Blessed (12 page)

“Yeah, to a young and new potential Chosen. She doesn't come from a Chosen family, so this is all weird to her, but she's handling it well. I checked out her school record to get more information on her. Her name is Eliana Marie Shay, and she was born and raised in a small town west of here...a dry town.”

Jack whistled. “Wow, I didn't think they usually let their kids go to public universities where magic is taught.”

“I know. I was surprised when I saw her parents were atheists. She has a full ride scholarship, very smart girl. I think her family didn't have the money to send her to a private.”

“How's she handling all of this?”

“Great. She's open-minded despite her upbringing and eager to learn. I think I overwhelmed her with information yesterday. So I'm trying to take her around today to show her some of the things we discussed.”

Jack watched his friend with shrewd eyes. “Sounds good. What is it you're not telling me?”

Aiden sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. “She's hot, I mean really hot. I don't think she knows how pretty she is though. She has this amazing long light brown hair and these stunning eyes. I can't decide if they’re silver-blue or gray. And her lips...the things I could do to those full, pouty lips.”

“And her…?” Jack asked as he made the curving gesture in the air representing a woman's figure.

“Soft everywhere a woman is supposed to be soft. You know I like my women curvy.” He glanced at the door and back to Jack. “I think she likes me too. I'll catch her staring at me, and her eyes turn to this molten silver color. Makes me want to eat her like a peach.”

Jack laughed as he arranged a display of expensive mood rings. “So what's the problem? You have a hot little bodacious bunny that you're going to spend a lot of time mentoring. Why not teach her a thing or two?”

“Because,” Aiden said with a groan as he fiddled with a box of gag garlic chewing gum, “she's my student. I can't have anything to do with her in a sexual way. If she talked or someone saw us and told the university ethics board, I'd be fired. Not only would I be fired, but I could kiss my career and all my hard work goodbye.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair, and his expression grew grim. “You know how much David, that Destro Chosen in philosophy, has been looking for a reason to get me fired. Don’t let him catch sight of you together.”

“I hate that guy. He's such an asshole. He's been trying to get me fired since the moment we laid eyes on each other. After I stopped his attempt at inciting a student riot last year, he’s been even more determined. Fucker.”

“I remember that. Didn't he try to throw a curse at you to make your heart explode?”

“Yeah. The last thing I need is for him to get any whisper of Eliana and me. He would try to ruin her before she could become a Creation Chosen, and he’d take me out for vengeance.” His hands clenched at his sides. “And I'll be damned if I'm going to let him hurt her.”

“Getting fired would also piss off your family, big time. They take their status as a Dynastic family within the Chosen seriously.” Jack patted his shoulder. “Be strong, bro. Picture my Aunt Charlene in her leopard-print, size thirty-two spandex dress anytime you feel like you're losing control. Besides, how bad can it be? She's one little bunny, and you're Aiden, Chosen of Odin, bane of the forces of Destruction.”

“Yeah, well, I'm not the only one interested in her. Some Destruction flunky tried to get her to switch sides yesterday while she was jogging at Panther Hollow.”

“Shit, is she all right?”

He nodded and glanced at Jack with a guilty expression. “She is, but that's only because Mrs. Bherz happened to be on duty. She's a demonologist at the university. I hadn’t fill Eliana in on the dangers part yet and I feel like a major fuck up for not warning her about all the bullshit coming her way. I wanted to try to see how she would accept the concept of gods and goddesses before I added the part about demonic creatures wanting to eat her soul.”

“Is she a borderline soul?”

“No, she has a good, pure spirit. Normally Destruction wouldn’t make such an effort to turn someone like her.”

“If they’re already trying to make a move on Eliana, she has to be someone important.”

“That's my thought as well. Odin was pretty straightforward about Mentoring her, so I don't think I'll be getting any help from him there.”

Jack shuffled behind his counter. “I'll give her something to help her along, Aiden. You know we can't interfere too much. The shit we try to protect her from may be the shit she needs to do to attract a god’s attention.”

“Athena is interested in her too, so that's even more of a reason to keep my hands off her.”

