Tera's Awakening

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Tera’s Awakening ISBN 9781419917301 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Tera’s Awakening Copyright © 2008 Kelly Maher Edited by Briana St. James. Photography and cover art by Les Byerley. Electronic book Publication October 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

DARK PANTHEON:

TERA’S AWAKENING

Kelly Maher

Dedication To my teachers and school librarians who first introduced me to the joy of Greek myths.

Acknowledgements This book would never have been possible without the wonderful ladies of Deliciously Naughty Writers—Sierra Dafoe, Anna J. Evans, December Quinn and Sherrill Quinn. Special thanks to Sherrill for her wonderfully deep critiques.

Author Note Greek mythology has fascinated me almost since the moment I could read. I remember religiously checking out all of the books on the topic I was allowed to, as often as I was allowed to, from my school library when I was in first grade. I could never get enough of the subject. I was particularly fascinated by the myth of Hades and Persephone. The way the myth was written for little kiddies seemed especially romantic, and was probably my first introduction to the romantic plot element of a story. When the opportunity came up to basically write my own “happily ever after” to the myth, I couldn’t pass it up. I hope you enjoy the story of Hades’ son Darius, and the glimpse into the life of Hades and Persephone together as I envision it.

Tera’s Awakening

Prologue The Greek gods were not known for their restraint. They lived large and loud and fucked like bunnies every chance they got. It didn’t matter if it was a human woman, a Muse, a Nymph or a goddess. If she was female, they sent their sticks and berries into the bush. And goddesses were just as randy. There were consequences. Their children—known as godkin—had the same hedonistic appetites as their Olympian parents. And with each succeeding generation, something else became apparent. The descendants of the gods had a price to pay for their immortality—they had to feed on the blood or energy—or both—of other living creatures in order to sustain their own lives. The gods, as gods are wont to do, didn’t concern themselves with these insignificant problems, though from time to time they have popped in to cause mischief for their offspring—godly entertainment, if you will. Other than that, they’ve kept to themselves, eating, drinking and being oh-so-very merry in all sorts of ways. But their descendants—those immortal beings now known as vampires—continue on, some good, some bad, but all… Deliciously naughty.

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Glossary Aphrodisian: A vampire who is a descendant of Aphrodite. They subsist off of humans’ sexual energy instead of blood. Sex with an Aphrodisian is addictive. Aresian: A vampire who is a descendant of Ares. These are the strongest of the clans, second only to the “parent” godkin—Zeusians, Hadesians and Poseidonites. Athenian: A vampire who is a descendant of Athena. The most violent of the godkin, these vampires don’t hesitate to take what they want by whatever means necessary. Blood Price Tattoo: Athenian vampires have been known to take unprotected Heliosian vampires as slaves (those who do not have a nest). Because Heliosian vampires often lack the strength to overpower Athenians (unless they release the power of plague which rots them as well as their victims), they must earn their freedom by one hundred years or more of slavery. At the conclusion of their service, they are given a tattoo that shows they have won their freedom and can not be enslaved again by another Athenian. Godkin: The offspring of the Greek gods; also known as vampires. Hadesian: A vampire who is a descendant of Hades. These vampires have the ability to visit death upon any they touch if they so wish to. They can also become invisible for a brief time, but it requires a tremendous amount of energy to do so. These are the most darkly seductive of the godkin. Heliosian: A vampire who is a descendant of the sun god Helios. These vampires can go out into the harshest of sunlight, though it does tend to give them a more aged appearance than other vampires. They have the ability to mesmerize with music/song. They may also visit a plague upon others by touching them, though they then become victims themselves.

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Hephaestian: A vampire who is a descendant of Hephaestus. These are the craftsmen of the godkin, creating deadly weaponry as well as exquisite jewelry. They are just as comfortable using the weapons they create. Nest: A tribe/group/clan of vampires

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Chapter One

Outside Paris, hundreds of years in the future Blood dripped down her fingers. Plop. Plop. Plop. Tera closed her ears to the sound, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. One more door. Just one more door and she’d be in the inner sanctum, facing the devil she’d been chasing for the last five years. God help her if she failed. Either the bastard was a supreme idiot by not having guards posted or he knew she was here. If he knew she was here, why had he let her get so far? Because Tera knew he was in no way an idiot. They could have had this confrontation years ago, but he had always slipped through her nets, fading into the ether of the corporations that ruled the world. Drawing in a deep breath, she advanced to the security center on the far wall. She slid one foot across the floor at a time, wary of motion sensors. She looked down at the sleek black scanner, no bigger than her palm. It indicated no trace of any activated security measures. She desperately wanted to look the gift horse in the mouth, but she’d pledged this one last attempt. Verdant fields flashed through her mind. Soon, just as soon as she finished this, she could retire to the sanctuary she’d created for herself. In what felt like no time, she stood in front of the security center, green lights flashing up and down the control panel. She tapped the entrance code on the pad and the door slid open, no noise breaking the silence. Faint scents tinged the recycled air wafting out of the office. Darkness, heat, something not quite sulfuric. Was she entering the Devil’s den? “Come in, Ms. Fitzpatrick.”

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He knew her. Squaring her shoulders, she slipped the scanner into a side pocket, placed one hand on the holster at her side and moved to the doorway. The fine hairs at the nape of her neck flicked up and she paused on the threshold. Shadows painted the room. Her gaze lit on each tiny lighted area, not finding her…host…in any of them. Finally focusing on the desk, she saw the glint of gold and stones as he flexed his hand. “Darius Hadides?” “But of course. Who else did you expect?” She heard a sarcastic edge in the words and frowned. “Will I be free to leave after this meeting?” “If you so desire. I do not make a habit of kidnapping women. However, we will have to discuss the matter of your trespassing.” Taking her time, she drew in a breath and released it. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hadides, but the matter is quite urgent and I did not want anyone to know that I’d been here.” Again the deep voice drifted out from the shadows, ensnaring her in a sense of velvet seduction. “I would have thought stories of you bearding the lion in his den would help advance your cause.” Bitterness flowed through her, erupting in a short laugh. Katlyn’s insistence that Tera owed her life to the cause burned in her belly. The years they’d spent as sisters in the orphanage meant less and less to Tera as the emotional blackmail wore on. “Believe me, if I could, I’d have retired five minutes before I stepped onto your property.” “Color me intrigued. Please, Ms. Fitzpatrick, have a seat so we may discuss this matter of yours that is so urgent you ignored posted warnings of intruders being shot on sight.” Tera sighed, knowing turning back was not an option. She had to see this through, no matter the outcome. Stepping through the doorway, she flinched as the door whooshed shut behind her.

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The image of the fly entranced by a spider’s web flashed through her mind. Stiffening her back, one vertebra at a time, she moved across the sea of black granite between her and the man behind the desk. He tapped the desktop in a mesmerizing sequence and light shot up from the floor, illuminating her path. A path to destruction or salvation? Her pace stuttered as the import of the thought sank in. This was the moment her life had been leading up to. A choice to be made. She blinked. She’d yet to glimpse his face. How could she be expected to decide? Her feet frozen to the floor, she peered into the depths of the shadows, looking for…what? Reassurance that she hadn’t lost her mind? She’d lost it the moment she’d agreed to this foolhardy venture. Her farm…why hadn’t she stayed on her farm? Because Katlyn had begged. Actually got down on her knees and begged. And Tera couldn’t find it in herself to turn her friend away, once she’d extracted the promise from Katlyn that she’d be left in peace once this mission was completed. Movement behind the desk caught her eye. He flowed out from behind the desk, inexorably, like the streams of lava she’d once witnessed on Hawaii. The graceful litheness of his body tricked her, and she squeaked when she realized he stood in front of her. Fanciful thoughts of the fires of hell glistening in the depths of his eyes filled her imagination. Fingers brushed her cheek, setting off fireworks of sensation along her nerves. “Great beauty in one so young,” he murmured. “Fresh like the spring. Almost like…no, it couldn’t be.” His words were so faint, she almost didn’t hear them. “Like what?” Bright white teeth glistened in a predator’s smile. “Someone lost to the mists of time. Come, sit.” He guided her over to a settee and she struggled to throw off the torpor that had claimed her with his caress. “I’d prefer to stand.” 10

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What appeared to be amusement lit his eyes. “We don’t always get what we’d prefer, Ms. Fitzpatrick.” His touch was gentle but relentless and she sat. “What’s this matter you seem so reticent to share now that you’ve gained access to my inner sanctum?” Giving herself a mental shake, she met his eyes. Big mistake. Switching her gaze to some point over his shoulder, she began. “Mr. Hadides, the Torgon Forest cannot be contaminated. It’s the last pure woodland left on Earth.” She permitted herself one glance at his face before flicking away again. “Literally. It must be saved if we are to have some hope of repopulating the planet.” He leaned in and his finger traced over the tendon running down her neck. “What makes you think I don’t want to save it?” She frowned at him and sniffed. “You, the largest mining industrialist in the world? You, who have not once left one inch of land you own untouched? Why on earth would I not think you wouldn’t do the same damn thing with the Torgon?” His lips twisted. They should have looked cruel, but all she could wonder was what they’d look like following the path of his fingers, which now edged the collar of her tunic. As if he’d read her mind, he leaned his face in close to hers. His nostrils flared as if catching her scent. She shifted back, but the arm of the settee stopped her from moving far. Sensations assaulted her from all directions. Her lungs expanded, forcing her chest closer to his, her body craving his touch. No, this was not going to happen. She clamped down on the unwanted reactions. “Mr. Hadides, my eyes are up here.” His fingers moved down her arm, stopping to rest right above the cut. “You’re injured.” “Only slightly. I’ll take care of it when I return to my home.” “Have you had your shots?”

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Tera hissed her frustration. This conversation was heading nowhere. “Mr. Hadides, what about the Torgon Forest?” “I will discuss it with you only after you allow me to tend your wound.” His entire demeanor implacable, Tera gave in, grumbling. “Men. Stupid protective instincts.” She saw a corner of his lips tilt up for an instant. Steeling herself against the softening in her body, her mind, at the sign of amusement, she pulled off her coat, allowing him to see the scratch on her arm. Objectively, it wasn’t the worst she had ever endured. But it still oozed blood. A flicker of pink appeared against his lower lip before it disappeared. Tera blinked. Did he just lick his lip? Before the question forming on her lips could escape, he rose and crossed the room. He placed his palm against the wall and a door slid open. She caught sight of bathroom fixtures as he disappeared for a moment. When he came back out, she readily identified the gray metal box he carried as a standard medi-kit. He sat back down next to her, flipped open the kit and pulled out the cauterization compound. Touching the tip of the tube against the start of the cut, he squeezed, sliding it down the length. Clear liquid covered the wound and she immediately felt the burn as it reacted with the blood and exposed lower layers of skin. Tera bit back a shout as the pain reached its crescendo. She loathed the compound, but thanks to the decimation of plant life, they’d been unable to find a suitable replacement. Glancing down, she saw his thumb smear the rivulets of blood. He stood and moved back to the desk, but she saw him lift the bloodied thumb to his lips. “Why did you do that?” He paused and looked over his shoulder. “Do what?” “You licked your thumb.”

