Page 150 of Blood of Hercules
“Poppae, Nero,” Patro called and pointed at the floating bodies. “Dinner.”
The animals sprinted through the water.
I turned away and walked numbly back into the house, turned the shower up to scalding with shaking fingers, and sat under the spray. Tears leaked out of my eyes.
When my fingers were pruny and the memories no longer tore my psyche apart, I crawled back into bed.
I lay awake eating for hours, as classical music played on the radio. Crickets and frogs sounded.
When the creaking noise started up again—this time, from outside—I looked around, heart racing with paranoia.
The lounge chair in the corner of my room was completely covered in shadows, even though moonlight lit the rest of the room.Did it just move?
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Long seconds passed as I stared at it, unblinking.
Nothing happened.
You’re losing it again. It’s just furniture. Calm your thoughts.
The creaking noise got louder, and it was unmistakable. Something was out there.
Moving cautiously, so I didn’t jostle Nyx, who was snoringbeneath my pillow, I gave the corner a wide berth and tiptoed out the open deck door with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders.
Water lapped peacefully at the rocks, and the moon was a glowing silver crescent.
An orchestra played gently behind me.
A few windows down, on a deck similar to mine, figures moved in the night.
I squinted through the shadows.
One dark figure was seated in a chair, and the other was—on the ground? The chair rocked back and hit against the railing with a creak. That was the noise.
A low guttural moan echoed.
Heavy masculine pants blended with the smooth music.
My eye slowly adjusted to the low light. The man in the chair had a muzzle wrapped around his face, and his hands were buried in... wavy hair.
Achilles held Patro’s face against his lap.
The son of Aphrodite was on his knees before the Son of War.
Hips jerked up off the chair, the creaking increased, and grunts became harder. Faster. There was a loud sucking noise.
Sweat streaked down my ribs.
The salty sea breeze filled my senses.
I shivered.
Achilles pulled Patro’s head back harshly, jerked his hips up so his manhood was outlined in the shadows, then he came.
Patro panted heavily. “Fuck,” he whispered, his usually smooth voice raspy. Liquid dripped off his cheeks.
I waited for him to get angry.
To do something, for being treated so... disrespectfully.
