheretofreeyou.ZeussentmetoletoutasmanyofyouasIcan
and take out guards. I have some clothes in back packs so you can cover your
wingssothelocalswhoarehelpingusdon’tfreakout.”

He took a deep breath moving up against her neck to breathe in again. “I can
smellZeusandEresonyou.IwilltrustyoubutifyouarelyingIwillkillyou
afterIhavemyfun.”

ThelookhegaveherwasmorefrighteningthanZeus’angrylooks.Sheopened
herbackpackhandinghimahugejackettopullon.Theysteppedoutofhiscage,
becausethat’swhattheinsidewas,itwasacagewithabedinonecorneranda
toiletnearasinkintheother.Ereshadalreadymovedonandhadhelpfreeing
moredemons.Sierracontinuedtohelpbutsincetheyallquestionedherthinking
she was the enemy, she wasn’t as helpful as the others. She heard gunfire
realizing the cavalry had come. She hoped none of their side was injured but
couldn’t care about those who worked for Origin. Baal, who turned out to be
Lucifer’s second in command, wanted to find a female who worked here. It
soundedliketheonetheyhadrestrainedinthelab.Shedidn’tunderstandwhyhe
needed her, but he was insistent and grew agitated when Eres wanted to leave
her.

“Sheisinthelabtiedup.Issheimportant?”Sierraasked.

“Shewasabducted,forcedtoworkagainstherwill.Shetriedtohelpusbutwas
punished.”Baalsaidwithanangryexpression.

“I’ll take you to her but we must hurry. This place will be destroyed soon.”
Sierra said as she turned to lead the way. Baal wore the jacket which hid his
wingsandhelpedhimappearhuman,itturnedouttobeagoodthing.Theymet
someofPedro’smenontheway.Thefemalewasstillwheretheyhadleftherso
Baal threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She seemed actually
relievedtoseeBaal.

She wasn’t gagged so she spoke, “Please get the laptop computer. It contains
important files for Baal’s kind.” Sierra grabbed the laptop as they hurried out
pastthelabPedro’smenweredismantlingwithamazingspeed.Sierrawenttoa
half sized file cabinet then pulled it along after her. It never hurt to have more
information and Pedro’s men would just destroy the files. As soon as she saw
Eres he grabbed the file cabinet, carrying it for her. Pedro had left all the file
cabinetsbehindtogoupinflamesbecausetheyweren’tworthmuchmoney.As
they drove away, she could see the building where they had found the demons
wasalreadyonfire.OnlyafewofPedro’smenwerestilldraggingoutpeopleor
equipment.Shewasgladtoseethelastofthatplace.

Shehadn’ttakenthetimetoworryabouttheconditionsthedemonshadlivedin
but none of them had been fed enough in a while. They could eat on the way
home since plenty of food had been loaded on the plane. The place was filthy
and all demons were in need of a bath and clean clothes. That was something
that would have to wait until they were home. She hadn’t noticed any injuries,
but she knew they healed practically overnight. They got to the airfield where
twoofthegodsweredirectingthedemonsontotheplane.Zeuscaughtupwith
her picking her up and hugging her so tight she couldn’t breathe. He stepped
backexamininghereyewithanangrylookonhisface.

“Howdidthishappen?”Hewassexywhenhewasangry.

“It’sjustoneofthosethings.Ifoughttwooftheguardsandonegotinalucky
hit.”

“WherewasEresorhismales?Whydidtheyletyoutakeontwooftheenemy?”

“Ereswaswithmedealingwithtwoenemiesofhisown.”

“Well,okay,butIwon’tbesendingyouinlikethatagain.”

“You will not treat me like a helpless female. I am a soldier!” Zeus was smart
and didn’t argue. They loaded onto one of the helicopters heading home. The
headcountonthedemonswasnotwhatwasexpected.ErestoldZeuslessthan
half of the demons were there. The others had been moved before their rescue
attempt.ShecouldseeZeuswasupsetanddidn’tblamehim.Hehadfreedless
thanhalfthedemons,theotherswerenownowheretobefound.

Zeuspulledherintohisarmsbutshefeltheneededthecomfortevenmorethan
she did. If only she could convince him to celebrate for each one that he freed
insteadofsufferingforeachonehecouldn’t.Shesnuggledintohisarmssinking

inhiscomfortingembracehopinghewouldfindthepeaceheneededuntilthey
arrivedbackhome.Thetripwasslowandboringnottomentionuncomfortable.
It was a relief when they arrived home. They unloaded, bringing the demons
aroundtothehiddendoorthataccessedthesublevels.Everythingwentwithouta
problem, so they were all settled in to the places that were available to them.
Only a few rooms were ready so most would have to take the cages that were
available which was less than desirable. Zeus let Lucifer decide who got the
roomsorcellssincehewastheleaderofthedemons.Withthedemonssettledin,
ZeusandSierrawenttotheirroomtorest.Thedemonswouldstayonthesecond
floor where visiting humans wouldn’t see them because even though humans
knewaboutthesecondfloor,accesswasrestricted.

Afewdayspassedwithnomajordisasterswhichwasapleasantsurprise.Work
was moving along on the remodeling especially in the first sublevel (second
floor)sincethosedemonswithaninterestwerehelpingtodothework.Demons
and gods had amazing abilities and could watch how to videos to learn to do
almost anything remembering even the smallest details. Now that a plane was
available, larger amounts of construction materials and tools could be
transported in. At least something was going well. Sierra decided to help with
construction on the first level so she put on her workout clothes which would
allow easy movement before going to where one of the suites was being
remodeled. It was hot, hard work and by lunchtime she was ready for a break.
SheheadedtothelunchroomwhereshewaspissedofftofindBrendamooning
overZeus.BrendaignoredherwhenshesatnexttoZeusactingasifshewasn’t
there. When Brenda ran her fingers over his chest, it was more than she could
take.

“You might want to move that hand before you lose it.” Sierra growled
aggressivelyatBrenda.

“Hedoesn’tseemtomind.Maybeyou’renotenoughwomanforhim.”Brenda
said with a laugh. The cafeteria was quiet as everyone watched to see what
wouldhappennext.

Sierra stalked closer ready to take out her prey. The stupid bitch had needed a
take down for a very long time. She grabbed the offending hand twisting it
aroundherbackthenpullinghertoherbeforeslammingherheadonthetable.
She released her to step away from the table to give her a chance to retaliate.
Sierra motioned with her hand for her to come on. Brenda did, she rushed

towardsherattemptingtopunchherinthethroat.Sierrablockedthepunchwith
her open hand wrapping it around the fist and twisting Brenda’s whole arm
sideways. Brenda rolled to the side and Sierra released her. Brenda ran at her
grippingherinabearhugintendedtocrushherribs.Sierramovedherhandsout
on both sides of Brenda’s head and slammed them together effectively boxing
herears.BrendascreamedandreleasedSierra.

Sierra tackled Brenda taking her to the floor and straddling her. She started to
punchherfaceallthewhilescreamingather.“YouwillleaveZeusalone!You
willnottouchhimagain!”Shethrewonemorepowerfulpunchwhichknocked
Brendaoutcold.ThensheturnedherattentiontoZeus.“Youallowhertotouch
youlikethatagainandIamsooutofhere.”Sheturnedandleftthecafeteriastill
soangrythatherfacefeltburninghot.Damnmale!Sheshouldhavestayedthe
hellawayfromhimandnevergotinvolved.Shewenttoherroomandlockedthe
door.Shedidn’twanttoseeanyonerightnowespeciallyhim.Thetemptationto
run away, from Zeus and this place, was nearly overwhelming, but she stayed
anyway.

It had been nearly a week without her saying a word to Zeus. She was still so
pissedoffathimsittingtherelettingthatbitchrunherhandsoverhimthennot
sayinghedidn’tlikeitwhenBrendasuggestedhedid.Nomatterhowfuckedup
hislifehadbeen,hehadtoknowthatwaswrong.Shehadseriousthoughtsof
leaving constantly even though she knew it would hurt. She was an emotional
disaster,herfeelingswereallovertheplace.Sheavoidedhimmostofthetime
andrefusedtotalkorevenlookathimwhenhewasaround.Hehadtriedtoget
her attention, even tried to talk to her but she just stormed away. If Brenda’s
intention had been to break them up, then Zeus had helped her do it. Sierra
thoughtshemightevenlovehimbutshewasn’tgoingtoputupwiththatkindof
shit from anyone. Her mistake had been allowing herself to get involved when
sheknewsheshouldn’t.Allthefemalesinthefacilitythatwereclosetoherhad
taken what happened to heart. None of Zeus’ males would have any luck with
them.

All the gods had made an effort to speak to her on his behalf, those guys sure
stucktogether.Zeuswassad,hedidn’tknowanybetter,hewantedtoseeher,he
waslovesick,andsoonandon.Herfriendssupportedherlettingherknowshe
wasdoingtherightthing,itonlystrengthenedtheirresolvetokeeptheirdistance
fromtheothergods,notthattheyneededareasontostayaway.Theyhaddone
an excellent job of avoiding any intimacies even to the point of refusing

friendship with any of the gods. The men, not so much, as they made friends
withthegodseasily.Sierrawassurprisedbythatbutthemenonherteamwere
exceptional so they might not have the chip on their shoulder that Kyler had.
SpeakingofKyler,hetookeverychancetocatchheralone,tryingtotouchher
andwooherbacktohim.Shehadexplainedinnouncertaintermsthattheywere
through,buthejustdidn’tseemtogetitandherehewasagain.

“Sierra,mysweet,Ijustlovetoseeyou.Whenarewegoingtopickupwhere
weleftoff?Imissyouinmybeditgetssocolduphere.Youcan’ttellmeyour
bedisn’tcoldandlonelytoo.”

“Look,Kyler,wearedone,through,finished.Wehadourtimeandnowit’stime
tomoveon.Itwasfunwhileitlasted,cherishthememories.”

“To hell with memories, you can’t tell me you don’t miss the feeling of a dick
filling you while hands squeeze your tits and a mouth coaxes you to cum all
over.Icandothatforyouagainandagain.Idon’tholdyourlittleaffairwiththe
freakagainstyou.Iunderstandthey’redifferent,youwerecurious.I’mwilling
totakeyouback,becauselet’sfaceit,there’snoonelikeyou.Nooneastightor
hot, no one that can make me scream their name when I cum inside them. No
onethatgivesheadlikeyoudoorthattastessosweetwhenIgodownonthem.
Comebacktome,mysweet,andallwillbeforgiven.”

Sierra shivered but not from thoughts of Kyler. It was Zeus she thought of,
probably always would. Kyler, however, saw and assumed it was for him and
whattheyhadoncehad.Hemovedclosertotouchher,toguidehertohisroom
wherehehadbigplansforher.

“Don’tcomeonestepcloser.Thesemalesaren’tfreaksandtheyaredifferentin
adeliciouslydelightfulway.ZeusandImaynothaveworkedout,butitwasn’t
becausethesexwasn’tincredible.YouandIwillneverbeinbedtogetheragain
ifIamconscious.Getitthroughyourthickskull,neveragain.”Shesaidasshe
walkedoff.

As another week passed it seemed that both Kyler and Zeus got the message.
She wished she could get the message too because she dreamed of him every
night,notKylerbutZeus.Shewasn’tkeptinformedanymorebutshespentmost
ofhertimewiththedemonsespeciallyLuciferwhoshefelthadbecomeafriend
and occasionally a confessor. He knew about everything that had happened
betweenherandZeusbuthedidn’tjudge.Shewasadoityourselferandshowed
themhowtodomanyofthethingstheyneededtodoontheirprojectswhilethey

didn’t bring up Zeus. A fair deal she thought, as more time passed without
anythingbeingresolved.

“So,Lucifer,whydon’tyouhaveanicknamelikemanyoftheothersdo?”

“What, a demon called Luci? I’d have to kill people who called me that. It
challenges my maleness, don’t you agree?” He said with a smirk and a saucy
wink.Hewasarealtease,notthatitaffectedher,butotherwomenwouldburn
forhimifheactedthatwayaroundthem.

“Maybe,butwhataboutCipherorevenCi?”

“ThatwouldbeanimprovementonLuci.Ciphermightworksinceitimpliesa
secretwhichIamandhave.”Hewinkedatheragainbeforecontinuing.“Ihate
tohidethembecausemywingsaremybestfeature.Theyaddalittlekinkiness
tosex.Wanttofindout?”

Sierrablushedbrightredallover.Luciferwassneakysinceherarelygotsexual.
Hewasusuallymoreplayfulbutwhenhedidgetsexual,italwayscaughtheroff
guard.Sheknewhedidn’tmeanitsincehewasastaunchadvocateforZeus.

“AndifIsaidIdid?”

“Iwouldnailyourighthereonthistableinaquickminute,butIknowwhere
your heart is whether you admit it or deny it, my brother Zeus totes it around
withhimwhileyoucarryhis.”

“Weneedtofindyouanequallyunrulywenchtowearthatlivelinessrightoutof
you.”

“Ieagerlyawaither.”Sierraknewhedid.Luciferwaslonelyandhadbeenalone
too much of his life. He and all his demons needed friends and lovers to help
themhealthehurtsOriginhadcausedthem.

SheneededtoseeDocandsheknewit,butshedidn’twantto.Shewasgetting
sickoftenatthemostinopportunetimes.Ifshewasjustheartsick,Doccouldn’t
helpher.WhatifshehadpickedupsomethinginMexico?Theconditionsinthe
demon’squartershadbeenterribleandtheywereresistanttomostillnessesbut
shewasonlyhuman,mostlyanyway.ShedecidedtoseeDocassheranforthe
nearestbathroom.Damn,itwasthelastthingsheneedednow!

Shewenttothefirstfloor,aplaceshehadavoidedliketheplague.Shemanaged
nottoseeanyonesheknewassheslippedintomedical.Shit,Iwasrelievedtoo

soon. Eres was there talking to Doc. He looked up when he saw her his eyes
accusing her of letting him down. So what if she was suppose to train him, it
wasn’t her fault things hadn’t worked out. She did have to admit she hadn’t
followed up on any of the things she had offered to do, but she had wanted to
avoidZeus.Itseemedwhileavoidinghim,shehadavoidedmanyothers.

“Hello, Sierra.” He said with no warmth or happiness at seeing her. My how
thingshavechanged.

“Hey,Eres.Longtimenosee.”StupidthingtosaysinceI’vebeenhiding.

Aghostofasmilecrossedhislips.“Ithasbeenawhile.I’vegottogomeetBuzz
atthestation.Seeyoutwolater.”Hewalkedoutwithoutlookingback.Thatwas
easierthanexpected.

“Whatbringsyoutothedangerzone?”Docaskedwithamischievoussmile.

“I’ve been feeling like shit.” Doc shot her a look that said ‘what’s new’. “It’s
more than this thing with Zeus. It’s physical, I’ve thrown up, I’m getting
headaches, and I feel kinda achy. I’m afraid I picked up something in Mexico
becausetheconditionsthedemonswereinwasappalling.”

“Okay,IneedtodrawsomebloodandIneedaurinesampletoo,justincase.”

Sierradidn’taskincasewhatbecauseitmadehernervoustoknowwhatitmight
be.She’ddealwiththatifitcamedowntoit.ShewenttogetDochersample
then Doc pulled the blood sample. “Why don’t you go to your room to take a
nap,youlooktired.I’llcallyouinanhourorwheneverIknowsomething.”

Sierra didn’t have the strength to fight her so she agreed. It was almost funny
how quickly she fell asleep once she hit her pillow. She didn’t want to wake
when the com buzzed but she forced herself to. It was Doc and she had the
informationbutwantedtogiveittoherpersonally.Itmadeherworrythatitwas
somethingserious.Shehurriedtomedicalthoughwhyshecouldn’tsay.Afew
minuteswouldmakenodifferenceeitherway.

“Sierra, have a seat while I go over some things with you. You have a mild
bladderinfectionwhichisn’tseriousbutneedstobetreatedimmediately.”

“Alrightbutifitisn’tserious,whydoyouseemsoworriedaboutit?”

“I was about to tell you that you are pregnant. Bladder infections are more
commonduringpregnancyandcanbedangeroustothebaby.Iwilltreatyoufor

it, put you on prenatal vitamins, and you need to see me regularly. The baby
lookstobeaboutthirteenweeks,doesthatmakeitKyler’s?”

“No, I hadn’t seen him for almost four months before this mission. We were
planning on getting together but we hadn’t yet. Because we both went on long
missions, we went weeks without getting together. We also used protection,
condoms and additional spermicide. Zeus and I had unprotected sex several
times,butnotthatlongago.”Shewasconfusedandalittlescared.Ababynow
wouldbeacareerkiller,ofcourseshehadalwaysplannedtohaveonesomeday,
butnowsomedaywassoon.“Idon’twanttosharethisinformationwithanyone
yet.JustpretendInevercamehere.”

