Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

Acheron's pain that had made him fall today.

Banging his head against the stone, Styxx wished himself dead. Why hadn't his mother killed him last year? Why?

But no matter how hard he prayed, the gods refused to take mercy on him. Prince or not, his sole purpose in this life was to suffer and to bleed.

And he was sick of it.

Please, gods ... please someone help me!

June 22, 9535 BC

"Apollo?" Dionysus popped into his brother's open golden temple on Olympus to stand in front of him. "I know how much you love things of great beauty so I must show you this." He flashed out of the room.

Sighing in deep aggravation, Apollo set aside the lyre he'd been strumming when his half brother Dionysus had decided to annoy him. "Where are you, Dion? I have no intention of playing this game."

With short dark brown hair, Dionysus returned to stand in front of him. "Don't take that tone with me, brother. Trust me. You want to see what I have in my Didymosian temple."

This time, Apollo followed, and drew up short as he saw the beautiful young man someone had thoughtfully chained to the wall. Even with his hair sheared off, the boy had features that appeared to have been chiseled by the gods themselves. Never had he seen such handsomeness in the mortal realm.

"Is he part god?"

Dionysus shook his head. "Purely human. But look at those amazing eyes. Couldn't you stare at them forever?"

Truly. They were a perfect, riveting blue. The same intense blue of the Aegean that Apollo had always favored.

The young man's condition, however, was deplorable. "Why is he tied and bleeding?"

Dionysus took a deep drink of his wine then passed the kylix over to Apollo. "The idiots think I've possessed him."

"Have you?"

"No, but I was thinking you might want to." Dionysus gave him a lecherous grin.

Smiling, Apollo swallowed his drink before he returned the cup and approached the human male. It was quite true that he was attracted to any beautiful human, male or female. They each had their advantages and fun.

And even scarred by the priests, this one was still well beyond the beauty of any Apollo had seen in a long time.

Dionysus moved to stand next to him. "I know he's still a bit young, but-"

"He's the age of Ganymede." Like this one, Ganymede had been born a human mortal. A prince of Troy. His flawless beauty had attracted Zeus, who'd brought him to Olympus to serve as their cupbearer ... among other things. Yet Ganymede was nowhere near as handsome as this boy. Even bleeding and in need of a bath, he made Apollo's mouth water for a taste of that golden skin. And those lips ... Full and perfect, they'd been made for kissing.

Dionysus moved to the opposite side of the boy. "He's the prince and heir to Didymos. I figured if nothing else, we could tag him for later use."

Apollo snorted. "Tag him? Dear brother, I want to nail him."

Dionysus slid his gaze down the prince's body. "He does have the nicest ass you'll ever see, and the priests were kind enough to secure his important parts from harm." He drained his kylix. "And you'll be happy to know he's hung like a god.... Should I leave you two alone?"

"Unless you wish to watch."

Dionysus arched a curious brow. "Will you share?"

* * *

Styxx scowled as the air around him stirred. One second he was alone. In the next, there were two men in the room with him. Tall and dark-haired, they were clean-shaven and dressed as noblemen and not priests.

"Do you know who we are, prince?" the one on his right asked.

Unable to speak past his raw and sore throat, Styxx shook his head.

"You should. You've been summoning us for quite some time now."

Gods? Styxx tried to say the word, but nothing came out.

The one on his right leaned in to whisper intimately. "Have you a name?"

It took him several heartbeats to muster a sound. "Styxx." It came out as a hoarse croak.

"So, Styxx," the other one said, leaning in on his left side. He ran his hand down Styxx's chest, raising chills all over him. "You've been calling out to all the gods on Olympus for rescue.... Would you like us to free you?"

Desperate to be away from the torture, he nodded.

The other god began stroking his undamaged nipple. Licking his lips, he smiled down at Styxx. "For every favor you're granted, young prince, you have to give us something. But you don't appear to have anything to offer ... other than yourself." The god covered Styxx's lips with his own and kissed him passionately.

Crying out, Styxx turned his head away and did his best to get free.

The other god tsked at him. "Would you really rather be tortured than to have us free you?" It was his turn to kiss him.

Styxx gagged.

Offended, the god pulled back to glare at him. "Now that was just rude." He jerked the linen off Styxx's hips, leaving him completely naked.

Terror consumed him at what they intended. "Please don't," he breathed.

The one who'd exposed him slid his gaze to the other. "Rape is your thing, not mine. Although, at the moment, I can see the appeal. Still..." He returned his attention to Styxx. "Your last chance, dearest. Who would you rather have play with this luscious body of yours? Me or the priests?"

Styxx glared at him and answered without hesitation. "The priests."

"Very well. You have chosen." He handed the cloth to the other god. "Troo to peridromo." Eat a bellyful....

Then he vanished.

Apollo bit his lip again as he ran his gaze down the length of the prince's bare body. He let it linger at the hipbone ... one of his favorite things to nibble. "You would really rather be tortured than spend a day in my bed?"

The prince nodded vigorously.

Offended, Apollo sighed. "I should warn you. Bad things happen to those who deny me." He pressed his body against the full length of the prince then buried his lips against his neck.

Styxx fought him like a lion.

Too bad. "Fine then, human. If I can't toy with you one way, I'll have you another."

Styxx's eyes widened as he saw the god's canine teeth elongate into a set of sharp fangs. The god lowered his head so that he could bite Styxx's jugular. Pain tore through him like fire. He would have cried out, but no sound came as the god drank from his blood. The room spun as wave after wave of dizziness consumed him.

Time hung still as Styxx felt his willpower drain out.