Love's Forge Read online

  “No. He needs to be taught a lesson though. He’s a few days away from marrying a sweet, beautiful girl who could excite desire in any man with a pulse. She loves him unconditionally. He doesn’t deserve her. He betrayed her because his pride couldn’t stand for Aphrodite to finally be over him.”

  Zeus disagreed adamantly, but he had no intention of speaking, especially since his relationship with Hephaestus could be difficult at times like this. He ran through the possibilities in his mind. Hephaestus had never had any enemies that he knew of. At the moment, he also couldn’t recall anyone who would wish Ares or Aphrodite harm. A spell made no sense, even though it was the only explanation he could come up with.

  “Ares loves Alala. It is far more likely Aphrodite tricked him!” Hera said.

  “No. She’s happy for him. He went to her house. He made that first move.”

  Zeus said, “You two aren’t going to persuade each other. It seems more fruitful to look for another answer. Would either of them be stupid enough to seduce the other this close to Ares’ wedding? Neither of them would hurt Alala this way.”

  “You didn’t see them together,” Hephaestus said. “The uninhibited lust was revolting.”

  “So both of them? Neither one was resisting at all?”

  Hephaestus shook his head. “They didn’t even notice me. They were far too distracted.”

  Zeus paused before asking, “And what do they say?”

  “No explanations. Not even an attempt. They both say they don’t understand what came over them.”

  “You feel justified imprisoning them based on that?” Hera asked.

  “Everyone who cheats says that. They don’t know what came over them. It’s ridiculous,” Hephaestus said as he glared at both of them, his meaning quite clear.

  “Hephaestus, maybe they truly don’t,” Zeus said.

  “Tell me who would do this, and maybe I’ll let them go.”

  Hera touched his arm to plead with him. “Let Ares go. Let us question him. We want to know the truth too.”

  Hephaestus looked down into his mother’s eyes. “I’ll think about it.” He bent and kissed her forehead. Zeus had not seen them be affectionate very often. Perhaps it was a beginning.

  She held his arm for a moment before letting him go. “I’m more confused than angry. Truly. This is the kind of thing Ares would do. I’d never expect something like this from you.”

  He stepped back from her without replying and disappeared.

  Zeus went to Hera. “Let’s go.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the valley they stood on the edge of. “Let’s walk for a while.”

  Hera followed and held his hand limply. “I’m not used to being powerless.”

  “I doubt you want me to strike the mountain with a thunderbolt.”

  She sighed. “Of course not. What silly stories mortals create.”

  He squeezed her hand because he knew exactly how much she loved the stories she claimed to think were silly. “I’ve been very creative in my anger over the centuries. And I know how to use a thunderbolt if I need to.”

  She forced a smile. “I don’t feel like laughing now, but I appreciate the effort.”

  “I like the old stories. Even some of the new ones. Why don’t we go watch a movie? Let’s get dressed up and revisit the golden age of Hollywood. What was a good year for movies?”

  “I don’t feel like playing, Zeus. Not here or in the mortal world. You want to make me happy? Make it possible for us to time travel here on Olympus. Take us back so I can know about all this and stop what happened today. Take us all the way back so none of this ever happens.”

  “You don’t want that. It’s beyond my powers, of course. I’d do anything for you if I could.”

  “I know.” She gazed across the grass. “I am going to the mortal world. I’d like to think.”

  “Where? When?”

  “Long ago. I’d like to see the temples again. Hear people talking about us. They were good days, most of the time.” She squeezed his hand. “I won’t interfere with anything.”

  He started to speak, but she was gone. He walked on. Time travel in the mortal world took a lot of energy, so she would be tired when she came home. Maybe then she’d rest.

  He watched the horizon change color as the sun started to set. He felt weary, but he wanted to investigate as much as he could before Hera returned. If he could at least present her with a theory, she’d be much happier to come home to him.

