Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (193 page)

“But…”

“I need to know,” he whispered.

So did I.

Uriah’s arms slid around me, pulling my lips to his as the snow fell around us. The icy chill in the air disappeared. Heat coursed through me as my mouth drank him in. My hands ran up Uriah’s chest to his hair, tangling in his dark locks. Every part of me felt alive, free. In that moment I could see the possibilities of my life blossom into paths I had never even dared dream about. Uriah was my key to the happiness I had always wanted.

Standing in the middle of the snowstorm, completely alone, part of me wanted to push him further, but the beauty of the moment would have been broken. I could have stayed right there forever. Uriah slumping against the fence kept that from happening. He had to grab the railing to keep himself from sliding to the ground. Lost in the exhilaration of his kiss, I had completely forgotten about what the cost might be. Focusing, I stared at Uriah.

I could guess that the way he was trembling had less to do with the kiss than the effect I had on him. “Uriah, are you okay?”

“I’m great,” he said. He was grinning at me, but not as widely as he usually did.

“No you’re not. You’re shaking. What’s going on?” I demanded.

The slow shake of his head wasn’t answer enough, and he knew it. “I don’t know. That hurt more than I expected, but it felt amazing at the same time. I should have kissed you a long time ago.”

He looked like he was ready to try it again. Pushing him back against the fence, I said, “Stop it, this is freaking me out.”

“I’m sorry, Claire. I don’t know what else to say. I’ve never felt this way around anyone else. Just you,” he said. “But it gets easier. The first time I really touched you, skin to skin, my knees buckled. But now when I touch you, I just get this sensation like I’m really tired and sore, or I have an old bruise. I barely even notice it anymore unless…well, unless I’m really wanting to be with you at the moment. All I have to do I keep kissing you, and eventually all I’ll feel is your amazing lips against mine.”

Amazing lips, huh? Shaking my head, I tried to stay focused. “But where is this coming from?” I asked.

“I have no idea,” he said. “Maybe you’re just too incredible for me to be around.”

“Yeah, right.” Although, I did like the sound of that.

Shrugging, Uriah said, “Well, maybe the Shaxoa cursed me or something. How about that?”

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up, Uriah. You know I don’t believe in witches and crap like that. I’m being serious.”

“So am I. I don’t know why I feel like this around you, but I don’t care. And now that I know I can survive kissing you, I plan to do it a lot more often,” he said.

He was brushing this off now that he knew kissing me wouldn’t kill him, but I didn’t think I could let this go as easily. “Uriah, please.”

“Claire, I’ve tried to figure it out, believe me. My parents have always told me stories about Tewa heroes and legends. I’ve tried so many times to find one that told about something like this. There aren’t many books, but the few my dad has, I’ve read. And I found nothing,” Uriah said. “I wish it would go away and just let me be with you like I want to, but I don’t think it will. I just have to learn to deal with it, I guess.”

Bringing me back against him, he kept me close. His eyes held me. I could see that the worry that had been there before was gone. Once again, I only saw how much he cared reflected back at me. “Claire, whatever this is, me being too weak to stand being around you, or some ancient Tewa trick to keep guys away from the chief’s daughter, I don’t care. I won’t let you go just because I get a little woozy when I touch you. You mean too much to me.”

“But I’m hurting you,” I argued.

“You’re worth it.”

To prove his point, he kissed me again, deeper and more passionately than the first time. I hadn’t even thought that was possible. White puffs of snow melted on our skin as we held each other. I knew I wouldn’t dream of anyone else but Uriah for a long time after this. Losing myself to him immediately, every other thought but one fled my mind. Whatever made me hurt him, I would find out what it was.

B
irthdays
in my family were a small affair. It wasn’t that we didn’t enjoy celebrating the day, it was just a more private occasion for us, a time for family. Every year on my birthday my mother made me a special dinner, which we ate together as a family, followed by my favorite desert.

