Green Tea and Black Death (The Godhunter, Book 5) (4 page)

   “
You accepted gifts from me while we were together,” Anubis' eyes started to swirl. “You even accepted them back after you left me.” He turned down the swirling colors and turned up the charm, as he looked over to the salesgirl. “Take the money, miss and you keep the change.” Then he smiled and winked at her. She didn’t stand a chance.

  
The money was in the register, the change in her pocket, and her eyes glazed over in less than three seconds flat. He took all the packages… in one hand, and nudged me forward, so Krystal could pay for her purchases.

   “
Could I take you ladies out for lunch? He smiled at Krystal first, the bastard, so my polite “No, thank you,” was overruled by Krystal’s enthusiastic “Absolutely”.

   “
Anubis,” I groaned, “this is such a bad idea. Trevor is spitting mad already. Thor made it clear he has intentions toward getting me back and Trevor went to Odin to get him to intercede. I don't think he can handle you getting into the picture right now.”

   “
As if Odin could make Thor stop chasing you,” Anubis chuckled softly and once again had all the female attention in the room. “Nothing will stop me from my pursuit, I doubt if the Thunderer is any different.”

   “
We’ll meet you outside, Krystal.” I took Anubis' bicep in hand and dragged him out the door. A cacophony of sighs followed us out.

   “
Where would you like to go for lunch?” Anubis blasted me with his smile and when my jaw went slack, I realized there was more to him than his usual good looks.

   “
What have you done?” I narrowed my eyes on him and poked him in his perfectly tanned chest.

   “
What are you talking about?” He swallowed hard.

   “
You’re enhancing your looks with magic!” I stepped back, the better to glare at him. It’s hard to glare at a tall man when you’re only five-three… and a half.

   “
Shhh, Miw-sher,” he led me over to a white cement bench, “you’re attracting attention.”

   “
Like you, in all your magically delicious glory, aren’t?” I gestured to the store. “You almost caused a riot in there.” He just smiled smugly. “This is not funny! What's wrong with you?”

   “
What’s wrong with me?” The glamor cleared a little, in the wake of his rising temper, and I was able to look on him fully without wanting to rip his clothes off. “I’m in love with you. That is my one and only problem… you.”

   “
Well just keep talking the sweet talk,” I rolled my eyes. “Maybe you can win me over.”

   “
Godhunter, you can be so cruel.” He waved a hand over himself and the glamor vanished completely, leaving a god that was still way too gorgeous to be walking around among humans... or at least around me. “I know I deserve it but can't you find a little compassion in your heart for me? You said you forgave me. Give me a chance to make things right.”

   “
I did forgive you,” I sighed and slumped. “But forgiveness doesn't change everything, it doesn't wipe the slate clean. I don't think you understand what real love is yet or how to even go about
making things right
.”

   “
Real love,” he inhaled sharply and shook his head. “And because you hold the love magic now, you think you know what real love is?”

   “
No,” I closed my eyes for a second, trying to find some calm. I just had to find my happy place. “I don't know all about love but I do know love means wanting the other person to be happy, wanting the best for them.”

   “
Yes, of course,” he clenched his fists and then opened them to stare at his palms like they held the answer to his problems. “But aren't there many forms of love? I don't think love should be about letting something go or sacrificing your happiness to make someone else happy. I believe it's about trying even when the task seems impossible, about holding on even though the entire world is pulling you and your lover apart. I think it's risk, the risk that they may not love you as much as you love them. It's fire, burning but purifying, making both of you better for having survived it. I believe it's about compromise, to find the middle ground where two people can be together and still separate, be in love but still love themselves. I know this is love because it's what I feel, what I want, and what I'd do to be with you. What I'm not going to do, is give up just because you ask it of me.”

   “
Wow,” I breathed.

  
All this time I'd thought Anubis loved selfishly. His actions said that clearly to me. But then things were so confusing when I'd been with him. I was focused on Trevor and his needs. The possibility of my wolf dying took precedence over everything else and the few times it didn't, I felt horribly guilty about. I resented every effort Anubis had made because I knew it was toward an end result of me being separated from Trevor.

  
Yet at the same time, I understood him. I saw the loneliness that motivated him and the honor that was in him so deep, it practically permeated his very bones. I know Anubis had been horrible, selfish, and even childish but I was the first woman he had ever loved. He was centuries old and I was his first. When I thought back to my first love, I remembered acting just as selfishly, just as immaturely. Don't we all when we're shown love for the first time?

  
I think it's human nature to grasp onto love, to try to hold it with both hands, even if it bites and kicks to get away. It's just such a wonderful, transcending feeling, it's hard to believe that it can ever be replicated. We just can't imagine that we can ever love that way again. In fact, in the midst of that first love, most of us think
no one
has
ever
loved as we do. So who wouldn't fight with every weapon they had to keep that feeling, knowing with the surety of youth, that we shall never have it again?

  
It's not till later that we learn love is not finite, that it comes again and again into our life as long as we keep ourselves open to it. It's not a singular miracle but a series of them. It's only by experiencing this series that we begin to understand how love needs to be treated. After we go through the heartaches needed to grow, we learn that love must be respected, nurtured, and given freedom to blossom. All things considered, Anubis had matured a lot in a very short time.

   “
I know about your new magic,” he whispered as he took my hand and kissed a spot he knew made my blood race. “You can take multiple lovers now. I'm willing to share you. Maybe we can have something like Persephone and Hades had. You could come and live in the Underworld for a few months of the year.”

