STEALING FATE
She stole his fate…
Lachesis is a Fate, an ancient goddess in whose hands our
destinies are unraveled. When she’s not weaving fortune, she does what she
wants when she wants. That all changes when she runs into the man she craves
but prayed to never see again. And she'll soon discover the god of terror can
really hold a grudge.
Now it’s his turn…
The most frightening of gods, Phobos is a predator who takes
pleasure in terrorizing the world. After millennia of relentless searching, he
finds the Fate who caused him to be cast down from Olympus. Now he plans to use
every bit of his talents on the goddess to regain his lost heritage without
losing his heart in the process.
Excerpt:
With the slightest tug of a smile, Phobos closed his eyes
and imagined the ground quaking and streamers of fires bellowing down from the
ceiling. What he envisioned, the mortals’ minds made real. It took no more than
a mental nudge to mislead the weak. Thunder shook the building, and plaster
pelted them like hail. Screams erupted. The herd trampled one another in
attempts to flee the horror of their own minds’ creation. He could feel their
hearts leaping in fear. It exhilarated him.
None were more skilled than Phobos in driving fear into even
the most courageous of warriors. He could drive cities mad with horror. The
right mind fuck could end a war before a drop of blood was shed. Except the god
of terror delighted in bloodshed. And one particular Fate’s blood begged to be
spilled.
Phobos charged into the night, his speed increasing past
each block, knowing he would quickly catch up to his prey. Lachesis.
She wasn’t far now. Excitement welled as he drew closer to
the woman who deprived him of glory. For the centuries he’d been doomed to this
realm, Fate tortured his thoughts.
It took him nearly an hour before he spied his prey. She’d
wisely moved to the grittier side of town, where the population grew sparse
when the sun set. More places to hide, older scents. She’d thought herself
clever, but Phobos was no ordinary tracker.
The filth and noise made it easier for Phobos to close the
distance between them. Every few seconds, Lacey glanced over her shoulder
before continuing her doomed escape. Was that a look of anticipation? No more
than a dozen feet away now, his heart thrummed.
Using his ability to blend into the bricks, he stepped into
the alley. Lacey leapt onto a caged ladder, froze, and then dropped to the
ground. Coming to her feet, her eyes darted around the alley, looking for
something. He drew close enough now that, even without battle-honed senses, she
could likely sense him.
He mentally projected a sea of bats raining down into the
alley.
Lacey inhaled sharply. Then she did what he never expected.
One corner of her mouth tugged her lips into a sensual smile. Her eyes
narrowed. Did he sense exhilaration?
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” she taunted in a
sing-song voice, oblivious to the swarm around her.
Frowning, he melted the bats into the blackness. Taking his
time, he drew closer, dropping the illusion only after he came to stand behind
her.
“Caught you,” he whispered into her ear from behind.
She shivered, tensed, and turned around. Slowly.
Seductively.
He raked his gaze over her body. So close. He fought back
the urge to pull her to him, to inhale her, to taste her. Instead, he stood
firm, prepared to take her down at the slightest hint of aggression. He
couldn’t afford carelessness. “Your escape will not be so easy this time.”
She lifted her brows. “Who says anything about escape? Maybe
I wanted you to find me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Do you crave death, woman?”
“No. I like living very much. What I crave is you. Every
inch. Every delicious scar.” She traced a line across a scar on his neck he’d
acquired from an axe that nearly decapitated him.
He gripped her hand, angry that she pointed out his
imperfections. “Liar.”
“Give up the self-loathing thing, Phobos. You’re
scrumptiously sexy. Deal with it.” With that, she grabbed his neck and tugged
him down closer. Stronger than her, he permitted the small movement. Until she
stared at his lips.
She wouldn’t dare.
She dared.
