Selena's Men (25 page)

Her father reached his hand out and waved it over her neck, and she swallowed without any pain. Smiling, she reached out and grabbed his arm before he could pull it back. She flowed into his mind as naturally as she did her own, amazed at the vast knowledge and the lingering pain he felt at her loss. She watched in slow motion the things he’d done and how he tried to find her to no avail. She marveled at the absolute love he felt for her. Surrounded by warmth, she closed her eyes and slept.

The next time she woke up, she looked over and saw Hera sitting next to the bed knitting. It was such a domestic and normal sight, she giggled.

“Oh my, you are awake. How do you feel?” Hera reached over and poured a glass of water in a short, golden tumbler.

“Fine.” Clearing her throat, Selena continued, “I feel much better. What time is it?”

“I suppose if you were going by Earth time, you would say it is past midnight.”

“Shit, I slept through the whole day? Max and Malcolm must be going crazy. When can I see them?”

Her mother had such a strange look on her face, Selena thought she wasn’t going to answer her, but finally she opened her mouth, and then closed it. Selena had gathered from her father’s mind the gods and goddesses didn’t normally speak out loud. They considered it too primitive, but she could see her mother tried to make the effort for her.

“Selena dear, you have been asleep for over two weeks.” She gestured at the pile of knitted items littering the floor around her feet.

“What? Oh, I have to go,” Selena said, throwing back the covers, and attempted to stand. She gasped at the lightheaded feeling that almost had her doing a face-plant on the marble floors.

Her mother moved so fast, or maybe she didn’t actually move. One minute she was sitting in the chair and the next she grabbed Selena and cradled her in her arms like a baby. Selena knew she was small, but being held in the other woman’s arms, she felt like a baby. She watched as Hera’s eyes closed and a golden tear leaked out of each of her mother’s eyes.

She reached up and wiped away the tear. When Hera placed her back on the bed she mourned the loss of her mother’s arms. What the hell? She was a grown-ass woman wanting to be held like a baby? What was next? Maybe she needed a fucking pacifier or something. Her mother laughed, and she realized she hadn’t blocked her thoughts.

“No, my baby, I don’t think you need a pacifier,” Hera said.

“Thank the lord. I don’t think I had one when I was an actual baby.” Selena regretted her flip words when Hera’s face scrunched up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It is all right. I know what you meant. It is just, really…” She took a deep breath. “It is just, really wonderful having you here and having the ability to hold you. I cannot even express to you how long I have waited and hoped to find you. Now you are here, and it is all I can do not to wrap my arms around you and never let go.”

Selena smiled, feeling the same love pouring from her mother that Zeus had shown. The Ramos family had adopted her and given her all the love a child needed, but she had room for another set of parents. She opened her arms and Hera stepped forward. They hugged and cried until they heard a gruff voice being cleared. Hera pulled back first and tucked a lock of hair behind Selena’s ear.

“Are you two done with the girl chat? I have two imbeciles who keep battering my mind, and I am this close”—he pressed his thumb and index finger together—“ to eliminating my top two Ravens.”

“Oh hush, you know you love them boys.”

Selena looked between her two parents and wondered who they were talking about. Her father grimaced and rubbed his temple.

“Dammit, they are yelling in my head again.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Who am I talking about?” Zeus looked at Hera. “Did she really just ask me that?”

“Yes, honey, I do believe she did and I do believe you should probably let them come to her,” Hera said.

“But we just got her back.” Zeus growled.

“Are you whining like a baby?” Hera asked.

Selena couldn’t help but laugh at the look her father shot her mother until he shot that laser-like gaze in her direction. She raised her hands, saying without words she didn’t say anything about him being a baby.

“You do realize, as soon as I let them up here they are going to try and take her away again?”

Hera glided over to Zeus, and Selena was amazed at the affection her parents didn’t try to hide. She felt like a voyeur when her mother wrapped her arms around Zeus and laid her head on his chest. Zeus rested his chin on top of the smaller woman’s head, and Selena saw him take a deep breath with his eyes closed. She looked away, not wanting to intrude on their moment.

“You could never intrude, Mikroula.”

“What does that mean?” Selena asked.

“It means little one.” Zeus explained.

“I think I need to work on not projecting my thoughts a little better.”

“Okay, I hear you,” Zeus muttered.

“They cannot take her away from us, she is always going to be here,” Hera said, pressing a hand over his heart.

Zeus covered her hand with his larger one, and Selena couldn’t help but smile at their show of affection. She really was a very lucky woman to have had such great adoptive parents and now these two who obviously loved each other very much. The books she read didn’t portray them as such loving people, but then again, you can’t always believe everything you read.

“I’m going to let the King brothers come to Mount Olympus, but I swear to all that is holy, I will slay them if they try to take her away from me—I mean us!”

Hera patted her husband’s cheek, and it was all Selena could do not to giggle at the astonished look that passed over the big man’s face.

“Ah, you are such a big softy, my love.”

Selena did roll her eyes at that one. Softy! Ha, what a joke.

“Oh, believe me, Selena, this man is a teddy bear at heart. Hard as a stone on the outside, but inside.” She tapped his chest. “Inside he is like a big marshmallow.”

“Oh yes, I think he looks just like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man,” Selena joked, not letting them see the image of the thing as it looked in the
Ghostbusters
movie.

“I see that, young lady, and I resent that remark.” Zeus smiled.

Selena laughed, feeling almost complete.

“Okay, I will let them up, but I will speak with them alone before I allow them in to see you.”

“Dad,” Selena whined.

