“I can do that now.” Apollo thought about his phone, so it appeared in his hand. “Hi Paulie,” he said as he tapped the screen. “Can you arrange to have an email sent to Artemis at Orion Industries please? Let her know I’m taking an extended leave, effective immediately. I’m sure Coda or someone in Zeus’s office can find the email address. Make it sound professional, please.”
“I can arrange that for you, Lord Apollo,” Paulie said. “If you plan to dissolve your partnership in that business at any time, let us know and we can handle the legalities around that, too.”
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet, Paulie, but I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”
“No problem. All hail the Almighty Zeus and his beloved consort, Paulie.”
The screen went dark, and Apollo zapped the phone back to the coffee table downstairs. “Done. Artemis is not likely to be happy, but as I never did anything in the business anyway, I’m sure she’ll get over it.”
“I assume you weren’t getting paid,” Titus said dryly, “so I’m not sure she’d have anything to complain about. Apparently, gods think money is beneath them.”
“Really?” Apollo burst out laughing. “No, you’re right. We’re too used to getting our own way. However, don’t think Artemis will stop pestering you for a contract with your business.”
“That’ll be one of the first things Regis can deal with. I’ll let him know he can contact her as soon as he’s promoted.”
“We’re getting good at this working things out business.” Apollo sat up, reaching out and rubbing his fingers into the top of Titus’s skull. He’d learned very quickly that Titus liked a skull massage in either form. “How are you feeling now? Do you think you can get some sleep, or is there something else you’re worried about?”
“I do have one more tiny concern…emphasis on tiny.”
Tilting his neck, Apollo met his mate’s eyes. “Are you thinking about babies? Already?”
“Not right away.” Titus leaned into Apollo’s massage. “I was just a bit concerned that now we have Cassius, that you wouldn’t be keen on us having another child later on.”
“Have you forgotten we’ve only been together a week?” Apollo didn’t hide his amusement. “Cassius has already mentioned he’d love a sibling or two, but…” he added as Titus reared up as if ready to start baby-making immediately.
“But we’re not doing it tonight.” He laughed as he pushed Titus back. “It’s late. We’ve had a hectic day. This morning we were hiking in Denver, for goodness’ sake. Let’s enjoy getting to know Cassius. I’m so keen to see how he views the world, and then, later on, we can talk about a sibling for our son, all right?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to practice some baby-making techniques now?” Titus had that heat in his eyes that Apollo absolutely adored.
“If we start doing that sort of thing now,” he said, “Especially when we’ve just been talking about children, the Fates could very definitely get the wrong idea. You’ve already had your nightly orgasm.” Apollo rolled over and presented his back to his mate.
“Cuddle into me and be the big spoon,” he said, resting his head on the pillow. “I have absolutely no idea what time ten-year-old boys wake up, but I can guarantee Cassius will probably want breakfast when he does get up.”
“This all sounds very domesticated.” Titus mock grumbled as he settled around Apollo’s body. Just as Apollo was drifting off, Titus said quietly, “You know, when I told you I loved you on the trail, I meant it.”
“I know, my mate,” Apollo murmured. “And you already know how much I love you, too. Now, please go to sleep.” It really had been a very hectic day, and even gods needed a nap.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Where are we going, Dad? Apollo’s back there.” Cassius turned in his seat, pointing out the back window of the truck. Titus had just dropped off Apollo – glamoured as Ace – at the youth center where he volunteered.
“Don’t panic, Cassius. We just have to do some super quick shopping before we come back and pick him up,” Titus said, maneuvering the truck into traffic. “It’s honestly okay. We’re getting Apollo a surprise, and for that, we need to get to a music shop.”
“But Dad,” Cassius said. “Apollo already has instruments at that place. He was talking about it at breakfast this morning.”
“I know, I know. But you see that youth center where we dropped him off, the people who go there aren’t much older than you. It’s a place for teenagers, people who don’t have a very good home life. Apollo goes there once a week to play music. It gives the kids there something positive to think about, something else to focus on.”
Titus wasn’t a hundred percent certain what it was that Apollo achieved. But then he added, “Apollo is a god of the muse. It’s one of the many things he’s a god of. Apparently that power can help those kids. Not all of them, of course. But for those who have an inclination toward playing music, he can help with that. He can encourage it, sometimes just by being there.”
“I think I understand. Apollo has a really friendly, but really calm way with me,” Cassius said. He had been a lot more talkative over the weekend, and he looked healthier as well. Titus could never imagine what it must’ve been like for Cassius back with his mom, especially if Lorna and Brian had been arguing for so long.
There were still some times when Cassius was quiet, but then, as Apollo explained, there were times he was too. Sometimes the mind just got overloaded and Cassius still had a lot to process. Titus would just make sure, in those times, that he was a physical presence there for his son. Whether it be in his wolf form - which Cassius adored - or in his human one, sometimes just working on his laptop or watching a movie or sitting outside in the backyard, Titus wanted Cassius to know he would be there for him.
“Can’t Apollo just clap his hands or click his fingers and give those teenagers all the instruments they could ever want?” Cassius asked.
“He can do that at home because it’s just you and me there,” Titus said. He saw the place he was looking for, and as luck would have it, or maybe it was the Fates, or perhaps a god was smiling on him, but there was a free parking spot right outside.
“Gods are not allowed to interfere with people’s lives. Everyone in the world has free will, and they’ll live their lives the way they’re meant to.” Titus flashed a grin at his son. “That means ancient gods like Apollo can’t go clicking their fingers at random people and changing their lives for them. He can only do that for family.”