“Icandothatfornowbutit’sonlyamatteroftimebeforeeveryonecansee.I’m
surprisedyou’renotshowingmore.NowthatI’mlookingIcanseesomesigns
but at around three months I would expect more. Eventually we need to figure
outwhothefatheris.Ifit’sKyler’s,thebabyisunderweightandnotdeveloped
enough,butifit’sZeus’,thebabyisaheadindevelopmentandlarge.Thegods
arelargeandgrewrapidlybuttheywereonaspecialdiettoboostdevelopment.
Ibetyou’renoteveneatingrightorenoughunderthecircumstances.Ineedto
getyouonaspecialdietforthebaby’ssake.”

“You can’t order a special diet for me. None of these guys are stupid, they’ll
knowsomethingisup.”

“Fine, I’ll have your food sent to my room and we’ll start exercising together.
I’ll say I’m training for a contest or something. Keep in mind, if this baby is
developingrapidly,youmaybegivingbirthintwoorthreemonths.”

“I’llkeepthatinmindbutitwon’tchangeanything.”Shelefttheofficeonlyto
runintoZeus,literally.Herwholebodyhummedwithelectricitythesecondshe
cameintocontactwithhim.

“Sierra,I’msosorry.Pleasegivemeachancetotalktoyou.”Helookedpretty
miserablebuthedeservedit.

“Youhadachancetotalk,butyoublewit.”

“I didn’t have much of a chance. You and that wicked witch took over the
conversation. She knew I didn’t want her touch, I had told her many times
before.Ithoughtifyouhandleditshemightactuallyleavemebe.Iwasright,
eventhoughyouarepunishingme,shehasn’tcomenearmesince.”

“Iamnotpunishingyou.”Shesaidbecauseshewaspunishingherselfasmuch
asanyone.“WearenotacouplesoIcan’tpunishyou.”

“Youaredenyingme,withholdingyourcompanyandyourbodyfromme,thatis
punishment.Youareputtingmethroughhell.”

“Ididn’tletamanrunhishandsoverme.WhatwouldyouhavedoneifIhad?”

“IwouldhavebeatenhimwithinaninchofhislifeandproventoyouthatIwas
theonlyoneyouwantedbutIwouldneverhaveleftyou,never.”

“Soyouwouldn’thavebeenangrywithme?”

“OfcourseIwouldbebutitwouldn’tturnmefromyou.Nothingcouldeverturn
mefromyou.Maybemyfeelingsarejuststrongerthanyours.”

“Idon’tthinkyourfeelingscouldhavebeenstrongerthanminewere.”

“Were?You’reoverthemalready?”

“I’mtiredoftalkingandIneedtogetsomerest,Zeus.Maybewe’lltalklater.”

Zeusgrowled,tiredofallthetalkingandconcernedabouthismate.Hemoved
likegreasedlighteningscoopingherupbeforerunningdownthehalltotakeher
to his room. She was startled grabbing hold of his shirt to stop herself from
movingaround.Hewentthroughthedoorkickingitclosedbeforemarchinginto
hisroomtodropheronhisbed.Hefelloverhercatchinghimselfonhishands
so he loomed over her just touching her body all over. She felt his warmth
radiating into her body making it hum with need. Damn him for the way he
makesmefeel.

He kissed her even though she moved her mouth to avoid him, he just kissed
wherever his mouth landed. She could not avoid the fact that she wanted him
whetherhewasajerkornot.Shewashotwithdesire,somethingnotlikelytogo
away ever with this male. She’d always heard pregnancy could ramp up desire
and she was now a believer. Her hormones must be going wild, even more so
with what his mouth and hands were doing. There was no way to fight the
feelingshecausedinher.Heknewitashestoodremovinghisclotheswatching
hercarefullyforanysignshemightrun.

She was angry at herself for being so weak as Zeus settled himself over her
againkissingherbreathlessbeforeheslidhershirtoffherwhileheleanedtoone
side. Part of her mind screamed that sex wouldn’t solve their problems but her

bodysaidworryaboutthatlater.Hepoppedthefrontsnapofherbratograbher
breastsqueezingthemgentlybeforemovingdowntopullherpantsandpanties
downbyherwaistband.Hemoveddowntountiehertennisshoesbeforesliding
everything off her legs. Now that she was naked, she would have a hard time
escapingifshechangedhermind.Hestartedathertoeskissingandlickedher
instep making her shiver with delight. He continued up the inside of her leg
beforestartingdowntheotherleg.Whenhewasthrough,hesatbacklookingat
herintentlyasifwaitingforhertosaysomething.

Whensheremainedsilenthesaid,“Iwantyousomuch,butthiswon’tfixwhat’s
broken. I need you to come back to me and commit to us with everything you
have.IwillgiveyouallthatIhave,allthatIamifyouwilldothesame.The
nexttimeafemaletouchesmewithoutyourapproval,Iwillthrowthematyour
feet.”

Couldsheforgivehimandmoveforward.Shehadmorereasonsnowthanever
beforebutshedidn’twanttodothisjustbecauseofthebabythatshebelievedto
beZeus’.“Iwouldconsiderwhatyousay,butmysituationhaschanged.”

“Thebaby?”

“Thebaby,buthowdidyouknow?”

“Icansmellthelittlegirl,ourlittlegirl,sheisgrowinginyourbellybutIwould
acceptherwhethershewasmineornot.”

It was a good answer, she would give him that. It made her feel loved and
wanted.Knowingitwasalittlegirl,madeherseemmorereal.“Sheisgrowing
sofastit’salittlescary.Shemaybehereatsixmonthsorless.”

“I’llbetherewithyoueverystepoftheway.Wegrewmuchfasterthanhumans
toobutweallmadeitalright.Shewillbeokaytoo.”

Therewasloveonhisface,inhiseyesashelookeddownather.Sheraisedher
hand to his cheek stroking it softly before pulling his face down to hers. She
raised her lips to his softly kissing his lips with such emotion that it conveyed
the love she held inside for him more strongly than words ever could. The
feelings she thought she would never have, overcame her and a single tear
slowlysliddowntherightsideofherface.Shebrokethekisslookingintohis
eyeswhileherownwerebrightenedwithunshedtears.Lovehurtsomucheven
whenitwasreturnedbecausesheknewZeuslovedherbutneitherofthemhad
planned for this child. He thought being a parent easy but he would learn the

hard lessons that she had learned watching her sister raise Charlie. Her sister’s
husband had died but she had a large group of friends and family that had
stepped up to help fill the gap. Being a parent was truly the hardest job in the
world. It was a job she and Zeus would now take on even though their
relationshipwasnotyetsecureandtheirlifewaslikeridingarollercoaster.

Zeusheldher,kissingheruntilpassionoverwhelmedallherfeelingsofconcern.
Desire made her reach out for her mate. He understood, taking her like she
wanted,givingherwhatsheneeded.Histouchfeltfamiliarbutstillexciting.Her
core heated in anticipation as her whole body hummed in expectation for his
touch.Hishandsmovedoverherbodystrokingherskillfullybuildingherneed
soshewassoakingwetforhim.Henudgedhiskneesbetweenherlegsopening
herwideforhimasheloweredhisimpressivegirthslippingitinsideher.Heslid
easilyintoherwelcomingsheathpressingagainstherwomboncehewasfully
seated. They both moaned at the wonderful feeling of their joined bodies. She
had missed being with him both this way and just enjoying his company, his
warmthwrappedaroundherwhentheysnuggled.

He moved faster but with more caution than he ever had before probably
because of her condition. “I won’t break, Baby.” She whispered in his ear. He
sped up causing the most delightful friction as he moved, hitting her from
differentangleseachonemorepleasurablethanthelast.Shewasovercomewith
feelings of titillation until he pushed her over the edge of bliss. She screamed
and clutched at him needed to hold on for fear of being lost in the delight he
gave her. He bellowed as he came slamming into her hard and she felt his hot
cum soaking her inside. His teeth sank into her neck which stung but it didn’t
botherheratthetime,itonlysentherintoanotherwaveofgloriousdelight.Her
strong vaginal muscles renewed milking the last of his seed from his nearly
depletedshaftcausingittobecomeengorgedagain.

“Areyoualright,Sweetheart?Areyoureadyformore?”Itmadeherfeelbetter
thathehadmissedbeingwithheranditdidn’tseemhehadbeenwithanother.

“I’mokaybutmyneckburnsalittle.”

“Itwasnecessary,Baby.Itwillcompleteyourchangewhichwillhelpyoucarry
mychild.Trustmetodowhatisbestforyouandthelittlegoddess.”

Inforapennyinforapound,ifshewasgivinghimanotherchance,sheneeded
to go in all the way. She had to commit to their relationship and the life they
couldhave,completely.Shefellasleepwithaslightstinginherneckandhope

inherheart.

“Baby, wake up.” A male voice said. She was having the loveliest dream that
Zeus was holding her again. Someone shook her so she sat up looking around
seeinghimbeforeanythingelse.Itcamebackinaflash,sheandZeushadmade
upandheknewaboutthebaby.Thebabythatwasgrowinginherbellylikea
weed would be born way before the nine months regular humans were. They
would have their share of troubles to deal with but she was going to help him
buildagoodlifeforallofthem.Fornowitwastimetogetbacktoreality,not
herfavoriteplacetobe.

Zeus took her to the meeting room making her wonder if he had called the
meetingbecausetheywerebacktogetherorifthemeetingwasalreadyplanned
but he had brought her because they were together again. None of the gods
looked surprised to see her which annoyed her even though she knew it
shouldn’t. It was like he had said she would be back and none of them had
doubtedhisabilitytoconvinceherforamoment.Themeetingbeganandthey
were planning to attack two facilities at the same time. The plan was to rent a
planeforonegroupusingtheplanetheyalreadyhadfortheother.Theobvious
problemwasthattheyneededathirdplanebecausethefacility,inJamaicaofall
places,heldovertwohundredgods,ifthepreliminarynumberswerecorrect.A
secret facility in a tourist destination, that was just crazy. No one could be left
behindortheymightneverbefoundagain.

“Whenarewegoingin?”

“There’snowe.Youcan’tgothistime.Youhavetoconsiderthebaby.”Afew
godsseemedsurprisedbutmostmusthavealreadyknown.

“IrealizeIcan’tgowherethefightingis,butIcanstillgotohelpcoordinatethe
rescuebutstaywiththecopter.”

“We will discuss this later.” Zeus said as he saw all the interested looks they
weredrawing.Sierranoddedbutshedidn’tplantoletthisgo.

Themeetingconcludedwithassignmentshandedoutandaplantorentanother
planeintheworks.Everyonehadtheirtaskassignedbuther.Zeuswasalready
trying to shield and protect her which was no surprise, but pregnant wasn’t
uselesssoshewantedtohelp.Shehadtoadmitthepregnancyhadhitherhard,
thebaby’srapidgrowthtookalotoutofherbutsheneededtofeelusefultobe
happy.Sheknewalotofwomenwouldbehappytobetakencareofandkept

fromtheworriesoflife,butthatjustwasn’ther.Zeusneededtolearntoaccept
thatandworkwithherinsteadofagainsther.

She went to see Doc for her regular visit a couple days later. She wasn’t
surprisedthatthebaby’sgrowthwasagainexceptional.“Youwillhavethisbaby
between twenty one and twenty three weeks if the growth rate continues. Her
developmentiskeepingpacewithhergrowth.Isuspectyouwillbesotiredyou
will be resting more than you’re up in a week or two. You can’t go on any
missionsordoanythingstrenuousuntilthebabycomes.”

“You’remakingZeushappy.Okay,I’lldealwithwhateverIhaveto.So,tellme,
what’sgoingonwithyouandHadeslately?Noonetellsmeanything.”

“I have stayed away from him because I never want to go through what you
have.IfIeverdoubtedmydecisiontostayalone,I’llneverdoubtitagain.You
canhaveenoughkidsforallofus.We’llbethebestauntieseverandnevermiss
beingmothers.”

Sierrawasspeechless.Shefinallymanagedtoaskaquestionbutitwasoneof
themillionrunningthroughhermind.“Whataboutsex?”

“My boyfriend is electronic. He never hurts me and he’s always in the mood
whenIam.”

“You’rehilarious,Doc.Iknowyouturntoliveloversonceinawhile.Nowthat
you’veknownHades,willyoueverbeabletobewithsomeoneelseagain?”

“Sure,whatdoeshehavetodowithanything?”

“Maybe I misread your relationship with him, but once I met Zeus, I couldn’t
stand the thought of another male touching me. Maybe that’s why it hurt so
muchtoseethatbitch’shandsonhim.”

“It’snotthesamething,Sierra.IhardlyknowHades.”

“Okay,Doc.Justkeeptellingyourselfit’sdifferentandthathedoesn’taffectyou
thatway.”

“It’strue,hedoesn’tmeanathingtome.”

“Ithinktheladyproteststoomuch.”DocreachedoutandsmackedSierraonthe
ass.

“Getoutofhereyoutroublemaker.”Sierrastuckhertongueoutathermaking
Doclaugh.Itremindedherofwhentheywereyoung.Shetookofftoherroom

feelingthesuddenneedtorest.

Shewokeuptoawarmhandsstrokingherbelly.“Ididn’tnoticethisbabybump
lastnight.”Zeussaidplayfully.

“She’sgrowingfastbutnotthatfast.”

“Shealreadyknowsyouandme,whatwearetoher.”

“That’simpossible.”

“Is it?” Zeus lay down with her curling his body protectively around her. He
rubbedherarmsandherbellysoothingherbacktosleep.

Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye for Sierra because she was tired and
sleptoften.Itwasthemorningthegodswereleavingfortherescuemissionsand
shedidn’tevencarebecauseshewastootiredtogo.Thebabyhadcontinuedto
growatanalarmingrateandherstomachnowlookedlikeitheldabasketball.
EvenDocwasamazedattheacceleratedgrowthinthefinalstagebeforebirth.
She had told Sierra and Zeus, who now accompanied her on every scheduled
doctor’svisit,thatthebabycouldcomeanytimenow.Sierradidn’tcare,shejust
wantedtosleep.Docencouragedher,thinkingitwasthebestwaytodealwith
thestressonherbodycausedbythebaby’sneeds.

Sierra was aware they were leaving soon. “I could stay with you. What if the
babycomes?”Zeusaskedwithanervousexpression.

“Whatcanyoudoifshedoescome?IhaveDoctohelpmesoI’llbefine.All
I’lldowhileyou’regoneiseatandsleep.”

“That’strue,butifIstayed,youcouldaddhavesextothatlist.”

“Don’t tempt me to keep you here with me.” Sierra said thinking about the
incrediblesextheyhadenjoyedsincetheyhadgottenbacktogether.Hehadbeen
an enthusiastic lover, a protective mate, and the perfect confidante for all her
pregnancy issues. He had listened patiently, rubbed her feet or her back
depending on what hurt worse then kissed her until she forgot anything hurt at
all.

“I’llbebackassoonaswegetourbrothersfreed.I’llcalltogiveyouupdatesso
youwon’tworry.We’releavingnowsowe’llgetbacksooner.”Hesmiledather
butshecouldseehisconcernashiseyesdroppedtoherstomach.Heleanedover
givingherasoulshatteringgoodbyekissbeforeheheadedoutoftheroom.She

missedhimassoonasheleftbutonlyuntilshefellasleep.

“Sierra,wakeup.”Docshookherslightlytowakeher.

“I’msotired,canIsleepsomemore?”

“No,Sierra.Ithinkyou’reinlabor.I’mnotsurewhenitstartedbutIneedtoget
youtomedicalrightnow.”

“I think I would know if I was in labor.” Sierra said then she doubled over.
“Damn,whatwasthat?”

“Laborpains,Mama.Let’sgetyouupandovertomedical.”Dochelpedherup
andtheywalkeddownthehalltomedical.Shehelpedherontothehospitalbed
andgothercomfortable.

“You’re going to have a baby soon. Your water hasn’t broke yet, but your
contractionsaregettingclosertogether.Ithinkitwillbeawhilejudgingbyhow
thingshavebeengoingbutIcan’tbesureofanything.”

Waycameintocheckonher.“I’veheardfromZeus.They’regettinginplacefor
the rescue. I told him you were in labor and he was upset that he wasn’t here
withyou.”

“Itoldhimtogo.There’snotmuchhecoulddohereandheneedstofreetherest
ofhisbrothers.”

“Howaboutyou?Areyouokay?”Waywantedtoknow.

“Otherthanfeelingtiredandoccasionalpiercingpainshootingthroughme,I’m
great.”

“Youneedsomewater?”Docaskedholdingoutaglassofitforher.Shegrabbed
itsippingonlyenoughtowetherterriblydrymouth.

