From Gods
By
Mary Ting
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © Mary Ting 2013
Licensing Notes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
Dedication
Amanda Wright—Thank you for believing in my story. Your support was the reason From Gods was written. Most of all, thank you for being my friend.
To Mary’s Angels—my street team—your eagerness to get my books out there is amazing. Your dedication, time, and friendship are much appreciated. I would be lost without you all. Extra times a million to Elliot McMahon and Janie Iturralde for all you do. Angel hugs!!!
For my Beta Readers: Jane Soohoo, Elliot McMahon, Janie Iturralde, Michele Luker, and Mindy Janicke. You are the best! I appreciate your honesty and your friendship. Love!!!
To Vanessa Stricker for running From Gods Fan page. I’m so honored! You Rock!
Gianormous thanks and hugs to my blog friends. I can’t thank you enough for all your support and for loving From Gods. Thank you to all my old and new friends I’ve met through facebook. Thank you for reading my books and for all your support. I am speechless and forever grateful!
“A fast paced adventure full of mystery, action, magic and romance! Readers won’t be able to put this book down!” InD’tale Magazine
“A story that is Electrifying with love. Get ready to be shocked!” Janie, Crossangels
“From Gods takes mythology to a whole new level of imagination with its incredible plot and amazing characters. It’s full of hotness that you never want to end!” Michele, Insane About Books
“From Gods by the AMAZING AUTHOR Mary Ting is OMGods good!! If you even LIKE Greek Mythology, set aside some time because you will DEVOUR Mary Ting's Demi Gods and Vultures!!!” Mindy, Books Complete Me
“This book is “electric” as it blends paranormal romance, mythology (which I love), action and suspense together for an amazing read. Mary Ting, you’ve done it again! This book exceeded my expectations and I was literally blown away as if I were struck by lightning!” Vanessa, Fairiechick’s Fantasy Book Reader
“Get ready for an action packed suspenseful ride through this story. Mythology at its best and electric characters. This one will leave you begging for more!” Brittany, Spare Time Book
“This was just the jolt I needed! Mary Ting offers us mythology fans her own electrifying spin on Demi-God Greatness filled with suspense, comedy, romance, & mystery! I am officially a From Gods' Fan! Can. Not. Wait. For. More.” Jeni's Bookshelf
“One of those books you can't stop reading. Amazing, magical, tender and at the same time incredibly sexy. A must read!” Anncleire, Please Another Book
“With his stunning good looks, dark mysterious nature and his knack for saving her life, how could Skyler not fall for Mason. The question is, can she break through the wall surrounding his heart while her life is at risk again and again.” Ellie, EllieSewSweet
Enjoy Sneak Peek By:
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Prologue
I remember clearly, like it happened yesterday, the day my dad never came home. I was only eight-years-old, but when you feel like your whole world was taken from you, you never forget.
“Mommy, where’s Daddy? Why isn’t he home?” I asked as we cuddled in bed.
“Skylar, I’m going to tell you something, and I want you to be a brave, big girl,” she said nervously, lacing her fingers through my hair.
“Did something happen to Daddy?” I asked, feeling my heart pound faster.
“Daddy can’t come home. He has to go somewhere.”
I knew what Mom meant, but I needed to be sure. And needing to go somewhere meant he would come back home. “What do you mean? Will he be home for Christmas?”
“Sky—” Mom started to say, but she was unable to finish as I started to throw a tantrum. I didn’t mean to, but something in the pit of my stomach suddenly alerted me…something was terribly wrong.
“Don’t call me Sky!” I jumped out of bed. I knew at that moment that my fears were true.
“Only Daddy calls me Sky.” I looked out the window and recalled how he had told me that I was beautiful, like the sky. It was the reason why they named me Skylar. He had given me that name.
I started to calm down from seeing the beauty of the night, I inhaled a deep breath. “Is he…dead?” My fists were tight as I prepared for the news.
“No, honey. Daddy isn’t dead. It’s just that…he’s never coming back. I don’t have a reason to give you.”
Never coming back. Though I understood those words clearly, I refused to believe it. “No…he has to come back. I need Daddy. He’s supposed to tuck me in bed and read me bedtime stories.” I hugged my arms tightly to my chest, trying not to break apart. I thought my body was going to shut down from the rapid buildup of emotions that I couldn’t handle.
“Sky,” my mom called softly, standing in front of me.
“No! Don’t call me Sky. It reminds me of Daddy.” Tears welled in my eyes. “Why can’t he come home? I don’t understand. Doesn’t he love us anymore?” As my lips trembled, tears poured down my face. Mom’s words had shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. It was the first time I ever felt like that; I sobbed as if my dad had died.
“Of course he loves you,” Mom reassured me, stroking my hair. I could see tears glistening in her eyes.
“He doesn’t,” I sobbed. “Daddy doesn’t love me anymore.” The sobbing became uncontrollable and I gasped for air. My throat felt dry and my eyes hurt, but I didn’t care.
