Goated by the Gods (3 page)

Zach was sure they were wasting their time now. This was the spot and there was no sign of anyone having been here. No body, no blood, no equipment. Nothing. “
You guys find anything?”

“
Nada,”
Jared said in a resigned tone. Zach waited but heard nothing from Quentin
. “Quentin, you okay, bro?”
Zach was getting impatient and nervous about his lack of response.

“I’m here, sorry. There is a cave up here and I smelled smoke. I was going to check it out, but I think you guys need to get up here and see for yourselves.”

“I’m close to the cave, I will be there in a hop, skip and a jump. Okay, well maybe just in a jump or two,” Jared called out with laughter tinting his every word.

Zach groaned at his brother’s antics, he knew Jared walked a fine line between irritating Quentin and pissing him off till he retaliated.

“
I’m below that a bit, it will take me a few minutes to get up there, I have to go around a couple big rocks. Be careful and I’ll see you in a minute. Oh, and Quentin, don’t kill him, please.”

“No guarantees he won’t accidentally fall…off the side of the mountain…or just fall down in general.” Zach rolled his eyes and didn’t even bother replying. There wasn’t any point.

He reversed his path on the trail he was on to start his climb up to the cave. It would be his luck to have to backtrack to get past this point. He was anxious to get up there and see what had caused such an odd reaction to the cave and some smoke.

Would that mean they had found their lost hiker? Why else would there be smoke in a cave? He hoped the hiker was okay, it was going to be difficult getting him down this mountain if he was hurt. The gods knew nothing was ever easy for them, plus add in that damnable storm sitting there taunting them and he knew they were in for a trip from hell. No way could a rescue helicopter get close with that storm.

***

Loki turned to watch the cave entrance, he could feel the brothers watching and waiting. He was bored and they could provide some much needed entertainment. “Hey, boys, I know you are there. Come join me.” Luke smiled as he detected no movement from them. Time to take matters into his own hands. He stood up and headed to the cave entrance.

“Don’t just hide there like scared little goats hiding from the big bad troll. Come in and enjoy the fire. I swear to you on all that I hold dearly, you are safe here.” Loki paused and waited. “Seriously, for the gods’ sake, I know you are there. It’s pointless to keep hiding.

Loki smiled as the two men stood and moved to entrance. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Wait, where is the third brother? And what is your name, gorgeous?” Loki licked his lips as he looked Quentin up and down.

“Who are you? How do you know who we are?” Quentin asked with suspicion lacing his every word. He couldn’t explain the odd tingle that ran down his spine as he looked into the stranger’s eyes.

“Calm down, goat boy. I was sent down here to help an old friend. And to your question, I know more than who you are, I know about your curse, who put it on you and what you have done with it.”

“Spectacular, by the way, I applaud you for that noble gesture, even if the stupid humans are clueless as to how you manage these miraculous saves.” Loki turned and headed back into the cave. “Come, we have much to discuss before the fireworks start in a few minutes. We will want a good seat, I promise you.”

The brother’s exchanged a look of confusion before following Loki in the cave.

“Sit with your backs to the wall with me. This way we can see when they enter and their reactions. Yes, I will explain while we wait.” Loki rolled his eyes as he sat back down and waited for the brothers to do the same. “Come on, sit next to me. I promise I will keep my hands to myself…for now.” Loki winked at Quentin and turned his attention to the ground around him, making sure he had left just enough room that he would have to sit close.

Loki looked up to them and rolled his eyes, “I promise to behave. Besides, if I was going to hurt you there wouldn’t be anything you could do to stop me. I am a god, after all.”

The brothers both backed up a step, wariness evident on their shocked faces. “I told you I mean you no harm. I’m here to help an old friend make up for what he did to your family.”

“Thor,” Quentin growled out in anger. Jared sucked in a breath and narrowed his eyes at Loki.

“Who in the hell are you?” Jared spit out between clenched jaws.

“Loki, at your service,” he said with a charming smile and a devilish gleam in his eyes. “In more ways than one, if you want.”

