Eros (Contemporary Mythos Book 4)

I froze with my hand on the door handle.

“I assume you were expectin’ someone else?” A warm smile pulled at Dad’s lips.

Shaking my head, I shoved all the confusion, heartache, and shock the past days built up in my mind aside. “I’m so sorry. I was expecting someone else, but I’m glad to see you, Da.” I hugged him. “Is there a reason for the impromptu visit?”

A deep sigh rolled from his gut, puffing into my hair. He patted my back and walked inside while rubbing his chin. “There’s something I need to tell ye, and I didn’t think it was right over video. I needed to talk to you about it in person.”

My palms clammed up, and a tingle shot through my fingers. “You’re scaring me.”

“Oh, don’t be scared, lass. It’s not something daft like you’re adopted or anything.”

“What a relief.”

He sat on my couch, its emerald-green coloring matching his eyes as he lifted them to me.

“I think this calls for scotch.” I breezed into the kitchen, eyeing my father through the open space above the sink.

“See? Proof you are my daughter.” He slapped his knee and drummed his fingers on his thighs, not fully sitting back.

I whisked open the liquor cabinet, pushing aside the various colored labels of Johnnie Walker, American whiskey, and a dusty bottle of tequila until I found The Macallan—a Highland twelve-year-old single malt whiskey and Da’s absolute favorite. After grabbing two tumblers, I yanked the cork from the bottle, making the satisfying thum sound. Walking to the couch with drinks in hand, I offered him one and took a seat in the single lounge chair.

He shoved his nose in the glass, eyes falling shut as he gave it a whiff. “Macallan. Oh, Lani girl, I didn’t even know ye had any here.”

“It’s not easy to come by, but I stashed one away in the unlikely event you ever stopped for a visit. Or whenever I miss you terribly.” I still remembered being a kid on my dad’s lap as he read me a story—the faint smell of this particular scotch brand on his breath mixed with the earthy scent of his cologne.

After taking a long sip, he set the glass on the armrest. “When I told you I was too under the weather to go to Scotland, that wasn’t entirely true.”

I paused mid-drink and raised a brow. “Go on…”

“You get your thick head from me, and I’m entirely to blame for it. I knew you needed an opportunity to present itself, to help ye see the big picture.”

The glass squeaked from my tightened grasp. “You wanted me to invite Graeme? To have alone time with him?”

Da grabbed the glass, taking another long sip. He dragged a hand over his face, disheveling his bushy eyebrows. “Not Graeme.”

Nausea boiled in my stomach. “But how—how did you know he wouldn’t show up? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I had to let the chips fall where they may, lass. Let you walk the path yourself, but aye, I knew Graeme wouldn’t show.” He leaned forward, holding the glass with one hand between his knees. “Tell me the truth. Did you think he was what I wanted for ye? A right Scotsman with a bang-up job?”

I downed half my drink. “A small part of me, sure. But I didn’t have my head on straight with him anyway.”

“A spell?”

My eyes snapped to his, suddenly feeling short of breath. “What?”

“I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone else. Not even your mum. Though I wish I would have.” He scowled at the floor. “After we had your sister, a few years went by, and your mum wanted nothing more than to have a second child. We tried everything. Even treatments. After a time, the doctors told us it’d take a miracle.”

Before I dropped the glass, I made sure to finish my scotch.

“Your mum was heartbroken for far too long over it. I couldn’t stand seeing her that way. I’ve never been a religious lad, but I prayed for three hours straight to any god or gods that would listen one night. Prayed to be blessed with just one more child.”

A father praying to the gods…

I uncrossed my legs and rested the glass on the coffee table between us. My knee bounced erratically, and I leaned on my forearm to stop it.

He drained the remaining contents of his drink, his gaze meeting mine. “A Greek god answered. Goddess, to be more specific.”

My heart galloped as I stared at the man who raised me. It wasn’t story time. This wasn’t a fantasy tale. This was real.

“You’ve—” I had to choose my words carefully to avoid sending myself spiraling. “You’ve known they exist this entire time?”

The skin between his eyes wrinkled. “Aye.”

“But why did you never say anything?”

He wiped his palms on his pants. “Oh, Lani. You should know better than anyone how daft that would’ve sounded.”

I did know.

I wrung my hands in my lap. “Which goddess?”

“She never told me her name, but given her appearance, I think it’s fairly obvious.” His gaze bore into me. Eyes with years packed into them. Years of happiness, yes, but also hiding the truth. Pain.

“Go on.”

“How many goddesses do you know who have an association with peacocks?”

I froze, lightly scraping my nails over my throat.

Hera.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute.” I held up a palm. “Why would the Queen of the Gods care about some random middle-class Scottish family?”

