Hermes (Frozen Origin #2) Read online

  “Where were you, my dear sister.” Keven asked with a smirk. He enjoyed her surprise at seeing him. There would be no escape today.

  “Just taking a walk, it gets stuffy in the house sometimes.” He examined her closely as if he could detect a lie. She lied to him all the time and he usually believed her so clearly he couldn’t tell.

  “Well, we want to keep you in good health. Stu really likes you, you should be flattered.”

  She didn’t really know how to answer that without insulting Stu and she knew better than to upset her brother from past experience. It only hardened her resolve to leave and made her more frustrated that Keven had returned. The next week had Keven hanging even closer to home than ever upsetting her and Fabian who was all but a prisoner in the attic apartment when Keven was around. She made him stay isolated when Keven was near since a year ago, when Keven had stabbed him. Her fear of losing Fabian overwhelmed her. Even though Keven was alive, she felt that Fabian was all she had.

  Keven finally went on a trip at the beginning of the next week but it was only for part of the day. The frustration was overwhelming as the need to escape pressed against her clawing to get out and away. When she saw Keven, every time she felt panic, pure and simple. He would kill them all and she just knew it, if they didn’t escape soon. Hermes might not die right away, but he would send him to those who would torture and kill him eventually just as surely as Keven planned to kill Fabian and give her to Stu who would be the death of her. Every time she got her hopes up that Keven would leave long enough to allow their escape, he returned or cancelled his trip. He had sent out information about Hermes to interested parties to prepare for the auction.

  Keven and his friends were involved in some serious things and they feared a company called Origin, which she knew worked with DNA, would come after them, maybe even kill them. They made it sound more like a criminal organization than a company. It was why they were trying to hide Hermes and why it was taking so long to auction him off. They were checking out every interested party and sending the information in a way they felt couldn’t be tracked. Keven had brought in a buddy that was a computer specialist and another that would ensure security for the delivery of Hermes to whoever the winning bidder was. The only bright spot was that he had no security in place now. He feared it would attract attention and he knew it would cost more of his profit to pay for it even though the security expert had recommended it. Keven’s sanity and the safety of everyone around him was barely kept in check. Time was running out.

  Chapter 2

  On the Run

  She hid in the shadows again waiting to be sure it was safe to come to him. Most men wouldn’t cast a second glance her way thinking she was just a mousy, unattractive female unworthy of attention. He wasn’t most men, he picked up on the things others didn’t. Her baggy clothes covered a slim physique with well rounded curves. She was shorter than most, maybe five foot one or two tops. She wore her hair long and pulled over part of her face not because she was shy, but to hide from the predators all around her. This place wasn’t safe for Cherish and he raged internally that he couldn’t help her, save her like he wanted to. Of the two of them, she was the one with the most power but she was afraid to use it. He saw the fear she showed when the male who called the shots was near. He’d caught her feeding him a couple times and had spoken down to her as if she was a slave. He wasn’t sure who this Fabian was, but she cared for him a lot. It hurt him to think he might be her mate and he tried not to think about what that might mean. She walked closer carrying the customary sack she always carried his food to him in. She smiled as she handed him the bag and it lit up her whole face making her appear dazzling to him. She rarely spoke a word and even then it was just that, a word whispered low.

  He wanted to know more about her, like who she was, where she stayed, and if she was mated or free. He wanted to hug her and thank her for trying to take care of him. He wanted to kiss her, whoa, where had that come from? He didn’t need or want a mate, not now when they had just been freed. He would admit that he was jealous of what Zeus had, but Sierra was a special female. He was sure Cherish was special as well, but he couldn’t imagine being mated, which was forever, to a female that wouldn’t stand up for herself. So what if she was beautiful and kind? A god needed a strong female to balance him or she would be no good to him except for sex and breeding more gods. He wanted more and she deserved a male that would be happy with what she was and what she had to give.

  Today, she had brought him lasagna, garlic bread, asparagus, and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. She had put a lot of time into his meal and he saw other signs that he might interest her. He felt bad that he would have to let her down. Of course, if he was sold like the one called Keven told him he would be, he wouldn’t be here to break her heart. Life could, and often was, so unfair. He had been freed from a life of confinement only to be imprisoned again. The world of the outsiders was too hard for even a god to manage by himself.

  He tasted the lasagna thinking it the best he ever had. It was so far above what he had in the past there was no comparison. The girl could cook, just one more positive thing about her. He had never cared for most of the vegetables they had served him in the cafeteria, but the asparagus was crisp and well favored. The chocolate cake, his favorite dessert, was to die for. She watched him eat, her eyes following every move he made. Maybe he should mate her just for her cooking skills, but no, that wouldn’t be fair. She’d pushed her hair out of her face for the first time since he had met her. She was lovely beyond description so he paused in eating his food just to look at her.

