Page 47 of Guided by the Stars
Except I wasn’t alone. Without an alternative, I experienced first-hand the famous walk of shame coming into the kitchen, pantless no less. The shirt was long enough, but no way could it cover the shame that washed over me facing Daemyn as he sat at the table with a knowing look plastered on his gorgeous face. At least he had the decency to hide the ‘I know what you did’ attitude. Instead, he worked on soothing me, attempting his best to distract me. My traitorous mind lingered on the hope that Alexius would return, begging for forgiveness.
I should know by now that Beast is too proud to do that. I’ve allowed him to dig long enough in my head. If I keep indulging, I’ll find myself twisted into a knot of all thingsAlexius, unable to figure out how to untangle myself. He’s a regret in the making.
“Baby Girl.” The knock on the door jolts me up. “It’s almost time,” his smokey voice says, replacing the embarrassment with excitement. Last night he promised to sneak me out today while Alexius was still gone. I’m pretty confident he would have agreed to anything to make me feel better, but I’m surprised he remembered with all the wine we had.
Hastily, I scoot across the hardwood floor and lock the bathroom door behind me. When I turn, my knees almost buckle out from underneath me.
“Shit!” I exhale and with shaking hands, I reach behind me, searching for the handle I just let go of. I fumble around the damn cold wood as my eyes stay glued on Alexius stepping out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
How the hell do I keep doing this?
He stripped more from me than just my clothes. He took part of my dignity by leaving me alone after he ignited a carnal pleasure that I’ve never fully understood was possible. That’s the reason I’m standing here, looking like a fool and letting all the advice I gave myself evaporate under the heat of his stare. He ignited a primal urge that’s still pulsing through me.
“Nora!” The heavy tone of his morning voice brings me back to the moment, while leaving me aching for more. “You’re biting your lip again.” My eyes shoot up while my palms steady themselves against the door, supporting my breathless body as Alexius stalks towards me.
With his head angled down, his hungry eyes scan me inch by chilling inch. “I warned you about that, love.” Forget being twisted in a knot. I’ve lost complete control, relinquishing any thought of trying to find my way out as I meet his stare, sinking my teeth down, making myself his prey.
His hands shoot up, palms slamming against the door on either side of me as he releases a deep toe curling growl. Everything around us evaporates, leaving just the two of us as time and space disappears. Our eyes staring in one another’s, succumbing to the energy building between us, unsure of what it means. “Nora, I’m—”
“Breakfast,” Daemyn’s voice echoes up the stairs, fracturing the moment between us. Alexius’ face is back in a mask, hard and calculated, just like last night, as he takes a step back.
He takes a deep swallow as he creates more distance, staring away. “I’m at the Hall again today. They called me in a few minutes ago. I better get going.” His voice is stern and domineering, the typical signature of his to end the conversation, but he’s not leaving. We’re locked in place in silence.
Swallowing hard, I ask with a wavering voice, “Last time you were gone for a while…is everything going to be okay?” I’m still unsure of what happened, but between that tattoo and the fear he had, I’m panicked to think about what Zeus does whenever he returns to those Halls.
His eyes pierce into mine, melting into a soft sea of blue, and with a sigh he walks towards me, placing a tender kiss on my forehead. “It’s nothing, love. Just the usual. Trust me. I’ll be back today.” He spins around and walks out the other door, leaving me smiling in victory. He may have me tangled up, but after that, there is no doubt I’m crawling under his tough skin, weakening him in the same way.
Excited to keep Daemyn to his word, I shake off any thoughts of Alexius and jump in the shower. I’m quick, taking no more than five minutes before turning the water off and making it back to my room, only to be left with a smile on my face. Daemyn has laid fresh clothes out for me along with my favorite mint tea. Eager to spend the daywith him, I drink it up in a hurry and get changed before running down the stairs.
“Big Boy, it’s time,” I squeal, making my way into the kitchen where I was greeted with an infectious, sexy smile as Daemyn turns to face me.
“Alright, babe. Give me a few minutes to shower. In the meantime, eat your breakfast,” he says, giving me a quick hug before heading up the stairs and I sit down with a lump in my throat. “Damn it!” I mutter. Daemyn went through the trouble of cooking me an egg muffin sandwich, just like my mom used to prepare, and I was upstairs ignoring his call, caught up in the power of Alexius. I’m an utter mess. I’m going to have to think of something special to do for him.
