Chapter 32
32
SELENE
A fter our clothes dried, I dressed and padded over to the door while Ares explored the rest of the building. Leaning against the stone wall, I gazed out at the rain-soaked world. I couldn’t get his words out of my head.
In another life, I think things could have been different for you and me.
I didn’t know why it had me so rattled. It didn’t mean anything. Because at the end of the day, we didn’t have options for another life. We weren’t like the Muses, able to shift through realms and choose a different fate. And even then, his words were likely nothing more than the result of us taking shelter together, naked. A little lust drove most men to say things they never meant.
The way he’d looked at me, though…with those piercing eyes.
I shuddered, my breath catching.
“Looks like the rain is finally letting up,” he said, coming to stand beside me.
It was nothing more than a drizzle now, and a light haze crept through the forest. The clouds were starting to clear. Soon we could take off for the palace, though I was reluctant to return. Zeus might not yet know about the rain, but if he did, I did not look forward to his reaction.
It didn’t matter how close he and Ares were. He’d blame us both.
Ares tossed a patchy woollen cloak around his shoulders. “I found some rooms back there. There was a trunk full of these cloaks. This one had the least holes, if you can believe it.”
I nodded. “It’ll do.”
He gave me a strange look. “Are you all right? You seem—”
“We’re enemies, Ares. Isn’t that what you said? Nothing will ever change that, so I don’t see why we should share small talk.”
He pressed his lips together, then said, “You’re angry about what I said. I wish we could change our fate, but we can’t.”
I looked at him, and the voice of Atropos echoed inside my mind from my distant past. She’d come to my mother when I’d been no more than an innocent child of six, and she’d insisted on imparting my fate to me.
Listen close, listen well, for your fate keens like a death knell. You must be aware of Olympians who draw you into their web, for one will attempt to take your life. He is death and fury. He is hate. Three times he will try. And on the third, on the third…on the third, only one of you will survive. Good luck, little moon.
According to Orpheus, Atropos had gifted my mother a fate the same day I’d received mine, though he’d never told me what it was. So young, I had few memories of my life before that day. But I remembered sensing a change in my mother. She grew more distant, more duty-bound. Before, she would play games with me for hours at a time. Those stopped shortly after Atropos visited us.
Ares was right. We couldn’t change our fate. This time together had made me forget, but I wouldn’t again. Once we reached the palace, I’d do my level best to speak to him as little as possible. Nekros was likely over now, and we’d go our separate ways. And I would prepare for the day he’d come for me with a dagger aimed at my heart.
Soon enough the rain stopped. We ventured outside, careful where we stepped. It took several hours for us to reach the silent palace. As we slowly climbed the steps, I listened for the rustle of clothing or the scuff of boots against the ground. But there was no sign of anyone.
Inside the corridor, the torches flared to life, lighting the way. Still, no one leapt from the shadows. Everyone was presumably asleep or resting. My chest tightened as we continued down the corridor, our footsteps loud against the marble. I almost wished they weren’t asleep. A part of me wanted to face the storm now and get it done with.
Suddenly, Ares stopped and grabbed my hand. A burning sensation went through me, even at the slightest of touches. For a wild, reckless moment, I thought he’d changed his mind, that he wanted to cast aside the animosity between us and embrace whatever it was we’d found out there in the woods. I even went so far to wrap my hand around his biceps, leaning into him.
I didn’t think when I did it. It wasn’t something I decided to do. It just happened .
He dropped his lips to my ear, and his breath tickled my skin. “Footsteps are heading our way. We need an excuse for why we missed the ceremony, and I don’t want to mention Hestia. So just follow my lead.”
Oh.
Oh .
Of course. He’d reached for me because someone was coming. Cheeks flaming, I dropped my hand from his arm, though he was so focused on the corridor ahead of us that he didn’t seem to notice. But then he was there , sliding his hands around my waist. He gently backed me up against the wall, though his eyes were still locked on the distant corner of the corridor. The footsteps were growing louder.
I swallowed. “What are you doing?”
“Providing an excuse,” he murmured.
He shifted his gaze to my face, and his hands tensed around my waist. There was a heat in his eyes that I swore I wasn’t imagining, but I must have been. Because this was nothing more than a performance for whoever was about to round that corner.
Ares dipped his head closer to mine. Instinctively, I slid my hands up the length of his chest, feeling every ridge, recalling how they’d looked beneath the gleam of the fire. Heart thundering, I watched my finger curl across his neck, as if I were someone else in that other life. I could only watch afar while she gave in to her darkest desires.
Because as I stood here now, trapped between the wall and the chest of my greatest enemy, I realized what I’d tried so hard to ignore. I wanted to touch him, to feel him, to dig my teeth into his neck and taste his skin. I wanted to throw all caution aside and give in to wild and dangerous emotions I’d fought my entire life to hide.
I tugged him closer. The gold in his eyes flared. And then he leaned in, and he kissed me. His lips were softer than I’d imagined, and the gentle caress was almost more agonizing than not being touched by him at all. Because I needed more . So much more.
One hand left my waist and found my neck. Fingers sliding across the curve of my throat, he released a delicious groan. My core tightened in response. And because my body was buzzing with more anticipation than I could bear, I pushed my hips against his.
A hardness met me.
My heart shook. I kissed him feverishly. Whatever this was, he wanted it as much as I did. And I didn’t care what he said—about enemies and fate. I didn’t see why that had to stop us from having just this one night. One night where we could have it all.
God, I wanted it.
A feminine laugh echoed down the corridor. I froze, clarity suddenly returning to my mind. With Ares’s mouth hot against mine, I’d momentarily forgotten someone was coming. Ares slowly pulled away. My lips felt hot and swollen, and I knew my hair was tangled. My gown was wrinkled and torn. He didn’t look much different. And now I understood why he’d gone for the kiss. Add that to how we looked, and well…
The pale, black-haired vampire smiled at us with her painted rep lips. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. It will, however, anger the fuck out of Zeus.” Aphrodite cocked her head, still smiling. “On one hand, that sounds delightful.”
Ares took a step away from me, running his fingers through his hair as if to tidy it. “Maybe it’s best if we don’t tell him.”
I saw what he was doing. Pretending we didn’t want Zeus to know the ‘truth’ so it would be more readily accepted.
“Oh, I think it’s too late for that. He and the others aren’t far behind me. Probably best to own up to it.” Aphrodite shot me a strange look, arching her brow. “You and I need to have a talk.”
“It’s not what it looks like?” I said, my voice pitching higher on the last word.
“I can smell the lust on you both,” she said.
“The lust on who?” Zeus barked as he rounded the corner. He abruptly stopped as he caught sight of me and Ares. I went rigid, bracing myself for his wrath. Ares moved to my side and placed a hand on my waist, as if answering Zeus’s question.
“Is this some kind of joke?” Zeus asked flatly. “You two cannot be involved with each other. It’s unthinkable.”
“It’s not a joke, Zeus,” Ares said evenly. “Selene and I—”
Zeus held up a hand, cutting him off. “I don’t want to hear it. Go to the megaron. We’re having a meeting with everyone to discuss the utter disaster that is this year’s Nekros. We have failed, thanks to you. And if we don’t figure out a solution, I’ll make you wish you’d never even heard the name Selene.”