Acheron (Dark-Hunter #15)(32)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

This was a new side of her pet. And when he entered her, she almost passed out from the sheer pleasure of it.

He was as wild and untamed as a predator in the wild. The sound of his breath, punctuated by grunts of pleasure set fire to her soul. A laugh caught in her throat. Had she any idea he’d be like this, she would have given him this gift long ago.

Screaming out as her orgasm ripped through her, she dug her nails into his skin. But he didn’t even pause as he delivered even deeper and harder strokes to her body. She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but her pleasure increased as another orgasm exploded.

When he finally came, she was completely weak and sated. So much so that she realized she hadn’t even fed from him.

Blessed Olympus, how could this be?

Effortlessly, Acheron swung her up in his arms and carried her back into her temple, to her bedroom.

"How can you even move after all that?" she asked breathlessly.

"Goddess, I could fly right now if you asked me to."

Laughing, Artemis lay weakly on her bed as her body still tingled from the memory of his.

Acheron lay beside her, then rained kisses over her lips and br**sts.

She shook her head at him. "You are feisty this day."

Acheron paused at her words before he betrayed himself. He wasn’t feisty. The truth was that her actions had made him fall in love with her all over again. He remembered now why he’d opened himself up to her. Artemis was kind when she chose to be.

If she didn’t care for him, his wounds today wouldn’t have mattered to her. Not even Estes had cared emotionally when he’d been harmed. Wounds only meant lost profits to him. But Artemis had been genuinely angry on his behalf.

He took her hand and led it to his lips so he could kiss the palm of her hand. "I am ever your servant, my goddess. I pledge myself to you forever."

She giggled. "My Acheron, you have no concept of forever."

"Then I pledge myself to you for the rest of my life."

She brushed the hair back from his face. "I accept that pledge . . . and that’s the best one I’ve heard this day. Now come feed me. You’ve made me terribly hungry."

Acheron slid himself up her body and offered her his neck. At the twinge of pain, he remembered Styxx laying the brand over his skin.

Hissing, he pulled back instinctively. He felt his flesh tear as blood flowed freely from the wound. He tried to cover it, but the blood spurted between his fingers, coating them and staining the white linens under him.

Artemis sucked her breath in sharply as she realized what Acheron had done. His blood covered them both. She grabbed his neck and held him close while she healed the wound. He trembled against her.

"You should never do that, Acheron."

Now he’d be too weak for her. She bit back her anger. Normally she’d have punished him, but he’d been through enough. Cleaning him up, she laid him back against her bed to let him rest.

He tried to stay awake, but his eyes finally fluttered closed. Artemis stared at his nak*d beauty on her bed. His legs and arms were so long and graceful, so incredibly well formed. His stomach muscles were cut so deep that they looked chiseled. And as she remembered the way he’d made love to her, she grew hot all over again.

"You should always touch me like that."

If only he could hear her.

She reached to brush her hand through his hair and the instant her hand made contact, his hair turned jet black. She jerked back and watched as blue marbled itself over his skin.

Terrified, she scrambled from the bed. The number twenty-one wrote itself down his spine before the color faded and he returned to his normal state.

She frowned in confusion. Was this a reaction from her gift or her feeding from him? She’d never fed from a human before. Did they all do this?

Again she heard him whispering in Atlantean.

"It wasn’t a happy anniversary. I want to come home now."

"Acheron?" She approached him slowly before she shook him awake.

He opened his eyes. Instead of silver, they were so black she couldn’t even see the pupils. Then his eyes fluttered shut and he returned to sleep.

That was not normal. "What are you, Acheron?"

Every god power she possessed said he was human. But this wasn’t typical of that species.

"Artemis!"

She jerked back and dressed herself as she heard Apollo’s shout. Leaving Acheron to sleep in her bed, she materialized in the center of her greeting room where her brother stood with an angry sneer on his face.

"Is something wrong?"

"I. Need. Food."

She folded her arms over her chest. "Why are you so angry about it?"

"I wanted my human, but she’s pregnant and can’t suffer it."

"You have others."

"I don’t want them." He grabbed her. The moment he did, he paused then smelled her hair. "You’ve been with a man?"

Her heart faltered. Unwilling to betray Acheron, she slapped Apollo’s hand. "Why would you say such a thing?"

"There’s a foreign scent on you. And it’s masculine."

She rolled her eyes to cover the fear inside her. "I’ve been with humans all day, accepting their offerings. I must reek of their stench."

He fisted his hand in her hair. Artemis grimaced, finally understanding why Acheron found the gesture so offensive. Apollo wiped his finger behind her ear, then studied the digit. "Blood? Have you fed on another?"

She steeled herself and met his gaze levelly. "I didn’t know when you’d be back and I was hungry."

His eyes sharpened. "Have you found yourself a male pet?"

She clawed at the hand he held in her hair. "You’re my little brother, not my lover. Now release me or feel the full measure of my wrath."

He shoved her back. "You’d best remember who I am and who you are, sister." He curled his lip as if she suddenly disgusted him. "I’d rather feed from a servant."

Artemis didn’t take another breath until he was gone. Her entire body was quaking from fear of his wrath.

The door to her room opened. She turned to see Acheron staring at her. He leaned against the door with one arm braced. The mixture of power and weakness was compelling. "I would fight him for you but for the dishonor you’d suffer."

Her heart was warmed by the thought. "You can never fight him, Acheron. You have no power to fight a god. He’d kill you and not blink." She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arm about his lean waist. "Come, my sweet. You need to rest."

But as she returned him to bed, the fear inside her built. Should Apollo ever learn about Acheron, no power on Olympus would be able to save his life.

