Of Gods and Wolves (30 page)

“Okay boys,” I smiled humorlessly as I settled into a fighting stance. “Who wants to be first?”

They watched me hungrily like, well, like lions hunting antelope. Or men watching strippers. Either way, it didn’t bode well. Fucked to death. I looked around at the wide chests and gorgeous faces. What a way to go. I chuckled a little at the horrifying ridiculousness of my life, which seemed to make the men even more cautious.

“Don’t be afraid,” a dark haired one said gently. “We’ll be careful with you. We won’t hurt you.”

“
My body won’t be able to handle all of you,” my smile twisted, “no matter how careful you are.” I couldn’t believe I was having a pre-rape polite conversation. My hands started to shake.

“
We won’t all take you today,” he reached out a hand and I promptly slapped it away. “It could be enjoyable if you let it.”

“
Sure, honey,” I laughed. “One on one with you would be great, no doubt, but being gang banged is not on my top ten list of things to do before I die… or
how
to die.” There was a shuffling among them and they pressed in a little closer. “Look, I appreciate that it’s be awhile for some of you but come on, I went five years once and I wasn’t even remotely thinking about raping anyone.”

“
I’m sorry, Godhunter,” the black-haired one lowered his face, shame heating his cheeks. “We never get to be with any woman but her. Even then, it’s only when the mood strikes her and her idea of making love is not always pleasant. It’s been so long since I’ve even touched a woman and, well… we’re all really just animals at heart.”

The men around him rumbled in agreement.

“That sucks,” I nodded, “and believe me, I’d love to help you out but I’ve got a really jealous boyfriend and I don’t think he’d go for it.”

“
The Wolf Prince isn’t here,” Mr. black-hair moved forward so fast, I barely saw it. I was on the floor in a second, legs spread with the lion between them. “Please,” he whispered as he kissed my neck. It might have felt pretty good if I hadn’t been rigid with rage. Fear mixed with adrenaline was one hell of a mood breaker… even with a hard appendage placed strategically against me.

“
Get off her, Aidan,” Darius’ voice flowed over us like cold water, shocking to Aidan but a cool relief to me.

“
Wait your turn,” Aidan growled over his shoulder before returning his attentions to my cleavage. A moment later he was hanging mid-air, in Darius’ grip. “What the fuck, D? The Goddess told us to, even if I didn’t want to fuck her, I still have to.”

“
Don’t use that as an excuse to become a rapist,” Darius put Aidan down gently. “We don’t have to behave like animals just because she made us into them. We’re still men.”

“
Maybe
you
are,” a large man with a shaved head pushed forward, “but I’m past acting human. I’m Intare and I just got an order from my Tima. An order I fully intend to make use of since it’s rare that her demands give
me
any pleasure.”

The other men pressed in closer, nodding and muttering encouragement to Baldie. I saw LL standing off to the side, arms crossed and face filled with disapproval. I felt awful about kicking his knee when I saw that. Sure he was standing on the side, not helping defend me in the least, but he wasn’t actively plotting my rape either.

I stood up and set my back to the wall, scanning the men and looking for any possible escape routes. I was just about to make a break for it when the crowd lurched forward and Darius shimmered out of focus. His form blurred and was replaced by a lion. A really big lion. He roared and I was tempted to cover my ears, the strength of it left my head a little numb.

The men backed up, eying him warily and each other in confusion. They outnumbered him, like eighty to one, but they were afraid to go up against him. I was impressed.

He stalked back and forth in front of me, low sounds of menace coming from him. Then he turned toward me and it was all I could do to not drop into a battle stance.

He padded over and rubbed his body along mine as he circled me once. The sexy sensation of warm fur stroking my arm was actually soothing. It was almost as soothing as the sight of him dropping to the ground in front of me to lie there casually, as if it was something he did every day. Good kitty.

Another shimmer heralded the change of a possible adversary but Darius barely twitched. It wasn’t till the lion got within range that he finally reacted, swiping at the other beast almost playfully. The challenger yelped and backed away, melting into the wall of men.

I sat down behind my defender and watched the man-tide recede. His big, lion head turned slowly to look at me and I felt my heart speed up under his glowing gaze. Thick muscles moved beneath golden fur, reminding me of the way they had moved beneath his skin earlier, just as striking but in a completely different way. He was magnificent and terrifying.

“Thanks,” I said, feeling like it was completely inadequate.

