AllFreeNovel
Share Us
How she wished she could see his face and gauge his thoughts. In the seconds after she’d made her big announcement about his (alleged) son, he’d masked his features and said, “Wear me.” Then he’d shifted into the glorious piece of jewelry she’d coveted with every fiber of her being. As soon as she’d donned him, he’d teleported her to Aweland.
Clearly, he’d been here before, as he’d been to all the other realms they’d visited. Without a key, there was no other way to flash directly into a realm.
Dang it! She was stroking the choker. Besides being agonizingly aware of the sexy male strapped to her neck, she had to deal with a plague of mini-visions. For some reason, she kept seeing flashes of a younger Rathbone battling the fierce King Styx to save a sobbing Lore from a whipping.
The ferocity behind Red’s every blow...he’d been a warrior possessed. Until he’d absconded with the goddess and reached safety. Then he’d become a besotted suitor, working hard to impress her. Presenting her with fresh flowers and jewelry. Massaging her, as he’d done for Neeka.
Her ribs drew tight. Knowing what she knew about his mother, she wondered if he’d attempted to buy the goddess’s affections. Perhaps Neeka’s mind showed her these tidbits as an alert. Athis is what you’re up againstkind of thing.
Should she finally use the elixir?
She’d filled a fresh vial and strapped the little glass container to her garter. But every time she’d considered advancing her plan, she’d hesitated. What if Rathbone was her consort and she ruined everything?
She hated to admit it but...he could be. Her awareness of him continued to sharpen. Her desire to talk to him, to kiss him and touch him and ride him and cuddle him and eat carrots off his chest only ever magnified. Part of her longed to curl up in his embrace and let the rest of the world disappear while she napped. To pretend, just for a little while, that there were no obstacles in their way.
“Why don’t you shift into my twin?” she muttered to him. “Being me on a molecular level has gotta be better than driving me to distraction during such an important mission. For goodness sake, Red, we’re about to meet with your potential son.”
The choker vibrated, sending an avalanche of tingles across her nerve endings. Her belly fluttered, and her knees quaked.Delicious.
Gah! How was she supposed to function like this? “Is that your way of telling me there’s nothing better than driving me to distraction?”
The next vibration wrenched a moan from her.
“I’ll take that as a no,” she muttered. “Now be a good boy. It’s showtime.”
Slapping on a smile, she approached a female dressed in a checkered Mad Hatter–type suit, minus a shirt, putting her ginormous bazongas on display. A top hat was pinned to her hair. An oversized bowtie complimented a jacket with floor-length tails. Judging by her pent-up-aggression vibe, she was a wolf-shifter. And bored. She held a clipboard, checking names against a lengthy guest list.
Behind her, the party raged. Groups of immortal females clustered together, drinking beer from cans and chatting, clearly pretending not to be as bored as the shifter. Everyone represented a topless character fromAlice in Wonderland. No males were present. But then, Neeka had uncovered just enough information about the realm to know Hera, its owner, hadn’t visited in centuries. Now Rathbone’s somehow-eternally-sixteen-year-old son ruled the land, and he’d instituted a No Other Dudes law. And also topless Mondays. And Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Neeka stopped in front of Clipboard, who didn’t bother glancing up as she intoned, “Name?”
“Blaze Champagne,” Neeka stated, letting instinct guide her.
Clipboard looked up, exasperation evident. “Well, it’s about time. You’re only five minutes early, which means you’re fifteen minutes late. The other strippers are already in their cages.”
Cages? Neeka cast her gaze over the garden. Lush green bushes acted as walls, with flowering trees providing shade for tables peppered with energy drinks, more beer, and all the fixings for chili dogs and hot wings. “Um... I see no cages.”
“Go past the bushes, through the maze, and to the right,” Clipboard said. “And hurry! Trust me, you don’t want His Hotness getting upset.”
His Hotness? “Ten-four.” She strutted forward, immediately refocusing on Rathbone. “Your son sounds like a real tool, by the way.”
—He might not be my child.—Rathbone’s rough and tumble voice whispered through her head, and she yelped, drawing the gaze of several attendees, all of whom eyed her with varying degrees of pity.
“You can communicate telepathically in this form?” Dang it, dang it, dang it! That was next-level intimacy and it unleashed a more intense avalanche of tingles. This one left a trail of fire in its wake. She sailed through an open arch between bushes. “Why didn’t you reply sooner?”
—You can hear me?—Shock saturated his words.
Guess he hadn’t known. Which meant she was a first. An only.
Pride infiltrated her cells. Unless this was proof they were maybe, could be, possibly inevitable? Brought together by destiny?
Ribs drawing tight again...
—Hera paid a sorceress to allow my nanny and the military commander to communicate telepathically with me. Until you, I was never able to reciprocate.—His tone held notes of frustration and amusement.
“Am I your nanny or military commander in this scenario? No, don’t answer. We both know it’s both. I promise I won’t use my position for personal gain. Other than a few times. A couple dozen at most.” Skipping now, she maneuvered through the maze. Considering an endless parade of signs read “This way” and “No, that way,” she navigated with ease. “Since I’m your overlord, as you just admitted, I insist we take this moment to discuss your thoughts and feelings. What if Maximus is, in fact, your child?”
—I’ll deal. But I expect my nanny to help me.—