  “What? Do I have dirt on my face?” She asked forgetting what he could only imagine was her rule of silence. Her voice was sweet as an angel’s, or what he imagined one might sound like. He sat there like a fool smiling at her and neither speaking nor moving. She looked at him wondering what was wrong. “Hermes what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, Cherish. I was just struck with the worries of my situation.” Not a lie, he just realized he wanted to mate a female who was completely wrong for him. His heart would not listen to reason and his body ached for her. Damn, it seemed that he would be a fool for love. Ha, ha. Maybe he would be lucky and find happiness with his mate as Zeus had. He only needed to accept her shortcomings and love her anyway. Now the only question was how did she feel about him. He finished eating and handed her back the bag.

  She scurried away as she always did, but this time he saw her in a different light. She was surrounded by his love and he knew she would be back. Hermes lay down on the bed relaxing and thinking back to how he had arrived at this point. He remembered his surprise when Sierra had unlocked his door and beckoned him out into the hall. At first he had made the same mistake as Zeus and others had. He had thought her an attractive female brought in as a reward for something he had done that his keepers had approved of. It wasn’t unusual to be rewarded and unsure of why you were getting the reward. Life at Origin wasn’t always simple but it was the only life he had known up to that point, so he followed the temptress into the hall and was surprised to find it full of his brothers.

  It wasn’t a big surprise that Zeus had claimed the sexy woman before any other had a chance to. He was their leader in all things including being the first to mate. Would he be the second when he convinced Cherish to mate with him or had others been joined while he was away? He wished that for all his brothers but for now he had to get free. His gift and his abilities as a god would help him but only once he was free from his cage.

  He saw Keven come in not much longer after Cherish had left. He and the other guy, the one that stared at Cherish as if he owned her. He would never own her, she belonged to Hermes and no other. “Hey, money man.” Keven said happily. “You are worth so much money and I have a shot at another one of you.” He chuckled gleefully.

  Hermes wondered who was giving these jerks all their information. He thought back to when he had agreed to go to Washington as a liaison between the gods a
nd the US government. The first day he had arrived they had put him in a hotel room and told him to take the day to acclimate himself. The first meeting wasn’t until the next morning so he had time to explore and do whatever he wanted. Origin had never allowed them any real freedom and he had always wanted a tattoo so he found the nearest tattoo parlor and had a set of wings put on his back. He was, after all, the messenger god. So what if the original Hermes had a pair of winged shoes, he could put his wings wherever he wanted now that he was free.

  He went out for a drink or two while the pain from his tattoo dulled and the redness eased and healed. He was relaxing and enjoying the attention of several women that had flocked around him. Heady stuff for a god newly freed when female companionship had been such a premium all his life. He should have been more alert, more cautious when dealing with so much unknown. He had followed them out to the alley, just a continuation of the party as the bar closed. The blonde was all over him but who was he to complain?

  He hadn’t had a female in months and she obviously wanted him. So what if it was in an alley, this particular alley saw this type of action all the time. She was taking charge so he just leaned back and let her go to town. He felt the air hit his cock as she opened his pants and pulled it out. The other girls oohed and ahhed over such a spectacular masculine display. He wasn’t an exhibitionist, not really. He was just comfortable with nudity and his own body. The blonde wasted no time on niceties or foreplay but went after what she wanted. She climbed on board, pulling herself up with her arms around his neck. He grabbed ahold of her ass to hold her in place as she moved her hand between them lining them up. She pushed herself down merging their bodies.

  The female was in excellent physical condition moving herself up and down on his cock with no help from him. He tried to move but she smacked him when he did and at this point he needed to get off as much as he needed to breathe. It reminded him of a dance except she didn’t seem to need or want any help from him. She was in a sexual frenzy as she moved up and down talking dirty and making animal noises. He felt she was near her release so he let himself go, living in the moment. She exploded a second before he did, milking his cock for all she was worth. When every drop of seed was wrung from him, she slid down to the ground. That’s when he felt a pinch and it was lights out.

  When he woke, he was locked up in a cold, dark place with chains keeping him frozen in place. He should have realized that wild aggressive women could bring as much pain as pleasure. He had just been tired of his own hand being his only comfort so he had let the situation spiral out of his control. If he ever escaped this place, he would be more cautious. The lesson learned was valuable though it came at an impossible price. He knew Zeus and the other gods were looking for him, they would leave no stone unturned but he didn’t even know exactly where he was. He was only sure that it was a long way away from them and since he rarely heard a car, he figured it was a long way away from anyone.

  Cherish slipped back into the building hours later. She came twice a day to bring him food so he wouldn’t starve. She had cooked him a whole chicken and had to turn it sideways to get it through the bars. The rest of the food was in another bag, a thermos of southern style sweet tea was also passed through the bars. This was one of his favorite meals, baked chicken, potatoes with gravy, corn bread muffins, and a side of green beans with bacon in them. The dessert was a big piece of pecan pie making him feel more like a treasured guest than a prisoner. He wanted to ask her things-did she cook the food herself, why was she here, couldn’t she escape, and most of all, did she have a mate- but he feared she’d run away and never come back if he showed too much interest.

  He finished his food and reluctantly handed his empty bags and thermos back through the bars that separated them. What would he be tempted to do if the bars weren’t there? His thoughts must have shown on his face because she nervously stepped back, turned, and hurried away. Didn’t she realize she was his woman and no one else’s? Apparently not, since she sped away like she was on fire, not even sparing the time for a backward glance. He went back to sit on his cot and think about the changes he had gone through the last few weeks only to end up confined once more.

