10. Deimos

Chapter 10

Deimos

“Don’t you have anything planned for your future? Anything at all?” Dad asked, leaning back in his chair and giving me a disappointed frown. “Your brother at least has his superhero gig, for whatever that’s worth, but your name has practically faded from textbooks. Humans have such short memories, and these last centuries of moping have allowed them to forget about you.”

“Ares,” my mother chided with a warning tone.

“No, it’s fine, Mom. It’s best if we just let him get the whole ‘disappointing son’ routine out of the way before our other guests arrive.” It was nothing new. I was always made to feel like a failure when compared to the more virtuous Phobos. He with the golden son who could do no wrong, while I was nothing but second-best.

“What you need to do,” Dad continued, leaning his forearms on the table, “is remind them of why they should fear you. Shake the dust off the old chariot and ride into battle, flaming sword in hand. You have plenty of wars to choose from, they’re constantly cropping up, fighting over borders or religion.” He spoke of war so casually, and there was a flicker of excitement in his eyes. “I’ll come with you. It’ll be like the good old days.”

“You will do no such thing,” Mom snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously. “You’re retired.” She might’ve been the goddess of love, but Aphrodite was just as passionate when she fought with her husband. She always reminded us that love and hate were not so different, both originating from the heart. It was apathy that was their opposite.

The doorbell rang, interrupting the torture. “Oh good, more victims for your disappointment.” I shoved my chair back and headed for the door. It was Harmonia and her husband, but I’d barely made it out of the entryway before the doorbell sounded again.

One by one my nieces arrived, each chattering in their nonstop stream of excited gossip, and I was grateful to have them there to fill every inch of conversation, thereby cutting off any more of Dad’s barely disguised digs at my ineptitude.

We weren’t about to eat, though, until the guest of honor arrived at last.

I dragged my tongue along my lower lip, devouring the sight across the dining table from me. Cameron was such a mouthwatering morsel this evening, in dark jeans, white button-up, and a slim-fitting jacket. His hair was slicked back, and when our eyes connected, they were like two dark pools of melted chocolate that made me hard. I would love nothing more than to lap him up. He must’ve at least partly suspected the way my mind was spinning, because the most alluring rose tint made his cheeks glow.

Fuck, this man, he made my cock ache like when I was a teenager, and I hadn’t been a teenager in a very long time. Cameron, however, might’ve been one last week for all I knew. He was so damn young, too young .

And I wanted him anyway.

“So glad you could make it this evening, Cameron. I look forward to getting to know you better,” I purred, practically salivating as I dreamed of the power that lived beneath his skin. Mmm, the things I could do with that power, the havoc I could wreak.

Mom latched onto what I’d said. “Yes! Please, Cameron, tell us. How do you like being a superhero?”

“Oh, no—” Cam began, shaking his head. “I’m just the sidekick. Phobos does all the real work.”

Mom tsked. “I don’t believe that for a second. You know what they say—behind every great alpha is an even greater omega.” She shot Dad a look. “Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Right as always, my love.” Dad took her hand and kissed the back of it. “I am nothing without you.” She smirked in reply before she got up to grab the food from the kitchen.

Phobos, however, had heard something less than innocent in what I’d said to Cameron. He caught my eye, glaring at me as he draped his arm possessively across the back of Cameron’s chair. I shrugged, a perfect image of innocence—mindreading was not one of his abilities.

Cameron, for his part, was unaware of the way Phobos was trying to lay a claim on him. He seemed… different tonight, his eyes a little glazed, but maybe it was just the show my family was putting on. It was total chaos, as was usually the case when we all got together.

Harmonia and her husband, Cadmus, and their grown daughters—all six of them; Ino, Polydorus, Autonoe, Agave, Semele, and Illyrius—were like a constantly exploding bomb, all chatter and hen-pecking. I honestly wasn’t sure how Cadmus had survived their childhood, but they’d long since gone on to live their own lives. Thankfully, they’d left most of their kids and spouses at home tonight. Things could get really chaotic, not to mention volatile, around here if we didn’t draw a line somewhere.

They weren’t even the worst of it, though. My parents had zero sense of what was appropriate PDA outside of the bedroom. They fought hard—because duh, Ares was the god of war and violence—and they played even harder, my mother being Aphrodite, the goddess of love, pleasure, and procreation. They were a marriage of passion, and it showed.

Semele rounded the table and presented a bottle of wine to my father, the glass dark and the cork sealed with blood-red wax. “Dion sends his regards,” she said. “He was sad he couldn’t make it for your special occasion, but he was tied up at work with their latest stage production at the Performing Arts Centre. He asked me to bring this bottle of his finest vintage for you.”

