CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Achilles studied Kat’s expressive brown eyes while he waited for her to answer him. He could feel the increase of his breathing and heartbeat, but both were always elevated when he trained, and the berserker never possessed him then. I don’t need him then. I don’t need him now, he repeated silently to himself.
“Yes, Achilles, make love to me.”
Her words speared through him. “You’re not afraid?” he said.
“Of course not. As long as you’re here, I’m safe.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her close against him, inhaling the clean, wet scent of her hair and feeling the slight dampness of her skin. By all the gods he would not let her trust in him be misplaced! He wasn’t a callow boy anymore. This would not end as his first love had.
Achilles kissed her, reminding himself to move slowly, to stay in control. She opened her mouth and his tongue met hers in a sweet, exploratory dance. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she leaned into him, causing the blanket to fall free from her body.
She froze, midkiss. With steady, deliberate moves, Achilles leaned back so that he could see her naked body. He held very still while he looked at her, and then reached out and ran his hands in a long caress from her neck, down over her breasts, the curve of her waist, all the way over hips and thigh. Then his eyes met hers again.
“You are exquisite,” he said reverently.
Kat smiled then, and Achilles saw the future in her eyes—his future. The one he’d stopped dreaming about, stopped believing in. She had brought it back to him as a true possibility. He didn’t know what wonderful thing he’d done to cause the goddesses to bless him with this woman who was such a miraculous gift, but he silently promised them that if they gave him a lifetime with her, he and his children, and his children’s children would honor them always.
Achilles slid his hands around her waist and took her into his arms again, kissing her deeply and letting his hands smooth over the impossibly soft skin of her back, down to her lovely ass. He cupped it, pressing her more firmly against the erection that throbbed taut and heavy between his legs. Her hips moved in response and an enticing memory of their first encounter filled his mind and he remembered how her hot slickness had felt gliding up and down against his shaft.
A wave of desire crashed over Achilles, drowning in its intensity and he struggled to hold onto his control as he felt the searing, red hot intensity of the berserker lick against his lust-fevered skin.
“Open your eyes, Achilles. Look at me.”
Kat’s sweet voice was cool relief against the fire in his mind. He opened his eyes and met her gaze. The berserker threatened. He knew she had to see his shadow lurking, ready to possess, to smother and repress all of his humanity. Yet she didn’t show any fear. Her smile was confident. She didn’t pull out of his arms and she didn’t open the locket and call for her goddess’s rescue.
“You’re not going to leave me,” she said in that calm, beautiful voice. “You’re going to stay here with me. You’re going to keep me safe.”
“Yes,” Achilles murmured, kissing her gently. “I will keep you safe.” He reached within himself and found his inner core—that part of himself that was the seat of his spirit—and Achilles centered himself there. “This passion is different than what I need for war.” He hadn’t realized he’d spoken the thought aloud until she answered him.
“Yes! What you need to love me doesn’t destroy.”
“Instead it builds,” he said.
Looking into her eyes he shifted her body so that she lay beneath him. Achilles lifted himself on one elbow so that he could continue to keep his gaze on hers as his hand cupped her breast, rubbing the hardening nipple against his callused palm. Her full lips parted as her breathing increased. When his hand moved down to the slick cleft between her legs, Kat moaned and arched her hips to meet him. She put her hand over his, guiding him, teaching him how to please her, and even when she shuddered in climax she still stared into his eyes.
Before the tremors of release had left her body he raised himself and slowly sheathed his throbbing cock within her tight heat.
“Stay with me, Achilles. Don’t leave me,” she whispered.
“I won’t ever leave you,” he said, his voice deep and rough with the effort it took to maintain control. He lifted his hips, gliding almost all of the way out of her and then he tunneled within her again, harder this time.
“Achilles.” Kat breathed his name.
He stroked himself within her.
“Achilles.” She moaned.
He thrust into her.
“Achilles…”
It was as if she surrounded him completely. His body. His soul.
Anchoring him, not just to her, but to sanity and to his humanity. When he finally found his release it was her name on his lips, and her face in his eyes. And his soul was his own.
