Pride Before A Fall (Book 21 in the Godhunter Series) Read online

  Pride Before a Fall

  Amy Sumida

  Copyright © 2017 Amy Sumida

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-10:1974489825

  ISBN-13: 978-1974489824

  Legal Notice

  This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote, or paraphrase any part of the content within this book without the consent of the author or copyright owner. Legal action will be pursued if this is breached.

  More Books by Amy Sumida

  The Godhunter Series(in order)

  Godhunter

  Of Gods and Wolves

  Oathbreaker

  Marked by Death

  Green Tea and Black Death

  A Taste for Blood

  The Tainted Web

  Series Split:

  These books can be read together or separately

  Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest

  Into the Void & Out of the Darkness

  Perchance to Die

  Tracing Thunder

  Light as a Feather

  Rain or Monkeyshine

  Blood Bound

  Eye of Re

  My Soul to Take

  As the Crow Flies

  Cry Werewolf

  (Pride Before a Fall)

  Beyond the Godhunter

  A Darker Element

  Out of the Blue

  The Twilight Court Series

  Fairy-Struck

  Pixie-Led

  Raven-Mocking

  Here there be Dragons

  Witchbane

  Elf-Shot

  The Spellsinger Series

  The Last Lullaby

  A Symphony of Sirens

  Fairy Tales

  The Four Clever Brothers

  Happily Harem After

  Wild Wonderland

  Beauty and the Beasts

  Pan's Promise

  The Little Glass Slipper

  Other Books

  The Magic of Fabric

  Feeding the Lwas: A Vodou Cookbook

  There's a Goddess Too

  The Vampire-Werewolf Complex

  Enchantress

  Pronunciation Guide in back of the book.

  Chapter One

  The steady heartbeat was wild, like a scared bird's, but it was strong. It was a sound I'd grown accustomed to and was deeply comforted by, but soon, I would cease hearing it. Because soon, Lesya would be coming out of her incubator.

  What a strange thing to say, right? Incubator. I hated that she was in one, but it had saved her life, and for that, I was grateful. Deeply, profoundly grateful. My daughter had been placed inside a god-made womb after I'd been stabbed in the side at Ragnarok (long story). Hygieia, the Greek Goddess of Health, had luckily been developing an artificial womb which could incubate god babies until they were ready to face the world on their own. Lesya had been put into the machine with a hope, if not a prayer, and it had been a success. She had thrived within the faux environment and had nearly reached the perfect size to be removed. To be born.

  “Two days, little one,” I whispered to her, “and then I can finally hold you.”

  Lesya twitched, one hand reaching through the sparkling, blue liquid she floated within, toward the sound of my voice. It was moments like this which convinced me that she could hear what was happening around her and even understand what she was hearing. Because of this conviction, we tried to keep her environment happy, and mostly calm. Hygieia said it was important to stimulate Lesya as well, so we often gathered around her, watching television, playing music, or just talking. I wanted her to know the sound of her father's voice, as well as those of her uncles. We would be raising her together, after all.

  “Look at all that hair.” Azrael whistled. “Just like her daddy.”

  “That's how she looked in the future,” I said, “a lot like Kirill. She'll have his eyes too.”

  “Ve're not certain of zhat yet,” Kirill chided me gently.

  “I don't see why she would look any different.” I turned to face him. “She's Lesya, I'm sure of it.”

  “I know she's Lesya.” Kirill smiled as he slid an arm around my waist. “But perhaps she has different eyes zis time. Who knows? I just don't vant you to be upset if she's not exactly ze same as you recall.”

  “Eyes change.” Trevor shrugged. “It doesn't matter. She's alive, and she'll soon be coming home. That's what's important.”

  “I can't wait.” I pressed my lips together excitedly. “We've got your room ready for you, Lesya. Everyone is anxious to meet you.”

  She did a little turn, her hand sliding down the magical membrane of the artificial womb.