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One imperious eyebrow rose. “So?” “It had my blood on it. When you saw my cut, you licked your lips. What the hell are you?” She had to be imagining things. She massaged the area around her cut, hoping the bite of pain would help clear her mind. Thoughts of him being the devil, or worse, were only the product of the late night. Weren’t they? He returned to the bathroom and put the medi-kit away, not responding. She could win the silent game. Too many people, men in particular, thought they could get her to talk if they stayed quiet. Unfortunately for them, she enjoyed silence. Slipping her arms back into her jacket, she shrugged until it settled on her shoulders. Hadides returned to his seat next to her. This time he didn’t bother to restrain himself. He blocked her in and swooped down, claiming her mouth. She felt the bite of his teeth as he attempted to tease his way in, but she held herself still, giving no quarter. Over the years, she’d learned that men would break off their hunt of her faster if she didn’t respond. To prove her resolve, if only to herself, she kept her eyes open and on his. Unlike all of the others, he tempted her. When he looked into her eyes, she felt as if he were searching into her soul and mining her deepest dreams and desires. To be known like that frightened and thrilled her. Heat radiated from his body, drawing her closer to temptation. Painting a picture in her mind of a steel rod encasing her spine, she was able to resist the lure of his sensuality. Smooth lips traced a path across her cheek to her earlobe, which he nipped. “I can feel the heat in you. Come play with me.” She shook her head, not trusting her voice to remain steady. He truly was the devil the orphanage priests had railed against.

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“A pity.” He released her and sat back. Lounging as he was, he reminded Tera of the paintings she’d once seen of ancient sultans, kings of their domains. As if their little interlude had no effect on him. She took a quick peek down at his crotch and saw he indeed had been affected. Unaccountably, the sight thrilled her. She wanted to shake herself. She had no business reacting to him as she did. After a moment’s more silence, she spoke. “The Torgon Forest?” A smile unfurled on his sensual lips. “Yes, the forest. My equipment is in place and my men are awaiting my word to begin excavation.” “Mr. Hadides, why are you digging there? Neither I nor my informants have been able to find anything in the surveys of the region that would indicate there is anything of value that requires excavation. The sheer inaccessibility of the area has deterred all the other companies who have tried to profit from the forest.” “Tera. I may call you Tera, may I not?” “Fine.” “Tera, there is something of great value in the land and that is all I can share with you at this point. However, if you would be amenable to spending time with me at my estate, I might be persuaded to share with you my reasons.” Tera froze. “What are you implying, Mr. Hadides?” “Only that I would greatly appreciate the favor of your company. I’ve been aware of you for a number of years, Tera, but this is the first chance I’ve been graced with your presence. I would like to extend our acquaintance.” She searched his eyes and found her answer there. He wanted to fuck her. Pretty words couldn’t hide his intent. And his intent blazed like the sun from his dark-as-sin eyes. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to accompany you, Mr. Hadides.” “Darius, please.”

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“No.” She could see no was not a common response to his…requests. “I must insist, Tera. Otherwise, my employees will have my orders to commence their deforestation efforts the moment you walk out the door.” Tera surged up, fury igniting throughout her system. “This is blackmail, Hadides.” He waved a hand in the air. “If you must. I would prefer to call it business and pleasure. My pleasure and your business.” She bared her teeth at him, trapped. Katlyn would not let her rest if she were to come back defeated. Tera loved Katlyn, but Katlyn was willing to pay any price for her cause and could not understand those who would rather live to fight another day. If this is what she needed to do to spend her remaining days in peace in her sanctuary, then she’d do it and be done.

Darius saw the decision warring on her face. When the disgusted look in her eyes won out, he forced his facial muscles into stillness so as not to grin. “Very well. I must be able to leave by tomorrow afternoon, however. I have…people waiting to hear from me.” “You will be able to contact whoever you want, whenever you desire. When you leave my estate will be entirely your decision. I do hope I can persuade you to extend your stay with me, however.” She snorted. Why a woman who obviously didn’t care how she appeared to him would appeal so strongly was a phenomenon he looked forward to exploring. Tera Fitzpatrick had been a steady thorn in his side for years, but he’d long ago inured himself to irritations, and had ignored her. For the most part. Every once in a while he caught her picture on the news reports and her looks intrigued him. Soft sable hair curled at the edges of her sharply defined jaw. Eyes the color of the darkest sapphire met the censure of the world head on. Her passion for the beliefs she spoke out on excited him. He’d wondered at the

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strength of his attraction since he first saw her. Wondered if, even through the distance of technology, he’d finally caught sight of his bondmate. Now he mused, would she accept such a pairing? Run screaming into the night? Or strike him dead as the avenging angel she could be? What would it be like to harness fire such as hers? This world was slowly dying, thanks to that bitch Demeter, and most of the planet’s population had died off, relocated to other planets or eked out a minimal existence on what was left. Those who had remained seemed to pass through their lives in a catatonic trance, taking one plodding step at a time until they died and were delivered to his father’s realm. Except for this woman. Her jaw firmed as she jutted it out. “Let’s get going.” He traced one finger along the tender skin. Pricks of pain bloomed on his inner lower lip. Focusing, he retracted his teeth before speaking. “I will call my driver and notify him we are on our way.” Crossing the room, he paused at his desk and tapped the communication unit, calling Jean-Michel. The man’s dark face filled the screen. “Yes sir?” “Meet me at the back entrance in five minutes. I have a guest accompanying me to the estate.” “Very well.” Darius disconnected. He moved behind the console and slid open a door. Extracting his case, he glanced over to where Tera still sat on the settee. “Tera?” “What are you?” “I’m afraid I don’t understand your question.” She stood and walked over to his desk, her gait economical and firm, just like the woman. “You allowed me into your private office and now are taking me to your estate. At any point you could have stopped me. We both know it, so don’t bother to deny it.

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You’re a man who has never been photographed as far as I’ve been able to determine. Considering how hard it was to obtain what little information on you I have, I can only conclude you’re a man who values your privacy and security. Why open yourself to me now when I’ve been chasing after you for years?” Why indeed? He skimmed his gaze down her body. His cock automatically hardened. He dismissed the base reaction. Any man viewing her would respond the same. A glow surrounded her. She was purity of spirit, the promise of a new day and passionate fire in one package. How could he not want her, he wanted to ask. And that was a question he could not risk asking if he didn’t want to scare her away too soon. She truly did remind him of Persephone. Mama Perse had the same freshness of soul, despite living with his father and her mother. Darius loved and respected his father, but even he acknowledged Hades could be a right bastard most of the time. “It is the time.” “What on earth does that mean?” He smiled. “Come with me and find out.” What could only be described as a pout decorated her lovely mouth. “I already agreed, didn’t I?” “So you did.” He came from behind the desk and cupped her elbow, leading her to his private lift. “We’ll exit this way.” He let loose of her long enough to palm the sensor. The door slid open. Recessed lighting gently illuminated her features as she backed into the far corner of the sleek box. Lights flashed through the glass walls as they fell through the many stories from his private office. Her pinched features indicated her wariness, and maybe anxiety? Perversely, he was even more aroused at the indications of her awareness of him.

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She was right to be wary. He wanted time to explore this connection between them and he’d use every trick at his disposal to convince her that she desired it too. The lift slowed to a halt and the doors slid open once more, this time displaying his car with Jean-Michel holding one of its doors open for them. Darius took Tera’s arm and helped her into the car. He’d expected resistance, but she must have resigned herself to the field trip. Darius nodded at Jean-Michel as he settled himself into the seat. The door closed and he turned to where Tera waited on the bench opposite him. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to sit next to me? I promise not to bite, for the moment.” If she only knew the sacrifice those words meant. “I am quite sure.” Her back was poker straight once more. He’d have to remedy that. The car lurched forward and he took advantage of the movement to sweep her back to his side. She pushed against his chest, but he brooked no resistance. Huffing out a breath, she elbowed him one last time and stopped fidgeting. “My agreement to accompany you to your estate does not give you the right to maul me.” “I do not believe this is mauling. I am merely comforting you in a time of stress.” She looked up at him with one eyebrow raised. “Time of stress?” “Have you ever ridden in a car before?” “As a matter of fact, I have. One night, a group of us snuck out of the home we were raised in and stole a car from one of the mansions near Paris for a joyride. We were almost caught twice in the time it took for us to figure out how it worked. It ran out of fuel only a few miles from the mansion, so we had to ditch it and walk the remaining way back.” “Hmmm. Interesting. You surprise me. Surprises intrigue me.” “So I’ve gathered, to my regret.”

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Those were her last words for the next five minutes. Darius realized why his little silent tactic had backfired earlier. For someone so young, this woman was a master of the technique. He understood if he wanted communication with her, he would need to be the instigator. Not something he relished, but a challenge added spice to a relationship. Leaning down, he sucked on a spot at the base of her neck. She gasped and gripped his knee. He smiled against the petal soft skin. It seemed words were not necessary to spark a reaction in her. Perfect.

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Chapter Two Tera clutched at the hard muscles of his thigh, encased by smooth, silky fabric. Her defenses threatened to crumble at the surprise attack. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, but she held firm. When his hand cupped her knee and moved up her thigh, his thumb tracing the inner muscles through her pants, she crossed her ankles to lock her legs together. He softly chuckled and nipped her lips, drawing back onto the seat. “I will conquer you yet.” Self-righteous prig. “Mr. Hadides…” “I thought we agreed you would use my first name.” “In light of your behavior, Mr. Hadides, I do not think it appropriate.” His gaze tracked down from her eyes, pausing at her lips, before moving down to her chest. She fought the urge to cross her arms. “Tera, I have no doubt that by the end of the night you’ll be screaming my name out in pleasure.” “I don’t scream.” His lips curled up at the corners, putting her in mind of the extinct sharks she had seen in her textbooks as a child. “Conquering a challenge only increases the pleasure, I warn you.” “Mr. Hadides, as soon as we finish discussing the Torgon Forest, I am leaving. As a man of honor, I expect you to live up to your word.” “And what makes you think I am a man of honor?”

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Tera swallowed. She had been lulled by his Old World elegance, despite his advances. The image of the shark should have been uppermost in her mind at all times. “Mr. Hadides…” He pressed a finger against her lips. “I really must insist, Tera, that you call me Darius at all times. Otherwise, I do not believe we will be able to complete any business discussions.” “Darius, please, I want to finish this business and leave.” The car slowed to a halt. Tera blinked. They’d been traveling for less than ten minutes. “Are we there already?” “Yes.” He opened the door and held his hand out for her. She took it, stepping into a world of dark, luxurious growth. Breathing in the heavy air, she detected night-blooming jasmine and what could only be described as fecund earth. “What is this place?” “My estate. Come, we need to move inside.” Her feet remain rooted to the spot. This was his estate? How could a man who stripped the earth of her life create an Eden such as this? In the dimness, she could make out woods to the east and a garden to the south. “Who are you?” He tugged on her hand and she moved, her feet falling into step with his. “So you keep asking. I am a complex man. I get what I desire above all others and I very rarely fail. As for the estate? It pleases me to create such a retreat. Many of the plants my team has cultivated are very valuable.” She froze on the marble steps, almost falling as he continued on with her hand in his. “No.” Darius turned and looked down at her. “No?” “You haven’t created this world solely for money. If that truly was the case, you would have the plants locked in a controlled environment, safe from anyone who might

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try to steal them. And I would have heard of such a venture. I had no idea gardens and woods such as this existed outside…” “Outside of what? Your farm?” Tera’s muscles went rigid at the mention of her sanctuary. She had set barriers so that few knew about it. “How do you know about my farm?” Once more he took her hand, guiding her up the steps, through the reinforced steel door, and into a brightly lit foyer. “I know a great deal about you. Your farm is one of the very few reclaimed regions of sustainable and thriving growth environments in the world. I have to ask myself how a woman such as you is able to not only wrest the earth from death’s door but also protect what is hers without any violence.” “I…I have my ways.” He cupped both of her elbows in his hands and met her eyes. The sensual promise lingering in the back of them tempted her beyond all reason to share her secrets with him. She kept her arms rigid, fists clenched at her sides. “All women have their ways. You, however, are unique. Soft and sweet, but with a core of steel. You are an unearthed treasure waiting to shine. Maybe that is why I am so drawn to you.” He spoke the last so softly that she barely heard the words. Almost as if he was coming to some realization about himself. “Excuse me?” He smiled once more. “Please, excuse me. An old man’s musings.” Old man? He was no more than five years her senior. She rubbed her temples. The man was too confusing. Inhaling, she let the rich scents from the grounds seeping in through the still open front door work their magic and calm her. “Mister…Darius, please, can we talk about the forest?” “Of course. Let’s go to my study and I can have a light repast set out for us to enjoy while we talk.”

