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All righty, then.
Finn-the-wolf approached Zeus, ears flattened and teeth bared, as Sir, Bear, and Ozzie, eyes glowing, growls vibrating in their throats, circled until Zeus was surrounded by four really pissed off canines.
“I’ve got experience with canines,”Finn had said. Gany would have laughed if he wasn’t terrified of what Zeus would do to them all.
But surprisingly, Zeus drew himself in like a Victorian matron cowering on a chair from a mouse.
“Call them off,” he said, voice an octave higher than its usual thunderous bass.
Gany slapped his forehead.Of course. None of the gods could get past Cerberus, not even Hades.
“You know,” Gany said, rocking back on his heels. “I don’t think I can. I’m pretty sure they answer to him now.” He placed his hand on Finn’s back, the fur surprisingly soft and plush under his fingers. “And just between us? I don’t think he’s in a forgiving mood, so you need to leave. Now. Before I let the Fates know you tried to game the system.”
“But the quest! Your name isright there. How will I get back to Olympus without those points?”
“Not my problem,” Gany said, with zero remorse. “Now get out of here. Go on.” He flapped his hands. “Fly away.”
For an instant, Gany thought Zeus would make a grab for him anyway, but then Finn growled, and, along with the three dogs, crept closer, Finn’s eyes trained on Zeus’s midsection as his jaws parted and he lowered into a crouch, ready to spring.
And that did it. Zeus took eagle form and launched himself skyward, Finn tracking his flight with a laser-focused gaze.
Once Zeus disappeared into the gray, pre-dawn sky, Finn shifted back, and he was naked again.
“Oooh la la,” Eros crooned.
Finn, however, seemed unconcerned. He just scooped his boxer briefs off the patio and pulled them on.
“So,” Gany said. “Werewolf?”
“So,” Finn replied with a quirk of his eyebrow. “Greek god?”
Gany scrunched his face. “Ugh. No. I’m human, same as—” He choked. “I was about to say same as you, but… well…” He shrugged.
“Human?” Eros scoffed from his spot at the fence. “Riiight.”
Gany glared at him. “Shut up, Eros. I’m a shepherd’s kid from Dardania who had the bad luck to catch Zeus’s eye.”
“So you started out human. So what?” Eros winked at Finn. “You tell me, handsome. How many humans doyouknow that are several thousand years old and still look that good?”
Gany bit his lip, gazing up at Finn, whose cheeks were far too hollow and whose ribs far too visible under his pale skin. “Were you going to tell me?”
Finn sighed and carded his hands through his hair, which wasdefinitelyshaggier than it had been before. “We’re not allowed. There’s a whole”—he made a helpless gesture—“thingabout keeping our community secret from humans.” He fisted his hands on his hips, directly above his pronounced iliac furrow, and glared at Eros. “Doyouknow about the community?”
“You mean, did I know you were a werewolf? Did I know that Ganymede’s therapist is fae? That one of his employees is a witch?”
“Wait,” Gany spluttered. “What?”
Finn rolled his eyes. “Great.Nowyou’ve done it.”
Eros grinned. “Exactly.I’vedone it. So no Secrecy Pact violations for you.” He placed one hand on the fence and vaulted into the yard, even though the fence was eight feet tall. Gany suspected he did it just to show off—he could have levitated without all the drama. He smoothed down his shirt and pulled out his phone. “Carry on.”
“Your name is really Ganymede?” Finn asked. “You’rethatGanymede? The one from the myths?”
“Like I said. Not myths to us.” Gany quirked an eyebrow. “Doyoulike to be called a fairy tale? Legend? Fiction?”
Finn’s smile was wry. “We actually prefer it, the better to stay hidden. The consequences of exposure are… Well, let’s say the danger isn’t only from the human torch-and-pitchfork brigade.”
“I’d like to know more about it. About you. But—”
