Chapter 3 The Hunted
THE HUNTED
ALEXIS
Kharon gripped my arms.
Sun streaks from the Montana dusk accentuated the sharp cut of his disturbingly handsome features.
The skeleton ink on top of his right hand extended to his shoulder in a sleeve. It ended where layers of painful scar tissue began. His chest was a mess of circular welts.
What happened to him? Whatever could leave so many lasting scars on an immortal was truly heinous.
Blood was splattered across his striated naked torso and the deep V of muscle on his lower stomach disappeared into the top of his cargo pants, framing a thin dark trail.
Humans called Chthonics dark gods for a reason.
This was the reason.
Face flaming with heat, I struggled to breathe. Apparently, I wasn’t asexual; I was just into tattooed, violent, Machiavellian men. A fate worse than death.
Gathering my courage, I searched for my voice.
“Release m-me,” I whispered.
Icy eyes flashed with danger. “Or … what?” Kharon asked mockingly.
I took a deep cleansing breath.
Pop. Pop.
Kharon inhaled with shock.
He slowly lowered his gaze to my hands—the Spartan gun Hades had gifted me was smoking.
Kharon’s lips thinned.
I’d missed.
Seconds bled into minutes as we sized each other up, me (shooter) and Satan (sadly, not shot).
The field was eerily quiet.
“Use both hands, carissima,” Kharon finally said, his voice husky. “You want to hold the gun out in front of you and aim for my torso.”
He widened his stance and mimed pointing an imaginary gun at my heart.
“Pow,” Kharon whispered, his fingers flexing like he pulled a trigger.
Blood was streaked across his parted lips.
He smiled cockily. “In emergencies, try to lock your elbows so the recoil doesn’t throw you off—”
I pulled out the Taser Persephone had gifted me and slammed down on the black button.
It was an emergency; my husband was an ass.
Kharon dropped like a rock.
Every vein on his body protruded as he writhed on the grass and his body lit up with bright blue streaks of electricity.
“Good.” He choked out. “Job.” Gasp. “That.” He made a horrible, strangled sound. “Also works.”
I slapped at the black button, trying to turn it off.
Kharon grunted as the voltage increased.
I hit the Taser, trying to stop the current.
Kharon grinned, convulsing helplessly on the ground.
“Wahoooo!” Nyx shouted, as she woke up and slithered around my waist. “Yes. Electrocute him to death. We have no mercy on our enemies.”
A lot was happening (none of it was good).
Kharon made another awful, pained sound and rolled around, tensing as the blue streaks of electricity flashed across his skin.
“This is so fun—why didn’t we do this earlier?” Nyx slithered around my neck with excitement.
“This is not fun,” I whispered frantically. “How do I turn this stupid freaking thing off?”
I banged at the box again, and the agonized grunts increased.
“Why would you turn it off?” Nyx sounded genuinely confused.
Kharon rolled over.
Ohmygod.
He ripped one of the Taser prongs out of his chest with spasming fingers—blood and chunks of skin sprayed.
“Wait … he’s not getting up …” Nyx hissed with shock. “Right?”
Kharon sat up and turned toward me.
I shrieked.
He was no longer bothering to hide the depths of his madness—eyes promising unspeakable corruption, bright blue currents danced across his pale, nearly translucent skin.
The most skilled hunter on the planet got to his feet before me.
“Holy shit … he’s standing,” Nyx whispered. “How is he standing? Are you seeing this?”
I dropped the Taser and backed away. The excruciating pain in my leg was not the imminent danger; it was the man calmly standing there as a live current was electrocuting him.
Kharon wiped his sparking lips—fresh blood sizzled as he smeared it across his face.
“Carissima,” he purred darkly as he took a step toward me. “If you wanted to play … you just had to say something.”
Streaks of neon blue jumped across pale skin as a burning metallic scent filled the air.
His jaw clenched.
That was my only warning.
He lunged.
Long fingers grasped my chin and tipped my face up—my skin sparked as the current ran between us—I was rooted to the spot.
Something sizzled.
Kharon lowered his head until our lips brushed.
Zap. A spark leapt between us—our breaths mingled.
His tongue darted out to lick the blood off my lower lip. Tingles danced across the edge of my mouth where his tongue had lightly brushed.
It was the faintest touch.
My skin smoldered in his wake.
“Carissima,” he groaned, full of anguish.
Crack. “What in Kronos’s kingdom is going on here?” Augustus’s deep voice rang out, breaking the spell.
Both our heads snapped toward him like we’d been caught doing something depraved (we had).
Augustus looked around with a furrowed brow like he was surprised where he was, then he focused on us. He stared for a long second, and his surprise morphed into something … dangerous.
“Don’t stop on my behalf. Kiss her,” Augustus ordered, his voice velvety smooth. “Now.”
Wait. What did he just say—
Kharon grabbed my jaw and slammed our mouths together.
Electricity exploded.
His tongue plunged into my mouth. I whimpered as he bit down on my lower lip—hard. He groaned, our breaths mixing.
Kharon kissed harder, like he was trying to devour me. His lips were bruising, and I pressed against him, onto my tiptoes, needing more.
