Chapter Fourteen
Cliff
I found River to be far less of a pain than everyone had told me, much like they’d cited their fear of Grim. Storm and Buck had long-formed opinions that maybe I’d not had the privilege of time to learn how big of a pain they could be.
River wrapped his arms around my waist and spoke a mile a minute, welcoming me into the fold.
“And don’t take this the wrong way, but I just know that you’re going to be more fun than Rayne.” River’s tinkle of laughter like water over stones drew me in with a chuckle of my own.
“I don’t know about this. Rayne’s always more social than…” I started but frowned. Rayne had a bright and familiar personality, but I never saw him party or go out. In fact, I did that far more than he did. I bartended and was a member of a frat. Well, by name I was a member. I never really participated in much. It was an opportunity to develop my career later in life. All of which meant precisely nothing when I became aware of my superpowers? Gifts? I wasn’t sure how I’d develop, but River assured me that I’d hold gifts like Buck and his earthen namesake. But, since I was an environmental science major, focusing on reforestation and land reclamation, my skills were right at home with my powers to come.
“Rayne’s a wet blanket. He never throws any parties or drinks.” River pouted but Brook rested a hand on his shoulder.
“We didn’t get to know him too well before he got pregnant, my love. And as he is nursing, both times are not conducive to consuming alcohol… I assume in a mammalian form it’s the same either way.” Brook gave River a patronizing stare that cooled the little spitfire down.
“Ooh. Good point, babe.” River nodded and pulled Brook in for a kiss before dismissing him to go play with the other boys . I smiled as I watched him go.
“So, be honest with me,” River said, his face switching in a heartbeat from jovial and light to something as dark and cold as I imagined a drowning river to be. “Grim and his piggies. What did they do to you?”
Rushing water, darkest depths, and trembling ice rolling downstream filled my mind at those cold words. I could only shrug as I gathered my thoughts. “Nothing much, really. They kidnapped and drugged me. Started my heat—”
“Forced Buck to see you through it. How many of them touched you? Who needs to breathe their last in the coldest depths?” The way his gaze narrowed at me made my blood go cold.
“I keep telling everyone that, all things considered, they were total gentlemen. They dosed me and brought me to their pig leader dude and Grim put a stop to it. Gave me a safe spot to chill out until Buck got there and…” I averted my gaze and shrugged, earning River’s suspicion.
“Details…” River made a gesture, and I sighed.
“He wouldn’t top me,” I grumbled from the corner of my mouth.
“Wouldn’t. Consent isn’t earned in heat. Consent isn’t given. Heat strips you of your faculties and weakens you.” A sharp flash across his face showed me sharp teeth, shark-like for just a second, as he bit out the words.
“He consented.” I averted my gaze as I muttered lowly. I wasn’t sure what Buck was comfortable telling, but it made me clench up with sickness at the thought of River thinking Buck was some sort of forceful pervert.
River paused, eyes slanted. “What?”
“I… Um… I topped him . I fucked him.” I bit down the words and River relaxed, brows furrowed.
“Oh. Well, that’s alright, then. I fuck Brook all the time. He likes it.” As if an intense pressure lifted off my shoulders, the world around me brightened and warmed as his mood lifted. “Good on Bucky for getting railed.”
My cheeks burned and River beamed, guiding me over to an old cinderblock pile riddled with weeds, gesturing for me to sit next to him. “Those pigs hurt Rayne pretty bad, but Grim had his own politics and put his name behind it. Now that Grim has dropped his whole asshole routi—”
“Oh, that reminds me! Did he send a gift your way? He said he was, for crossing your territory.” I glanced over River as his posture stiffened.
“I’m sure he hasn’t had time to leave it, but he’s not crossed my lands yet. Thank you.” River gave me a genial nod. “You’ll do fine, Cliff. Don’t let Buck forget to breathe. And when he sleeps, wish him sweet dreams. It makes all the difference, I promise. Because once the sleep starts, the bad dreams start. I don’t think Storm had the capacity for nightmares because he never suffered like us old ones have. Sacrifices to my waters don’t come peacefully.”
