Bleed For Me (Loved By Gods #1)(19)

“My home burned. The paintings, everything. When I escaped from Eric, I went there first and it was…destroyed.”

He’d bet that ass Eric had done it. Oh, but he couldn’t wait to get his hands on that jerk.

Soon.

Terese turned her head and gazed at the shuttered window. “You know, I should be sleepy by now. Usually, I can barely keep my eyes open when the sun rises.” She glanced back at him. “But today, I don’t feel as tired.”

He cocked a brow. “Well, then maybe I can help you to expend some of that energy you have.”

A full smile slipped over her lips. “Just what did you have in mind?”

Apollo didn’t tell her, but he did show her, and soon her sweet moans filled his ears.

*

When she slept, Apollo space jumped to Olympus. Terese had stayed awake for half the day, and he knew that he would have to hurry so he’d be able to return before darkness fell.

He wasted little time in traveling to Olympus. Filled with sparkling gold streets, elaborate temples and glistening fountains, Olympus was truly a paradise for the gods.

He wondered if Terese would like it there.

“Hello, Apollo.”

At the deep, rumbling voice, he spun around to find Poseidon, the god of the sea, strolling slowly toward him.

He tensed at the sight of the other god. Second only to Zeus, Poseidon was known to be damn strong, and the guy was almost as unpredictable as Ares.

Apollo nodded cautiously. “Poseidon.” It took a lot to get Poseidon out of his watery realm.

A muscle jerked in Poseidon’s jaw. “Have you seen the Fates?”

Not lately, thank Zeus. Though he was sure they were off someplace laughing at hm. Apollo shook his head.

“Dammit!” The ground beneath them began to tremble. A sure sign that Poseidon was royally pissed. The guy had been known to start more than a few earthquakes.

“I’m tired of waiting,” he snarled. “They promised her to me, they promised! I should have found her by now.” His eyes reflected a stark hunger, and lines of pain were etched onto his face.

Apollo suddenly understood what, or who, had brought Poseidon to Olympus.

His mate. Apollo had heard the stories, of course. All the gods and goddesses had. One woman, a daughter of the land, was destined to be the sea god’s queen.

The Fates had foretold their bond centuries before.

Centuries…

No wonder the guy was pissed.

Poseidon’s hands clenched into fists. “I need her.”

Yeah, Apollo could understand that. But as bad as he felt for the other god, he didn’t have time for this drama. He had his own woman to worry about. “Look, I need to find Zeus. Do you know where he is?” The sooner he found his old man, the sooner he’d be able to permanently eliminate Eric from Terese’s life.

“No, I haven’t seen my brother. He’s probably off somewhere with Hera.” Then Poseidon muttered something, something that sounded like lucky bastard.

That wasn’t helpful—

“Apollo!”

He turned at the shout and found his twin sister Artemis running toward him and waving happily. She threw herself into his arms, and he grunted under the impact. “Uh, hi, sis.”

Artemis pushed back, and gazed at him with merry light blue eyes, eyes exactly like his. “I didn’t know you were coming home.”

A snarl broke the air behind them. They both glanced back to see Poseidon shimmer out of sight. He was off, no doubt, to continue hunting for the Fates. And his mate.

“Apollo?” Artemis stroked his cheek. “Why didn’t you let me know you were coming back to Olympus?”

“Because I’m not here to stay.”

Disappointment clouded her lovely features. “But I’ve missed you so.”

And he’d missed her, but Terese needed him. He didn’t want her to wake alone. “Someone’s waiting for me,” he told her softly. “I have to go back to her.”

“To her?” Her jaw dropped.

The last thing he wanted to do was sit through one of his sister’s grillings. “Look, I don’t have much time. Where’s Zeus?” The sooner he got his answers, the sooner he could get back to his vampiress.

Artemis shrugged. “I don’t know. He and that bitch Hera disappeared somewhere.” Artemis hated, hated Hera. Artemis had despised Hera since she’d just been a small girl and she’d learned the truth about what the goddess had done to their mother.

Apollo didn’t exactly feel all warm and tingly toward her. If Hera had gotten her way, he and Artemis never would have been born.

When Hera had learned that Zeus’s lover was pregnant, she’d used her power to prevent the mortal from giving birth anywhere within the world. She’d thought that if Leto couldn’t find a place to birth her children, then both Leto and the offspring she carried would all die. Talk about your wicked bitch.

Luckily for Apollo and his family, the island of Delos had disobeyed Hera. His mother had received refuge there. And he and Artemis had been given life.

Delos. His beautiful island. So gorgeous in the sunlight.

The sunlight Terese would never get to see again.

Artemis touched his cheek. “Why are you sad, brother?”

Trust Artemis to read him so easily. “I have someone I care about, back in New Olympus. She’s in danger.”