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While he guided her, she took in the hard beauty of the house. It was nearly all stone, with very few accents of wood in the structure. What wood there was furnished the home, interspersed with gloriously jewel-toned fabrics. Rich ruby reds, deep sapphire blues, cool emerald greens and royal amethyst lent their life and power to the rooms they passed. Darius opened a massively tall and thick wooden door, the only one she had seen inside the home, and stood back for her to enter. She paused and stared into his eyes. A scorching fire was banked in his gaze but still visible to her. “Is this your treasure room?” “What do you mean?” “That’s a wooden door and not composite, isn’t it?” “Yes, what about it?” “I have never seen wood in any building I have ever been in. Not even the pre-War homes as they’d been scavenged. You’ve got little pieces all through your house and this door. This much wood would give me enough money to run the farm for the rest of my life.” One of his finely sculpted eyebrows rose and he turned toward the door, studied it. “It is a fine piece of craftsmanship, and what the room contains would most certainly be thought rare, but any room that you are in is my treasure room.” She blinked and stood still a moment more. The musty scent of paper and leather wafted toward her, luring her into the lion’s den. Who was she kidding? The lion had been playing with his food for the past few hours, ever since she’d first stepped foot onto his property. Giving in to her desire to see what she suspected lay beyond the door, she stepped into the room. Tera’s breath caught. While the other rooms had radiated vitality, this room wrapped comforting arms around her. What had to be thousands of books lined the walls, up into a second story with a walkway circling the room. She walked to the closest wall and picked a book at random. It was in wonderful condition. A faint 23

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yellowing of the pages, but it opened easily in her hands. She had a feeling all of the books in the room would show the same signs of being well loved. “How did you get all of these? Do you have any idea of what a collection like this would mean to the world?” Tera couldn’t hold back from stroking the leather- and cloth-covered books. “Sadly, they would probably be seen as nothing more than a fuel source for cooking fires.” Tera sighed. He probably was right. With the loss of the forests, virtually anything that burned was subject to fuel scavengers. Even if it meant the loss of knowledge and culture. Survival was paramount. A knock sounded from the door. Darius opened it and allowed in a servant, bearing a tray of meats, cheese, fruits and nuts. Without saying a word, the servant laid out the mini-feast and departed. Darius beckoned her with a wave of his hand. “Come, the food is to be enjoyed. What kind of wine would you like?” “Water will do.” He smiled, but turned and poured clear liquid out of a carafe with moisture beading on the smooth silver surface. The crystal glass sparkled in the soft light of the room. She accepted it from him and took a sip. The sweet purity coated her mouth and slid down her throat. Looking up, she caught his stare. Heat blasted her. She could feel the flush suffusing her skin, concentrating in the areas where she most wanted to feel his touch. She whirled, moving to the far corner of the room. Tera set the crystal goblet down on a table and randomly drew a book off the shelf. She flipped through the pages, not seeing the words and paintings as they flew by. A warm palm settled on her hip and she jumped. Darius stood behind her, his lips tilted up at the corners. He looked down at the book she held and a grin bloomed.

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Suspicious, she backed up, but the bookcase blocked her after only an inch. “What?” “I do enjoy that position, but you may find the one on the next page to be of more interest to you.” Confused, she glanced down. Mortification stopped her heart for moments longer than a beat. The woman was splayed open to the man’s questing hands and the viewer’s gaze. Her neck was thrown back and the man feasted on her skin at the juncture of her shoulder. Tera’s fascinated gaze followed the line of the man’s arm, down past the woman’s flushed breasts with their deep red, erect nipples to the vermilion of her exposed genitalia. Where the woman was being penetrated. She wanted to look away but couldn’t. Darius cupped her hand where she held the spine of the book. Tera didn’t know if she wanted to thank him for not letting her drop the precious material or curse him for sucking her further into the sensual web he wove around her. When his hand tightened, she licked her lips. “What do you want me to do?” “Turn the page.” His rough voice scraped along her sensitive nerves. She put her fingers on the corner of the page, taking care not to damage the fragile paper. The crisp, linen-like material rasped across its brethren and revealed the next drawing. This time, the woman was draped on a bed or similar flat surface, sheets intimated by the artist’s quick pencil strokes. The focus was squarely on the woman and the dark head between her spread thighs. Pale peach skin glowed with a faint tint of rose. Again, the woman’s head was thrown back as if in ecstasy, the back of one hand against her mouth and the other clawing at the sheets above her head. “Where did you get this?” “During my travels.”

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Tera looked up at the non-answer. His gaze was now completely black. If she were of a fanciful bent, she’d even say a faint tinge of red rimmed his irises. “You didn’t answer my question.” “I know, but that’s all I’m prepared to tell you.” She glanced back down at the book. “I didn’t even know such types of books existed.” “Books of all sorts have existed through the years. The quest for knowledge, and titillation, has been present for as long as man has.” “What about woman?” “Woman too.” She could hear the smile in his tone. If she looked up, she was sure he’d be grinning like a cat spying spilled milk. He took the book from her hands and drew her against his side. Pulling her back to where the food waited, he paused only long enough for her to grasp her water. His will was damn near inexorable as he directed her onto the loveseat. If only to see what he planned to do next, she remained seated. He placed the book on the coffee table, open to the arousing drawing. She felt the coils of desire tightening ever further. Why had she ever agreed to come? Because he drew out her desire for him like a lodestone. She’d used the Torgon Forest as an excuse to learn more about him. She laughed. Lying to herself was deceptively simple. She had never been so attracted to a man as she was to him. Not only sexually, but mentally. Movement caught her eye, breaking the hypnotic pull of the drawing. Turning, she watched the line of his back as he heaped food on a plate. The fabric of his tunic bunched and pulled over his muscles as he heaped the food into a small mountain and set it down next to the book.

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Spying a ruby strawberry, a rare treat from her childhood, she grabbed it and bit in. The tart-sweet juice exploded on her tongue. She pulled the hull from her lips, letting the seeds scratch against them. As she did so, a vision of her popping the deep red head of a cock from her mouth after sucking on it filled her mind. She blinked, focusing on the first thing to catch her gaze—the tenting of Darius’ slacks over his rather prominent erection.

Darius chuckled. The little minx was playing into his hands. Although, for a moment, when she reached for the largest strawberry and proceeded to make love to it with her lips, he wondered who truly had the upper hand. He encouraged her to scoot over and sat down in the small space left on the loveseat. Of course, she was now plastered to his side and had to reach across him for any food she desired. He pressed a button on the underside of the table, and the top, below the book, morphed into a display stand. It angled the book so they could both view the drawing in all its glory. Thanking Aphrodite for guiding Tera not only to the right section of the library but to the perfect book, he leaned back and rested his arm on her back. He traced the fine line of her spine in her neck and felt the shiver run through her body. The action reminded him of stroking a rose, and one so warm. He leaned over, touching his nose to where his hand rested. Inhaled the scent that was Tera. Sweet citrus like the treat of lemons from his childhood and unknown to the general populace for a number of generations, musk and fresh grass after a rain. He let his teeth trace the ligament running from shoulder to head and scraped her earlobe. “How do you think we would look doing that?” “Do…doing what?” He bit down and sucked. She gasped. “Me, feasting on you.” He could smell her woman’s musk now overwhelming her other natural flavors. “Will your skin glow rose? What color will your curls be? Will 27

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you grasp my head, exhorting me to bring you greater pleasure? Or will you claw at the sheets as she does?” Tera panted and her head fell to the side, exposing her neck even further. Darius saw the blood pumping through her system, flushing her skin. Her nipples peaked against the black skin suit she still wore. He slipped a hand into her pants and drew the top up, exposing her stomach. The skin here was firmer, more like a peach than a rose. Her hand gripped his. Looking up, he met her gaze, now near black with arousal. “Do you want me to stop?” Her white teeth worried her lip for a moment before she answered. “No.” She relaxed her hold on him. He drew the shirt up, exposing her breasts, encased in a serviceable bra. He stroked the skin under where the material cupped her. “Your skin is so smooth and soft. And yet I know you haven’t lived an easy life.” “Some scars are hidden.” He paused. Secrets could be scars also. “You’ll have to tell me about them sometime.” “Maybe.” Her voice was soft, contemplative. Pushing his fingers underneath the fabric, he brought her breasts into the soft light. The areolas were already dark, her nipples engorged. He bent his head and sucked on one. She threaded her fingers through his hair and held him there. Grasping her other nipple with his thumb and forefinger, he plucked it in time until she gasped and tugged at his hair. Reaching back, he untangled her fingers from the grip they had on his head long enough for him to sweep the bra and shirt from her body. Rather than moving to cover herself, Tera leaned back and rested her arms along the back of the loveseat. Positioning

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herself like a goddess awaiting her supplicant. Darius had seen Aphrodite herself pose this way numerous times for her lovers over the millennia. He bent his head and sucked one taut nipple into his mouth. Her gasp as he teased the erect button with his teeth was as sweet as birdsong. He eased his other hand into her pants. Her curls were damp and he slipped one finger, then two, into her soaked pussy. The muscles clamped down on him. He groaned, knowing she’d be so tight when he finally claimed her, and slid the material of her pants down past her hips. Stroking his fingers in and out of her, he switched to her other breast, lavishing it with the same attention as the first. When the skin was as tight as he could get it, he pulled back and blew on it, sending her into a paroxysm. Other than faint gasps and moans when he touched an especially sweet spot, she remained silent through his assault on her senses. Pulling his fingers from her depths, he stripped off her pants. Her core was a study in browns and pinks, moving from a pale pink furred with brown on the edges to a deep red leading toward her pulsing channel. He leaned down and stroked his tongue through her juices, sweet as the peach she reminded him of. Her clit crested the top of her and he played his tongue over it. A gasp caught his attention and he looked up across her stomach to meet her gaze. Passionate fires burned in its depths. He grazed his teeth across her beaded flesh and she didn’t even blink, but her cheekbones displayed more prominently as she inhaled. The rose glow of her body echoed that of the model from the book. Darius caressed her inner thighs as he forced them even farther apart. Placing his lips on her soaking pussy, he kissed her, stroking deep with his tongue. He felt the muscles beneath his palms tauten. Her fingers tunneled back through his hair, holding him tight. As if he’d want to leave. Breaking the kiss, he nuzzled his nose against her clit. His cock hardened even further as he breathed in her musk. 29

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“Darius.” Her soft voice echoed in the room. He tilted his face up, keeping his chin working on her clit, agitating it as he felt the tiny tremors begin. Her eyes closed for a brief moment before opening herself to him once more. He nearly lost his breath as he felt the weight of her scrutiny. For a moment, he felt as if she could see his hidden soul. “Yes?” “I want to come with you inside me.” This time, it was he who closed his eyes. She didn’t know. When he took her, she had to know what would happen. If he had any hope of her remaining with him past this night, as his bondmate, he had to tell her. “Soon, sweet one. First, let me taste your pleasure on my tongue.” Darius moved his head back down, tracing the rim of her lower lips with his tongue before plunging it into her pussy. He hooked one leg up onto the arm of the loveseat. The position spread her open to him. As he thrust his tongue in and out, the inner muscles of her vagina sucked at it the way they would his cock. Stroking his palm against her thigh, he moved it up to where her clit waited. The pearl of flesh pulsed in tune with her heartbeat. After what seemed only a moment’s play, he heard her breathing grow ragged and her body convulsed. He broke away before he did something foolish. Like sinking his fangs into her warm, blood-laden flesh.