  * * * *

  Eris had bolted out the front door as soon as Hermes explained everything to her. She wanted to go straight to Hera and Zeus, but she knew it would be pointless. She had to trust Hera to care about proving Ares was innocent as much as she did. Hera was right to send her to Alala, who was probably either scared or angry, perhaps both.

  She went straight to the backyard, which was usually the best place to find Alala. She opened the gate and looked toward the gazebo first. Alala sat in the swing with a black cat in her lap. Her long red hair hung in her face, and she looked like a sad child with no one to play with when she should have been a happy bride-to-be preparing for her wedding in a few days. That made Eris angry. Whoever was behind this was going to pay, and dearly.

  “Alala?” Eris said as she strolled over to her.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi. They’ll straighten all this out. Hephaestus won’t hurt Ares.” Eris didn’t know Hephaestus well at all. She’d met him, but it hadn’t been the most stimulating conversation ever. However, she didn’t see any reason to be afraid for Ares’ safety. Not yet.

  “I know.”

  Eris sat down next to Alala and extended her fingers to Shadow for inspection. The male cat purred and squeezed his eyes at her. He’d always liked her because he could tell she had cats as well.

  “Alala, you do know Ares is innocent, don’t you?”

  Alala looked up and met her gaze. “Is he? Why would someone do this to us? To me? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Ares cheating on you makes no sense at all. He loves you, Alala.”

  “Maybe he changed his mind. Decided marriage isn’t for him. He could have been scared to tell me, so he came up with a plan to make me call the wedding off.”

  Eris considered her words carefully. She knew Alala was upset and had never had much confidence in herself as a woman. Eris couldn’t understand that, given Alala’s beauty and intelligence, but she knew it was true. “Alala, I can’t believe that. My brother has fucked up lots of things, many of them very important things, but he wouldn’t do this. He would be honest about something like that.”

  “He’s proud and stubborn. It’s hard to say what he’s capable of at times.”

  “I agree, but I can’t believe this.”

  “Hephaestus wouldn’t do this for no reason.”

  “Aren’t you angry with him at all? What did he say?”

  “He left me a note.” She handed the note to Eris.

  Eris unfolded it and read it aloud. “Ares has betrayed your trust. I’m sorry if this hurts you in the end, but this scoundrel and my cheating wife are going to get what they deserve.” This scoundrel? Get what they deserve? She sighed, but then she looked back at the note. “Wife? My cheating wife?”

  Alala nodded. “It’s true. She told me months ago. When I was worried about Persephone, I went to her. I wanted to know if Hades truly loved her. I also wanted to tell her that Ares and I weren’t angry with her.” She smiled with fake enthusiasm. “We wanted to be friends.” She huffed in frustration.

  “How long have they been married? And more to the point why can’t I hear Hera having a fit?”

  Alala half laughed. “She actually took it better than I’d expected. She’s very angry with Hephaestus, though she may be calmer now.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. A long time. Before Eros was born.”

  “Shit!” Now she was even more surprised all of them weren’t feeling some kind of reaction from Hera. “Hera’s upset with Hephaestus for doing this and with
Aphrodite for keeping such a secret. She’s worried about Ares. And you say she’s calm? That might be worse for all of us in the long run.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Are you angry with Ares? This can’t be his fault.”

  “You’re sure about that?”

  She nodded her head emphatically. “Of course I am. How can you doubt him? I know you’re scared, but you know the truth. Don’t you believe he’s innocent? It wouldn’t make any sense for him to do this.”

  Alala jerked Shadow up and put him in Eris’ lap. She stood quickly and stalked away. “Did you ever think I’d prefer being angry to being scared? I used to be a warrior! I used to fight by Ares’ side and help him! I’m not supposed to be scared of anything! My name was a fucking battle cry for the Greeks! I’ve cut down thousands of men and never regretted it. I ought to be able to save him, but I can’t! Gods, we’re all so useless now! You started the Trojan War. When’s the last time you did anything even half that important?” She turned back to Eris. “Does that make sense to you?”

