Chapter Fourteen

The Intare came out with Que after breakfast and lounged in the sun by the pool. After a rest, some of them went swimming and others went for a run in their lion forms. My lioness perked up when she saw them shift, and I realized it had been ages since I had run with the pride.

“I'm going out with the boys,” I said as I stood up.

“Where?” Que, who had been hanging with us, drinking coffee, and watching the kids, asked.

“For a run in our beast form. Do you want to come? I know flying is out, but you could, uh, slither.”

“Slither?” Viper poked up. “I knew I sensed some snake in you!”

“He's the Feathered Serpent ,” Trevor said.

“I didn't catch his title,” Viper huffed. “Only his long Aztec name.”

Quetzalcoatl chuckled. “Yes, that's why you can call me Que. You're a snake too?”

“I'm Viper ,” he said in the same tone Trevor had used.

“Ah, yes.”

“He's a star god,” I explained. “But he's also a snakeshifter.”

“It's been a long time since I've used my snake form on the ground,” Que said. “And I've never run with another snake. ”

“Come on, then!” Viper jumped up and yanked off his shirt, revealing his gorgeous chest.

His whole body was gorgeous. This made sense since it was a physical representation of his soul. Every sculpted inch of him, his ink-black hair, his angular features, and even his sensual lips had been shaped by his amazing soul. I had once thought I made him, but I'd only drawn him out of the Void and given him the building blocks to form his body. Viper had done the rest. Oh, except for his eyes. Those brilliant green snake eyes were from me.

Que looked at me. “You don't think the Intare will mind?”

“They run with Viper all the time,” I said and looked over at Trevor. “You coming?”

Trevor grinned.

“What about me?” Re pouted.

“You wanna ride on my back?” I waggled my brows at him.

Re straightened in his seat. “Truly?”

“Yeah, babe. Let's go.” I ran for the veranda steps.

“Me too!” Fallon called and came after us.

“And me!” Sam said. “The kids can fend for themselves for a while.”

“No way,” Fallon growled. “They're coming with us. Children! We're going on a run!”

The kids whooped and ran for us, ditching their clothes as they did. Dominic and Sebastian were the only two who didn't disrobe. They just launched themselves into the air and flew over to me, giggling. They thought it was funny that I went into the changing room by the pool to get undressed. They were so used to people getting naked around them. The fact that their mother was shy was hilarious.

But I'd never gotten over my human issues with nudity. To be fair, in god terms, I'd barely been a goddess for long. Plus, we had a guest who had kind of flirted with me—something I would never tell my husbands about. Mainly because it didn't matter. I don't think Que had been serious, and he hadn't done anything remotely flirtatious since. Still, I wasn't about to strip in front of him. Plus, I'd made the changing room extra large for the very purpose of shifting into a lion or wolf in it.

When my lions saw what we were up to and heard Fallon calling to the kids, they doubled back and waited for us at the edge of the grasslands. Prowling out of the changing room, I glanced toward the training yard, wondering if I should ask the Lion God if he wanted to join us. But then a flash of light came, and I heard the Death Gods make excited exclamations.

Maybe Viper was right, and I did feel a little left out. It was unfair of me. My husbands often got left out of things I did. Sex alone was a rotating game with us. But this was something I had originally been a part of. I had felt their bond settle and been the facilitator of the whole thing. Then I became moot. Ah, there it was. I wasn't needed, and I didn't like that.

Once I recognized what my problem was, I felt better about it. When you know why you're upset, you can work on getting over it. I knew my reason was silly, so I would work on it. As I ran. My lioness couldn't deal with any further delays. My claws dug into the soil anxiously, and the calls of my lions sent shivers down the lines that connected us. I lifted my head and roared.

As I headed for the pride, I saw Kirill come around the corner. Can cats smile? They can certainly grin. A big ol' Cheshire Cat grin spread across my leonine face as I ran for the pride, my lion husband chasing after me. I glanced back to see him tossing aside his clothes, his hair wild around him and his eyes glowing blue. The sight nearly made me stumble. Feeling like the luckiest woman in all the realms, I ran to where a motley group of animals waited.