“That was nice of him,” my dad said, smiling politely. He got along well enough with his great-grandson, although their personalities clashed horribly. Last year, after they’d both had too much to drink, they’d gotten into an argument over their top ten movies, which had nearly resulted in a fistfight. It didn’t help that Dion loved to goad the old man.

I propped my elbows on the table and leaned across toward Cameron, catching a whiff of his scent, which had my cock stirring. “Trust me when I say nobody wants Dionysus at the party,” I stage-whispered, and when he graced me with his attention, I nearly preened like a cat. “Under his influence, we tend to drink far too much, and it’s all downhill from there.” My comment earned glares from both Semele and Autonoe, who was a big fan of Dion’s plays.

“Elbows off the table,” my mother interrupted, nudging my chair with her hip on the way past, laden with a serving bowl of mashed potatoes, which she set in the middle of the table. “What are you all waiting for? Please, serve yourselves. We don’t stand on ceremony here.”

It was like she’d issued a challenge to who could fill their plates first, and everyone grabbed for serving platters, Ino even going so far as to stab her sister Poly’s hand with her fork in order to get the best cut of meat.

I looked across at Cameron, whose eyes had gone round, his jaw hanging slack as he took in the bruhaha. He wisely kept his hands in his lap and leaned back to avoid spatter. Phobos, meanwhile, had turned toward Agave on his other side, asking after her maenads. Since he was ignoring the target of my interest, I saw this as the perfect opening.

“Don’t be shy, Cameron,” I said, standing up so I could lean across and snatch up his empty plate. “You just have to make a plan of attack then dive right in.”

“Wait, I—” He made to grab the plate back from me, but he was too late. I’d already started piling it high with food.

I dodged around my nieces with practiced ease, snatching up the choicest morsels before there was nothing left. Roast lamb, potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, a pillowy roll my mother had made fresh this morning. “There you are, Cam. Eat up.”

“Th-thank you,” he stuttered, shaking his head, “though I don’t think I could possibly eat this much.”

“Don’t be silly. You need to keep up your strength.” I hadn’t meant for it to come out sounding like an invitation to embark on sexy times with me, but if seduction worked to get him alone and away from my brother, then I would be happy to make it work. “Do you have plans later?” I asked, biting my lower lip. “I’d love to invite you for a nightcap. ”

That certainly got Phobos’s attention, and he did not look pleased. He angled his body into his date until their shoulders brushed, leaning forward to catch my eye. “Cameron and I are busy later.”

Cameron frowned. “We are?”

“Yes. I booked us as entertainment for a bachelor party.” He delivered the line with an entirely straight face, but it sure got a reaction out of Cameron. His face went slack, and his skin went an unhealthy shade of curdled milk.

A sudden lull in the conversation descended as everyone paused to take in what Phobos had said—and more importantly, to hear what Cameron would reply.

“Entertainment…” Cameron drawled, blinking slowly as he rolled the word around in his mouth. Phobos couldn’t possibly mean what it sounded like. “As in… strippers ?” he squeaked, his eyebrows jumping halfway up his forehead.

“What? No! Whatever gave you that idea?” Phobos sputtered, his delicate sensibilities apparently being trampled all over by the insinuation of something so tawdry.

I choked on my wine, laughing. “Dear brother, what kind of entertainment do you think would be found at a stag? Are you putting on a magic show? Not likely, unless instead of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, you’re pulling your dick out of your pants.” Oh shit, now I was picturing Cameron as he peeled off his shiny tights. I wondered what he wore underneath…

“That’s… not what we’re doing,” Phobos said sharply, his hackles up in defense, but he didn’t look so certain now that he was thinking about it. I was sure he was currently replaying the conversation he’d had with the person who’d booked the entertainment . He turned to his sidekick, getting flustered and a bit panicky. “I swear, Cameron, it’s nothing like that. I would never — ”

“Cameron,” I said, slipping into the middle of their conversation with ease. “I’d like to offer you a job.”

My brother’s eyes snapped to me, lit with annoyance. “Bro, I’m right here. Don’t try to poach my sidekick.”

“Oh? I hadn’t noticed you there.” Ignoring him was easy since I’d had lots of practice. I maintained eye contact with Cameron. “Now, as I was saying, why don’t you come to work with me instead of my dim-witted brother here. I promise, when I book you as a stripper, it won’t be by accident, and it’ll be for a much more private show—and I pay very well.”

Cameron dropped his fork with a clatter, his eyes bulging.

Phobos slammed his fist down on the table, rattling the dishes. “Deimos! Would you just fuck off already? Cameron is mine!” His face went red, and so did Cameron’s, but for a totally different reason.

“Phobos!” Mom scolded from her end of the table. “Language!”

“Ooh, you’re in trouble now,” I taunted my brother with a smirk.

“Oh, like you’re one to talk, Mr. I Kidnap Shifters to Steal Their Powers. You’ll never be the favorite son at that rate.” His lips widened in a malicious grin as my parents gasped in horror.