  The next day the sunshine came through the window brightening his cage but not nearly as much as Cherish could. He was living his life right now just waiting for her to come to him, for nothing else mattered to him. He tried to think of a way to get out of the cage but the only way out was if she found a way to free him but seeing her terror when she saw the men who held him captive made him realize he could never ask that of her. As scared as she was, she would never be able to pull an escape off. Just as he thought about her, she appeared looking as lovely as a mythical creature might. She passed him his meal and when she passed him his thermos, he felt something odd. It was a key, but did he dare hope it opened his cell? She moved to an odd angle away from him and he realized she was trying to block the camera from seeing her mouth.

  If the camera had no sound, they couldn’t know what she said. “Keven is supposed to leave for a three day trip in two hours. We need to hurry to get away before he comes back. This will be our only chance. Fabian and I will be waiting for you in a SUV.”

  He finished eating and handed back his empties. He had a lot to think about and two hours to do it. He would know when she pulled up in front of the building because of his sensitive hearing. It was hard to believe his fearful female would really do it. He went over every possibility in his head including her changing her mind, her leaving without him, and her getting hurt because of him, but in the end he had no control over anything and she would do as she saw fit. He heard the sound of a motor in front of the building, he put the key in the lock on the door, turned it, and when it opened he hurried out and into the free world once more. She waited out front in the driver’s seat and a young boy sat behind her. The boy looked at him with wide eyes as if he had never seen anyone quite like him.

  Hermes remembered he was half naked, his tattoo was in plain sight, and his eyes probably glowed their unusual purple color. The boy seemed to realize he was staring because he dropped his eyes to the floorboard instead. Who was this child that would be with them as they ran to freedom? Where was Fabian, the man she spoke of with such love. He jumped in the passenger seat where she insisted he wear his seat belt. She left in a cloud of dust because the driveway was dirt now with only hints of the gravel that had once been there.

  She drove to the nearest town finding a small airport. She went to talk to a guy in what looked like the office at one of the hangars. It looked like she had rented the plane to fly them somewhere but it was a small private plane made to fly five to seven people at the most and they wouldn’t be very comfortable. With just the three of them, the pilot, and their luggage, the fit would be tolerable. Cherish sat in the front where the copilot usually sat. It made him feel dejected because she wasn’t at his side. It seemed some these human women could grow on a male if he wasn’t careful. The flight wasn’t long, maybe a couple hours before they landed on another private airfield. Cherish led them into another hanger tossing a bag at him and encouraging him to change.

  “We’ll stay here a day or two so I can change up my hair and we should get yours dyed so it looks different. Fabian should be alright since Keven hasn’t seen him in ages.” Cherish instructed him as she handed him a pair of sunglasses she pulled out of the bag she had carried in. The hanger wasn’t too bad since it had a full bathroom and a couple rooms with beds to bunk in. It had a kitchenette that would work to cook food in or they could throw together a sandwich. For now it was time to clean up and recover from stress of their escape. He meant that more for Cherish and the boy since he was a god and he didn’t let such things bother him. Finding out the boy was Fabian had come as a great relief to him. She was free for him to claim, he just knew she was. He took the first shower and found nice, clean clothes laid out for him. She had bought him designer jeans, a T shirt, high tops, underwear, and socks. The underwear was
comfortable and reminded him of the shorts Origin had made them wear most of the time at the facility.

  Fabian would be next since the plane had been dusty and he was sure Cherish would take a shower after Fabian. He had to admit, to himself anyway, that the thought of her naked in the shower touching herself was driving him crazy. He stripped and turned on the water setting it just right before soaping up his hands and washing himself. He started with his chest and worked his way down but when he got to his engorged aching member, he spent a little time bringing himself some relief. He cupped his balls tugging on them making his cock ache even more before moving up to grasp his member which was straining upward. He closed his eyes, put one hand out to hold onto the shower wall in front of him, and started stroking himself.

  He thought of Cherish and tried to imagine what her small smooth hands would feel like. In his mind’s eye, he could see her, feel her as she touched him. Her hand would move faster as she gripped him as if she never wanted to release him. His breathing came in harsh gasps as he felt his orgasm building. He was like a volcano about to erupt as the image of her stroking faster, harder, filled his mind until he exploded shooting stream after stream of milky white fluid against the shower wall. He jerked as bliss washed over him giving him the best release of his life. If imagining her stroking him was this good, what would reality be like?

  He went to find a bed to crash in, partly because he would need his strength to see them through and partly because there was nothing else to do. He took the bunk behind the door where he could see anyone enter but he was hidden until they came in and turned around. He thought about sleep, but he just wasn’t sleepy enough or maybe it was thoughts of Cherish and what she was doing right now. Was she in the shower right now doing what he had done? Was she touching herself to bring relief to her stressed out body? She might even be trying to sleep, resting for whatever tomorrow might bring. He heard a sound as someone came into the room. It was Cherish and she was wearing nothing but a little towel. His mouth watered wanting to taste her, to run his mouth and hands over her body licking and stroking every inch.