A leaden weight filled my stomach before I turned to see the cascade of wolves running across the land, led by two horses and a great buck with an impressive form. I couldn’t help myself as I eyed the deer with recognition. He was Buck; I knew it. “Nice rack!”
One of the horses stumbled, his hair a flowing mane tangled with pondweeds, and Buck halted mid-step, glancing at me as River fell out laughing. “Rack! Mother’s graces, I like your mate, you old stone.”
Buck snorted, flitted his tail, and bounded off, ignoring River happily as the tail end of the pack of running wolves finished with a few rowdy pups and a barking hare.
River squinted at the procession. “Yours?” He pointed at Jacque.
“Eh…yeah.”
River raised a brow. “That little fucker has some real Pecker energy, there.”
“Hey, don’t compare my bunny to that horny feather duster.” I sneered at River and earned a snort of derision.
“You are very alike.”
I knew Rayne and I shared some things, and now more things, but it hurt to admit. “I guess omegas think alike.”
“Hmm… We do, don’t we. Hold on.” River stood and cupped his hands, shouting out. “Rayne!”
I turned to see my brother storming up with tense concentration in his eyes, worry, something less than fear. “Please do not screw with my brother, River.”
“I’m not. But question! Does Storm let you fuck him?” River’s shouted question stopped Rayne in his steps. I expected my brother to be shameless, but he had some sense of reservation about him.
“What?” Rayne drew closer, face twisted. “No. Gods. Ugh.”
“See, vers is more fun.” River gestured, and I winced.
“C’mon man, that’s my brother.” I glanced almost apologetically at Rayne, hoping I came off as sincere.
“Buck and Storm are my brothers… Oh yeah. Blood. Mortals… Okay, I mean… I had a threesome with these twin—” River petered off as we both gave him a withering look.
“Fiiiiine,” River sighed, flopping back. “So, is Grim taking care of his debt to us? That’s two aspects his swine have damaged.”
“I wouldn’t say damaged . Ruffled. That’s a good word for it.” I offered River a grin. “And Grim told all the pigs to go fuck themselves.”
River stiffened as his eyes went dark. “What exactly did he do?”
“Cut them off or something. He’s leaving them. Took my sister with.” I shrugged. I wasn’t well enough versed in the whole god-business to make any statements for certain.
River contemplated my words, lips pursed. “Good. I’ll spare him.”
For someone so cute and twinky, his aura held much more than Grim or Buck had shown me. Rayne eyed River warily and nodded. “Extreme, but I’m happy. Do tell Grim to come visit for a full moon. I want to see Eve and get to know him. It’s time not to be so afraid and to mend fences. I don’t like having enemies in the family.”
And, for what it was worth, I could agree with him.
The less I had to worry about my brother and other dangerous gods, the better.
“Are you done torturing my brother yet?” Rayne threw his hands on his hips and frowned.
“No.” River’s smug grin brought me a modicum of pleasure. I liked the god more and more by the minute.
Making our way away from that spot, we headed toward the gathering house of my niece’s namesake, the recently passed Vidalia, a witch I was told.
“I see the family resemblance, but you are the least omega-lookin’ omega I ever saw,” a thin-set older woman with a spirit less like an animal said.
“Ida Mae, this is Cliff, my brother and Buck’s aspect.” Rayne gestured toward me and pulled me in with a comforting gesture.
The woman, Ida Maye, crossed her arms and eyed me up and down, her dark eyes sweeping me with sharp appraisal before ticking her full lips up into a smile that melted into her eyes before she brushed nimble, thin fingers through her sculpted graying hair. The thick curls gave to her touch and fell back into place seamlessly. “Welcome in, boy.”
“Thank you. Rayne’s said good things about you.” I offered her a smile and stiffened when she swept an arm over my shoulders.
“Rayne got the special treatment once already, so come with me and have some time with the ladies. I got a story about two bluebirds you need to hear, and a new recipe Pearl just tried.” The sweet smile she wore went wicked, and Rayne raised a brow, allowing me to be carted off.
“Make sure Jacque is okay?” I flashed a worried glance at Rayne and received a thumbs-up.