“Thanks.Iwishtheothergirlswereheretoo.”

“I know, Pris will be so mad she missed the birth of her first niece.” Doc said
smiling.

“All of them will be mad but what can you do when you are giving birth to a
goddessandyouhavetofollowherschedule?”

“Thecontractionsseemtohavestopped.”Docsaid.“Thiswillbealongnight.”
DocandWaygotcomfortableforalongwait.

Asoftgroanrumbledoutofherthroatasapainfulcontractionhitoutoftheblue.
She felt moisture between her thighs but not enough to be her water breaking.
Howembarrassing,wonderingwhatitwas.Docwokeupandstoodnexttoher.

“Anythingwrong?Isitjustacontraction?”

“Isn’t that enough? I do feel a little wet but not enough to be my water
breaking.”Sierraadmittedturningpinkwithembarrassment.

“Letmecheckyouout.”

Sierra spread her legs when Doc raised her sheet to look under it. Doc was
makingnoisesthatmadehernervous.“Whatdoesmmmean?”

“Yourplughasfallenout.There’salittlebloodbutifanythinglessthanusual.
Nowwejustkeepaneyeonyou,yourwaterbreakingwillbenext.”

“Iwishmylittlegoddesswouldhurry.I’vealreadyhadenough.”

“Theycomewhenthey’rereadyandnotamomentbefore.”Docadvisedwitha
smile.

“Oh,shit!Thatonehithard.”

“Theyaregrowingclosertogetherbutitcouldstillbeawhile.”

Waywasstillasleep.Clearlytootiredtobotheruntilitwasclosertotime.Doc
and Sierra sat talking for hours about the days of their youth, the people they
both knew, and finally about the gods themselves. Sierra knew Doc wasn’t
immune to Hades nor did she believe Way was immune to Apollo. It wasn’t
really her business, but she was sure they would eventually give in to the
attractionthegodsputforth.

“Doc,IthinkIneedyou.”Sierrasaidwithanedgeofpanictohertone.

“What’swrong?”

“ThistimeIfeltafloodofwetness.”

“Letmecheck.”Shesaidasshepulledbackthesheet,Sierraopenedherlegs.,
andDoclookedin.“Itlookslikeyourwaterbroke.Wehaveababyontheway.”

“Areyousure?”

“Let’snotgetspookednow.We’vemadeitallthewaytothispointandwe’re
almost done now. Where’s my big tough captain that kicks ass and takes

names?”

“Shetookoffforpartsunknownleavingthiswimpymamabehind.”

“You’veneverbeenwimpyadayinyourlife.”

“Thenit’sabouttimeIhavethechancetobe.It’sstartingtohurtreallybad.”

“Let me check you again.” She looked one more time for whatever mysterious
signsdoctorslookfor.“Ifacontractionhitsagain,push.You’refullydilatedand
readytogo.”

“Oh,God,Doc.”Shegroanedasshepushedreallyhard.Shefeltsweatrundown
herfacewhichfeltreallyhot.Thesharppainsfromthecontractionrankedright
up there with breaking a bone or getting shot. Contractions were hitting close
togetherthepainurginghertopushtogetthislittlesquatteroutintotheworld.

“I’m going to cut you to make it easier. She’s having a hard time getting out.”
The sting of the scalpel as Doc opened her up was probably not as bad as the
painofhavingthebabytearheropenwouldhavebeen.“Pushreallyhard.”

SoSierrapusheduntilthestrainmadeherhurtallover.“Herheadisout.”Doc
said grabbing the nose syringe to clean the baby’s nose. “Push again with all
you’vegotsotheshoulderswillclear.”

Sierra pushed like her life depended on it because she wasn’t sure if the babe
didn’t come now, if she would have anything left to give. “She’s beautiful,
Sierra.”Docsaidandsheheardherdaughtercry.Dochadwipedheroffquickly
before laying the squalling bundle of joy on Sierra’s stomach. Deep gold eyes
staredbackatherwithalooksolikeherfatherZeusthatSierra’sbreathcaught
inherthroat.Afullheadofravenlockscurledaroundherhead.Herlittlebowtie
lipspressedtogetherasifwaitingfortheslightestthingtosetheroff.Theworld
hadneverseenamorebeautifulbabyandneverwould.Sheheldherinherarms
knowingtherewasnothingshewouldn’tdoforthistinylife.

Shemovedherbabytoherbreasttofeedherforthefirsttime.Thebabylatched
on feeding hungrily her eyes rolling back in her head from the pleasure of the
‘all you can eat buffet’ she enjoyed while she was held in her mother’s loving
arms.DoccameandtookthebabytolaydownforanapsoSierrawenttotakea
showersoshecouldputoncleanclothesandfeelmoreherself.Shewenttoher
roomgettingstrippedandintheshowerquickly.Thewarmwaterwashedaway
thebloodandgrungefromgivingbirthandlyinginahospitalbedforhours.She

dressedincomfortableclothesthenhurriedbacktoherbaby.

Sheheardyellingasshegotclosetomedical.Onceshegotinthedoorshesaw
Kyler yelling at Doc. “You better tell me where Sierra is and whose baby this
is.”

“Nothingthatgoesoninmedicalisanyofyourbusiness.”Docyelledrightback.

“Hey, Doc. What’s going on over here? I got a call that a loud argument was
takingplace.Kyler,whatareyoudoinghere?”

Hisfacewasredwithangerasheturnedtofaceher.Hesaidthroughclenched
teeth,“Iheardyougavebirth.Ifit’strue,thatismybaby.”

Sierra laughed. “Do I look like I just gave birth? Have I even looked pregnant
andwatchhowyouanswerthatbecauseIwouldbeoffended.”

Helookedunsurenowwhenpresentedwithalogicalargument.“Maybenot,but
ifnotyou,thanwho?”

“Whatmakesyouthinkyoucanmakedemandsinafacilityrunbygods?What
makeswhohaschildrenorifanyonehaschildren,yourbusiness?”

“You know they can’t run things themselves. That’s why my team is still here,
we’ll jump in and run things when it all goes to hell. These guys are clueless,
theycan’tmanagetotakecareofthemselvesbecausethey’veneverhadto.Itold
Markthingsareshakyhere.Theywillbegforhelpfromusespeciallywhenthat
balltheyhaveplanneddoesn’tworkout.”

“Whywouldn’titworkout?DoyouknowsomethingIdon’t?”

“No, of course not. What makes you think I would know anything? I’m just
sayingit’sacomplicatedaffairtopulloffandIdon’tthinkthey’llmanagethen
I’lltakeover.”ShegotthefeelingKylerwaslyingtoher.

“Areyoucrazy,Kyler?Thisistheirfacility,theirproperty.You’renevergoingto
beinchargehere.”

“Iwillbeandsoonerthanyouthink.”Afterthatheshutupandstompedoutof
medical. Sierra had a feeling he was up to no good. He was enough of an
egomaniacthathewouldgetoffonbeinginchargeofthegods.Hewouldbea
pettydictatorleavingthemnobetteroffthantheyhadbeenwithOrigin.Whyhe
wastalkingtoMarkwhowasherbossnothis,madenosenseeither.Shehadno
choicebuttoassignagodtokeepaclosereyeonKyler.Ifhewasbeingwatched

properly,hewouldneverhavemadeittomedicalorevenheardaboutthebaby.

NowthatKylerhadleft,Doclockedthedoorsoshecouldstayintheroomwith
herbaby.SheneededtomovetothesecondfloorwhereKylerandteamweren’t
allowed, but she didn’t want to be seen doing it. Having Kyler around was
becoming a nightmare that she was tired of dealing with. It would be at least
twelve hours, maybe even twenty four before Zeus would be back to see his
daughter. After that a plan needed to be made to get rid of Kyler before he
causedaproblemtheycouldn’tdealwith.Herbabywasinherarmsmakingher
feelhopefulforabetterfutureforherdaughterasagoddessthanwhatherfather
hadhadasagod.

ShespoketoAgnononthecomsincesheknewhimandhehadn’tgoneonthe
mission. He came to medical with five other gods to run interference keeping
Kyler and his team out of the way while she moved her to the second level
whereLuciferhadaroomprepared.AgnontookthebabywhileSierraheadedin
the direction of where Kyler and his crew were. It wasn’t too surprising when
sheinterceptedKylerandBrendaheadingtowardmedicalwhereAgnonhadjust
left.

“Hey,Kyler,Brenda.Whereareyouguysgoinginsuchahurry?”

They looked at her with a combination of surprise and frustration. “Were you
lookingforus?”Kylerasked.

“No,runningintoyoutwowasjustahappycoincidence.”Sierraansweredwith
asmile.ShewassureAgnonhadmadeittothesecondlevel.Brendapushedon
around her rushing toward medical. “Looks like a medical emergency. Is she
sickorsomething?”

“Whathappenedtous,Sierra?Weweregoodtogether,Iwantedtomarryyou.
Youlookedsurprisedbutsurelyyouknew.”

“IneversawanysignsthatyouwereanymoreinvolvedthanIwaswhichwas
strictlycasual.Wehadn’tseeneachotherforalmostfourmonths.”

“OurcrazyschedulesgotinthewaybutImissedyou.IdecidedIwantedtokeep
youbecauseyoumeantsomethingtome.Nowit’sallgonedownthedrain.I’m
not sure I can be happy without you, are you really so sure you’ll be happy
withoutme?”

“Ican’tseewhatthefuturewillbring,butIstandbymychoicetomoveon.I’m

sorryifthathurtyou,Kyler,butI’vealreadymovedon.”

“You made your choice, Sierra. Never forget I gave you another chance to
changeyourmind.”

SpeakingwithKylermadehernervousbecausehewassocryptic.Hewasupto
something,therewasnodoubtnowbutwhatitwasstillwasn’tclear.Itwasalso
suspicious how he seemed to know when certain things were happening. The
worry and suspicions formed in her mind tightening to a hard resolve. She
hurried to her baby, who wouldn’t be named until Zeus was present. The truth
wastheyhadgottendowntotwonames,AthenawhichZeuswanted,andRachel
which Sierra wanted. Zeus preferred Athena because he said it continued his
heritage,whichwaswhySierradidn’tlikeit.Zeushadarguedthatitwouldbe
the start of a positive side to combat the negative feeling of their creation and
subsequentimprisonment,whenhadhestartedtalkinglikeashrink?Shewanted
Rachelbecauseitwasherbelovedgreatgrandmother’snameandshewantedto
honorherandkeephermemoryalive.

Theybothhadgoodreasonsfortheirchoices,andsheknewshewouldprobably
giveineventuallybutitwasgoodtomakehimworkforitandmaybeshewould
negotiate something from him like naming the next child. Meanwhile, she and
AthenaRachelneededtosearchoutAgnontoseeifhersuspicionswererightor
not. “I need you to do something for me, Agnon.” She said when she finally
foundhim.

Hesmiledwithaslighthintofmischief.“Anythingforyou,Sierra.”

“Agnon,areyouflirting?”Sheaskedshockedsincethatwasunusualforhim.He
musthavehungoutwithHermestoomuch.

“IfIwas,didIdoitright?”

“Perfect,Iwouldsay.Youwillhavefemalesfightingtobewithyou.”Shereally
likedallthegodsshehadmetsofarbutsomelikeEresandAgnonwerespecial.
Shefeltliketheywerebrothers,sometimestheyseemedyoungerlikewhenthey
talkedaboutlifeskillsbutsometimestheyseemedolderwiththeirfightingskills
andabilities.Rightnowitmadeherfeelmucholderwhenfacedwithhislackof
knowledgeintowhatwomenmightlike.Hewasendearingrightnowsohappy
withthepraiseshehadgivenhim.Italmostmadeherforgetwhatshehadcome
toseehimfor.

“Agnon,thefavorIneedisveryimportant.IwantyoutogoseeBuzzandtell

him I need a sweep done on the first level for any kind of listening or
surveillancedevices.IalsoneedsomedevicesplacedaroundKylerandhisteam.
NotinthebedroomsorbathroomsbecauseIdon’tevenwanttoseethat,butin
theareastheymightcongregateorhemightgivetheminstructions.Tellhimto
makethemhightechandcamouflagethemwell.Kylermightbeanasshole,but
he’sgoodathisjobwhenhebotherstodoit.”

“I’lltakecareofitandyouwon’thavetoworryaboutathing,Ipromise.”

“Thanks, I know I can count on you.” Agnon left to take care of things while
Sierrawenttoliedownwithherbaby.Eventhoughshehadnoticedchanges,had
evenfeltanoddwhisperofvoicesinthebackofhermind,shestillfelttiredin
theaftermathofbringingherbabyintotheworld.Itwasaworldshewasnow
committed, even more so than before if that was even possible, to making a
betterplace.

Chapter6

FreedomForAll

Hewasinahurrytogetbacktohismateandhisnewdaughterbutthemission
was delayed and then once more there were gods missing. The numbers didn’t
add up, some of his people were gone. It was not just at one site, but at both.
Theseweregodshemightneverfindagain,soithithardandhurtdeep.Itwas
likeOriginwasplayingagame,shufflinggodsanddemonsaroundtounknown
destinations.Itwasn’thisonlyproblem.

HermeshadbeeninWashingtoncheckingoutsurplusequipmenttheymightbe
interested in buying and discussing possible missions with his military liaison,
Mark, who was Sierra’s commanding officer. He had not checked in for three
daysnowandwhenMarksentpeopletocheckhishotelroom,itwasobvioushe
hadn’tbeenthere.Assoonastheyreturnedsomeonewouldhavetotrytohunt
himdown.ZeuswantedtobelievethatHermeshadgottencarriedawaywiththe
outsideworldandsimplyforgottenhisduties,butgodsweren’tmadethatway.
The more time that passed, the more concerned he became and the more he
fearedsomeonehadtakenhim.

Thisflightbackseemedsomuchlongerthantheothershadbecausehelongedto
see his females so much. Sierra had been in a daze, so tired from carrying his
babythatshehadbeendownrightsubmissive.Heknewthatwouldbeovernow
that little Athena was born. He would win the naming, he knew he would

becauseSierralovedhimanditmeanttoomuchtohim.Itwouldprobablybethe
lastargumenthewouldwinforaverylongtime.Sierrawouldbealertnowand
allupinhisbusiness,buthedidn’tmind.Shewassmartandknewthingsthatno
oneelseseemedtoknow.

Heregrettedsomeofthechoiceshehadbeenforcedtomake.Oneofthosewas
sending the prisoners that were captured during the attacks to the US military.
ThathadbeenKyler’sdoing,butheshouldhavespokentoSierrafirst.Wayhad
been against giving up the prisoners but Kyler had said his government feared
theywouldbemistreatedandmightpullthesupportthegodscurrentlyreliedon.
Ofcourseoncetheyweregone,noquestionswereanswered.Itwasliketheyfell
intoabigblackholeofsilence.AllZeushadfoundoutfromthembeforethey
wereledawaywasthattheyworkedforOriginandtheyweredeathlyafraidof
someonenearby.Hewasn’tsureifOriginhadabaseclosetothemorifitwas
someoneinorinandoutofthefacility.BesidesKylerandhisteam,therewere
someotherswho regularlyvisited.They wouldn’tsaywhy theywantedSierra,
onlythattheyweresentintotakeheroroneofherteamifshewasn’tthere.

HehadfeltbetterwhenheleftknowingDochadagreedtocheckonherhourly.
IthadproventobeagoodthingsinceshehadgoneintofindSierramoaningin
her sleep as labor pains struck but they were far enough apart that Doc had
gottenhertomedicalsafely.ItworriedhimthatKylerhadsuspectedSierrahad
givenbirthandbotheredhimevenmorethatKylerthoughtthebabyhis.Itwas
justonemorereasonheneededtogetbacktohisfemales.Hefeltguiltyandnot
just for leaving Sierra when Athena was so close to being born, but for not
matingherfullybeforeshewaswithchild.Itwouldhavemadeiteasieronher
had he done it before, but because the pregnancy had sapped her strength, the
changehadfinishedtooslowlytobeofanyhelptoherwhileshecarriedtheir
daughterinsideher.Thenextonewouldbeeasier.

Hisminddriftedbacktothemissiontheyhadjustcompleted.Thelocationhad
beenasmall,privateislandownedbyOrigin.Itwashowtheyhadcontinuedto
operate their lab and keep gods imprisoned without anyone knowing. At least
most people didn’t know because someone had found out and told the US
government or he wouldn’t have freed some of his people. They had rented a
yachttoblendinandlandedonthebackoftheisland.Pedrohadcomeinhandy
dividing his men between the two missions and hitting the jackpot on lab
equipment, boats, motorcycles, and other valuable items. Pedro had come with
him leaving his second to go with Ares. He had never been so glad for bullet

proof vests and super healing powers in his life. Several gods had been hit in
theirvests,onehadbeenclippedonthesideofhishead.Thewoundwasalready
healedsonoonewouldeverguessanyofthemhadbeenhit.Pedrohadscored
onpersonneltoosincethereweretwiceasmanythereasthelastplace.

