Page 7

Chapter 4

Eros

E ros awoke slowly, a strange ache pinching at his neck.

What—?

Oh, right, he was using a towel as a pillow as he’d slept on the ground, in a tent, next to?—

“Psyche?” He quickly sat up as he became aware that he was alone in the tent. Dread set in his chest for the briefest moment, but then he remembered where they were, and as Psyche had said, she was a shifter. Lying back down, he let out a huff.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d shared a bed with a woman and just slept. Perhaps never. I hope I’m not losing my touch .

Of course, while he enjoyed teasing her, it wasn’t like he was actively seducing her. Artemis had basically warned him not to sleep with her. He was pretty sure that if he even put in a small effort, he could get Psyche in his bed. But last night, she was cold, and while he loved sex and women, he wasn’t about to take advantage of someone who just needed a bit of warmth.

Sitting up, he crawled toward the opening of the tent and stuck his head out. “Psyche?” She was a few steps away, head bent down as she stared at her phone. He hauled himself up, stepped into his shoes, and trudged toward her. “Are you ready for breakfast?” She didn’t answer, so he circled around to face her. “Psyche?”

She lifted her head and the moment he saw her face, he knew something was wrong.

He’d spent so much time with her over the last few days that he could finally read some of her emotions. The revelation of her being on the spectrum had been a surprise, but it didn’t matter to him. In the thousands of years he’d lived, he’d met all kinds of mortals and creatures. Her diagnosis was just another facet of human existence. While he was no expert, he had picked up some knowledge about autism over the last few decades. It just didn’t click for him that she had it, not until she told him, and then everything about her made sense. Curious, he studied her mannerisms, her speech, and the expressions on her pretty face, trying to figure her out. She was like a puzzle and it was only through careful observation that he even began to put the pieces together.

Joy was perhaps the easiest emotion to read. Being at the camp and being surrounded by her beloved fossils, Psyche had only ever shown happiness and excitement. The look on her face, however, was the complete opposite.

“What’s wrong?”

Her little pert nose wrinkled. “I forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

“My sisters are scheduled to visit me this weekend.”

“Sisters? You have sisters?”

“Of course I do. Older sisters. Agnes is thirty, and Christine is twenty-seven.”

“So, what about them?”

“They’re headed to Alaska pack territory as we speak. My parents are sending them.” She huffed out a breath. “I know they care about me, which is why they check up on me. They used to do that back when I was in college. Usually, one of them will come, or they’ll send our Beta. But for some reason, my sisters volunteered this time.”

“So? Do you not get along with them?” Being an only child, he had no idea how sibling dynamics worked.

“It’s not that. But sometimes…sometimes I find it hard to be around them because I’m autistic. They’ll talk really fast or use idioms or make innuendos that I can’t read the meaning of. Worse is when they use sarcasm, and it’s like…they deliberately do it to confuse me.”

“Sounds like being autistic isn’t the problem.” Anger sparked in his chest. It was small, but it was there.

“They’re my sisters,” she reasoned.

“Exactly. And they’ve known about your diagnosis since the beginning, yet they still don’t make an effort to make you comfortable.” He huffed. “Even your site manager was prepared to accommodate your needs, and she barely knows you.”

“But this is work. They have to make accommodations.”

“And they’re your family, yet they act like assholes. Don’t make any excuses for them.”

She went quiet and still, except for her fingers drumming lightly on her thighs. “Can you get the car again and fly us back? I can pack up.”

“Yeah, sure.”

So, he flew back to the car rental agency in Healy and picked up the SUV again, then headed back to the site. They packed up the car with the last of their things and drove off.

The ride was awkwardly silent, and for perhaps the first time in his adult life, Eros felt doubt. Had he been wrong to judge Psyche’s sisters without meeting them first? His instinct, however, said the opposite. For one thing, Psyche wouldn’t lie or exaggerate. From what he’d learned about her, she was straightforward and never embellished.

“Wait for me in the back of the building,” he instructed as he pulled into the dealership. “I’ll talk to the rental agent.” She gave him a curt nod, then exited the car.

After parking the car and explaining to the agent that he just needed to leave it there for the weekend, he went around back to meet up with Psyche, though not before he grabbed something from the trunk. He found her in the wooded area, just behind the line of trees at the edge of the property, her back to him.

