Alli had no idea where the others had disappeared to and honestly, she didn’t care. Why should she? All they’d ever done was break her heart.
Alex, Dimitri, Bob and the Allieys sat at a picnic table under a tent while they ate. They were sometimes interrupted by a fan wanting an autograph from either Alex or Alli then requesting both.
But honestly, Alli hadn’t had so much fun in so long. It felt great to just hang out with her friends and a couple of guys. She’d forgotten how great it was.
Alex sat next to her and she felt his presence like a separate entity. It all but consumed her. It was hard to be aware of anything else.
“I can’t believe that you almost kissed him.”
“Am I being told off or congratulated?” Alli asked her best friend.
Allie thought for a moment. “Both,” she finally decided.
Alli laughed. “I don’t get the told off part though.”
“That’s like kissing the enemy.”
Alli narrowed her eyes. “Says the person who kissed his god brother. The same god brother whom you’ve betted against.”
“Different scenario altogether. Why on earth would you kiss him?”
Alli was aware that the guys were listening intently. She leaned forward on the table as if to convey some great secret.
“Why else would you kiss someone, ’cept if you like them? Plus, if I kissed him, I’d have psyched him out. He’d have to lose to me.”
“Oh yeah?” Alex challenged.
Alli smiled and placed her hand atop his on the table. Very gently, she stroked a finger across his knuckles.
Alex visibly gulped. “Moving on.”
The six of them laughed.
The feeling of familiarity felt good. It was as though they’d all known each other for ages.
What is your deal?
Alex looked at his god brother. ’Bout what?
Alli?
Alex gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. She’s just so…
Dimitri smirked.
Idiot. You’re the one with his hands all over the best friend.
I’m not the only one.
Reminded of that, Alex looked over at Bob. Who had his arm around Ally’s shoulders.
Damn, apparently he was the only one who’d been slighted.
No, not slighted. He’d met her, held her, laughed with her, seen her face alight with joy. No. He hadn’t been slighted in the least.
Alex glanced at her hand still resting on his. He was amazed that just that little touch could have spiked his pulse and set him on fire for her. How he longed to just taste her once.
Unable to stand it, he leaned down to speak into her ear.
“Wanna ditch ’em?” he breathed in her ear.
His hot breath tickled her and all she wanted was to scream ‘YES!’ to his request.
“Sure.”
Alex flipped his hand under hers to hold it and together they rose from the table.
“Where’re you going?”
Alex grinned at Dimitri. A grin of pure male satisfaction. Alli knew this and usually she would have been disgusted but the sight of Alex looking so happy because she’d simply agreed, made it okay.
“You don’t need to know that,” Alex said to his god brother.
“We have our cell phones if you need us. Don’t need us,” Alli added.
Alex looked down at her surprised but thrilled that she wanted time with him as much as he wanted time with her.
As they walked through the crowd, away from their friends, Alex released her hand and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her even closer to him. Alli put her arm around his waist and put her hand into his front pocket.
Alli could feel the stares on her and wished that she could disappear. It was bad enough that she and Alex were semi-famous in the racing digs but the fact that Alex was so hot and she wasn’t all that was kinda a bummer.
She could practically read the minds of the girls surrounding them, glaring at her.
How the hell could he possibly like her? What does he see in her? How much is she getting paid?
She couldn’t suppress the shudder that went through her at her ridiculous imagination.
“What’s wrong?” Alex asked bending his face to her head.
“Nothing,” she answered. “I’m just being an idiot.”
He kissed her hair, totally aware of what she was thinking and knowing that she wasn’t that far of the mark.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. Forget them. I said I wanted you didn’t I?”
She tilted her face up to look at him. How was it possible he knew what she’d been thinking? How had he known what to say to placate her fears?
He saw the questions shimmering in her eyes. He just smiled at her and motioned to the crowd.
“The guys are glaring at me, just as the girls are glaring at you.”
“Yeah, but that’s only ’cause the girls are only paying attention to you, wishing you’d ditch me.”
Alex rolled his eyes at her. “Puh-lease. I wish that was the only reason. It’s because they want you just as much as I do.”
“I knew it. You are insane. Compared to you, I barely register.”
He squeezed her shoulders in retribution. “No Alli. It’s because you’re freaking hot and apparently too dumb to realize.”
“You did not just call me dumb.”
He grinned at her. “Yeah I did. Watchya gonna do about it?”
“Oh, you’re so dead in that race.”
“You wish.”
She stuck her tongue out at him.
“So…where’re you whisking me off to?”
He shrugged. “I just really wanted to get away from those guys and have you to myself for a while.”
He led her to behind the DJ booth, where no one cared to venture. They were alone for all intents and purposes.
As soon as they were out of sight of everyone, he trapped her between the wall and himself. He held her hands above her head with one of his own as the other trailed down the side of her body.
“You are so beautiful.”
She gave a short laugh. “I never thought I’d hear someone say that to me. I have to say, it’s nicer than hearing that I’m hot or sexy.”
He lowered his face to hers and brushed a kiss on her cheek. “You are though. All of that.”
He kissed her other cheek and Alli thought she was gonna burn up.
“Alex…Alex just kiss me.”
She felt his smile against her skin before incredibly hot lips covered her own. Soft as a whisper, he brushed his lips across hers. It was absolute torture. And he knew it. Knew it when she lifted her head to meet his lips again.