I would swear he smiled but I wouldn’t know a lion’s smile from a bear’s grimace so I couldn’t be sure. He did however, nudge his head into my stomach in a distinctly friendly manner. I stoked the thick mane of hair around his face and was shocked at how silky it was. Not like I'd had a lot of experience touching lions before but I always thought their manes would be coarse. I was even more shocked when he laid his head in my lap, coiling his body around me protectively.

“Um, okay,” He’d saved me from certain rape. If he wanted a little scratch behind the ears and a cuddle, it was a small enough price to pay. I continued to stroke his mane and his claws began to knead the thick tan carpeting while a rumbling sound vibrated out of his chest. Strange, lions weren't supposed to be able to purr. Silky manes and purring, I guess magic lions were different.

“
Nicely done,” LL strode through the men, who had drawn back and were amusing themselves with the pool table and video games sprinkled around the room. I'd failed to notice all the other sources of entertainment in my preoccupation with potential rape scenarios.

Darius lifted his head, sniffed, and nodded before dropping it back into my lap. I grunted from the weight, a lion’s head is heavy. LL sat down next to us and surveyed the room like a weathered soldier. The lions, or Intare as they evidently called themselves, were all trying to look at ease and completely unaware that I was still there.

They sucked at it.

“
You gonna guard her all night?” LL leaned back on one arm and Darius huffed. I assumed that was a yes because LL nodded. Oh hell, I’d had enough with calling him that.

“
What’s your name?” I glanced at him before going back to watching the others.

He hesitated a second too long, so I looked back at him again. Flashing, sharp eyes met mine with confused surprise. “Fallon,” he said finally. “Sorry, it’s just been a long time since someone asked me that.”

“Don’t get out a lot, huh?” I went back to my guard duty.

“
The only time we leave is when the Goddess takes us out,” he shrugged, “usually it involves hurting someone. We don’t get to socialize much and when she does bring someone here, they couldn’t care less about us. We’re scenery, bodyguards, or even worse… toys.”

“
Well at least you’re not bitter,” I smiled sympathetically and he laughed.

“
I’ve forgotten how wonderful women can be,” his eyes crinkled at the corners as he looked at me.

“
Naw, it’s not women, just me,” I flipped my hair over my shoulder dramatically. “I’m fabulous… and modest too.”

Fallon laughed hard enough to lose balance and fall back. The rest of the men looked over, shock evident in their stances. I saw Aidan lose interest in his pool game as he stared at us. He threw his cue on the table and wandered over cautiously. Fallon and I watched but Darius rumbled out a low warning before the black-haired eye-candy got too close.

“I just want to talk to her,” Aidan got down on the floor and crept forward on his hands and knees. “You’re lying in her lap but I can’t talk to her?” Darius lifted his head off my lap to give me a look that clearly said it was up to me.

“
Have a seat,” I waved to a spot on my left, opposite Fallon. Darius immediately lowered his head back to my lap.

Surprisingly, I didn’t hold a grudge against Aidan. In fact, the love and sex magics were swirling together in excitement now that mass rape had been avoided. My magic wanted to reach out and touch those boys, help them, save them. I frowned at that thought but it was true, they needed saving. Too bad I couldn’t save them without their help. All Nyavirezi had to do was order them to attack me and I was done for, they couldn’t refuse her. What had Darius said about that?

“Fallon,” I turned back to him. “What did Darius mean when he said Nyavirezi could destroy you?”

“
It’s one of her powers,” Fallon frowned. “You know nothing of us then?”

  “
I didn’t even know you guys existed until today.” I shrugged, “Sorry.”

“
It doesn’t matter,” LL, I mean Fallon, waved it away. “The Goddess changed us into lion shifters through her magic but it's still her magic and we're tired to her by it. Through that link she can kill us without so much as lifting a finger. We’d rise up against her if not for that. She cares nothing for us, only for what protection we can give her… or pleasure. We’re no better than slaves.”

“
So let’s take her down,” I whispered.

“
By take her down, you mean?” Aidan cocked his head and crept in closer.

“
I mean kill her.”

“Why didn’t you just gang up on Darius?”

It had been two hours since we’d decided to kill Nyavirezi and Fallon was still out talking to the others, recruiting, for lack of a better term. Aidan had done his fair share of recruitment as well and there were a good number of men in our circle.

“It’s a lion thing,” Jared, one of the new recruits, answered. I heard a lilt of an Irish accent beneath his words. It went perfectly with his shaggy red hair and green eyes. “Darius established dominance so we let him win the argument. That’s how it works. Otherwise we’d be killing each other all the time over petty squabbles.”