Achilles and Kat got back to the Myrmidon camp as the sun was setting. Walking hand in hand and talking easily together, they reached the illumination of the campfire. Kat watched Aetnia’s eyes widen when Achilles tossed the empty basket at her feet and said, “Thank you. That was well packed.” Then, while everyone stared at them openmouthed, Achilles kissed her soundly and said, “I’ll be back after I’ve spoken with Patroklos.” And he walked off, looking incredibly pleased with himself.
“Excuse me? Did he just say thank you?” Jacky popped up from where she was lounging beside the fire.
“I don’t know why good manners surprise you so much,” Kat said, plopping down beside her. “Ah, crap. I need a goblet of—”
“Wine, my princess?”
Kat looked up, grinned at the girl, and took the goblet she offered. “Aetnia, you’re a mind reader.”
“And I’ll take some more, too,” Jacky said. Aetnia hesitated, glanced at Kat, who nodded quickly, and then filled Jacky’s goblet, even though her hand was shaking. “Thank you ever so, Aetnia,” Jacky said with exaggerated kindness.
“Be nice,” Kat whispered.
“Oh, boo!” Jacky stomped at Aetnia, who scuttled around to the other side of the fire.
“Must you tease her?”
“For your information she is a hateful hag when you’re gone. This whole ‘my princess this’ and ‘my princess that’ is a big act. When you’re not here she slithers around committing major gossip with those women who give you weird looks all the time. Somethin’s up with that girl. I may have to kick her scrawny white ass.”
“Uh, Jacky. Please recall that at this moment your ass is also white and scrawny.”
“Yes, but I have been eating steadily and I’m determined to change that.”
“Well, go on about your business,” Kat said.
“To big asses,” Jacky said, raising her goblet.
“To your big future ass,” Kat said, clicking her goblet against Jacky’s.
Jacky took a long drink then raised her brow at Kat. “All right. Details.”
Kat scooted over closer to her and lowered her voice. “We had sex.”
“Good god, you put the boy under again? And I mean that figuratively as well as literally.”
“No. He was perfectly in control of all of his faculties.”
“Not unconscious and thinkin’ he was dreaming?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Are you tellin’ me today you two had aware-we’re-having-sex sex, versus the semiconscious-almost-rape sex you had those other two nights?”
“I did not rape him.”
“And I say whatever to your semantics. Just answer the question.”
“Yes. We had totally aware—totally-all-there-sex sex.”
“You are grinning like a fool, so it must have been good.”
“It was utterly delicious,” Kat said.
“And he controlled the berserker?”
“Well, actually, it was more like he controlled himself so the berserker didn’t possess him.”
Jacky sipped her wine and stared into the fire.
“All right. What is it?” Kat said.
“I’m just a little concerned that he didn’t control the berserker.”
“But what difference does it make? He controlled the thing not possessing him, isn’t that the point?”
“Kinda. I imagine it makes a big difference if you’re ever around him when he is possessed,” Jacky said.
“Maybe I won’t be. When this war is over he’s going home—to a peaceful life. If he’s never in battle again, the berserker may never come on him again.”
“So, in other words, your theory is that you’re gonna ignore it and hope it goes away.”
“No, not exactly.”
Jacky rolled her eyes.
Kat frowned at Jacky. “Okay, maybe.”
“Well, let’s hope your theory is more successful with berserker possession than it is with, oh, say, pregnancy.”
“Achilles will be fine,” Kat said firmly.
They both stared into the fire and sipped their wine.
“You’re staying with him, aren’t you?” Jacky finally asked.
“Yes.” She looked at her best friend. “What are you going to do?”
Jacky sighed. “Sadly, it appears that I’m going to spend the rest of my life white.”
Laughing, Kat put her arm around Jacky. “Well, we can try to tan you up. Would that make it better?”
“Hell no! I am not one of those white girls who bakes her skin in the sun and then looks like fucking beef jerky when she hits forty. I have entirely too much sense for that. How many times have I yelled at you to keep your light ass out of the sun?”
