Morpheus (4 page)

“What just happened?” he asked.

“We have an exit strategy in case of an
emergency,” El explained.

“Our father is a very bad man,” Cassie said
as Donnie nodded solemnly. Morpheus was stunned that the kids would
feel that way. “He has tried to take us from our mom,” Cassie said
in a whisper like she was sharing a secret. “He doesn’t really like
us much but he thinks Mom will pay money to get us back.”

Morpheus coughed, his throat was parched.
“Why do you think that?”

“He told me so,” Cassie said. She said it so
matter-of-factly without sadness or any other emotion. El had not
picked well, so he would choose himself for her this time. He felt
okay about what he planned now that he had a good reason to do it.
He would claim them, he would see they were protected and cared
for. He knew he hadn’t known them for long, but he usually made up
his mind quickly. This was no exception and he knew it was the
right decision.

Twenty minutes later found them at her
brother’s house. “Oh my God, El. What the hell have you gotten
yourself into this time?”

“A big bunch of trouble, from the look of it.
We’re going to have to hide out for a while until these guys get
caught. We’re going with plan one.”

“I guess it will work for this as well as it
would have worked to escape that asshole you were married to,” Slay
said.

“Try to motivate the cops to hunt those
bastards down,” El said.

Slay smiled. “Such language and in front of
innocent ears.”

“Uncle Slay, we’re not innocent. I’m six
years old already.” Cassie said indignantly.

“Sorry, Cass, I forgot. I guess only Donnie
counts then.”

“Uncle Slay, that’s not fair. I’m a boy!”

“Oh, you’re right. You two listen to your
mother and do what she says,” Slay instructed.

“We will,” they chorused.

“We’d better get out of here before we get
spotted,” El said.

Morpheus silently agreed. They had no time to
waste. He did have to admit he was impressed with how well trained
they were and how every person that was important to the plan
seemed to know their part in it. El hit back roads, staying away
from highways and she drove for hours. The kids fell asleep in the
back and she didn’t seem to want to talk much. She seemed to know
exactly where she was going. They pulled into a mid sized town and
she went to a shopping center. Until he was fully dressed, he was
stuck in the SUV with the kids.

She was gone about thirty minutes and she
came back with clothes and shoes for him. It made him wonder how
she had known his sizes. She went to a gas station to fill up and
he took his clothes in the bathroom with him. He came out looking
like an average guy, Tshirt, nice comfortable jeans, and sneakers.
He was ready for anything now.

Chapter 4

A Recovery Begins

“What do you think?” Zeus asked his beautiful
mate.

“She had a lot of information. She knew too
much not to have found a god.”

“Maybe it’s a trap?” Hades wondered. After he
and Doc had spent a week out looking for the god whose trail they
had lost, he was irritable and unhappy.

“Maybe it’s him!” Doc said.

“She had so many facts, we have to check it
out. We really don’t have a choice. She even had names and she knew
what they had him for, what they were doing to him. It fits what we
expected. Cher checked her out and she’s clean except for her
ex-husband but he never was involved with Origin. He just had his
hand in other criminal activities,” Hermes related to them.

“You said the police were called?”

“Yes, and an ambulance. The patient checked
out even though the doctor wanted to keep him and she took him
home,” Hercules added.

“I haven’t seen Morpheus in at least two
years. I thought he was dead, could he really be alive?” Hades
asked.

“It is entirely possible considering how much
Origin lied to us,” Zeus said.

“Isn’t Morpheus the god of dreams?” Sierra
asked.

“Yes, I see your studies haven’t been
wasted,” Lu teased. His mood was decidedly devilish. “I’d like to
go with the recovery team. Morpheus and I have always been
close.”

The other gods looked at each other then all
eyes went to Zeus. Demons were a problem or at least they could be
out in the human world. Few had been out around humans and Lu had a
few extra things he would have to hide.

“You know the requirements,” Zeus said.

Lu sighed deeply. “Hide the wings and the
tail at all times. Really, Zeus, I think it would liven things up
if you let me flash a few humans, especially females.” His smile
was downright sinful.

