Phobos flashed Stef from the Vanishing Isle to her apartment where he helped her pack her things. They did not really talk much except for the job at hand.
"Seriously, this magical packing makes moving so much easier. This would have taken me forever, just to pack my medical books alone." Stef smiled at Phobos.
As Phobos used his powers to send the last of the boxes to Stef's room in Deimos and Jenna's house, Stef's stomach started to protest.
"Can we stop and get some lunch before we go back?" She asked.
Phobos's jaw tightened. "We still need to keep you out of reach of the two demons. I can use my powers to get you lunch." He reached for Stef so he could flash her back to the house. But she backed up out of his reach.
"I have spent my whole life running. I don't want to live in fear any more. I know that I keep overreacting with you and Zeth out of that fear. It's wrong. I am wrong. And I really am sorry for it. But, I don't know how I can try to deal with those fears if I am hiding away like a hermit."
Phobos didn't know what to say. He wanted to lock in her room, or better yet, lock her in his room on the Vanishing Isle. But until her powers are unlocked, they can't even petition for her to be allowed to stay there. He sure as hell was not going to seriously try to kidnap her after the way things went down last night. And she was right about her fears.
With deep breath, Phobos asked, "Have you ever been to Sanctuary?"
Stef's face lit up. "No, but I have always wanted to go."
The demons could still find her at Sanctuary. But at least there, he would have some backup if needed. And the lunch crowd was not so packed.
Phobos called Deimos to tell him of the plans.
"Jenna was just about to head over with her latest batch of bread. So, we will meet you there."
Stef's eyes were sparkling. "Thank you."
"There are a few things you should know before we go."
That sobered her up a bit.
"Last night, we mentioned the term Were-hunters. They are a race that can change form between human and animal."
"Oh my God. Seriously?" Stef gasped. "Werewolves are real?"
"Among other kinds of Were animals. It all started with a king who wanted to prevent his sons from dying young due to a curse. He used black magic to alter his son's half Apollite genes and combine it with animal genes. With all of his experimentation he succeeded in creating a range of Were animals. Each have two options. One where they are human who can change to be animal when they choose. The other is animal that can change to be human. They don't all get along and they have very ingrained traditions."
"Alright." Stef was trying to follow. "Why do I need to know this before lunch?"
Phobos smiled. "Because Sanctuary is owned and run by a family of bears. Aimee, the only daughter of the family with her eleven brothers, and her husband, Fang, took it over after Aimee's parents died. Fang is a wolf. The bar has the name Sanctuary because it is a refuge for almost all of the preternatural community. So there are many kinds of animals that visit or even live there for various lengths of time. Since Jenna lived there when she first moved to New Orleans, they all know us and are comfortable talking and changing openly in front of us, usually only in the house. In the bar, however, there are a lot of human staff and of course the customers who don't have a clue."
Stef ran things through her mind. "So, be prepared for animals to walk around in front of me and possibly change into people as well as strange conversations and rules I don't know. But, don't get caught up asking questions in the bar. Aye, aye Captain!". Then she gave a quick and sloppy salute.
Phobos laughed. "You got it."
After flashing Stef to a quiet alley behind Sanctuary, Phobos double checked that there was no sign of the Ice Giants around before he walked her up to the door.
"Kyle, what are you doing at the door?" Phobos extended his hand toward the bouncer.
The blond and very well muscled man shook his hand. "Dev needs a break sometime."
Stef's eyes widened a bit. She had heard that Sanctuary hired a lot of really good looking guys, but damn. Were all of the gods and Were-hunters so easy on the eyes?
Phobos glared at her.
"What?" She looked at him innocently.
"And you want to give me a hard time about ogling your ass? Absolute hypocrisy. At least my eyes stayed on you." Then he stormed off into the bar.
Stef was stunned. "What the...?" She looked at Kyle. "Do I need to do something before I can go in?"
"No, but I suggest you hurry." He laughed.
The bar inside was much bigger than she had expected it to be. There were two floors, a stage, a dance floor, the main bar, and tables. Stef started to panic looking around for Phobos. Then she found him sitting at a table in the back corner. His arms were crossed and his face was dark.
How? How can she hurt him again?
Determined to prove that he meant something to her. Stef marched straight up to him, straddled his lap and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.
Phobos could not think. The sweet feminine taste of her mouth scattered all of his anger. Her lips, her tongue, the feel of her soft mound pressed against his cock made him instantly hard with a ferociousness he had never felt before. Her hands ran into his short brown hair and gripped him with enough force to spur his passion on even higher. He reached around and cupped her ass in her tight jeans and pulled her closer to him as she moaned. Oh gods.
