“Both of you are judged, and you have been found wanting by pack law, shifter custom, and plain old common sense. Good luck holding your position after all this,” I turned to Raelyn who looked terrified, “Our mating is dissolved. Good look finding another, with a barren womb. Maybe now you’ll actually grow up.”

  Raelyn yelled, “If I can’t what gives you the right to dissolve it!”

  I snorted and looked around the room, and everyone was looking down in shame as I looked back at Raelyn.

  “Pack law, look it up. Only the mate of an oath breaker can choose to forgive or choose to dissolve the relationship, the oath-breaker has no such authority. It is also the only valid reason for severing a mating, an oath being broken.”

  She flushed in embarrassment at my disgusted tone.

  I didn’t really want to leave. The pack was my life, why else would I have agreed to marry such a stupid bitch except to stay with my family, but I knew the pack would never accept me as pack master, even if they probably wished I’d put Pablo out of their misery. Challenging him to stay was just out of the question, it would break the pack apart and defeat the purpose, and I wouldn’t do that to them, even if Pablo deserved it, the rest of my family didn’t.

  I guess I was starting over.

  I teleported to Switzerland in a rising and flashing bubble of golden light. I needed to take control of the accounts, transfer a few million to U.S. banks under my name, and get some debit and credit cards.

  So I did, and by the end of the day I was in a five star hotel, shopping for clothes, and going house hunting. I still hadn’t decided how to handle the council, so it seemed reasonable to get a few things in order first. Money, home, clothes and such. Can’t be accepted as a king if I walk around in casual shorts all the time, can I? There was also the matter of considering… business opportunities that would leave the world a better place, while making me piles of cash.

  Chapter Two

  Two weeks had passed, and I’d gotten all that done and more. I won’t bore you with the day-to-day minutia of it all. I’d be closing on a mansion next week right outside Portland in the sticks with several hundred acres, so it’d be pretty private. Not a lot of neighbors, and with teleport I wasn’t worried about a commute. What I was worried about was morons, and out in the middle of nowhere if another god or the humans came after me, there’d be no collateral damage in lives or property. Just… trees.

  Plus, I still went on a daily run in the wilderness. Technically I probably should’ve left Pablo’s territory, but I knew he wasn’t stupid enough to make it an issue, and I knew all the pack’s haunts and running spots in the wilderness, so it’d be easy to avoid them. It actually helped me think, let my mind wander in the universal consciousness while tearing through the forest and taking down prey.

  I’d also submitted two patents that would change the world. Patents took about eighteen months to go through, but it’d be safe to move ahead with it once it was pending and the initial searches didn’t come up with anything. Nothing I stole, not exactly, just failed scientific theories that others had given up on, and they of course hadn’t considered the possible synergies with magic to make up the shortfalls. But more on that later.

  At the moment I was trying to make contact with Steven and discuss my role and involvement as king of the council that had little real power but some authority. I could’ve chosen to go to Chicago and drop in on the trio of love, darkness, and darkness, since they were the most trustworthy and trusting of the bunch, but for complicated reasons including secrecy of my partial omniscience, it would be the last thing I would do if I was in ignorance. Those three could overpower me easily, so it would raise too many questions if I showed up at their door first.

  I wasn’t entirely sure that secret needed to be kept. Zeus had thought all the gods would rebel, not wanting to deal with a ruling god they couldn’t deceive, confuse, or mislead, and that was a valid thought. Everyone had secrets, after all.

  So instead, I was being obnoxious in Manhattan N.Y., flashing my power and getting the attention of Steven’s agents in the city. I was sure sooner or later the man would summon the council and contact me directly, but so far, he hadn’t.

  He was the logical choice, since he had spies everywhere. The others all had hidden homes, and would be freaked out if I just showed up there. Especially Bruce, who tended to spend a lot of time at the bottom of the ocean.