“Why don’t we save that for the masked
balls,” Zeus said. Lu chuckled but refrained from commenting. He
was having some inappropriate thoughts, anyone could tell just by
looking at him.

“I appreciate restraint,” Zeus told him and
he did.

The team ended up being Hades, Doc, Hercules,
Lu, and Eres. This was an important mission that everyone wanted
done right. Morpheus had powers that could be a wonderful gift or a
horrible curse. They needed him free from Origin even more than
most. The fact that he had been mistreated at the hands of Origin
flunkies only added to the urgency of recovering him.

Doc sat looking at a picture of Morpheus she
had pulled from Origin’s computer files. He was muscular like a
weight lifter and he had beautiful long hair halfway down his back.
The color was light brown and it went well with his beautiful gray
eyes. She could see signs of facial hair, unusual in a god, and his
skin was barely tan. There was an enigmatic look on his face, not
hostile, maybe questioning was the right word.

Hades sat next to her and glanced over. “He
always wore his hair long except when they punished him.”

“They cut his hair if he didn’t comply?”

“Yes, first one side, then the other. They
knew it was his vanity. It hurt him more than anything else
could.”

Doc didn’t understand at first but then she
realized it was the loss of control more than anything else that
hurt him. They took away his control of his own body, the one
thing, his hair, that he wanted control of. Those Origin assholes
knew just how to hurt a person physically and mentally.

The team was ready to leave four hours later.
They were all assembled with bags in hand. The plane was loaded and
the pilot and crew on board. There was an air of hopeful optimism,
one of their brothers may have managed to be freed and all they
would have to do is bring him home.

The flight started out like most of the
flights Doc and Hades took since they had mated. Hades led her to
the bedroom in the back of the plane. Why suffer boredom when they
could be together and enjoy each other? He pulled her into his warm
embrace.
This female was everything to him.
He breathed in
deeply, her smell made him think of love and home. He lowered his
mouth to her hers claiming her soft delicious lips in a kiss that
declared his ownership. He branded her with his heat, his
desire.

She didn’t hesitate to give back every bit of
passion he gave her. She moaned softly and her hands grabbed at his
shoulders pulling him in even more tightly. She rubbed her body
against his reminding him how soft and sweet she felt against him
and making him want to tear her clothes off her body. He knew he
couldn’t, she wouldn’t be happy about it. Instead, he began to
undress her, slowly. He kissed her as each bit of her flesh was
revealed. One button undone, one kiss on her heated skin.

“Faster, Hades, I’m on fire,” she
demanded.

“I don’t want to hurt your clothes,” he
whispered in her ear, his breath hot and damp.

“I don’t care about my clothes.”

“That’s not what you said yesterday when I
ripped your shirt off you.”

“Just forget what I said.”

He did as he ripped her shirt in half
enjoying the sound of the tearing fabric and the satisfying feel as
it tore and exposed his mate to his seeking eyes and hands. Her
jeans were easier to undo and he did before he pushed them down to
her knees. He stepped back to undress himself so he could free his
cock from its denim prison. It snapped free and stood at attention
ready to be put to use. Doc had finished undressing herself and her
hand reached out gripping his impressive length.

“You feel so good,” she whispered to him as
her hand stroked him from root to tip. He groaned with pleasure
ready for more. He could smell her arousal, knew she was ready and
he needed nothing more than to sink in her heated depths.

He moved her hand before he lifted her into
his arms placing her onto the bed before he slid over her and caged
her in. “I have you now, Sweetheart.”

“Then take me,” she whispered, her voice
husky with want.

He didn’t hesitate as he used one hand to
place the broad tip of his cock at her opening while his other hand
held his weight. One fluid motion and he was fully seated. They
both shivered and moaned in unison.
So fucking good.
He
wanted her more each time they were together. He paused to enjoy
the feeling of being joined fully to his mate before he started to
move.

