The Untamable
Chapter 3
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But there was no way to escape the rumor of running off from the party with a hottie in my office. Even Sara refused to believe that Leo was just an acquaintance.
Leo continued to be an insufferable slave driver. He would call on odd hours, walk into my apartment when he pleased and had no sense of propriety. If this was the way the Almighty was running things I might have to go up there and talk to him. Then I realized what I was saying and joined my hands in prayer hoping Leo wouldn't interrupt my asking for forgiveness. But I found out he was otherwise engaged.
"Oh dear god!"
I jumped back into the hallway and slammed the parlor door shut. I'd been in the middle of a meeting when the insistent prodding in my brain had finally made me fake a womanly incident and ditch my boss. I would never be promoted as long as the imperial bastard didn't return home. Furious and rehearsing every single thing I could call him I had marched into the mansion with every intention of getting one over him only to find him and Taurus occupying the parlor in ways my human eyes could never un-see.
A wave of muffled feminine giggles came through the closed door as I lay my forehead against it and wished for permanent blindness.
"Come back inside Goldfish and I'll grant your every wish."
I banged my forehead against the door and tried to dislodge the image from my head. Maybe if I hit harder.
The door sprang open before I could truly smack myself into a stupor and there stood the two gods in all their nearly naked glory. I glared. "How good of you to throw on your pants."
"We were afraid you'd have a heart attack," Taurus chuckle, his twinkling eyes as flirtatious as ever.
"Or an attack none the less." Leo smirked wickedly, the longer slant of his hair falling over his eye as he slid one hand up on the door frame and posed there, all smooth muscle and alabaster skin. My eyes made one sweep down his chest before coming back up to the black and purple crest tattooed on his right pectoral. I was about to open my mouth to ask if that was the mark he'd been telling me about, but suddenly an arm had wrapped around my waist and I was dragged against Taurus' fine flesh.
"Hey! Unhand me!" Hands planted firmly on his shoulders, I felt the blood in my veins begin to heat.
The women on the chaise lounge began to coo and purr; walking up to coil around Leo and Taurus. "Come back to us my Lord. We were having so much fun." And me, still trapped between the doorframe and Taurus sputtered as one woman's hand slid up my side as if I was included in the fun.
"Come on Goldie, join us. We can take you to heights of pleasure no human could ever hope to bestow on you." Taurus's breath wafted against my throat and my skin prickled as panic began to build in my chest.
"No thank you!" I squawked, pushing as hard as I could against him, but they burrowed deeper against me, the women nearly surrounded us, their fingers trailing towards my legs.
"Relax Goldie. We want to help you remove Leo's sin. His reason for being banished. See he defiled a pretty little goddess. Naughty, naughty. But just maybe his sins will be washed away if we bestow some love unto you. This is all in the interest or returning my boss to the heavens you see."
Trapped and desperate I did the only thing I could and I knew it would be my undoing. Because he'd never let me hear the end of it now.
My eyes snapped up to the lazy gaze of the god still posing haughtily in the doorway, unaffected by the women serpentine around him.
"Boring." I didn't even have to call out to him because like lightning his arm shot out and caught Taurus' wandering hand before it went anywhere important. It was a split second but we were suddenly standing across the room, his big warm hand wrapped around my wrist as I heaved to catch my breath.
I will not lie. I wanted to turn around and throw my arms around him for saving me, but the women were starting to giggle and head straight for us. Instead I jumped behind his tall, lean frame and peeked at them from under his shoulder.
The Lion sighed and then his gaze sharpened. It was all it took to halt the women in their tracks, their faces blanching with fear as they took a wobbling step back. With a blink of confusion, I leaned out to gaze up at the face of the god currently protecting me and lost my breath. Those warm honey eyes had gone turquoise and cold; a flicker of liquid lightning in them as they asserted their authority. When he was adequately satisfied with the fear instilled in his former playthings, he snorted. "Get rid of the simpering things. They grate on my nerves Taurus."
