Strange Love

"How long have you had this planned?" Russ growled, his hand still pressing against the papers in front of Jos. "All that shit you said to me back in Maine, it was all bullshit wasn't it?"

Jos let out a long sigh. "As it has been explained to you. This is the only way to insure what is best for the both of you and myself." Jos tried to tug the papers out from under his hand. When he wouldn't release his grip, she shot him an irritated glare. "What do you want me to say? You said it yourself, we are over."

He snarled. "Bullshit! You know better than that! Remember I was there that night in your arms when Ry and Poseidon both told you I was forced to say that shit!"

"Russ, keep your voice down!" Jos shot a glance around the room nervously.

"Why? Don't want me to spoil your 'happy celebration' to the man you 'love' this week?" He bit out bitterly.

"NO! I don't want you making an ass out of yourself YET AGAIN!" She replied in a harsh whisper as she leaned over the table. "After dealing with this possessive crap of yours lately, believe me jumping into another relationship is the last thing on my mind!" She watched as he released his hold on the papers and stood up, leaning over the table with both fists planted on the smooth surface. Shelly growled at her brother as he snarled at Jos. Just as she was sure he was going to come across the table on her, a massive hand clamped down on his shoulder and pulled him away from the table.

Arei pulled Russ into a painfully tight hug as he whispered against the boy's ear. "Lamia and Selena are on their way to this table as we speak. Unless you want to be turned back into a f.u.c.k.i.n.g lap dog, I highly recommend finding some semblance of decorum and behave like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g man." Arei released Russ from the tight embrace but kept a hand gripped tightly to his shoulder. He pasted a wide smile to his lips. "It will be a shame to see the two of you go. I'm glad we got this all straightened out and behind us now, before you guys leave. It's hard to tell when the next time we would have gotten the chance would have been."

"A shock indeed." Selena said to Lamia as they approached the two men. Both women inclined their heads to Poseidon before acknowledging Jos and Shelly. "I must ask, why the sudden change? Just a few days ago the two of you were ready to kill each other."

Arei held Russ's heated gaze. "I can't hold the kid's actions against him. He's still too young to understand and know how to handle the pull of Joslyn's curse. The reaction you saw the other night was typical of someone effected by the curse, especially when that individual hasn't yet acknowledged its influence on them." He released his grip on Russ's shoulder as his words caused the tension in the boy's body to release. He patted Russ's shoulder. "He and Ry had a long talk about it, and I believe he's learned his lesson well enough now. Isn't that right, kid?"

Russ could only stare at the man and the wide smirk that taunted him.

Ry walked back to the table calling out as his gaze trained on the two council members. "That was Peg. He said that favor we asked would be no trouble. He said you and the girls could either come over this evening or he and Andy could stop by after they get off work tonight." He sent the hand resting against Russ's upper arm a knowing look before turning his attention back to his brother. "Just give him a call later to let him know which."

"Well as fun as this has been, we must be going back." Selena announced as she turned away from the group and gave a brief wave over her shoulder.

"Remember, unfiled doc.u.ments are unfiled claims." Lamia said to Poseidon before nodding toward Shelly then Russ. "Good luck with the kingdom and your clan, young prince." She said to Russ before turning away and following Selena.

Selena paused outside the door and glared through the windows at the group still gathered. "I don't believe a word of that. I'm tempted to contact Zeus right this minute." They both watched as Arei held his hand out to help Jos up and lead her over to the other three men. Jos gave Ry a quick hug before letting her hold on the kid linger a bit longer, then moving to the god of the sea. They couldn't hear whatever words the god was whispering into her ear, but she nodded and smiled up at him in response. Arei released his brother and joined her by his father's side. He rested a hand on the small of her back as he exchanged words with the god, the man clamped a strong hand to his son's arm in fair well.

"I don't know it all seems sincere enough to me." Lamia said tilting her head as she stroked her chin thoughtfully. "If the boy is influenced by the curse that would explain a lot."

Selena narrowed her eyes. "Well then that will just add to the kraken's long list of crimes... Using her position as caregiver to seduce the young prince."

