Jake (Pride) 

Waking up next to Athena felt surreal. Fully clothed, we slept together, something that I had never done that before with any other woman. But since the ever so majestic Athena saved my brother, all I could do was be a slave to her body.

Sure, our worry for Liam was intense with the eldest one, Rett being the most scared. Though he was like the calm captain, he always had a tendency of losing himself whenever any of us were in trouble. It was also in the light of Liam's grime condition that I too had the realization of having misjudged Athena.

Unlike her usual self, in the time of distress the powerful goddess morphed into a calm and composed being. It revealed that there were facets to herself that she kept in hiding. Having all the power to save Liam, she could have played us all. A fallen was always in need of power and she had the reins in her hand to bend us to her will. But she did nothing of that sorts.

Instead, she helped without any bias or judgment. Since yesterday, my outlook towards Athena shifted from our usual prideful tug of war to something else. I wasn't scared to confess that she earned my respect. She broke through my vanity, touched my heart in the process. I maybe feeling too found of the goddess, more than I could admit. 

*** 

Athena

Turning onto the bedside, l feel a body laying besides me. Immediately the recollection of yesterday night ran through my mind. It was Jake who stayed with me.

Since yesterday, my notion about the 'too cool to even talk properly' Jake changed. A man's vulnerability showed how much he cared and Jake alongwith all his brothers revealed that they loved each other more than they cared to admit. Beneath all the false bravado, they were all mere fallen, clinging onto their loved ones like a mortal. 

Although Jake stayed with me after my powers drained out, in the silence of the night I'd noticed him going out of the room to check on Rett and Liam. I realized that 'The Pride Keeper' was a down to earth boy, a caring brother. Liam's condition revealed one simple truth about the vices. They shed their masks, expose their love care and vulnerability even to a complete stranger, if it meant saving one of them.

Jake groaned, turning towards me. He blinked opened his eyes. His smile widened revealing his pearly whites and the light dimple which formed near the corner of his lips. Even waking up, he was a sight to behold. 

"Good morning, dove." Stretching his arms up, his shirt rode up, revealing those washboard abs. Not that I hadn't noticed them before but now, being with each other in a non-sexual way made this even more gratifying. 

"Good morning." I too stretch out of the bed, slowly pulling the sheet off me as I sit and reel over the reality that was yesterday. Someone tried to kill Liam.

That thought was enough for me to hop off the bed and start the day. I am not a detective kind of person, but I also wasn't a fan when innocents were made victims. Liam was right, he never even hurt a fly. Messing with his life, wasn't going to be forgiven. 

I pulled clothes off my closet and walked into the shower. Determined to find who or what put the spell on Liam, I quickly took a shower, got dressed in a casual T- shirt and jeans and walked back into the room. Jake sat on the chair, peering out the window. The sunlight hitting his face at all the right angles revealing a beautiful hue to his hazel eyes. His features were amplified with the shadow and light effect. Peeling my eyes off his features, I walked upto him. 

"Hey," I said, clearing my throat. 

"Hi." He looked as if lost in his thoughts. The mesmerizing features of his faded into something more closer to reality. 

"You... are still here?" Although that was not what I wanted to say, I ended up blurting those exact words.

"You want me to leave?"

No. Not in a million years. I loved your company but please don't judge me as I have other important things in my mind right now. 

Somehow Jake must have read my thoughts. He nodded his head and smiled. "You have to visit your dad. Right?"

"Yes," I sighed in relief. He gets off his chair and kissed my forehead before moving out of the room. And although that was as little a gesture as I could conclude, it was enough to make me swoon. 

Before I had my head wrapped on any other matter, I curled my fists and chanted the spell with my thoughts dancing of my room, my home. Within seconds, I was teleported. 

Dad's voice was loudly audible as he talked to someone on a call. I quickly dashed downstairs and stood near the room from where his voice emanated. Before I could knock on the door, dad dropped his conversation and flung open the door. His raised hand was a confirmation of using magic. Though seated, his force was enough to fling open the entrance.

As I walk in, he instructed certain ruled to the person on the other end of the call before ending it. His face brightened, a smile danced on his lips as he walked over to hug me. 

"I've missed you my child," he said, inspecting me from top to bottom before speaking further. "You invoked my powers yesterday to cure a man. Is he alright?"

Ahh... I channeled dad's powers. He would have realized it. But he definitely didn't snooped into it much else this calm and composed look wouldn't have been his current demeanor.  

"Ya dad, he's fine. And for what it's worth, I saved a dying man." Dad expressions change when I uttered those words. His brows furrowed. He walked towards his desk, taking his usual seat and seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"What did you feel when you were curing him, my child?" I didn't know why dad was he asking the question. As it was his powers that were channeled, he too should have felt what I did. That dark magic which had the power to engulf all light and life. Yet not questioning him more, I answered.