  Eris clutched Shadow tight, even though he seemed unalarmed by his owner’s outburst. He yawned and stretched in her lap once she loosened her grip. Eris personally didn’t mind that she hadn’t started any wars recently, but Alala was a war deity. Maybe she still needed battles of some kind to fight.

  “Yes, Alala, it does. I hardly know Hephaestus, but Ares is his half-brother. Even if that means nothing, he’s Zeus and Hera’s son. That protects him to some extent. No matter what his initial reaction, Hephaestus can’t still be that angry. He’ll relent soon.”

  “Even if he does, Ares still has to explain all this. What’s he going to say?” Alala turned back to the house and kept walking.

  Eris didn’t say anything else. She stroked Shadow’s ears and leaned back in the swing. Hermes could find her if there was news, so she’d stay put for now in case Alala needed her. She was dealing with her fears in her own way. It was best to let her do so, at least for now. Hopefully, it would all be over so soon it wouldn’t matter. Alala could be just as stubborn as Ares, and Eris knew that was one of the many reasons they were good together. They understood each other. She couldn’t do much more to prove Ares’ innocence to Alala now, but once he was free she’d stop at nothing to make sure the beautiful wedding planned for later in the week did take place.

  Chapter Three

  Aphrodite wondered what Hephaestus was doing. He’d left her alone just long enough for her anxiety to fade into boredom. Was he planning more seduction? Was he watching her? She knew she could do nothing to stop him if he were. She’d briefly thought of masturbating to torment him, but she’d resisted. If he showed up and touched her, she wouldn’t be able to resist.

  That was her dilemma. She wanted him to let her go, and she was a little afraid for Ares, but she wasn’t afraid of Hephaestus. He wouldn’t hurt her. He was upset, angry and jealous. Once he calmed down, he would listen to her. Then his anger would shift, and he would be determined to find out who had done this to her. It amazed her he wasn’t more concerned about that. How could he not see that was the truth? Had their relationship distorted his views so much? Did he truly believe she and Ares would have been fucking in the open days before Ares’ wedding?

  She didn’t want Ares, and she didn’t love him. Her feelings for Hephaestus had shifted the past few weeks, and now she was even more confused. She found it hard to be angry with him. Was that a sign of love? Shouldn’t she know? Her body still tingled when she remembered the bath he’d given her. That had been a new experience with him. He’d never before concocted a fantasy for them to play out, and he couldn’t deny that bathing her and making her come like that had been a fantasy.

  A flash of movement caught her eye. She turned and saw a table set for two at the foot of the bed. The meal itself surprised her. Pot roast. Really? Hephaestus had made her a pot roast? Had he actually cooked it?

  Hephaestus appeared beside her and extended his hand. “I cooked everything myself.”

  “You did?” She held out her hand and stood up. She’d thrown on a plain linen wrap dress she’d found lying out for her after he’d brought her back from her bath. She smoothed the skirt down.

  “Yes. I used cookware I’d made myself, specially forged to make it impossible to burn the food.”

  “That was my idea, you know,” she said.

  “Yes. I made the set as a wedding present, but you didn’t stay around after the wedding, so I never gave it to you.”

  “We never had a wedding.”

  He held her left hand up in front of her. “Then take the ring off.”

  “I can’t. You know that.”

  He kissed her hand. “Then you’re still my wife.”

  She pulled away and sat down at the table. “I was just thinking about you. About how I wasn’t really afraid of you or angry with you. That comment and others like it might change my mind.”

  “Is that a threat?” he asked as he sat across from her.

  “It could be. It’s the truth. We were together because of the things I liked about you. I didn’t tell Hera or Zeus about our marriage for the same reasons. When you began summoning me, our friendship was rekindled. I forgot about all our fights.” She paused to make sure he was paying close enough attention. “Because you were kind and gentle and understanding. I saw those qualities in you again and forgave you for this weird marriage, and so we became friends again. I felt so close to you at times.”