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Chapter Three Tera blinked. She’d fully expected them to have sex. And while she’d been satisfied, to a point, he’d broken it off before they’d completed the act. She knew she should feel relieved as they’d only met face-to-face for the first time tonight. He’d been in her life, her thoughts, for years. The man he was turning out to be was nothing like the monster she’d built up in her mind. And now all she could focus on was getting him back to where he belonged—between her legs, pleasuring her to within an inch of her life. She propped herself up on her elbows so she could see where he had retreated to across the room. “Darius?” Oh she hated the whininess she heard in her voice. She called upon her core of steel and firmed her voice. “Darius. Tell me why you stopped.” He looked back, some indefinable emotion ghosting over his features before he resumed the mask of arrogance. “I prefer to have my women in my bed. Come.” His voice was the tiniest bit slurred. He held out a hand to her. She remained on her elbows, staring hard into his eyes. “To your bed?” His countenance rippled once before he shook his head and she thought she saw a flash of white at the corner of his mouth. “Not right now. I have something I have to show you.” He wasn’t precisely hiding from her, but he also wasn’t the most forthcoming creature. Tera drew in a breath and reached up, accepting his assistance. “Where are we going?” “My conservatory.” He handed her clothes to her. When she was fully dressed, he twined his fingers with hers and led her out of the study. Tera tried to orient herself, knowing instinctively she’d need to find her way back to this place. The house was a warren of rooms, empty except for the echoing of their 31

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footsteps, making her feel like a skittering rabbit. Just when she thought she had the layout fixed in her head, he took a turn and twisted her around as he’d flipped her emotions into turmoil. She let those thoughts mull around in her head while he wordlessly continued leading her through the maze of his house. The world still made sense, but she felt as if she were looking at it through the crystal glass he’d served her with earlier. Things seemed slightly fractured, a half step out of rhythm with the way her life was going. Had been going until she’d met Darius. What was it about him that drew her to him as if he were a lodestone? Yes, he was handsome, in a diabolical way. Yes, he was rich, but she had been taking care of herself for years and had no need for riches. He exuded charisma as if it could be gathered and bottled. She had given herself over to him and she felt as if she barely knew him. Not what really counted. Was he good to his fellow man? Did he care for anyone besides himself? Would she only be another notch in his bedpost? They turned one last corner and her thoughts derailed as she took in the expanse displayed before her as the doors slid open. A lush jungle entangled her senses. She could hear squawks of birds in the distance. Heavy sweetness permeated the air. She froze in the doorway, ignoring his attempts to pull her further in. How had he done it? She spied trees and plants she had only read about. If her eyes were to be believed, a good deal of vegetation thought to be extinct wasn’t. Finally, his tugging could not be denied and he guided her deeper into what truly was Eden. Microclimates were interspersed. She saw tropical rainforest next to a desert landscape. They came to an arid zone and he paused by a fruited tree. He reached up, yanked off a fruit and handed it to her. She took the gift in both palms and cupped the rough-skinned offering. The deep red rind could only be one thing. “I thought pomegranates were extinct.” She laughed. “I thought most of these plants were extinct.” He stroked both of his palms against her upper arms. “This is partly what I wanted to talk to you about.” 32

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Tera met his gaze. Worry lurked in the shadows. “How were you able to reconstruct all of them?” “I didn’t have to.” She frowned. “What do you mean, you didn’t have to?” She held up the pomegranate. “I know this has been extinct for the last hundred years. At least. The saguaro we passed has been gone for even longer.” “These plants have always called to me. I just…” He shook his head. “Let’s sit down. There’s too much for me to sift through.” Tera jutted her chin out. “Why don’t you tell me all of it? That usually works for me.” “To tell you all of it would, frankly, send you running into the badlands, never to be heard from again.” She rolled her eyes at his drama but let him pull her over to a bench in the middle of what she’d once seen described as an English rose garden. The heavy, sweet scent overpowered the competing smells from the nearby sections. Darius took the pomegranate from her and drew a penknife out of his pocket. The edge of it gleamed in the light and he sliced the fruit open. Juice the color of blood spurted out from the incision. He cracked it open, baring the heart of it to her gaze. Little red rondelles clustered in the pale yellow-white membrane. He held it in his palm and offered it to her. “Try them.” “How do I eat it?” “Take however many of the seeds you want. Put them in your mouth and suck on them. You can swallow the seeds if you want as they’re perfectly edible.” Tera picked out a half dozen of the fruit seeds. She selected one and placed it on her tongue. Tart flavor burst out of the little package when she sucked. She rolled the hard seed around on her tongue for a moment before she pulled it out of her mouth.

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She repeated the process five more times, savoring the tart sweetness. “Mmmm. Thank you.” “You’re very welcome.” He set the fruit down next to him on the bench. “I know I keep asking how, but what you’ve done here is impossible. These plants shouldn’t exist.” “But they do.” “They do. Darius, where did they come from?” He stood and paced in front of her, his hands shoved into his pants pockets. Tera remained silent, knowing he would answer when he was ready. Stopping in front of one of the plants, he reached out and cupped a blossom, caressing the petals. He touched them as he had touched her earlier, like a lover. Turning, he faced her, the lines of his face prominent. “Tell me about your farm. Why do you do it?” Tera frowned. She wanted answers to her questions and it felt like he was stalling. Why? His stance was that of a fighter, unwilling to give ground. She knew to her bones this was a game of cat and mouse, her answers the mouse. “I grew up in an orphanage in Paris. I was lucky in that I had a roof over my head and food in my belly every day.” Tera gripped the edge of the bench and forced her memories back to those dark days. “The priests took pleasure in reminding me I could easily be sent back to the streets. A few of the other children remembered their parents, their families, but most of us were foundlings either left on the orphanage’s steps or discovered abandoned in the streets. Most of us thought our families were part of the Mass Emigrations. “When I was about nine, I discovered the library. We were schooled according to state standards, but by that point, there was little left of the state. I hacked my way into the repository and found old texts of what the earth had been like before the Great Devastation.

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“I craved a world like that—peaceful, food enough for everyone and green everywhere. I know there were problems, but there was so much good.” “The problem with shiny apples is they’re usually hiding dark spots underneath the surface.” His voice was bleak. “Which is why the Devastation so quickly overtook the world.” He laughed. “Don’t fool yourself with what the history texts spout. There was no Great Devastation. The world’s been dying for a very long time.” “Everything dies out eventually.” “Yes, but few things actively seek death in the natural order. Even those that did, did so during the quest of reproduction. Taken in context, they weren’t truly seeking death. The earth has.” “Why are you convinced of this?” “I’ve seen much over the years.” He rubbed one hand over his face. “I’ve known many people. One in particular.” Tera stood. “How could one person cause the earth to seek death? And why am I talking as if the earth was an animate object?” Darius stared into her eyes for a moment. “Isn’t it?” She blinked. Many philosophers through the years had argued as such, and while Tera could see their point, the earth didn’t breathe, didn’t reason. But she could see truth in his eyes. A truth he wholeheartedly believed in. He reached out and stroked her cheek with his palm. She leaned in to the caress. His rough voice stroked along her nerves when he next spoke. “Tell me how an orphanage rat acquired a farm.” “If you want to leave the orphanage, you have to learn how to survive. I did. Thanks to the texts, I knew what I wanted above all. A place of peace for myself. I took jobs to achieve my goals.” “Some would call you a terrorist.” 35

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Tera stiffened at the description. “The only people I terrorized were government drones and puppeteers. I never killed anyone and it was all to expose the crimes those people were committing.” “But you were well paid to do those things.” “I was, and I earned every bit of it. Ideology can only get you so far. As soon as I had enough, I used what I needed to buy the land for the farm and get it started and sent the rest to the orphanage.” His lips firmed. “Blood money.” “Call it what you will, but if that money helped one more child like myself, it was worth it. The priests weren’t the nicest of guys, but they stuck to their mission. Which is a hell of a lot more than I can say about the majority of this planet’s inhabitants.” “If you had enough money to buy land, why didn’t you hop on one of the colonization shuttles and go to Mars or Venus?” Tera turned from him. She crossed to the edge of the garden and bent down, digging her fingers into the soil. “I couldn’t. I can’t really explain it, but I knew I couldn’t leave.” “I understand.” She looked over her shoulder, meeting his gaze, and saw he did. She nodded and turned back to the soil. She sifted dirt through her fingers, the loamy earth clinging to her skin in bits and pieces before falling back to the bed of roses. When emotions no longer clogged her throat, she resumed her story. “It took me five years to get the farm working to the point of being almost self-sustaining. I’d gathered some grains here and there in my travels, along with some root vegetable seeds. I eat well enough and what excess I have is sent to the orphanage.” “Do you worry about raiders?” “No. I’ve worked out a transfer system so they’re not alerted to what I do and when I do it. It’s worked well so far.”

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“What about meats, proteins?” Tera laughed. “Chickens and a few cows. I took in a kid from the orphanage a couple of years ago when I got them. I cut back on the jobs, but I still needed to leave at times and I couldn’t leave them to fend completely for themselves. “I’ve got perimeter alarms around the estate and I’ve built it so the fields are obscured from anyone doing reconnaissance. No one really knows what I do out there and I’m working to keep it that way.” “I won’t give away your secrets.” Tera went back to the bench and sat. Propping one leg on the other, she cupped her knee and studied him. “What about me exposing yours? Not that you’ve told me much about yourself, but still, you’ve got even more to lose than I thought.” His smile lent his face the look of a devil. “I’m already acknowledged as a man not to be crossed. My reputation, which you failed to heed, shields me.” “I’ve told you the reasons why I got the farm. I think it’s time you tell me why a hated industrialist such as yourself has cultivated a thriving little world such as this.” She waved her hands in front of her, like the pretty women on the old vids when they displayed the results of a magic trick.

Darius smiled at the gesture. She looked so prim and proper sitting there with her legs crossed. He knew the treasures awaiting him behind their barrier and he couldn’t wait to explore them once more. But first, he had to reveal all. “Gaea is my great-grandmother.” “Huh? Who’s Gaea?” “Gaea, the Earth, is my great-grandmother. Her son Cronos is my grandfather, Hades is my father.” “I don’t understand.”

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He went to her and started to sit down. She scooted over to make room for him on the bench. Taking her hand, he twined his fingers with hers and petted the back of her hand with his free one. “I’m descended from the ancient Greek gods. My mother was a farming peasant and my father is Hades, king of the Underworld, so I’m godkin.” Her mouth hung open, her eyes unblinking. He tipped her chin up so her mouth closed with a click of her teeth. “I take it from your expression that you at least know who the Greek gods are.” “They’re myths. Long-forgotten myths. You’re kidding with me.” “Long-forgotten by all but those who have seen a book or a text, and no, I truly am not kidding you.” She shook her head, a bemused expression settling on her face. “How old are you?” “Millennia. I stopped counting after the first one thousand years. It got too depressing.” He spotted a flash of white as her teeth worried her lower lip. With that, blood surged to his cock and he was ready to have her. Forcing away images of sinking his cock between those red lips for her to suckle, he focused on her words. “I’ve never heard of the godkin. And frankly, being descended from Greek gods and a few thousand years old to boot is a tad unbelievable.” He let the blood lust dominate for a moment. His incisors lengthened, jutting past his lips, and his skin hardened as he morphed into the deadly predator. He could hear the pounding beat of her heart clearly and the rapid intake of air as she fought to break his hold. The scents from the plants were sharply defined and he heard the scurrying of rodents through the outer reaches of the conservatory. His eyes zeroed in on the pale skin of her neck, the blue tracery of veins as clear now as large rivers. Beating back the beast, he felt all his senses recede to normal levels. Normal for him, anyway.

