Goddess of Love (Goddess Summoning #5)(91)

"Is it you? How did this happen?" she whispered.

And then he did lower his voice so that Venus alone could hear him. "It's easy, my goddess. I found the courage to accept your love."

With a glad cry Venus threw her arms around Griffin's neck and melted against him as he lowered his mouth hungrily to hers, and Vulcan, God of Fire, formally and officially, possessed Venus, Goddess of Love, with Mount Olympus as his witness. The Great Hall exploded in pandemonium. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Venus realized that the noise around her was made up of joyful shouts and cheers as the Olympians acknowledged the glimpse they had been given of true love. But that was something she would consider and be glad of later. Just then she was too busy feeling her soul leap in joyful acknowledgment that it had been granted the miracle of living for eternity with its mate.

EPILOGUE

One year later

"Darling, you don't have any lamb. Would you mind terribly if I zapped up a succulent young leg of lamb for the grill? I have such a taste for it." Venus was peering into Pea's refrigerator as if she actually expected to find a freshly butchered carcass of lamb hiding between the milk and orange juice.

"Venus, we're having buffalo steaks. I've been marinating them since last night. They'll be delicious - trust me on this. Plus they have less fat and cholesterol than beef, let alone lamb."

Venus's beautiful face was a total question mark. Pea rolled her eyes. "Buffalo is better for you."

The goddess thought for a moment and then her expression changed so that she looked like she had just taken a large bite of something distasteful. "You mean it's healthy?"

Pea laughed.

"Are you terrorizing the immortals again, little one?"

Venus watched Vulcan (no, Griffin. Sometimes it was still hard to remember she must always call him Griffin) walk slowly to his wife. His leg was getting better, she thought. The wound had been dreadful. His entire left leg had been crushed. Venus remembered how during one of her numerous visits to Pea in the months following the accident and the bizarre exchange of their lovers' souls, her mortal friend had talked about the doctors and their opinion that Vulcan (who was now living the mortal Griffin's life) would never walk again. Pea and Venus had shared secret smiles over that. They knew the doctors had underestimated the soul within the mortal shell. He still walked carefully and slowly, but he walked.

Pea was laughing again and telling her husband that terrorizing immortals was one of her favorite pastimes, when the God of Fire materialized in the kitchen. Pea let out a little shriek and pressed her hand to the very pregnant swell of her belly.

"I don't know why I can't get used to that," she said, under her breath.

"Sorry, Pea." The god looked chagrined. He bent to kiss Pea's plump cheek, then the two men greeted each other. "It's still weird," said the immortal, who used to be mortal.

"I believe it will always been disconcerting," said the mortal man who used to be God of Fire. Venus noticed that, as always, they shook hands warmly. The two men honestly liked and respected each other. That, the Goddess of Love thought, proved that there was something intrinsically honorable and good about each man's soul. Then her husband walked around the table to her. By Circe's huge tits, she loved him! Venus didn't think she would ever tire of the unique spirit that sparkled in his dark eyes or of the way he made her body sing beneath his hands. He was incredibly strong and powerful, and during the past year that Griffin had resided within Vulcan's immortal frame, the God of Fire had completely lost the limp that had caused him so much anguish for eons. Ironic, really, that the wound followed the man's soul more than his body. Then Venus could only think about how warm his lips were as she pressed herself against him, returning his kiss.

"Hey there, my goddess," he whispered. "Did you miss me?"

"Oh, jeesh, you two. Please. She's only been here for one day without you," Pea said, shaking her head good-naturedly at them.

"I would miss you if you were gone for a day." Vulcan bent to nuzzle Pea's neck, which made her giggle and shiver.

"Stop that! We don't have time. Your sisters will be here any second, and I still have lots to do so that we can eat and be ready to leave for the grand opening of Fabio's boutique." She turned her stern look on Venus. "You know he'll be crushed if you're late."

"Darling, remind me what he decided to call his little shop," Venus said.

"Fit for a Goddess." Pea grinned. "He said you inspired the title."

"Of course I did."

"Want me to light the charcoal for the grill?" Vulcan asked her.

"You know that I could very easily do that for you," the new God of Fire said.

"Thanks, but I still like to start a fire or two every once in a while." Vulcan lifted his now mortal hands and wiggled his fingers, doing an excellent impression of how Venus liked to zap things into being. "Even if these don't work so well for me anymore."

Venus snorted at him, but secretly she thought that mortality had been good for his sense of humor.

"Well, God of Fire, if you want to make yourself useful, you can get a box for me from the pantry. It's on the very top shelf, and I'm not feeling like climbing the step stool right now. I think I put a bag of special mesquite wood chips in it, and I want y'all to add it to the charcoal as more seasoning for the steaks."