My gift was always waiting for me on my nightstand when I woke up. I was given a reprieve from my chores and allowed to spend the day doing whatever I wanted, within reason. The day ended every year with my mother sitting next to my bed and telling me of my great grandfather, who I was named for. I had never met him, but I felt as though I knew him very well at an early age, and was proud to bear his name.

My seventeenth birthday had passed just like all of the others. The only thing that had been missing was Claire. That was only because we hadn’t started dating yet. I wished she had been there, thinking I was being foolish at the time, never expecting that we would be together only a few short months later. What mattered, now, was that today was Claire’s seventeenth birthday, and she was dreading it. Normally, parties and Claire got along great. Dating me had changed that.

Partly, I think Claire would just rather spend time with me than a pack of other teens, but the rest of it was that most of her old friends had completely abandoned her, thanks to me. Her birthday was making her especially nervous because of her dad. He agreed that we could date but that didn’t stop him from trying to change her mind about me every chance he got.

After the early cold snap, it had been fairly mild weather for the last week, but we both knew it wouldn’t last much longer. Our walk to her parent’s home in the crisp October air was filled with the sound of Claire’s voice as she told me about the legends she had been studying in hopes of finding some clue about why I reacted to her like I did. It wasn't my favorite topic, and I could only make myself listen with half an ear to her story about a legendary warrior who had received a blessing from the gods, the tremendous strength of a bear, to defend his tribe from a raid. I just hoped that Claire wasn’t now trying to add my physical strength to her list of things to explain.

There was absolutely no mystery behind my muscle. Or my quick reflexes. Claire had already tried to add those to her list, but I refused to listen to her on that one. Working on the ranch with my dad and playing every sport available made it nearly impossible not to be strong and quick. Spirits of animals or gifts from the gods had absolutely nothing to do with it. Frankly, it kind of annoyed me that Claire thought it did. It being her birthday was the only reason I didn’t ask her to stop talking about it.

We had spent the afternoon hiking the bluffs, hiding from her enthusiastic mother and trying to get a little alone time, which seemed hard to come by lately. Claire’s mother, Sarah, had invited me to dinner tonight, which I appreciated, but the prospect of spending the evening with Claire’s father made me want to head back out into the desert. Claire practically dragged me up to the wide, double doors of her home.

“Are you sure we have to do this?” I asked.

“It won’t be that bad, I promise,” Claire said with a smile. “My mom won’t let him do, or say, anything stupid tonight. And neither will you. If he acts up, just tell him to knock it off and he will.”

It was another not so subtle reference to my supposed abilities. I tried to tell her it was nothing out of the ordinary, but ever since telling her about the way touching her affected me she was more convinced than ever. She had spent the last two weeks searching books about Tewa mythology in her dad’s library. Of course, she didn’t find anything useful, just like I hadn’t. It was just a weird fluke.

Neither of us actually believed in any of the old stories. They were just bedtime stories. That didn’t stop her from reciting legend after legend to me today to see if I thought any of them held a clue she had missed. I hated hearing the myths of our people, but I forced myself to bear it today. I refused to get mad at Claire on her birthday. Maybe dealing with her dad tonight would at least take her mind off figuring out what was wrong with me.

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” I said sullenly.

Claire smiled. She found my fear of her father strangely amusing. With a deep breath, Claire pushed the door open. Lights, music, and laughing faces ambushed us. It took me a few seconds to realize it was a surprise party and not an attack. Claire laughed, hugging the guests one by one. Relief drew a deep sigh from my chest. This would make it much harder for Thomas to corner me and make his usual threats.

Claire was back by my side, pulling me into the crowd, introducing friends and family I had never met before. Shaking hands, I knew I would never remember any of their names. Finally we made our way to Sarah. She was grinning as she pulled Claire into her arms.

“You don’t mind do you?” she asked with a guilty smile. “I know you don’t really like big parties anymore, but I just couldn’t resist. Every girl should have a great party for her birthday, a real party, not just dinner with your boring old parents.”

“It’s great, Mom, thanks,” Claire said, throwing me a wink. She knew I had not been thrilled not at the prospect of having to spend the night staring at her dad. “I don’t think I even know half of these people, though.”