“Deimos! Tell me that isn’t true. We raised you to be better than that,” Mom said, her frown doing absolutely nothing to diminish her ethereal beauty. If anything, it made her painted lips look even fuller, her dainty nose wrinkling adorably in distaste.

Dad simply reached for his wine, draining his glass. He despised these family dinners.

“ Tattletale ,” I mouthed across the table at my twin, picking up a pea from my plate and lobbing it at him. It bounced off his cheek.

Phobos growled, loading up his spoon with mashed potatoes and holding it like a catapult, ready to launch a counterattack .

“Don’t. You. Dare!” Mom snapped in a pitch only dogs could hear, and Phobos paused. Mama’s boy , I thought with a smirk. “Ares, control your sons. We have a guest!” she pleaded desperately.

Ares hesitated with his forkful of lamb hovering halfway to his mouth, caught like a deer in headlights. “Why are they only my sons when they’ve done something wrong?”

“Cameron doesn’t mind, do you, Cam?” I asked, flashing him a wicked grin. “He’s practically one of the family. Or he will be soon enough, if Phobos here has anything to say about it.” I propped my chin in my palm and batted my lashes. “Tell me, have you two done the deed yet? I want to hear all the juicy details. Was it romantic, or was it over too quick? I’ve heard a rumor that my brother gets a little performance anxiety—”

I barely had time to duck the blob of potatoes as it sailed over the table at me, landing somewhere behind me with a splat. “You asshole!” Phobos barked.

As our sisters cackled, our mother looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel. “ Stop this instant! ” Mom closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a slow breath, and I could practically hear her counting to ten. “Can’t you two act your age? What would your grandfather think of you bickering like children?” she asked, pulling out the good old Grandpa card.

Dad groaned, setting down his fork as he rubbed a hand over his stomach. “Please, Aphrodite, no mention of Zeus at the table. You know it gives me indigestion.”

She coughed into her fist, and it sounded a little like she said, “ Daddy issues .”

Ares narrowed his eyes at her. “Dearest wife, it is our anniversary,” he gritted out, quietly seething. “Can we not get along for one night? ”

She smiled sweetly at her husband, so I knew what was coming and braced for the inevitable escalation. “I forgot to tell you, I ran into Hephaestus this morning.”

Ares immediately went stock-still, shifting from predator to prey. “You did?”

“Yeah. He wished us a happy anniversary, and he gave me this necklace. Isn’t it beautiful?” She withdrew a delicate gold chain and an elaborate pendant from inside the neckline of her dress, as if she’d been saving it for just such a moment. “He made it himself. Your brother really does have a remarkable talent.”

Dad was already steaming at the collar, biting his tongue, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles had gone white, but we all knew it was just a matter of time before he blew. He was insanely jealous of his wife spending time in the presence of other men, his brother in particular, since they’d been married briefly once upon a time in another lifetime.

“You know, I have to say, he looked great ,” Mom said, twirling her blond hair around her finger as she needled at Dad. I almost felt sorry for him. “I think I’ll invite him to go for coffee this week. It’s been too long since we caught up.”

That was it, the straw that broke him, and he flew to his feet, sweeping his hand across the table and sending his plate flying across the room to smash against the wall. The air crackled with charged electricity. “ You will do no such thing! ” he roared, the vein in his temple throbbing dangerously, his face turning a volatile purple.

Mom just sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, smiling sweetly. “I will do whatever I please. You’re not the boss of me.” Pfft, like she was one to talk about acting our age.

“I am more than your boss—I am your husband! ”

I caught Cameron’s stunned expression across the table and rolled my eyes for his benefit, trying to convey the message that this was no big deal. In fact, it was practically a family ritual.

Cameron, however, didn’t seem to be taking it well at all. His blinks were long and slow. There was a sheen of sweat on his face, his once-slicked hair now falling across his forehead. My fingers itched to brush it back for him, to ask him what was wrong, to unravel all his secrets.

He pushed his chair back from the table and rose on shaky legs. “E-Excuse me, please.” Cameron’s whisper seemed so loud, even when compared to the shouting, and everyone paused to watch him go.

Ares winced, lowering himself back to his chair, his face returning to its usual shade. “Did I say something wrong?”

Phobos’s smile had dropped as he looked after Cam. He knew something was wrong, I was sure of it, but he wasn’t about to talk about it with me.

That meant I would have to ask Cameron himself.

“Excuse me,” I said, pushing back from the table.

“Where are you going?” Phobos asked peevishly, eyeing me with suspicion.

I arched a brow at him. “If you must know, nosy Parker, I have to pee. Are you offering to hold my dick for me?”

He made a noise of disgust, but otherwise, said nothing more, and I slipped out of the dining room, on the hunt for a certain overcharged human battery.