“Too many to begin to count.”
“That’s right. I have more damn sense than that,” she repeated. “You know what white girls lying out in the sun remind me of?”
“Turkeys drowning in the rain ’cause they’re too stupid to get in out of it or swallow,” Kat said promptly.
“How did you know that?”
“Jacky, you have called me a drowning turkey only about a gazillion times.”
“Well you should bring your white ass in out the sun.”
Kat stared at her. Hard.
“What?” Jacky said.
“Your cheeks are looking pink to me. As in sunburn pink.”
“Oh, bullshit! I just have a little healthy color. That’s all.”
“And that’s how the obsession begins,” Kat said smugly.
The two women looked at each other and then dissolved into laughter.
When her giggles were under control Kat wiped her face and looked around the campfire clearing, populated by the usual group of war-prize brides who were sitting as far away from Kat and Jacky as they could get.
“Wonder what’s taking Achilles and Patroklos so long?”
“Let’s hope he’s talkin’ some sense into Patroklos’s thick skull.”
“What’s going on?” Kat asked.
“Patroklos is acting very crazy about this nonfighting situation. Apparently today Odysseus was like Superman—no one could touch him and he led his men on one hell of a charge. Word is that they could win if this keeps up.”
“They, as in the Greek they?”
“Yep.”
“Huh. Well, that’s good. I guess. The goddesses just wanted the war over. Odysseus all of a sudden being invincible makes the war over. So what’s Patroklos’s problem with it?”
“No problem ’cept he wants Achilles and the rest of the Myrmidons to join in. He says they could for sure win if that happens.”
“Oh,” Kat said softly.
“Yeah, oh.”
“Do you think I should get him to do it? Get him to fight?” Kat’s stomach clenched as she waited for her friend’s answer.
“Your boy might very well die if he keeps fighting, right?”
Kat nodded. “I don’t remember much of the stupid Iliad, but that fact is pretty hard to forget. Achilles dies in the Trojan War.”
“Then no,” Jacky said firmly. “Don’t let him fight. You just found him, and you had to go to a whole other world to be with him. It’s too soon to lose him. I know it’s too soon for me to lose Patroklos. I don’t want the fool to fight.”
“Okay, then I stick with the original plan and do what I can to keep Achilles out of it.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Let’s drink on it.”
“That sounds good, too.” They clinked their goblets together again and settled in to wait for their men.
"By the shaggy testes of satyrs you were right!” Venus paced back and forth across the inner chamber of Hera’s Mount Olympus Temple. The Queen of the Gods’ oracle swirled with images of Odysseus leading the Greeks in charge after victorious charge against the Trojans. “Athena gifted him with something more than her goddessly juices. The man is clearly invincible.”
“What did I tell you? She never takes lovers so she’s completely enamored with her human plaything,” Hera said, frowning into her oracle.
“It just proves what I’ve been saying for eons. She’s incredibly repressed and needs to loosen up. Athena should have been trysting with Odysseus on the beach for years, then this wouldn’t have been such an emotional experience for her.” Venus sighed dramatically. “And you know this means there will be absolutely no reasoning with her.”
“So we were both right. What are we going to do about it? This war needs to end. Now.”
“I really hate to say it, but I think we may as well back the Greeks. Let’s just get this thing over with,” Venus said, frowning into the oracle.
“So you’re going to command your little modern mortal to persuade Achilles to lead his Myrmidons back into battle?”
Venus hesitated, obviously not wanting to answer her queen.
“Venus! We are in agreement. You simply must be sure Achilles leads his Myrmidons into the battle.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Venus said reluctantly.
“Of course I’m right. We’ve already established that. Now let’s just be sure all of this happens very quickly, before Zeus gets wind of anything. He’s supposed to be staying neutral, which is why we’re supposed to be staying out of it, too,” Hera said.
“But we all know his weakness for the Trojans, especially for old Priam,” Venus said.