A hard bolt of lust went through Aiden as he remembered the feeling of her cuddling against him yesterday at her work. It had taken a monumental act of self-control to keep from throwing her up against the wall and kissing her until she couldn’t breathe. Her breasts had been so soft crushed against his chest and she smelled so damn good. He wanted to eat her alive, to bury his face between her plump thighs until she was screaming his name. He bet she tasted like candy.

Just then, the brass bells above the front door rang and he knew even before he looked at her that Eliana had arrived. Her sensual energy brushed over his aura like a physical caress and he tugged at his shirt, trying to hide the major erection he now had. Gathering his willpower, he turned to watch Eliana enter the store and looked around. Her long silken hair was held back in a high ponytail, exposing the delicate line of her jaw and curve of her neck. She wore a long-sleeved ice-blue top that dipped in the front of her ample chest and a pair of jeans that hugged her hips. His cock punched against the fly of his pants as he stared at her and he had to choke on a primal growl of need.

She spotted them at the back of the store, and her silver eyes shone as she stared at Aiden, then smiled as joy filled her face at the sight of him.

Jack whistled and whispered, “Bro, you're in so much trouble.”

“I know,” Aiden said in a low, pained voiced.

****

Taking a deep breath, Eliana approached the counter at the back of the store and tried to hide her nervousness. She passed a display of what must have been at least three dozen different types of rubber chickens. Some poultry wore clothes, and one appeared to be wearing a sparkly purple thong. Aiden and a tall, tanned guy with wavy blond hair watched her approach.

Her eyes locked on Aiden, and the embarrassing flutter in her belly and thump in her heart started again. He stared back and her nipples tightened beneath his gaze, begging for his lips to suckle them. Crap, she promised herself she wouldn’t let her hormones make her lust dumb today. She needed to put on her big girl panties, as Chrissy would say, and act like the mature woman she was. It would be a lot easier if he didn't look so damn good in a tight T-shirt and jeans. Jeans that he filled out really, really well in the front.

That couldn’t be his hard dick pressing against his pants, but if it was he tucked to the right and he was more than a handful. Way more. Way…way more. Her pussy clenched, reminding her of how long it had been since she had sex.

When she reached Aiden she stared up at him, reminded of how much bigger he was than her. The ability to speak fled her and she swore she saw a glimmer of dark green around him for a moment, swirling like an odd combination of mist and incense smoke. A hint of that green reached out to her and she sucked in a tight breath at the sensation of fingers lightly tracing over her cheek.

“Hello,” Aiden said in a rich, husky voice that did wonderful things to her body.

Before she could respond the blond guy cleared his throat and said in a loud voice, “My name’s Jack.”

She blinked hard and tore her gaze away from Aiden, turning to look at the Jack and automatically extending her hand, her good manners kicking in even though her mind was totally occupied Aiden. “Hi, Jack.”

Jack gave her a roguish smile and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. “You must be the lovely Eliana.”

She grinned, regaining some of her wits now that she wasn’t looking at Aiden, and raised an eyebrow as Jack continued to place gentle kisses on her hand. “Well, I'm glad I washed my hands after cleaning the toilet this morning… or did I?” She pouted her lips in a mock-puzzled expression.

Jack dropped her hand and turned to Aiden with a grin. “Oh, she's a sassy bunny. I like it.”

She glanced at Aiden with an arched brow. “Bunny?”

“Jack was born and raised in Hawaii. His father is a High Priest to the Hawaiian god of music and fertility, Lono. Bunny is a surfing term for a girl.”

“A very beautiful girl,” Jack said with a wink. “But, yeah, I was hoping to get picked by some fertility god like my dad so I could be a babe magnet. Instead, thanks to my Swedish surfer-girl mother, I’m a Chosen of Loki.”

“Maybe because you have the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old boy?” Aiden asked dryly.

Jack grabbed his chest and staggered back. “Bro, you wound me. My sense of humor is at least that of a fourteen-year-old.”

She laughed at them. It was so different watching Aiden interact with Jack. He seemed much younger and more carefree than the serious professor she thought she knew. If it was possible, it made her like Aiden even more.

“So, what brought you out to D.C., Jack?”

“Loki did. He said I was needed out here to do his will.” Jack shrugged. “When my god says jump, I tend to say how high. He's good to me. Loki keeps me busy, and my life is always filled with laughter and hot ladies, such as yourself.” He gave her a million-dollar smile. “What more could a guy want?”