***

Jos fumbled nervously with the drink in her hand, her gaze focused on the beautiful blooming lotus in the mug. Andy and Peg had stopped by and they were expecting Poseidon to return again at any time. Arei and his brother were in the living room area watching sports on the television leaving her, Shelly, and Andy to their own demise in the back bedroom.

"You look troubled... what's on your mind? Maybe I can help." Andy asked as she shuffled the cards in her hand before dealing them out. They had stacked up some books to prop Shelly's cards on and had worked out a system to incorporate the wolf into the game.

Jos sighed, her focus still intent on the contents of the mug. "I don't know... what if Arei was right? What if I'm better off not knowing." She shook her head before finally looking Andy in the eyes. "I'm not sure I'm ready to face the emotions those memories may drag up."

Andy sent her an empathetic smile. "You don't have to drink the tea as frequently if you don't want to. The more you drink the more memories that will come back..."

Jos nodded. "I thought it would be best to get back as much as I could before the trial starts tomorrow... now I'm not so sure."

Andy tilted her head in question. "What all has returned?"

Jos cleared her throat and looked away as she felt her cheeks redden. "This business with the contract and claiming... it's not the first time Arei and I have discussed it with Poseidon..." She shook her head as she scooped up the cards and arranged them in her hands. "He was skeptical about me signing it then as well... but the feelings... it seemed like it was for some other reason..." She sent Andy a troubled look. "Most of the memories are only coming back as tiny flashes while I'm awake, but then it's like my brain is being bombarded with them while I'm trying to sleep. Some of them started before the tea... but I hadn't been able to tell whether it was memories or simply dreams."

"And now?" Andy asked in curiosity.

Jos shook her head. "It's much clearer now. It's almost like my brain is playing a movie of a past life while I sleep, giving me tiny flashes of a highlight reel as the events that trigger it are happening."

Andy smiled brighter. "What kind of things are triggering it?"

Jos shot a nervous glance at Shelly before turning her focus back to Andy. "The slightest of touches... certain ways he looks at me or calls me kitten... There's also been things that his father has done that I know I've seen him do before... Same with you and Peg..." She shook her head. "I remember watching you guys dance together at that ball and thinking... no, I'm sure I'd told Arei that the two of you must be in love the way you danced."

Andy smiled, "The two of you were very much the same back then. There was no doubt of either of your feelings either."

Jos let out a heavy sigh. "I'm not so sure about that... He seemed really reserved if I'm remembering right... and I'm not so sure it was love or just blind admiration I had for him." She let out another long breath as she lifted a card from the deck and placed it face up on the discard pile. "I won't know until I have more of my memories back.

Andy laughed as she nodded toward the untouched mug. "Then you really should get to drinking! What is this, your third day?"

Jos nodded. "Yeah, but Peg had said one a week so..."

"That was before all this claiming business came up. I personally think the more you can remember before all that mess goes through the better!" Andy said as she lifted a card from the pile and held it out toward Shelly, then placed it on the pile after the wolf shook her head.

"Do you think I'm making a mistake?" Jos asked lifting the mug to her lips.

Andy drew her own card, trading it out with a less desirable one in her hand. "No... but I guess I'm bias towards Arei anyways, no offence." She added turning toward the wolf. Andy giggled when the wolf just shrugged. "You too then?" She asked giggling even harder when the wolf nodded. "Well there's your answer! Bottoms up and get this love on the roll!"

Jos could feel the blush spread across her entire face now. "I've already told him... I'm not giving up on what Russ and I hav-had..." Shelly interrupted her with a snort causing Jos to let out a low groan. "I know it's probably not going to work out romantically for us, but I'd at least like to see him settled into his role as leader... and possibly happy with someone that could be good for him and his people."

Andy set her cards down and reached out to stroke Jos's arm. "Do you want to because you truly love him or because you feel guilty about your involvement with him and his parents? Do you really think being around him would be the best thing to help him move on or... deep down know it would only hold him back... maybe?"