Quentin rolled his eyes, “The trickster god, that so makes me want to trust you now. Why did he send you and what does he want after all these years? He cursed us and then left us to fend for ourselves.”

Loki chewed on his bottom lip and contemplated the two brothers standing before him. He needed Thor to get his hairy ass down here and explain this shit. “I promise Thor will explain shortly, or I will kick his eternal ass. For now, just sit and wait. Things will make sense shortly.”

The brothers still didn’t trust Loki and he didn’t blame them. For once, though, he wasn’t screwing around. “Tell me something, if you don’t mind.”

Quentin settled down against the wall and turned to face him. “What?”

“Why were you sitting out there staring in here? What made you hesitant to come in?”

“I could sense something was off in here, I assume it was your powers I felt. It wasn’t just that though. There is a smell in here that made me wary. I don’t know why, but I felt it in my bones.” Quentin shrugged as if that would explain it all.

“You might have felt my powers, but it’s more than that. It’s a troll,” Loki said with a shake of his head in acknowledgment.

The two brothers shared a look of confusion before turning back to Loki and waiting for an explanation.

“Troll, that’s what you smelled, or in this case a half-troll. Don’t worry, he means you no harm either. He has been nothing but hospitable since I…um, never mind about that. Trust me,” Loki said with a wink. “You are perfectly safe here.”

Quentin groaned, “I bet he was hospitable.” He growled out in anger, he wasn’t quite sure why that thought pissed him off so much but it did. Then another thought came to him. “Wait, you bastard! You are the missing hiker, aren’t you?”

Jared cocked his head in puzzlement and frowned at his brother, “Why do you think that?”

“We can get back to that in a minute. Your brother and the troll are approaching. Fireworks are about to explode.” Loki grinned and almost vibrated with excitement.

Gareth slowed as he neared the cave, something was off. He moved closer to the entrance and peered in to see three men leaning against the wall. “Luke, everything okay?” he called out as he approached the wall where they sat watching him.

“No worries, Gareth. All is well…finally,” he muttered the last word under his breath, almost too quietly for him to hear.

“Who are you two and what is that amazing smell?” Gareth asked in puzzlement as he looked at the two brothers.

“These are the Maddux brothers,” Loki said with a purr as he glanced at Quentin again. “They are part of search and rescue and my guess is they are here on the mountain looking for me, the missing hiker.”

Gareth frowned and tried to figure out what he was missing, he couldn’t concentrate though. That smell was driving him crazy. He had never felt like this in his life. His blood was raging, and his stomach was doing somersaults. He felt like something he had been unconsciously missing was finally within his grasp.

***

Zach was getting worried again. It had taken far longer than he expected to make it to the cave and his brothers weren’t answering his calls. He stopped and shifted into his human form and quickly dressed. Zach hesitated as he neared the entrance where he could sense his brothers were waiting.

He stopped suddenly in his steps, almost like he hit a wall. He closed his eyes and waited for the jittery feeling going down his spine to settle so he could walk again.

The cave was calling him in. No, not the cave, something or someone inside was. It was a pull in the center of his chest. With slow, cautious steps he entered the cave and froze as he met the eyes of the man standing a few feet away. His jaw dropped and he struggled to take a deep breath in. Zach licked his lips and waited for the man to say something. He knew he couldn’t, he was stunned speechless. Hell, he didn’t want to ever stop staring at him.

“Who are you?” Gareth asked in a whisper full of awe and longing.

“Zach. Who are you?” Zach said in a raspy, lust-filled voice.

“Gareth, and by the gods, you smell amazing.” Gareth cringed as he said those words. Now he sounded like a psychopath.

Zach grinned, “I was going to say the same about you.”

“On that note, I think it’s time you get down here, big guy, before these two go from eye fucking to just fucking in front of us. On second thought, take your time. That could be hot as hell,” Loki called out as he looked up to the ceiling of the cave.

“No, no, it’s not hot. That’s my brother, you asshat,” Jared shouted in disgust.

Loki grunted in disappointment and rolled his eyes, “Fine, it’s time. Get down here and fill them in, please.”