Theislandhadlookedlikeparadisebutforhisgodsithadbeenhell.Itseemedto
Zeus that Origin was punishing the gods left in their merciless care because of
thosewhohadescapedthem.Theyhadnotbeentreatedaspoorlyasthedemons
who didn’t look as human as the gods, but they were not treated well either.
They had been put in cages within a walled and roofed area with no climate
control.Iftherewasaheavyrainorwind,watersprayedonthemfromoutside.
Allofthemshowedsignsofbeingmalnourishedandnonewerecleanordressed
atall.Azoowouldtreatitsanimalsbetterandforthathewantedtopunishthose
stafftheyfoundbutPedroassuredhimthatpayingtogettheirstaffbackwould
hurt the company. He hoped Pedro was right because he wanted to crush them
utterly.

Thewallsofthecompoundwheretheywereheldhadbeenhardtobreach.They
had finally decided to use explosives to speed the rescue. A handful of guards
withriflesweretheonlyonesthathadputupafight,buttheyhadbeentrained.
Theyhadbeenshootingtokillbuttheywereluckythegodshadbeenshooting
justtowoundenoughtheycouldn’tfightanymore.HedoubtedOriginwouldpay
togetbacktheirguardssincetheyhadn’tpreventedtherescuefromsucceeding.

“Apennyforyourthoughts,Zeus.Youdon’tlookashappyasyoushouldaftera
successfulrescue.”Dionesaidashemovedintotheseatnexttohim.

“Itwasn’tafullysuccessfulrescuesincehalfthosethatshouldhavebeenthere
weremissing.Wemayneverfindthosebrothersagaininthislife.”

“Do not grieve for them just yet, instead celebrate for those we have saved.
Celebrateforyourmatewhoisanexceptionalhumanandyourdaughterwhois
ourfuture.”HepattedZeusonthebackencouragingly.

“IknowyouarerightbuttheothersIfailedleaveaholeinmyheartnothingcan
fill.” Dione moved back to where he had been before. The god was the life of
anypartyandcouldnothandlesadnessforlong.Zeusappreciatedhisattemptto
cheerhimupbutithadbeenawastedeffort.

“Doyouthinkshewillbebacktonormalsoon.”Eressaidfromjustbehindhim.
HeknewhemeantSierrabecauseitwastheonlyfemaleErescaredaboutexcept

forthenewgoddess,Athena,thatallthemenwereexcitedtosee.Notasexcited
ashewas,butveryexcitednonetheless.

“I’msureshewillbe,sheisnothingifnottough.”Hesaidsmilingatthethought
ofhisfeisty,beautifulmate.

Theplanelandedafewhourslater,notnearlysoonenoughtosuitZeus.Other
than having his daughter to welcome into the world, Zeus had a feeling that
someseriousshitwasgoingdown.Itwasn’twhatDoc,Way,orSierrahadtold
himwhenhecalledforupdates,itwasthesensethattheykeptsomethingfrom
him.Itwaswhattheydidn’tsay,thesmallsilenceswhentheyseemedtowantto
tellhimsomethingmore,butdidn’t,thatconcernedhim.Hewantedtoruninand
findhisgirls,SierraandAthena,hugthemandassurehimselfallwaswellwith
them, but he was a leader among his kind and that would have to wait. Right
now,itwasessentialthathisnewlyfreedgodsbesmuggledin,eventhoughthis
was their home which was supposed to be their haven. The presence of Kyler
waslikeamenacetoeachandeveryoneofhispeopleandSierra’steamaswell.

The gods started unloading for the walk from the landing zone to the facility
which was less than a quarter of a mile. The weather was milder than it had
been,sinceitwassummernowsoitmadeiteasiertomovethemquickly.Italso
helped that even though his gods had been mistreated, they were still stronger
andfasterthanafullhumancouldpossiblybe.Theymovedquicklyandquietly
insinglefilewithEresleadingtheway.AgnonwasinchargeofwatchingKyler
and his team which were really the only concern Zeus had about hiding the
presenceofhisnewlyarrivedgods.Sierra’steamwastrustedforthemostpart,
awareoftherescuingofthegodsanddemons,butnotyetawareofthetinynew
lifethathadbeenbroughtintotheirworld.TheywouldbetoldassoonasKyler
andhisteamweregone.

The march had only energized him, making him almost euphoric when they
reached the door and continued in. Several gods were waiting on them to get
them cleaned up, clothed, and fed. Their conditions as far as their
accommodationswent,wouldn’tbemuchbetterthanbefore,buttheywerefree
and they would be well tended to. Improvements would come in stages and at
least they would be among their brothers. Ares’ group had been successful as
well, but his numbers were also low. It looked like Origin was aware that
someonewasaftertheirgods.Theyweresmarttodividethemmakingitharder
forthemtoberescued,butZeuswouldseethemallfreesomeday.Hewentto

hisroomtocleanupbeforemeetinghisbabygirlforthefirsttimeandseeinghis
mateagain.Thatwaswhenhewouldfindoutwhatwasreallygoingon.

Hestrippedoncehewasinhisroom,gettingintheshowerwherethoughtsofhis
mate made him hard instantly. She controlled his body even when she wasn’t
present,butheknewshewouldn’tfeellikesatinghisdesiresosoonafterhaving
achild.Heputherfirmlyinhismindashegotahandfulofslipperybodywash
then concentrated on the part of him that hurt with need for her. He started by
soaping his balls thoroughly, rubbing and pulling gently until his cock was so
harditdrippedfromtheend.Inhismindheimaginedhismate’shandtouching
himinsteadofhisown.Itwouldhavetodofornow,buthehopeditwouldn’tbe
longbeforetheycouldenjoythepassiontheyshared.

Hemovedhishandstotherootofhispainfullyhardcockandstrokeduptothe
tip, rubbing the sensitive head in smooth circles with his fingers. Now he was
readyforthestrong,surestrokesthatwouldbringhimthereliefhesought.He
stroked up and down faster, feeling the pressure building, envisioning Sierra
encouraginghimtofindhisrelease.Harder,fastershewouldmoan,makingthe
needknotinhisstomach.Morepressure,morefrictionasthetensionbuilt,his
musclesstiffening,hisbodytensingannouncingtheorgasmthatwasonitsway.
Hegrowledashefelttheheatedseedreleasedfromhisbodyhittingtheshower
stallinjetafterjet,sprayinguntilhewastotallydrained.Hefinishedhisshower
quicklynow,readytoseehismateandchild.

He headed to the room they were staying in on the second floor. He saw them
themomentheentered,thebundleofjoyinherarmstookhisbreathawayanda
singletearhecouldn’tholdback,traveleddownhischeek.Itwaseverythinghe
thought he would never have, freedom, a mate, and a child. He held out his
handstoholdAthenawhileSierramovedtoplacehertheregently.Shelookedas
much like him as a female child could. Her softer, feminine features made her
beautiful as she smiled up at him in seeming recognition. He feared his heart
would explode from the joy he found impossible to contain. He laughed in
happinessashepulledtheperfect,littlepersontohischest.Originhadtoldthem
someday they would allow them to breed, but until Athena, none of them had
beenentirelyconvincedthatitwasevenpossible.

“She’sperfect.”Hesaidasheleanedclosertohismatetokissherasthethreeof
themtouched.Theywerenowafamilyandthat’swhattheywouldalwaysbe.

“She’s just fed. Let Lucifer take her for a little while because we have an

importantmattertodiscuss.”Sierratoldhim.

“Lucifer,babysitting?Isthisforreal?”

“Yes,andshelovesme.Iamherfavoriteuncle.”Lucifersaidsoundingalittle
bitinsulted.Hehadopenedthedoorcomingintotheroomafteraquickknock.
Eresfollowedhimin.

“That’sjustbecauseIwasn’there.”Eressaidconfidently.

Sierra and Zeus left the two of them bickering as they hurried to the meeting
room.Erescaughtupastheyenteredit.“Ihavesometapesyoubothneedtosee.
WeknownowwhatKylerisupto,well,maybenotallofit,butmostofitfor
sure.SierrahadlisteningdevicesandafewcamerasplacedinthesectionKyler
and his team are staying in. We avoided bedrooms and bathrooms but caught
some unexpected action anyway. You need to watch this without objecting
because it is important. If it wasn’t we would have deleted it like we deleted
other scenes. Believe me, I’ve gotten to know Kyler and his team entirely too
well.” Agnon explained as he gestured for them to sit. He sat too and used a
remotetostartthetape.

KylerandBrendaenteredfromthehallwayclosingthedoorbehindthem.Once
theywereinKylerbegantoinstructher.“Strip!”Hesaidashebegantoundress
himself.Hefinishedfirstthenmovedclosertoher.Assheremovedherpanties,
Kyler grabbed her hair tightly in his fist pulling her to him for a kiss before
pushinghertothefloor.“Suckit!”hedemandedholdinghiscock,strokingitto
readyitforher.Sheslidcloseronherkneesputtinghermouthontheheadofhis
cock then sliding it in. She sucked on it hard, her cheeks hollowing out as she
enthusiastically gave it all she had. He rewarded her by pushing her away.
“That’snotright.You’renotdoingitright.”Hesaidangrily.

“I’mnother,youdumbfucker!Shedoesn’tfuckingwantyou.Iwon’tbeusedas
afillinforawomanyoucan’thave!”

“You’re trying to develop some guts now, you worthless whore? You’ll do
whateverItellyouorIwillsendyoutomyfriendsforsomeexperimenting.I’ve
alreadytoldyou,I’mgettingherbacksoon,herandmybaby.Youarefillingin
for a real woman, you stupid bitch so don’t forget it. You’ll put up with it and
pretendyoulikeitifyouwanttokeepyourfreedom.Nowcomeon,let’sgeton
the bed while you tell me what you’ve found out from all those gods you’ve
beenfucking.”HedraggedherawayandAgnonstoppedthetape.

EveryonewassilentandZeussawashockedandpainedexpressiononSierra’s
facethattoldhimshehadneverseenthatsideofKylerbefore.Kylerwaslucky
becauseifhethoughtthatbastardhadevertreatedhismatethatway,hewould
justkillhim.Agnonpushedtheremoteagain,thistimeinBrenda’sroomwhere
Sam,oneofKyler’steam,wasonthecouchwithher.

“Ihatehim,Sam,buthescaresthehelloutofme.”Brendaadmittedtohim.

“As well he should my lovely lady. That’s one scary man and his friends are
even scarier. Let’s hope he let’s us leave after he ruins that ball the gods have
planned.Justacoupleweeksandwe’llbeoutofhere.He’llbeinchargeandhe
cangetanewcrewsentinbyOrigin.Noneofthoseoverlytrustinggodssuspect
but I’m a little disappointed in Sierra. I thought she would figure it out but
maybeherdesiretosteerclearofKylerhasaffectedherabilitytoseeclearly.I
feelsorryforherwithwhathehasinmindforher.He’llgethishandsonthat
child and she’ll have no choice but to comply. I hope we’re gone by then
becausethat’ssomethingIdon’twanttowatch.”

“Idon’tgiveashitwhathedoestothatstupidbitchandifthekid’shis,hehas
therighttokeepit.”

“Sourgrapesmydear?Again,thebottomlineis,ifthekidthatnoneofushave
seenisreallyhis,isn’tit?”

Agnonhitthestopbuttonagain.“We’vegotarealproblemsinceKylerseemsto
work for Origin. It’s also clear he is certain the baby exists and wants her to
control Sierra. Even if he knows she isn’t his, he will use her and if he knows
she’snothis,hemaynottreathersowell.Weneedtotakeactionbeforetheball
oritwillberuinedcausingustroubleswedon’tneed.Howdidwenotseethis
before?”

Sierra was silent looking almost ashamed. She probably felt guilty for her
involvementwiththeman,butZeusdidn’tblameher.Theywouldhavetofind
outmorebeforetheycameupwithaplan,butthefirstthingtodowasreduce
Kyler’s team. He had a ten member team originally but two members had left
during an attack. That left eight members including Kyler and Ron who was
heading back to Washington to see his dying mom. Of the remaining team, no
oneknewexactlywhatmostofthemembersdid.Hiscommunicationsexpert,a
guynamedColin,neededtogofirst.Theystartedbylocatinghimandsetagod
towatchhimforafewhours.Theywouldtakehimoutwhenhesettledinforthe
night.

Agnonhadseveraltapeshewantedthemtowatch.Hecutoutallthesuperfluous
partssotheywouldlookatonlywhatwasimportant.Kylerhadbeenaverybad
boyandtheywerenowplayingcatchup.Afterwatchingacouplehoursoftapes,
ZeuswasreadytokillKyler.HerculeswouldhandlethecaptureofKyler’steam
a member at a time and the time was right to take Colin. He was asleep in his
roomwhenHerculesandAgnonslippedinwithaclothtreatedwithsomething
Doc assured them would keep him out for a while. They knocked him out,
packedhispersonalstuff,andtookhimdownbelow.Pedro’spilotwasupstairs
in the cafeteria eating and he would catch some sleep before he took Colin to
Pedrotobestasheduntiltheydecidedwhattodowithhim.

Itwasn’tuntilthenextdaythatKylernoticedhewasgone.“WhereisColin?”
HedemandedclearlypissedoffassoonashesawZeus.

“Who is Colin? I don’t have a god by that name.” Zeus said calmly looking
Kylerintheeyes.

“Colinisonmyteam.”

“ThenwhywouldIknowwhereheis?Idon’ttrackyourteam.”

“Thehellyoudon’t.Youknowwhereeveryoneisallthetime.”

“Idon’tknowwhereyourpeopleareexceptwhentheyarearoundmine.”Zeus
gotonhiscomaskinghisgodsiftheyknewwhereColinwas.

“Isawhimheadedoutsidelastnight.Hewastalkingtothepilotwehiredtofly
thehelicopterweuse.”Eressaidliketheyhadagreedon.

“Anyoneseewherehewentwhenhecamebackin?”Zeusaskedhismales.

“Noonesawhimcomebackin.”Eresanswered.“Arewesupposedtowatchhis
menforhim?”

“No,Eres.It’sjustacourtesytobesureColin didn’t get lost outside. Can you
reachthepilottoseeifheknowsanything?”

“Yes. It will take a little while. I’ll get back to you as soon as I know
something,”Eressaid.

“Thereyougo,Kyler.Wewillhelpallwecan.Haveyoucheckedthecafeteria
andhisroom?”Zeusaskedinnocently.

“I’mnotanewbie,Iknowhowtofindaman.”

“Doesn’t look like you know how to keep one.” Zeus said as he walked off.
ThirtyminuteslaterhecalledKyler.“Thepilotsaidyourmanaskedtorideout
of here with him. He said he was afraid for his life. What the hell does that
mean?”

“Maybehehaswomantrouble.Itcanbehardforamantobealone,butharder
sometimestobewithsomeofthewomenonyourownteam.”Kylersaidcalmly
buthisfacelookedanythingbutcalm.ZeushopedKylerwouldbelievehisman
had fled on his own. Either way, it would hurt the cohesion of his team as a
whole.ThatcouldonlyworkintheirfavorwhiletheytriedtotakeKylerdown.

ZeuswenttothemeetingroomwhichBuzzwasscanningforlisteningdevices
orcamerasdaily.Sinceitwaswellguarded,noonewasgettingnearit,butbetter
safethansorry.Itwassadthattheyhadn’tputKylerandhisteamundertighter
surveillance right away, he would already be gone if they had. Eres had the
remotethistimeandhestartedrightaway.Hehadalreadypulledupsomething
for them to watch, a discussion between Kyler and Brenda in Kyler’s living
room.

“AreyousureColinleftonhisown?”Brendaasked.

“Iftheyknewanything,theywouldcallWashingtonandtheywouldbehereto
arrestallofus.”

“Maybetheyknow,buttheyaren’tsurehowfartheconspiracygoes?”

“Whatdoyouknow,anyway?Ikeepyouaroundtofuck,nottothink.”

Zeus could see the tears forming in Brenda’s eyes and he could actually feel
sorryforherifshewasn’tsuchacoldbitchtoothers.Kylerwasn’tanyworseto
herthanshewastothosesheused.Heneededtokeepitinmindsohewouldn’t
get the protective feeling women and children brought out in him and always
had. He flinched a little when Kyler back handed her, no one deserved to be
abused. He wished they didn’t have to make these tapes because he wished he
didn’tknowwhatwasgoingonbehindthosecloseddoors.