“Ready?” he asked.

She turned around. “Yeah, I—what is that?”

“What does it look like?”

Her cute nose twitched. “A fleece blanket?”

“Smart girl.” It wasn’t very big, about the size of a large towel, but it was the only thing he could find on short notice. Before she could say anything else, he wrapped it around her. “There you go.”

Wide, brown-green eyes stared up at him. “But why? And where did you get this?”

“I know you have your jacket and gloves, but this is a longer flight than usual, and I have to go higher at some points so I can navigate us safely without anyone seeing us. I thought you might get colder, so I got it for you. I picked it up in town one day.” He whipped his shirt off. “Are you ready?”

She nodded, pulling the blanket tight around her. “Yes.”

Squaring his shoulders, he unfurled his wings from his back and gave them a flick, a loud snap cracking in the air. “Let’s go then.”

The closeness of their bodies as she stepped into his arms shouldn’t have affected him. They’d done this before, and last night, they had all but cuddled all night long. Still, as her arms wound around his neck, and the curves of her body—albeit wrapped up in the fleece—pressed up against his naked torso, the familiar ache of desire curled in his belly. He shouldn’t be surprised; Psyche was pretty, and though perhaps by today’s standards, her curvy body wasn’t in vogue these days, he nonetheless thought her sexy, like those women Rubens loved to paint. The old Flemish master definitely had a type back then, and Eros could see the appeal, especially when he held such a delectable example in his arms.

“Eros?”

“Yes?”

“Are we going or not?”

The impatience in her tone was endearing. “Yes.” With a snap of his wings, they shot up, and he smiled smugly to himself as she clung to him tighter.

Though this trip was made in silence too, it wasn’t as awkward as the car ride. For the most part, Psyche seemed contented and warm enough wrapped up in the blanket.

As they approached the Alaska pack territory he slowed his flight, not seeing any reason to rush, especially if Psyche was not looking forward to seeing her sisters. He held onto her tighter, and to his surprise, she pressed her face into his bare chest, or rather, against the fleece blanket that happened to be against his chest, but it nonetheless sent his stomach into a curious swoop.

“We’re here,” he announced as they landed just outside the main lodge. Placing her on her feet, he retrieved the shirt he had tucked into the back pocket of his jeans and put it on. “Do you want to freshen up?”

She shrugged the fleece off and folded it carefully, then retrieved her phone, which buzzed continuously now that it had service. “No, they’re already?—”

“Psyche!”

“Here.” Her shoulders drooped, and her nose wrinkled.

Two figures had emerged from the door of the main lodge and were fast approaching. Psyche winced as she was ensnared in a tangle of arms and enveloped in a cloud of flowery designer perfume.

The taller one pressed a kiss to Psyche’s cheek, causing her to shiver. “I missed you so much.”

“Me too.” The shorter, younger one mirrored the kiss on the other side. “How have you been?” Stepping back, she flipped her bottle-blonde locks over her shoulder and smoothed a hand down her cashmere twinset sweater. “Artemis said you were camping. Ugh, that sounds terrible.”

The other one grabbed her shoulder and turned Psyche toward herself. “Are you sure that’s what you want? Just say the word. Dad can make one phone call to your dean?—”

“No, no, it’s fine, Agnes.” She shrugged off her sister’s hands. “I like camping, remember?”

“Well, maybe some physical exercise will do you some good.” The other one—Christine, Eros surmised—tapped a finger on her chin and looked her up and down. “I swear, if you just lost ten pounds or so, you’d look so much better.”

A burst of indignation sent Eros’s blood pressure rising. Who the hell did they think they were?

“And by the way— oh .” Christine’s head turned to Eros, pupils blowing up as her voice turned breathy. “Who’s this then?” Her red lips curled up at the corners as she devoured him with her eyes.

He didn’t need his powers to sense the lust and desire coming from her. An idea popped into his head. Flashing her his most audacious smile, he stepped forward and placed an arm around Psyche. “Eros.”

Her eyes widened. “Eros? What an interesting name.”

“And just who are you?” Agnes elbowed Christine out of the way, positioning herself toe to toe with him, her razor-sharp gaze sizing him up.