  “She's excited too,” Hygieia said from the doorway. “But perhaps you should let her rest. The next two days are very vital to her health. We need to monitor her closely, and make sure she's ready for removal.”

  “All right.” I sighed and shifted away from my daughter. “Come on, everyone, let's go home. All except for you, Uncle Azrael.” I went on tippy-toes to kiss my angel. “Look after our girl.”

  “Aye. Aye, Cap'n.” Azrael saluted me. “I'm on it.”

  He plopped into the chair beside Lesya and turned on the TV. Hygieia narrowed her eyes on him, and he turned the volume down. She nodded, a job well done, and escorted us out.

  “I don't foresee any problems,” Hygieia assured us as we made our way through her hospital wing.

  She had a clinic which she operated with her sisters, and then this wing for in-house patients. Both had the trappings of human medical facilities, but neither gave me that oppressive feeling that hospitals always did. Probably because they had been designed to look more like a spa than a hospital, with pristine marble floors and flourishing potted plants. There was even a pond in the waiting room of the clinic. And there was the fact that death on the premises was rare, if it ever happened at all. Death leaves its mark, don't I know it, and no amount of bleach will ever remove its pall from a building. There was no trace of a pall hanging over Hygieia's place... and no odor of industrial-strength cleaner either.

  “Lesya is strong and healthy,” Hygieia went on. “Removing her should be practically effortless. Honestly, a monkey could probably do it.”

  “I'd rather not have monkey remove my daughter,” Kirill said dryly.

  “Thank you again, Hygieia.” I hugged her after I rolled my eyes at Kirill.

  “I'm as excited as you are, Vervain,” she reminded me. “This will be the first complete test of the unit. We'll finally have proof that it works.”

  “Well, hopefully, no one will need to use it,” I said, “but I'm glad that you have it, in case they do.”

  “And your donation helped to construct three new models,” Hygieia noted. “So, if there are babies who need them, you have helped to save lives.”

  “In the smallest way.” I shook my head. “You're the savior here, not I.”

  “That's not what I've heard.” Hygieia smirked. “Now, go home and get some rest, Godhunter. This is an important time for you as well.”

  I traced home with my husbands.

  Chapter Two

  “There you are,” Odin said as we came out of the tracing room. “You missed visiting Lesya.”

  I walked out of the room to see who it was that Odin was speaking to. It was Re. He was standing in Pride Palace's foyer, his arms full of rolled parchments... or were they papyrus? I frowned as I went forward to kiss his cheek.

  “What are these?” I asked him.

  “Scrolls.” Re smiled broadly. “Sorry I missed the visit, but I was gathering these for Odin.”

&nbs
p; “Egyptian magic?” Odin's eyes lit up.

  “Egyptian magic,” Re confirmed. “If you'll recall our bargain?”

  “We can go right now. I'm happy to exchange information,” Odin said excitedly. Then he remembered the rest of us. “Uh, unless I was needed for something?”

  “No, go ahead.” I kissed Odin goodbye. “Have fun on your magic play date.”

  “Oh, I will.” Odin grinned. “Come on, sunshine,” he said to Re, “bring your scrolls.”

  “I'll show you mine, if you show me yours,” Re offered as he followed Odin into the tracing room.

  “I don't know how I feel about zat statement.” Kirill frowned after the men.

  “Two of the most powerful gods in all the realms just traced out of here with an armful of spells, heading towards an entire library of magic,” I pointed out. “It would probably be a lot safer for everyone if they were just going to do some macho measuring.”

  “Great, now I'm worried.” Trevor grimaced.

  “Macho measuring?” Kirill asked.

  “Pulling out your rods and seeing who's bigger,” Trevor explained to Kirill. “Didn't you ever do that with your friends when you were a kid?”

  “Nyet,” Kirill said with a scowl. “Did you?”

  “Nah, I was just trying to get you to admit to it.” Trevor smirked.