They needed to see what Kyler would do now. It was time to target another
member of his team. He decided one of the men whose job was unknown,
Johnny,wouldbenext.Johnnylookedlikehecouldfightsohemightnotbeas
easy to get as Colin had been. Eres followed Johnny for hours until he finally
turned in to sleep for the night. Hercules and Eres slipped into the room once
they were sure he was asleep. They slipped up to his bed, placing the treated

cloth over his face. It was good that there were two of them because Johnny
didn’tgoeasy.Hewokebeforetheclothwasinplacesittingupandstartingto
throwpunchesimmediately.

Themanwasbuiltlikeagodatsixfootfour,helookedlikeaweightlifterwhich
showedwiththestrengthhewasusingagainstthem.Hehadnohopeofwinning,
butherefusedtogiveinwithoutafight.Hewasprobablytheonlymemberof
Kyler’s team any of them had ever respected because the man kept to himself
andnevershoweddisrespect.Ereshopedthemanwouldgetabreakwhenthis
wasalloverwith.Onethingagodcouldunderstandwasbeingforcedtodoyour
duty.

TheysubduedhimthencarriedhimtotheelevatorwhileAgnonkeptKylerand
therestofhisteamaway.Oncedowntothesecondfloor,theyputhiminacage
guardedbydemonstowaitforthehelicoptertocomeback.Thistimetheirluck
didn’tholdoutforthem,KylermissedJohnnymuchquickerthanhehadColin.
HecamelookingforZeusanhourlater,butZeusandSierrahadturnedinforthe
night.HetalkedtoAresinstead,whohadlittletotellhimexceptthatDionehad
passedJonnygoingtothecafeteriabutdidn’tknowwherehewentafterthat.

“He can’t be gone, there’s no copter here. Something is going on around here.
Youneedtosearchthisplacefromoneendtotheotherandfindmyman.”

“ThatwasEressayingthehelicoptercameandleftrightawaywithapassenger
who said he had a family emergency. What’s going on with your team, Kyler?
Are they falling apart from being stuck inside too long? Should we call in a
shrinkforyouandyourteam?”

“No!”Kylershoutedbeforestompingoff.

EreshadgodswatchingKylersothatassoonasheknewwherehehadgone,he
couldhaveBuzzsendhiscomputerthecameraorsoundsohewouldknowwhat
Kyler was up to. He went straight to Brenda, so Buzz routed the feed to Eres’
computer.

“Johnny’sgonenow.Eitherwehaveagrowingrebellionontheteamorthegods
knowwe’reuptosomething.”

“Wellitcan’tbethatsinceIsuggesteditandyoutoldmehowstupidIwas.”

Kylerbackhandedheragain,harderthanusualbecauseitsplitherlip.“Ifyou
were smart, you would keep that big mouth shut except when it’s wrapped

aroundmycock,youstupidbitch.”Theycontinuedtotalkbutitwasaboutsex
sowhentheystartedscrewing,Eresshutitoff.MaybeBrendaneededtogonext.

“That’s everything that happened last night after you went to bed, Zeus.” Eres
explainedoncehehadgonethroughitallstepbystep.

“So you want to remove Brenda next? Are you sure it will be wise since he’ll
noticeheralmostrightaway?”

“Shehastobenearlyreadytorunonherownsincethatmantreatsherlikeshit.”

“Okay,Eres.Getittakencareof.Weneedtogetthisfinished.”

EreslefttocheckwithwhoeverfollowedBrendawhileZeuswenttospendtime
where he preferred to be, with Sierra and Athena. “You might as well give in,
Sweetheart.”

“Oh,really?WhatshouldIgiveintoandwhy?”

“Iknowyoulovemeandit’simportanttometonameourgirl,Athena.”

“Doesthatmeanyoudon’tloveme?What’swrongwithRachel?”

“She’sgoingtogetacomplexfrombeingcalledbaby,allthetime.”

“I’lltellyouwhat,I’llletyounameherbutInamethenextoneandyouoweme
one.” Zeus smiled knowing he looked like he won something which wasn’t
smart.“Maybeyoushouldowemetwosinceyouseemtothinkyou’recoming
outontop.”

“Sweetheart,youknowhowIliketobeontop.”

“Don’tworry,I’llmakeyoupay,Babe.”Hepulledherintohisarmsholdingher
close as they looked down at their daughter lying on her bed. He breathed her
scent letting the love and warmth of having her in his arms wash over him. It
wasworthwhatevershewantedbecauseheknewifsomethingwasimportantto
her,hewouldwanthertohaveitanyway.You’rethinkingtoohard.

“Didyousaythatorthinkit?”

IthoughtitandIknowwhatyou’rethinkingtoo.

Yourchangeiscomplete!Iwonderedifyouwouldbeabletospeaktomeorhear
meinyourmind.Thisisperfect.

“Mostmenwouldn’twanttheirfemaleintheirmind.”

I’mnotmostmen,Iamagod.Wethinkdifferently,weactunlikemen.

“Can’targuethere.”Thiswilltaketimetogetusedto.

I’m just happy you have the abilities. Athena should be developing them soon,
too.

Shewillbeabletoseeintoourminds?Thatmightnotbeagoodthing.Areyou
abletoblocksomeonefromreadingyou?

Yes,Icanandyouwillbeabletoaswellwithtime.

Chapter7

Where’dTheyGo

Wellfornow,Ihavesomethingelseinmind.Sheleanedintohimunsnappinghis
jeans before unzipping them. She slid them and his boxers down to his knees.
Thesightofhislong,thickcockmadehermouthwater.Itwassoperfectwithits
mushroomedhead,thathertongueitchedtoslidearoundtherimoftheheadof
his beautiful cock, so that was what she did. He gasped in both surprise and
pleasuregroaningdeeplywhenshesanktheheadinhermouthandsuckedhard.
She watched his face, loving the look of bliss that passed over it as his eyes
closedsohecouldjustfeel.Shelethiscockgowithaloudpopandpalmedhis
ballsgentlybeforesuckingthemintohermouthlovinglyoneatatime.Hiscock
seemedtogrowevenharderandaglisteningdropformedattheendbeggingher
tonguetotasteit.

Shetoucheditwiththetipofhertonguethenswipedoveritsavoringthesalty
sweettaste.Shetookhertonguelickinghimfromroottotipoverandoverlike
anicecreamcone.Oncehestartedsquirmingshejustsankhimintohermouth
until he hit the back of her throat. He filled her so fully that her teeth lightly
raked his cock as it moved in and out of her mouth. He groaned again, an
animalisticsoundthatturnedheron.Shebobbedupanddownslidinghiscock
inandoutofhermouthmovingfasterashegroanedharder.Onehandcontinued
to palm his balls as she felt them draw tight letting her know he was nearing
release.Shemovedfasterashishipsstartedtojerkwhilehewasunabletohold
stillanymore.Shefeltthefirstdropshithertongueashepusheddeeperintoher
mouthcoatingthebackofherthroatwithstreamsofhot,saltysweetcum.

Oh, sweetheart. That was unbelievable. His body still shook from the force of
hisreleaseasheliftedherfromthefloorlyingherdownonthebedwithhim.He

enclosed her into his arms as if he never wanted to let her go. She felt warm,
comforted,andalittletiredsinceithadbeenabusyday.Shesleptwell,feeling
lovedandprotectedwhileZeus’armsencircledher.

ShewokehourslaterwithnoZeustobefound.Hewasprobablybusywiththe
work a leader has to do. Still, once she was back to a hundred percent, he’d
bettermaketimeforherinthemorningatleastonceinawhile.Shegotup,fed
hersweetlittlebabywhowasalreadylettinghersleepmostofthenight,which
was highly unusual for a newborn. She dropped Athena off with her Uncle
Lucifer,soshecouldgohelpZeuswiththeKylerproblem.

ShewalkedintoZeus’officewherehesattalkingtoEreswhowasgivinghima
report.“BrendaisrestrainedwithJohnny.ThepilotwillrunthembothtoPedro
inafewhours.IhopeKylerwillhaveacow.”

“You picked Brenda to go after this time?” Sierra asked in surprise. “Won’t he
noticeherrightaway?”

“We’reabouttofindoutonewayortheother,”Zeussaid.

There was a knock on the door. Eres opened it and Kyler stood there.
“Somethingisgoingonhere.BrendaisgoneandIcan’tfindheranywhere.That
makesthreeofmyteamgoneinthreedays.”

“WhatdidyoudotoBrendathistime?”Sierraasked.“Someofthegodssheis
friendly with have been concerned about her. She mentioned you were getting
roughandsheevenhadasplitlipearliertoday.”

Kylerturnedred.“Ihaven’tdoneanythingtoherthatshedidn’twant.”

“Thatisaclassicanswerfromanabusiveboyfriend,”Sierrasaid.

“I am not her boyfriend. I have never been her boyfriend.” Kyler said through
grittedteeth.

“That’snotwhatshesays.”Sheresponded.

“She’sscrewinghalfthegods.Aretheyherboyfriendstoo?”Kylersneered.

“Maybeshewastiredofwaitingforyoutocommit.”

Kyler was getting angry and frustrated. It was probably worse because he had
thediscussionwithSierra.“I’mcallingMarktoapprisehimofthemissingteam
members.”

“Youdon’tneedto,IcalledhimassoonasColinleftthenJohnny.Ididn’tknow
Brenda had left or I would have told him that too.” Sierra told him speaking
truthfully. She knew how to CYA which stands for ‘cover your ass’. The best
way was to present your side of the story first because that made it more
believable. Kyler would look like he was trying to hide something because he
hadwaiteduntilthreeofhisteammembersweregonebeforereportinganything.

She was looking forward to watching Kyler squirm as Mark questioned him.
Thismightbethethingthatgothimremovedfromhere.Theywouldstillhave
tobecarefulsincetheydidn’tknowwhatKylerhadreportedtoOriginorwhat
sabotagehemighthavecarriedoutbeforetheystartedwatchinghim.

Kylerlookedlikehewasgoingtochokeandatthesametimemanagedtolook
like a kid that had been told Santa Claus no longer existed. Sierra would feel
guiltybecausesheknewhewasalittleobsessedaboutherinasickway,butshe
foundouttoomuchabouthimtofeelhedeservedherconcern,care,orpity.He
wouldbeintroublewithMarknownotbecauseofsomeoversight,butbecause
hehadsoldouttoOrigingivingupanybitofloyalty,morals,orcodeofconduct
hemighthavehadatonetime.

“Sothat’showitis.”Wasallhesaidbeforeheturnedandleft.

“It’snotgoingtobethateasy.Kylerisn’tdonewithusyet,”Zeussaid.

“Ididn’tthinkitwouldbe,butatleastwe’reaheadrightnow.Wejustneedtobe
preparedforwhateverhemightthrowatus.”Sheagreed.

“WhatshouldIdonow?”Eresaskedwaitingfororders.

“I think we should sit tight until Mark comes. When he hears Brenda is gone,
he’ll be here in person. Even though he’s my boss not Kyler’s, Mark is an
investigator.He’llknowwhotoalerttogetthingstakencareof.”

“He’snotanex-lovertooishe?”Zeusaskedlookingjealous.

“He’sonlymybossandmyfriend.”

“I’llgogetsomesleepsinceIwasupallnight.”Erestoldthembeforeheleft.

SierrawentovertoZeuskissinghim.Hepulledherintohislappullinghisarms
tightly around her. Kyler made her nervous but Zeus made her feel safe. Ten
days until the ball and Kyler was still on the loose, preparations were still not
complete,andHermes,accordingtoAgnon,wasstilloutoftouch.Thingsmight

notbeasbadastheycouldbe,buttheyweren’tattheirbesteither.Zeuscalled
Pedroputtinghimonspeakerphone.

“Hello,thisisPedro.”

“Pedro,thisisSierraandZeus.Didyougetourpackage?”

“Yes,Idid.Iexpectedsomethingprettier.”

“Well,wehaveanotherpackagewithtwopiecesgoingoutlatertoday.”

“Ilookforwardtoreceivingit.Iputsomefundsintoyouraccountfromourlast
deal.”

“That’sgreat.It’salwaysapleasuredoingbusinesswithyou.”

“Don’tforgettosendallyourfriendsmyway.”

“Ialwaysdo.”Sierrasaidbeforetheysaidgoodbye.

“You never told me anything about the facility Ares attacked. What happened
there?”

“You may not believe me, but with the problems with Kyler, Ares never has
brought me up to date on what occurred. All I know is the facility was in a
forestedareaofWashingtonstateandthatweweretoldovereightygodswould
bethere,butlessthanfiftywere.”

“YoujustcalledAresmentally,Iheardyou!”

“Yourmentalpowersareexpanding.”

Therewasaknockonthedoor.“Comein!”

“Zeus,whatdidyouneed?”

“Younevertoldmehowyourattackwent.”

“It wasn’t as exciting as yours was. We arrived at a small private landing field
ten miles out because the area tended to be heavily wooded. The landing field
wasownedbyacompanythatranexpeditionsintoanearbystateparkthathasa
riverrunningthroughit.Thefacilityweattackedwasclosetothepark,butwell
hiddenbythesurroundingtrees.WehadtospreadouttosearchforitandDrakos
foundit.”

“Isn’tDrakosdragonorsomethinglikeit?”

“Yes, he is the god of dragons and lizards. Anyway, he called us all and we

converged. The place turned out to be some kind of bunker. It was mostly
underground and the gods were squeezed into a small space where they were
sleepingliterallystackedupthreehighonthesesmallbunkstylebeds.Theyhad
onlyfourguardsandahandfullofstaff.Itwasoverintheblinkofaneye.They
weredependingtoomuchonbeinghardtofind.Theyhadlittlerealsecurityin
place and the guards were poorly trained. We freed forty eight gods. It was a
gooddayforus,notsomuchforPedro.Theyhadlittleequipmentandnolabset
up.”Aresfinishedproudly.

“Youmanagedtocompleteyourmissionperfectly.”Areslitupfromthepraise
he received from Sierra. He actually smiled, something he didn’t do often.
Maybeshewasfinallygrowingonthegod.

Buzz called her to let her know Mark was on the line. She went to what she
called the radio room where outside communications where. Yeah, they could
broadcastittoher,butwhoelsewouldhearit?Zeusfollowedher,eithertobein
on the conversation or because he just wanted to be with her. Either way, it
didn’tmatter,shedidn’tmindhimbeingthere.

“Mark,areyouthere?”Sierrasaidlettinghimknowshewasontheline.

“Sierra,I’mhere.Iwantedtoaskyou,justwhatthehellisgoingonupthere?
Kylerjustcalledmetotellmethathehasathirdteammembermissing.Isthat
stillthecaseorhasshebeenfound?”

“She’sstillgone,butIthinksomethingmoreisgoingonhere.Kylerseemstobe
having anger issues and his team, those who aren’t completely quiet, say he
scaresthem.”

“I heard you broke up with him. That would be enough to make any guy go a
littlecrazy.”Marksaidwithachuckle.Markhadhitonherwaybackwhenthey
hadfirstmetandsheknewhehadalwaysfoundherattractive.

“IthinkitgoeswaybeyondthatandIsuspecthemaybeunstable.Maybebeing
lockedinsideistakingatollonhimandhisteam.”

“IthinkIneedtogetdownthere.Isittrueyouareseeingoneofthem?”

“Yes.”Sierrasaidnotwillingtogiveanymoreinformationuntilhewaswithher.
Shehadnoideawhowaslisteningonhisside.Markwasnotsocareful.

“Shit, Sierra. Why the hell did you do that? If you need someone to fuck, you
cangetguysonbasetolineupforyouandI’dbeatthefrontoftheline.You

don’t know anything about those guys, no one does but Origin and they’re not
telling.Theymightnotbecompatible,itcouldevenbedangerous.”

“Don’tworryaboutme,Mark.IknowwhatI’mdoingandheissafe.”

“I’m coming up there and I’m going to check things out. Don’t tell Kyler I’m
coming,Iwantittobeasurprise.”

“I’msureitwillbe.”

“I’vegottogo,myteamishere.I’llseeyousoon.”Theradiocutoutbeforeshe
could reply. Mark was coming, but he was bringing a team. That was bad for
Kyler, but bad for them as well. Containing Mark’s men, who were all
investigators,wouldbeharderthancontainingKyler’steamhadeverbeen.

ZeusnearlyroaredonceMarkwasofftheline.“Ithoughtyousaidhewasn’tan
ex-lover?”

“He isn’t, I never said he wasn’t interested.” She stepped within his reach
looking him in the eye. “Since I have met you, I have no interest in any other
males.Ionlywantyou,onlyyearntobeinyourarms,andonlydreamofmaking
lovetoyou.”Hepulledherintohisarmsgivingheraheatedkissthatmadeher
wishshewasreadyforhimagain.Dochadtoldhertowaitatleastaweekmore.
Healing had been incredible, she said it was half the time a female who was
completely human would take, but it was still nearly three weeks. The contact
seemed to calm his jealousy and they headed downstairs to get Athena before
goingtotheirnewquarters.