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“Uh, okay, yeah, you’re, uh, whatever you said you were.” She tugged her hand. He gripped it even tighter. “Can I leave now?” “No. You wanted proof and you got it.” “Oh yeah, I got it. Really, you can let me go and I’ll head back home, pretending I never even heard of the Torgon Forest.” Darius closed his eyes and rubbed them. Changing, even partially, set his metabolism off the tiniest fraction and was made worse when he didn’t feed. “Tera, sit still.” She froze. He didn’t like the cornered doe look, but he needed to finish his story. “What do you remember of the story of Hades and Persephone?” “Um, not much…weren’t they husband and wife and he kidnapped her or something?” “Yes. Do you remember Persephone’s mother, Demeter?” She shook her head. He resumed petting her hand, feeling the tension slowly drain from her muscles. She leaned closer into his side. “Among Demeter’s many duties was that of the harvest. When my father kidnapped Persephone, Demeter refused to sustain the world’s food supply until Persephone was returned to her. “My father refused. He’d fallen in lust with Persephone and no other woman would do. He was determined to keep her with him, but Persephone went on a hunger strike. Well, to make a long story short…” “Too late.” A smile teased the edges of his lips. He vaguely remembered a movie he’d once seen. “As I was saying, Demeter’s holding the world hostage finally got the attention of the other gods once they realized they were no longer being worshipped. The world was fucked and humans didn’t have time to worship gods when they were trying to survive.”

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“Understandable.” “Very. Now, Zeus, the king of the gods, brokered a deal between Demeter and Hades. Providing Persephone hadn’t eaten any food, she was free and clear to go. Unfortunately, Mama Perse had eaten some pomegranate seeds right before the deal was struck.” Tera heard the sorrow in his voice. “What?” “I gave her the seeds. She’d been so thirsty and I thought a little seed wouldn’t hurt anyone.” He shook himself. “Her thirst got the better of her and she ate six. Zeus decreed that for every morsel of food she ate, she would spend the same number of months as Hades’ queen. She’s spent half a year with my father and half a year with her mother every year since.” “You call her Mama Perse.” “Yes. My mother had died a few years before and my father took me in. Mama Perse always treated me well and she eventually returned my father’s love. He never strayed from her once they were married. I think that was what she feared most being married to a god.” She stroked his beard-roughened cheek, reveling in the way he leaned into her palm. “An interesting story, but what does it have to do with what’s happening now?” He deeply inhaled, then blew out his breath. “When the world stopped worshipping the ancient gods, Demeter decided she would not lift a finger to help the puny humans, as she calls them. Without her aiding the balance of nature, humans slowly descended into the hell they created. Gaea has suffered greatly as a result. I’ve tried to do what I can so my great-grandmother survives, but Demeter hates me as my father’s son. Every move I’ve made to help, she’s countered and made the original conditions worse.” He touched his forehead to hers. “I’m so tired, Tera. Help me forget.”

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Tera wanted to drive the demons from his eyes. The obvious torment twisted her into knots. He was the Devil the priests had warned about over the years, but she did the only thing she could do. She cupped his cheek and kissed him.

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Chapter Four Darius wanted to shout in triumph. She hadn’t fled. Her soft lips shaped themselves against his. Nudging her mouth open, he sank his tongue into her mouth. Her taste zinged straight to his brain and the feel of her tongue curling around his sent spikes of pleasure through to his cock. Tunneling his fingers through her hair, he canted her head to the side for the perfect angle. Her hand stroked up his thigh, kneading the taut muscles. When she reached his staff, he groaned and broke the kiss. She squeezed and pulled with the perfect amount of pressure. He gripped her wrist and pushed her hand away. “Why?” Her breathless voice sent his lust levels up another notch. “Because I’ll come right now. I want you naked and spread beneath me when that happens.” She shivered in his embrace. Needing her naked in his bed now, he stood and scooped her into his arms. Tera wove her arms around his neck and began feasting on it. It was his turn to shiver as she nibbled and sucked every part of his skin she could reach. Sheer will got him to the lift. When the door opened, he dropped her legs and pulled them up around his hips. Pushing her up against the wall, he ground his cock against where he wanted to bury it. She growled at him and bit down on his earlobe. Cupping her breast, he kneaded it until the nipple peaked. The door dinged open. She moved to push away from him, but he gripped her ass, keeping her plastered to his front. As he strode down the hall, she undulated her hips, stroking him into a frenzy. His turn to growl, he tossed her onto his bed. Shucking his clothes, he didn’t bother with niceties. When he was free, he stripped hers from her, almost tearing them. 42

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The moment he exposed her sex, he latched his mouth to it, drawing out her moisture. She shouted and shifted to help him remove her pants. They refused to clear her feet and he tried yanking with no effect. She sat up and pushed his shoulders away from her. Panting, she reached down. “My shoes. They’re caught on my shoes.” He didn’t care about her shoes. He wanted, needed her naked, enclosing him within her pussy. He tried pushing her back down, but she elbowed him dangerously close to the worst place possible. Letting her have her way, he kneeled on the floor and tried to assist her. She slapped at his hands. “You’re tangling the knots worse. Go get a condom.” He laughed. Never had a woman spoken to him in a tone like a schoolmistress while in the middle of sex. Heeding her directive, he reached over to the bed table and pulled the drawer open, exposing his cache. “Party boy?” He looked over his shoulder. Her shoes and pants now lay scattered across the floor and she laid propped back on her elbows. A creamy rose goddess spread before him for his pleasure. “No. I’m not a saint and I don’t believe in being caught unprepared. I haven’t felt the need to exhaust my supply, however, until you walked through my doors.” He took hold of her foot and held it up, stroking from the ankle up her calf to the back of her knee. She giggled as he tickled the baby soft skin awaiting him there. She squealed when he licked her instep. Nibbling bites led him along the path his hand had taken. As he grew closer to her center, she bit her lip. “Breathe, Tera.” A soft laugh wafted on the air as she followed his direction. Firm, sleek muscles lay under the taut skin of her legs, and he smoothed his palm up and down them until he

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felt the tension in them seeping away. Tiny gasps caught his attention as his fingers trailed along the dimples on the inner back of her right knee. Grinning, he paused in his explorations to suck on the trigger spot. More gasps followed and he saw the skin around her pussy grow ruddier. Unable to resist the lure, he trailed his lips up her leg to its apex. He stroked apart her lips and they slid open, revealing her hidden core. One long, slow lick, capped off with a swirl of his tongue on her clit, sent visible spasms through her system. He grinned and blew against the erect organ decorating the top of her slit. She rolled her hips, inviting him to deepen the play. He held her lips open and licked deep into her core. Mimicking how he planned to possess her later, he thrust his tongue in and out, scraping it against her walls, drawing her fluid out. Her hips undulated in response, countering his play of thrust and parry. Her legs shifted and he felt one heel move to his back and dig in. Close, she was so close. He fluttered his fingertip along her clit and she crested the first wave in moments. He looked up across the clenching muscles of her stomach, the heaving mounds of her breasts, her panting lips and into her eyes as the black overtook the deep blue. Flattening his tongue, he swept her pussy once more before moving up her body. He dropped a kiss at her navel and inhaled the spicy musk emanating from her skin. Faint scars decorated her skin. “What happened, Tera?” “What?” “The scars, where are they from?” “Oh. Nothing in particular. I’ve always scarred easily. Some are from when I was a kid and some are from missions. A few are probably from the farm. Just nicks and scratches.” He paid homage to every one he could find. From the tone of her voice, he knew she’d put any pain from these physical scars out of her mind long ago, but they were fresh to him. He crawled up the bed and shifted to the side so his head was on par with her full breasts. As he ran his fingers along the curve of one, her nipple beaded into a 44

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tight little pearl. He leaned over and blew across the other one, watching as it drew up to attention. Bending down, he took it into his mouth and suckled. Cupping the first breast, he flicked at the nipple with his thumb. Her stomach arched off the bed. The possibilities of her reaction spread before him. His fangs lengthened and he scraped one against the edge of her areola. The sweet sound of her breath catching went straight to his near bursting cock. Conscious of her tendency to scar, he edged the side of one fang across her nipple, drawing the tiniest bead of blood. He licked and the flavor of her, the essence of her, exploded through his system. He sucked harder, craving the addictive taste. Her fingers scrabbled against his body, searching for purchase. “Dar—Darius.” Puckering his lips, he increased the vacuum. He moved his hand down from her breast to her pussy and speared two fingers into her spasming center. She grunted, her hips arching once more. When her body relaxed, he moved over it, settling between her splayed thighs. Her eyelids fluttered open as he placed his cock head against her entrance. Heat flared in her eyes as he pushed against her resisting muscles. One of her legs moved, but flopped back against the mattress. He hooked his hand around her knee and wrapped her calf around his thigh. Humid warmth bathed two more inches of his straining cock. Once he was fully seated within her, he bent down and kissed her. She cupped his cheek and opened her mouth to his invasion. Bracing himself on his elbows, he thrust into her, cock and tongue. Her moan vibrated against his tongue and through his nerve endings to his cock, where her inner muscles echoed the rhythm. He broke the kiss, wanting, needing to make this last as long as he could. Tera moved her hand from his cheek onto his back and down to his ass, where she pressed down. Taking it for the command it was, he strengthened his movements, pounding into her. Her nails scored his lower back. She reached up with her other hand and took hold of one of his nipples, twisting it. The pain spiked his senses almost past control.

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He growled and gripped her wrist, pinning it to the bed. When her other hand moved from his back to his front, he broke from her. Her eyes glazed with lust and confusion. “What are you doing?” “Ensuring I don’t hurt you.” “What if I want to be hurt?” The images that whipped through his mind almost turned him into the feral animal he could be. “Don’t tease.” She undulated her hips up so they caressed his near-to-bursting prick. He desperately desired to complete this union face-to-face and took the only course open to him. The bed had once been the prize of a French nobleman inclined toward a kinkier life. As he wasn’t opposed to bedplay of the sort, he’d kept the hidden implements in working order. Pressing a decorative flower, a recess opened up and he extracted the fur-lined bracelets. Chains dangled, attaching them to a hook within. Before Tera had a chance to question, he had both wrists securely fastened. “Now, my princess, we finish this.” With her arms stretched above her, she reminded him of the virginal sacrifices of Ancient Greece. Now, as it was then, the fire in her eyes clearly exposed her willingness for what was to befall her. He took hold of her hips, canted them up and speared into her. Her muscles clamped down on him. “You are mine.” Faint flutters along the veins of his cock and the deepening flush of her skin told him she teetered on the edge of coming. She crossed her ankles behind his ass and pulled him even deeper. “Make me.” He roared and unleashed the beast within.

