No, she needed to get out of here, she was already committed to meeting these people, and what better to start with than Anthony. Sure, she didn’t know him that well, but as a rule, she got along pretty well with all of Amy’s friends, and since both Amy and Anthony were close that was good enough for her.
“You know what, screw it.” Tina leaped from the bed and moved toward the closet. “I’m a goddess, dammit. Not a damsel who needs to be locked in a tower.”
The closet didn’t have a single pair of pants, so Tina yanked on the first dress she could find that had fabric thicker than a sheet of paper and snuck into the hallway. With every turn, she did her best to find her way to the garden.
The main problem was avoiding everyone. The last thing she wanted was to stumble into Ray or some angry royal she didn’t know. Moving slowly and carefully, she peeked around each corner, and after only two wrong turns, one of which led her to a disheveled broom closet, Tina finally ended up in the garden.
The moment she was outside, she felt free, like a weight had been lifted from her, and as she looked up at the sky, something about being outside felt right in a way she couldn’t explain.
“Guess we both needed some fresh air after all, eh, Damara?” Tina said, sucking in one more lungful as she stole through the paths, doing her best to keep to the trails hidden by the tall ferns. The soothing bubbling of the streams calmed her, but try as she might, she couldn’t find Anthony.
Worse, after a few minutes of empty paths, Tina got the feeling someone was watching her. Taking a deep breath, she spun around to find Anthony standing behind her, silent as a predator in the grass.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Anthony said with a chuckle as he eyed Tina’s clenched fists.
She let out a slow breath as her heart settled and she slowly dropped her hands to her sides. “Then why did you sneak up on me?”
“I didn’t mean to actually. I just move silently. Force of habit.” He grinned, the soft tilt of his lips charming as ever. “It’s a wolf thing. Surely, Amy has done the same from time to time.”
“She has,” Tina admitted as Anthony took a step toward her, and she couldn’t help but let her eyes roam over his broad shoulders.
His suit fitted him perfectly and made her wonder what lay beneath.
She wanted to yank off the tie and run her hands under the jacket to explore the hard lines of his chest, and as she took an unconscious step toward him, hands rising to do just that, a sudden burst of energy and fire, of lust and tenderness, of sheer unrelenting need slammed into her.
I want him, something within her said. She couldn’t tell if it was her or the goddess. Hell, it was probably both, but either way, this was going to happen. Right here, right now.
“You’re staring,” he said with an inviting smirk, and the sound of his voice brought her back to the moment.
Heat soared up her neck and into her cheeks, and her gaze darted away as she fought to keep control. “Sorry.”
Ray had said the goddess would give Tina uncharacteristic urges and desires that would be difficult for her to control. Was that what had happened?
Keep it in your pants, you horny fertility goddess. I mean, jeez, I don’t even know his last name.
“What are you sorry for?” he asked, seeming genuinely confused. “For sneaking out?”
“No, I, erm …” She cleared her throat, searching for something to talk about. “What I meant was that I, uh, wanted to thank you again for bringing me here. Now that I know a little more about the situation, I realize you would have benefited from keeping me in Wolfcrest, but you didn’t. You kept Amy and me safe. Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Tina,” he said, and the worst part was she believed him. Okay, that wasn’t exactly bad, but damn did it make her want him more. Nice and hot? That was hardly fair.
“I only wish I’d gotten there sooner,” he added with a frown. “I could have saved you a lot of pain and trouble.”
Tina shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. Maybe Amy would be stuck here instead of me.”
“You seem awfully calm about all this.”
She laughed. “Not at all. I’m good at hiding it, I guess, but deep down I’m anxious as hell. Still, what’s the use in obsessing over what we could have done differently? It won’t change anything.” Tina put her hands on her hips and smiled. “I’m a goddess now. I’ve got to own it, right?”
“You have a point, but I still think I would be breaking things out of anger and resentment if I were in your shoes.”
“Hey, you haven’t seen the bedroom recently. You don’t know.” Tina shot him a sly smile.
Oh my god, I’m flirting with him.
“Is that an invitation? Because if you’d like some company…”
Oh my god, he’s flirting back.
Her cheeks flushed again, and even though she laughed, she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
Anthony began to say something but cut himself off abruptly as he spun on his heel.
Tina’s eyes flicked past him to settle on a muscular man standing in the path behind them. He was at least six and a half feet tall and had the body of those bodybuilders Amy had once dragged her to see perform. Only those guys had mostly been clean shaven, and this guy had a full head of brown hair and a beard thick enough to make a Viking jealous.
“We’re supposed to give the goddess space,” the stranger said, stroking his thick beard.
“It’s been awhile, Flynn,” Anthony said with a cool and disinterested air, ignoring the massive man’s comment as he took a possessive step in front of Tina.
“Is this wolf bothering you, Damara?” Flynn asked, closing the gap between them. As he caught Tina’s eye, he offered a genuine and apologetic smile.
Tina tried to speak, to tell him everything was fine, but she lost herself in his every movement. The confident strut. The way his tailored suit betrayed the hard lines of muscles beneath the fabric. Her mind wandered, and she imagined him pressing her against a wall, one hand lifting her skirt.
Longing unlike anything she’d ever felt swept over her. It sparked and rattled in her chest, sinking down her torso and warming the space between her thighs. The tingling desire came again, making her vibrate with a powerful need. I want him, too.
“Tina?” Anthony asked softly.
And him. Both of them. At once.
“I’m fine,” she lied. She crossed her arms as she tried to rein in the surge of desire.
Flynn offered her a massive hand, and his large palm dwarfed her tiny fingers as she took it. “Forgive me for not introducing myself. I’m Flynn Astor.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said, trying her best to suppress the goddess’s sexual impulses as her eyes returned to his handsome face.
His expression softened, and for a moment it seemed as though he had all but forgotten that Anthony was standing nearby. “I would understand if you’re nervous about this new life, Tina. Fusing with a goddess is challenging, and I’m sure you have a million questions.”
“I have a few,” she said with a wry laugh.
“I’ll do my best to get you the resources you need to answer them. You’re welcome in Olympus any time. We even have Damara’s second temple near the city center. She’s a celebrated goddess in my home, and we can explain everything you encounter.”
Tina lifted a curious eyebrow. “You’re a demigod?”
Flynn nodded. “Only gods and demigods are allowed in Olympus, Tina. You would be safe there.”
“I don’t recommend it.” Anthony took another possessive step between her and Flynn, and Flynn’s glare returned as he stared at the wolf shifter.
“She’ll be safer with us than the likes of you,” Flynn snapped.
Tina took a nervous step back at the sudden crackle of tension. “Hey, whoa. Calm down, boys.”
“Tina, any time you go to another kingdom, you risk never being allowed to leave.” Though Anthony had directed his words at Tina, he never once looked away from Flynn. A low growl rumbled in Anthony’s throat. They glared at each other, silently challenging the other to strike first.
“Right, well, this got a whole lot less fun,” Tina said, looking between the two men. If this first confrontation was any indicator, the meeting with the kings would not go well. “I’m going to go over there.” She pointed toward a nearby pond. “Come find me when you’re both ready to play nice.”