TheywalkedintotheroomtofindLuciferholdingAthenaandticklingherwith
thetipoftheendfeatherononeofhismassivewings.Shegiggledwithdelight
ashetickledherthenmovedhiswingwhenshetriedtograbit.Thesmileonhis
facemadethealreadypainfullybeautifuldemonlookangelic.Italmosthurther
tolookathim,theloveandjoyforhisniecewassoobviousonhisface.Sierra
knew he wanted a family of his own more than anything, but his differences
wouldhinderhissearchforhisgreatestdesire.

Theyhadn’tsaidaword,butherealizedtheyweretheresohepulledhiswings
tightly against his back where regardless of his large wingspan, they could
almost be covered by a backpack. That was only because the wings didn’t go
downpasthiswaist.Sierralikedtotellhimtheywereonlyminiwings,which
always brought a grimace to his face. If he flapped them hard, he could raise
himselfoffthefloor,buttrueflightescapedhim.Hecouldglideonaircurrents

iftheconditionswereperfect,butitwastoomuchofarisktotake.Somehad
suggestedremovinghiswings,butshethoughtitwouldbeaterriblewasteand
hewouldlosepartofwhatmadehimunique.

“Sohowarethingsinbabyland?”SierraaskedasshereachedoutforAthena.

“Youjustmissedtheparty.Theplacewasfullofgodsanddemonswaitingfor
theirchancetogreetourprincessforthefirsttime.Shemadeabigimpression
onallheruncles.Ofcourse,I’mstillherfavoriteandIalwayswillbe.”Hesaid
withasmileasheleanedforwardkissinghisprincessonhersoftcheek.

“We’llgoandletyougetsomerest.Babiescanwearyouout.”Thatwastruebut
oncetheygottotheirrooms,itseemedthebabywastheonethatwaswornout.

“Let’s tuck her in then we can take a shower together.” Zeus said with a sexy
smilethatmeltedherinside.

Afewbabykisseslater,becausewhocangivejustone,andtheyheadedtothe
shower.Shefeltalittlenervous,hehadn’tseenhernakedsincebeforeshegave
birth.Thatwasareallybigthingformostwomensinceitchanges,wellalotfor
mostwomen.Whileshehadbeenluckyhavingonlyafewlightstretchmarks,
herbodywasfuller,morewomanlyeventhoughshehadbeenworkingout.Her
breasts looked different plus they squirted milk when they were full like they
wererightnow.Heseemedtosenseherhesitanceandthecauseofit.Shesaw
theloveandacceptanceinhiseyesashepulledherupagainsthisalreadynaked
body.

“Iloveyou,everypartandeveryview.Youaren’tlessattractivetomebecause
ofthechanges,butmore.Yourbreasts,fullofmilk,Ilovemilkbytheway,turn
me on more than ever before. Your stretch marks are like badges of honor
showingyoucarriedababy,yougavetheultimategiftoflife.Agifttoourbaby
and a gift to me, and that only makes me love you more. If you could see
yourselfthewayIseeyou,ohbaby,you’dknowyou’regorgeousjustlikeyou
are.”Hegentlybrushedhislipsacrossherscomingbacktodoitagainandagain
eachtimetouchingmorefirmly,deepeningthekissuntilfinally,hiskissclaimed
hertohercore.

Iloveamanwhocankisslikethis!Heundressedherwhileshewasresponding
tohiskissandcouldn’tthinkatall.Hepulledbacktoturnonthewaterandset
thetemperaturelookingatherwitheyesthatgloweddeepgoldwithdesireand
loveforher.Howcouldsheevendoubthisfeelingswhenhehadshownherso

clearlyhowhefelt?Hewasn’tafraidofhowhefeltandsheshouldn’tbeafraid
to be vulnerable with him. If he, after all he had been through, could be so
emotionallyopen,howcouldshebeless?

They stepped into the shower, the warm water caressing their skin and
intensifying the heat between them. He kissed her letting his hands roam over
her building sexual tension. He lathered his hands then swept over her body
moving one hand to the crux of her thighs. His mouth moved from hers down
herneckandtoherbreastswherehefeastedonhernipplesdrinkinghersweet
mother’smilk.“Mm,thisisdelicious.NowonderAthenacriesforit.”Hishand,
theonethathadgonebetweenherthighs,zeroedinonthelittlepearlhefound
there. His hand circled eased by the slick soap he used as he pressed harder
circlingfaster.Sheleanedonhimfindinghistightbuddednipples,suckingthem
inhardasthetensionthreatenedtoexplodeinherbody.

She bit lightly enjoying the moan it elicited from him before moaning herself
sinceshewasjustontheedgepreparingtoplummetintothedepthsofrapture.
“Zeus,”shemoaned,fullofneed.Sheurgedhimtopushherjustalittlemore,
just a little further until she screamed his name as she fell into the vortex of
passionfulfilled.“Youareincredible.”

She reached for the soap to return the favor. She loved to touch his body, his
soft,silkyskinwiththerockhardmusclesbeneathmadehersowetforhimshe
considered going against Doc’s orders. Why did it seem like after you went
withoutforawhile,whenyoufinallygotsomelovingitwasneverenough?She
soaped his chest taking time to tweak his nipples lightly enjoying the instant
response.Heshiveredasherhandsslippedlowerpasthisbellybuttonandlower
still. She slid her hands up and down his length gripping his thick soaped up
shaftasbestshecould.Shemovedonehanddowntoteaseandsqueezehisballs
whileherotherhandstrokedhimlovingly.

“Fasterandharder,Sierra.Ineedtocumsodamnbad.”Shespedupandgripped
himmorefirmlywantingtogivehimwhateverheaskedfor.

“Yes, that’s it. So good, Baby, it feels so good.” His body stiffened before his
shout of release echoed around the room. A flood of hot, sticky fluid splashed
acrossherstomachsomeofitsplatteringbackontohim.“Damn,Ineededthat.
Youaresoperfectforme.”

They cleaned up again before they left the shower. Sierra fed Athena then
preparedhertosleepsomemore.ZeusandSierrawenttobedwiththoughtsof

theirdaughter,their lives,andthe arrivalsometimetomorrow ofsomeonewho
mightchangeeverything,ontheirminds.Itwasawondersleepfoundthem,but
curledineachother’sarms,anythingwaspossible.

Sierra woke late which shouldn’t have been possible. She hurried out to feed
Athenaonlytofindhergone.ShesentoutamentalS.O.S.tothegodsfinding
out Lucifer had taken her. She and Zeus dressed then hurried to find him.
Lucifer,whydidyoutakeAthenafromherroom?

Shecontactedme.Shewantedtocomeseemeanddidn’twanttobotheryou.

You’vegottobekidding.She’sonlyacoupleweeksold,shecan’ttalk.

Shecansendhimthoughts.Anewvoicesaid,sherealizedZeushadjoinedtheir
conversation.TheyreachedLucifer’sdoorbeforeanymorecouldbesaid.Sierra
rushedinandpickedupherlittleangel.

“Have her send me a thought.” Sierra demanded expecting to be disappointed.
AnimagefilledherheadofherandZeuswithAthenabetweenthem,theimage
was full of warmth and love. She was not even a month old and already had
paranormal powers. How could they hope to teach her control at such a young
age?“Thatwaslovely,Athena.YouknowMommyandDaddyloveyou.”

Zeussaid,“Iwishwehadmoretime,butAthenaisalreadyhereandMarkhas
just landed.” Sierra kissed her little angel then hurried up to the meeting room
wheretheywouldmeetwithMark.ShenoticedZeusfollowedhermatchinghis
pacetohers.

“Ares says Mark is on his way in.” Zeus told her as they entered the room
closingthedoorbehindthem.Sierrahadjustenoughtimetogettheonecupof
coffeeforthedaythatsheallowedherselfwhilenursing.Thestrongsmelland
thewarmththatfilledherhandsfromholdingthemug,filledherwithasenseof
calmandcontrol.Itwasprobablymorethesenseofritualfromyearsofbeinga
coffeeaddict,morethantheanticipatedcaffeinethatgaveherthosefeelings.She
tookherseatonZeus’rightsidewithhimsittingattheheadofthetable.Ares
enteredholdingthedoorforMarktowalkthroughandindicatedtheseatatthe
footofthetablebutMarkrefusedtositrightaway.Aresproceededintheroom
sittingonZeus’left.

MarkexaminedZeuscarefullyforafewminutestothepointthatalesserman
would have squirmed or started asking questions. Zeus simply examined him
backuntilfinally,Markextendedhishandtohimandtheyshook.Somewould

get the impression that they had passed some kind of test and felt more
comfortablenowsuretheyhadearnedanally.Itwasn’ttrue,itwasatrickMark
employedthathadservedhimwellandofteninlooseningthetonguesofthose
he was investigating. It told Sierra that Mark was here to investigate everyone
notjustKyler.

Mark looked like he always looked, in charge and in control. He was a
handsomemanatsixfootfourwithabullishbuildthatwasevenmoremuscled
upthanZeus’.SierrafoundZeus’buildtobeperfectandMarkwasjustalittle
toomuchforherpersonally.Hiswhiteblondhairwasn’tinthemilitarystyleone
mightexpectbecauseMarkwasn’tstrictlymilitary.Hetookadvantageofthatto
wear his hair a little longer, maybe because women often commented on his
thick curls. If his blond hair and his ice blue eyes didn’t tip you off, his last
name, Karlson, would indicate his Norwegian ancestry. Sierra had always
imagined he would make a good Viking, but not just because of his name or
coloring.Hehadaconquerallpersonalityandhatedtolose.

He and Zeus were caught up in staring contest, neither blinking nor looking
away.Itwasmuchliketwobigdogsfightingfordominanceandthejuicybone
lyingbetweenthem.Markfinallybrokethesilenceandtheeyecontact.“What
thehellisgoingonhere,Zeus.Icancallyou,Zeus,can’tI?”

“Onlyifyouallowmetocallyou,Mark.”Zeushadjustwonanotherroundin
the games Mark played. If they agreed to be called by their first name without
askingtousehis,hewouldmakethemcallhimMajor.Hesaiditgavehimthe
advantagebecausehewasanofficerwhiletheywerebeneathhim.Sierradidn’t
agree, but giving Mark his way, gave him power which was never good. Zeus
neededtoremindhimthatthiswasZeus’domainandheruledit,notMark.So
farhewasdoingwell.

“If that’s what you want Zeus. Now tell me what’s going on! People are
disappearing,somethingisup.”Marksaiditlikeacommand.Itwasdesignedto
makepeoplenervous,aquickanswernotwellthoughtout,wouldrevealthings
thatMarkwantedtoknow.Zeustookhistimegivingacarefulanswer.

“I am concerned with Kyler and his team. He is involved with something
improperandhisteammembers,thosethatplaywellwithothers,haveexpressed
concernfortheirsafety.”

“Sodoyouhavesomeprooftogoalongwithallthatconjecture?”Markasked
with a superior look on his face. It was obvious he expected no proof of any

kind.

“Brenda was afraid of Kyler and expressed it to several of my gods, but we
found something on her computer. She was filming some of her meetings with
her teammates and Kyler.” Zeus called Buzz, “Buzz, will you play those two
clips?”

“Sure,Zeus.Comingup.”

ZeusturnedhislargecomputerscreentowardsMark.Hehadselectedtwoofthe
compromisingclipstoplayforMark.HewaswatchingenthralledasBrendaand
Sam,whowasstillinthefacility,cameonscreen.

“Ihatehim,Sam,buthescaresthehelloutofme.”Brendaadmittedtohim.

“As well he should my lovely lady. That’s one scary man and his friends are
even scarier. Let’s hope he let’s us leave after he ruins that ball the gods have
planned.Justacoupleweeksandwe’llbeoutofhere.He’llbeinchargeandhe
cangetanewcrewsentinbyOrigin.”

ThatclipendedandthenextonewasBrendatalkingtoKyler.

“AreyousureColinleftonhisown?”Brendaasked.

“Iftheyknewanything,theywouldcallWashingtonandtheywouldbehereto
arrestallofus.”Kylersaidwithassurance.

“Maybetheyknow,buttheyaren’tsurehowfartheconspiracygoes?”

“Whatdoyouknow,anyway?Ikeepyouaroundtofuck,nottothink.”

“Fuck!”Markyelled.“Howlonghaveyouhadthese?”

“We got them yesterday when we were sure she was gone and decided to
investigate.Buzztookherlaptoptohisofficetosearchforclues,wegotabunch
ofthem.”Zeustoldhim.

“What the hell was he thinking? He’s practically a traitor. He just schemed
againstanally.He’llbeluckyifheevergetsoutofjail.”

“CanIaskyousomething,Mark?”

“Sure, why not. You just closed my case for me in about five minutes. Ask
away.”

“Kyler’sprettyharshandalotofpeopledon’tseemtocaremuchforhim.You

seemtocare,youevenfeelbadaboutthechoiceshe’smade.Why?”

Mark laughed without humor. “Because the SOB is my half brother. I wish he
wasn’t,I’vewishedthatmorethanonce,butheisandIlovehim.”

“I’msorryforthat.Maybeyoucandosomethingforhim.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine what.” Mark said with a pained expression.
“Sierra,Ineedtoseeyoualoneforafewminutes.”

ZeusandAresexcusedthemselvesleavingthemaloneintheroomtotalk.Sierra
had always thought Mark was related to Kyler. She would have guessed first
cousins, but brothers made more sense. They had always been so competitive,
butKyler’sstupidityhadjusttakenhimoutofthegame.

“I need you to come with me when I arrest him. The rest of his team will be
addedtoyourteam,butifthereisanysigntheyareinvolvedinthis,sendthem
straighttome.”

“Thankyoufordealingwiththissoefficiently,andMark…”

“What?”

“Iamsosorrythishappened.”

“Don’t be Sierra, this is no ones fault but his.” They walked toward Kyler’s
roomstogetherwithtwoburlyguardsbehindthem.Hereallyhadnowheretogo
andnowaytogetthere.

MarkknockedhardonthedooruntilKyleropenedit.“Wereyoutryingtobreak
itdown?Whatthehelldoyouwant,Mark?”

“ColonelKyler,youareunderarrestforcrimesagainstyourcountry.”

“You,theysentyoutoarrestme?”Kylerlaughed.“I’mgladtoseeyoubrought
help.” His eyes flicked to Sierra and then to the guards. “This is fucking
hilarious. My own fucking brother and the bitch that dumped me are arresting
me.” They had stepped just inside his living room while they talked to him. “I
guess I have nothing to lose.” He said as he lunged toward Sierra driving her
hardintothewall.HermouthopenedonagaspofpainandKylerslammedhis
lips onto hers and sank his tongue into her mouth. Her reaction was fast and
brutalasshedroveherkneeintohisnuts.Hefellbackandbentoverdesperately
tryingnottohurl,theguardsmovedtohissidetopreventanyfurtherproblems.

“WhatdidIeverseeinyou?”Sheaskedhimbeforeturningtoleavetheroom.

“Ifuckinglovedyou!”Hescreamedafterher.“Istilldo.”Hewhisperedbuther
improvedhearingjustmadeitout.Damnhimformakingherfeelguilty,damn
himformakingherfeelbadafterwhathehaddone.Atearrandownhercheek
for what he might have been. He had everything he needed to be a hero,
someone anyone could look up to, but he chose the easy path only to find out
treacheryandbetrayalwasn’tsoeasyafterall.

She hurried to the rooms she shared with Zeus and her baby. She brushed her
teethuntiltheybledtoremovethetasteofdeceit.ShewenttopickupAthena,
stayingtotalktoLucifer.Hewasalwaysalotoffunandtriedhardtomakeher
laughbuthefinallygaveup.“I’veheardthathumanscandisappointyoubutit’s
intheirDNA.Stickwithgodsandyou’llbeokay.”

Sierralaughed.“Isthatso?”

“Yeah, that’s the way to avoid disappointment. Besides, “ he winked and
grinned,“there’sjustnocomparison.Afterall,wearegods.”

“Someone wasn’t there when they handed out humility.” She said but if you
lookedlikeLuciferandhadhisstrength,speed,andbrains,ithadtobehardto
behumble.ShesaidhergoodbyeswhilehekissedAthenaandshetookherlittle
onehometofeedandchangebeforeZeusarrived.

She was fixing lunch when Zeus came in with an angry look on his face. “So
howdideverythinggowithMark?”Heaskednonchalantly.

“TherewasasmallissuewithKyler,butotherwiseitwentfine.”

“Asmallissueiswhatyoucallitwhenhestickshistongueinyourmouth?”

