“Kaden?” I called out, keeping one eye on the dog. I know this is an unpopular and even controversial thing to say, but I didn’t like pets. I wouldn’t say I hated dogs, but I didn’t want them in my house either.

  The dog leaped up on his back legs and set his large paws on my chest. It was a lot bigger than I thought it was originally. “Nice doggy,” I said, setting my hands over his paws. Getting a closer look at the animal, I realized it wasn’t a dog at all. It was a wolf. A black wolf with the most gorgeous green eyes I’d ever seen. What the hell was a wolf doing in the middle of downtown Boston? Wouldn’t there have been some kind of alert sent to my phone if a vicious wild animal had gotten loose from the Franklin Park Zoo? “Good boy,” I whispered, pushing gently against his paws.

  “Achoo! Choo! Choo!” The wolf backed away from me and continued to sneeze. He sat back on his haunches, looking as if he was waiting for something.

  My mind turned back to Kaden. Where the hell had he gone? The wolf whined. He got back to his feet and brushed against my leg. He looked at me with what I couldn’t help thinking was longing. “Kaden?”

  The wolf nodded his head.

  “You’re a werewolf?” I asked, unable to believe my eyes. The man I’d spent the evening with and had started falling in love with was a shape-shifter?

  Before my eyes, Kaden shifted back to his human self. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Hollywood movies got the transformation all wrong. “What the actual fuck?” I whispered, taking several steps back.

  “Uh, yeah. I was going to tell you,” Kaden began.

  “When? Back at my place? After I’d fucked you? After you ripped out my throat and I was bleeding to death? What the hell is wrong with you? There was nothing about your…your condition on the dating site.” My mind was spinning a mile a minute. I needed to calm the hell down before he shifted again and tried to eat me.

  “I’m sorry, Orion.” Kaden’s gaze was on my feet. “I should have told you, but most people react like you did just now, so I kept it to myself.”

  “What made you shift? Were you afraid of the man who shouted at us?”

  Kaden shook his head. “No, it was from my arousal. I mean, I can shift at will, but sometimes, when my gears are grinding, so to speak, it just…happens.”

  “Acne just happens!” I half shouted. “A sneeze just happens. Not shifting into some kind of movie monster.” I gasped at the words rushing out of my mouth. Hell, I was a five-thousand-year-old demigod; I was the last person who should be judging Kaden, but fuck me blue, this was a nightmare.

  “I get it. If my own family shunned me and kicked me out of my pack, what chance did I have with a total stranger?” Kaden asked. He sounded resigned to his fate. “It was nice to meet you, Orion. I guess Cupid doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing after all.” Without looking up at me, he walked away.

  I spun around to watch him go. Part of me knew I should go after him and apologize, offer to walk him back to his car, but the other part was pissed. Not at Kaden. After the kind of reaction he got from me, it was painfully obvious why he didn’t tell me he was a werewolf in the first place. I was mad at Cupid. Actually, mad was a gross understatement of what I was feeling. Bone-deep rage was a better way of putting it. When I got my hands on the son-of-a-goddess, I was going to let my fists do the talking.

  Twenty minutes later, I walked back into my condo. Instead of dissipating, my rage had only burned brighter. Closing my eyes, I cast my memory back to the ancient words used to summon a god. I said them over and over in my head, knowing Cupid would be powerless to resist me.

  “Orion!” Cupid said, his eyes dancing with obvious merriment. “You’re looking good. It’s been a while.”

  Rushing forward, I grabbed the cherub by the throat. “It’s been a while because the last time we saw each other, you got me killed, asshole!”

  Shoving back against me, Cupid freed himself from my iron grip. He raised a sardonic eyebrow as he tried to get his breath back. “It seems you’ve recovered.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I challenged. “Why is it every time we come in contact with each other, you fuck me over?”

  Cupid held up his hands. “How was I to know Apollo would react to you spending time with Artemis the way he did?”

  “You’re fucking Cupid! Couldn’t you have zinged one of your arrows at him so he’d have known I was in love with him and not his sister?” The innocent look on Cupid’s face only served to fuel my anger.