"Dude really? What is it with you and your brother that you have to go all public sex tape in our bar?" A male voice chastised them.
Stef tugged at Phobos's lower lip with her teeth while she pulled away. Phobos whimpered as she climbed off of his lap. He let his head fall back against the wall as he tried to regain his thoughts.
"I am sorry." Stef said to the man. "It was my fault. I made the poor boy a little jealous and had to prove that to him that he had nothing to be jealous of."
That succeeded in sparking a roar of laughter from the man that broke up their passionate moment. "Well it is about time that someone got Phobos off kilter. The name is Fang." He reached out to shake Stef's hand.
"Stef. Nice to meet you. So, I hear that you are the man in charge here?"
He chuckled. "More like my wife is the man in charge. I just help with the heavy lifting."
"And that's the way I like it." A beautiful woman joined in and kissed Fang on the cheek. Stef assumed this was Aimee, the bear that Fang is married to. "So what brings you two into Sanctuary?"
Phobos finally found his voice again. "Stef wanted lunch. But, we have her on protection detail, so not many places to choose from."
Fang cocked his head. "So you are the one that the Ice Giants are after?"
Stef nodded.
"Well I'll be damned!" Another good looking blond man joined in on the growing party.
Phobos's jaw ticked furiously as he glared at the new arrival. "Please tell me that you had nothing to do with this Eros."
Stef's eyes didn't just widen, they became saucers. "Like Cupid, Eros?"
The woman that joined him wrapped her arm around his waist. They looked like Hollywood castings for Sons of Anarchy in their biker leathers. "The one and only. You must be Stephanie. Psyche." The goddess moved to sit next to Stef.
Stef looked at Phobos. He nodded.
"I promise you Pho, I had nothing to do with either of you." Eros said. "I joked about setting you up with someone, but Psyche wouldn't let me."
The goddess chimed in. "No, you two are in my playing pool. My bunny's arrows won't work on you." She smiled widely. "I have to hand it to you and your brother. You sure did beat the odds. One right after the other. Congratulations." Then Psyche stood up and sauntered up the stairs with Eros grinning behind her as he watched her ass.
Phobos's face was pale and his eyes were wide.
"What in the hell just happened?" Deimos asked the question as he walked up, only a split second before Stef asked the same question.
Fang shrugged. "Eros and Psyche saw the two love birds here making out and decided to drop in with the mother of all, 'surprise, you are soulmates' bomb."
"Wait, what?" Stef finally got words out. "Is that what she said? Soulmates? As in 'you complete me', I will never be truly happy with anyone else, it's you and me babe for the rest of our lives kind of soulmates?"
Jenna sat down next to her with a smile on her face. "Take a deep breath Stef. Just breath." Jenna reached up and smacked Deimos on the stomach. "Help your brother."
Phobos could barely hear anyone talking. He was so fixated on Stef and her reaction. She was as stunned by it as much as he was. They had only met two times before last night, and those were brief. And since then, they had not even gone a whole 24 hours. Yet, everything about how he felt around her, for her, it made sense. There was no denying that he craved her like she was the very air that he breathed. Since the moment he met her, he had not even thought about or looked at another woman. The sound of her voice made him hope for an eternity of waking up to the sound of it. But, he still couldn't trust her not to bolt out the door and reject him, to hurt him again.
Stef tried to listen to Jenna and breath, but her mind was racing. In the last 24 hours, her entire world had been turned upside down. She was so overwhelmed. But, through it all, Phobos had been there. He protected her. He grounded her. He was the only thing that she wanted. She had not even worried over her career or education. She just wanted to learn how to face her past and fix her mistakes so that she could join his world. She had never trusted anyone more. Despite her mistakes. She truly did trust him. She showed him sides of her life she never could have shown anyone else. But, she was not sure she was ready for a commitment of epic proportions.
She looked at Phobos. He was a wall of stoicism. He was prepared for her to reject him and that broke her heart. She never wanted to hurt him again. But, despite all of the time with him, she couldn't forget that he had pushed her away before. What if he was just there to protect her and nothing more? What if he rejected her again?
Damn it girl, pay attention. Phobos pushed you away to protect you from this world, but you got dragged in anyway. What hurt him most was that you were scared of him. He has given you no reason to fear him. He has protected you every step of the way. So, suck it up! Show him that you are not scared and running away from him!
So, Stef reached over and took his hand. "One day at a time?"
Phobos nearly shattered as she took his hand into hers. He could not even speak. He simply nodded his head yes. And that made her smile. It was more than he could have ever asked for.
"But, you deserved better than me." He said breathlessly.
