Читать книгу: «Claiming the Temptress»

Chapter One

The whip sliced through the water and Rourk held his breath. In the past ten minutes he had discovered anticipation was not something he welcomed. His body tensed. His back muscles, already bleeding from Poseidon’s hand, braced for impact.

“This is your fault!” the sea god shouted.

The only fault lay with Poseidon, but Rourk had no intention of beseeching death anytime soon with that truth. Poseidon’s whip peeled the flesh off his back, and Rourk bit back a curse. Only his Titan strength kept him upright and not flat on his face under the god of the sea’s assault.

Poseidon cursed. The waves rolled in revolt. Oceans darkened and the ominous sound of thunder boomed from the human realm to Poseidon’s domain.

“Go after her!” The god did not shout. He roared. Those near his throne shivered. The smart ones hightailed it out of the palatial throne room faster than sardines, keenly aware of the sea god’s temperamental nature.

With pain from his beating stealing through his cells, Rourk ground his teeth. He wasn’t about to let any weakness master him or attempt to settle like an old barnacle within him. His time serving Poseidon was almost up. Failing was not an option.

He looked Poseidon in the eye and nodded. “With pleasure.” He made sure his voice was steady.

Poseidon’s focus turned elsewhere. Rourk used the precious seconds to regain control of his body. He felt the exact moment his servitude ended. Power coursed through his demigod veins, healing his wounds with a mix of pain and pleasure. His relief was instantaneous and exhilarating. Rourk was once again in control of his destiny. And that destiny had a name—Lily, a temptress he looked forward to claiming.

Poseidon willed his white-gold triton, bejeweled with red rubies and emeralds, to life. Moving it in a circle, he opened a portal in the barrier that kept the mortals of Earth from the sea god’s domain. Suspended in water, the portal shimmered. Its liquid turquoise hue suggested serenity for those who dared to venture forth. Too bad peace was the last thing it offered. Going through the opening was the equivalent of agreeing to a day of torture by the most depraved slave master.

Green blood dripped steadily down Rourk’s back, thanks to the lashings. At least he no longer felt the ripples of sharp pain that had almost felled him. His freedom did not sit well with Poseidon, he knew, because the god of the sea was losing something he cared about—his daughter. For Rourk, freedom tasted like pristine, clean water and smelled of Lily’s lavender scent.

Poseidon’s neon-green eyes stared at him. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get a move on, Rourk, before I decide to send another.”

Rourk glared back. Those serving the god swam farther out of reach, afraid of any repercussions. Not Rourk. With strength of will he moved closer to the god.

“I fulfilled my end of the bargain.”

A dark, sinister mask settled on Poseidon’s face. It almost made Rourk swim farther out of reach. Instead he marshaled his thoughts and remained standing.

“Yes, you did. That doesn’t mean I like you. My daughter means the seas to me. She will not like this. I want her back here, in this domain, where she belongs. I curse you, Zeus.” Poseidon made a fist and shook it toward the heavens where his brother ruled.

Those under his rule knew exactly what he referred to. Zeus controlled the mortal realm of Earth, and currently his brother, Poseidon, was not permitted to visit humans, because he had participated in the Olympian War. The sea god believed it was only a matter of time before his sibling granted him his wish to visit Earth, but until then he was almighty only in his own domain—a fact intensely pleasing to Rourk.

Sending Rourk after his willful daughter would ensure she would be brought back safe. If not, Rourk knew he’d be dead. That idea no longer terrified him, but he kept that fact hidden from Poseidon.

“Rourk, not one lock of her hair had best be out of place. Now go!”

Oh, Rourk did not plan to touch a single fiery-hued strand of hair on Poseidon’s daughter’s head, but he planned to claim everything else about the temptress, who had tortured him for years with her existence. She didn’t know that yet, but after two hundred years being her father’s slave, thanks to a bad game of poker, Rourk had mostly mastered patience. Now that he had fulfilled the terms of his wager, he was free, and better yet, thanks to a more recent and deadly hand of poker, Poseidon’s daughter was his. It was a bet he couldn’t wait to collect.

“You will abide by the wager?” he asked, knowing it might anger the god further. But he wasn’t risking his life for nothing.

Poseidon twirled his triton, making him appear bored but deadly at the same time. “Rourk, that question makes it sound like you are questioning my honor. Luckily for you, I know you would never truly doubt my word. Now go. You are wasting precious time, when my daughter walks among men unchaperoned. I will kill any man who touches her.”

Rourk flexed his shoulders to force his back muscles to bend. “Of that we have agreement. I will bring her back whether she likes it or not.”

“That is why you are still standing, Rourk. You have two tides to bring her back. Go!”