  “You know my arrows don’t work on the gods and goddesses of Olympus.” Cupid took a deep breath and walked to my fridge. He pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to me. “Drink this. You’re going to spontaneously combust if you don’t cool off.”

  I hated how Cupid knew another of my weaknesses but twisted off the cap and took a long drink anyway.

  “I don’t know what you think is going on here.” Cupid sat down hard on the edge of my leather sectional. “I did everything in my power to hook you up with Apollo. You know I did. What he did to you in a fit of rage should tell you more about him than anything. He was obscenely jealous. Hotheaded. Irrational. And those are some of his better qualities. The man you were in love with killed you, Orion.”

  As angry as I was at the moment, I had to admit to myself Cupid had a point. All I cared about were Apollo’s looks. His dark eyes and his muscled physique haunted my dreams. I thought if he would only notice me, we could have built something to last. Instead, he made our first meeting my last day on earth. “Yeah, I remember. I’d still be with Hades in the Underworld if it wasn’t for Aphrodite.”

  Cupid laughed. His giggles filled the room, making me feel impossibly lighter in the process.

  “What the hell is so funny?” I growled. There was nothing remotely humorous about being stung repeatedly by the scorpion, his venom coursing through my veins like wildfire, while the love of my life looked on and laughed.

  “Who do you think sent the goddess of love to you?” Cupid asked, pointing to himself. “My mother knew how devastated I was over your death. She knew I blamed myself. Aphrodite took it upon herself to save you, risking not only Apollo’s wrath but Zeus’s as well.”

  Damn, what Cupid was saying had never crossed my mind. His helping to mop up after the fact wasn’t enough. Not only did I end up in the Underworld, but if things had gone differently tonight, Kaden could have sent me back. I didn’t need to be a demigod to know there would be no saving me a second time. “Yeah, well, whatever. My date tonight almost finished what Apollo started. Kaden could have torn me limb from limb. Don’t you even try to tell me you didn’t know he was a shifter.” Most of my anger was gone; what I felt instead was bone-weary and lost.

  “Of course I know Kaden is a werewolf. I also know he’s walked a similar road as you, being ostracized from his family, living a life devoid of love. Sound familiar? He never would have hurt you. Neither would I.” Cupid seemed to study me for a few silent seconds. “I spent centuries watching you suffer over the loss of Apollo. Your pain was mine. When I sent you the invitation to join the dating agency, it was because I’d found your true soul mate. I’m doing this to make amends for what happened in the past. You healed Kaden tonight; now it’s time to finally heal yourself.”

  I looked at Cupid and could see every word he’d said was the truth. “I’m sorry I tried to kill you.”

  Cupid snickered. “What’s a little attempted murder between friends?”

  Despite everything that happened tonight, I laughed along with him. My heart felt impossibly lighter.

  “I know this is a lot for you to handle, but I wouldn’t have brought Kaden to you if I didn’t think you could handle his unique circumstance. Take some time to think things over. Remember the way it felt to hold him. To kiss him. I know you’ll make the right decision.” Cupid stood up, stretching his arms. “I’ll see you around. Hopefully, we won’t go millennia without seeing each other again.” With a wave, he began to dematerialize.

  “Wait!” I shouted. “How do I know the feelings I have for Kaden are mine and not the result of your special arrows?”

  “Kaden is your destiny. There were no arrows involved. Your feelings are your own. His too.” Setting his hand over his heart, Cupid vanished.

  What the hell had I done? I sank into the sofa, trying to wrap my head around the complete and total disaster I’d made. More than anything, I wanted to go to Kaden and beg him to forgive me, to make things right, but I wouldn’t. Not yet.

  I needed a way to woo back the man of my dreams. My soul mate. All I needed to do now was make a plan of action. One Kaden couldn’t resist. I could win him back.

  I would win him back. I just had to.

  6

  Kaden

  It was Valentine’s Day. Two days had passed since my disastrous date with Orion. A day that used to hold so much hope for me but now only made my empty heart ache.