And it was then that he lost all chance of taking things slowly.
He melded his mouth to her in desperation. He needed to know her this way. It was all he could think about since meeting her. He released her hands and grabbed her waist in his hands, pulling her body flush against his. Flush against the erection he had for her.
Alli could think at the ferocity of Alex’s kiss. She burrowed her fingers into his hair and held on as he swept her away. It was as if they couldn’t get enough of each other.
Never before had Alli ever been kissed this way. She’d experienced one or two nice kisses but they paled in comparison to Alex. She just hoped nothing interrupted the moment.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind that she felt something in the air. She hadn’t blinked but somehow, Alex had already broken away from her and was positioned protectively in front of her body. His hand was in his jacket pocket and his posture completely relaxed.
Alli leaned to the side to see around Alex’s frame. There, across from them stood four great looking guys. They all had blonde hair and were incredibly tall, almost as tall as Alex.
They all stood with relaxed poses just like Alex. Was she the only tense one there? What the hell did they want anyway?
“What are you kids doing back here?” the tallest asked.
“That’s none of your business. What are you doing back here?” Alex answered rudely. What the hell was he doing? They could be dangerous.
Instead of becoming angry as Alli expected, the man smiled.
“How nice. Such fire. You’ll sustain me long.”
What?
“Sustain you?” Alli asked.
He turned to her and smiled. “Yes love, sustain me.” His smiled widened and it was then that Alli saw his fangs.
Alex sighed. He’d hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Now he had no choice.
“I don’t think she appreciates the nickname. And you’re not going to lay a hand on her. You’ll have to go through me.”
The Daimon chuckled. “Sure. Why not? A strong soul lasts longer anyway.”
“Alex…” Alli whispered fearfully. Was he trying to get himself killed?
“Don’t worry babe.”
He smiled at the Daimons. Then dropped the shield around his powers and let them feel.
They took a step back.
“What the fuck are you?”
Alex chuckled darkly. “I am the Alexandros. I am your worst nightmare.”
The Daimons attacked in a rush.
Just before the first reached him, Alex grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him off the ground. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and pressed the hilt of the retractable sword to his chest. In the next instant, the blade of the sword protruded from the Daimon’s back and he exploded into golden powder.
Alli gaped in astonishment. What the hell was going on?
The other Daimons tried calling up a bolt hole but Alex negated it.
“I’ve already dropped my shield. My dad’ll bitch if he finds out I let you go.”
In response, the Daimons each drew weapons of some sort. Knives, short swords and daggers.
The fight wasn’t really a fight. Alex disposed of them while Alli looked on. When the last Daimon had erupted into dust, Alex brushed a few stray specks of the gold residue off his clothes and turned to her.
“Alli…? Don’t worry; I’m not going to hurt you.”
She held up a hand, letting him know that she wasn’t ready for his touch yet. She could hold out for a few more minutes before she collapsed.
“What the hell just happened?” she asked.
Alex sighed in relief. At least she wasn’t hysterical.
“I just killed four Daimons.”
“Dai-who-now?”
“Daimons. They feed off the souls of others.”
There was a pause. “Uh huh…sure. How did you know what they were?”
Alex winced at the accusation in her tone.
“I grew up around them.”
“What?! Are you one of them?”
Taken aback he threw his hands up in defense. “No. It’s complicated.”
Alli crossed her hands over her chest. “I’ve got time.”
So Alex told her the story of how Daimons came to be.
“Wait, so you’re telling me that the Greek gods are real?”
Alex nodded. “Yes, they are. But there are other pantheons.”
“Come again?”
“There are other pantheons. Like…Sumerian and…Atlantean.”
“Atlantean? You’re so fucking with me.”
He shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately I’m not. And before you ask how I know this it’s because I belong to that pantheon.”
“That means that you’re a…” Alli trailed off. There was no possible way he could be, yet everything she’d just witnessed told her that he was telling her the truth.
“I’m a god Alli. One of the Atlantean pantheon.”
There was a pregnant pause.
“You’re a god. No wonder you’re so hot.”
To that, he gave a shaky laugh.
“You’re taking this better than I thought. Honestly, I anticipated yelling.”
“Why would I yell at you? I believe you. Everything I’ve just seen tells me I need to believe you. Just one question?”
“Shoot.”
“Why are you telling me this? If you’re a god, can’t you just erase my memories of what just happened?”
“Well…yeah, I could but it’d be immoral and I’d get in trouble. My dad had a fuck up tampering with people’s memories a couple years back and I try to learn from his mistakes. Plus, there are people who are resistant to that kind of thing and it could damage the person it’s attempted on. You’re one of those people and I don’t wanna hurt you.”
She considered that. It was better than the alternative.
“So what now?” she asked.
Alex hesitated. “Uh…now you have to meet my parents.”
“What?!” she exploded, just as he had anticipated.
“Well…they kinda need to know. They aren’t gonna be happy about me dropping the shield around my powers and they want to know why.”
“If they’re gods, wouldn’t they know, just like that?” she asked snapping her fingers to show what she meant.
He grimaced. “Technically, yes but I’m blocking them and they aren’t gonna be happy about that.”
“Why are you blocking them?”
“’Cause I wanted you to be comfortable with all this before they popped in.”
“Popped in?”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than two people appeared behind Alex.
Alli muffled a shriek as she saw them. She could be strong enough for this.