She laughed and glanced over at Aiden, accidently catching his eye as she realized he was staring at her. A sudden tension filled the room, and they gazed at each other. The air seemed charged, and she was once again painfully aware of how close he stood next to her at the counter.

Jack said in a too-loud voice, “Oh hey, Aiden. I have some new merchandise your little bunny might like to try out for me.”

She glanced away from Aiden and gave Jack a suspicious look. “If it's a gag gift, I think I'll pass.”

Jack gave her a dramatic wounded look. “Nah, I wouldn't do that to you. Well, yes, I would, but I wouldn't give you that much warning. Besides, being a ravishingly good-looking and charming man—”

Aiden added, “And don't forget modest.”

“Yes, and modest as well, I make little surprises to help battle Destruction. Like this beauty.” Jack pulled out a black velvet bag from behind the counter. He shook out a small gold ring with a mood stone in the center and runes running around the band.

“A mood ring?” she asked dryly. “That'll be helpful. The Destruction agent can see by its colors if I'm happy or sad when they kick my ass.”

“Not just any mood ring. It should tell you when a Destruction agent is close by. That is if they’re not heavily shielded, I’m still not sure on how sensitive the rings are. Oddly enough, the Destruction Chosen don’t want to help me experiment.” Jack gave her that charming smile of his again that would normally have made her all fluttery, but because of Aiden, didn’t do anything for her. “If none are about, it'll act like a normal ring, but if one is near, it'll turn black.”

Aiden accepted the ring from Jack and turned it in the light, watching the rainbow colors of the stone shift around before handing it back. “Interesting. Do you know how far its range is?”

“Yeah. I've been testing it out on that douche bag Priest of Set who works down the street. As far as I can tell, the ring has a twenty-foot radius when he’s not shielding. I'm trying to get it more accurate, but for right now, just know that if it turns black you better haul ass out of there, Eliana.”

Jack handed the ring to her with a serious expression that did not look at home on his face. “Think you can test it out for me? Let me know how it works for you? I know Aiden's your Mentor, and he will do a damn fine job of it, but you need all the protection you can get right now.”

She slipped the ring on, admiring the skill that went into making it. To the casual eye, it would look like a piece of jewelry any girl would wear. Nothing too flashy, an everyday ring. “What do you mean protection?”

Jack looked at Aiden with a questioning glance. “I mean, right now, you’re bait, of course. Any Destro that runs across you is going to want to take you out before you gain the patronage of your god.”

“Fuck. When I ran into that guy in his snazzy yellow rain slicker, with his demon dog in need of a dental plan, I thought it was an isolated thing. Like, you know, they would get the hint and leave me alone.” She tried to keep the panic out of her voice. “Are they going to attack me in my dorm? I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me. What if they send that demon dog against me while I’m at work? What if-”

Aiden placed his hand over her mouth and said in a soothing voice, “Don't worry. It's not like they're going to gun you down in your sleep.” Jack started to open his mouth to protest and shut it when Aiden glared at him. “They'll try to make your life difficult and keep a god from choosing you, but I highly doubt they’ll strike at you while you’re at school. The risks are too high. As your Mentor, I'll protect you and show you how to protect yourself.”

“And I've got your back too, little bunny. You should be safe at school and work. Destros like to do things in secret. They don't want too much bad publicity coming their way, and they don't want to give us an excuse to come after them. Keep in groups and be aware of your surroundings when you're not with Aiden, or another Creation Chosen. No worries, nothing bad will happen to you.” Jack gave her a reassuring smile that was a tad too big and sincere to be trusted.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head onto the counter, sticking her butt out into the air behind her. When she looked up she caught both men staring at her rear end and she stood up straight, fighting a blush. “Okay, big girl panties time.”

“What?” Aiden lifted his gaze from her butt.

“Umm, nothing. The surprises about being a Chosen keep on coming. As soon as I feel like I've got a grip on it, you throw something new at me.” Eliana straightened her shoulders and stood to her full five-foot-one height. She wasn't going to whine about this. It would do her no good, and she hated weak women. She sure as hell wasn't going to act like one of them now.