Sparks sizzled. A current pulsed between us.
“Enough,” Augustus ordered, and Kharon yanked his mouth away, panting heavily, but he kept his fingers wrapped around my chin. I leaned into his touch.
A single spark pulled taut between us; it buzzed through the air, connected to our lips. It snapped.
I licked away the sting.
Augustus adjusted his pants.
He enjoys watching us.
Poco stuck his head up over Augustus’s shoulder, tipped his furry head back, and screamed at me accusingly.
Yes, I am a pervert.
Next question.
Calluses dug into my chin—Kharon turned my face so I was staring up at him. He still hadn’t released me.
“You taste … exquisite.” His voice was hoarse and gravelly.
My teeth ached as electricity traveled through my jaw.
A long second passed.
Heart pounding, face flaming, I gathered my courage.
“Just … physical,” I whispered.
Kharon dropped his hand from my jaw like I’d scalded him.
I smiled, victorious as I stumbled back.
“Wait—why is there a Taser in your stomach? Why are there scorch marks on her chin?” Augustus looked between us like we’d both lost our ever-loving minds (we had).
“I’m seducing her.”
“He’s trying to k-kill me.”
Kharon had the audacity to look offended.
I shook my head, trying to find words that wouldn’t come.
How did I explain Karen was secondhand Tasering me … and I liked it?
Do the Olympian health clinics offer lobotomies?
Kharon’s abs flexed and contracted in rhythm to the electric shock. My mouth went dry.
Mental note, need to get one. Immediately.
Augustus sighed heavily. “Kharon, you’re clearly scaring her. Tone it down. We talked about this.” He pointed at me. “She’s bleeding out from a fucking bullet wound and looks like shit. We need to get her back to the outpost. Patro and Achilles are leaping all over trying to find her first.”
Why do my mentors care so much?
“Look at her!” Augustus yelled.
Okay, now he was just being rude.
“You’re the one who told us to kiss,” I mumbled under my breath.
Blood pooled in the corners of Augustus’s eyes. “What was that, my carus?” he asked softly. “Speak up, darling—do you have a … complaint?”
I opened my mouth to argue, but no sound came out. He wasn’t like Kharon; arguing with Augustus felt different.
There was a dangerous energy around him. An authority.
I wanted his approval.
Dear God, I’m ready to die.
Kharon blanched as he stared at my leg, like he’d forgotten all about the bullet lodged in my calf. Grabbing the second Taser wire still in his skin with both hands, he ripped it out of his flesh like it was nothing.
The sputtering wires dropped to the ground.
“Yep, I’m into that,” Nyx said.
Me too.
“I’ll leap all three of us back,” Augustus ordered. “Since I’m the only one of us not actively fucking bleeding.”
Both men looked at me expectantly.
Oh god.
I wanted to take him up on his offer and leap back to safety.
You’re a strong, independent woman.
A couple of months ago, I would have done it. It was the logical choice. But that was before their betrayal.
Girding my lady loins, I took a deep steadying breath and shot up a quick prayer to God to not mangle my corpse so badly … Carl Gauss was waiting.
No cost is too high for vengeance.
“Uh, kid,” Nyx said. “I really don’t think you should—”
Augustus and Kharon’s eyes widened.
“Domus,” I whispered as I concentrated on the feeling of home. Warmth. Acceptance. Hades and Persephone flashed through my mind.
I screamed as I plunged into darkness.
Unlike the other times I leapt, the agony was unimaginable. Something had gone wrong. I was being torn apart in every direction, limbs stretched and contorted.
I was lying on my back, ruined limbs spread wide.
Smoke rose around me.
Everything was dark.
A woman was screaming. Is it me?
Nyx hissed and slithered off my neck. “Are … you … kid.” Her tongue dragged across my cheek, but her voice sounded far away.
I coughed as the world spun.
Nausea cramping my stomach, I rolled onto my side and retched up everything I’d eaten the day before.
“Need … move … help.” Nyx sounded worried. That made two of us.
My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and I barely found the will to pull them forward.
Steel beams spaced out across the low rock ceiling. The air was humid and thick. Shadows flickered from torchlight on the walls.
“Kid, you gotta get up,” Nyx said as my ears cleared.
A woman wailed heinously.
Is that me, or just in my head?
The wail steadily increased, confirming it wasn’t me.
I rolled onto my hands, vision blurry. Groaning, I pushed up to my feet.
You can do this, Alexis—you’re a Spartan.
Hunched over, with my hands on my knees, muffled male voices shouted expletives as a woman screamed.
Throbbing pain pierced my skull as I swiveled my head, taking in the opposite ends of the narrow rock tunnel.
A light shone at the end of one. An exit.
A scream echoed from the other one; it was dark. A dead end.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I looked between the two options.
“We need to get out of here—run, Alexis. Now,” Nyx hissed as she slithered down my legs onto the floor.
With a deep breath, I staggered forward in agony.
I made my choice.
Unlike Icarus, I didn’t fall to my demise trying to escape—I walked into it willingly.