He sped up until he was slamming hard into
her as she arched to meet his thrusts and made encouraging sounds.
He slid easily into her slick tight channel moving closer to heaven
with each plunge. He felt her body start to tighten around him
telling him she was close. He drove in harder, feeling her toes
digging into his ass until it drove him wild. Just as he realized
he could hold back no longer, she screamed her bliss and went wild
under him. Her muscles milked his heavy cock until his seed shot
out of it pouring into her hot, tight passage.

They were both slicked with sweat and tired
from their recent activity. He rolled on his side with her in his
arms. With the soothing scent of his lovely mate surrounding him,
he fell into a deep restful sleep. They both woke hours later,
rested and ready to take on the world or at least any part of it
that got in their way. After a shower and change of clothes, they
rejoined the rest of the team. A meal was served and the
information they had on Morpheus discussed for the last time. By
the time they landed, they were all prepared to recover their
brother.

Mark didn’t meet them this time because he
wasn’t informed of their arrival. Zeus and the rest of the council
had agreed that it was better this way. If the recovery went as
expected, the US government would never know a thing. It was truly
a shame that things never went as expected. They arrived in the
area Morpheus was said to be and got directions to the house. Hades
went to the door with the rest of the team in place. Hercules
covered the back door while Doc backed up Hades. Lu was assigned to
protect their vehicle in case any enemies lurked nearby. Eres was
at the side of the house where he could move quickly to the front
or back and cover windows.

It became immediately clear that someone had
broken into the house and no one was inside any longer. If Morpheus
had really been there at one time, he was no longer there now.
Uncertain of where to look now, Doc pulled out the file. The
female’s brother lived nearby, it was the logical place to look
next. They drove to town and found the man’s home.

“May I help you?” asked the man who answered
the door to Hades’s loud and impatient knock. This guy was no wimp.
He was as tall as Hades and nearly as broad. He also showed no
signs of being intimidated. He looked Hades right in the eyes, no
fear.
Dumb human wasn’t smart enough to know when to be
afraid.

“We’re looking for Morpheus,” Hades
answered.

“And who exactly is we?” he asked
suspiciously.

“We are his people. I am Hades.”

“How do I know that for sure?”

Doc moved up and pulled out her laptop. She
pulled up a website and showed it to the man. “You can see our
pictures here. We are legitimate.” He took the computer, looked at
the site closely, and sighed.

“Come in, this will be a while. It may be
hours before they call. I can’t be sure you are who you say you are
since even websites can be faked, but I feel sure enough to give
you a chance to talk to him when they call. Unfortunately, I don’t
know when that will be except that it will be sometime today.”

“You can’t reach them?” Doc asked.

“Disposable cells, she throws them away after
each call. Even if I traced her call, they would be gone by the
time anyone could get there.”

Hades gave him a disgruntled look. The damn
man didn’t have to sound so proud of it. He just wanted to get his
brother and get them all home. What was so wrong with that? He
wished things would go right just one time.

“My name’s Slay, by the way.” He looked at
Doc with curiosity. “I thought you guys had no women?”

“I’m not a god, I’m human. I’m mated to this
one,” she said pointing to Hades.

Slay looked at her then at him. “How does
that work?”

“Works just fine,” Hades growled at him.

“You’re asking for a reason,” Doc said
picking up Slay’s concern.

“He’s out there with my sister.”

“They don’t just take whatever female is
closest. They’re not like that,” Doc assured him.

“There’s something between them, I picked up
on it. I’m not positive it’s romantic, but it felt that way,” Slay
explained.

“They treat their mates right. He’d never
hurt her,” Doc replied.

“I hope not since we have enough to worry
about with the assholes that are chasing them.”

Chapter 5

The Getaway

El felt pretty good about their getaway. No
one seemed to be following them and with a good number of towns
around, they would have plenty of places to search before they ever
got here. She drove to a hotel, one of those extended stay ones.
She figured that the local cops would find the criminals that had
tortured Morpheus in a few days at the most. She also thought he
was a god, no, not the he’s so sexy he’s a god, even though that
was true, but he must be one of those genetically altered born
enslaved gods.