“That has a lovely ring to it, Mikroula,” Zeus said. He let go of Hera and floated over to the bed. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then her cheeks.

Selena closed her eyes and enjoyed the first show of affection her father had given her. She felt him stand up, and then he disappeared. She looked around and met her mother’s amused gaze.

“You father and I love you very much. I think you just wrapped that man around your finger with one little word,” Hera sobbed.

Selena climbed out of the bed, amazed at the strength her body had. She floated.
Yeehaw!
She friggin’ floated, just like her father, over to where her mother stood and embraced the woman in a hug.

“I love you, Mom,” Selena said with meaning.

“Thank you, Selena. I love you, too.”

Max King prowled the gilded room they were shown to after they’d been zapped from Malcolm’s home. He didn’t spare a glance at the opulence of the room, or stare in awe at the beautiful people who walked past. It had been two weeks since they’d had Selena snatched away from them. He knew why the god had taken her, and for that, he was grateful. Truly he was. Now he was prepared to beat the man senseless.

“You can try, pup,” Zeus said from behind him.

Max spun around and pinned the man with all the pent-up emotions he had held in check for weeks. He heard Malcolm’s intake of breath, but didn’t break his hold or his gaze. He learned never to show fear or emotions in battle and he made no mistakes. This could be the biggest battle of his life.

“Where is Selena?” he asked between gritted teeth.

“Release me, boy,” Zeus said.

The authority the man wielded had no effect on the half-crazed demigod. Malcolm laid his hand on Max’s shoulder and spoke directly into his mind.

“
Max, you need to chill, dude. This is not the way to ask a father for his daughter’s hand in marriage
,” Malcolm said.

“You two think you are good enough for my baby?” Zeus asked.

“It doesn’t matter what you think. We bonded with her and her with us. If you try to keep us apart we will all suffer.”

“I would never allow my child to suffer. Now you two”—he flicked a glance between them—“I am willing to allow it.”

“That is just too fucking bad, we won’t allow it. We love her more than life itself, more than our next breath.” Max snarled.

“Zeus, you have to understand, we love Selena and we know she feels the same. You need to give us a chance to explain and…” Malcolm stopped.

“Oh, you want to explain how you both claimed her? Or maybe you want to tell me how you plan to share her and make her your plaything?”

Max widened his eyes as Malcolm raised his arm and a bolt of lightning flashed out, slamming into the wall next to the god’s head.

“You will never speak of Selena like that again, or, god or not, I will hurt you.” Malcolm growled.

Zeus flashed a pearly-white smile, nearly blinding them with its brilliance. Max stumbled back and released his hold on the bigger man.

“Good. You two have passed.” He rubbed his hands together.

Max looked at his brother, and then the god. Malcolm shrugged his shoulders while the god looked very pleased with himself.

“What the hell is going on, Zeus?” Max asked.

“I wanted to see how far you both were willing to go to claim my daughter. By the looks of it, you both were prepared to die for her.”

“Well, duh,” Malcolm said.

Max reached over and slapped his brother in the back of the head. Malcolm looked up with what could only be described as a petulant look.

“Mal, you do not say ‘duh’ to a god.”

Malcolm rubbed his head and glared at Max. “It was a really stupid thing that he said. What was I supposed to say?”

“Oh I don’t know, maybe something a little more appropriate. He says ‘duh.’” Max rolled his eyes heavenward.

“Ya, well you just hit me. What are you, a two-year-old?”

Before he could pummel his brother, Zeus clapped his hands. Max turned to see the god had glided over to his large desk and sat behind it. It was such a domestic-looking scene, except the man had on a short white gown and sandals. Not to mention the gold bands around his head and arms. Some things were best left unnoticed, like your future father-in-law in a dress.

Max saw Zeus steeple his fingers and rest his chin on them. He looked at Malcolm, and then Max, seeming to judge them. He didn’t flinch as the man invaded his mind. He did, however, cloud over the lovemaking he shared with Selena and Malcolm. A father really didn’t need to see that.

“You are a little late, pup,” Zeus said in a gruff voice.

Max winced.

“What do you want us to say, Zeus?”

“Nothing,” Zeus shrugged.

“What the hell does that mean? You take our Fated away from us, and then you bring us here to do what? Can’t you see we are suffering without her? How would you feel if you were separated from Hera?” Malcolm asked.

Max watched his normally laid-back brother pace back and forth, pulling at his hair in a clear sign of frustration. He tilted his head side-to-side, hearing a satisfying pop, then shook his hands out, trying to relax to no avail. Max knew what Malcolm was feeling.

“Calm down, boys. I do believe your little avenging angel is on her way here as we speak…”

* * * *

Selena barreled into the anteroom to her father’s office and scattered the people inside with a flick of her wrist. She didn’t stop to apologize. She raised her hand and watched the large door fly off the hinges. Hearing a more-than-satisfying thud, she stepped over the threshold, and sparing a glance in her father’s direction, she focused her gaze on the two loves of her life.

“Where have you two been?” She raised her hand and they both fell silent. “I don’t want to hear a word from you.” She pointed a finger at Zeus.

“Oh gods, Selena, are you okay?” Malcolm asked, rushing to her side.

Selena brushed his question aside with an impatient shake of her head. When she woke up and found it had been weeks, and neither of her men had been there to hold her, she was saddened. Now here they were in her father’s office, and still, neither man had come to see her. She was beyond pissed.

“Am I okay? You ask if I am okay? I am not okay. As a matter of fact, I am so fucking pissed at you two.” Her eyes pinned both men.

“Gods but you are gorgeous when you’re mad.” Malcolm dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist.