Chapter 2

My mind was in chaos, my thoughts spinning in circles so fast I felt like I could barely keep a coherent idea in my head. Still, I somehow managed to stumble through the words I spoke to the man who had suddenly appeared in the corner of my bathroom. “You’re telling me that your name is Hypnos. You’re the ancient Greek god of sleep and trance. You slept with my mom 18 years ago, making me. And when I finally ‘became a man’ you decided that your birthday gift was going to be to ... what?” I glanced in the mirror, still shocked at what I was seeing. “Make me hot?” My body was lean and muscular, my abs chiseled and my arms rounded out with dense muscle. It was certainly not the image I’d woken up to this morning, and I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it.

The man before me responded, his voice strangely relaxing to listen to. “And vest you with a small portion of my power, yes.”

I stared at him like he had two heads.

Hypnos was tall, a little taller than me, but otherwise looked like an ordinary mortal man. I could see the familial resemblance between us in our faces, specifically our dark, curly hair and deep, brown eyes. But while my eyes were ordinary, just a shade darker than milk chocolate, his were another matter. My father’s eyes were so deep and dark that staring into them made me woozy, like I was falling asleep just looking at him.

“And this power...” I looked away as I trailed off and coughed, suddenly uncomfortable. I could see the evidence of this man’s power in the mirror, but if I hadn’t just fucked my best friend into an orgasm-induced coma I wouldn’t have believed the second part of my father’s ‘gift.’ “You chose to give it to me...”

“In your cock, yes.” Hypnos laughed softly, and smiling without a trace of discomfort. He grinned, and suddenly looked a whole lot younger and more boyish. “I thought it appropriate for a young man your age. And, I’ll admit, I expect it will be rather humorous for me to see how you end up using it given your...” He paused and gestured vaguely as though searching for the appropriate words. “Lack of experience?”

I scowled at him. “You show up after 18 years,” I growled, “and all you have to say is that you don’t think I’m having enough sex?” My voice rose a few notches as I spoke, but Hypnos didn’t flinch.

Instead, the man nodded and scraped thoughtfully at the stubble on his jaw with a fingernail. “I’ve never been great at the whole ‘father’ thing,” he admitted. “I haven’t spoken to one of my mortal children in decades. But of late I’ve been growing disinterested in the politics of the gods. Each of the Olympians considers him or herself the pinnacle of creation, and expects to be treated accordingly, handed everything on a silver platter without needing to work up an ounce of sweat. But you, the mortals...” Hypnos paused and took a deep breath as though even the thought of “us mortals” refreshed him. “You, blessed with your relatively short lives, must strive, struggle and work to earn whatever you get. I find that a far more alluring diversion than the machinations of the lazy, spoiled Immortals.”

I couldn’t pretend to follow his twisted logic, but I did want to get a few things straight.

“So what happened outside with Paige,” I said, gesturing through the crack in the bathroom door and into my bedroom, where my 18-year-old best friend was passed out on my bed after I had vigorously fucked her lithe body into submission. “That’s all part of my ‘gift’?” My tone was skeptical, but I really had no other way of explaining what had just happened. Paige and I had long ago settled into the friend zone without any hint that we would ever leave, but when she had arrived at my bedroom door an hour ago to help me celebrate my own 18th birthday she had taken one look at my accidentally-exposed cock and practically tackled me onto the bed.

“That’s right.” Hypnos gave me a Cheshire cat grin. “Are you complaining?”

My face burned with frustration, but also with embarrassment. “No...” I mumbled, casting my eyes away. “But what about when she wakes up? What’s going to happen then? How does all of this work?”

Hypnos looked me up and down thoughtfully, then sighed. “Never fear,” he told me. “One of my assistants gave me a full write-up on you, and I know that this girl is ... an important friend.” His smile took on a slightly smug tilt. “When she awakens that will not have changed.”

“But—” I started to say. Everything changed!

Hypnos held up a hand to forestall my questions. “She will imagine that she has had a very vivid daydream or fantasy,” he explained. “Young Paige will not think anything out of the ordinary has occurred, and will only realize otherwise if you tell her.” He raised his eyebrows and gave me a look. “Are you planning on telling her?”

I scowled. Why the fuck did he have to put me in this position? “I don’t know...” I growled. Then, to change the subject, I gestured at my body in the mirror. “And this...” I trailed off, not even sure what I was looking at. I definitely didn’t feel at home in this new and improved body just yet, but I also enjoyed my appearance. “What’s the deal with this? Is this the ‘Perfect Body Bonus Package’? All part of your plan to upend my life?”