“He’sgoneandthat’ssomethingthatwillneverhappenagain.Ican’tundoit,I
didn’t want it.” She tried to explain it to him. A little jealousy was cute,
endearingeven,butthismuchwastoomuch.“I’vetoldyouoverandover,it’s
youIloveandyouIwanttobewith.”

His expression eased as he took her in her arms holding her tight. “I feel so
muchforyouthatmyangerwasoutofcontrolwhenIheardwhathehaddone.I
stayed away so I wouldn’t scare you, waited until I was calm but lost my cool
anyway. You and Athena are my whole life, my reason for living. Sometimes
you’llhavetoforgivemewhenIlosemyheadbecauseI’mafraidI’llloseyou
somehow.”

“You’llneverloseme,I’mnotthateasytogetridof,bigguy.”

“Youcalledmethatwhenwefirstmet,Irememberfollowingyoudownthehall
thinkingIwouldfollowyouanywhere.”Sierrasmiledrememberingtoo.

“I remember when you took the lead, watching you walk in front of me, I
thought you were so sexy. Now I know you are so sexy that I’ll never want
anyoneelseagain.”Hestartednibblingonherlipsthenworkedhiswaydownto
thecleavagevisibleatthetopofhershirt.

“Someone’s wearing too much clothing.” Zeus said as he stripped off his shirt
and kicked off the sandals most gods now wore inside. Things had been
changing and the gods were trying to adapt to outside expectations. He picked
herupcarryinghertobedwherehequicklyfinishedriddinghimselfoftherest
ofhisclothingbeforehelpinghergetbaretoo.

Itwasn’tallaboutsex,thatwasjustonewaytoexpressthefeelingstheyhadfor
eachotherwhilegivingpleasuretoeachother.Helaydownwithhisheadnear
the foot of the bed while she had hers at the headboard. “I want to taste you,
Sweetheart.”

“Youwantmetositonyourface?”

“Yes,that’swhatIwantyoutodo.”Sheslidontopofhimwithherfaceright
overhisstrainingcockandherpussyfeelingeachbreathheexhaled.Shealmost
jumped to the ceiling when his hot, wet tongue licked her from her passage to
her clit. She took her tongue rimming the head of his rock hard cock and he
groanedupagainstherpussysendingvibrationsshootingthroughher.Shekissed
the sensitive area just below his balls making him writhe before she gently
suckedhisballsintohermouthoneatatimelavingthemwithhertongueasshe
gentlyappliedpressurewithhermouth.

He was pressing his tongue on her clit making her squirm with need. He slid
around it then gently sucked her clit in, before once again licking it like an all
day sucker. She ran her tongue up and down the under side of his cock before
she finally just sank it into her mouth all the way to her tonsils. She tried to
relax, but what he was doing to her was tying her in knots that threatened to
makeherexplode.Shemovedupanddownonhisshaftuntilshesensedhewas
neartheendofhiscontrol.Shewassoclose,shewasridingtheedgewrappedin
thepleasurehewasgivingher.Shesankhiscockdeepintohermouthandthe
vibrations of his scream pushed her over the edge. She sucked harder as her
body jerked as pleasure shot through her until she struggled to breath. She
swallowed as stream after stream of hot cum hit the back of her throat. She

finallylethiscockgowithapopasshecollapsedontopofhim.

Sherolledofftolaymotionlessnexttohim,lackinganyenergyoranydesireto
doanythingbutbaskintheafterglowandletsleepfindher.Zeuspulledherup
andintohisarmssotheycouldcuddletogetherastheyslippedofftosleep.He
wastrulyamazingandshewasthankfulforeverydayspentinhisarms.

The next morning should have been business as usual, but Mark and his team
hadstayedthenight.ShewassurethatZeushadbeenawareofitbutchosenot
to tell her fearing it would cause her worry. He was right, because she was
worriednowasshehurriedtothemeetingroomwhereMarkhadsummonedher.
HesatattheheadofthetablewhereshewasusedtoseeingZeussit.Shewas
alreadyabitunnerved,butthatmadeitworse.Itwasjustthetwoofthemina
privatemeetingwhichwasunusualthoughnotunheardof.

“IhopeyouwilloverlookthelastminutesummonsIsentyou.I’lladmit,I’ma
bit off my game. After you left last night, I realized I needed to talk to you
beforeIpulledmyteamout.Kylerwasadisappointment,onbothaprofessional
andpersonallevel.Ican’tevenbegintoguessatwhatdamagehe’scausedandI
doubthe’lltellanyone.Iwillsendsomementohelpsecurityforthetimebefore,
after,andduringtheballsincetheblamefortheneedofmoresecurityisonus.”

“Thankyou,I’msureeveryonewillresteasierknowingtrainedprofessionalsare
helping.”

“I’lladmit,atfirst,Iblamedyouandthebreakupforhisdeceit,butIrealizedhe
becameinvolvedinthisthemomenthefoundoutyouwerehereandthefacility
was under our control. He was never happy with his achievements, he always
wantedmore.I’dhidethisfromourmotherifIcould,butIfearitwillmakethe
news.”

“I don’t think the gods will want that. It’s negative press and attention for
everyone,itshouldbekeptquiet.”

“Canyouspeakforthem?”

“Ofcoursenot.I’vejustbecomefamiliarwiththeirwayofthinking.I’llhaveto
checkwithZeus,butheisallaboutpositivepublicity,notnegativecoverage.I
hope that will help you with your mother. I didn’t think your mother was still
alive.”

“I’mnotsurprised.Kylernevercomestoseeherandrarelytalksabouther.He

resented her inability to keep his father at her side. He never wanted a half
brother and certainly not so soon. I’m only a year younger than him.” Sierra
thoughtthatexplainedalot.ShehadalwaysnotedKyler’sdislikeforMarkand
neverunderstoodit.ShehadsensedthejealousyandthoughtthatwaswhyKyler
dislikedMark.ShehadneverfeltthatMarkdislikedKyler.NowitseemedMark
hadonlywantedhisbigbrother’sloveandrespectwhichwasaperfectlynormal
desire.Marklookedtoreup,whichbroughthersympathyforhimoutinspades.

“IfeelsobadaboutallofthisbutIneversawitcomingeither.Hewasalways
competitive, but never would I have expected him to go to such lengths to
achievehisends.”

“I’mnotevensurewhathewanted,money,status,orsomethingelseentirely?”

“Itakeitthathe’snottalking?”

“No, and I’m worried about the state of his mind. He may have gone over the
edge.Ifearhe’squitecrazy.”

“Whatmakesyouthinkthat?”

“Idon’twanttoupsetyou,buthethinksyouhadhisbaby.”

Shelaughed.“Isthatajokeorsomething?”

“No,heseemstobequiteseriousandheinsiststhatistrue.”

“Ineversawasignofmadness,notone,Mark,IswearIwouldhavetoldyou.”

“Iknow,butmaybeitwillhelphimavoidadeathpenaltyorlifeinprisonifthey
canhelphim.”

“Ineverconsideredhemightgetthedeathpenalty.”

“He conspired with our enemies against our allies even though he was
representingourcountry.Iwouldbesurprisediftheydidn’tscreamforhisdeath,
butifhe’sinsane,hewastakenadvantageofandcouldn’thelphimself.Ihope
theywillshowsomemercy.Sierra,Ineedyoutokeepallofthis,includingmy
relationshiptoKyler,quiet.”

“Thatgoeswithoutsaying.EverythingIdoisconfidential,Mark.”

“IknewIcouldcountonyou.I’mgoingtoleavesoon,butIwillneedtocome
back once we figure out what Kyler did and how he did it. You need to keep
security tight and interview all his people. I would do it, but I’m the only one

who has a chance of getting that stubborn bastard to talk. He won’t even
acknowledge anyone else who tries to question him. If you have any doubts
abouttheirloyalty,sendthemonthenextchopperstraighttome,understand?”

“Ido.I’llhandlethissoyoudon’thavetoworry.”Markreachedoutpullingher
into a bear hug. She could feel him shake as he held her and he breathed in
deeplybuthedidn’tputhishandsanywhereheshouldn’tnordidheattemptto
kissher.Maybethemanwasjustfallingapartandneededsomecomfort.Itwas
sounlikehim,itastoundedher.“Ihavetogo,butyoubecareful.”

“Iwillbe,youtakecareofyourselfandIhopeyoucansaveKyler’slife.”She
saiditandshemeantit.Shewantedhimgoneandoutofherlifebutnotdead.
Mark left to join his brother who had left the night before with half of Mark’s
team. Sierra couldn’t deny she was glad to see him gone. She wished the
remaining three members of Mark’s six member team had left with him. Now
shewouldhavetomeetwiththemanditwouldbeexpectedthattheywouldplay
alargepartintheinvestigationshewasexpectedtoconduct.

She decided to try out her new powers aiming for Eres who she had a close
relationship with. Instead, she got Ares. “How did you contact me? Have you
beenhidingyourpowers?”

“No,ZeussaidIwouldgainhispowersoncemychangewascomplete.”

“Shit,youcangetinmyhead,canyoureadmymind?”

“No,Ares,canZeus?”

“Hesayshecan’t,butI’vealwayswonderedifit’strue.”

“Youthinkhewouldhideitfromyou?”

“Ithinkhewantsmetothinkhecanbuthedoesn’twantmetobesure.Ofcourse
ifhecouldreadallthegodsminds,hewouldbecrazywithjealousyformanyof
themwouldhavematedyou,hadZeusnotgottentoyoufirst.”

Sierrafeltherfaceheatathiswords.Shereallyhadnointerestinanymale,god
or otherwise except for Zeus. “Ares, I need to know where Mark’s team is
becauseIneedtointerviewKyler’steamandtheyneedtohelp.”

“Theywereputin rooms in the god’s old wing. Want me to send them to you?
Areyouinthemeetingroom?”

“Thanks,Ares.Thatwouldbegreat.”

ShesatinZeus’chairattheheadofthetable.Itfeltbothoddandempoweringto
besittinginthe‘powerseat’.Shawn,oneofMark’sbestinvestigatorsknocked
onthedoorandshebidhimenter.

“Nicetoseeyouagain,Shawn.AreFernandKencomingtoo?”

“Theywererightbehindme.Markcaughtusuponeverythingthat’shappening.
ToobadabouthisbrotherbutIneverlikedhim.Iwassurprisedwhenyoutwo
hookedup.Man’sapsycho,guessyoufoundthatoutfirsthand.”

Another knock and the other two entered when she told them to. Mark’s team
was a real band of misfits but they were perfect for the jobs he gave them.
Shawn would talk your ear off about nothing of importance, but he heard and
rememberedeverywordsaidtohim.Youmightnotthinkitbenefittedhimmuch
butpeopletendedtotalkwhenheshutup,justsohewouldn’ttalkagain.That
didn’t work with her, Sierra knew all about these people. Fern was gorgeous,
waytooprettytobeasoldier,morelikeamodel.Shehadbrightredhair,deep
blueeyes,rosyredlips,andamilkwhitecomplexion.Nodoubtthegods,who
werehungryforwomenanyway,werestarvingforher.Shealwayslookedlike
shehadjustwalkedoffthesilverscreen,theleadingladyinanyromance.Itwas
easy to overlook how sly and cunning she was. She was devious in finagling
information from the toughest adversary and ruthless about using anyone to
achieveherownends.

Ken was the male version of Fern and they hung around together often. They
gavecredencetothatbirdsofafeathersayingthathadbeenaroundforever.He
wassmoothforasoldier,charmingtoafault.Hewastheliveversionofa‘Ken
doll”,theonesthatweremadetogowiththe‘Barbiedolls’.Markusedhimthe
mostonwomen,buthecouldconvincemenhewastheirverybestfriendeasily
enoughgiventime.

Fern could have them spilling their guts along with blowing their load. Those
twodidtheirbestworkinbedwhentheyinterviewed.Thatwouldn’tworkhere,
at least not if they were only here for Kyler’s team since forewarned is
forearmed.Kyler’steamwasfamiliarwiththemalmostasmuchasSierrawas.It
wouldn’tworkwiththegodseither,nowthattheyhadbeenwarned.Itwouldn’t
stopthosehornyguysfromdippingtheirwicks,buttheyknewbetterthantotalk
toFernwhiletheyweredoingit.

Now that all three of them were with her, she gave them their assignments.
Kyler’s team had six plus him after the two left to return to Origin. That left

three, one of which was Sam who they had caught on tape. She would give
Shawnhim,whichleftSaraandDave.Shetoldthemwhotheywouldquestion
thensheshowedthemthetapesMarkhadseen.“Weneedtoknowwhattheplan
was and their degree of involvement. Brenda taped several conversations so it
mayhelpustoknowiftheyarehonestwithusornot.”

“Canweseetherestofthem?”Shawnasked.

“I prefer you guys to be objective. You’ll get better answers if you don’t
subconsciously guide their answers.” She looked at the three ruthless team
members. The game is on! She hoped this was one the gods could win. She
dismissedthemandfollowedthemout.Sheheadedtomedicalfirst,whereSara
was getting a pain reliever and a sleeping pill. It looked like she was having
troubledealingwithrecentevents.KenhadfollowedherrighttoSara,theman
must have a homing beacon for finding his targets. She felt more than a little
sorry for Sara who wouldn’t know what hit her. Sara was too short to be a
regularsoldieratfivefeetzero.Shewassweettoo,oratleastsheseemedtobe.
She had short honey blonde hair cut in a pixie so that it curled in around her
face.Shehadhugesapphireblueeyesthatseemedtotakeupmostofherface.
Shewasapopulartargettohitonwherevershewas.Shewasabouttobehiton
bythebest.

“Isaid‘no’damnyou,KenandImeantit.Iamnotinterestedinanythingyou
wanttodo.”Sarasaidloudandclear.Kenwouldgetnowherewithhernow.

“Sara,couldItalktoyouforafewminutes?”Sierrasaidseeingshewouldhave
tohandlethis.

“Sure, “ Sara said eagerly wanting away from Ken. She followed Sierra to the
meeting room. Sierra sat back in Zeus’ seat while Sara sat at the head of the
table.

“IassumeyouknowaboutKyler?”

“Yes,everyoneknowseventhegods.Idon’tknowhowtofeelaboutit.Onone
hand,I’mgladhe’sgone.Hewasbeginningtocomeapart,I’veneverseenhim
likethatbefore.Ontheotherhand,hewasalwaysthereforme,forallofus.His
poormotherandbrother,it’sjustterrible.”

“Didyouknowwhathedid,whathewasdoing?Wereyouawareofanyofhis
plans?”

“I knew something funky was going on. He disappeared and we couldn’t find
himwhenwehadmeetings.Wherecanyouhideathere,onlyoutside,right?He
was angry all the time, well except once in a while and then he was over the
moonhappy.”

“Whydidn’tyoureporthisunusualbehavior?”

“Iknewyouhadjustdumpedhim.Howwouldyouexpecthimtoact?Hetoldus
he loved you but you picked one of those creatures over him. Sure they look
good,butwhataretheyreally?Nooneknows,that’sforsure.”

“Doyouwanttostayassignedhere?

“Youreallywanttoknow?Iwantouttahereyesterday.”

“Thank you for being honest and if you pack your belongings, I’ll get you
reassignedasquicklyaspossible.TheseareunusualcircumstancesandI’llask
forasimilarassignmentelsewhere.”

“Thankyou.Sierra?”

“Yes.”

“Ihopeyouknowwhatyou’redoing.”Sarasaidassherushedawaynodoubtto
packandgetthehellouttaDodge.Onedown,twotogo.

ShehadBuzzchecktoseeifhecouldfindShawnonthetapesandtellEresto
have him and Ken, who went to his room after they parted company, watched.
Once that was done, Fern, who should be with Dave, needed to be found and
followed.ShawnandKenwereeasytofind,butFernwasn’tinDave’squarters
or anywhere in the public areas which left few possibilities the most likely of
whichwasherquarters.

SierrahadagodwatchingFern’sdoorfornow,itwasallshecoulddo.Sarawas
packedandreadytogoassoonasthepilotfinishedresting.Maybeshecouldget
rid of all humans except her own team which she trusted. Lucifer was sending
hermentalimagesofhimandAthenaplayingwhichwassweet,butdistracting.
Who would have suspected he was just a giant teddy bear and a pushover for
babies?

There was a knock on the door then Zeus came in wanting a progress report.
Whydidn’tyoujustsendmeamessage?

MaybeIwantedtoseeyou,maybeImissedyou?

Imissedyoutoo,andI’mhappytoseeyou.

“We’d better talk out loud in case someone finds a way to watch us.” Zeus
suggestedeventhoughheclearlyenjoyedmindtomindtalking.