“Luke, who are you talking to?” Gareth asked in bewilderment.

“Luke? That seems so normal a name for you,” Quentin ground out as he stood to his feet and moved to Zach’s side. “Zach, meet the god Loki. Who, if I am not mistaken, is also our missing hiker?”

“God?” Zach and Gareth said at the same time.

“Yes, yes, that’s me.” Loki stood with a flourish and bowed to them. “If you will excuse me one moment, I have to fetch someone.” Loki smiled at Quentin, “Don’t go anywhere, handsome, I am so coming back for you.”

“What in the hell is going on here?” Zach demanded as he turned to Gareth.

“I have no idea. All I know is that man claimed his name was Luke. I stumbled upon him on the trail and he fell and hurt his leg.

I knew something wasn’t right with him. I could sense it, but didn’t know what it was. I now know it was his god powers I was sensing. I’m not that in tune with that half of my DNA.”

Before anyone could respond, Loki flashed back into the cave with another man. “Gareth, Zach, other brother and gorgeous brother which I really need to learn your name, meet Thor.”

Gareth had to grab Zach as he rushed forward with a bellow of anger at his words. “Why are you here? Haven’t you done enough to my family? What more do you want from us?” Zach growled out between clenched teeth.

Thor raised one eyebrow and glanced at Loki. “Feisty, isn’t he. You think Gareth is up to the challenge?”

Zach cursed at his words and turned to the man holding him. “Get your hands off me, now.”

Gareth sighed in disappointment and stepped back, glaring holes at the two gods. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew it was their doing.

“What a shame, I was enjoying that a little too much I think,” Loki said with a wicked smile. He turned and looked to Quentin. “So, sexy, can I get your name? I want to know whose name I will be calling out in bed after all.”

Quentin sputtered in shock before finally finding his voice. “It won’t be mine. I don’t want anything to do with the gods and their fickle ways.”

Zach was furious at Loki’s words. “Leave my family alone. You gods have done nothing but hurt us. What did we do now that you have come back into our lives?”

Thor stepped forward, “You’ve got it wrong, I came to make restoration to your family. I can’t in good conscious take away your abilities, you have given so much to the mortals around here.”

Zach laughed in disbelief, the high shrill sound clearly mocking the god’s words. “When has a god ever given two shits about a mortal? We are barely a blip on your radar. Our lives are snuffed out in the blink of an eye to you.”

Loki shrugged in agreement with that statement. He couldn’t deny Zach’s words. Thor frowned, “Loki, you ass, you aren’t supposed to agree with him. You are on my side, remember?”

“You are my friend but damn, look at his brother. I will do anything to get on his good side.” Loki growled and licked his lips. “He is just so yummy.”

Thor rolled his eyes at his longtime friend and turned his attention back to Zach. “Forget him. I am here to help you, no ulterior motives. I know I cursed your family long ago, to be honest a lot longer than I realized.

I started watching you and came to the realization that you took my curse and turned it into something amazing. I can’t take it away, but I can help you find happiness.”

Jared smiled a cocky smile and chimed in, “Who says we aren’t happy?”

“Oh my poor, delusional boy, don’t you know you can’t lie to gods? We see everything. I know you aren’t.” Thor smiled placatingly.

“Why are you here in my cave then? I haven’t been cursed by any of you.” Gareth looked around at all the people who had invaded his sanctuary.

“That’s just it, Gareth. You are going to end up being what makes him happy,” he said as he pointed to Zach. “You are his mate, his other half.”

Gareth eyes widened in surprise, “That is the connection I feel then. The overwhelming urge to just be near him, to look at him.”

Loki smiled, “If he were my mate, I think I would have the urge to do a lot more than that.”

Zach frowned, “You gods are all alike, do what you want and fuck everyone else. I want nothing to do with it or any of you.” With one last glance at Gareth, Zach turned his back and headed back out of the cave.

“Oh and by the way, Loki, you better get back to where the search and rescue team is looking for you. Don’t make them search for nothing and chance getting hurt because you gods decided to interfere once again.”