  I never should have told my coworkers I was going on a blind date. They’d all been so excited for me, but they’d spent the last two days being my personal motivational speakers. If just one more person told me it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, I would lose it. I should have taken a vacation day and stayed in bed, eating my feelings, but it appeared I was a glutton for punishment.

  Patrons were kind enough to bring boxes of chocolates and flowers to my circulation desk throughout the day. I didn’t have the heart to tell them candy and vases filled with water didn’t belong anywhere near old manuscripts. Truth be told, I was happy someone thought of me. I’d eat the sweets tonight in front of the television, watching The Notebook for the hundredth time.

  Around closing time, I walked through the stacks, straightening up and returning books to their proper place. I was on my way back to the front desk to grab my coat and treats when the lights went out. “What the actual fuck?” I whispered, pulling my phone out of my back pocket and turning on the flashlight app. That was just the latest thing that had gone wrong today. Maybe I’d pick up a bottle of strawberry wine to suck down with my chocolate.

  A flickering light from the research table caught my eye. It looked like fire. Breaking into a run, I barreled my way to the front of the room. Fire was an absolute worst-case scenario. We had manuscripts in the collection dating back to before the birth of Christ.

  When I reached the table, my breath caught in my throat. There was indeed fire but in the form of candles. I counted at least twenty of them. In addition, the table was set for two with grilled steak and potatoes. “What the hell?”

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Kaden,” Orion said, stepping out into the candlelight. He wore tight jeans and a blue button-down with most of the buttons undone. The man looked good enough to eat.

  My heart sank. The last thing I needed was to see Orion today. Hadn’t he already done enough? “Why are you here?” My voice sounded like a growl to my own ears. Good! Orion deserved my anger after the way he’d treated me the other night.

  “I wanted to apologize to you in person,” Orion said, slipping his hands into his pockets. He rocked back on his heels, a devilish smile curving his full lips. “I was a jerk the other night.”

  “I can think of a few other words besides jerk.” I crossed my arms over my chest, unmoved by Orion’s apology. It was on the tip of my tongue to go off on him and tell him just what I thought of the way he’d acted the other night, but the sadist in me wanted to hear what I knew would be a flimsy excuse at best.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, asshole, prick, dickhead, and butt munch sort of fit the bill.” His good-natured smile was disarming.

  I didn’t want to be disarmed. I wanted to be angry. My kicked-up emotions were the only things standing between me and flinging myself into his strong arms. I nodded. “There’s no sense arguing. When you’re right, you’re right.”

  “I was hoping you’d give me a second chance.” Orion pulled out a chair for me. “I know I don’t deserve one.”

  “You’re damn right.” My words didn’t have their earlier heat. I wouldn’t admit it to Orion, but I was happy to see him. Stupid jerk.

  Orion bit his lip and ushered me to the seat. The plates were porcelain, midnight blue with what looked like a star pattern. Probably the constellation Orion. The steak was cut expertly, and the potatoes were coated in butter and bacon.

  I threw myself into the chair, scowling at Orion as I sat. “I’m listening.” I might be willing to hear him out, but I wasn’t going to make it easy on him. Grabbing a fork, I took a bite of the steak. Flavor exploded in my mouth. Moaning obscenely, I had another slice. I’d heard the term “foodgasm” before, but I’d never experienced one until now.

  “Good, huh?” Orion’s cocky grin made him even more devastatingly handsome in the candlelight.

  “You realize you brought fire into a room completely made of kindling. One wrong move and this entire collection goes up in smoke.” Christ, I sounded like a brat. Not that Orion didn’t deserve to pay a little more for being an enormous dick, but I had to admit I was being a bit harsh.

  Stepping away from the table, Orion grabbed a book from the shelf behind him. I could tell it was a well-worn copy of Homer’s Odyssey. He held it over the fire, and the cover caught alight.