  Still, if Steven kept putting it off much longer, then I would go to Mark, and let him contact someone on the council to call one together. That had been my second choice of many approaching options, despite the fact Nate had truly screwed the pooch dealing with him, and the sun god probably won’t be happy to meet me. Even if it wasn’t my fault.

  Pretending ignorance was a pain in the ass. Because of course I already knew what they wanted from me, and what they didn’t want. I knew all their addresses, phone numbers and all that, all while they thought they were safely anonymous.

  The ground started to quake, and Steven’s power rose from deep inside the Earth. I checked his intentions, and I was only a little surprised to discover he was about to attack me. I mean, I’d expected contact, had estimated that probability high, but in every contact scenario I’d estimated a chance they’d just want me dead.

  I could figure out why Steven wanted me dead later, there was no time now as I focused my power and defenses. I was a war god, after all, one of the sky, as well as a king.

  The power was absolutely worthless in predicting the future, save in recognizing a person’s patterns. I hadn’t thought he’d attack me. The power is also worthless in the present outside of a quick and very short head’s up. It was too… distracting, and by the time he’d made the decision and it’d registered in his mind, then the ground started to rumble, I just had no time to read his plans.

  No time but to prepare for battle, especially in a situation like this. It was an incredibly useful power, but it really wouldn’t help me in a fight, is what I was getting at. Using it, having information flow into my brain that lowered my area awareness and comprised my vigilance would hurt, not help. At best, it would give me a head’s up in these kinds of situations.

  His power had the earth try to suck me in, folding up toward me from every direction and then rotating down, even as he popped halfway out of the surface. Which made sense, he was the god of earth, I was the god of air. In his domain I’d have just as much power, but far less resources. My personal lightning and strength, but no air attacks or storms. Just like he’d be at a disadvantage if I’d sucked him up into the sky with a potent wind.

  So, before it could reach me I flew straight up as I summoned lightning into my hands with a growl. I almost got away clean, but the earth got my ankles as I released the bolt of lightning toward Steven.

  The ground underneath Steven rose, and absorbed the attack, grounding it out, even as I was quickly escaping his tentative grasp to take off toward the sky.

  Which was when I felt no less than ten more gods appear. Far weaker than me, but ten of them would add up and more than tip the balance. Like dropping a feather on a measuring scale with two tons on either side. The side with the feather would tip the scales, and like that weight Steven and I were fairly equal in strength.

  It didn’t make it a helpless cause, tactics and raw ability definitely counted, but my situation had just become far more precarious.

  All of them were his spies, tier three and four gods, and they all cast spells of wind and water, all gusts aimed at me from above. I was already spending most of my power in flying up and in my defenses, so I didn’t have much left to counter the spells, and the downward wind and water pressure pushed me lower into the grasping Earth as I struggled to escape.

  My power failed to take me from there, he was also suppressing teleports now that his friends were here.

  It was ignominious, that I should fall to such a scheming ambush. I hadn’t been cautious enough, and I’d been too arrogant in my expectations. I’d expected wariness, I’d expected mistrust, but I hadn’t expected immediate war before they even felt me out.

  I started to summon lightning, not strong enough to kill, but strong enough to smite, and started blasting the gods one by one, as I fought Steven’s grip. If I could take enough out, then I could escape into the sky. But I was starting to sink fast, and I knew I was dead if that bastard got me underground where my lighting would be useless. He could churn me apart with stone from a distance.

  Another golden flash, and then an explosion so bright and powerful I had to turn my eyes away, as the dirt, power, and raw energy rolled over me. A quite powerful tier-two goddess, screaming in unhinged anger.

  Steven’s power faded, and the earth holding my feet crumbled, and the five conscious gods disappeared, and I let them go.

  I looked over in shock at the goddess, who was looking at me in shock with the blood draining from her face. She gaped at me, like she’d been expecting someone else.