Mom embraced me, trying to give me comfort, but nothing could have eased the pain at that point. I wanted my dad to be home. I wanted the security and the daily routine. I wanted everything to be how it was. From that day, no one called me “Sky” and eventually, my dad was dead to me.
Chapter 1
Skylar’s eyes quickly swept the lanes looking for a police car. Driving down a highway at seventy-five miles per hour, at night, made it difficult to spot one, but she didn’t want to get caught texting. When the coast was clear, she reached her hand into her purse to pull out her cell phone, becoming frustrated when she couldn’t find it. She frantically felt around every inch of her purse. Why can’t I find my phone? Oh my God! I hope I didn’t forget it. After grabbing every object her hand touched, a few long seconds later she pulled out the phone. With a sigh of relief, her muscles relaxed.
Though she knew texting while driving was illegal in her state, since no cops were around she wanted to text her cousin to let her know she was almost there. Holding the wheel with her forearm and placing her phone right in front of her, her eyes shifted back and forth from the road to the keys, typing a few letters at a time.
Skylar and her cousin were the best of friends, and every year in late August she visited her for several weeks. This was the first time she had driven to her cousin’s house by herself. Her cousin lived in a very small town, and it took about an hour and a half to get there from Skylar’s home.
Almost there. Can’t wait to C U.
After she pressed send, she shoved the phone back inside her purse. Hearing her favorite song on the radio, she cranked up the
volume a bit and sang to the lyrics. Shortly after, she heard high-pitched sounds. Unsure where the noise was coming from, she turned the volume down. Shocked, she felt the dreadful sound rush to every nerve in her body, awakening her, terrifying her, making her heart thump so fast she thought it would split open.
Surely I’m over reacting. After all, there are many cars speeding. But when she heard the horn signaling for her to get off the freeway, she peered in the rearview mirror and saw the reds and blues flashing and twirling—for her. In that instant, she felt her blood pressure shoot up. How in the world…? Where did it come from? I was so careful. Darn it!
Exiting the freeway, she drove into the first place that looked safe…a gas station. The only person pumping gas replaced the nozzle, got into his car, and drove off, leaving her alone in the lot with the cop. She wished she could follow the other car and drive away, but instead she parked away from the gas pumps.
No other stores were adjacent to the station; in fact, it was pretty much a stand-alone building in complete darkness. Who knew what could be lurking? What did I expect? I’m in east nowhere USA! Inside the mini store, the light was lit, indicating it was open, but from what she could see, there was nobody there besides the cashier. At least that made her feel safe—somewhat.
Glancing at the side view mirror, she realized that the officer was obviously taking his or her time getting out of the vehicle since she saw no one approaching. Turning off the ignition, Skylar waited anxiously, biting her lip, thinking of ways to convince the cop not to give her a ticket. Tapping her foot and picking at her nails, it was like waiting for a verdict.
Being around cops was intimidating enough, but being pulled over by one was even worse. People got tickets all the time, but this being Skylar’s first made it difficult to bear. How would she explain this to her mom?
As she apprehensively waited for the officer, she wondered what she had done to get pulled over. It was almost impossible for the cop to know she was texting. Her mind reeled with unpleasant thoughts. What if the cop was a bad cop? What if the cop planted drugs in her car and made it seem like she had done it? More “what ifs” circulated through her head—watching the news and bad movies had definitely invaded her mind.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Skylar jumped, startled by the sound. “Sorry officer,” she whimpered, starting the engine just to roll down the window and then quickly shutting it off again. The flashlight shone brightly, blocking her view, but she got a breath of the hot, sticky air that clung to her skin. Having the air conditioner on in her car, she had forgotten how hot it was. Even at night, the weather was intolerable.
Hoping not to offend him or her, she moved a little to the left and got a clear view of his gorgeous, young face. With instant combustion, her heart fluttered a mile a minute and her stomach churned nervously. She felt her face grow hot as she flushed and the temperature in her body shot up, either from the sight of him or the searing weather…perhaps the combination of both. Whatever it was, he was the gravity pulling her in. She was wrapped in his invisible force, visually taking all of his hotness in, and she was almost sure he was looking back at her with the same intensity. Breathe…breathe…exhale.
She had heard of love at first sight, but this was more like lust at first sight. What is wrong with me? Stop staring! Sheepishly, she unglued her eyes from his beautiful greenish blue ones; she couldn’t tell exactly what color they were. Trying not to stare, she saw a pearl drop of sweat trickle down from his hairline. She didn’t want to look into his eyes again, for fear she may get lost in them and not be able to look away.
Shifting her view, she focused on his uniform that fit perfectly to the curve of his muscles. His clean-shaven face brought out his high cheekbones, and every part of him looked flawless, from his hair to his broad shoulders, and all the way down as far as she could see. She had seen good-looking cops, mostly on television, but for goodness sake…sizzle!
“Could I see your driver’s license?” he said flatly in his masculine low tone.