  “Stop!” I scrambled out of my seat, smacking my hip against the edge of the table in my effort to get to him. What was Orion doing? What the hell had I been thinking by goading him on and practically daring him to set the library on fire? I barreled toward him, grabbing for the book when I was close enough.

  Orion grinned and held the book out of my reach, letting it burn. His eyes danced with glee.

  What kind of asshole was this man? My mind spun. I ran to grab the fire extinguisher, needing to put the fire out before the sprinklers turned on. Water was just as dangerous to old manuscripts as fire.

  “Wait. Just watch.” Orion closed his eyes, and the fire went out. The burned pages and cover seemed to be regenerating themselves. Seconds later, the book was whole, in the condition it had been before it had been brought to the candle. He offered the book to me.

  “I can’t believe this.” Too stunned at what happened to be angry, I took the tome and leafed through it. “You healed the book like you healed my finger the other night. How did you do it?”

  “There’s something I need to tell you about myself. Something big.” Orion took the seat across from me. A worried look flashed in his eyes.

  “Bigger than me being a werewolf?” I asked, unable to imagine there was anything more seismic than being a shape-shifter.

  “Yeah, much bigger.” Orion took a deep breath. “There was a reason I chose The Odyssey. Turn to page seventy-five.”

  Flipping through the book, I found the page he’d mentioned. I skimmed it quickly until I came to a familiar name. “This passage talks about Orion. How he was a great hunter and was killed by the scorpion, then brought back to life by the sun.” I gasped at the next line. “He had two different-colored eyes after being blinded by Apollo.” No. This wasn’t possible. The man in front of me couldn’t possibly be the Orion of Greek legend. Could he?

  Orion blushed shyly. “My father is Poseidon. I can command the seas and communicate with animals, kind of like Aquaman. When Hephaestion restored my life, I was endowed with a little magic. That’s how I was able to heal your hand and the book.”

  Orion’s secret was much bigger than me being a werewolf. I shook my head, still stunned by his revelation. “How many years have you been alive? Are you immortal?”

  “I’m 5,031 years old.” Orion chuckled. “Almost, but not quite immortal.”

  “What do you mean?” The man before me didn’t look much older than thirty-five. I was an expert on Greek mythology, but never in my wildest dreams could I ever have imagined meeting someone like Orion. What was really ringing my bell was the fact that these gods, goddesses, and other classical heroes were real, not just folklore and products of a rich oral tradition.

  “When I find my one true love, my soul mate, I’ll begin to age again. Aphrodite wanted me to taste love before I die.” Love shimmered in Orion’s eyes as he spoke to me.

  “You’ve lived all those years, and you’ve never known love?” My heart broke for Orion. He hadn’t gone years without love like I had—no, he’d gone millennia.

  “I thought I was in love once.” Orion shook his head, as if to say he couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid. “It didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, but now I know why. It’s because I was meant to love you.”

  “Me?” I was blown away by Orion’s words. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you, spending so much time alone.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I had my share of lovers, but none of them could hold a candle to you. Finding you made all the lonely nights worth it.” Orion pulled me into his chest. Wrapping his arms around me, he held me tight.

  I never wanted him to let me go. “What do we do now?” My head was still spinning. I had a feeling that sensation was going to become par for the course with Orion.

  “Oh, I think you know exactly what we’re going to do now.” Orion’s voice was soft and silky.

  “Take your clothes off,” I commanded. “I need to touch you.” I had never wanted anyone more than I wanted Orion in this moment, something else I had a feeling was going to be a regular thing between us.

  Orion laughed. “What, here in the library? In front of all these innocent books?”

  “They’re not as innocent as you think.” My shaking hands reached for Orion, fumbling over his buttons. When they were undone, I pushed the shirt down his broad shoulders and off. “You’re a masterpiece,” I whispered, unable to fully catch my breath. I’d seen so many beautiful things in my life—the painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the Taj Mahal—but nothing could or would ever compare to Orion. He was a demigod, after all.

  His skin was hot and bathed in the golden firelight. I reached for his belt, undoing it deftly, my now-steady fingers brushing against his bulging erection.

 

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