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Tera moaned as Darius ground into her. She tugged on the bracelets, but they were securely fastened. She wanted to clutch him to her breast as they both tumbled into orgasm, but he had her at his mercy. The freedom to give herself over to pleasure, hers and his, overwhelmed her. When he placed his thumb against her clit and teased it, she found herself flying over the edge. All of her muscles clenched down as wave after wave of sensation buffeted her. She could smell the faint spiciness of the room scents, overlaid with the sexual musk of their union. Darius’ deep growls emanated from his chest as his short thrusts continued to pound her. Her vision filled with him, only him, as his face spasmed with the rictus of orgasm. His fangs lengthened over his bottom lip as he threw his head back and howled into the air. For a brief moment, Tera feared what had been unleashed until his eyes met hers. They gleamed red in the faint light of the room, but she read in them her safety from him and any who threatened her. He bent his head to her neck and nuzzled, his fangs scraping against her skin. The fine serrations on the edges rasped against her, but he didn’t move to bite her. Was he making a point about something? His hips continued to move, keeping his penis hard inside her. Aftershocks rippled through her system, especially when she felt the flange of his cock head rub against an ultra-sensitive spot on her upper wall. He released her wrists. She stroked the muscles of his back, soothing the both of them. Soft lips pressed little kisses along her neck as he pushed up from her. Now she could see his eyes were the deep brown of rich earth, not black as hell as she’d first imagined. After a few minutes, he disengaged from her and disappeared into the anteroom. He carried a soft cloth in his hand and used it to clean her juices from her. “I’d rather use my mouth to do this, but then we’d get a little too distracted.” “Is there a program to tonight’s activities?”

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He smiled. “Any program I may have had was thrown out the window the moment you stepped into my office.” Tera felt a tiny spear of guilt at how she’d been distracted from her night’s mission, but after learning more about him, she wondered if the forest really could be saved with their interventions. Or if they were all doomed, as he believed. He reached for her hand and pulled her up off the pillows. “Come with me.” She dragged a sheet with her, attempted to wrap it around her body. “I need a robe. I can’t go prancing around your home with nothing on.” He paused just before the door and swept her body with his gaze. “You can wander around in the nude wherever pleases you.” Tendrils of fire sparked along her nerves. She could see surprising him in his study, enticing him away from his work to service her. The fantasy fractured as reality intruded. She’d leave him in the morning, and it was highly unlikely she’d be spending any amount of time with him in the future, despite his hypnotic effect on her. His reputation as a man who rarely was seen with the same woman twice sat in the back of her mind. Despite what he’d shared with her, he probably had some magic trick up his sleeve to make her forget. After all, he was the son of a god. Who knew what kinds of powers he had? With that glum bit of logic depressing her, she let him guide her through the hallways until he pushed open a door. He tapped a sequence onto a pad next to the door and soothing bluish light filled the room. Cases along the wall and pedestals scattered throughout the room’s expanse were highlighted with brighter lights. Fiery sparkles reflected in the air. “What is this place?” The sheer enormity of the fortune housed here slapped at her. He traced his fingers along her cheek and tipped her chin up. His lips met hers for a fraction of a moment. “My treasure.”

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Tera blinked, unsure of what he referred to. She blew out a breath and it shuddered through her body. She turned from the intense expression on his face, not willing to deal with what it might mean. Breaking the hold of his hand, she crossed the room, stopping in front of the first case she encountered. Starbursts of gold encased verdant emeralds and icy diamonds. The swirl of color sucked her into the descending depths of the pendant. “It’s said to have been worn by an Indian princess right before she lost her life in a revolt against the reinstituted monarchy.” Air rippled over her ear as he leaned in, crowding her. She tried to step forward, but the case blocked her. “The design is gorgeous and the craftsmanship exquisite.” His hand rested on her hip, stroking up and down. Slowly loosening her improvised tunic. “It is also said she wore it as she danced for her husband. Nude except for the pendant.” Tera slipped from his grasp, attempting to tighten the folds of the sheet as she moved to the next case. This one held a ruby, the color of the pomegranate seeds he’d fed her earlier and the size of a small egg, dangling from a delicate golden chain. A trio of smaller ruby orbs descended on their own chains from golden loops. Darius took hold of her waist again. This time he pulled her back against his engorged cock so that it rode the crack of her ass. The tip of his nose traced the back of her spine from the base of her neck to where tendrils of her hair curled against the nape. She shivered. “A masterpiece by a master craftsman. It was given to a king so he could gift his favored bedmate with the most delicious of pleasures.” She bit her lip. “His wife?” “Sadly, not according to legend. Would you like to experiment?” “Have you ever used them?”

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He turned her to face him and tipped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “No. I promised myself soon after I acquired it that I would only use it with the one I held in the same esteem as the long-ago king held his favored mistress.” Tera drew in a breath, inhaling Darius’ naturally earthy scent. That she recognized it as solely his gave her some comfort. She closed her eyes. If she agreed to this, she knew she was agreeing to so much more. “Yes.” “Yes, what?” She opened her eyes, and more, to him. “Yes, I want to use them with you.” His nostrils flared for a moment, and then a wolf’s grin overtook his face. “Thank you, Tera.” He leaned down and kissed her. Tera felt as if she truly was the treasure he’d spoken of earlier. He pulled back and leaned his forehead on hers. “You will not regret this decision.” She couldn’t speak, so only nodded. Watched as he disengaged the alarm and lock of the case. The glass walls smoothly descended into the wooden pillar, exposing the jewels. Darius tugged on the corner of her sheet and it fell from her as if it had never been attached. He took the egg-sized ruby and chain, slipping it around her waist. The gem slid through a slightly larger gold loop on the other end and it fell to millimeters above her mound. He palmed one nipple and massaged it, rubbing and plucking until it stood at attention. Placing the loop of one of the smaller rubies against her aching peak, he cinched the closure tight. She gasped at the unexpected pleasure. The air in her lungs stuttered out when he repeated the process. An electric current seemed to join the two points and shot straight to her aching pussy. Darius’ hand moved down to where she felt the sensation most keenly. Her knees were jelly by the time his rough palm cupped her center, rotating on the pivot point of her clit. 50

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Her eyelids fluttered closed for a moment, but she couldn’t bear not to watch. He sank to his knees and lashed her with his tongue. She wove her fingers through his silken hair, needing an anchor in the storm battering her senses. Three fingers speared into her, coaxing out even more of her fragrant lubricant. The man should have been descended from Aphrodite the way he turned her into a willing slave to sexual excitement. “More, give me more.” He glanced up and winked, his suckling mouth never leaving her pulsing center. When she thought she was going to faint from the sensory overload, he stopped. She screamed in frustration as the painful edge of pleasure coasted along her nerves just out of reach. His fingers traced up the back of her leg along an invisible line of nerves and she felt the last ruby bouncing against her skin. It moved over her thigh and ceased contact at the edge of where the shield of her pubic hair began. “Tera, look at me.” She realized her eyes had closed and she opened them. A reddish light glowed from his eyes again. She blinked, it took all of her concentration to just breathe. “When I put this on you, I’m going to bite you. Do you understand?” Point of no return. “Yes.” One more deep breath. “Yes, I understand.” His fangs lengthened again and he placed the loop against her clit, cinching it as he had the others. Tera convulsed as the storm broke over her. She felt the tips of his fangs begin to pierce her skin to the side of her clit. Lightning flashed in the room and thunder sounded. An unearthly wail accompanied it. “Nooooooooooooooooo!”

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Chapter Five Tera was ripped out of his arms. Darius cursed as the cases broke and shards of glass and jewelry pelted his skin, piercing and slicing. Calling on his own powers, he flashed out of the room to his bedchamber. “Curse you, Demeter!” The bitch had kidnapped Tera, he knew it, just knew it. Throwing on clothes, he raced back to the treasure room. The door lay open and the glass and jewels continued swirling in a vortex. A second later, they froze in midair. He dove for cover as they were flung in his direction by an unseen hand. He lost another few layers of skin on his calf as the missiles embedded themselves in the opposite wall. When he judged the coast clear, he peeked around the door. Tera was nowhere to be seen. He growled in helplessness. “Demeter, you absolute bitch.” If it really had been Demeter, and frankly there were no other culprits capable of that little display of temper, he’d need Mama Perse’s help. Darius stood and blew out a breath. It had been years since he’d last seen his father, and while they rarely saw eye to eye, he knew he’d be welcomed back home like the prodigal son he was. In fact, he thought his father might have a good laugh at the predicament he’d found himself in. Darius crossed the room, searching the debris. Royal blue winked at him from beneath scraps of wood. He bent down and brushed the detritus aside, revealing the sapphire broach with sinuous threads of platinum weaving around the stone, a belated birthday gift for his stepmother. Closing his eyes, he pictured his father’s receiving hall and felt the sucking pull start in his navel and expand outward. As with every time he transported to the gods’ realm, it felt as if he’d had his body turned inside out and back again. He blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to the low light. Dark granite blocks with obsidian accents surrounded him. Torches flickered intermittently, lending to the gloom of the hall. 52

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A hand clamped down on his shoulder and squeezed. Darius winced and turned to the owner of the hand. Dark hair and eyes, a rough visage shadowed by the low light and a goatee once more reminded Darius of tales of the devil he’d heard over the years. “Hello, Father.” Hades pulled him into a hug and pounded on his back. “Good to have you home, Dar. Persephone has been asking after you.” “Is she here?” “Later. Zeus is having a banquet and she felt one of us should make an appearance. We both know how much I hate those damn things. Don’t know why Perse thinks either of us needs to be there.” Great. Darius hated the debauched orgies almost as much as his father did. He’d outgrown them a millennia ago. He rubbed his eyes, wishing the tension behind them would fade away. He needed to get to Mama Perse before too much time passed and Demeter completely disappeared with Tera. “Father, have you seen Demeter recently?” A feral growl emanated from Hades’ throat. “What the hell would I have to do with that bitch? She keeps my wife from me for half a year as it is. She’s not welcome here and she knows it.” Cutting his father off before the age-old tirade gathered steam, Darius grabbed his father’s biceps. “I think she kidnapped Tera.” Hades frowned. “Tera? Who’s Tera?” “She’s the woman I’m going to bond with.” Hades’ eyes widened and he grinned a moment before glowering again. “I seriously questioned the Fates’ reasoning in making Demeter a fertility goddess with the crap she keeps pulling like this.” He paced the length of the hall, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll concede I shouldn’t have kidnapped Perse, but I thought we’d settled.”

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“Can we get into Zeus’ hall and get Mama Perse out without anyone seeing?” His father snorted. “Not likely. However…” He crossed the hall and tugged a bell pull. A wraith floated up through the floor and kneeled in front of Hades. “Yes, my king?” “Orestes, go to Zeus’ hall and notify my wife I’m in need of her presence. Her son wishes to give her greetings.” The ghost clapped his fist against his chest and disappeared. Minutes later, the doors at the other end of the hall opened for a golden goddess. Cornflower blue eyes searched out Darius’ as Persephone held her hands out to him. He clasped his fingers around hers and kissed each of her cheeks. “Greetings, Mama.” “Darius, what are you doing here?” Her eyes cut to Hades. “Were you expected and your father forgot to tell me?” “Not my fault, Perse. Your mother’s as usual.” Persephone closed her eyes. “What has she done now?” Darius cleared his throat. He hated causing trouble between Persephone and her mother, as they still lived together for part of the year, but this was all on Demeter’s head. “I believe she kidnapped my bondmate.” Persephone grinned and clapped her hands. “You’ve bonded! We must have a party.” She slapped his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner, scamp?” “I’ve only found her, Mama. And lost her.” Her joy at the news of his bonding leeched out of her expression as he reminded her of her mother. “So you’ve said. If it really was Mother, I doubt she’d head toward one of her usual haunts.” She blew out a breath and frowned. “Unfortunately, you probably are right it was her. She was the only one of Zeus’ siblings, besides your obstinate father, not at the banquet.” Hades propped one shoulder against the back of his throne. “Don’t you mean orgy, Perse?”