“Like I said, I’m Eros.”

“He’s a friend,” Psyche said in a quiet tone.

“Right.” He gazed down at her, giving her the most lustful stare he could manage, lingering on her lips. “Very friendly, some might say.”

Agnes’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets while Christine’s nostrils flared. “Is that so?” the older sister said.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“Oh, there you are!” Artemis emerged from the main lodge, waving as she jogged toward them. “Eros, Psyche, I’m glad you made it back okay. You must be starving. Hank prepared a delicious lunch for us in the dining area. We can all sit down and catch up. I’m sure your sisters are eager to hear about your dig site.”

Psyche’s face paled, and Eros could tell she would rather eat razor blades than be interrogated by her sisters. “Actually, Psyche is exhausted. We both are. While she may enjoy camping, I’m looking forward to a nice, soft, warm bed.” He winked at Psyche, who flashed him a confused look. “You must be exhausted from the long trip, darling. We should get you to bed.”

Agnes clucked her tongue. “But?—”

“We’ll see you later. Maybe dinner?” He didn’t bother to wait for an answer as he steered Psyche away from the trio, leading her toward the pack house.

“Thank you,” she said in a quiet voice.

“No problem.” Truly, it was no effort on his part as he was eager to get away from them as much as she was. Her sisters were just as he thought—selfish assholes. Christine’s comment about her weight was mean-spirited for sure, and while Agnes seemed to only want to protect her youngest sister, she still came off as insensitive to Psyche’s wants and needs. They had lived with Psyche all their lives and grew up with her, but never really thought of how their behavior could affect her. Couldn’t they see how uncomfortable she was with the touching and affection? How the strong scents of their perfume—which was probably torture to her shifter senses—made her shrink back?

“We’re here,” Psyche announced as they reached the front door to the pack house. “Um, so I guess I’ll see you later for dinner?” Her cheeks pinked. “I mean…you don’t have to come or anything. Maybe you made plans with your friends here. I’m sure you missed being around here.”

“Friends?” He snorted. “I doubt anyone missed me. Probably threw a party while I was away.”

Her nose wrinkled in confusion.

He cleared his throat. “I’m not popular around here, just so you know. But yeah, I’ll see you later.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, he turned around and trudged away.

There was no place for him to go really, but if he went back to his room at the lodge, he might run into Psyche’s sisters. The thought of seeing those shrews again left a distasteful flavor in his mouth.

Still, it was kind of fun watching them squirm with envy when he put his arms around her and alluded that they were sleeping together. He could only imagine that they thought their little sister could never pull a guy like him.

He smiled to himself, and a plan formed in his head.

Later that evening, Eros made his way back to the pack house, ignoring the curious stares as he trudged across the property. He could hardly blame them, after all, he picked his outfit carefully. While he usually lounged around in jeans and a shirt—because who the fuck would he dress up for in the middle of nowhere—tonight he wore tailored trousers paired with loafers and a crisp white shirt opened at the collar and the sleeves folded up to show off his forearms. Earlier he had almost splashed on some of his expensive cologne but stopped himself as he recalled Psyche’s reaction to her sister’s perfume.

Dinner at Cade and Artemis’s was usually seven—at least, it was back when he’d first been invited. It was six forty-five now. It was about a fifteen-minute walk to the Alpha’s house from here, and since Psyche was never late?—

“Eros?”

Glancing up from the bottom of the steps, he flashed her a smile. “You’re on time.” Of course.

“Yes.” That cute little nose wrinkled. “But what are you doing here?”

“I said we’d see everyone at dinner, didn’t I?” His gaze roamed over her outfit—a green cotton sundress that hugged her luscious curves. “You look nice.” It was the first time he’d seen her in anything other than athleisure wear. “You should wear more dresses like that.”

“This is the only dress I have here that doesn’t irritate my skin. We should get going. We don’t want to be late.” Brushing past him, she marched ahead.

He caught up with her and matched her stride. “So, how long are your sisters here?”

“Just until tomorrow afternoon, then they need to catch a flight back to Vancouver. They’re staying at the Alpha’s house.”

“Why didn’t your father or mother come and visit?”

“They’re busy running the pack and, of course, the business.”

“What business?”