"Something ominous, dad. Nothing that I've felt in ages." Dad immediately grabbed a book as I continued, "That entity was strong. It was able to sense that I was able to sense it too, and hence it let off its hold. And so, I was able to save Liam."

I bit my tongue and hoped, dad unheard the last part. "Who's Liam?"

"The guy who's cast upon." Dad nodded and smiled while my heartbeats paced up like that of a pacing cheetah. "I knew a Liam back in my day, a lazy one. At least it's not him."

"Who are you taking about?" I asked, sure that it was the same being he was referring to. 

"You wouldn't know, child... They were the sins." Dad peered into his books, searching for answers while I stood in silence, feeling his turbulent energy waft around me. 

After what felt like ages of talking and catching up, we moved to the dining area where Ares accompanied us. 

"Hello there, Atty. I didn't know, you were coming." My big brother's presence, though was calming, his voice exude something sinister. "Is everything alright with your friends?"

"Well, I didn't know you were coming, Ary," I said, letting the god of war take a seat next to mine. "Else I would have invited them too."

We had a banter filled lunch while dad updated him about my college and the most recent magic therapy, which seemed to impress him.

"What do you think, Ares?" Dad asked, finishing the remaining morsel of food from his plate. "You think it's necessary?"

I has no clue, what both of them were referring to. Ares cleared his throat and nodded. "I think it's necessary, now that I've heard so much about it." 

"What is it?  What is necessary, Ares?" I interrupted. Ares looked at dad whose nod confirmed of his next words.

"We've heard for a long time that Westosand University was harboring underworld spirits and other nefarious activists.  But we had no proof."

"Until now?" I asked. He nodded. 

"Now that we know there's something or someone trying to destroy the place, we need to find them before they destroy everything." Ares's words were like a sharp voice inside my ears, jarring my senses, souring my mouth.

I looked at dad, who masterminded the whole idea without even telling me. "And how do you plan to do it, dad? Given that you are so famous, the minute you land there, everything will go quiet."

I was putting up strong points. Also, I was trying my best to ensure dad didn't arrive at my Uni. Which student, in their right mind would want a parent to like as their roommate in college. 

Dad walked over to me, holding my hands along with my brother's. "Well, I know how much you hate my presence in front of your friends, Athena."

My face crumpled at his words. "Not hate, technically."

"Then let's just say detest." I smiled at his word play, letting him come to the point. "I won't be there. It would be Ares."

"What? No. no. no." This was my time to enjoy life. I didn't want my big brother to be a hindrance in that. It was not fair at all. 

"It's needed, Atty," Ares chimed in. 

"Well, what are you going to do there? You know, you can't pass as a student anymore." I was trying my best to ensure, my brother didn't come to my place of fun and learning.  

Ares rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue. "Yes, I know and I'm not coming as a student.

"Yes," dad intervened. "As a student, we already have you, my child."

"Then what will Ares do there?"

"I'd be your professor," my brother said while I stood stunned at the news. 

My own brother would be my professor. Wow... what could go wrong now.

After a silent lunch, Ares decided to visit the campus before he officially joined. Although I didn't want to be seen as a teacher's pet, dad convinced me to accompany him. Reluctantly, I agreed. Hand in hand, we teleported back to the university.

"Listen Athena, I don't want to do this either," Ares said, unclasping his hands from mine. 

"It didn't seem that way though," I said. He turned me towards him while I looked away. So much for college freedom and stuff.

"It's because of dad. He forced me to do it... else you know what would happen, right?" 

I knew what he is talking about. Dad got his way, no matter what. If we disagreed then we'd stand in the way of his power and unchanneled anger. And nobody wanted that so we all agreed, no matter what we opined on.

"Fine... I believe you..." I said, giving him a tight nod. We walked towards the mansion where I lived. Knowing that Ares was the only one who knew about my roommates, I took him in.

"This is the mansion," I pointed towards the corner where the house stood.

"So this is where the fun happens," he said. I didn't knew if he could read my thoughts or simply stating the obvious, so I nodded sidewise. "What do you mean?"

As we reached closer to the mansion, I could hear thumping rock music emanating from inside our house.

"This is what I mean." Area gestured towards a groups of people, walking in and out of our mansion. We quickly walked in. Everyone on the campus was inside the house, or around, expect for the seven roommates of mine. 

"Seems like they're having a party without you," Ares said, his mocking tone required no confirmation of what he meant. 

~

So big brother is here now...

You think something would go wrong? Or will things pan our well?

Also, the boys are throwing a party without Athena's consent. Would she be mad or will she let it slide?

Comment comment comment my dear wanderers...