  “Uh-huh.” Kirill looked skeptical. “You did; you and UnnúlfR. You are just ze type of alphas to do it.”

  Trevor grimaced and looked guilty all at once.

  “I don't know why Odin and Re would even have to,” I said as we headed toward the elevator. “It's not like we all haven't been naked together.”

  “Ugh,” Trevor grumbled. “Kirill and I may joke about it, Minn Elska, but none of us are bi enough to check out another man's package while having sex with you.”

  “But it's okay to do it when you're not having sex?” I stopped to stare at Trevor.

  “Sure.” Trevor looked like he couldn't understand why I couldn't understand. “A non-sexual situation turns a dick into an object of male pride, like showing off your biceps or something like that.”

  “As opposed to an object used to increase our Intare Pride?” Kirill chuckled.

  “Exactly,” Trevor said.

  “Vell, keep your pride to yourself.” Kirill opened the elevator door for me. “I don't need to measure mine to know it's good on both accounts.”

  “That's right, baby.” I kissed his cheek as I passed by.

  “Pride goes before a fall,” Trevor chided Kirill.

  “Don't you mean; Pride before a fall?” Kirill challenged. “As in: our Pride comes first.”

  “Even before falling?” Trevor teased.

  “Especially,” I declared. “Who do you think is going to catch you?”

  “I'll catch you if you fall.” Trevor swept me up into his arms.

  “I wasn't falling.” I giggled.

  “Are you sure?” Trevor asked. “Because you looked a little unsteady.”

  “I zink ve should put her to bed.” Kirill smirked as he stepped inside with us.

  “Just to be safe,” Trevor agreed.

  Kirill closed in on me and slid his hand up my thigh, beneath the hem of my dress, as Trevor swooped in for a kiss. By the time we reached our floor, my panties were in Kirill's possession, and I was writhing in Trevor's arms. Kirill opened the elevator gate, then rushed ahead to get the bedroom door. He closed it behind us and locked it for good measure.

  Trevor pulled my dress off, and then Kirill took care of my bra. Once I was naked, they pressed in around me again. I kissed Kirill as I removed his shirt. Trevor removed his own shirt as he nibbled on my neck. My hands went behind me, to fumble with Trevor's jeans, and Kirill took advantage of my movement to lavish attention on my uplifted breasts. I cried out in pleasure as Trevor stepped out of his jeans and pressed his hard length to my back.

  I started to help Kirill, but he was too fast for me. His jeans were already kicked aside into a pile with the rest of our clothing. He picked me up and carried me to our bed; a four poster behemoth with Greek columns instead of the posters, set onto a marble pedestal with three steps. Each column was topped with statues of nymphs, arms outstretched toward the center of the bed. They each held an end of a fabric veil that draped out from an elaborate crown suspended over the center of the bed. The ends flowed through the nymph hands to puddle around the base of each column. It was ridiculously lavish; an upgrade I'd made recently after I'd finished Lesya's room. The men called it nesting, but I called it sanctuary. I had wanted something extravagant to sleep in after dealing with the day-to-day drama of my crazy life. I had loftily informed my husbands that the stone nymphs were the only women I'd allow near our bed.

  Trevor yanked back the velvet covers, giving us a nice expanse of open mattress. Kirill laid me down on the soft, cotton sheet and then rubbed his cheek against mine. His scent settled into my skin, and I inhaled it deeply. Lion musk and man; the smell of home and happiness. It registered with my lioness as “mate” just as Trevor did with my wolf. My lioness loved all of my men, had claimed each of them as hers, and she recognized their scents as our mates too. But with Kirill, it was a little different. He was a lion, and so, by his very magical makeup, he was even more her's.

  Each of my beasts had their favorites; they couldn't help it. The dragon loved Arach. The wolf had been a piece of Trevor's soul, so she, of course, loved him best. The lioness, as we've already established, loved Kirill. That left my three other lovers without a beast to love them, but it was all right. I loved them enough to make up for it. Each of my men was special to me, and just as I loved them all in individual ways, they had unique ways of loving me... as Trevor and Kirill were just about to show me.