Glancing around the room, my eyes settled on a group of nervous looking people standing near the fireplace. Claire was watching them as well. “Who are they?” she asked.

“Oh, you know your father,” Sarah said with a slight frown, “he invited some business friends. He’s always on the lookout for opportunities to make new friends and business deals. Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy your party.”

“Thanks, Mom. Everything looks great,” Claire said.

Despite Sarah’s claim that the strangers were business friends, I couldn’t help but notice that each of the families happened to have a son close to Claire’s age. I hoped that Claire had not made the same connection. In the few short months since she had confided in me how much her father’s attitude and comments hurt her, Claire had gotten much better at handling the way he treated her. His behavior still stung her, but she said that having me around made it easier to brush off the way he acted. Even still, she would not be happy if she found out her father was trying to set her up with guys who were not me. She was still pretty touchy when it came to things like that.

“Are you hungry?” Claire asked. Her face was flushed with pleasure. She must not have seen the eager young men. “Mom said there’s food in the den. I’m starving. Do you want me to get you something?”

Her father’s business friends were in the den. I did not want them pouncing on her and ruining her night. “How about I get you something? You just enjoy the party.”

“Thanks, Uriah. I’m going to say hi to my Aunt Valerie. I can’t believe she came all the way from Denver for my birthday party,” Claire said excitedly. Valerie was Sarah’s sister. I had met her once before and instantly liked her. She was exactly like her sister, kind and enthusiastic. Hopefully Valerie could keep Claire occupied for a while.

“I’ll be right back. Tell Valerie hi for me.” A quick peck that barely even affected me, and I was heading for the buffet tables stacked along two of the walls in the den. Even if Claire hadn’t been able to find out anything about the weakness and pain I felt around her, it turned out I was right about practice making perfect. The more I kissed Claire, the easier it got. Crossing over to the buffet tables, I grabbed a couple of plates. The spread looked delicious. Claire’s mother had really outdone herself. And by that I meant the caterers had outdone themselves.

“Well, maybe you should go find her,” I heard someone whisper. It came from the direction of Claire’s wannabe suitors. It took considerable effort not to look over at them.

“I don’t even know her. What am I supposed to say to her?” a young man whispered to his mother.

“Tell her happy birthday for starters. Her father said he thought you would be someone she would get along with. And when Claire transfers to the high school in Santa Fe next semester she’ll want a friend to show her around. Mr. Brant is a friend of your father’s. Don’t embarrass him,” the young man’s mother hissed.

Great, I thought, Claire was about to be ambushed by teenage boys who all thought they were going to be her new boyfriend. And what on earth was that woman talking about? Claire wasn’t transferring high schools. If Thomas even tried to bring it up, Claire would freak out. He knew that. He must be getting desperate to get her away from me. Thomas would never cease to surprise me. I really wished I knew why he hated me so much.

Filling two plates, I hurried away from the pair, hoping the boy’s nerves would keep him away for the whole night. Scanning the room for Claire, I found Cole instead. Dodging a few dancing teens, I stepped closer to him.

“Hey, Cole, could you do me a favor?” I asked.

Peeling his attention away from the young woman coyly twirling a strand of hair around her finger, Cole managed a quick, “Yeah, sure. What is it?”

I didn’t recognize the girl he was talking to, so I leaned close to his ear, fearing she might be related to the guy in the den. “Your dad invited some friends, who have teenage sons. I think they’re here to try their luck with Claire. Would you keep them away?”

“Can’t handle the competition?” Cole asked.

“Your dad told them Claire is transferring to Santa Fe High and wants to make some new friends. I think we can both guess how Claire will react if she finds out why they’re here,” I said seriously.

Cole nodded. He had to live in the same house as Claire and Thomas, and knew exactly how heated their fights could get. “No problem.”

“Thanks.”

I spotted Claire walking across the kitchen with Valerie then. She was coming toward me. Putting distance between me and the den, I walked over to her, stealing a kiss before handing her the plate of food.

