Heph’s Revenge will appear in eXcessica’s, Divine Matches anthology which will be released on January 17, 2011. I know it’s a long way off, but I thought I’d give you a little preview. It was a story that I enjoyed writing:-).

Here’s the blurb:

Hephaestus, the god of fire turns voyeur in an attempt to catch his lovely bride Aphrodite in the act with Ares, the god of war. Will Heph get his revenge, or something more than he bargained for?

Here’s the excerpt:

You can be certain that arranged marriages do not always result in happy marriages. It was especially true with this one. We had problems from the start. The fact that she towered several inches over me did little for my ego. When she looked down upon me, it hurt. I tried to please her…I found that she was always more pleasant after receiving a trinket or two, or three. I crafted her magnificent pieces. Her jewelry was coveted by all the goddesses, not to mention her magic girdle—which made her irresistible—as if she wasn’t already. Each day I would bring her another offering and she seemed genuinely pleased by my efforts. But somehow I could not shake the feeling that something rotten was going on right beneath my nose.

There were times when I could not find her. It mattered not where I looked or how loudly I called, she failed to appear. She would explain afterwards that she didn’t hear me because she had bathed in the babbling brook and it had been especially loud that day. It was always some excuse; apparently I didn’t look hard enough or call loud enough. Jackass that I was, I believed her. I can still recall the heavy scent of sex that clung to her during these periods. It was the same scent that Ares wore…I saw the way he eyed her—and the way she looked back at him.

I would not be cuckolded. And so this is how I got my revenge…

With my suspicions aroused I spent many long hours in my forge on Lemnos, my hammer and anvil my only company. There I crafted a finely spun net of gossamer threads. Nearly invisible to the eye, no mortal or god could break free of them once ensnared. I kept to myself during that period, and Aphrodite was none the wiser. I can only imagine that she reveled in the freedom provided by my frequent and lengthy absences.

No sooner had I completed the netting then Helios confirmed my suspicions. He came to me as a friend and imparted the news that just that morning he spotted the couple frolicking on the bank of a river—in broad daylight. Ares playfully chased my fair and unfaithful bride. His cock stiff with desire, he plunged into her on the sandy shores. According to Helios, my flirtatious and frolicsome Aphrodite was no innocent. She willingly parted her thighs and allowed him access to her moist yet fiery depths.

“If you lie in wait, my friend, you shall witness her infidelity with your own eyes,” said Helios.  It touched me that he had traveled so far from his element to bring me the unfortunate, but not unexpected news. We had a long history, Helios and I. I could see that it pained him to tell me, but he thought I needed to know. I wiped the sweat from my brow and patted him on the back, thanking him.

“I will repay the favor, Helios,” I said. He hopped into his chariot, waved and was gone. It couldn’t be too soon for me. I had work to do. I placed the gossamer net into a bag and returned to Olympus, determined to catch the deceitful pair in the act. I did not have long to wait.

It would have been foolish to announce my arrival to my lovely wife. Instead, I snuck around the side of the palace and methodically peeked into each window. When I was certain that Aphrodite was not there, I covered our palatial bed with the netting and waited inside her wardrobe closet where she stored her innumerable gowns. It was close enough to provide me with a bird’s eye view of the bed and was well within earshot to hear each damning word. I brought along cool drinks and refreshments for the coming entertainment. I was not disappointed.