He rubbed the balding spot on his head. “I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit. The poor woman was only ever associated with being Zeus’s queen and putting up with his shite. She’s a goddess of marriage—a protector of women. With all the issues within her own family, I think she made a point to make happy ones for mortals when and if she could.”

Jumping to my feet, I paced the length between the couch and kitchen. “I exist because of the Queen of the Gods. The Greek gods.” I stopped and stared at my father. “You had to agree to something, didn’t you?”

“There was no bargain, no. But she did tell me you would be tied to their world. You’d carry out destiny.” Sorrow passed over his features. Not of the sad variety, however, it was more bittersweet melancholy.

“When I told you about Eric, did you know who he was?”

“No. But I knew Graeme was not the one, and with me not going to Scotland, him not showing proved it. Parents are supposed to let their children walk their own path, make mistakes. I don’t regret any of it for a second.” He crossed the room and pressed his hands together over mine. “You deserve happiness, and you’re positively glowing, aside from the crippling fear that you’ve fallen in love.”

I choked back tears. “Did you tell Eric to go to Scotland?”

Da shook his head and slid one of his hands to my cheek. “All of it was meant to happen, Elani. I simply removed a crater from your path to help it along.”

The sobbing that followed from my dad’s words couldn’t be controlled. I flopped my arms around him, hugging him tight as my shoulders bounced.

His aged deep, gravelly voice began to hum. Loch Lomond. An eerily beautiful song about two soldiers in the Battle of Culloden. Da used to sing it to me as a child to ease me asleep and soothe away my tears. He moved into the chorus and stroked my hair. The song brought back so many memories but did nothing to stop the crying this time.

He smoothed my hair, lightly rocking us back and forth. “Why are ye cryin’, daughter?”

“Because I don’t know how to fix things with him. I was a complete buffoon the last time I saw him.” Sniffling, I stepped back and dabbed under my eyes with a finger.

“Do you think he’s going to dwell on that or be more focused on you showing up?”

I gave a playful roll of the eyes. “Do you always have to sound so damn smart?”

“You might be destined for a godly life, but I’m still your da.” He winked.

“I—I’d be immortal. I lost mom. I can’t bear the thought of losing you too.”

He slipped a hand over my shoulder. “You’re supposed to outlive me anyway. What’s the difference, hm? Please stop trying to find an excuse.”

“And Chelsea?”

“With her, you need to lay it out in one go.” He chuckled and paused, smiling into the air as if conjuring a memory. “I remember when we had to tell her Santa Claus wasn’t real after a kid at school told her. We didn’t beat around the bush. Came right out and said it.”

Because there were so many years between my sister and me, I never knew what she was like as a kid. My heart hummed, watching my dad’s expression recalling a more peaceful time in his life.

“And how’d she react?”

He laughed again, rubbing a hand over the light stubble circling his mouth. “She stared at the floor stone-cold for a solid ten seconds, her lip twitched, and then she said, ‘Alright,’ and went about her day.”

Polar opposites. That’s what Chelsea and I were.

“You honestly think she’d react the same way when I tell her, ‘Hey sis, I fell for the Greek god of love, and I’m thinking about becoming his immortal goddess bride. Thoughts?’” I raised my brow, waiting for him to tell me I was right—to approach it more delicately.

“No, no.”

Ah-ha.

“You’d have to tell her twice.” A cheesy grin pulled at his lips, and he wiggled two fingers.

Playfully batting his hand, I pulled him in for another hug, memorizing the smell of scotch and tobacco.

“Do me a favor,” he mumbled into my shoulder.

“Anything.”

“Don’t tell her until after you’ve already gone through with it.”

I pushed back, slack-jawed. “What? That’d be lying to her.”

“More like withholding information.” He made a so-so gesture with his hand. “I only ask because if you try to muddle your way through tellin’ her, you’re going to go right back to square one.”

“I don’t know, Da.”

He cupped my chin. “She won’t be mad once she knows the reason. Your sister wants ye to be happy too, lass.”

I rested my hand on his, trying not to focus on how brittle they felt. “Alright.”

“You’ve got a lot to do, so I’m going to get out of your hair.”

“You’re leaving? I mean—why don’t you spend the night here?” I stepped back as he pushed past me for the door.

“Nah, I got a hotel across town. You don’t need your ole man crampin’ your style if ‘you know who’ shows up.” He offered a warm smile and kissed my cheek. “All you have to do is say the words, sweetheart. Three little words.” With a bow of his head, he slipped out the door.

I bit my thumbnail and pressed my back against the closed door.

Love. Love.

It was easy enough to think the word, but to say it? Feel it? Acknowledge it?