“Uriah, sweetheart, how have you been?” Valerie asked. Slipping her arm around my shoulders, she kissed me on the cheek. I blushed instantly. Claire giggled at my response. Valerie had greeted me the same way last time we met, and I had reacted exactly the same. I think she thought it was funny.

“I’m fine. How are you, Valerie?” I asked.

Wrapping her other arm around Claire, she said, “I’m great. You two should come and visit me in Denver sometime. Maybe over Christmas vacation. I’m sure you guys could use a break from Thomas.” Valerie had never cared for her sister’s choice in a husband.

Claire rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, Val. My dad would sooner cut off his own hand than let us go to Denver together.”

“Oh, your mom and I might be able to change his mind. We’re very persuasive,” Valerie said.

Not that I doubted that Valerie, a successful defense attorney, was very good at getting what she wanted, but I knew she would never succeed in getting us to Denver. Claire shared my opinion. “Good luck with that,” Claire said. Valerie merely shrugged.

“So what have you two been up to lately,” she asked, “other than driving Thomas crazy, that is?”

“School mostly, hiking, riding, and hanging out at Uriah’s house. The usual stuff,” Claire said. “How long are you staying?”

“Unfortunately I have to head back tomorrow,” Valerie said. “I wish I could stay for a few more days, but I’ll be in court Monday and I need the rest of the weekend to prepare. Next time I’ll stay longer, I promise.”

Popping into place next to Claire, Sarah said, “Claire, honey, Grandma has a gift she wants to give you. I told her she could just leave it on the table, but she really wanted to give it to you herself. Do you mind running over to her for a minute? She’s tired and won’t be able to stay much longer.”

“Sure, Mom,” she said. “I’ll be right back, Uriah.” Handing me her plate, Claire rushed into the den. It took a second for me to remember why I did not want Claire going into the den. Cole was nowhere to be seen. So much for
his
help. Quickly, I set the plates down and excused myself. I hurried over, not wanting to cause a scene by running through the crowded house, but trying to prevent an explosion.

The milling people blocked my view of the sunken den. I politely pushed my way through, seeing Claire sitting next to her aging grandmother. She had already opened the gift and was clasping the necklace around her neck. She hugged her grandmother warmly, kissing her wrinkled cheek. Claire stood just as the nervous young man I had overheard earlier approached her. My steps quickened.

Stuck behind a group of chatting teens I couldn’t hear what he said to her, but Claire politely extended her hand. I was almost to Claire when her face turned beet red. I saw her mouth open, and I had a pretty good idea of what was coming next. Grabbing her shoulders, I spun Claire toward me, sweeping her into a desperate kiss. She was stiff with anger, and the young man behind her was staring at me with his mouth open, but I didn’t let up. Slowly, Claire’s shoulders released their tension and she pressed her lips closer to mine. I pulled back only when I could feel that she was completely distracted. My knees were trying to drop me, but I held onto Claire hoping it would pass quickly.

“There you are, Claire,” I said. I turned to the shocked guy who had managed to close his mouth finally. “Excuse us, please. I need to borrow Claire for a minute.” The young man nodded slowly and silently. I had no desire to explain.

Claire remembered what had set her off in the first place and sputtered furiously as I pulled her through the den and out the front door. The cool air was a relief after the crowded house. “That guy,” Claire began. I ran my hand along her jaw line, trying to calm her down, but Claire was too worked up to even notice. “He said my father told him to come and talk to me. He told him I was transferring to Santa Fe next semester. How could he tell him that? What is wrong with my dad? I could kill him right now!”

Pulling Claire into my arms, I stroked her hair. “It’s okay, Claire. Just forget about it.” Claire made a noise that said she didn’t appreciate the suggestion. “If you go back in there and confront him, it will upset your mom. If you pretend nothing happened, your dad will be ticked off that his plan didn’t work and he’ll go back to sulking for a while. We both know he’s never going to convince you, or your mom for that matter, to transfer to Santa Fe. I won’t let him take you away. Don’t let him ruin your party. Your mom is really excited about this.”