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She walked over to him and poked him in the chest. “They never devolve until after I leave. You would do well to show your face there once in a while.” Hades captured her fingers and twisted them in his grip to kiss them. “But you represent me so much better, my kitten.” Persephone sighed and leaned up to kiss him. Darius turned from the display. This was what he wanted. The easy give and take of affection. He knew Tera would be as open as Mama Perse and he ached for what she must be going through in Demeter’s clutches. The goddess was no longer right in the head, in Darius’ opinion. He cleared his throat and turned back to his father and stepmother. They broke apart, looking like guilty teenagers. “Mama Perse, where might Demeter have taken Tera?” She frowned. “Tera? Her name is Tera?” “Yes, why?” “Typically, the only girls who can accept Tera as a name are descendants of my mother.” Darius frowned. “What do you mean? I thought you were an only child.” “When my mother was wandering the Earth searching for me, a little boy came into her care. She attempted to make him immortal, but his mother broke in on them before the ceremony was complete.” “I remember hearing that, but didn’t the boy die?” “Not completely. As part of the process, the boy became my mother’s son, with the essence of his human mother wiped out. A part of his soul did die when the ceremony ceased. He was neither fully human nor part-god. He grew up and produced offspring with a number of women before he was killed by a mob. They believed him to be like yourself.” “Godkin?”

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“Yes. But he wasn’t, not truly.” “What about his children then?” “Some of them grew up to be like him, but others, because his blood was not pure one way or the other, were human, but with a small blessing of power over fertility. The offspring of his human children remained so.” “That is why she can grow life where others cannot.” “Most likely.” “My king, my queen.” A male voice sounded behind them. They all turned to where Orestes had reappeared. Hades glared at him. “I have not called you, Orestes.” The ghost kneeled before them. “No, my king. I bear a message for your queen.” “You are not allowed passage from this realm without my express approval.” “I continue to serve only you, my king.” “And yet you bear a message. I assume none of the other shades would be so impudent as to request audience with my wife and not myself.” Orestes shook his head, his gaze remaining on the floor at their feet. “Her mother calls. She appeared in the fields before me and bid me to deliver her tidings.” “Demeter, here? Where is the bitch?” “She bids Queen Persephone to attend to her where it all began.” Hades made to grasp the shade by his shoulder, but paused right before his hand would have passed through. Persephone cupped the air around Orestes’ cheek, drawing his gaze up to hers. “What did she mean?” Orestes met her gaze. “I do not know, my queen. Truly, I would tell all if I knew.” “Thank you, Orestes. Return to Hermione and give her my blessings.” He clapped his arm against his chest and faded into nothingness.

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“Where it all began? No, she couldn’t.” Persephone placed her hand over Hades’ heart. He pulled her against him, laying one palm over hers. “What, my love? Where do you think she is?” “Enna, the field from where you took me.” “Damn it all. I think you’re right about Enna.” He looked to Darius. “We need to leave now if we have any hope of rescuing your bondmate.” Darius nodded and gripped his father’s shoulder as the three of them flashed from the hall.

***** Tera fell to her knees and threw up. The centrifugal forces nearly tore her apart. She collapsed onto her side and closed her eyes, wishing the ground below her would cease revolving. A bare foot prodded her back and she moaned. “You’ll do. Get up, kore.” She squeezed her eyelids tighter. This was only a bad dream. A nightmare. Darius would wake her in a moment to make love to her again. Maybe Darius was only a dream too. A luscious, mouthwatering dream. This time the owner of the foot kicked her between her shoulder blades. Tera groaned and arched her back away from the assault. No dream. “Get up, you cow. Or do you want me to kill you where you lie? That wouldn’t do though. I need to watch Hades witness the death of his precious son’s bondmate. For him to feel the helplessness I once felt.” Tera rolled over and opened her eyes. The woman stood over her, dressed in a toga frayed at the edges. Graying red curls cascaded in a stormy mess down her back. She paced back and forth, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “Yes, pain. He must feel the pain.” “Who are you?” 57

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The woman stopped and looked down at her. Chills raced up and down Tera’s spine at the completely unhinged look in the blue eyes. “Your mother.” Tera blinked. “I’m pretty sure you’re not.” Why she felt the need to argue with an obviously insane woman, she had no idea. First rule of survival—don’t fuck with the insane as they have the right-of-way. “I gave birth to those who spawned you. Your life is mine to take.” Wind whipped the woman’s hair around her body, and Tera knew this was no tempest in a teapot. She wished something would draw the woman’s attention away from her long enough for her to escape. She glanced around her, but it was just an open field with a pond off to her right with some hills in the distance. Nothing for her to hide behind while escaping. She pushed up onto her elbows and winced. The pull of the jeweled clamps against her most sensitive points was a distraction she couldn’t deal with at the moment. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to remove them. “You haven’t told me your name.” Maybe talking would distract her. If she was talking, she couldn’t kill her now, right? Please, God, let Darius figure out where she was and save her. “I am Demeter, goddess of agriculture and the protector of marriage.” “If you’re the protector of marriage, why would you purposefully break, what did you call it? A bondmate? And what makes you think I’m Darius’ bondmate?” Demeter turned from her and walked away. Tera frowned. Add in short attention span as well as psychotic to the woman’s list of mental defects. Pushing up from the velvety soft grass, she gasped as mini-climaxes rocked through her. On point, she had to stay on point. She made it only five steps before she crashed to the ground in a screaming orgasm. Waves of pleasure blinded her, sending her mind into a state of lethargy and indolence. Darius was going to pay for this. As soon as he got here, she was going to jump his ass. Visions of what she would do to him only increased the intensity of the orgasms rocketing through her body.

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Unable to deal with the arrows of pleasure shooting up and down each nerve she possessed, she curled in the fetal position. Muscles twitched, rejecting the constant input. All she could hear was the air rustling over the long grass before it caressed her sensitized skin. A body was not meant to sustain this level of pleasure. If she could have made some sound other than a frantic moan, she would have made deals with the other gods to release her from the prison of her body. The ground quaked and for a moment she thought it was another climax. Tears leaked from her eyes as she stared up at the blinding blue sky. Black storm clouds rolled over the horizon, blocking the bright sunlight. The wind turned the stalks of grass into lashes whipping at her. Had the gods heard? Were they there to take her, body and soul, to the afterlife? Maybe she’d see Darius once more. A soft palm stroked her shoulder. “Are you well?” Tera feared the soft and husky female voice meant Demeter was back, but with a majorly frightening personality change. The mercurial moods caused Tera to fear for her life more than anything else. “It will be fine. I have my husband and Darius with me.” Darius? Tera opened her eyes and saw a younger version of Demeter hovering behind her. Darius stood a few feet away with a man who could only be his father beside him. That must mean… “Persephone?” “Yes.” She looked up, across the field. “I must tend to my mother. Darius will care for you.” She stood and moved toward where Demeter was howling against the wind, shaking her fists to the sky and looking like a woman possessed by demons. Hades followed behind, leaving her to Darius’ ministrations. She saw his eyes track down her body, taking in the lines of blood where the slivers of grass had broken through her skin. “Are you hurt elsewhere?” She sighed. “No, but I need you to remove the jewels before I attempt to move again. Coming made it a little hard to put up much of a fight.”

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He made quick work of them, pausing a moment at her pussy where he coated his fingers in her slick juices, triggering the ache once more. Her muscles clenched in slight protest at the overload of sensation. She was incredibly happy to see him, but her body demanded rest. “You are going to pay for that.” He grinned his devil’s smile. “I’m counting on it.” He bent his head down to hers and feathered kisses on her lips, nose and eyes. “It felt like my soul was ripped from me when she took you. I’ll never let you out of my sight again, and she’ll never be able to hurt you.” Tera cupped his cheeks and returned his kiss, letting it say for her all that she couldn’t voice at the moment. Fighting back tears, she broke it and turned her head to where she had last seen Demeter. “Shouldn’t you be with your father and stepmother, backing them up?” Darius glanced over for a second. “I think they have her in hand and it looks like Zeus has decided to get involved.” He pulled Tera to her feet and wrapped his coat around her shoulders. She gripped the lapels and closed it as tight as she could. A man with close-cropped silver hair and beard now stood at the top of the rise with Demeter, Persephone and Hades. Darius placed his hand at the small of her back and led her over until they stood only feet away from the group. “You are to be banished into the care of the Furies, Demeter.” Demeter whipped her arm around and poked a finger in Hades’ face. He slapped it away. “No, he is the one to be punished. He is the one who did wrong. I demand justice.” Zeus’ visage grew sterner. “Justice was meted out over a millennia ago, Demeter. Your daughter remains with you for six months of every year. If you continue in this vein, I will make it so she never spends a moment with you again for eternity.”

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“Zeus, no, please.” Persephone laid a hand against his arm. “Mother sees the error of her ways.” She turned with pleading eyes to Demeter. “Don’t you?” “If Hades is not punished, I will turn the Earth to dust as I did when she was first stolen from me.” Hades’ laugh barked out. “As if you haven’t already, Demeter? Tartarus is filled with souls who have died because of what you have done. Zeus should throw you into the prisons our uncles and cousins once occupied for your crime.” Demeter screamed, eyes blazing, and she flung out her hands, sending bolts of energy toward Hades. Persephone stepped in front of them, absorbing their power before she collapsed into Hades’ embrace. “Persephone.” The anguish in Hades’ shout ripped into Tera’s soul. “Noooo.” Demeter lunged for her daughter, but Zeus caught her up by the arms. He looked at her with disgust. “Your act of defiance has cost you your daughter.” A bolt of lightning struck the ground before them and they disappeared. Tera rushed over to where Hades kneeled, cradling his wife. Holding on to the lapels of the jacket with one hand, she reached out with the other and touched Persephone’s shoulder. The skin was warm and resilient. She met Hades’ gaze and tears caught in her throat. “Will she be okay?” His eyes glistened as he nodded. “She’ll be fine. Because Persephone is her daughter, Demeter’s weapons will have little lasting effect. They were strong, however, and she needs to recover from so much energy.” “She loves you a great deal to step before you like that.” He grinned. “She does. I request you never put my son into a situation where he needs to do the same for you.” Darius laid his warm hands on her shoulders and pulled her back against him. “I’ll do whatever I need to ensure her safety, Father.” Hades nodded once more before he and Persephone flashed away.

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Tera turned her head to smile at Darius. “Thank you for saving me.” His smile was wry. “Me? I did nothing.” She stroked his fingers where they cupped her shoulder. “If you hadn’t come after me, I would have remained at the crazy woman’s mercy. Frankly, I don’t think she had any.” He leaned down and kissed her. Strong lips stroked against hers, molding them. She licked the seam of his mouth, craving his taste as his scent filled her nostrils. Scraping the edge of her teeth against his lower lip, she pulled back. “I think I’m to the point where I need recovery sex.” “Recovery sex?” “It’s where you help me forget what just happened.” His hand slipped under the edge of his coat and stroked down the seam of her ass and curved further under her. Wicked fingers found the pulsing muscles of her pussy and sunk deep. She moaned. The air vibrated against her neck as he slid his teeth back and forth against the tendon running along her neck. “I think I can do that.” He clutched her close as the vortex sucked them into its center.

