Heroes aren't meant to act like their villains -- or fall in love with them. The elements touch everyone on Earth -- Fire, Water, even Light -- but every so often someone becomes more attuned to their elemental leaning and develops true power. When an evil Elemental known as Thanatos arrived in Olympus City, it saw the rise of its first hero -- Zeus. But the death toll caused by defeating Thanatos changed Zeus, who by day is young detective Danny Grant. It's been six months since Thanatos terrorized the city at the start of Lovesick Gods. Danny should be used to his duty behind the mask, but the recent past haunts him. His girlfriend left him, he snaps at the barest provocation, his life feels empty -- he needs an outlet, any outlet to pull him out of his depression. Enter notorious thief Malcolm Cho, the Ice Elemental Prometheus. There was a time when Danny welcomed a fight with Cho, filled with colorful banter and casual flirtations that were a relief compared to Thanatos. Even as a criminal, Cho had recognized the threat Thanatos posed and promised to help Danny stop him, but the day Danny needed Cho, he never showed. Cho was the reason so many people died that day -- including Danny's mother. Danny decides to teach the man a lesson and fan the fire of their attraction into something more. At worst, he'll get some no-strings-attached sex out of the deal and finally blow off steam; at best, he'll get Cho to fall in love with him and then break his heart to spite him. Danny doesn't expect to fall for Cho in the process, and he certainly can't predict the much darker threat on the horizon.

Lovesick Gods

Grasping Mal around the shoulders, Danny rolled them, reversing their positions and dislodging Mal’s hand almost at lightning speed. Mal took a moment to blink up at him and get his bearings, and his pause caused the grin on Danny’s face to falter. 


He pulled up. “I’m not trying to hold you down.”


Mal’s own smile grew strained. He was fine now. He didn’t mind Danny being rough when he was ready for it. “Just need to know what I’m in for. What do you want, Danny? What do you want to do for me?” 


Planting his knees on either side of Mal’s hips, Danny scooted down so he could pull the tangled jeans the rest of the way off. He returned for the T-shirt, and old anxiety coiled in Mal’s gut, but he pushed it aside. Danny knew, he’d seen, it was okay. So even though Mal was tense, he let Danny remove him of his shirt, leaving him in just his underwear. 


Chapter 82