Now it was Hypnos’s turn to look serious as he fixed me with a piercing stare. “As your father,” he said, “I do not particularly approve of how you’ve been taking care of your body. The constant...” he waved his hand uncertainly, as though the concept was alien to him. “Self-indulgence and general lack of exercise ... It made you soft.”

Man, you really don’t pull your punches. My frown deepened. “It’s not like you have any right to an opinion about how I live my life.”

The god didn’t even have the good grace to look embarrassed. “Perhaps not,” he admitted. “But I hoped that giving you a taste of your potential might give you some sort of motivation.”

“Hmmph.” I tried to be mad at my father for interfering, but I had to admit — I looked good.

“If you decide you prefer your old, sloppy, slouched and out-of-shape self,” Hypnos told me, “then go back to living how you did before my gift. If you want to stay like this...” He shrugged. “Hit the gym. Stick to a diet. Earn it.”

I didn’t reply.

Hypnos sighed again and then nodded. “I understand. You need a bit of time to process all of this.”

A snort of laughter was my only response. You think?

“I’ll be around,” he said, and, reaching into his pocket, pulled out a slim, black flip phone. “Call me,” he said, setting it gently on the tile countertop. Then, he turned and pushed aside the shower curtain, stepping into the shower and then pulling it closed behind him. “A good night of sleep is earned, Alexander,” he said from behind the laminated barrier in the tone of a man imparting special wisdom. “Remember that.”

Then, he was silent.

I imagined the man standing there stupidly in the shower, as though I would just leave him alone now that I couldn’t see him. Instead, I strode forward and yanked the shower curtain aside. “What does that even —?” I started to demand, but froze.

Hypnos, god of sleep, had disappeared.

I stood there stupidly for a moment, the shower curtain clutched in one first. What did you expect, Alex? I asked myself bitterly. It’s not like he was going to stick around to solve your problems. He never helped you with anything before. Why start now?

With a jerk, I threw the curtain back across the shower and spun on my heel. Paige was still out there on my bed, and I had no idea how long she would remain in her post-orgasmic coma. I had to sort out that puzzle before I dealt with the fact that my father was a god and my entire life had just been turned upside down.

Taking only a second to collect myself, I pushed open the bathroom door and re-entered my darkened bedroom just as my 18-year-old best friend began to stir. She sat up as I hesitantly approached the bed and then smiled sleepily up at me.

“Wow, Alex...” she said, her eyes tracing down my newly-chiseled physique as she ran her fingers through her tousled blonde hair. “I was going to give you shit for deciding you needed to take off your shirt after a quick trip to the bathroom, but now that I’m seeing you better,” she reached over and flipped on the bedside lamp. Then she gave a low whistle. She winked up at me and laughed softly. “Have you been working out?”

I didn’t respond for a second. So in her mind, I thought, she was just sitting on my bed for a moment while I took a trip to the bathroom? This is insane... Then, with a cough, I fell back into the role of Friend Zone Alex. “Yeah, just a bit,” I shrugged, turning a little to give her a view. “Whadya think? I figured if I get in shape I might land a date to one of the fall dances.”

Paige nodded appreciatively and looked me up and down, all business. Her red lips, which had so recently been parted and gasping with pleasure as I pounded in and out of her tight body, pursed now thoughtfully. “Looking good,” she told me, holding out a fist for a congratulatory fist bump. “Proud of you, man. Keep up the hard work.”

I nodded and accepted the praise, bumping knuckles. As silly as it was, it was Paige’s obvious admiration of my new body that made me decide, in that moment, that I wanted to keep it. “Will do,” I told her.

And just like that, with Paige’s unhesitating acceptance of my magically-enhanced body and her complete amnesia of the previous hour’s events, I knew that everything in my life was poised to change. “So,” I asked carefully. “What did you have in mind for your boy’s 18th birthday?”

***

Paige and I ended up snuggling on my bed, watching a movie on my laptop.

It was a romantic comedy — the kind of movie you either watch with your boyfriend or with a guy so deep in the friend zone you know he’ll never make it out. For once, I didn’t mind. Everything was different now, and I could afford to bide my time.

Still, laying next to Paige with her body pressed up against mine ... I had a hard time controlling myself. I knew, now, that at any moment I could pull out my hypnotic cock and have her in a trance within seconds. Obedient, mindless and totally under my power.

But I didn’t do it. Because rumbling in the back of my mind like distant thunder was a plan. And delayed gratification, after all, is usually sweeter.

My mom made us dinner, but I barely even noticed the meal as my brain whirred on at a hundred miles an hour, plans formulating and disappearing as I tried to come to terms with the fact that my mother had slept with a god, I was the recipient of some fraction of his power and my best friend and fantasy girl was suddenly within reach.