  She gasped, “You! Oh my god, that crazy bitch. This can’t be right. I can’t believe that bitch would do this to me. Fucking Sara, I’m going to wring her damn neck,” she continued to curse and pace like a crazy person while I sucked down some information.

  Steven had decided the last twenty years of peace was too precious to risk to an unknown and new king of the gods. His spur of the moment plan was to kill me, and then he’d planned to tell the council he’d had no choice, that I’d attacked him for being a traitor. Which… might’ve worked, they were all nervous about the new me, and would probably believe the worst without looking too closely.

  I also pulled info on the crazy goddess, and whoever Sara was.

  Sara, rebirth of Clotho, had just saved my life? That didn’t seem right to me, the fates had always hated my incarnations. But then, if anyone would know I wasn’t an asshole like Zeus and Nate, then those three would be it.

  She’d sent… Lianne, Bia reborn, the goddess of raw energy and force. A goddess who had just blown Steven so hard out of his hole and into the air, that he’d ran for it without even checking what he was up against.

  Lianne was… gorgeously delicate in appearance, really. Slightly wavy light brown hair with a hint of gold, and wide doe brown eyes. She was five foot seven, lithe with amazing legs, a tightly petite pear-shaped ass, and lovely B cups that all fit perfectly on her willowy female form. Her face was exotically eastern, a severe beauty with sharp high cheekbones and a thin face, with full lips and a button nose.

  I laughed, which broke off her insane tirade, “What did Sara tell you?” I could’ve pulled it, but I wanted to engage with someone, and honestly it got old knowing everything before the person I was talking to told me all about it again. Plus, she’d saved my life, was gorgeous, and her crazy was… attractive to me. She was a powerful woman that took no shit from anyone, and lost her mind and defended herself when wronged, or when she perceived she’d been wronged, anyway. That really appealed to the shifter side of me.

  She turned red in the face.

  I grinned, “Come on, out with it.”

  She bit her lip, “Umm. Well, I have a really bad track record with picking horrible men. A lot of them wind up being married players, or pervs with an Asian fetish, or lying cheating bastards that can’t keep their zippers closed. I hate men who don’t know the meaning of loyalty, yet I seem to attract nothing but them.”

  I nodded, “Okay, so that relates how?”

  She blushed, “Well, you see, it was about fifteen years ago, when I dated a man and he actually tried to get me to do a gangbang for all his friends. That was kind of the last straw. I suck at recognizing the truth of a man, no radar at all. So I went to Sara, AKA Clotho, and I begged for her help. To umm, set me up with the right one, you know?

  “Anyway. She told me to be here, on this date and time, and that I would save the man that would value me for who I was, that would come to love me and never betray me. That would find loyalty as important as me. Instead, I found…” she trailed off, and the blood drained from her face.

  I laughed again, “Found what?”

  She gasped out, “King of the gods.”

  I nodded, “Thanks for saving me. You busy? I could use a coffee.”

  She frowned in confusion, “You want me to get you a coffee?”

  I laughed harder, “No, I want you to join me for coffee, what’s your name? I’m Liam.”

  She said in a confused voice, “Lianne.”

  “A beautiful name, shall we?”

  She asked in bafflement, “You’re serious?”

  I nodded, “I happen to value loyalty above all as well, Lianne. While I’m sure Sara would play a joke on me, I don’t think she’d do that to you. I’m thinking maybe you should remember that you’re not a great judge of men, and that maybe you should spend a little time with me despite your reservations because of that. Well?”

  She bit her lip, “This can’t be happening. Why would you want me?”

  “I don’t know, yet. But saving my life along with your story is more than enough for me to want to find out. Plus, I really like your energy, no pun intended. Warm, and stubborn.”

  She giggled, “You mean the crazy?”

  “Yes, that too,” I agreed with a grin.

  She shook her head, and walked over to me, so I held out my hand and she took it tentatively, then she relaxed a little when nothing horrible happened. She was a total trip, and I was mesmerized.

