Chapter 3

Two thoughts hitme at once, and I wasn't ready to address either of them. But the fact remained that a woman had just appeared before my eyes. I knew there were "others" in our world: more than human. Monsters and shifters, demons, and possibly aliens, even though I'd yet to come across irrefutable proof of those.

Was this a bad dream? And was the woman who'd appeared out of freaking thin air, dressed like a Greek goddess, an actual goddess?

But that kiss.

More than good.

More than hot and orgasm inducing. And yeah, if it had kept going, my panties would have ignited.

Because that kiss? It was life-changing.

It still seemed unbelievable that I had just been rescued by a flying man! And that man was most definitely not fully human with his freaking wings and chiseled body resembling a sculpted god. He had to be at least seven-feet tall. At barley five-two, my neck already ached from looking up at him.

Then there were the aftereffects of that kiss. It was still causing chaos within my system. The minute he touched me, all my pleasure points lit up. I was drawn to him even as my fight-or-flight response remained on high alert. My aunt hadn't warned me that a sexy giant would be guarding the castle ruins. I was just here to retrieve an ancient spell book.

Why the eff do I ever listen to crazy Aunt Betty?

"Mother, you're frightening my mate. Maybe lose the spear?"

"Trace, first, thank you for emerging from your hidey-hole. And second, you know better than to suggest I leave the safety of the heavenly realm without protection. Besides, this lovely girl seems to be adjusting to my presence just fine. Isn't that right, Bexley?"

Two sets of eyes turned toward me and yeah, I was not handling this situation well. Because what they didn't know was, my heart was threatening to jump out of my body and I was sweating as if I'd just finished a session of hot yoga.

The woman's gaze didn't give anything away, but Trace's was full of impatience and something that suspiciously looked like lust. I didn't like being the center of attention, ever, and right now, I was the main attraction.

"It's Bex, and you know, I think this is all a misunderstanding. I'm not quite sure how I ended up here because I was looking for an old ruin, and now I'm beginning to think this is all a wild goose chase or some kind of acid trip, except I've never used acid, so maybe that weird bartender last night spiked my drink with some delayed-release mickey, and really there's no reason to show me out, I'll just be going, 'kay?" Dragging in a big breath of air, I spun around to do just that before my brain kicked back into gear, reminding me I'd already tried the door.

Releasing a frustrated groan, I hung my head. Think Bex. You need a distraction spell. Except my bag with all my things was on the other side of the freaking gigantic double doors. My spell enhancements. I never left home without emergency supplies, but a lot of good they did when I couldn't reach them.

On the edge of a panic attack from the constant and intense scrutiny, I sucked in a deep breath, which did nothing to calm me. Releasing it faster than I should have, I turned, wobbling a bit. "So, um…if either one of you could unlock this door…please and thank you, then I will be on my way."

"Nonsense, we've just met." With a flourish, the statuesque woman turned to the sexiest man I'd ever laid eyes on. "Trace, get the poor girl a drink. Make it a double, she looks a bit peaked."

I felt anything but, and alcohol was not what I needed. "No, I'm uh, fine. Thank you." I directed my response to his mother. Athena. What the actual hell? I needed to keep my gaze off him because the urge to run to him and have his arms around me became overwhelming. What was happening to me?

"So, if my distracted son hasn't made his intentions known?—"

"Athena, this isn't about you. I was handling things just fine before you popped in."

The goddess glanced at said son with laser focus, not happy at being interrupted.

Ignoring the death stare, Trace stepped around his mother, then walked toward me with his right hand out.

The compulsion I experienced to take his hand almost won out. Locking my knees, I cemented my feet to the floor in order to keep myself from throwing myself at him. To wrap my arms and legs around his yummy, sculpted form, begging him to never let go. Speaking of spells, was I under one now?

I called myself all kinds of fool for not carrying at least a small pouch on me. It was my only hope of extracting myself. The spell book which brought me here wasn't worth the rewards Aunt Betty convinced me it would give our coven, or me.

Getting away from the scary goddess and the winged-male wet dream became my highest priority.

"Really? So, you've already taken her to bed and spilled your seed? Even your father couldn't work that fast." The smirk Athena sent Trace was epic.

I might like the goddess's style if I wasn't currently trying to escape. Sarcasm and I were close friends, my favorite ammunition in a house full of witches who continuously attempted to drag me every chance they could. Decades of jealously had sharpened my defenses.

"Remind me again why you're here?" Trace gritted.

Ignoring her son, she stepped closer to me. "I just realized we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Athena from…well, I'm sure you've heard of me. And I'm here to make sure you two do what needs to be done, and sooner rather than later. But knowing how capricious my youngest son is, I wanted to make sure he stays put. So, I've added a new layer of security. And now, regretfully, I'll be on my way. Don't worry, I'll return once all my grandchildren have arrived."

"Wait! Athena, damn you!" Trace raced to the spot his mother had stood seconds ago. Anger marred his face.

Where she'd been, there was now a wisp of smoke and the scent of summer rain hung in the air.

Alone once again, I had no choice but to keep an eye on my handsome rescuer. His face seemed frozen in a scowl that on another man would be off-putting. But on Trace, it added yet another level of attraction, drawing me to him. The need to soothe his, er, ruffled feathers, compelled me to inch closer.

"I'm not going to pretend I know what's going on here, but if it makes you feel any better, I have one of those, too." I offered him a smile and a shrug.

His eyebrows slanted at my statement. "One of what?"

"An interfering parent. Well, in my case, it's my crazy aunt. She raised me after my mother died and she's the one who sent me here, thinking I had to find something that would change my future, or destiny, or whatever. Obviously, she was wrong."

Trace's face had softened into a sexy smirk as he listened to me speak. It was disconcerting and ignited a swarm of butterflies inside me.

"Oh, she wasn't wrong, mate." In a flash, his eyes glowed silver and his wings rippled.

When he began moving toward me, I stumbled back, trying to keep some distance between us, until I bumped into the massive doors.

As he reached toward me, and I thought he was going to pull me to him and kiss me again. Instead, he waved his hand over the mahogany wood. I wasn't disappointed. Not in the slightest. My ego may have taken a quick hit, but I knew having his full lips back on mine wouldn't be smart.

Still unsure what he was trying to do, I watched in fascination as a wide range of emotions played out over his features. Confusion, frustration, then shock as he waved his hand again, and finally the anger he'd worn just moments ago.

"I'm going to…to…strangle her." The growled threat echoed around the room, giving me my first real shot of fear. I was alone with a man who was more than human and who could do anything he wanted to me, and no one would know.

I straightened my shoulders and dug deep into my soul, collecting every molecule of natural persuasion I possessed. Releasing the breath I held, I repeated the words I'd already spoken twice in my mind. "Open the door for me. You'll be free of me. I'll be free of you. So mote it be." The lilt in my voice was pleasant and soothing. As much as it could be under the circumstances.

Trace stood with his hands on his hips, his red, orange, and gold feathered wings shaking in time to his laughter. "Did you just try to bespell me to do your bidding?"

A lead weight landed in my gut and it took everything within me not to stamp my feet like a spoiled toddler.

"The door is not going to open for you. In fact, it's not even opening for me. And before you try again, know this. You'll never be free of me. You are my mate, and I'm yours. And because my mother is who she is, she always gets her way. At least down here. So, we're stuck together until she decides to release the new security she just added."

I didn't know whether to be scared or excited at the possibility of being forced to spend time with the sexy shifter.