“My father owns the largest seafood import and export business on the Western Seaboard.”

“Wait.” Stopping, he turned to her. “So, you’re like rich ?”

“I guess? But it’s not like that. I don’t work for the business, so I don’t just get money from them. Agnes and our brothers Theo and Perseus work for Dad, so they’ll be taking over some day.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “But I bet you have a trust fund?”

“From my grandfather, yes.” Her eyes shifted around. “But I don’t need it, so I don’t use it. Can we go now? We have about eight minutes before dinner starts.”

His eyes followed her as she soldiered ahead, her pace picking up. Just when he thought he figured her out, there were more facets to her to discover. Most wealthy mortals lived leisurely lives or did art or charity work, yet she pursued an academic career, camped in rough conditions and dug in the dirt. But why?

Seeing as she was already far ahead of him, he pushed those thoughts aside and caught up to her. By the time they got to the Alpha’s front door, she was huffing and her face was red.

“Take a deep breath, Psyche,” he said.

“I hate being late.” Her fingers drummed on her thighs absently.

“I know. And I’m sorry for delaying you with my questions.”

She blinked. “You are?”

“Yes.” He retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and reached out toward her temple, which was covered with a light sheen of sweat. When she shrank away, he dropped his hand to his side. It just occurred to him that all the other times he’d touched her had been either through necessity or she had initiated, like in the tent last night. “I’m sorry,” he began. “I shouldn’t have tried to do that.”

“N-no, no. It’s not that.” She nodded at the handkerchief. “What fabric is that?”

Oh. That’s what bothered her. “This is pure linen, no synthetics mixed in. So, may I…?”

“Y-yes.”

Taking a step closer to her, he pressed the cloth to her temple and brow before patting down her cheek. “There you go.” Even now and this close, he still couldn’t figure out if her eyes were brown or green. Sometimes, they were more green, like when her eyes lit up as she spoke about her beloved dinosaurs. Other times, they were a dark, stormy brown when she was annoyed—mostly at him.

It was a mystery that he could never figure out.

“Eros?”

“Hmm?”

“My forehead’s pretty dry now.”

“Right.” He put the handkerchief back in his pocket. “Let’s go say hello to our hosts, shall we?” Not bothering to knock—the door was never locked anyway—he barged in. “Hello, hello, we’re here!”

“Coming!” came Artemis’s voice from the dining room, followed by the click-click of heels. “Psyche, you—Eros?” She skidded to a stop halfway down the hallway. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re here for dinner, of course? It’s still in the dining room right?”

The former goddess of the hunt put her hands on her hips. “Yes, but?—”

“Great! We’re hungry.” Motioning for Psyche to walk ahead, he followed her to the dining room, ignoring Artemis as she babbled something about “not invited” and “finding another place.”

“Psyche, there you are,” Agnes greeted as she shot up from her chair and trotted over to them, her arms already coming in for a hug. “We were just talking about you.”

Eros stepped between her and Psyche. “Hello, I don’t believe we were formally introduced this afternoon.”

“No,” she said, her tone frosty. “We were not.”

Cade, who was sitting at the head of the table, came to join them. From the exasperated expression on his face, Artemis had told him everything that had transpired that morning. “Allow me then. Agnes, this is Eros. Eros, this is Agnes Gialamas of the Vancouver Pack.”

“A pleasure to meet you.”

“And I’m Christine Gialamas.” Psyche’s middle sister pushed her way toward him, squeezing between Cade and Agnes. “Lord Eros.” She bowed her head low, looking up at him through long, curly lash extensions. “It’s an honor to meet you. Forgive us. We didn’t know who you were this morning. Thank you for offering to accompany our sister on her long trips.”

“I see Cade—the Alpha has told you who I am.”

“Yes, but not exactly what you’re doing here.” Agnes eyed him suspiciously once again. “He said you’re a guest, too.”

“Oh, Aggie.” Christine slapped her lightly on the arm. “I’m sure it’s a god thing, right Lord Eros?” She winked at him. “Some gods visit the mortal realm as one of us, hoping to find some…earthly delights.”

“Something like that.”

“Alright, I’m back,” Artemis said as she rushed into the dining room, a tray in her hand. She glared at Eros as she set up an extra plate at the end of the table. “Please, everyone, sit down and let’s eat.”

