Page 7 of The Buck Stops Hare

“That’s quite a shame, little aspect.” The corner of his mouth ticked as if he resisted a smile.

“Not a—what’s an aspect?” Again, I inhaled him, this time my feet leaving the floor to shelter in his arms. “Damn, you’re big.”

That brought a quirk of a smile to his lips. “Most gods are. We like being big and powerful. Though I know a spiteful little one who reeks of death.”

“Weird.”

“Sometimes. I admit.” Grim leaned down and pressed his nose to my temple, breathing slowly. A spark of that warmthpopped and stung within me. So, when he pulled away, I whimpered and reached for him pitifully. “Shh. You are not made of their elements. Were I to touch you, someone inconvenient may come for my blood.”

I gasped as the bed I woke in reached up to cradle me. The horrible growing sensation of extreme need, the drugs? It grew worse and as it rose, an electric spark snapped in my groin, drawing me back from that desperate need. “Why? I want to…stop it.”

As the words fizzled out over my tongue, he leaned down to press a finger to my lips. With a wanton swipe of my tongue, I yearned to show him what I could do, what I’d dreamed of for years. I’d take him, let him mount me and fuck me raw.

Fuck, I can’t believe I’m… Not like this!

“You tempt me, but the blood I am owed is not your own. Sleeping with you will not ease your pain, only magnify it. I am sorry they’ve drugged you, and we’ll do our best to not make this worse.” He traced calloused fingers through the fringe of my hair and leaned down as if he would kiss me, lips pursing. I opened my mouth to take him, whimpering as a soft breath ghosted my face and sleep took me into fretful dreams that turned into bloody nightmares full of pyramids, strange languages, and creatures so fantastic…

I wanted to be worried.

I wanted to flee and cry.

“All will be well, little aspect,” Grim said, pulling away as long dark locks brushed my face and the light behind my lids dimmed.

Chapter Five

Buck

The cold wind whipped at my feathers and fur like it hadn’t in years. Every movement I made a silent streak in the night, not invisible to the prying eye but unobservable. Some may see a helicopter or anything. Persuasion and delusions of normality were strong forces to be had.

Carefully I clenched a leg, checking on my passengers, getting a tense pat on my leg and a bunnyish bark in response. I echoed the sentiment every few minutes to make sure the thin air didn’t put my passengers to sleep.

I flitted through some of River’s territory, receiving a blessing to pass in a mere sensation. We were at peace with one another, so our presences didn’t set off an alarm. I sent him, in response, a kind thought and a wish of luck for him and his trials. I prayed to our mother he and his mate would bear a child soon. He deserved something happy in his life, unlike me. The lives he took were not intentional, and he paid respect for their souls.

I bathed in blood, not knowing better. I continued to accept blood long after I suspected. I consumed my own followers until the Spaniards came. Until they brought new gods, ones of disease and prayers with beads and the like. I couldn’t compete. Their gods were bloodless.

From two mountains colliding, I formed and tumbled free, given blood and blessing, until I was a man of the earth. I still was.

A twang of sour energy hovered in the air like sunburns and long mornings. Sleep-riddled eyes squinting into the burning flames of dawn.Grim.

A pluck of danger reverberated in the air, and I careened downward, desperate to land before he found me, before we fought or his anger flared. I tilted my wings, braced my passenger, and let the wind glide me down.

“Grim Dawn!” I called, screeching into the sky as Eve disembarked, coddling the odd hare.

I bore my greater form as light burst before us and coalesced.

As I had taken the form of my ancient beast, the feathered serpent, he too took form of his beast, a whirring thing with a firestorm of feathers, much reminiscent of a hummingbird in structure. “Buckling Stone!”

“Huitzilopochtli,” I said, staring him down as his eyes darkened and he shifted to his more human form, a beast of a man as tall as I ever wanted to be, broad-shouldered and dark eyed. Blood stained his face in a painted mask purposefully. “You reek of sacrifice.”

“And you reek of poverty.” Grim Dawn lifted his sharp chin and peered at me, upper lip curling. “A shared people with thunder, of all things?”

“I am happy though. There is a lot to be said for happiness.”

“And weak!”

I shifted into my preferred form, lifting my chin as a scent tickled my nostrils, one that reminded me of Rayne and made my beast inside bristle. The great buck within me rose, the many-legged form tearing at my insides. “I’m here for… Here for…” I shook my head. Heat tested my resolve, an omega for certain.Cliff.

I stumbled back, returning to human form as Eve marched forward, pushing the bag with the hare in it into my hands. “Listen here, asshole!”

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