Just as I finish my last bite, Daemyn turns the corner, knocking the breath right out of me. On a regular day, he shows off more abs than an underwear model. Between his boxers or his gray sweatpants, it’s rare to see him in anything else. Today’s the exception, making butterflies swarm my chest as I look him over. He’s in tight, fitted black jeans that hug his waist. Those are paired with a black shirt that stretches tight over his muscles, forcing my eyes to roam all over him. No wonder I’m a mess, I’m surrounded by temptation every moment I turn around. Adriane would love it here.
“Baby Girl, you can’t eye me like that. Alexius would lose his shit if he saw you right now.” His words come crashing over me, sending embarrassment right to my face. Daemyn was sweet last night, but with the wine, my mouth tends to have a life of its own, making words pour out of me, unfiltered. Poor Big Boy, he has his hands full dealing with the two of us.
“Daemyn, I’m sorry. Alexius and I. We should have…I mean—” I trail off. I’ve apologized to him over and over again.
“Stop it, babe,” he says, pulling me up and grabbing me by the chin, tilting my head to align our eyes. “With the tension between you two, I’m surprised it took so long. I’m going to guess it wont stop. In the meantime though, let me keep this promise before Alexius comes back. He’ll burn for this.” He pulls me with him and opens the back door. “Olympus awaits, but only as long as Alexius is gone,” he says, holding on to my hand as we walk away from the safety of their backyard, down into the woods.
We’re surrounded by enormous trees with bright and dark green leaves encasing the path. Only small bits of bright blue light are let through. It’s perfect, bringing me the peace I’ve craved. After a while of silence, my head tilts over towards Daemyn, watching as he takes carefree steps. I couldn’t be more grateful that he’s bending the rules by doing this. He’s paying close attention, making sure I’m comfortable. “Thank you, Big Boy. You do a lot for me. The breakfast, the clothes, taking me out. I appreciate this a lot.”
His smile grows even brighter as he turns his head towards me. “Not me, Baby Girl. I made more tagenites thinking we all could use another round of fun. Alexius made that egg thing you like before he left and brought the tea with the clothes to your room.” I stop mid-stride in shock. Alexius is a lot of things, but thoughtful hasn’t been on top of that list. It brings a huge smile to my face anyway.
“Nope!” He yanks me forward and leads me off the path we are on. “We can’t stop right here. See those trees up ahead with the golden leaves lining them?” He points, guiding us inward onto a narrow path. “They built the Halls for every god beyond them. We are safest staying back in the thickest part. From their side, you can’t see into thewoods, but up ahead there is a spot where you can peak through to see theirs.”
We come to a stop right before the trees break further apart and I jump as Daemyn’s hands grab my waist without warning. “Sorry, babe. Just turn around.” His fingers grasped my skin, guiding me to stand in front of him. “You see, right there,” he says as my back crashes against his chest. Holy hell, he’s close.
I force the thoughts away and focus on the Halls in front of me, surprised at how different they are. In school I learned that Mount Olympus was a small dimension close to Earth so the gods could watch over humans. I pictured some old god sitting on top of a mountain on a throne. This...my imagination could never have conjured. It’s stunning, reminding me of my college campus. A city on its own, with old enchanted buildings scattered around and nature parks in between them. It’s a community.
“Right there, Nora.” Daemyn’s hand leaves my waist as he stretches out his arms in front of me, pointing ahead to the largest building. If you can call a building gorgeous, this one is. It sits on top of the hill, with pillars lining the front of it. The sun hitting the stones is sending ripples of sparkles towards everything below, like tiny crystals shining down, glistening over the homes and the gardens in front of them. Everything looks beautiful. They glimmer, creating an illusion, hiding the lies behind those walls. The roses mask the gods within those homes, making them appear soft, instead of revealing their true vicious natures.
“It’s a shame you have roses. They’re the flower of love, and from your stories, that doesn’t seem to be possible here,” I say, shaking my head. Out of everything I’m seeing, this blows my mind? Daemyn must think it’s funny as well. His chinbounces against my shoulders, his chest raising and lowering as he chuckles.
“They came from love. Aphrodite’s mate happened to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and with Zeus’ anger at Aphrodite, she was forced to watch as Zeus killed her one true love. When her tears flowed and mixed with his blood, the flowers bloomed, appearing out of nowhere. As sadistic as Zeus is, he then ordered roses to surround his Hall. A reminder to never forget.”
“Why would he do that?” I ask, feeling my heart sink.