Clearing my throat, I pushed off the wood with my foot and stood in the middle of my living room as if addressing a crowd. “Love.” I winced. Throwing my hands in the air like a referee calling a touchdown, I yelled, “Love!”

“For the love of Olympus,” Aphrodite said from behind me.

I turned on my heel, only to find the goddess of love in my kitchen, rubbing her temple.

“What uh—what are you doing here?” I adjusted my clothes and rubbed under my eyes to ensure any smudged eyeliner disappeared.

She wore light pink skinny jeans and a flowy white top that slunk over one shoulder. Tossing her cornflower-colored hair, she folded her arms with sass. “You called for me?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Please. You said it at least four times.” She moved her hands to her hips.

“People say the word ‘love’ all the time. That’s all I said.”

She scratched her cheek. “Seriously?” She shook her hand, making her glittery flower power glitch and pop. “My powers are wonky.”

I pointed at her with a glare. “You tried to kill me.”

“Uh, no.” She couldn’t make eye contact. “Heph was under strict guidelines to bring you in ‘alive.’ I only wanted to—scare you a little.”

“How is that any better?”

She stomped her foot, her tan-colored heel making an impression in the carpet. “I opened that bounty before the whole Dunvegan Castle experience, alright? I’m sorry. Is that better?”

“The Loch Ness Monster?” My brows bobbed.

She winced as if I’d slapped her. “That could’ve possibly been a smidgen over the top.”

I folded my arms. “What else was your fault? My inexplicable urge to send a naughty photo to Graeme?”

“I honestly don’t see what the big deal was since you liked the guy…”

“Because you made me obsessed with him.”

Aphrodite blew out a breath, blowing a stray hair from her eyes in a huff.

“The airport. The music.” I narrowed my eyes. “I thought I was going crazy.”

She smiled with a snort, twirling some of her hair around a finger and staring up. “Oh, yeah. That was a good one. Even for me.”

A growl rumbled in the back of my throat. “Aphrodite…”

“Alright, alright.” She rolled her eyes and let her arms flop at her sides. “Sincerest and utmost apologies. I’m not sure what else you want me to say. I’ve got some self-love to work on, clearly.”

Continuing an argument with my potential mother-in-law didn’t seem wise. Psyche’s visit played through my mind. In myth, Aphrodite had forced her into a bout of ridiculous tests to prove her love for Eros.

“You can make it up to me by doing me a favor.”

“A favor?” She arched a thin blonde brow. “I’m game. Let’s hear it.”

“I want you to test me.”

She canted her head. “Test you? Like on algebra or something?”

“I want you to test if I—” I gulped. “If I love Eros. And not some ridiculous test like sorting out a huge pile of seeds or snatching a beauty ointment from Persephone in the Underworld. I mean a real test.”

“Well, that last one would be impossible now, considering she’s not there anymore,” Aphrodite mumbled, flicking her wrist in the air.

I crossed my arms. “Aphrodite…”

She remained silent as if waiting for me to say I was joking. But I wasn’t. My entire life, this crippling fear of loving someone and being loved back only to lose them, had controlled me long enough. It was time to get my happily ever after.

She slow-blinked. “You’re serious?”

“Aye.”

“Alright, Chica, but if this doesn’t go the way you hoped, there are no refunds, crystal?” She splayed her hands on either side of her, awaiting my answer.

“We’re clear.”

She swooped her arm, sending pink glitter all over my carpet and couch. And…nothing happened. After a nervous laugh, she swirled her arm, and again, nothing happened other than making my apartment look like a strip club.

“Oh, for the love of—” She snapped her fingers, and we were in the middle of a forest.

“Are you checking my hunting abilities or something?”

She scrunched her nose. “Ew, no.” She swirled her arm, and a giant toadstool appeared. After taking a seat, she leaned back on her palms and crossed her legs. “To love my son means taking everything he is and was. He has a bit of a rocky past. You want to prove you care for him? If at any moment I sense doubt in you…” She cut her gaze at me. “You fail.”

“Doubt about wha—” I started, snapping my mouth shut once a younger Eros crawled through a nearby bush.

He walked past me as if I were a ghost. He looked the same but no stubble, thinner, and a cockier snark to his features. Another young man trailed behind him with golden hair down to his collarbone, sun-kissed skin, and bright blue eyes. The two conversed in Greek, but I couldn’t understand a lick of what they were saying this time.

Slowly turning my head, I spied Aphrodite sitting there, watching the two men and shaking her head with a smirk.

“How am I supposed to know what’s going on if I can’t understand what they’re saying?”

Aphrodite jolted in her seat. “Right.” She wiggled her fingers, and the words flowed into the air as English.

