Chapter Three
Mortals wrote that it was Athena who had the intelligence to strategize during wartime, while Ares was the bloodthirsty one who thrived on blood and chaos. A being who was cruel and cowardly, a god with no heart. Ares wasn’t going to comment on fiction either way, but being so roundly hated gave Ares an advantage very few considered. He watched and listened to the people around him, and while he usually kept his opinions to himself, he did have them and often acted accordingly.
Back when Hera and her merry crones had decided to confront Zeus in his private enclave created for privacy with his mate Paulie, Ares had been dragged into it by Hera. Hera, in her arrogance, seemed to believe she had the votes – which still stunned Ares because Olympus was hardly a democracy – but Hera believed she had the votes to insist that no gods be allowed to take mortals as mates.
Ares had been rude to Zeus that day. That was a normal interaction between father and son, but when Zeus hit back and Paulie declared his status as the mate of Zeus, then Ares disappeared. Hera had called him a coward because of it. Ares saw it as a strategic retreat. He already knew Hera didn’t have a leg to stand on and saw no point in hanging around. His father had finally found someone he was prepared to fight for, and that was unusual enough for Ares to step out of the situation completely.
But he did know about strategy, and it was strategy he was relying on in his current situation. Arriving at his house in Westwood, Ares went over the whole house, noting nothing had been disturbed. The entire house was warded, and not even dust dared settle on the pristine surfaces as he walked through the many reception rooms and, later, upstairs to the numerous bedrooms and bathrooms.
He was tempted to go outside and check his back garden, but there’d be no need. It was doubtful the intruder would come back that night, and if the person was spending the night outside somewhere…well, he was welcome to. Ares didn’t see the point in getting cold chasing someone who wasn’t there.
Adjusting his wards so it still looked as if the house was empty from the exterior, Ares lit fires in all of the fireplaces in the house before moving into the kitchen and stocking the pantry shelves and refrigerator with another wave of his hand.
Zapping up a bowl of his favorite pasta, Ares went through to the smaller living room, choosing a book from his extensive collection. As he sat down, he added a glass of brandy to sit on the wide arm of his chair. The anxious knots in his belly quietly disappeared under the peace and comfort of a home Ares knew no one would disturb him in. This is exactly what I needed. Thank you for giving me a reason. Ares silently toasted his intruder as he settled in for a quiet night.
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The next morning, Ares felt more refreshed than he had in a while. As he made himself a hearty breakfast – sausages, bacon, and eggs were frowned on in Olympus because of the smell the cooking caused – he pondered on why he persisted in staying on Olympus at all.
Daddy issues? Ares had them by the bucketload, but daddy Zeus didn’t live on his realm anymore. He preferred living as a family man in Montana. Ares didn’t blame him for that.
Mommy issues then? Hera wasn’t living there, either, and wouldn’t be for a while. In fact, thanks to Paulie, Ares didn’t have to have anything to do with Hera at all.
Ares stuffed some bacon into his mouth. You’d think I’d be over that parental shit by now anyway. The situation is never going to change – they are always going to hate me because they hate each other. It’s about time I had a fucking life of my own.
That was the main issue, the way Ares saw it. He really didn’t have a purpose. Zeus still ran his online network that allowed all godly figures to stay connected and maintain a presence on Earth. Hades and Poseidon still ruled their domains and were raising new families of their own.
Baby had the right idea. Ares paused eating to consider that random thought. After years of traveling around, and apparently sleeping around as well, Baby, who was Poseidon’s son, had bought an old house to renovate by hand. Poseidon had been heard bragging that Baby was using no magical powers at all. Yeah, but then he met his mate, had kids, and now they are all living happily ever after, as well.
Finishing his meal, which in Ares’ opinion was cooked damn well considering it had been a while since he’d cooked anything, he rinsed off his cutlery and pots and pans, stacking them all in the dishwasher. His mind was still mulling over the “what can I do with the rest of my eternity” issue, but as he wasn’t coming up with any answers, he decided to focus on his more immediate problem – who had been intruding in his back garden and why?