Among the lions, whose fur ranged from a rare white to deep amber, were two giant snakes—one of them crowned with jewel-toned feathers. There was also a massive black wolf, a wolf cub, and two lion cubs—one of them black. Although, I don't know if “cub” was an appropriate term for them anymore. Zariel and Lesya were larger than cubs now, nearly full-grown. That was so strange for me to see. In their human bodies, they were still children, but as animals, they were almost fully matured. No, let's be real. There was no almost about it. As lions, they were old enough to have cubs of their own—a horrifying thought. I had to stop myself from baring my teeth at my Intare. My lioness suddenly saw them as potential mates to her daughter and therefore, threats.

But then my black lion was beside me, and our daughter ran up to nuzzle our faces. It didn't matter what her animal looked like. She was still a child and there were many years left before she'd be ready to have children. That calmed me and allowed me to get back to the excitement of the run.

And then another lion came up on my right. I blinked at the huge white lion with peacock-colored eyes. Odin. He could take any form he wished and had often chosen to fly beside me as a dragon. But it was rare to see him go lion. My lioness adored it. There was something very yin and yang about being flanked by one black and one white lion.

Then Re stepped up. “May I?” He was shirtless—his way of getting into the run—and his brown hair caught the sunlight along with his metallic skin so that when I stared up at him, I had to squint.

I nodded, and the Sun God climbed on my back. His hands dug into the fur around my neck and his thighs squeezed me tightly. It was strange to feel him so intimately against my lioness body. I wasn't attracted to him. I mean, on a deep level, I was, but in that form, my lioness instincts overpowered everything else, and she was not into inter-species mating. Neither was I, for that matter. Eew. But still, I would have thought that feeling my husband on my back, his legs spread around me, would have aroused me. It did not. He was just a passenger.

I went forward with my three husbands to meet the fourth and fifth. Viper was excited. That wasn't so unusual, but he was especially excited because of Que. And it looked as if Quetzalcoatl was just as thrilled to be with another snake of his stature. The two of them had their enormous heads lifted and were swaying in excitement.

“Ready?” Viper asked, his forked tongue flicking out to test the air.

In answer, I lifted my head and roared. On the heels of my roar, Kirill did the same so that it seemed to be one, long note that resonated through our land with power. As we ran forward, into the grasslands, our lions echoed our roars and closed in around us. The thunderous sound simmered down into the shushing of fur and scales against high grass, but this wasn't a hunt, so we didn't bother to be quiet. Soon, happy yips and growls surrounded me, my daughter contributing greatly.

Suddenly, a pair of giant snakes shot through the pride, taking the lead. Snakes are fast at normal size, but when they're thirty feet long, they move with the speed and agility of a motorcycle. They even doubled back to join us, then did circles around us. Showoffs.

But the kids loved it, especially the twins. They swooped down to follow the snakes, slapping their scaled heads like a couple of Native American warriors counting coup. And on my back, Re whooped, his arms spread wide. Until he got hit in the face with some grass.

Re sputtered as he bent over me. “Did you do that on purpose, La-la?”

I wheezed a laugh, unable to respond in lioness form. My dragon could speak, but not my lioness or wolf. Speaking of wolves, my husband and son leapt over Re's head, playing leapfrog. They landed, and then Vero continued the game, jumping over his father. Trevor yipped and disappeared into the grass after our boy.

My heart was light, full of love and joy. Taking animal form always eased my burdens, but adding a run with my family to it took things into paradise territory. I dashed after the wolves and the lions at my sides kept pace. Kirill nudged Lesya when she started to fall behind, and she put on a burst of speed.

Around us, the Intare broke off, several of them playfully attacking each other like the cats they were. I saw piles of them rolling through the grass, growling and snapping their teeth at each other. Boys. They might even draw blood, but it didn't matter. All the wounds would be healed when they shifted back.

Lesya roared, her young voice sounding a lot like mine. My lioness heart swelled with pride, and I roared back in encouragement. In nature, we'd be the hunters, providing for a single male who'd get the first pick of our prey. But in my world, with my magic, that was all reversed. I ruled as both lioness and the source of the Intare Magic. Kirill, once an abused captive, stolen from his home by one goddess only to be given to another, was now a god, holder of the magic that had once enslaved him. I considered him my equal in our pantheon, but the magic didn't. I felt it. The Intare Magic was, at its foundation, a feminine power. In its metaphysical eyes, Kirill was tolerated as a god, but only because he ruled beneath me. Sexist? Yes, maybe. But nature had been just as sexist, only in reverse. Plus—girl power! You gotta love that .