As the others sat down, Eros led Psyche to the empty chair next to Artemis and sat next to her and directly across from Christine, who seemingly had her eyes glued on him, trying to catch his gaze. While he was used to the admiration of women and men wherever he went, the she-wolf’s ogling grated on him. Christine had proven herself to be a selfish person and intentionally hurt Psyche, which pissed him off. But that only meant that her obvious desire for him would make his plan for tonight even more delicious.

The table was laden with dishes, family style and everyone served themselves as Cade and Artemis never entertained formally. There was a big bowl of salad, a tray of rolls, baked salmon, potatoes, and butter noodles.

“So, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company tonight, Eros?” Cade asked as he dished some potatoes on his plate.

“No need to worry about that. This one’s on me, Alpha,” he replied. “Would you like some salmon, Psyche?”

“Sure.”

He placed a fillet on her plate. “It’s not pizza, but it’ll do, right?” He winked at her.

“I suppose.” She gave him a small smile.

Eros could feel Agnes’s intense gaze and Christine’s envious glare, but didn’t pay them any mind as he continued to serve Psyche food.

“Alpha,” Agnes began. “While I appreciate Lord Eros volunteering to accompany Psyche on her dig, surely someone else can take over for him? I mean, no offense, Lord Eros, but you must be so busy. And with so much danger in the wilds of Alaska, perhaps it would be better if someone more familiar with the territory be with her? I’m sure my father would prefer it.”

“As I told him, I’m happy to do this favor for your family, as we have been allies for a long time.” Cade took a bite of salmon and swallowed. “But I do have my own wolves to think of. You’ve heard of the attacks from two years ago against our pack? I have every single able-bodied wolf working to keep us safe. So, for now, Eros is the only person I can spare to make the long journey.”

“And the only one with the wings to make the trip in no time,” Eros added. “Of course, Psyche wasn’t too comfortable in the beginning, but now that we’ve done it a few times, she’s getting used to the ride.”

“Y-you fly her?” Christine’s eyes narrowed at Psyche. “And you’ve seen his wings?”

“He needs to take them out to fly,” she replied.

“I take my shirt off too.”

The envy oozed out of Psyche’s sister. “Lord Eros, it must bore you though looking at old bones.” She laughed. “Only my dear, eccentric sister would find paleontology fun.”

“Paleoichnology,” Psyche said. “With a focus on paleoclimatology.”

Christine rolled her eyes. “Like I said, so boring. Surely you have better things to do? What are the parties at Mount Olympus like?”

‘Tedious.” He reached over and pretended to caress Psyche’s arm. Though his fingers never really touched her skin, from Christine’s point of view, it looked like an intimate caress. “But to answer your other question, no, I don’t find it boring at all. In fact, I find it fascinating. Not to mention stimulating.”

Cade let out a cough as he put his glass to his lips.

“Cade?” Artemis patted his back as he continued to choke. “Are you okay?”

“F-fine.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Just went down the wrong pipe.” After clearing his throat a few times, he trained his gaze on Eros. “Fascinating, huh? Tell me, what’s your favorite dinosaur?”

“Well, that’s easy. It’s the—” Fuck . He went blank, turning up nothing. He was pretty sure Psyche had mentioned a few of them, but none popped up in his brain, so he said the first thing that came to mind. “The, uh, titanicsaurus, of course.”

“Titanosaur,” Psyche whispered.

“Right, thank you, darling,” he said. “The titanosaur. They have no toes, you know.”

Agnes placed her cutlery down, the clinking catching everyone’s attention. “Psyche, how are conditions at the dig site, and how is the management meeting your needs? Do you have a comfortable place to stay? Didn’t you say they would be providing housing?”

“Yes, but I opted to come in early this week and camp.”

“Camp?” Agnes’s voice pitched higher. “In a tent? But how do you sleep?” She tsked. “The synthetic fabrics on the sleeping bags must drive you nuts. And what if it gets cold and damp?” She clucked her tongue. “Send me your manager’s number, and I’ll take care of it.”

“I told you, I like camping.” Psyche’s shoulders dropped. “Please don’t call anyone.”