  Trevor came alongside us, and Kirill shifted me so that we were lying on our sides. Trevor slid in behind me and started rubbing his face down my neck. Kirill continued with his ministrations over my front; lightly drawing his lips across my sensitized flesh; marking me with his scent. Tingles spread out from everywhere he touched, as Trevor did his own marking on my back. My eyes shut in ecstasy.

  Their scents were enveloping me, wrapping me in love and security. I was more at home between these two men than I was in any building constructed of wood and stone. Their hearts beat with mine, and I could feel them down the lines that connected us. We were more than husbands and wife, more than lovers. I would call us a collective if that didn't have such negative connotations to it. Or a hive, if it didn't make us sound like brainless drones. I didn't have a word for us, but I had feelings. We felt pure, powerful, and passionate. We felt like the pinnacle of profound love, like I could touch the apex of that emotion when they held me.

  When Trevor and Kirill had covered every inch of their portions of me, Trevor took hold of my waist and rolled us backward. I ended up on top of him, my back laid on his chest, his hands roaming up my stomach to grasp my breasts. He gave a little pinch, and I swiveled my hips. My wolf prince breathed hotly in my ear, sending tremors through me, and then he took hold of himself and slid into me. I moaned and rocked my body so that I could take more of him inside me.

  Kirill slid between both of our legs and positioned himself above me. I pulled him closer and kissed him as he laid his length atop my most sensitive place. He began to move, sliding over the outside of me while Trevor slid within me. They worked a steady rhythm together, and soon, I was following their lead. The pleasure that built up between us was astounding. It seemed as if every erogenous zone I had was being seduced into ecstasy. Pressed between them like that, I felt completely covered, every inch of me touched, and all I could do was pull them closer. I went back and forth between kissing Kirill and Trevor as they continued to drum out their steady rhythm.

  Then we rolled, and I was above Kirill. Trevor angled one of my breasts into Kirill's mouth before he slid his hands out to prop himself up. As Kirill sucked greedily, Trevor started a more rapid pounding, his thrusts propelling me over Kirill so th
at he could just lie still beneath me. Their groaning growls sent shivers over my skin as their hands stroked and massaged me.

  “Nearly there,” Trevor grunted. “You?”

  Kirill and I both cried out that we were also close. The men nodded to each other, and we rolled once more, back to our original position. It gave me less purchase, leaving me to their erotic mercies, and they seemed to adore that. Hands and mouths were everywhere as we writhed together.

  A shaking took hold of me as I arched and came between them, and the men pressed in tighter. Trevor bit my neck on one side as Kirill claimed the other, and they growled through their orgasms; one spilling inside me as the other came across me. We shuddered together, then Kirill groaned and rolled away. I started to move, but Trevor held me tight.

  “Just a little longer,” he whispered. “If I stay inside you, I'll be ready again soon.”

  “I'll go get vashcloth.” Kirill chuckled as he headed toward the bathroom.

  Sure enough, by the time Kirill had cleaned us off, they were both ready to get dirty again.

  Chapter Three

  After we were completely spent, we took a bit of a nap. I woke before the men and slipped into a silk robe. In my bare feet, I padded out to our balcony. It used to be an open ledge where we could view most of our territory, but now the balcony had a roof and a set of spiral stairs. I headed toward the stairs which were set to the left side of the wide stretch of stone. It led to a loft above. I barely paused to appreciate the view; it was better from the nursery anyway.

  The loft was an addition I'd made for Lesya. I wanted her to have her own space but still be nearby. So, not only could the nursery accessible from the balcony, it had doors on either end of it that opened onto the towers which bracketed the balcony; the towers where my husbands had their private bedrooms. Everyone would be able to reach Lesya in an instant.