Was it a big deal? No. Truly, Ares didn’t care that much. There was a good chance the intruder would never return, but Ares was still curious as to why the person was there in the first place. It could hardly be opportunistic because there was no foot traffic in the area. Hopefully, he’d get some clues when he went outside.
That involved another glamor. If someone was watching the house, then Ares didn’t want to be seen, and being a god had its uses. It was definitely chilly, although it was already after eight in the morning. Ares grinned as he shivered. Olympus never had seasons. Being out in genuine fresh air instantly lifted his mood.
The immediate garden out the back of the kitchen was laid out in a grid system with a number of raised beds. Ares didn’t have anything to do with the planning – that was the way it had been when he bought the house. He’d infused the ground with magic so that he didn’t have to worry about hiring a gardener to mow the lawns, pull weeds, or trim plants. They were all neat and tidy, which was all Ares worried about. If a house appeared untidy or empty, then it was like putting out a sign for any rogue elements looking for somewhere to hide.
I’m not sure those vegetables are supposed to be growing in winter. Ares bent slightly to get a better look. He had beans, peas, corn, broccoli, and cauliflower growing in one bed, with cucumbers, lettuce, pumpkins, and watermelon all growing in another.
Yeah, that’s not right. Ares went to change it and then remembered he was actually on a quest to find out what an intruder was interested in, so he made a mental note to tweak the garden magic before he left. As he paid more attention to the stalks of some of the plants, he noticed someone had been harvesting his vegetables. Is this a need-for-food situation?
That bothered Ares more than he expected, and as he kept walking around, he noticed a few more signs of vegetables being removed. The flower beds hadn’t been touched.
He got his second clue at the door of the hothouse, which sat to the right side of the house. There was a partial footprint in a patch of slush next to the door. Not unusual in itself, Ares already knew he’d had an intruder, but the footprint had toes…the intruder had been barefoot.
Frowning, Ares pulled out his phone and clicked on the original notification he’d gotten. All he’d seen in his tabletop was a light disappearing into the trees. Clicking on the picture attached to the message, Ares’ eyes narrowed as he studied the blob captured by night vision cameras.
Naked? The image of the individual didn’t show a lot of details. Ares knew he could get someone on Zeus’s staff to enhance it for him, but he could already imagine how that would go. The staff would do it. Ares was still a god, even if he was a hated one. However, if the person in the image was naked, then Ares could already hear the gossip sweeping Olympus about how Ares needed help seeing his porn pictures.
Putting his phone away, Ares stepped inside the hothouse, which was climate controlled, again all due to his magic. The air smelled sweet and was hot and heavy with humidity – something else that wasn’t found on Olympus. Moving slowly through the rows of plants and flowers, Ares stopped at the raised bed of strawberries that had definitely flourished since his last visit.
Strawberries were one of Ares secret pleasures. It reminded him of happier times with Aphrodite when they’d share strawberries and wine, along with their bodies. Even after the shame and Aphrodite’s refusal to ever speak to him again, he still had a love of the fruit that reminded him of happier times.
Frowning, Ares noticed that quite a few of the fruits were rotting on the plants. While death was a natural part of life, it just didn’t look right to him. Moving closer, he noticed a few stalks with missing fruit. Have they rotted already? But no, when Ares moved the leaves, there was no sign of decomposition under them.
So, my little intruder likes sweet fruit, too. Ares grinned as he waved his hand. The rotten fruit disappeared, and fresh fruit was instantly dotted over the healthy plants. A very tempting display in other words.
I’ve set the bait, and now all I have to do is wait. Ares left the hot house, making sure he didn’t lock it after him – he even disconnected the cameras at the back of the house. He didn’t know for sure if the intruder would be back, but he had a feeling.
If he doesn’t come snooping, then I’ll have strawberries for breakfast tomorrow. He headed into the house. He rather fancied cooking a roast beef, he had plenty of books to read, and if he put on some music, he could have a perfectly relaxing time, waiting for night to fall.