   “
Anubis, I don't have absolute say over who becomes my next lover,” I rubbed at the headache building behind my left eye. “Trevor, as my alpha, does. In case you have any doubts, Trevor will never approve of you. I think the only man he likes less than you is Thor.”

   “
Miw-sher,” his face crumpled. “It doesn’t have to be like this. Trevor doesn’t even have to know.”

   “
You want me to cheat on Trevor?” My voice raised an octave higher than I knew it could go.

   “
Uh, should I take a walk?” Krystal was standing in front of us and neither one of us had noticed.

   “
No,” I cleared my throat, “we’re fine.” I got up and Anubis followed.

   “
Lunch, ladies?” The intensity was gone from his voice but not his eyes. “How about Mexican?”

Chapter Six

  
Five margaritas, six shots of tequila, and two plates of taquitos later, I was forgetting all the reasons why adding Anubis to my list of lovers was a bad idea, or an impossible one. All I could seem to think about was how wonderful the sex had been. How honorable he could be, how romantic.

  
It didn’t help that Krystal’s honey-streaked, brown locks looked amazing next to Anubis' sin black hair and that they looked like more of a couple than we ever would. It shouldn’t bother me and it didn’t, it bothered the five margaritas swimming in my belly. Or maybe it was the shots of tequila. I had drunk enough alcohol that even the super healing ability of my recent drink from the Grayel, couldn't sober me. I frowned over my enchilada at Anubis, as I slipped down further into the vinyl seat. Sque-e-a-ak.

   “
So what’s up with you two?” Krystal tore her eyes from Anubis for a second.

   “
I want her back,” Anubis shrugged and leaned infinitesimally closer to my chair at our conveniently round table. “I’m willing to share her but her other men are intimidated by me.”

   “
Share
her?” Krystal choked on her taquito, “Other
men
? What the hell is he talking about?”

   “
I've had some developments with the lioness magic,” I glared at Anubis until he gave me a twisted grin. “I'll explain it all later but basically I need more than one man. Trevor's the first though, my alpha, and he gets the final say on who I add. He won't approve Anubis, ever. Trevor just can't forgive him for what he did. Besides,” I slurred as I sat up in a drunken lunge, “we were never a couple. You abducted me, that's not a relationship, it's a crime.”

   “
Developments?” Krystal's eyes were big over the rim of her glass.

   “
Not for a god,” he waved his hand in irritation. “You said you forgave me but you keep bringing up my mistakes. I don't think you truly have. Why can't you forgive me, Miw-sher? I am truly sorry for the way I treated you. Please tell me you know that.”

   “
Miw-sher?” Krystal looked like she was trying really hard to follow the conversation.

   “
It means kitten,” I glanced at her and then back at Anubis. “I know you're sorry. I get it, you're forgiven but that doesn't transform what happened into a relationship. Call a spade a spade, you abducted me.”

   “
In what language?” Krystal interjected.

   “
Huh?” I was a little foggy with alcohol.

   “
Miw-sher means kitten in what language?”

   “
Oh, Egyptian,” I shook my head.

   “
Of course,” she laughed. “Anubis, right, should have known.”

   “
Fine,” Anubis flowed right back into our conversation. “It's a spade. We didn't have a relationship like a normal couple but we did have a relationship and I did have you. Now I want you back.”

   “
Well, Trevor won't agree to it,” I glared at him, “and I'm not going to sneak around behind his back.”

   “
Vervain is very loyal,” Krystal nodded sagely and pushed up her glasses. I wanted to hug her. “You’ll have to steal her away completely.” I wanted to slap her.

   “
Shut up, Krystal,” I transferred my glare to her. “Check please,” I waved to the waitress.

   “
I got it,” Anubis handed the waitress another of his endless bills and told her to keep the change. Her eyes lit up, almost as bright as they did when he first walked in.

   “
Thanks,” I stumbled to my feet and he caught me by the arm.

   “
You better let me drive you home,” he picked me up and started out the door.

   “
Damn it, Anubis,” I smacked at him ineffectively, “put me down.”

   “
I’ll put you down when I get to the car,” he kept going, while Krystal trailed us.

   “
Just sit me on a bench until I sober up,” I hit him again. “It won't take too long. Besides, I can’t have you driving me home drunk, it’ll start a war.”

   “
Not an issue,” he kept heading toward my Jag. “I’ll drive you home and trace out from the car. No one will even know I’d been there.”

   “
Krystal,” I called over my shoulder.

   “
I’m fine, sweetie,” she waved to her little sports car. “I only had one. You guys go ahead.”

   “
It was nice to meet you, Krystal,” Anubis called back as he tucked me into the passenger seat.

   “
Same here, sweet-cheeks,” she called as she roared away.

  
Then I saw the tinted windows of the car parked behind hers. They were very dark, probably illegal in Hawaii, but that wasn't what made me pause. It was the darkened windshield. Who tints their windshield? There was only one other car I'd seen like it and it had a vampire in it. I frowned at it, having the strangest feeling of being stared at through that dark glass.

  
Blue was the God of Vampires and when we'd been at odds, I understood why he might want me trailed but we'd made up since then. Why was he still having me followed? My inebriated mind couldn't even focus properly on the problem.

   “
I like your friend,” Anubis chuckled as he closed my door, cutting off my train of thought.

   “
Fabulous,” I grinned at him when he opened the driver's door. “She's single, go hook up with her.”