Stronger Together chapter 146 (Patreon)

The next morning found me more relaxed than I had been in a very long  time. Even after sex I wasn't this carefree. Sometimes we need our  patterns pointed out to us before we can really see them for what they  are. Raven had called me on my bullshit and even admitting it to myself  made me feel lighter, freer even, than I had in a very long time. I  rolled over to snuggle my sorceress, feeling our redhead pressed against  my back. Apparently she felt Andi was ok to leave alone and had missed  us because I would recognize Barb's toned body pressed against me  anywhere.

Cinder was laying just past Raven, with the  bustier girl squeezing the fall maiden against her like a sexy long  legged teddy bear. I heard a giggle in my ear and looked over my  shoulder. Barb had her head on her palm and her elbow on the bed,  watching with a soft smile as our girlfriend cuddled her new stuffed  animal. I rolled over in bed carefully, making sure to move slowly so as  not to wake them and leaned up to place a chaste kiss on Barb's lips.  She grimaced at me, her voice came out in a low whisper as she muttered  "Morning breath apparently isn't one of those things godsteel can fix.  How did I never notice that."

I smirked at her and  deliberately leaned forward slowly to kiss her again. She giggled and  pushed my face away. "Go brush your teeth, we have a meeting with a  Norse god today and I doubt he would find your morning breath as  charming as I somehow do." I grinned at the thought of Odin commenting  on my morning breath but rolled my eyes and popped up out of bed in only  my boxers. Barb arched an imperious brow "See, you obey my every whim.  Walk slower, I like to look at your butt." The last thing I saw before  closing the door was her putting both her hands behind her head to enjoy  the show.

My shower was scalding hot and long, just like I  liked them, I let my arms go limp under the hot water and tried to get  my muscles to completely relax, or at least  to relax as much as  possible without the result being me just falling over. I know this  great mood might not last, I still had so much to deal with in my life  but I was determined to hold onto this new point of view. I would  consider every action I took and whether it was something someone else  could do better. Raven was right, my insecurity and insistence on  pulling my weight had turned into a constant need to micromanage and it  needed to stop.

I enjoyed my hot shower and soaked in the  steam for a bit longer before stepping out to towel off. I wiped away  the steam on the mirror, staring at my reflection as it fogged back up. I  looked so damn different now. My features had been refined and  sharpened, not just by whatever I should call the process that infused  my body with godsteel but by the constant training and working out. I  looked fantastic, better than I ever had before, but less like me. Or  maybe more like me? More like the person I had always felt like I was.

Introspection  was all well and good but now wasn't the time for deep philosophical  questions. I headed to my room, getting a low whistle from Barb as I  came in naked which drew a smile from me, and then I got ready in my  most formal clothes, namely the suit I got in Colorado. If I was meeting  a god I might as well do it in style. Barb and Raven were coming with  me on this little excursion, Raven for backup and Barb to both advise me  and drool over Gard, her crush on whom she had somehow convinced  herself she had kept a secret from us when her staring was as subtle as a  bull in a china shop.

Rae was up and ready within  minutes, perks of being a magical badass. Cinder decided to sleep in, or  at least that was what we got from the violent groaning and rapid  dismissing hand motions while she shoved her head further under the  pillow. We had to call a car sadly because ours was missing a windshield  still. As we climbed in I turned to the girls, meeting Raven's eyes.  "Well, new team player Cameron reporting for duty, what's our plan here.  What do want to get from Odin in our meeting? Information on the twins  of course, and if possible help with Fenrir but which is the priority?"

Raven  smiled and took my hand nodding approvingly "Well I have to say Fenrir  does sound scary but in the same way as the Skinwalker. Maybe a bit more  so but the twins are the ones whose powers we don't understand. Fenrir  from all accounts is just a complete beast who wrecks everything, we can  handle that." She looked to Barb "What do you think?" Barb's earlier  playful demeanor had faded when we climbed into the black sedan and her  face had taken on a pensive air. She played with the end of her ponytail  as she considered the question.

She sat there in silence  for a minute or two, looking surprisingly thoughtful and introspective  for a girl in a neon green spaghetti strap top and capri pants. Finally  she shrugged. "Can't say. We don't know enough about either threat. I  say we push him for information on both and after he spills we reassess  what we need help with. Worst he can do is say no." I raised an eyebrow  at her "Ok, no he can do way worse than say no but I'm being optimistic  today. Fenrir is a problem for him and we might be able to take care of  it. That'll buy us some good will I bet. The rest...well we'll have to  see."