To his surprise, that sparked her anger. "No one gets to decide who does or does not deserve me, except for me. Do you hear me buster?" She poked him in the chest. "For now, I want to see where this thing goes. And trust, me, that says a lot. I have never met anyone that I wanted to give that chance to. So, don't screw it up by trying to make my choices for me. And don't even think about walking away simply because you are the one that is scared. Got it? If you are not interested, then go. I am not going to beg for any man. But, I would think that a god of fear is not a coward over a girls emotions."
Damn, he wanted to kiss her again. She was amazing. He was lost in watching the fire and independence in her eyes.
But, the moment came crashing down as two more men came running out toward them. "I smell bread!"
"Jenna, you are a goddess! This bread with honey is absolutely divine!" Jenna smiled as she handed over the basket and they disappeared into the kitchen.
Making use of the distraction and without speaking, Phobos slid his chair closer to Stef. Then, wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. She placed her head on his shoulder and settled in, he felt her anger melt away as she accepted him. A smile finally started to tug at the right side of his lips as he inhaled her apple scent and kissed the top of her head.
Stef melted into him. The feel of him around her, his warmth, his strength, the way his muscles flexed… he made her feel so safe and protected. When he held her, she forgot her problems and calmed down. It was almost magical just how deeply he affected her without even saying a word.
Aimee quickly took everyone's orders and left the two couples to their privacy. Fang stayed only to chat with Deimos a bit before he also left.
Stef watched as the various staff and family members interacted with each other and wandered over to say hi to Jenna and everyone else at the table. But, she was content to not really talk much, just absorb the warmth and strength of Phobos as he held her.
She reluctantly pulled away once the food arrived. But, she and Phobos continued to sit with their chairs pushed together. And he continued to reach over to touch her as much as possible. Caress her back, her thigh, hold her hand. He was so sweet.
"So, Jenna. You said you are related to the family here?" Stef asked as she finally focused on someone other than Phobos. Jenna looked badass, even pregnant, as she wore a red, short sleeved knit dress, with black leather gloves. The gloves were her protection from unwanted contact with strangers.
Jenna chuckled. "Not exactly. My…" She glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to hear, then continued. "My great grandmother lives here. She is married to one of the brothers. And when I was new to my powers, I was also being hunted by demons, like you. Deimos here was imprisoned for the first 10 months of our marriage. So, this was before we had the house purchased or anything. And, I needed someone to help me learn how to use my powers. Since Samia has similar powers and Sanctuary is well protected, this was the logical place to stay. Everyone welcomed me as part of the extended family. And I love them all the same way."
Stef smiled at Jenna's love for those around her. She seemed so confident and strong. Stef was not sure she would ever be like that.
"You are an incredible woman Jenna." Stef said.
Jenna reached over. "So are you."
Stef shook her head. "You seem so fearless and controlled. And yet, so warm and loving to everyone. I am an emotional basket case."
Jenna laughed. "Looks can be deceiving. Before my powers, I was very isolated and withdrawn, never felt like I fit in anywhere. Much like you until you met Essie. It's because I carry so much inside of me that I need to control, so much that makes me different from the world and I don't know how to function without that control. Honestly, I am absolute chaos inside most of the time. Separate from the memories, I see auras and feel the emotions and core of a person as I look at them. I tend to absorb strong emotions from people around me. I also see and feel sounds as they radiate. It is all so very overwhelming. And that was before I unlocked my powers."
Jenna smiled at Deimos as he took her hand and kissed it. Then she continued. "After I unlocked my powers, I carry lifetimes of memories and emotions from dozens of people, many of whom have lived for thousands of years and witnessed if not experienced plenty of tragedy. But, I have built up walls and filters and try to only express the calm or happier emotions. It takes a lot of focus and energy to maintain the military control that I am used to. It is why I am such a control freak and am making so much bread while I can't train in full contact. It helps me to focus and find my calm."
There was a pause as she reached out for Stef's hand and gave a squeeze. "But, as I keep absorbing more and more, I can't always get that control down. So, I have had to learn to be more open with at least some of the emotions. It is new for me. I try to only let the love and warmth show most of the time. The love comes from knowing everyone's memories and what makes them tick. It is hard not to love someone when you know they are amazingly wonderful people on the inside, they just hide behind walls because of their own personal pains. Of course, the pregnancy does not help me maintain control at all." Her face screwed up into a look of frustration.
"Why is the control so important?" Stef asked.
Jenna tilted her head as she tried to think of a way to explain. "When I lose control, I have too many competing sources of information and emotions. It is sensory overload. And the only way that it gets expressed is unbridled, lashing out rage. I don't want to unleash that on anyone that I love. Even more so since I have powers now."
Deimos jumped in. "You don't want to see her when she loses control. She even scares me."
