“Let me tell you how the rest of Halo’s labors will transpire,” Erebus said, calm as he twirled the weapon in a loose grip. “A man-eating bird, a Cretan bull, and a giant flesh-eating horse. They—you—will attack Halo. You will not gain control of yourself in time. As the horse, you’ll nearly succeed in killing him.” Relish dripped from each word. “After the horse comes the Amazon, and the real fun begins. The three-bodied giant, golden apple and Cerberus. Perhaps Halo will produce stardust at some point...is what you’ll think. But he won’t. Between you and me, I believe he’ll realize he can do so much better than a power-hungry harpymph.”
Oh, that one stung. What if, what if, what if?
By strength of will, she forced the monsters to recede. “I believe we’ll surprise you.” They had to.
“You’ll never be first for Halo. In the end, he’ll go cold and kill you to save his brothers. Oh, and before I forget.” Erebus swung the dagger in a chopping motion, intending to remove her hand as warned.
Just before contact, a tattooed arm shot out, capturing his wrist. Halo! He’d flashed over.
The god blinked in bewilderment. See! A surprise. The god couldn’t predict everything.
“If you touch her again, even once, I’ll kill you.” The menace in the Astra’s tone emptied her lungs. His attention stayed fixed on Erebus, his breaths steady. Frost glazed his eyes. He had already gone cold. “How many times have you died over the centuries—and how many times did I wield the blade?”
Had any male ever radiated such confidence? And oh wow, that was sexy. Ophelia had no doubt Halo had wielded the blade every time. “I know, I know! Twenty-three.”
Erebus’s lips peeled back from his teeth. Hey. What was that popping noise? Frowning, she tilted her head and listened... Her jaw slackened. Were his bones breaking thanks to the power of Halo’s grip?
Panties—soaked.
“The rules are clear,” Erebus said. Had a thread of panic entered his tone? “Attack me and I may attack the others.”
“I’m willing to pay the price. Are you?” Now the Astra chuckled, and it was a terrifying sound, making Ophelia wetter. “You want me cold? You’ve got me cold. Are you happy with the results?”
“Kill me then,” Erebus snarled. “You’ll lose the entire task, and I’ll ascend. I’ll return as the victor.”
“Yes, but you’ll not return for days. By the time you regenerate, the Astra will be hidden and hibernating. You’ll have to wait five hundred years to challenge us again.”
Ophelia knew the Astra had lost to Erebus twice before. Knew they’d hibernated then, too. Mostly, she knew she wasn’t ready for the task to end in a disqualification.
Do something! Nothing in the rules said she couldn’t harm the god.
Wings fluttering, she knocked Halo out of the way before either male could sense her intentions, then threw her fists at Erebus, one after the other, again and again and again. Blood flung as his head whipped from side-to-side. Basically, she used his face as a punching bag. Kind of her signature move during hand-to-hand. The jackhammer.
Oh. Possible name material? Ophelia the Jackhammer?
“Yeah baby!” The pain in her knuckles barely registered. “I can do this all day.”
With a roar of fury, Erebus vanished. His phantoms followed.
A trumpet blared as soon as Ophelia and Halo were alone. The task was over and...a success?
Halo scanned her, his eyes aglow with concern and anger. “You are unharmed?”
Oh, no he didn’t. “Those are your first words to me? Seriously?” She vaulted to her feet, massively ticked off. “Did you not see me whale on a god? Where’s my thanks for the assist, Elia. The task would’ve tanked without you. Am I the only one willing to pull her weight for this team? My pheromone test was a wild success, by the way. Not that you asked.”
He eased back on his heels, appearing shell-shocked. “The nymph stays in the bedroom, except when she’s slaying males with her pheromone, and the harpy rules on the battlefield. Noted.” He breathed deeply. “Speaking of that pheromone... You told the truth before. You hadn’t used it on me.”
Okay. This was more like it. “Face it, Halo. Your female is pretty incredible.”
He slitted his eyes, his thick lashes nearly fusing. “You must never use your pheromone on another male. You merely guarantee the death of any who scent it.”
He coveted it all for himself? Mmm. Both sides of her loved the idea of that.
Motions clipped, he clasped her hand and transported her to his private bathroom. Though he touched nothing but Ophelia, hot water immediately rained from the multitude of spouts, spraying them. Steam filled the entire enclosure.
After they stripped and soaped off the trials of the labor, they gravitated to each other.
His gaze was tormented. “Need me inside you, Elia.”
A question...or a command? Both? “I do, Halo. I need you inside me so much.”