“You defeat one tiny little dragon and suddenly think you’re king of the bow, Apollo?” Eros folded his arms with a sneer.

Apollo. Holy shit. He looked exactly like Ace from Apollo’s Suns. Alex was right.

Apollo let out a hearty chuckle. “A tiny dragon? Please, nephew. It’s far more than you’ve done with your archery prowess. If you can even call it that.”

“You can hardly compare the two. I give people everlasting happiness. You make people sick, heal them if you see fit, and any other time you’re sunbathing or gallivanting around with your lute.”

Apollo clucked his tongue against his teeth.

I stole a sidelong glance at Aphrodite as she gazed at me with the laser focus of a bird of prey.

“I inspire people. So, what? You make people fall in ‘love,’” he started, making air quotations. “Half the time, you don’t even decide that because you’re so far wedged under your mommy’s finger.” He wiggled his pinky finger.

Eros’s jaw tightened as a quiver appeared on his back, a silver bow materializing in his grasp.

“Watch it, Wings. You don’t want to go here with me.” Apollo’s stance widened, and he pointed at the bow as Eros grabbed an arrow.

Eros’s nostril bounced in a snarl, the sound of rustling leaves snapping Apollo’s attention away.

A blonde woman strolled through the thicket, plucking flowers to rest in the basket hanging from her arm. Apollo’s face fell.

“I can go wherever I damn well please, Sunshine.” With a snarl, Eros fired a golden arrow at Apollo.

Before it struck him, it turned into a shimmering cascade of gold and settled over his skin. His face turned serene, suddenly enamored by the blonde woman.

Eros turned on his heel, yanking a grey arrow from his quiver, and shot it at the woman. As the silver dust rained over her, her eyes widened, and she dropped the basket. Apollo sprinted through the forest only to be met by a terrified woman who promptly ran away from him.

A villainous grin played over Eros’s lips, but not the playful variety I’d been accustomed to—this grin was pure predatory satisfaction. Petty and cruel.

Aphrodite appeared beside me, her breath skirting over my cheek. “You’re hard to read. But your pulse is racing.”

There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Eros’s actions stemmed from rage, jealousy, resentment. But Apollo hadn’t been innocent in the least.

“He’s changed so much. Come so far. The man I know is patient and caring. We’ve all done things in our pasts we regret.” I caught her gaze. “But we can only improve ourselves in the here and now—the future.”

Her face softened, and her eyes glistened as if tears built. She nudged a knuckle under my chin, a similar action of Eros himself, before we disappeared from the forest and reappeared in The Arrow.

Eros stood behind the bar, as usual, talking and smiling at customers.

“Is this real-time?” I touched the air in front of me, expecting to see a ripple.

“No. This is a fabricated scenario. He won’t see you until you’re ready.”

“Ready for what?”

She jutted her chin at the door.

It was me, standing still, gripping the doorframe like it was the only thing keeping me upright.

“I don’t understand.”

Aphrodite hopped on a nearby table, crossing her legs. “Feelings can be complicated, but voicing them shouldn’t be, Elani. Some people show it, some people say it, but you know what you need to do to prove it.”

Say the words. It seemed so simple.

I stared at myself still clutching the door, with Eros not so much as glancing in my direction. It was as if I didn’t exist in this scenario. A pain shot through my chest. I pinched my eyes shut, and when I opened them, I myself was at the door. Aphrodite disappeared, and Eros’s gaze instantly met mine.

He quirked a brow, the rag in his hand dangling as he waited to see what I’d do. I’d expected him to look at me with disappointment or even anger for the way I left things. Instead, his face beamed with hope.

I sprinted and didn’t stop until the bar was the only thing separating us.

“I love you.” My heart hummed. For the first time in my adult life, I said the words and meant them.

The grin that spread over Eros’s face could’ve lit an entire planet on fire.

I climbed onto a stool. “I love you.” Crawling over the bar, I sat on the edge, pulling him between my legs. “I love you.”

He dipped his head to kiss me. Every ounce of passion poured from the kiss with each graze of his lips.

“Okay. Okay. If I watch my son make out any longer, I may have to pluck my eyes out.” Aphrodite waved her hand, erasing the frozen mirage with every swipe.

Eros froze in front of me with his lips puckered.

It wasn’t real. I didn’t actually say the words to him, but I’d said them. It was precisely what I needed.

“Thank you, Aphrodite.”

“Don’t sweat it. My kid deserves to be happy. Especially after that entire…debacle.” She winced and stared at her fingernails.

Running into the bar shouting the declaration of my love wasn’t enough. No. He was the Greek god of love and passion, performing miracles and leading couples to their happiness. What he needed was a grand gesture for him.

“Are you willing to do me one final favor?” I asked the goddess of love.