“You’re right. Mark left this morning taking half his team with him. We have
two of Kyler’s left, Dave and Sam, for now since Sara is or has left on the
chopper.Mark’steamshouldleaveifDaveorSamwasn’tinvolvedoriftheyare
sure they were, they will take them with them. Mark promised extra help to
securenextweek’sball,weshouldbegladforthat.Ithinkthat’severything,any
questions?”Sheaskedwithasmile.Shelovedtolookathimevendressedand
acrossthetable,helookedlikehotsexwaitingtohappen.

“No questions about the facility, but when will Doc clear you for sex,
Sweetheart?”

“Two more days, so it’s plenty of time before the ball. Anything else, Babe?”
Sheaskedlookingathimintently.

“AllkindsofthingsbutIdon’twanttodistractyouwhileyou’reworking.”

“Whenhasthateverstoppedyou?”Sheaskedwatchinghimashestoodupand
stalkedovertoher.Heapproachedlikeapredatormakingherheatriseandher
panties get soaked. It amazed her that a male like this even existed much less
thathewasallhers.

Hercombuzzed.“Sierra.”

“This is Buzz. We just had an attempt to hack our computer system but we
stoppedit.”

“Youdon’tusuallytellmeeverytimesomeonetriestohackus.”

“I do when it’s from inside the facility. I already sent some gods that way, but
theyweregone.”

“Youdon’tknowwhoitis?”

“I didn’t say that. They tried to hack us from medical. The place was empty
becauseeveryonewenttolunch.Icaughtthemgoinginandleaving.ItwasSara,
shewasthehacker.”

“Thatlittlebitch,Ieventriedtohelpher.She’llneedhelpwhereshe’sgoing.”

“I’llkeepcheckingthefeedstoseewhat’sgoingon.”

“Thanks,Buzz.”

“No,prob,Cap.”

“Zeus, we need Sara intercepted immediately. I want her on that copter in
handcuffswithoneofMark’steamguardingher.”Shegotonhercomandcalled
Ken.

“ThisisKen.”

“IneedyoutoarrestSaraandbringherheretothemeetingroom.”

“Whathappened?Ithoughtshewascleared.”

“Inevertoldyoushewascleared.”

“Shetoldmeyouclearedher.”

“Well,thatwasbeforeshetriedtohackourcomputer.”

“Noshit?”

“Shereallydid.”

“I’llgetherassoonasIcan.”

“Ifyoudon’tfindherinherroom,havesomegodshelp.”

“Willdo.”

Ken was always very informal about taking orders from her as was the rest of
Mark’steam.InShawn’scaseitwasbecausetheywerethesamerank,butthe
rest of them hated taking orders from anyone but Mark. She sat with Zeus
talking while they waited to see what went wrong next. “Have you heard
anythingnewaboutHermes?”Sheaskedbecauseshelikedhim.SheknewZeus
worriedaboutHermeslikeshewouldayoungerbrotherhadshehadoneinstead
ofallsisters.

Chapter8

Secrets

“No, and that worries me more than if I received a demand. It looks like
whoeverhashim,wantstokeephim.”

“Ifit’satallpossible,wewillgethimback,bothofustogether.”

“Wearetogether,Sierra.”Hesaidashestoodwalkingtoherside.Hedroppedto
hiskneesandgrabbedherhand.“Iwanttomarryyou,Sierra.Iloveyouwithall
myheartandsinceIdon’thavealastname,Iwouldbeproudtoshareyours.”

Shelookedinhiseyeswhichwasleveltohersandhehopedshesawthelovehe
felt there. “I would love to give you my last name, so my answer is yes.” He
leanedinkissingherpassionately.Helovedhermorethananything.

“Youknow,IjustrealizedIdon’tevenknowyourlastname.”

She smiled at him. “You’re silly. Seems you would want to know it before
askingtoshareit.It’sagoodsolidnamenotanythingweird.It’sDunlevy.”He
wasshockedasthenamesankin,butshecouldn’tknowwhy.“What’swrong?”

“Didyouhaveamalerelativethatwasamajor?”Heaskedthinkingitcouldn’t
betrue.

“Yes,mydad,didyouhearabouthim?DidWaymentionhim?”

“No,IwentonamissionwithaMajorDunlevywhenIwasaboy.Itturnedout
to be his last mission and I never forgot it, couldn’t forget it. He died right in
frontofmelookingoutforus.HewasangrythatweweresoyoungwhenOrigin
sent us out to test our skills. He was distracted because he was more worried
about us than what was going on. He was a great man, a good soldier but he
nevershouldhavebeensentwithus.Hejustcaredtoomuch.”

“Mydad,areyousureitwasmydad?Youcouldn’thavebeenveryold,certainly
notoldenoughtogooutinthefield,whenhedied.Iwasjustfive,didn’tyou
say you were seven years older than me? You would have been twelve. Shit,
Zeus,that’sjustcrazy.”

“We mature faster than humans. I was six foot two and very muscular at age
twelve. I had the needed skills and the ability to use them, I just needed to be
battlehardened.Hedied,andIandmyteamknewitwasreal,killorbekilled.
We’veneverforgottenhissacrificeorhim,andweneverwill.”

“How did he get involved with a joint mission with Origin? He was special
forces,USmilitary.TheyshouldhaveneverworkedwithOrigin.”

“Weweretoldhewasamercnewlyretiredfromthemilitary.Hehadhonorand
courage,youshouldbeproudofhimnomatterwhoheworkedfor.”

“Iamproudofhim,Zeus.Youjustdon’tunderstand.Myfatherwasstillactive

when he died, but they said the mission was classified. His body was
dismemberedandwehadtofightforhispropermilitaryfuneralbecauseofthe
natureofhismission,buthewasburiedwithfullmilitaryhonorsunderaslightly
changed name. The point is, he was US military which means they have been
workingwithOriginforyears.Maybetheyhadapartingofways,butitmeans
Originmayhavealotofconnectionsinthemilitary.Itactuallymakesonlytoo
muchsenseconsideringKylerandhisteam.Thismeanswedon’tknowwhoto
trust.”

“Whyisn’tWayaDunlevy?”Heaskedoutoftheblue.

“WhatmakesyouthinkWayisfamily?”

“Shesmellslikeyou,likeacloserelation.”

“Way was married before, but she’s a widow. Her husband died very young in
some secret operation just like our dad did. Way was military at the time. She
wasoffonleaveforawhilebutwhenshecameback,shetookterriblechances.I
finallytalkedherintochangingsoshewouldn’tgetherselfkilled.Sheisgreatat
thejobshehasnowandtherisksarefew.”

“She’syoursister.Howmanyothersistersdoyouhave?”

“I have eight total, but only Way and Serena are full sisters. The other six are
halfsisters.”

“Whydoyouhideyourfamilyconnections?”

“In the military and the government, it can limit your possibilities. They don’t
likefamilyworkingtogether.There’slotsofreasons:theyareafraidofclaimsof
favoritism, they are afraid family will say they are treated worse because they
are family, they are afraid of too many family members dying on one mission,
and they are worried that it might give an enemy leverage if they capture the
leaders family member. These would all be valid points but after years on the
sameteam,youeitherloveorhatetheothermembersandthat’sjustlikebeing
family.”

“I can understand that.” He did understand that sometimes you were forced to
hide things because of rules that made no sense. He’s seen some movies about
thatandhe’dthoughtifeveryoneknewtheruleswerestupid,whykeepthem?
He’dfinallydecideditwasahumanthingandifthegodswereeverfreed,they
woulddothingsdifferently.

“Whydoyouactlikethat’sasurprise?”

“I just didn’t think their reasons would make any sense. You would try harder,
riskmoretoensurethesuccessofthemissionwithyourfamilyatstake.”

“Likeyouwithyourbrothers?”

“Yes,likemeandmybrothers.Whenwegetmarriedwillyoutellmeallyour
secrets?”

“WhatmakesyouthinkIhaveany?”

“Iknowyoudo,butIdon’tevenknowmostofmyownsecretsbecausethey’ve
beenhiddenfromme.”

“In a relationship you learn about each other a little at a time. You may learn
somethingneweveryday.We’lluncoveryoursecretstogetherasyoulearnmine.
Nowlet’scallameetingtoletyourmalesknowwhatwefoundout.”

“AboutyoubeingMajorDunlevy’sdaughter?

“No,abouttheUSmilitarybeinginvolvedwithOriginforyears.Theyareinthis
up to their necks and they won’t want anyone to know. We don’t just have to
lookoutforOrigin,themilitaryisnowjustasdangeroustous.Idon’tthinkyou
understandhowseriousthisis.”

“Ido,butthere’snothingwecando.Ithinkitbothersyoumore,becauseyouare
part of the military you are now suspicious of. Ares, Poseidon, Hades, and
Apollowereallwithyourdadandmeonthatmission.”

“Theyknewmydadtoo,then.”

“Yes,andtheywouldwanttoknowwhoyouandWayare.”

“Waymaynotwantthemalltoknow.”

“Theyalreadyknowyouarefamily.Theirsenseofsmellisasstrongasmine.”

“Whydidn’tyousayanythingbefore?”Sheaskedfeelingcurious.

“I wanted you to tell me in your own time. Even though I have a lot to learn
about you and relationships, I want to marry you right now, but I don’t know
whatwehavetodo.”

“Youarebasicallyyourowncountryhere.You’llhavetodecidewhatamarriage
is,whatitmeansthenwritetherules.You’llneedlawsasthingshappen,you’ll

needtosetupagoverningbodyandhaveajudgetodecidedisputes.You’llneed
manythingsastimepasses.”

“Iwashopingwewouldn’thavetoworryaboutallthosekindofthingssincewe
areallfamily.”

“Sometimes that makes things worse.” Her com buzzed. “Wait a second.” She
saidasshelistened.

“Buzz says that Sara was caught and Ken is escorting her in handcuffs to the
helicopter.Onelessproblem.Nextwe’llseeifDavecanbetrustedornot.”

“Why don’t we take this discussion downstairs?” He said wanting his mate to
himself.

“I can see the benefits of such a move.” He took her arm and led her into the
hall.Hemovedtoadoorthatlookedlikeaclosetandusedtheaccesspanelthey
had installed. It recognized his hand print unlocking the door. They entered
pressingthenextleveldown.

“Why have none of your people asked about the lower levels. I know the
satellite pictures showed heat signatures when Hades and his men were caged
below.”

“I told them it was something like a tunnel and that someone had stored some
typeofradioactivematerialstherethattheyhadbeenexperimentingwith.They
can’t see the bottom levels anymore because we are blocking the satellites and
othersurveillanceequipment.Ideniedknowinghowyoudiditorevenwhyyou
woulddoit.”

“That’s good but we will be using the second floor for the ball and they know
aboutitanyway,butthentheywillnowit’snotjustlivingquartersanymore.The
demons have been remodeling the third floor for their own use. Lucifer wants
separatebutequallivingarrangementsforthem.Hefeelstheyaretoodifferent
tointegratefullywithoutsometimetoadapt.”

“Maybe an adjustment period would help them. They were treated terribly and
whoknowshowbadtheabusewas.Onceyouhavefunds,youmightwanttosee
aboutcounselingforthem.”

“Demonsdon’twanttotalkabouttheirfeelings,Sierra.Thatisalostcause.”He
noticedthestubbornlookonherfacebutfeltrelievedwhensheletitgofornow.
Hewasn’tstupidenoughtothinkhehadwon,itwasonlyatemporaryreprieve.

They made it to their room, he closed the door. He stripped his clothes off
quicklythenturnedtoremovehers.Shewasneverasquicktoundressashewas.
Hewasjustintimetounsnapherbraandhelpherslideoffherpanties.Bare,he
looked at her just enjoying the beauty of her naked flesh. He didn’t care about
those small imperfections that obsessed her, he saw the whole picture and
thought she was perfect for him just the way she was. He pulled her into his
armslovingthewaytheirskinrubbedtogetherslidingsmoothlyoneacrossthe
other.

He kissed her mouth deeply before moving on down her neck to her shoulder
and to where his hands palmed her breast. His mouth moved over the turgid
nipple claiming it as he took it in hard smooth sucks. She moaned from the
pleasurehegaveherandthepleasuresheknewwastocome.Onehandheldher
breasttohismouth,theotherstrokedherbackthenmoveddowntocupherass
whichhesqueezedgently.Hewantedtopullherdownonthebedunderhimand
takeherlikethedarkbeastinsideofhimdemanded,buthewasincontrolofhis
wildside.Hewasn’tsureshewashealedyetandhewouldn’triskharmingher.

Hemovedhismouthuptoherearwhispering,“Ican’twaituntilIcanbeback
insideyou.”

“IsawDoctodayandshegavetheokay.”

“IwantyousomuchbutI’llgoslowforyou.”

“Fuckslow!I’vewaitedaslongasyouhave.”Shepulledhimdowntothebed
lyingunderhim.Shearchedagainsthimreadytobetaken,needingtohavehim
inside of her. She wrapped her legs around him pressing against his hard, hot
cockfeelingitrubacrossherentrance.“Now,Zeus.Ineedyounow.”

Howcouldheresistwhenherneedwasasgreatashis?Shewasslickandready
ashisshafthitherpussyandsliditslowly.Oncehewasfullyenvelopedinher
wet heat, he stilled for a moment just to enjoy the feeling of being joined so
completely. She felt so damn good wrapped around him! He started to move
backthensinkoncemoreintohertighthold.Hemovedfaster,caughtupinthe
excitement of being back where he belonged. He was joining with his mate in
the way he had always intended to. Harder, he slammed into her as she
encouraged him to move faster. She was so close she shook with need and her
body was tense as she yelled his name when pure bliss washed over her. He
froze over her for a moment enjoying the feel as her muscles tightened around
himsomuchhecouldn’tholdback.Hefelthishotcummilkedoutofhisbody,

streamafterstreamhittingherchannel.Herolledevenastheystilljerkedagainst
eachother,takingthembothontheirsidessotheycouldsleep.

He felt the calm and the delicious exhaustion making love to his mate always
brought, but his mind slowed in stages refusing to give up to sleep right away.
He knew the best way to ease it, would be to think everything through. He
thoughtofhisownlittlefamilyunitfirst.Theywerethefirstparentsamonghis
people but would not be the last. According to Doc their sperm was extremely
aggressive not a surprising term to use when describing predators. She did say
thatithadtobeacompatiblefemale,whateverthehellthatmeant.Zeusknew
before too long his males would mate as he had, have children, and become
smallfamilyunitsinsideoftheirsmallsociety.Therewasalotthatneededdone
toensuretheircontinuedsurvivalandevenmoretoensuretheirsuccess,growth,
andprosperity.

Hermeswassomewhere,lostintheoutsideworldwithnocluelefttofindhim.
Heknewinhishearthewasalive,butnothowtofindhim.Kylerwasjailedand
most of his team detained or under observation but who knew how deep his
treachery had gone. Mark was gone, but two of his people remained and he
wasn’t sure why. The Halloween Masked Ball was scheduled to go on as
planned, but danger could lurk around every corner. Maybe he was reckless to
moveforward,butwiththedemonsattending,hefeltmuchsafer.

Tomorrow, he would fight the good fight for his family and his people, but
tonight his baby was safe in her cradle, his arms were wrapped protectively
around his mate, and he would push his worries aside to be happy with the
progresstheyhadmade.Tonighthewouldrestafreefamilymale.

FrozenOrigin2

Hermes

Thegirl,wellshewasawoman,butshegavetheimpressionofbeingsoyoung
andinnocent,slippedhimasandwich.Hewonderedifshewouldbepunishedif
shegotcaught,hehopednot.Hehadbeenherealmostamonthwhilehiscaptors
decidedwhattodowithhim.Theyknewthegodswouldpayanyransomifthey
had the money, but Origin would as well. He had heard them talk about
auctioninghimofftothehighestbidder,buttheyfearedsomeonemighttrackthe

sitebacktothem.Theywereambitiousfortwobitcriminalsandhewaspretty
sure if Origin found out their hired help had managed to capture him but had
keptitfromthem,theywouldbedead.Hehadn’tfiguredoutwhothegirlwas
yet, but she was kind to him and he felt the urge to protect her. She was in
dangerjustbybeingherebutnooneseemedtoknoworcareaboutit.

Her father had left her a distressed estate and a half brother who was morally
challenged,criminallydisposed,andhadcrueltendencies.Shewouldmakehim
leaveifshedidn’tthinkhewouldkillherifshetried.Nowhehadkidnappedthis
drop dead gorgeous guy who he forgot to feed or take care of. She wanted to
helphimbutshedidn’tknowhow.HesaidhisnamewasHermeswhichwasthe
messenger god. Maybe his parents were hippies of some sort or just eccentric
types.ShewouldhelphimbeforeKevenhadhiswayoritwouldbetoolate.She
likedhimtoomuchtolethimbesoldtothehighestbidderorhurtbybeinglefta
captive.Hisfreedommightcostherthemiserablelifeshehadclungto,butshe
wouldgiveittohimfreely.

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