"Awww Leo. Come on," Taurus whined. "Don't scare the entertainment. You know how it taints their lovely scent. And they were so lovely and fresh. Like roses and wine."
"I grow tired of their cheap adoration."
I frowned at the swooning women. "That's rather pretentious considering you probably put a whammy on them in the first place."
An auburn eyebrow arched as his gaze slanted to me, still honey but it cut into my blood like ice water. "Would you rather I throw you back to Taurus?" I shook my head vehemently and his mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smile. "And I did not put the 'whammy' on them. We cannot use our powers here on earth remember? And I cannot without being in contact with you. Goldfish memory?"
I flinched. Talk about boasting your prowess. "Right. So they're your peanut gallery."
"Muses."
"Delightful," I muttered dryly as Taurus pulled on his shirt and thankfully both gods dressed. The women filtered out of the room still giggling and blowing kisses.
"I do not like the judgmental tenor of your voice human."
I frowned up at Leo, taking a step away to finally reassert myself. "Debauchery? Really? That's how you spend your time?"
Taurus chuckled. "What an ugly word for all the love we're spreading."
I gawked at him. "Excuse me?" Even Leo snorted beside me and for once I gazed up at him with agreement. "That is not love. Right?"
Leo snorted. "There is no love."
That had me staring up at him, Taurus all forgotten. "What kind of god doesn't believe in love? Isn't that the basis of all religion and humanity?"
Leo rolled his eyes. "You humans throw that word around like it makes the world go round. It's nothing but an attachment. In which case, even you're in love with me."
"WHAT! That's demented!"
"Your entire race is demented. I have no idea why the Almighty made such flighty creatures."
Taurus lounged in the red velvet chaise with a dreamy expression. "I on the other hand want lots of love from everybody. That's why you should have chosen me Goldie," he winked. "I will lavish all my love on you if you promise yourself to me and my muses. I believe in giving everyone my love."
This was just too much. Here was one deity claiming there was no such thing and another confusing love with sex. For a moment I watched them in bemused horror. They were like two spoiled teenagers with too much of their daddy's money. It was no wonder they didn't deserve a place in heaven. I could already see that returning them to their rightful place would require a reasoned shrink and not a mundane little human like myself. It was just too much!
"You are both mad," I huffed and sank into a chair, rubbing my temples as I usually had to with them around. The headache was familiar now. "I don't even know how to talk to you both right now."
"Watch your mouth Goldfish."
I peeked a glance at Leo and sure enough he was snarling at me again. Perfect.
"Careful Goldie. Leo has another name in the heavens. They call him the Wild Lion. Only the Almighty can hold him back if he loses it."
"Tsk," Leo ran an affronted hand through his slick bangs. "I never lose it."
"That's because you never kiss."
"Pointless exchange of saliva."
"Ahhh, but a kiss. The absolute beginning of showing my love. Oh how I love bestowing them on the lovely ladies. What about you Goldie."
I let my head drop into my hands. They really were mad and I would never be rid of them.
And therein I began to see a pattern. I spent most of my servitude in Leo's room. There was a huge fountain in one corner where he would stand with his arms crossed and swirl his fingers sifting through wishes in the world. They would fade in and out of the water. Women, children, old, rich, poor; everyone asking for something they did not have. And as I watched him pick the worthy, I realized that Leo only saw a certain type of supplicant. He never granted the wish for love. Mostly only wealth, stature, strength. It was then that I began to see the flaws in that beautiful god.
"This makes no sense Leo. You can't just ignore that woman's wish."
"Waste of time." Walking away from the fountain, Leo pretended to sift through some paperwork on his desk. It was a ploy. He did not want to get into another discussion with me. Because Leo with paperwork was a sight no one had seen before. The many companions he had been stranded here with were very forthright in reassuring me – that would be all my work since I was his assistant here on earth. Sort of.