  “But I had to force your hand to get you to consider going beyond friendship. You were afraid.”

  “You’ve pointed that out more than once, and I’ve agreed. Show a little kindness and stop reveling in your victory.”

  “Do you think that’s what I do?”

  “In a quiet way, yes. You gloat. I can feel it. You know you still affect me, and you’re using it against me.” She picked up her napkin and spread it across her lap. “This all smells wonderful, but you’re going to ruin my appetite. Let’s eat now.”

  He bowed his head to her and began carving the meat. He filled her plate and then took the lid off a bowl of potatoes and carrots and passed it to her before serving himself. He uncovered a dish of butter and put a knife where she could reach it after he unwrapped the rolls. The cloth napkin around the rolls looked familiar, and Aphrodite blushed when she realized it was hers. She’d left it here one of the times she’d cooked for him.

  She cut up all the slices of beef into bite-sized pieces to keep herself occupied. He was watching her, but she didn’t want to be drawn back into a conversation. She sliced one of the small red potatoes into fourths, and then speared it onto a fork with a carrot and piece of the roast. She chewed thoughtfully. Of course, it tasted wonderful.

  “It’s good,” she said. She met his gaze for a moment before focusing on her plate again.

  “Glad you like it.”

  He didn’t push, and that was good. The food tasted good enough she managed to put him out of her mind for a few minutes.

  After a second serving, she was pleasantly full but not stuffed. She sat back and folded her napkin next to her plate. “That was nice,” she said. “You didn’t have to cook for me.”

  “I wanted to.”

  “What about Ares?” she asked.

  The table disappeared, removing the one barrier between them. “He won’t exactly starve, will he?” His voice was very soft.

  “No. I suppose not.”

  “I haven’t hurt him, Aphrodite.”

  “You threw him. I saw that.”

  “He was unharmed. It was a natural reaction. Any man would find that kind of strength seeing another man fucking his wife.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t waste time with dessert. I don’t want any.”

  He smiled at her. “I do.”

  She knew exactly what he meant and crossed her arms over her chest. “And you’re simply going to take what you want?”

  “I won’t fuck you, Aphrodite, not until you ask me to.”


  “Sex and love have nothing to do with each other. Asking you to make love to me won’t mean I love you.”

  “But giving yourself to me again, willingly?” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “That will mean something to you.”

  She knew it would, but she looked at him defiantly. No matter how good it would feel, she couldn’t. He would see it as surrender, and that’s exactly what it would be.

  “I want you to desire me again,” he said.

  “That’s not so hard. Didn’t you win that battle a few hours ago?”

  “Not the way I want to win it.” He reached for her waist where her dress was tied closed and loosened the knot. Her dress fell to the floor. He ran two knuckles between her breasts. “I want you to need me inside you more than anything else in the world.”

  She took his hand and raised it to her mouth. She planned to take his fingers into her mouth, remembering how it used to make him groan, but he stopped her and shook his head.

  “My rules, Aphrodite.” He turned her around and marched her to the wall, making her face it. “You torment me enough simply being so beautiful.”

  He put her hands on a metal ring above her head. Once again, the fixture had not been there until he’d wanted it. Was he thinking these fantasies out ahead of time, or was he improvising? Would he have left her alone if she hadn’t mentioned dessert? If she hadn’t been defiant?

  He pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck. “If you let go, I will chain you up and spend the entire night rediscovering your body.” He smoothed her hair down her back, and then he tied it back with a ribbon he retrieved from the dresser. “It’ll be interesting to see which you chose. Perhaps you want me to stay all night. Would you like being that helpless beneath me?”

  She didn’t answer as she glanced at the dresser. She’d noticed the change there as well. A few ribbons and one brush were hers. Again, she’d left them here. Everything else was new, and she had everything she needed or wanted. Had he done that when he kidnapped her? Or had it been prepared before? Had he done things like that in expectation of her coming to live here?