Jos let out another long, ragged breath. "You may have a point... whether it's something I'm willing to face right now or not... I do feel guilty and I do honestly love him." She shrugged. "I've always wanted to be there for both of them in whatever way they needed me... I guess somewhere along the line I let things get out of hand... I truly thought being an Alpha meant he would have the same immunity against my curse as his father, but when the signs were there proving otherwise, I forced myself to ignore it."

Andy nodded in agreement. "But you know for a fact what Arei felt, still feels for you is true. Why not give him another chance while you have time away from the kid-Russ." She corrected herself.

Jos frowned. "Because it seems dishonest towards both of them. I feel like Russ and I haven't gotten the closure either of us need... and that until I understand my own feelings for Arei more, I'll never be able to give him the full chance he deserves."

Andy gave her a half smile as she nodded. "I suppose that makes sense." She leaned back and lifted her cards back into her hand. They played a few rounds in silence, before Andy asked. "I heard Ry is still working out a way to lift your curse. How's that going?"

Jos shook her head as she traded a card on the discard pile for one of her own. "I don't know why he's even bothering. I doubt there is any way to reverse it, and apparently tracking down my mother is impossible... as if asking her to lift it would even help..."

Andy studied her for several minutes. "You never know she may... You shouldn't give up so easily."

"I should if it's other people risking their lives for the cause." She muttered as she lifted a card for Shelly's investigation." A gentle tap drew their attention toward the door. Arei smiled as he rested his head against the door frame. "Your lush of a husband has had too much to drink and needs taken home promptly."

"Too much to drink?! But how?" Andy said indignantly as she set the cards down and pushed up onto her knees to crawl off the bed.

Arei chuckled, "Father's here... You know how he gets when he's bored."

Andy rolled her eyes as she moved toward the door. Shelly leaped off the bed and followed at the mention of her new favorite person. Arei watched as they disappeared into the living area before turning his attention to Jos. She was gathering the cards and putting them into the box. He carefully closed the door and walked over to the bed. "Was what you said true?" He asked as he lifted an empty bag of ch.i.p.s from the bed and set it on the nightstand.

Jos frowned not meeting his gaze. "Which part?"

He took the cards from her hand and set them on the nightstand as well. Hooking a finger under her chin, he lifted her eyes up to meet his. "I may have caught more of that conversation than I should have from the bathroom..." He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. "As much as I appreciate your consideration for my feelings," His smile widened mischievously. "Trust me when I say, I'd appreciate the chance to make you fall in love with me all over again much more."

Jos closed her eyes tightly. "I told you, I can't..."

"You can... if you wanted to... I believe you're more scared than anything else right now." He whispered softly. "You're afraid of getting hurt again... but, Kitten, I promise you I'll not make the same mistakes."

Jos jerked her face away from his grip. "But you already have, haven't you?"

Arei sighed as he lowered himself to a squat in front of her forcing her to meet his eyes. "You're not going to let me live that down, easily are you?"

To her surprise when she shook her head 'no', he smiled. "Because without it you would be out of excuses to continue holding back as you are?" He ran his hand teasingly along her jawline until he reached her ear and began tracing it. "Father's out there right now ready to sign and submit those doc.u.ments, I'll not sign my portion without your honesty right now." He held her surprised, troubled gaze. "As things stand right here, right now if nothing else was to change... no recovered memories, no lifted curse, no werewolf prince resolution in the foreseeable future... could you still bring yourself to love me? Could this thing between us ever be mended?" His eyes searched hers as he continued. "If no, tell me now. I'll go in there and sign away the next however many years of my life to you without a second thought... If yes, I beg you tell me..." He stroked her face with the rough pad of his thumb. "I have to know; can you see yourself ever loving me again?"

Tears filled Jos's eyes as she held his pleading gaze. She nodded her head slowly at first but with more assurance as she watched his eyes light up. "Yes..." She whispered as she bent forward and wrapped her arms around his thick neck. "You're right about why I hold such a grudge about before... You have to know... it's so easy to fall in love with you..."