August 25, 9528 BC

Acheron lay in his bed, missing Artemis. Holding her ring over his heart, he smiled at the memory of her last night. Over the past weeks she’d been so kind and giving to him. No one, not even his sister, had ever been more thoughtful.

Closing his eyes, he could see her running toward him in her garden, laughing. They spent hours hunting, in shooting practice or just lying together in her garden while he played for her and she read to him.

How he wished they could stay like that.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t have the stain on her reputation and he understood it even though he hated it.

A knock sounded on his door.

Rolling over, he saw Ryssa push the door open. She closed the door carefully before rushing to him. She was amazingly agile given her distended stomach. "Are you coming?"

Now there was a question he wasn’t used to hearing from his sister. "Where?"

"To Artemis’s temple?"

Again, not a question he was used to hearing. "What are you talking about?"

"This is her feast day. There will be games and offerings in her temple all day long. Father’s already sent his offering and is overseeing the others, but I thought you might be going too."

Not with his father. Was she insane? He’d been making it a point to avoid any contact whatsoever with him or Styxx.

Acheron shook his head. "I don’t think I should."

She gaped at him. "Are you mad? Don’t you think Artemis would be offended if someone close to her didn’t show her his respect?"

Acheron frowned. Would she? Artemis could be temperamental that way.

I’ll be in the temple all day, but I shall see you afterward. I wish I didn’t have to wait so long to see you.

Could that have been a veiled invitation?

No, Artie was anything but subtle.

"I don’t have an offering."

Ryssa shoved at his shoulder. "Make one of the heart. It won’t matter to her what it is. But you have to show your appreciation of the gods, Acheron. It’s unwise not to honor them, especially when one has been shown a degree of favoritism." She smiled at him. "Now get yourself dressed. I have to go and can’t wait for you. But I’ll watch for you at the temple-don’t be long."

Acheron didn’t move from bed until Ryssa had left him. He still wasn’t sure this was the best idea. But so long as he kept his presence veiled, there shouldn’t be any harm. He could just go, make an offering and leave.

No one, other than Artemis, would even know he’d been there. And if that would please her . . .

How could he not honor her on her feast day after all she’d given him? He wanted her to know how much he loved her. Wanted her to see that he was willing to risk his life for her.

The very thought of making her happy brought a smile to his face. Getting out of bed, he tried to think of what Artemis might enjoy. She liked to hear him play and she loved his body and blood. But those would make her angry should he make a public offering of them . . .

White rose petals-for her purity and grace. And pearls. The goddess loved pearls. She’d even taken him pearl diving.

That was it, it would make a perfect gift to show her how pure his love and admiration for her was.

He dressed quickly, then headed to the market to buy what he needed.

By noon, he was at her temple which was crowded with people. Nobles and officials had a separate entrance where their offerings were blessed by the priests. Even though he technically qualified, Acheron stayed in the common line. He didn’t want to do anything to draw attention to himself or risk angering his father who sat on a throne just right of Artemis’s statue, watching the people. Apollo, Styxx and Ryssa were with him.

Warily, Acheron kept glancing up, hoping to the gods that his father wouldn’t see him. He would make his offering quickly and be gone.

No one would know.

Keeping his face covered, he handed his gifts to the priest so that he could place them on the altar.

"What is it you ask of the goddess, paidi?"

Acheron shook his head. "Nothing, papas. I only offer her my respect and love."

The priest nodded in approval before he took the small bowl of rose petals and pearls. As Acheron stepped away, someone in the crowd shoved him and he staggered into a woman holding a baby. She cried out as she lost her balance and her grip.

Acheron froze as he realized the baby would hit the floor unless he let go of his cloak to catch it. If he did that, he’d be exposed and as close as he was to his father, there was no way he’d escape notice.

Chapter 15

But there was no choice.

He caught the infant to his chest as the mother fell. Reaching out to save herself, she grabbed his cloak and jerked it free.

Acheron winced as all attention turned to him. He’d always hated this attention and if he could, he’d make himself invisible. But there was no escaping this.

Roaring in anger, his father shot to his feet.

Sick to his stomach, Acheron helped the woman up and returned the baby to her.

She was sobbing in relief. "Thank you so much for your kindness. Bless you for saving my son."

"Take him!" his father ordered the guards.

Acheron met Ryssa’s gaze and saw his own horror mirrored in his sister’s face as the guards grabbed his arms and hauled him to their king. The thought of fighting crossed his mind, but what was the use? They were only doing what they were told. Besides the crowd around them was tight and innocent people would be hurt if he did.

He met his father’s fury without flinching.

"How dare you defile this temple!" He turned to the guards. "Lock him in his quarters until I’m finished here."

Acheron smirked. Such a sweet promise from the lips of his father. He couldn’t wait until nightfall.

For the first time, Acheron looked at Apollo whose derision for him was tangible. If the god only knew the truth . . .

Drawing a ragged breath, he watched the priests remove his offering from the altar as he was hauled from the temple.

Artemis looked up from her kithara as Apollo manifested in her greeting room. She’d been trying to play it the way Acheron did, but she had no talent for music. Her frustration was already taut and her brother’s presence did little to alleviate that. "What are you doing here?"

He smirked. "Why weren’t you at Didymos today?"

"You said you were going in my stead. I didn’t see the point in both of us being there." But the truth was she didn’t want to be around Acheron’s family. They all disgusted her. Had she gone, Styxx would have had a lot more than just a stomach illness visited on him. Of course that might alert her brother about her feelings for Acheron so she thought it best that she just stay away from them. "Why? Did I miss something?"