Page 41 of Charmed By Apollo

Apollo shifted in the seat, then planted his chin on his palm. Perhaps he did get his comeuppance with Geri, but he was no fool. It was obvious that she would always see him as just a fuck buddy, nothing more. A sex doll she could use anytime and throw away.

But no more.

As he promised her, he would see her through the end of this damned quest and make sure she was safe, but that was it. He wasn’t going to try to be anything more to her.

Not wanting to go back to their hosts, Apollo had spent an uncomfortable few hours passing the time by trying to read some dusty old book in that lumpy old wingback chair, but thankfully, one of the staff members found him sometime after dawn and led him to the bedroom they’d prepared. He fell into the bed and then passed out. At some point during the day, someone left him some food, which he ate before going back to sleep. While, as a god, he didn’t get easily fatigued and needed little rest, he didn’t really have anything else to do, so he followed the vampire’s hours so he could be prepared for the evening’s festivities.

According to the other vampires, it was more like a party the first night—there would be music, socializing, and of course, drinking, and they would get down to business the following day.

“Boring stuff,” Marley had said. “An update on our numbers, any interesting events in each coven, plus also a business meeting of sorts for any updates on Improbable Corp, since covens are also major shareholders.” It was a way Dr. Rodrigo ensured that all covens would comply with their no drinking human blood rule, to make them stakeholders in the company.

In any case, tonight would be the best time to approach the elders to ask them about it. A few of the vampire leaders were much, much older than him and even Dr. Rodrigo himself, so they would be able to answer their question best.

Sometime after sunset, Apollo woke up, got showered, and put on some casual but presentable clothes for the evening—a pair of chinos, a white shirt, a blazer, and leather shoes. He wondered what Geri would be wearing—or what she did the rest of the day, for that matter. Even though he forced himself to sleep, he was tempted to get up, find her, and see what she was up to. Thankfully, the spell he’d cast so that he could hear her call for him was still in effect, so if she were in any kind of trouble, he’d be summoned to her side.

As soon as he opened the door to his suite, Marley’s cheerful face greeted him, hand held up high like he was about to knock on the door.

“Hey man, looking good,” he said with a wink. “I was going to ask you if you needed to borrow some threads, but I see you got it covered.”

“Thanks, bro. You look nice too.”

The vampire, who wore a red velveteen suit and pants combo, did a saucy little spin. “I clean up nice, right?”

“You sure do,” he said.

“Well, it’s after sunset, and everyone’s already downstairs.”

“Everyone?”

“Yeah, they arrived via special delivery this afternoon,” he chuckled. “We have these special sealed trucks that carry our coffins around so we can be mobile during the day while we sleep. Cuts down on travel time. Anyway, when I told Dr. Rodrigo and the elders who you were, they freaked out.”

“In, uh, a good way, right?”

“Totally. They thought it was groovy that you were here, and they can’t wait to meet you. So c’mon, the party’s swingin’, and we’re missing it.”

Apollo followed the vampire downstairs, all the way to another part of the castle, and they entered what appeared to be a ballroom. The ornate chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling cast a warm, golden glow over the space. Round tables draped in crisp white linens were arranged throughout the room. Gilded chairs with plush cushions offered comfortable seating for the guests, inviting them to settle in for an evening of opulence and celebration. A stage had been set up at one end of the ballroom, where a string quartet took center stage, the soft strains of classical music filled the air.

Marley gestured to a small group in the corner, right by the stage. “Geri’s over there. Let’s grab her and head over to the elders.”

He stiffened at the sound of her name, but his gaze immediately zeroed in on her. She stood with the other vampires, dressed in a short, green cocktail dress that showed off her long legs. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a chic bun, with a few tendrils down to frame her lovely face.

“You okay, man?” Marley said, nudging him. “Say, what happened last night? You two just disappeared…”

“It’s not what you think,” he said.

The vampire put his hands up defensively. “Totally none of my business, man. Didn’t mean to pry. I was just concerned.”

“Let’s get this over with.” He strode over to Geri and the others, then cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Geri, can we borrow you for a second?”

“What?” The she-wolf spun around, her eyes going wide when they landed on him. “Oh.” Her expression faltered. “Why?”

“The elders are waiting to meet you,” Marley said.

“Oh, right.” She squared her shoulders. “Let’s go then.”

While Geri certainly didn’t act coldly toward him, Apollo could feel the awkwardness around them.

I need to get over this, he told himself. She didn’t want him, and that was that.

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