11. Apollo
Apollo couldn’t do anything at that moment except stare at her.
She was here.
Geri.
Standing in front of him, after all these months. He could hardly believe it.
“Well?” Geri said when he didn’t answer. “I mean, if you don’t want to?—”
“I want to,” he quickly said. “I want to talk.”
“Good.” She bit at her lower lip. “So, like I said, I’ve made so many mistakes, with this whole situation with Grannie, I mean, and…you.” She inhaled a sharp breath. “With us.”
Though he so wanted to hope that this talk would turn out the way he wanted it to, he didn’t want to be hurt again. “What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry about how things ended in Mexico. I want you to know, I did almost…do what Yumil wanted, but I didn’t. I stopped myself.”
“I know.”
Gray eyes widened. “You do?”
“I do. You’re a good person, Geri, incapable of doing such a heinous act. Doing so would have disgraced your grandmother’s memory, so I knew you wouldn’t be able to do it. And I’m sorry too. I ran away before we could talk it out. Before I could tell you that I see the best in you and that I will always have your back.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ve treated you so badly, u-used you even. I feel ashamed.”
He stepped forward, wanting to embrace her, but hesitated. So, instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Shh…don’t…that’s all in the past.”
“This whole thing, I see it now…you were right.” She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the floor. “About this journey. It really was about getting over my grief, of learning to let go…and to…love.”
His heart leapt into his throat. “Love?”
Slowly, she lifted her face to meet his eyes. “Yes. And if you don’t feel the same way anymore, I understand.”
“Excuse me? What are you talking about?” Reaching out, he touched her cheek. “I meant what I said. I love you, Geri, and you can’t just turn that off.”
“I love you too.”
“I—Geri,” he gasped. “Your eyes…” The twin gray orbs glowed, just like they did back in Bran when she rescued him. “What…”
“Oh.” She touched her face. “Yeah…about that. My eyes glowing when I’m around you or thinking of you…it means something. Something important, for shifters anyway.”
“And what is that?”
“I-it means…my wolf side, my she-wolf, she thinks you’re worthy to be my mate. She chooses you.”
“She…she chooses me?” The very idea floored him.
“Yes. She wants to bond with you so our souls will be entwined forever.”
“What about you? Do you choose me?”
“I…it’s a little bit more complicated than that.”
“Oh.” His heart sank. She didn’t want him.
“I—no, wait, it’s not that. I do. I choose you. I want to mate with you.” She chewed at her lips. “But, see, mating is a shifter thing. When a shifter’s animal side finds a worthy mate, then the human side can choose to mate with that person. The pair give each other these claiming marks, bites that will be permanent, and their souls will be forever entwined. They’ll be able to feel each other’s thoughts, know their emotions, even if they aren’t around each other.”
“And what’s wrong with that? I love you, Geri.” He gripped her upper arms and looked her straight in the eyes. “Let’s claim each other. I want to bond with you.”
“See…I don’t know if it will work.” Her shoulders sank. “If you were a human, it wouldn’t matter. Shifters do mate with humans. But you’re a god…and…once I die, you could die too. It happened to my parents.”
“Your parents?”
“Yeah. My dad died in a car accident, and my mother—” she sobbed.
He quickly gathered her into his arms. “Geri, I’m sorry.” And it all started to make sense now, why she was so closed off, and why she was so afraid of opening herself up to love. “But can’t you see?” He chuckled. “This is perfect.”
“P-perfect?” She looked up at him with tear-stained eyes. “How?”
“I’m immortal. I’m never going to die.”
“Yeah, but I’m not,” she reminded him. “Those months after my father died and my mom lingered on…they were terrible. She was in such pain, she wouldn’t eat, she wouldn’t sleep…until she just withered away. Apollo, I can’t do that to you. I won’t.”
“What?”
“I can’t…we can’t bond,” she said. “I love you too much to do that to you.”
“Geri…” The love in her glowing eyes was so sincere, he could feel it in his chest. Like her heart was his heart, like they were already one, beating together. “I don’t care. I would suffer a thousand painful years if I could be with you.”
“But—”
“But, no.” Leaning down, he kissed her softly. “You’ll claim me as your mate, and I’ll do the same. Because I love you, and I want to feel what you feel and know your emotions. I want to be part of you. And besides, you don’t have to die.”
“What do you mean?”
“You can be immortal too…if you want.
“But how?”
“By eating the golden apple of immortality,” he stated. “I mean, if you want to.”
“I want to be with you,” she said. “But will that even work? I mean, don’t I have to get permission to become an immortal? Like Persephone’s father?”
Georgius, Persephone’s father, had been cursed by Zeus and ripped apart from his family for millennia until the god of thunder’s treachery had been exposed. Now that the curse was lifted, he was able to petition the council to give him immortality so he could live forever with his wife.
“We’ll do the same. I’ll petition the council, and we’ll have Persephone and Hades on our side, but…” He thought for a moment. “I don’t think we’ll need their help.”
“Why?”
“Well, one of the ways to gain immortality would be if you were pledged to a god or goddess, and you can prove your love was true and worthy,” he said. “And if we became mates and the council saw our bond was real, they would let you eat the golden apple.”
Her expression turned hopeful. “Really?”
“Really. But, you have to be sure, Geri. Immortality isn’t what it’s cracked up to be sometimes,” he warned. “You’ll watch all those important people around you grow old and die. It can get lonely.”