The conversation was cut off as the car pulled up  outside a familiar bar. I grimaced. "Ok, I love Mac's sandwiches and his  root beer but I think we need to find an alternate meeting spot if  we're going to be having these so often. Unlike Harry, I can only eat at  the same place so many times no matter how good the food is. No offense  to Mac of course, but steak sandwiches are a sometimes snack." Raven  just shrugged but Barb nodded to concede my point. Sometimes you need a  little variety in your diet.

Unlike the other times we had  come to visit the place however when we entered Mac's wasn't busy, not  even mildly, the restaurant was completely deserted, clearly having  closed. There was only on table occupied. In the center of the room,  smiling jovially at us in greeting, was old one eye himself. Odin, the  allfather. Ms. Gard sat beside him, looking tense. If I had to guess she  hadn't liked the idea of me calling up her god for a sit down but had  been honor bound as his retainer to pass on the message. Luckily she  didn't look angry, just cautious.

As I drew closer the one  eyed god used a boot to push out the chair across from him. With a nod  of gratitude I sat down in the offered seat. "Good to see you,  your...uh...godliness? Sir? I don't know what the formal method of  address for a skyfather level deity is, and calling you by name seems  overly formal. You're a big fan of pseudonyms right? Maybe Dino? It's an  anagram of your name after all."

I was babbling, mostly  because without the godsteel enhancing me I hadn't been able to sense as  much of his nature before. I was about one small startle away from  pissing myself. Last time I had seen Odin I had been impressed by his  rep sure, but I hadn't had the senses I did now. With literal divine  metal threaded through my brain stem I could perceive so much i hadn't  before. I felt like a cartoon character who saw the small tip of a  dorsal fin and hooked it with a fishing line only to reel in a great  white shark that had been submerged a bit too deep.

Gard  look incensed but Odin burst out laughing. "Dino. I like that. I think  I'll let you use it. Though not in public, it's a bit too greek to be a  mainstream alias of mine. That should solve your formality problem as  well. Ah, and this must be Miss. Roth." The big god reached out to take  ravens hand and gently kiss her knuckles. "Truly your fortune knows no  limits to be loved by such a breathtaking woman. I trust he's treating  you well my dear?" I raised an eyebrow at that, Odin wasn't Zeus but he  wasn't exactly a monk either.

Raven giggled at him, making  my frown deepen, but she nodded happily. "Always, I couldn't ask for  anyone better, thank you. We appreciate you taking the time to meet with  us Lord Odin, we've had some rather disturbing news that may be of  interest to you as well. Pardon me for skipping the pleasantries but  we're beset by enemies on all sides. Currently a prophecy has surfaced  regarding the child of a friend of ours and it has drawn  certain...elements, to our humble city. The Beast of Gevaudan, Remus and  Romulus, and Fenrir the god wolf to name a few. We've faced the twins  and done our research on The Beast but we thought you would be able to  shed some light on Fenrir for us."

Odin  looked completely unsurprised by the revelation which made sense  because he was fucking Odin, but Gard actually paled as her eyes widened  in fear. I was really hoping that reaction was just to Fenrir. The old  god made a pensive sound. "I have information for you of course, your  group is shockingly effective at disposing of things that should be  beyond your means. Your efforts in destroying Fenrir would be of great  use to me. However, I suspect you were looking for more information than  just that. I would be willing to pass along what I know of the twins  for your word that you will do your utmost to rid me of the mutt."

I  winced. That was a bit more blunt than I expected. The issue wasn't in  taking care of Fenrir, it was in the difference between self defense and  premeditation. If he came after us and we killed him that was one  thing, but by committing to wiping him out we were effectively choosing a  side in Odin's battle with Loki. Sadly we didn't have much of a choice  here. Loki or no Loki we absolutely could not take the twins without  some info and possible some back up. But just because our backs were  against a wall didn't mean there was no room for negotiation here.

I  raised an eyebrow "We aren't against committing to that. But action for  information seems a bit lopsided. We aren't worried about helping you  with your problem if you can help us with ours." I put the shoe back on  the other foot there. Committing to attacking the twins with us would  most likely put him at odds with Mars, assuming their relation to him  wasn't just a story. They certainly seemed like demigods though. Plus  the whole raised by a wolf thing made way more sense if a god gave them  to her.

Speaking  of wolves, that wolfish smile was back on Odin's face. "A reasonable  point, but it seems a bit hasty." He waved a hand and Mac came over  setting down a mug of cold amber beer in front of each of us. "It seems  like we may be here a while negotiating. The ale that Mac makes is  superb and I can't think of a better libation for our talks." He raised  his glass in a toast and then took a long deep pull of his beer. I  sighed and toasted back, looked like I was going to be drinking with a  viking god.