“I know, I know, Zeus started the whole thing by supporting Laomedon against Poseidon all those years ago, though he should have never backed a mortal against the Sea God, but those two are always arguing about something and Zeus is terrible about holding a grudge. I really wish he would—”
“Hera! Wife! Where are you?” Zeus’s voice thundered throughout Olympus.
Hera jumped guiltily.
Venus rolled her eyes. “He’s so demanding. And it’s really rude of him to bellow across Olympus for you.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Hera hurried to her oracle and waved a hand over it to clear the scene from Troy. “When I want him do you think he’s ever to be found? Of course not. But let him have even the smallest need for me and his great blustering voice doesn’t hesitate to search me out.”
“Perhaps I should have a word with him,” Venus offered helpfully. “You know Love has rights other immortals do not. Not even the King of Olympus is above a little marital advice.”
“No, no, no, thank you, but no. Our marriage is just fine.”
Venus looked doubtful. “Well, darling, I can tell you that you need to keep him occupied while I work my magic down there.” She made a little gesture at the now blank oracle.
“Hera!” This time Zeus’s voice was much closer.
“Yes, of course! Go. I’ll take care of things here,” Hera said.
“This will help.” Venus flicked her fingers at Hera, showering the Queen of Olympus in diamond dust that soaked into her skin.
“Wh—” Hera began, then gasped as her body flushed and her nipples instantly hardened.
“Just a little lustful present from Love to her queen.” Venus winked and then disappeared.
Body tingling, Hera rushed out of her inner chamber and ran into her husband’s imposing body.
“Zeus! Whatever are you doing sneaking up on me like that?”
“Sneaking! The Supreme Ruler of the Gods does not sneak! And why are you running about guiltily?” he asked, peering over her shoulder into the inner chamber she’d just left.
“I am not running, and I am certainly guilty of nothing. I was simply answering your summons in a timely manner, as any considerate wife would.”
Zeus snorted.
“Why are you bellowing for me and disturbing all of Olympus?” she countered.
“I could not find you. You weren’t in our throne room. Nor were you in the gardens where you usually walk at this time of day. So I called for you. I did not bellow,” he said petulantly.
“Of course you didn’t bellow,” Hera assured him, shifting her mood smoothly and smiling as she waved away the comment. “What is it you desire, my lord?”
“I’ve seen so little of you lately I thought you might enjoy accompanying me on a visit to the ancient world.”
Hera made a mental note to be much more visible to him—at least until this silly war was over. “As usual, you are so right, my love,” she said sweetly. “I have been far too busy lately with my divine duties.”
He gave a pleased little grunt. “Good. It is decided. You will accompany me to Troy. I hear rumblings that the Greeks have made sudden headway in the war—so sudden that there are rumors of divine interference, even though I have forbidden the Olympians to take an active role in the battle. So.” He held out his arm for her. “Let us visit Troy. Perhaps you and I can have an intimate lunch on the beach after I make quite certain no one has been disobeying me.”
Hera’s stomach fluttered with panic that she quickly squelched. Drawing on the dusting of lust Venus had sprinkled into her skin, she took his arm and smiled coquettishly up at Zeus, leaning her full breast and its erect nipple against his muscular arm. “I thought you called for me, my lord?”
“I did,” he said, obviously trying not to be moved by his wife’s unusually pliant attitude. “I thought we should go to Troy together—form a combined front.”
“Oh.” Hera pouted prettily, pursing her full pink lips and giving him a meaningful, sideways glance. “I thought you desired me for something more intimate than travel and official duties.”
“Well, I do, of course. As I said…” he began, and then stopped speaking as his wife lifted his hand and took his forefinger within the warm pink nest of her mouth and suckled it deeply, flicking the tip of it with her cunning tongue. “Ah, wife.” He moaned as her other hand found the hardening thunderbolt between his legs. “I have missed you, and you do please me.”
“I have just begun to please you, my lord.”
His need to travel to Troy replaced by a more immediate need, Zeus pulled his wife into his arms, and with a masterful motion transported them instantly to their bedchamber, where she did indeed please him, over and over and over…