“
That sounds pretty humane for being a lion thing,” I smiled at the redhead. In my opinion, redheads are either ugly or exceptionally good looking, no in between. Example A. Carrot Top or Eric Stoltz. Guess which one Jared was.

“
Humane,” Jared laughed, “when have you ever heard of animals polluting their environments or torturing each other for fun? I’d rather be compared to an animal than a human any day.”

“
Ah, a philosopher,” I shifted so I could lean back against Darius. A lion makes a very comfortable back rest. Warm, fuzzy, and a nice vibration when they purr. Well, at least magic lions. If you can find one, I highly recommend it. “I think I have to agree with you there. Isn't it wonderful to have a door into both worlds.”

“
You don’t think we’re monsters?” A dark-haired man with a thick British accent pushed through the growing crowd. He stared at me intensely and when I looked around, I realized everyone had stopped to listen to my answer.

“
No,” I said firmly. “How could this be monstrous?” I waved my hand at Darius. “It’d be like saying the ocean is monstrous or the fish that swim in it.”

“
Those things are natural,” Fallon came back and took a seat beside me, “we are not.”

The rest of them sat as well and I was able to see that the whole room of men had been brought over. My heart raced, step one complete. This was my chance to win over the Intare. I had to be careful about what I said in the next few hours and that frightened me to no end. I had no filter. Things went straight from my brain and out of my mouth. For once in my life I was going to have to think before I spoke. I opened my mouth, then closed it again and rethought my words.

“Oh fuck it,” I shook my head and I got a few chuckles for that one. “I’m not very good at the whole profound speaking thing, so I’m just going to tell it like I see it.”

“
And how do you see us, Godhunter?” It was the bald guy who had tried to get a piece of me earlier. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. So no pressure there.

“
I see a brotherhood,” I looked around at the men standing side by side, “a family. I see respect and love.”

“
We do try to be a family,” the thick silence was finally broken by Aidan, “but it's hard when there's only men. We're not a real pride. We're reversed.”

“
Excuse me?” Reversed? They all looked pretty straight to me but you never know, sometimes my gaydar goes on the fritz.

“
Do you know anything about lions?” Fallon spoke softly from my right.

“
A little,” I shrugged.

“
Do you know how many lions are in a pride?”

“
Is this a trick question?”

“
No,” Fallon gave a quick laugh. “Lions as opposed to lionesses. Do you know how many males there are in a pride?”

“
Oh,” I thought hard, “one, unless there are babies. The rest are females right?”

“
Bravo,” Aidan smiled at me. “Now look around you.”

“
I see,” I nodded, what else could I say? “So do the lions in you rebel at this reversal?”

“
No, quite the opposite,” Fallon answered for everyone. “That’s why this is so monstrous. The lions inside us are drawn to their Goddess, ecstatic when she shows us favor, but the part of us that is human, rebels. We’re humiliated by her treatment of us and horrified by what she’s made us into. We
are
monsters, Vervain.”

I blinked hard. There was this ridiculous stinging in my eyes. These guys were going to rape me and now I what? Pitied them? Admired them? Wanted to comfort them? Yep, I guess I did. I guess sometimes life isn't about living, it's about surviving, and that's all these men had been doing for a long time. They'd been doing so much surviving that they'd forgotten what it was like to live.

“No,” I took a deep breath. “I’ve seen monsters and you’re not them. You’re men born of magic and magic is of the earth, of nature. So you
are
natural. Does the bird worry that flight is magical and therefore monstrous? No, it simply flies. You're like a flock of birds, staring at the sky, knowing it's where you belong but hating yourselves for it. That's what I find unnatural. You say you’re monsters who once were men. I say you’re men, enslaved by a monster. You’re melded with a beast, and not just any, but the king of them all. Inside, you have all the instincts of a lion tempered with all the knowledge of a man. A perfect blending that is miraculous not monstrous. It's just that no one's ever taught you how to fly.”

“
You’re wrong, Vervain,” Fallon’s jaws clenched and he swallowed hard. “You’re very good at speaking profoundly.”

Everywhere I looked, eyes stared at me intensely, haunted with horrors I couldn’t even begin to guess at. The Intare were like abused children, turning hopeful stares to kindness but not knowing quite yet what to do with it… and afraid it wouldn’t last. The love magic fluttered its butterfly wings inside me and whispered to me of how great those men could be with the proper support, with the right woman to heal them and give them back their wings.

