They arrived in her special meeting room soon enough, but to his surprise, several gods and goddesses already filled it. Deities from multiple pantheons sat drinking, eating, and talking with good cheer around the raised dais. A cornucopia of meat, cheeses, fruits, and mead sat along the banquet, a feast fit for the most powerful of the divine.
He and Avarr exchanged a wary glance. When gods and goddesses from alternate realms put aside their differences to laugh together, an apocalypse had been known to follow. There was nothing more the gods loved to share than the fun to be had with the total annihilation of one human tribe or another.
Freya sat with a flourish in her throne made of rose petals infused with gold. Then Avarr and Hall took positions on either side of her. Their presence let the others know that to fuck with their goddess would bring serious wrath down on their heads. In Folkvang, Freya’s immense power extended to her guardians as well.
She smiled with beneficence. “Oh good. You’re all here.”
“Of course we’re here.” Mercury grinned back. “It’s time for the games to begin.”
Hall groaned to himself as he noted the deities in attendance. Athena and Mercury weren’t too bad until they started harping on which of their worshippers were better, Greeks or Romans. Even in the present day, when most humans worshipped money, Hall would have told them neither. The Norse still ruled, but he didn’t think they’d appreciate his feedback.
Horus he liked, even though the Egyptian god’s insistence on keeping the head of a falcon and body of a man kind of freaked Hall out.
Lugh annoyed him as only Celts could with their ceaseless love of fighting.
Mithra made his eyes hurt. The Persian sun god shone too brightly, all the time.
Sedna was a particular favorite, since the Inuit goddess loved animals, though she favored marine life. She gifted Hall and Avarr with a large smile before turning her attention back to Izanagi, a Japanese deity with manic-depressive issues. Deserved, in Hall’s opinion, since Izanagi had abandoned his wife in hell to rot with demons.
Cagn and Raven, both trickster gods, he trusted as much as he trusted Loki. Not at all. But Quetzalcoatl… The big bastard loved a blood sacrifice as if the Aztecs still ruled their section of Midgard—or Mesoamerica, as the humans referred to it. If not for that, Hall would have pegged Q as his favorite. The guy loved sports and played a killer game of lacrosse.
Freya clapped once, and a loud boom settled everyone into their seats and into silence.
“I know we’re missing a few of you, but we have the major players, so we’ll get started. I’m so excited to be emceeing this year,” Freya gushed.
The others showed their appreciation with fireworks and sweet-song from birds that appeared and disappeared in seconds.
“Thank you. As you know, we don’t get to play often, so we need to take advantage of this decade’s games. Otherwise, it might be half a millennium before our next opportunity. There’s been much speculation as to where we’ll be playing. As you know, we played in Rome last time. And before that, Atlantis.”
“And we all know how that turned out.” Sedna shook her head.
“Yes, well. We’ll have to be more careful that we don’t sink any islands if we lose, now won’t we?” The look she directed at Athena had her flushing.
“Hey, that was my uncle. I know Poseidon can be a little hotheaded.”
“A little.” Mercury snorted.
Hall silently agreed.
“In any case,” Freya interrupted before an argument could start, “we’ve come to a consensus among your primaries. We’re going to be holding the next
Ludos Deorum
in Midgard.”
Raven blinked. “Uh, we kind of knew that already, Freya. Where
exactly
?”
Freya frowned. “Well, technically we could have held the games in Asgard or Niflheim. So, really, Midgard is a bit more specific.”
Hall bit back a grin. None of the gods like playing in their own heavens and hells. Midgard—the middle realm, the
human
realm—was an obvious choice. His goddess loved stringing them along.
“Oh, get to it, Freya. I have an earthquake to get back to,” Izanagi snapped.
Mithra rolled his eyes. “I have a drought. Whatever. I’m in no hurry to rush back to a lack of worshippers and too much work to do.”
“What he said,” Cagn agreed.
Freya held out a hand, and a puff of rose petals fluttered over the gathering. “And our next location for the Games of the Gods is…the United States!”
Raven beamed. His home turf. “Outstanding.”
Q frowned. “We couldn’t stretch that south at all?”
“I’m sorry, Q. Maybe next time.”
“Damn.”
Hall felt for the guy. But from what he’d heard, once the games started, things could get bloody. Q had a tendency to forget it was a game and go all-out Armageddon.
“Who’s refereeing this one?” Athena asked.