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Chapter Six Tera clutched Darius’ shoulders. Just as before, severe vertigo wreaked havoc with her system. His roughened palms stroked up and down her back and he murmured soothing nonsense in her ear. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, inhaling the warm scent of wood and lavender, exhaling the stress of the last few hours. “Are you okay?” “I think I’ll be better in a little bit. Nothing like facing down an insane, avenging goddess.” The sound of his rough laugh sent shivers through her. “There is that.” His hands reached around to her front and slipped under the lapels of his coat. He palmed her breasts and circled his thumbs against her nipples, teasing them to attention. Bending down, he nipped kisses along her jaw. “I hear sex is a wonderful stress reliever.” Tera rolled her eyes at the ceiling of the bedroom. “This playful mood of yours is a bit confusing.” Moving up to her mouth, he kissed her, teasing her tongue with his. “What do you mean?” She propped her forearms against his shoulders. “You’re a dark man, Darius. Hell, you father is the king of the Underworld. Now you’re like a puppy with a new toy.” “I think it’s understandable. You’re my bondmate and I thought you were going to be taken from me forever. I believe I’m entitled to play with my toy for a long, long while.” Cupping his cheeks in her palms, she pulled him up short as he dove in for another mind-bending kiss. “I’m not a plaything, Darius. I take it from what Demeter said that being a bondmate is serious proposition.” 63

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He leaned his forehead against hers, holding her gaze. “A bondmate is the most serious commitment one of my kind can make. You will enjoy a longer lifespan and some of my powers will transfer to you. There is no going back, Tera. Once we are bonded, it is forever.” “Do you have a choice in bondmates? Can you take more than one?” “Not at the same time. There have been some who have lost their bondmates through death. If they’ve survived beyond that, their bondmate was sometimes reincarnated.” She canted her head to the side so he could trail his lips down the side of her neck. “If they survived?” “Many times, the loss of their bondmates was too great for them to bear. They chose death and the guarantee of reunion in my father’s realm.” Tera threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and tugged. “Chose death? They committed suicide?” He shook his head, his beard rasping against her skin. “Rarely. They lost their will to live and Thanatos came quickly for them.” She pulled his head up, forcing his gaze to hers. “Would you give up on life if I were to die?” In his eyes, she saw her answer, but he voiced it anyway. “My heart would be broken, but it would dishonor you for me to choose death. Life is too precious to toss it away.” Tera closed her eyes. They had spent so little time in each other’s company, but no one had understood her as he did. No one who respected what she did as he did. No one who loved her as he did. “Will I be able to keep my farm?”

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He brushed the fine hairs at her temples with the tips of his fingers. “Your life does not have to change. All I ask is you allow me to share it with you, as you will share mine.” She took a deep breath, seeing the truth of his words shining from his eyes. “Yes.” His brow furrowed. “Yes, what?” “Yes, I’ll bond with you.” He rested his forehead against hers, keeping their gazes locked. “I promise you I will work every day to ensure you do not regret your decision. You mean the world to me.” Tera bit her lip. “What about the world? With Demeter gone, won’t it die faster?” He shook his head. “The other gods may have turned a blind eye to her antics as they lost interest in humanity when humanity lost interest in them. However, with her attacking another god, her powers must be stripped from her. I would assume they will be passed to Mama Perse.” “We can help her, can’t we?” His thumbs stroked the tender skin underneath her jaw line. “We can do whatever you please, my sweet. I live to serve you.” “Make me your bondmate.” He groaned. “Tera.” Slipping his fingers into her hair, he pulled her head back, giving him greater access to her mouth and neck. Tera bit her lip as he skimmed his teeth, his fangs, along the soft skin underneath her jaw. Pinpricks of pain skidded along her nerves. His palm moved up her body, cupping her breast, his thumb soothing the abrasion on her nipple from the clamp. A moan escaped her lips. Her hands played over the muscles of his back, molding and shaping them. His other hand gripped her ass and picked her up, centering her pussy against the hard ridge of his cock. She hitched her legs around his waist and suckled on the skin of

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his neck as he walked them to the bed. Each step driving her harder against him. He laid her down on the downy coverings and stood, but she wouldn’t release her hold on his lower body. She leveraged her hips up and down, circling as the outline of his cock cleaved through her engorged folds. She watched as the planes of his face were illuminated in stark relief and his skin flushed. Eyes hot, he licked his lower lip, beneath his lengthening fangs. Reaching around to his back, he unhooked her ankles and positioned her feet at the edge of the bed. She scooted back, the velvet quilting rasping against her skin. “You tease me to insanity.” Tera cupped one breast, molding the plump skin around her erect nipple, letting her other hand delve into her heated, moist pussy. She watched as his chest rumbled with a growl. He stripped off his clothes, flinging them every which way. It was her turn to lick her lips as he stood a moment, the low light casting shadows across the defined muscles of his body. Dark hair curled at the base of his cock where it rose up toward his navel. She swallowed and pushed up. Her hand curled around the broad base and she stroked, enjoying the deepening of color on the head. It looked like a fat, juicy plum with the tear of fluid gathering at the eye. She bent her head and licked. Salty musk coated her tongue and she hummed in pleasure. Curling her tongue along the flange, she sucked the treat into her mouth and began a hard rhythmic stroking with her hand. She brushed her own crinkly hair before slipping her fingers inside, following the same rhythm. His hands cupped her skull, fingers digging into her scalp as he directed her movements. She purred and his cock jumped in her mouth. His body froze as she repeated the sound. “Stop.” She shook her head, her mouth still clamped around him. He wrapped his hand around her wrist, ceasing her play, and backed away so he left her mouth with a pop. Tera pouted. “I wasn’t done and neither were you.” 66

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His lips curled at the edges. “I’m damn close, but I need to be inside you when I come.” With her free hand, she trailed sticky fingers around his balls. They drew up closer to his body. “You were inside me.” “I wasn’t in your hot, clasping cunt. Long ago, I promised myself I’d only change my bondmate while making love, face-to-face, me spilling my life’s essence into her as I took hers. If I let you suck me off, we’d have to postpone long enough for me to recover. I don’t want to postpone.” The heat in his gaze seared her. “When you put it like that…” She laid back, her hands above her head. Darius shoved her further up the bed and crawled up and over her. She reached down and clasped his bobbing cock, placing it against her entrance. He took her hands in his and laced their fingers together. Their gazes locked on each other, Darius stroked into her one slow inch at a time. After what felt like forever, he came to a halt, fully seated inside her. Tera blew out a breath, but it hitched as he bumped against her, pushing forward an extra, electrifyingly little bit. Sparks flickered along her nerves. She clenched her teeth and squeezed him. He set his fangs against her neck and bit. Tera screamed as her body convulsed, thrown into a red sea of pleasure. Her ears were deafened to sound as her blood pounded through her body. The only sensations allowed to her were Darius plowing her body with his cock and his mouth suckling her blood from her as a babe suckles milk from its mother. As the pleasure edged into pain, she whimpered and dug her fingers into his shoulder blades. He reared up and slashed the back of his wrist with one fang, blood welling, and placed it against her mouth. She gripped his hand, holding it there as she lapped at the blood, swallowing it. Darius grunted and she felt his release flooding her vagina. Growling, her gums burned as she felt her incisors lengthening, sharpening, piercing the edges of her lower lip. She held out her hands and Darius yanked her up. She wrapped her body around his like ivy and sank her fangs into his throat. 67

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He spurted into her again. His shallow thrusts kept him hard inside her as she drank her fill. Breaking away, chest heaving, she fought for breath. “Mine.” “As you are mine.” The deep timbre of his voice felt like the velvet he had taken her against. He separated from her and flipped her onto her stomach. She pushed onto her elbows and looked over her shoulder at him. He reached for one of the many pillows and hooked an arm around her waist, arching her up from the bed. He shoved the pillow beneath her hips and settled back on his heels, hands on hips, studying her. “Another one.” He repeated the process, leaving her scrambling for purchase due to the angle. “Darius. This won’t work.” “Yes, it will. Keep wriggling. It’ll add to the pleasure.” He speared two fingers into her dripping core. The sound ripped from her throat was a mixture of purring and growling, like one of the extinct lionesses she had learned about. His hot palms spread her legs and she scraped her toes against the slippery blankets. A heated rod of skin and muscle stroked against her crack. His fingers slipped around to her pussy, strumming her sore clit. “I’m going to take you hard, no mercy.” “Yes, give it to me.” She wanted to impale herself on him, taking her pleasure as he took his. “Fuck me.” He bent over her and fixed his teeth to her neck. This was no slow act of joining. This was ownership, possession. He slammed into her. Animalistic grunts filled the room. One of the pillows fell away and she took advantage of her sudden purchase to push back onto his driving cock. His fingers plucked at her breast and she moaned. Like a puppet master, he played her body with deftness and exacting knowledge of what would draw out her most fevered reaction.

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Tera whimpered. No body could withstand such a sustained assault to the senses. He bit her and drew forth the fire once more. She dissolved into nothingness.

Darius collapsed against her back, his hips still thrusting, though he had nothing left to give. He closed his eyes and licked where he’d bitten her, closing the wound. “Tera?” Nothing. “Tera?” Sweet Hera, he hadn’t killed her. Had he? He’d never heard of a bondmate dying during sex. At least, not once the ritual had been performed. She’d bitten and fed from him. The process was complete. Slipping from her still body, he turned her over. A flush covered her body and a slight smile decorated her lips. As he stared, her breasts shook as her rib cage expanded and contracted, taking air into her lungs. He lay down on the bed next to her and rolled her up onto his chest. “I guess you’re not dead then.” She rubbed her chin against his him. “Nope. Just very, very lax. You have fucked me into oblivion.” “Oh you can’t go there. I don’t think my father would ever let you come home then.” Air puffed against him. “Was that a laugh?” “A girl can’t let her man know all of her secrets, now can she?” She traced designs above his nipple. He took her hand and brought it to his mouth and kissed it. “This is probably too soon, but do you regret your decision, Tera?” She ran her tongue along her lips and he watched as her fangs lengthened over the lower one. “It probably is too soon, but right now, not at all. We never finished playing with those jewels and I hope you’ve got more of them. And more books.”

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Rubbing his hands up and down her back, he smiled. “I’ve got more than enough so we can explore the possibilities for hundreds of years. And who knows what humanity will dream up in the future.” She snuggled her head into the curve of his shoulder. “That’s such a nice word, the future.” “That it is.” He glanced down and caught her yawn. “Go to sleep. You’ve worn me out.” She cradled his flaccid cock in her hand. “I can tell.” She pressed a kiss against the crook of his shoulder. Her breathing evened out and he let his consciousness drift with the pleasure of holding his bondmate in his arms. A few hours later, she stirred, her leg rubbing against his and her hand stroking his cock back to life. He rolled her onto her back and kissed her. “Mmm. As much as I would like to continue playing, there’s something I want to do first.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him back down. Her legs followed suit with his waist. Darius clenched his jaw. Strength, he needed strength. “You are temptation incarnate.” “Thanks.” Her hips canted up and the tip of his cock entered her moistened pussy. He groaned, but managed to pull back from the brink. He crawled off the bed and hoisted her into his arms. She nibbled kisses along his neck. “Where are you taking me?” “You’ll see in a minute.” He carried her to the treasure room, now clear of the debris of Demeter’s tempest. Setting her on her feet, he crossed to one of the cases and drew out a ring of gold, with a spring green stone circled with pale yellow ones. “It reminds me of you, a flower fighting and thriving. Will you wear it for me?”

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“Yes.” She held out her hand and he slipped it home. He cupped her cheeks with both of his hands, setting his lips against hers. “My treasure.”

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About the Author Kelly Maher has spent time in eleven countries, traveled all over the United States, at one point could name all 206 bones in the human body and can still tell if a femur is from the right or left side of the body. A multi-published author, Chicago native Kelly now spends her time in the wilds of Iowa putting her Masters of Science in Library and Information Science to good use, knitting, collecting books for her own private library and exploring the world of erotic fiction in her writing.

The author welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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