  She asked, “What about them?”

  “Justice can catch up to them later, after I get an audience with the council to deal with Steven and his little crew, but right now I have more important matters to focus on.”

  She blushed as she realized she was the more important matter, while I used my power to take us to Java’s coffeehouse, mostly because I couldn’t stand that bitter crap that other coffee place sold. It was probably fine with sugars, syrups, and milk or cream, but I took mine black, so it made a difference.

  “What do you like?” I asked, as I opened the door and waved her through.

  She gave me another funny look as she walked passed, and while it was truly amusing and fascinating, I hated that my past lives led to shit like this. She kept waiting for me to turn into a monster, or maybe just run her off or snap an order or something.

  “Umm, Caramel mocha, iced, not frozen. I get ice cream headaches from the frozen.”

  I ordered both that and a regular black coffee, sixteen ounce, when we reached the register. She started to fidget a little, so I claimed her hand back which made her freeze, then relax again. Her energy was off the scale.

  Once the coffee was ready, I handed the credit card over and then handed her the mocha, then took my card back and grabbed my coffee, in that order so I could keep her hand, which was warm, soft, and tentative in mine. I walked her over to the table and put down my drink, before pulling out her chair. She gave me another odd look.

  I said as I sat, “Shifter before god. We tend to be protective and cater to our women, in return we get loyalty and obedience. I know that sounds extreme, but it’s not something that’s abused, power is responsibility. As long as I’m dumping out the scary stuff, how do you feel about multiple mates? I mean, you hate cheaters, but that’s not cheating if you’re in on it, so I thought I’d ask.”

  She giggled nervously, and licked her lips, “You mean you get to fuck other woman while I have to do what I’m told?”

  She took a sip of her drink, while waiting for me to smite her, I think.

  I snorted, “No. No one-night stands or hookups, and with your permission and knowledge, and involvement if you want. I think maybe you’re not getting the obedience part either. Obedience is power for me, but responsibility too. I have to protect and cherish, and I can’t protect you if you ignore the rare and important order. I’m not talking about micromanaging your life, from your friends to your job to what you wear. You’re not helpless, you’re a goddess, and a pretty magnificent one from where I’m sitting.”

  She blushed, “I don’t even know where to start with that. You know this is the twenty sixties right, not the nineteen sixties?”

  I laughed, “I don’t think the packs got the message, and dominance and submission are very important to a shifter. I know you’re not one, but I am. Perhaps more importantly is loyalty is at the top of the priority list. I’d never betray or cheat on you.”

  She nodded, “But you’ll pick up other women with me.”

  I laughed, “Not exactly, but I suppose you could put it that way. Also, with your permission, did you miss that part?”

  She waved, “Why are you bringing this up now, something a player would never do, at least.”

  I shrugged, “I have plans in the works. I was thinking of picking up a stray vampire, one without a kiss and living on the street. Vampires are immortal, have perfect recall, and don’t misremember things like a human might due to wishful thinking or a bias, or plain old bad recall. In short, a vampire would be the ultimate administrative assistant. I need someone to track my dealings with the council and flag possible corruption for my attention, as well as run one or two businesses, so I’m not bogged down with the details. I’d pay them a good salary, get them off the street, and they’d be free to an extent, but also loyal to me.”

  She bit her lip, “Blood and sex, is where you’re going.”

  I nodded, “No feeding from anyone but me, which means she’d be in my bed too.”

  She asked, “How are you going to ensure loyalty from a rogue vampire?”

  I grinned, “Daylight. I happen to have found a very rare witch spell that will allow a bloodsucker out in the daylight. Without me to renew the spell every day, she’d have thirty-six hours at most after leaving. I’m thinking as long as I treat her right, and don’t abuse her, she’d be willing to do almost anything to be and stay a day walker. Not to mention having an immortal blood supply.”

  She nodded thoughtfully, “That really would work. Why do you need me?”