And I wanted to be that woman. I looked out over all those faces and felt Aphrodite’s old magic expand, filling every part of me with purpose. It didn't matter how I'd come to be there, I was glad for it. If I died in the morning, it would be worth the chance of helping these men escape. Though I had no plans on dying. I fully intended on killing that horrid bitch and making her pay for every hurt I saw in their eyes.

Those eyes were focused on me and it seemed that I could feel their hearts beating in unison. A primitive drumbeat, urging me on. The butterflies were flapping wildly within me, desperately wanting to be unleashed and I finally set them free, not knowing how my magic could possibly handle so many hearts but hoping it could. With a jolt, I felt it connect to every heart within the room and I was immediately assailed by terrifying images of torture and abuse.

I started to shake and then, when it got to be too much, I began to scream. I felt the men reaching out to me but I held out my hands to stop them and then covered my head with my arms. I couldn't witness this much trauma, it was going to tear my mind to pieces. I began to breathe deeply and slowly, trying to sink into the meditative state that Teharon had taught me.

Finally, I felt calm enough to construct a barrier against the images that were assaulting me from all those haunted hearts. When it fell into place, I was able to take a deep breath and push the magic further, encourage it to take those horrible memories and destroy the power they had over those men.

My mind filled with white as the magic fulfilled my wishes in one sudden rush, amazing me with its power. The Intare let out startled sounds and then, like puppets cut from their strings, they all dropped to the ground as one.

I let the barrier down as the love magic flew home to me and I caught glimpses of freshly healed hearts. The memories were still there but they held no sway over the Intare, not after I'd shown them how magnificent they truly were. Now their hearts beat with confidence, courage, and determination. They would never be made to feel that way again.

I thanked my magic for its hard work and felt a light, giggling response. I got the impression that it was happiest when it was being used, the more hearts I could give it, the stronger it would get. My own heart felt lighter, having given the lions some measure of comfort, but my mind was quickly remembering the awful things I'd seen in their memories and that calm was turning to rage.

I got to my feet and met their stares boldly.

“Nyavirezi was given a gift, the ability to meld man with beast, to bring together the best of both and create a supernatural being of power and instinct, tempered by logic and honor. Yet all of you were filled with self-loathing and fear of your creator. I saw the things she did to you, the things she made you do. They were horrifying and truly evil but these things are not you. I know you can see that now, you can see what kind of men you really are. You no longer need me to tell you how I see you, as if my perception is more important than the truth that lies inside yourself. You feel this truth now but despite that, I will tell you what I see. I see beautiful, fierce, honorable men who should never have to  question their humanity again. Be the man! Be the beast! Take them both and glory in them, for you are Intare!”

A roar of liberation thundered through the room, mixed with cheering, shouting, and applause. Darius had jumped to his feet and was roaring the loudest, one forepaw clawing the air as if Nyavirezi was standing before him ready to be gutted. There were handshakes and back slaps, shouts of joy and tears flowing freely. I had never seen anything so powerfully emotional in all my life. My own cheeks were wet from the tears I hadn't realized I was crying. I felt the love magic rise up again in response, glimmering down the silken threads that bound us together, making us stronger.

“Forget profound,” Fallon came over and took my hands in his. “You're fucking amazing. What the hell was that? I feel like a new man, like every horrible thing that had been weighing me down is now suddenly gone.”

“
It's magic, baby,” I winked at him and then suddenly yawned. Fallon laughed and then turned to address the men.

“
Allright everyone, come on, we've got some planing to do.” He gestured them towards the other side of the room before turning back and saying to me, “Get some sleep. Darius will stay with you.”

Darius huffed and nudged his head into my back before settling down on the floor. Looked like I'd be sleeping on lion fur. Fine by me, Darius looked more comfortable than the carpet.

“You sure you don't need me to help with the planing?” I eyed the wild gestures and eager faces across the room.

“
You've done more than enough,” Fallon smiled and pushed me gently down. “I feel like I can take on the world, that bitch doesn't stand a chance. We'll brief you in the morning. Now sleep well, Vervain. You're safe tonight.”

Soon I was surrounded by sleeping lion. I'm not really sure why Darius remained in his lion form, even after all the men had joined us. Maybe it took a lot out of him to change. Maybe he just liked being a lion. Or maybe he thought I'd be more comfortable with him to sleep on. Whatever the reason, I was grateful for it.

I laid my head down on Darius’ paw and his body curled around me, warming me better than a blanket. The last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep was the steady beating of Darius’ heart. His lion heart.