Pause. Even the tone of his voice made her heart race. Get a grip! Do you have a girl friend?
“Your driver’s license?”
Pause.
“Your license?”
“Oh…this is my first time being pulled over. Did I do something wrong?” She blushed, focusing on his name-tag—Officer Doug.
“I need to see your driver’s license.”
“Oh….” She reached into her purse, pulled out her wallet, and then her license. “Here…it’s really not a good picture.”
The officer’s lips produced a thin line. “We don’t judge.” He winked.
OMG! He winked at me. Skylar felt her cheeks flush again, and she wondered if he noticed.
“Skylar...Rome?”
“Yes…that’s me.” She pointed to her license.
After staring for some time, he handed it back to her. “You’re new to this town, aren’t you?”
“Yes…no…well…yes…I mean….” Oh gosh, I can’t even talk.
“Can’t make up your mind?” the officer chuckled, obviously amused by her nervousness.
Skylar giggled. “I visit my cousin every summer. I was on my way there. Did I do something wrong, officer?”
Skylar wanted to know what she had done to get pulled over so she would not do it again, though she wouldn’t mind being pulled over by him again.
The officer didn’t answer her, even though she’d now asked twice. He seemed flustered, looking intently into the empty darkness around the gas station as if he could see something there.
“Ms. Rome…can you open your trunk?”
“Oh…sure. I only have my bags in there.” She did as told and popped the trunk from the inside. “Should I come out?”
“No,” he said, a little too sternly. “Stay there and don’t move.”
His tone startled her at first, but she didn’t think much of it. After few seconds, he came
back. “Skylar….”
“Yes?” She looked into his eyes and blinked, mystified. She could’ve sworn his irises pulsated, turning the color of silver.
“Just be careful,” he warned, and walked away.
Skylar exhaled a deep breath she didn’t realize she was holding. With a sigh of relief, she placed her driver’s license back inside her wallet. When she cranked the engine, she looked to the left to make sure she was safe to make a U-turn, but she jumped again when she saw the officer standing beside her car where he had stood before. Did he change his mind and decide to give me a ticket?
“Don’t text when you’re driving. It’s too dangerous; it’s also against the law if you didn’t know,” he scolded.
“Oh…okay…I’ll remember next time.” She smiled. “Thank you.” How did he know?
With a nod, he turned away and headed back to his car.
Skylar looked in her rearview mirror, but he was already gone. That really happened…right?
She took out her phone and read a text from her cousin. Can’t wait!
Skylar texted back. I got pulled over by a gorgeous cop. He let me go. Explain when I get there.
Ecstatic that she didn’t get a ticket, she pushed the pedal and drove out of the gas station.
***
Kayla lived in a two-story house. All the houses on that block were cookie-cutter homes, built practically touching each other. It was difficult to tell which one was Kayla’s, especially since there were hardly any streetlights, so Skylar looked for not just her address, but the white mailbox that glowed in the dark.
The first thing Skylar did when she arrived at her cousin’s house was run to ring the doorbell. Kayla swung the front door open and pulled her cousin in for a tight squeeze. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
Kayla wore a gray tank top and cotton shorts. Her brunette hair brushed Skylar’s face, and she noticed that it was longer than it had been on the last visit, now passing her shoulder blades. “You grew your hair?” Skylar said, pulling her back. “I love it.?
??
“Me too,” Kayla giggled, flipping her hair. “Your hair got longer too. Great minds think alike.” Kayla giggled again. “Enough of our hair. So…what happened? A hot looking guy pulled you over?” Kayla asked. Her eyes were beaming with curiosity.
Skylar nodded with a shy smile. “Hottest guy ever.”
“Did he give you a ticket?”
Skylar swiped her hand across her forehead. “Nope. Thank God, or Mom would kill me.”
“You got lucky. He probably thought you were cute and let you go.”
“What?” Sklyar blushed, thinking how cool that would have been if those thoughts ran through his mind. But what does it matter anyway? What are the odds of seeing him again? She figured the chances were slim to none.
“It’s not a big deal. I got my first ticket about a month ago. You have to go to traffic school to get it off your record. You can even do it online. So…did you ask him to cuff you?” Kayla snorted.
“I wish I’d thought of that. I was too busy trying to get my mouth to work. I was staring at him like an idiot.” She shook her head, thinking how silly she’d acted. “Let me get my bags.”
“Do you need help?”
“Nope.” Skylar ran out, clicked the remote to unlock the doors, and came back in with two duffle bags and her purse.
“That’s it? Just two bags?” Kayla exclaimed.
“I’m only staying for three weeks, not a year. I’m not like you,” Skylar teased. “So…where’s your mom?”
“She’s still at work. We keep the diner open until midnight during the summer, don’t you remember?”
“Yes, of course, but for a split second I had forgotten.”
“I bet I know why,” she smirked. “So…did you get his name? Maybe I’ll run into him next time and I’ll tell him my cousin has a crush on him.”