But none of that mattered to my lioness. This was natural to her. Ruling. Loving. Protecting. My lions may cook and clean, but I provided a safe home for them and held the magic that made them immortal. Not to mention, I was a hell of a lot easier on them than their last goddess. That was one bitch I wish I could kill twice.

We burst out onto the far side of the lake and came to a stop. Re slid off my back and walked a little bowlegged for a few steps. Panting happily, I sat down and surveyed my territory. Mine, all mine. Oh, that felt good. In the center of the lake, a Viking longship floated, the prow curling up into a dragon head. Traditional white and red sails hung from the masts but they were mainly for looks. The ship wasn't going anywhere. It didn't need to, and neither did I. This was where I belonged. Where I was happiest.

“I brought your dress, La-la,” Re said as he pulled a garment out of the satchel he had slung across his chest.

I cocked my head. I hadn't even noticed the bag. Then I looked around. Only my husbands and children were there. So, I shifted back to my human form and quickly pulled on the dress.

“Thank you.” I kissed Re's cheek, relieved to feel my desire for him return.

But then, it was hard not to desire Re. He was every woman's fantasy rolled into one. The whole of him may not be to everyone's liking, but I'd bet every woman—and a lot of men—could at least find one physical attribute they liked about Re. Honestly, he'd been too attractive for me in the beginning. It was intimidating. Some women might not mind that, but I did. I need to be able to relax around a lover. And I certainly don't want to feel inadequate.

That's the thing, though. The sexiest part about Re was how he made a woman feel sexy. Any feelings of inadequacy got burned away in the light of the Sun God's intense attention. Even now, just the way Re looked at me made me feel as if he thought he was the lucky one.

“Thirsty?” Re asked as he pulled a water bottle out of his bag.

“When did you pack a bag?” I shook my head in wonder as I accepted the drink.

“When you were changing. I just ran inside and grabbed a few things. Then I slipped into the changing room and got your dress.”

“Thank you. You're always thinking of me.” I hugged him, his sun-drenched body as warm as mine. I snuggled in and sighed, loving that about him too.

“I can't help it, La-la,” Re whispered and kissed my cheek. “Nothing holds my interest like you.”

A crash interrupted our loving moment and then a whoop as two giant snakes came rushing out of the grass. They twisted together, gaining height, then came down to slither over to us. Shortly after they appeared, Dominic and Sebastian landed and went to lie down by their siblings who were piled up with Zariel, having a cat nap. Well, a cat and puppy nap.

Viper shifted back into his man form and declared, “This guy is so much fun!”

Que shifted too, but thankfully, he had a loincloth on. I blinked at that, remembering how he had been wearing it in his territory too. I hadn't thought about it much then, what with saving him from that fall. But now, I wondered.

“You're very fun too, Viper,” Quetzalcoatl said. “My serpent has never had the chance to play. Thank you for that.”

“Oh, that's just too easy,” Re said .

I shook my head at my naughty husband. And then I found myself influenced by him. The words just popped out. “Speaking of your snake, where did that loincloth come from, Que?”

My husbands burst into laughter, and I clamped a hand over my mouth. Quetzalcoatl blinked, snorted, and then joined in the laughter.

“I'm sorry,” I said. “But seriously, where was that loincloth when you were in snake form?”

“It gets pushed down my body and tucked into my tail feathers,” Que explained. “Then, when I shift back, it travels in reverse, moving back where it needs to be.”

“Damn. I need to try rockin' a loincloth,” Viper said. He was completely naked and completely unconcerned about it.

Kirill, Trevor, and Odin had merely transformed into were-forms that covered their bits. Trevor was a werewolf, Kirill was in his werelion form, and Odin had made his version of a werelion, only white. Now that was a first for him. With his beefy, Norse body beneath the thin covering of sleek fur, and his divine jaw widened by the semi-lion face, Odin looked damn fine as a werelion.