Rourk followed the god’s command. Not breaking stride, he dived headfirst through the shimmering portal. Pain assailed him and no amount of demigod blood helped. He did not scream or flinch as his body morphed and contorted from his Titan shape to that of a mere human, though lesser beings had been known to howl as their skin practically peeled off. The reshaping of flesh from his natural mertail to legs hurt like Hades. Stepping through the only exit from Poseidon’s realm to that of man was not for the faint of heart.

Tumbling into a landing position, Rourk immediately braced his body for attack. With an angry swipe of his hand, he pushed his wet hair off his forehead, and instantly used his powers to brand clothes onto his body. Then he assessed the scene.

Dozens of zooming, loud mechanical beasts that humans called vehicles and used to transport themselves blared angrily at him. Some of the vehicles dared to dive toward him, faster than a cyclone. Rourk was glad he’d spent the past six months learning about human culture. He was equally happy his poker-playing opponent couldn’t tell a winning hand if his own fingers were on fire. Cashing in with knowledge and not payment suited Rourk. As a Titan, he needed to understand the role humans played in the modern world, because Earth was Lily’s favorite place to visit. While he would never view himself as modern, Rourk certainly didn’t want to appear like a caveman to Poseidon’s daughter. However, he hoped, like her father, to put an end to her fixation with humans.

Rourk darted around most of the vehicles with an agility few humans ever witnessed. Swiftly, he vaulted over the last line of them, landing warrior-ready, feet braced apart on the hard, unforgiving ground.

Whether Lily liked it or not, today Rourk planned to collect his bride. Her feelings did not matter; she was his. Her father had made it so, thanks to a serious error in judgment. Sometimes it really was best to fold your cards when you were holding nothing of value.

What, by Tartarus, had she been thinking? Knowing Lily had gone through the same portal he had painfully materialized from, to flee from him and hide on Earth, made Rourk crazy with worry.

Pathetic. As if there is a realm I won’t venture into to claim what I won and rightly deserve. There would be no hiding from him.

Rourk had spent enough years wearing Poseidon’s chains, being taunted by his daughter’s mere presence, that the smell and taste of freedom equaled Lily. He’d spent thousands of torturous hours lying awake hot and hard, his cock full and swelling with the tantalizing promise of her. Night after night he’d had to take his pleasure by hand, pumping his shaft shamelessly because Lily had simply walked by him that day. Well, no more. He had fulfilled the terms of his contract, and was certain Zeus was happy with the outcome. It might have taken two centuries, but the plan was finally set in motion.

A union between two royal houses, finally. The fact that Poseidon was oblivious to it, perfect.

Wicked, erotic thoughts of the many ways he planned to pleasure his Siren bride slammed through him. Once he found her, Rourk intended to ensure Lily never took him for granted again.

He strode down the crowded pathway, where all the people made way for him. He noticed he was a good head taller than most humans. Women ogled him as he passed. The men wisely took a step to the side.

Rourk ignored them all, his thoughts centered on claiming Lily. Thinking of what he was going to do to her the minute he found her pumped blood to his cock. Rourk was irritated beyond measure that he was constantly hard around her, and further annoyed that she barely tolerated his presence. Too bad. You are now mine. I plan on pleasuring you, and you will bloody well not walk by me again as if I’m beneath you, Princess.

* * *

Lily continued to eat her double fudge chocolate decadent ice cream while bubble-gum-colored polish was being applied to her toenails.

“Your father is going to be totally pissed at you.” Airael tried to sound annoyed and failed. Lily nodded, savoring the taste of her icy dessert as her aunt worked her magic on her toes.

“What was I to do, Auntie? I told you. He’s going to force me to marry one of those demigods. Please. Just who does he think I am?”

“His daughter,” replied Airael, moving to Lily’s other foot.

She huffed in annoyance. “I am not about to marry some whining literary god-poet whose life revolves around books, talking politics and discussing the glorious weather on Mount Olympus. Boring. That’s who I’ve been surrounded by my entire life. The thought of being glued to some bookworm for eternity makes me want to puke.”

“Stop being so dramatic, Lil.”

Lily knew Airael, a goddess belonging to the House of Love, understood her plight. Of all her aunties, Airael, currently married to Max, a god of the House of War, knew opposites attract.

When Lily had overheard her beloved father plotting her upcoming marriage to a god of the House of Justice, she knew drastic measures would be needed. The House of Justice was made up of the most boring gods ever created. Lawyers. Judges. And even a few accountants. Not in my lifetime will I be linked to a man who sits behind a desk all day.

“They’re not all bad.” Airael blew on Lily’s polished nails to help speed up the drying process.