While Agnes’s concern for her sister was evident, Eros could see it was also stifling. “I assure you, Agnes, our tent was very warm and cozy.”

This time, it was Artemis who choked as she bit on a piece of potato. “E-excuse…me?” Even as her eyes watered, they were edged with a quiet fury.

“It was cold and raining,” Psyche began. “I couldn’t let him stay outside like he’d been doing the past few days. If he got sick, how would I be able to come back here?”

“See? It was a practical decision. Truly, it’s brought us closer together.”

“I didn’t realize gods got sick,” Agnes shot back.

“Occasionally,” he lied.

“So, how is your mother, by the way, Agnes?” Artemis began. “I haven’t seen her since that charity event in Seattle. It was such a nice ball.”

“She’s doing great,” Christine piped in. “And I was co-chair of the ball, did you know, Lady Artemis?”

“Really? Tell me more.”

Relief poured through him as Artemis steered the conversation away before Agnes could further pry into his business. Technically, no one outside the pack was supposed to know he was being punished, as the council didn’t want anyone to try and help him.

“So, when you—” A loud cry interrupted Artemis as she and Christine were talking about the centerpieces at the ball. “Liam’s awake. Oh dear—” A second, even louder one followed. “And he woke up Phoebe.” She made a motion to stand up, but to Eros’s surprise, Psyche spoke up.

“I’ll go check on them.” She pushed away from the chair, the legs scraping audibly on the wood floor.

“She’ll need help with both,” Artemis declared. “This won’t take?—”

“You stay,” Cade placed a hand on Artemis’s arm. “I’ll take care of it. You’ve already done a lot.” As he got up, the whites of his eyes glowed briefly as he looked fondly at her.

“Oh my,” Christine said once Cade was gone. “Is that how the mate bond manifests for your pack?”

“Yes.” Artemis’s eyebrows drew together. “Why? Isn’t it the same with yours?”

“No.” It was Agnes who spoke up. “It’s different with different packs and species. For example, in our pack, we believe in a concept our ancestors called anami ekarde where, when you find the person your wolf chooses to be your mate, your heart and soul rips itself to knit together with them. So, we literally feel that pain in our chest as our wolf attempts to bond with them.”

“It all sounds awful, right?” Christine said. “I’m not ready for that kind of commitment.”

“In the beginning, yes,” Agnes said. “Because even though you know about it, nothing prepares you. I wasn’t ready either, when I met my mate.” Her face took on a softer expression. “But it’s an amazing feeling, as I’m sure you know, Artemis.”

“True. And—oh, is everything okay?” she asked Cade as he returned, Psyche trailing right behind him.

“Yeah, just Liam needed a diaper change, and he woke Phoebe up.” He took his place at the head of the table while Psyche sat down on her chair.

After they finished the main meal, Artemis served dessert, apple pie ala mode, coffee, and tea. Eros continued to rain attention on Psyche and ignored her sisters. Christine, in particular, looked miffed as she tried every trick in the book to catch his attention. At one point, he felt a bare foot touch his leg, and he loudly announced to the table that she must have dropped her shoe, much to her embarrassment.

“Well, that was a very lovely dinner. Thank you, Alpha, Artemis,” Eros announced as he finished his last piece of apple pie. “It’s getting late. We should get going.”

“Surely you can stay longer?” Christine said, batting her eyelashes at him. “Why don’t we have a few drinks? Or we could go out and see the town.”

“There’s not much there, I’m afraid. Just dive bars and diners. Psyche?”

Relief crossed her face as she stood up. “Alpha, Artemis, thank you again for your hospitality.”

“You’re always welcome, Psyche,” Cade said.

“Let’s have brunch tomorrow,” Agnes added.

Psyche’s back tensed. “Brunch?”

“At the Full Moon Diner in town. Ten o’clock sharp.”

“You must come. It’ll be weeks before we see you again, baby sis,” Christine said.

“I…uh, yeah, I guess I should. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Eros stood up as she did. “No need to see us out. Good night, everyone,” he said as they left the dining room.

He’d been so eager to get her out of there that he absent-mindedly placed his hand on the small of her back. To his surprise, however, instead of shrinking away, she relaxed against his hand.

The most curious warmth pooled in his chest.