Jenna leaned over to kiss her husband's cheek. "You have only seen memories of my meltdowns as a child. You haven't seen me when I have completely lost it. That was just the tip of the iceberg my love."
"That is what scares me."
Stef arched a brow. "Hearts ripped out of an army of demons?"
Deimos laughed. "Oh no. That is when she did have control. The fuckers deserved it."
If that is Jenna when she does have control, shit! What could she be like without control?
Jenna elbowed her husband. "Don't worry. I am not a danger to anyone except those who try to hurt my friends and family. You are part of our family now. We will all protect you."
"I am not sure that I deserve that kind of loyalty or acceptance." Stef sighed.
"Stef, don't sell yourself short. Anyone that can tame my brother-in-law has the strength and tenderness of an epic love story. You are a survivor. And once you get your feet under you, you will see just how much strength you really have."
Phobos squeezed Stef's hand. He let Jenna talk to Stef. She was always so good at saying just the right thing. As much as he wanted to jump down Stef's throat for feeling so unworthy, he did not trust himself to not screw it up. Stef was more than worthy. He was the idiot who was unworthy of her. She deserved so much more. Regardless of her little tirade at him.
She smiled at the others for their faith in her. "Can I ask how the two of you met?"
Deimos eyebrows shot up. "Well, I thought that I was being sent into a man's dreams to test his fears and fighting skill. Boy was I in for a surprise. Not only was Jenna a woman, but she is one of the best damn fighters I have ever seen and her control over her fears and dreams make even the Oneroi gasp." He laughed.
"Then why were you arrested?" Stef puzzled.
Phobos sighed. "Long story short is that there were a lot of politics at play. And up until that point, none of the Dolophoni were permitted any kind of emotional relationship. Since we are the enforcers of Olympian justice, any failure to adhere to the rules is punished more harshly than others. So, to save Deimos from being tortured for his interference in the politics by trying to protect Jenna; and to force our mother and Zeus to lift the rules about relationships, Jenna threatened them all with war."
Stef was stunned. "Did you just tell me that for ten thousand years, you were forbidden from having any relationships with women?"
Phobos nodded. Leave it to Stef to grab onto that one piece of information from it all.
"Well that explains a hell of a lot! Would have been nice to know that before I jumped all over you about how you were talking about women."
"Hey now. Let's remember that it was you that was drooling over Kyle just a little bit ago."
Stef broke out in laughter and cupped his face to look him in the eyes. "Baby, I was not drooling over anyone. I was just noticing that everyone you know is gorgeous. I don't feel like I belong in this group. But, Kyle did not stir even the slightest actual reaction from me. Unlike you, who have had my head all tied up in crazy knots since the moment I first laid eyes on you."
"Really?" Did she really just call him baby? Why did that make his heart stop beating and jump for joy at the same time? Oh but he loved to hear it. And she had been going crazy for him like he was for her?
She nodded. "Really. You just made it so damn hard to admit to it when you kept pushing all of the wrong buttons."
Phobos grinned wickedly. "I would rather push all of the right buttons."
Deimos sucked in his breath. "OK then. I think Jenna and I need to leave. I am apologizing now to you Phobos for any awkwardness you have experienced watching us over the past few months." Deimos stood up to leave.
"Sit down." Phobos laughed. "We are not doing anything here. Now finish your lunch."
Stef sat back into her chair as she blushed. "And I am not sure we will any time real soon. Sorry baby. I have a lot to deal with right now. And knowing Zeth might be watching, that just kills it." She shuddered.
"What in the hell? Why is Zeth watching you?" Deimos asked as he slowly started to return to his chair.
Phobos had completely forgotten to catch everyone up. "Oh here is a doozy for you. Stef is definitely Oneroi. And Zeth is the proud papa."
Deimos was so shocked as he was starting to sit again that he fell out of his chair. Literally, on the floor, out of his chair. "No fucking way."
Jenna shook her head at her husband as he still sat on the floor. "Darling, should I move your plate onto the chair so that you can finish your meal?"
He glared at her. While he got up.
"I love you too." She kissed him on the cheek.
Stef laughed. She wondered what it would be like to get to that level of comfort with Phobos. Deimos and Jenna seemed so balanced and connected. Where as she and Phobos kept running straight into signposts.
"OK then." Phobos shifted gears. "What did you learn this morning?"
Deimos growled. "You don't want to know."
Phobos gave him a droll stare. "Spill it."
Deimos's jaw ticked. "Bozo wasn't one of the bobbsy twins. They brought in reinforcements. We don't know how many of the Nordic freaks are here now."
Stef's breath caught in her chest.
Phobos pulled her close. "I won't let them touch you."