I left Viper to bond with his new bestie, took Re's hand, and went over to give Odin a more thorough inspection. “Werelion looks good on you, Odin.”

“Thank you.” Odin leaned down to nuzzle my cheek. “I like it. It's a fun body.”

“I don't remember if I've asked you this before, but when you're in an animal body, do you feel their instincts? Or is it different since you aren't a normal shifter?”

“It's different, I think,” Odin said. “I'm still me in whatever body I take. Why? Do you become fully lioness? ”

“Not fully, but I feel her needs more intensely than those of my human body.”

“I wouldn't classify it as human,” Re said. “You have the body of a goddess.”

I chuckled. “Well done. And thank you.”

“You're welcome, but it wasn't a compliment—just fact.”

“So, your goals shift,” Odin said. “When you're a lioness, you focus on what a lioness wants?”

“Well, sort of. I'm still me in there. But I'm also an animal. For example, I just noticed today that my desire for Re vanished when I became a lioness. I only wanted you and Kirill.”

“What?!” Re nearly shrieked. “I was on your back. My cock was pressed against you, and you had no desire for me?”

“Shh,” I chided him as I shot a look at the sleeping pile of children. After playing in the mini-castle, the run had done them in, and I wanted them to sleep awhile.

“This is unacceptable, Vervain,” Re went on at a lower volume but with as much fury. “You can never shift into a lioness again.”

I snorted a laugh.

Re's lips twitched, and then he laughed with me. “Seriously, though. It's inconceivable that you could stop desiring me. The form shouldn't matter.”

“I do not think that word means what you think it means,” I said.

Re blinked. “It absolutely means what I—oh! You're quoting The Princess Bride .”

“It has to be done every time someone uses that word,” I said. “And also, you were being ridiculous, so it fit the situation perfectly.”

“I am never ridiculous. I am the Sun God Re.”

“Did you bring enough water for everyone, Sun God?” Trevor asked.

“I did.” Re handed Trevor another bottle that he pulled out of his bag. “And I brought snacks.”

“Oh, snacks!” I squealed. “What kind of snacks?”

“I just grabbed what was on the kitchen counter,” he said. “Let's see. We've got a bag of chips.” He handed me a bag of Doritos. “Make that two.” He handed Odin a bag of kettle chips in vinegar and salt flavor. “And a box of Twinkies.”

“Oh, me! Me! Me!” I tossed the Doritos to Kirill and reached for the Twinkies.

“Here you are, La-la.” Re presented me the box as if it were a treasure chest full of jewels. Then he snatched a Twinkie out of the end. “And one for me.”

“Hey, you brought food?” Viper hurried over with Que.

Re looked him up and down, sighed, and bit into his twinkie. “You're gonna get sunburned.”

Viper looked down at his swinging shaft, and his eyes widened. “You can get sunburned there?”

“You can get sunburned wherever you have skin. If the sun can reach it, it can be burned.” Re grinned. “And I can reach a lot of places.”

“You aren't the sun,” Viper said as he snatched a handful of Doritos out of the bag and then waved Que toward it.

“I control the sun.”

“You control Sun Magic, not the actual sun. ”

Re blinked.

I chuckled. “How many times do I have to tell you guys that he's not stupid?” I asked Re. “He's just enjoying being youthful. He spent his first days at war and dealing with the Dark Star. You shouldn't fault Viper for wanting to be the opposite of that for a while.”

“Thanks, starlight,” Viper said. “And by the way, Re, I know that you're messing with me. I can't get a sunburn. I'm a god. But I was having fun playing along.”

“You see?” I waved at Viper. “He just plays dumb.”

“Then why ruin it by revealing your intelligence?” Que asked, then crunched on a chip.

Viper grimaced. “Vervain ruined it. I just had to support my woman.”

“Oh, sorry, babe,” I said. “Don't worry. They'll forget you're smart by the end of the day.”

“Yeah, you're right.” Viper kissed my cheek. “Hey, Que? You wanna go swimming?”

“Yes, I do!” Quetzalcoatl exclaimed.

The two insta-besties gods—one young, one ancient, and both eager to live life fully—ran to the lake and jumped in. They were so joyous that I didn't even mind when their hooting and splashing woke the children. I just sent the kids in after them.