“But not if I’m with you,” she said. “And Persephone and Hades. And I can always visit my grannie in the Underworld.”
“Oh, yeah…and your brother too?” He saw a hint of sadness on her face at the implication. “I mean, you know, someday, a long, long time from now. And your friend, whatshisname?”
“Adonis.” Her mouth curled up into a smile. “He’ll finally realize the truth…well, maybe.”
Apollo frowned. “Maybe?”
“Nothing.” She tapped a finger on her chin. “So, I’ll never grow old, I’ll be with all my friends and family, and I get to keep you? Is that what you’re saying?”
He chuckled. “I guess so.”
“Sign me up.”
“Ger—mmpphh!”
She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him as she locked her lips onto his. Apollo staggered back but managed to steady himself and then kissed her back. Their mouths melded together in a fiery, passionate kiss that made his knees weak. Thankfully, Geri’s grip was strong, and she held them up, preventing them from falling over.
“Wow,” he said when they broke off the kiss. “That was…”
“Fantastic,” she finished.
“Yes. Are we going to be finishing each other’s sentences once we bond? Wait!” He held up a hand. “Am I going to be able to listen to your thoughts? Am I finally going to hear all the filthy, dirty things you tell yourself when you see me?”
She chuckled. “No, it’s not like that. Like I said, it’s more like an emotional, metaphysical thing. I can’t explain it because I’ve never had a mate before.”
“We’ll both find out soon, I guess.” Her eyes went aglow, which sent a thrill down his spine. “Geri…will you be my mate? Er, sorry. Do I have to get down on my knees? Buy you a ring?”
She shook her head and then grinned at him. “No, no. We just…decide and we let it happen.”
“Let what happen?”
The glow in her eyes brightened. “Let me show you.” She pushed him so he landed on the couch behind them. Then she straddled his torso and whipped her shirt over her head.
“Geri,” he breathed. “I don’t know what to do.”
Unhooking her bra, she tossed it aside and let her generous breasts free. “Do what feels right.”
“Tell me?—”
“No need. And no more words.” She placed a palm over his heart. “Just listen.”
And so, there were no more words between them, and they made love right there, a wild, spirited joining, unlike anything Apollo had experienced before. He did as she said, followed his gut, and did what felt right.
When he had her planted on the arm of the couch, legs spread as he thrusted inside her, he looked into her eyes again. The glow had taken a different quality this time, a kind of luminescence that seemed ethereal.
“Apollo…yes…do it.”
He didn’t know why she said that or what she meant exactly, but when Geri let out a whimper and bent her head to the side to expose her neck, he knew what she wanted. Without another thought, he sank his teeth into her neck and bit her.
Geri howled and bucked harder against him as the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. It didn’t feel disgusting at all, in fact, there was a deep tug in his gut that told him this was right.
“Apollo,” she growled. “I need…”
“Yes.” He bent his neck back, too, so she could claim him. “Geri!”
The moment her teeth sank into his neck, he let go. His orgasm hit him with the force of a hurricane—intense, devouring everything in its path. Geri clasped around him as she came, too, and his entire vision filled with stars as their ecstasy reached new heights. Their pleasure felt like it lasted hours, and when they were done, they both collapsed back on the couch.
He held her, pulling her close to him, and kissed her temple. A most curious feeling settled in his chest—it was warm, and inviting and?—
“Geri?”
“Hmm?” she said, her head still tucked into the crook of his neck.
“Is that…I feel…happy and content. But not like before. Is it you I’m feeling?”
He felt her mouth smile against his skin. “Yes. That’s me. And I can feel you, too.”
“Oh? What do I feel like?”
Shifting position, she rolled to her side to face him. Grinning, she reached up to touch the wound on his neck. “Like a warm summer’s day under the bright sun.”
He touched the healing wound on her neck. “You feel like a dream. One that I never want to wake up from.”
Her brows furrowed. “Do you really think the council will let me eat one of the apples?”
“I know it.” He flashed her a grin. “Come here, mate. I’m not done with you yet.”
Her eyes glowed, and a mischievous smile lit up the rest of her face. “Why, do you?—”
“Apollo? Geri?” came the muffled voice from behind the door. “Are you guys okay? We heard, uh, noises.”
They looked at each other, eyes widening. “Oh shit, that’s Persephone,” Geri exclaimed.
“So?” Apollo leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. “They know we’re adults.”
“Apollo!” This time it was Hades. “For God’s sake, you couldn’t transport her back home? Or even to one of thousands of guest rooms in this castle? I know you hooked up in the linen closet. How dare you defile my library too! You better not be desecrating my first edition Jules Vernes.”
Geri winced. “Maybe we should get dressed.”
“Nah,” he said, then called out toward the door. “I didn’t.”
“Good!”
“It was the complete collection of Dickens!” he shouted cheekily.
“Damn you, Apollo!”
“You’re terrible,” Geri said, patting him on the shoulder playfully.
“And you love me.”
“I do,” she said, her eyes shining bright. “But we really should get dressed and let Persephone and Hades have their library back.”
He gave her a mock pout. “Fine. Give us five minutes, guys!” he called out. Geri moved to slide off him, but he caught her wrist. “Wait, what are you doing?”
“Getting dressed? You did say five minutes.”
“Yeah, but you know I can get us dressed in two seconds,” he said with a wink.
“Apollo…”
“What? I can do a lot in four minutes and fifty-eight seconds.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Want to see what?”
She erupted into a fit of giggles as Apollo pulled her on top of him.