“Viracocha.” A creator god out of the Andes. That seemed to mollify Q somewhat. “Now, let’s eat, drink, and be merry. And place bets of course.” Freya turned to wink up at Hall. “My money’s on our team. I’m taking the first challenge.”
The pantheons had different gods in charge of each round. Freya apparently had round one. He could only imagine who’d be assigned round two. Loki, if he had to make a guess. Best to get the trickster out front and out of the way before he started on grand notions of world domination…
again.
Once the pantheons had chosen their representatives, those representatives in turn would select their human pawns. Then the fun really started.
He and Avarr remained by Freya’s side in Sessrumnir for a few hours before she left the festivities.
She stopped in the hallway bridging the party from the rest of the palace. “Thank you, my pets. You’ve been wonderful, as usual.” She kissed Hall’s cheek then Avarr’s. Heat strummed from her touch to Hall’s groin, making it impossible not to think of sex. Of Eira.
“Almost. You’re so very, very close.” She gave him and
Avarr a look he didn’t understand. And then, in a blink, she vanished.
“I really hate the pop-out. As much as the pop-in.” Avarr cupped himself. “Fuck, I’m hard. Let’s get out of here.”
Hall agreed wholeheartedly. “You said it.”
They left the hall and took a few side stairs to the warriors’ wing. Mostly falcons and eagles were in residence, but they passed a trio of battle-cats as well. Good men, fighters who knew how to hold their instincts in check, to hunt when needed, and how to embrace their felines and seriously nap when the mood struck.
He and Avarr entered their chamber, and Hall finally relaxed. Though still half-hard, the walk had pretty much cured his erection. Even as thoughts of Eira brought it back.
“This wait is killing me. She’d better be worth it.” He tore off his shirt, suddenly overheated, and flung himself back on his bed, a handsome construct big enough to fit three of him.
“Hmm.” He heard Avarr moving around the room. “I think I know what’s been holding us back.”
Exhausted after being on constant guard all day, Hall mumbled, “Oh?” before letting himself drift in a relaxing haze.
“Yeah, but I’m going to fix it.”
The bed dipped, and Hall blinked up into dark eyes as Avarr descended. “Avarr?”
When his friend’s lips touched his, Hall froze. Though they’d engaged in sex together with others, they normally didn’t touch each other all that much. Not like
this
. But the contact turned him rock hard, and he was kissing his best friend back.
Then Avarr’s hand snaked between them, and Hall forgot everything but how fucking good it felt to be in the arms of someone he loved.
Find out more in Beasts of Burden
www.FatedDesires.com
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From USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan’s Montgomery Ink Series
Shepard Montgomery loves the feel of a needle in his hands, the ink that he lays on another, and the thrill he gets when his art is finished, appreciated, and loved. At least that’s the way it used to be. Now he’s struggling to figure out why he’s a tattoo artist at all as he wades through the college frat boys and tourists who just want a thrill, not a permanent reminder of their trip. Once he sees the Ice Princess walk through Midnight Ink’s doors though, he knows he might just have found the inspiration he needs.
Shea Little has spent her life listening to her family’s desires. She went to the best schools, participated in the most proper of social events, and almost married the man her family wanted for her. When she ran from that and found a job she actually likes, she thought she’d rebelled enough. Now though, she wants one more thing—only Shepard stands in the way. She’ll not only have to let him learn more about her in order to get inked, but find out what it means to be truly free.
www.FatedDesires.com
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From Heather Long’s Martini Sisterhood series
Shaken
The Martini Sisterhood—five women bonded by the ties of friendship, supporting each other through challenges of surviving love, and loss. For these women, life can change on a whimsical dare and a magic eight ball…
She’s good at sorting out professional messes…
Accountant Zip Collins spends so much time on spreadsheets that’s she’s forgotten what it’s like to be between the sheets. During her weekly cocktail hour with the girls, they consult a Magic Eight Ball about her crush on bartender Tony. When the toy advises her to go for it, Zip dares to color outside the lines and go after the man who heats her dreams…
He’s in the middle of a personal trial…
Tony Giordano enjoys Friday nights above all others, because it’s the one night a week he’s sure to see the sexy accountant and her friends. Having long since resigned Zip to the look, but don’t touch category, he’s blown away by her invitation. Tony’s always been a planner but with his custody battle looming, he’s not prepared for the effect she has on him…
One night leaves them both shaken…
What began as a whimsical dare quickly turns passionate, but is an unquenchable desire—and a Magic Eight Ball’s advice—enough for these two planners to risk happily ever after on?
www.FatedDesires.com