"It's a genuine wish! Look, it's tinged white so it's pure. You told me if the image appears tinged with_"
He reared on me with a scowl. "Don't tell me you're one of those humans who think love can move mountains."
Rising from the beautiful white marble basin I walked to him as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the desk. Guarded and stubborn as usual. "Love is the true foundation of kindness and compassion. It is what makes better humans. It is what makes us truly human."
Leo looked down at his nails disinterestedly. "It is an illusion. Like being drunk. Nothing more than a pretty word." He met my eyes fiercely. "In the end, it is all about power. And only a weak powerless being would depend on a pointless delusion like love to be the foundation of anything."
I glared at him. It didn't help that he'd insulted me pretty much directly, but now more than ever, I was sure he needed to understand if he wanted to return to heaven. And I wanted him to return just as badly. "Boy, someone really did a number on you to make you this cold hearted."
"You misunderstand," he scoffed. "I am a benevolent god. I am doing them a favor by not granting such a frivolous wish. It will only lead to disappointment and heartache."
I shook my head sadly. "Love exists in its most existential form. The Almighty created us in that image. How can you deny it after all you have seen?"
"All I have seen is that the power of greed and destruction rides you the hardest. No amount of love in your hearts deters you from satisfying your egos. And the fool goldfish that live in its false embrace die young and painfully or old and wretchedly."
For a moment I saw through his eyes, but then I shook my head. "It isn't always like that. Good people love without reason, without selfishness. They love the earth they lived on. They love animal and human alike. But perhaps the rest of the world is cruel. Many of them did die in obscurity. But that doesn't mean they didn't live."
"Prove it."
I blinked in confusion as he spat the challenge at me with narrowed eyes. "Prove what?"
"That love like that exists."
"There are thousands of activists…"
"No," he stepped up to me, invading my personal space. "You have to prove it. Show me this self-sacrificing, pure-hearted love you speak of."
I gulped. Me and my big mouth. He'd backed me into a corner, the conniving bastard. Maybe he knew me. He knew that I had never felt that kind of love for anyone of anything. I wasn't an animal lover; in fact cats scared the hell out of me. What was worse, I'd never been particularly inclined to tree huggers or a fan of Mother Theresa. But I had contented in knowing that people like that existed. The truth was I didn't even know anyone like that. My life had always been up in the stars.
A glint of the usual arrogant conviction lit up in his honey eyes and I straightened my back before sticking out my hand.
Inside my mind was screaming: Are you mad! This is exactly what he wants! "Agreed. And if I win, you will grant one wish of mine. Whatever it may be."
The corner of his mouth tilted wickedly as he looked down at my hand. "And if I win, you will promise yourself to me."
Every cell in my body stilled. "Excuse me?"
"You will belong to me. Mind, body and soul."
"My soul?"
"Everything."
"To do what with?"
"You did not specify any parameters to your wish."
It was too much and I was no fool. "Forget it. Rot on earth." Turning on my heel, I headed for the door.
"Halt!"
Spinning around I glowered at him, a finger pointed at him accusingly. "You do this deliberately. You steamroller your way through all our arguments. And I'm NOT a simple, stupid goldfish that I would promise my eternal soul to you. I am however insulted that after all the time you've known me, and for all your godly prowess, you still think I'd be foolish enough to let you take advantage of me."
For a moment he stood there, watching me with silence. Those amber eyes flickering with some nameless emotion. Something I had only ever seen once when he'd saved me from Taurus. "We are done for today. Come back tomorrow, we have a lot more work to do." And then he turned away, clearly dismissing me, but refusing to answer my rant.
He infuriated me to no end, but he also conceded in ways I did not expect. I knew deep in my heart that his silence had although not been an apology, it had definitely been acquiescence.
I huffed and stalked out of his chambers muttering about idiot godly men.
Promise my soul to him indeed!
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To be continued…