There was no cake — this went against Mom’s health nut rules — but for once I didn’t mind. My mind was focused on another type of dessert.

Paige was ready to head out after the meal, but I grabbed her hand.

She looked up at me in confusion, but I smiled reassuringly. “Can I just show you something before you leave?” I asked innocently. “It’s back up in my room. I want to get your opinion.”

Dark blue eyes crinkling as she smiled indulgently, Paige followed me up the stairs.

“What’s up?” she asked as I closed the door behind us. “I’d love to hang out more, but my parents want me home and I do have a bit of homework to finish. Not all of us are months ahead like you are.” She laughed softly as I turned around, casually fiddling with the waistband of my sweatpants.

“Don’t worry,” I told her, my voice soft. “This’ll only take a second.”

“What are you—?” Her eyes widened with shock as, in one motion, I slipped my pants and boxer briefs down to my knees, my cock swinging into view at half mast.

I was watching carefully as, all of a sudden, the light behind those eyes winked out and her shoulders slumped, her body relaxing and the question fading from her lips.

“Good...” I murmured softly, a flood of adrenaline rushing through me as I took a deep breath and revelled in my power. My cock stiffened as I slowly stepped forward, the blank, mindless look in Paige’s eyes turning me on like nothing I’d ever experienced. I raised my hand and slid it up the smooth skin of her waist and to her shoulder. Then, with a brief pressure, I slowly pushed her to her knees.

She obeyed the unspoken command silently, sinking gracefully to the floor and waiting for my next instruction as my throbbing length hovered just inches before her lovely, blank face.

“Suck it...” I ordered softly, suddenly scarcely believing what was happening.

But Paige nodded, slowly, her eyes glazed as she leaned forward and slipped me between her lips.

I groaned at the sensation of her hot mouth on my rod, but forced myself to focus as she began to bob up and down.

“You’re enjoying this,” I told her, my voice husky. “It turns you on so much to give me pleasure...”

“Mmm...” Paige moaned as she nodded obediently, her eyelids fluttering as her body suddenly shuddered and pleasure hormones coursed through her lithe figure. Her hands moved, almost of their own accord, lifting up her skirt around her waist as her fingers began to slowly, sensually circle her clit through the lacy fabric of her panties. Her other hand slid up her flat stomach and began to massage her pert breasts, pinching her nipples through her crop top.

The lithe blonde groaned and I could feel the vibrations of the sound through my shaft as her mouth continued to bob up and down ... Up and down...

The sight of my best friend kneeling at my feet, sucking my cock and mindlessly pleasuring herself made me want to explode then and there, but I managed to control myself. I had a plan, after all. “‘That’s a good girl,” I murmured, sucking a hiss of air between my lips. “Now, I want you to listen closely.”

Paige nodded obediently as I continued, laying out the plan that was going to make every day moving forward an absolute delight to experience.

“This is what’s going to happen...”

HYPNOS

Hypnos admired Mariah’s tight ass through her grey pencil skirt as she bent over her desk, making a few final notes on her clipboard before she straightened and turned.

She caught her breath when she realized that her employer was leaning casually up against the doorway, one hand running through his thick, dark hair while the other was slipped into the pocket of his sweatpants.

“Sir?” she asked warily, eyes barely flickering to his chiseled abs and upper body before looking up and into his face. “Can I do something for you?”

Hypnos could tell, after several thousand years of practice, that Mariah wasn’t actually looking into his eyes. His employees, the smart ones, quickly learned that staring into his dark, intense orbs was a dangerous endeavor. It was too easy to fall into them, dropping into a deep, relaxing trance before waking several hours later feeling completely refreshed and way behind on work.

Case in point — the god of sleep could tell that Mariah was staring very pointedly at the tip of his nose.

“Mariah...” Hypnos said, his voice slow and relaxed. He admired the name as it rolled off his tongue. “I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you.”

The woman tucked a stray hair behind her ear and gave him a quizzical look. “For what?” she asked, obviously running through a mental list of everything she’d done recently that might be deserving of praise.

“For helping me to do the right thing about my son, Alexander,” he answered, stepping closer and giving her a small smile. “I feel ... Good. Accomplished.” The god shrugged. “Like I did the right thing.”

Hypnos expected her to blush, perhaps, and stumble through an expression of thanks. Instead, she laughed softly and rolled her eyes.

“What?” he said, spreading his hands.

“That’s it?” Mariah asked, snorting. She put her hands on her hips. “Not for keeping perfect record of all the men, women and children on the planet who need their sleep monitored? Not for going without sleep myself for 48 hours at a time making sure that you can effectively do your job? Not even for being the only person in your employ who’s lasted more than six months?”

Hypnos raised his hands, suddenly on the defensive. “I...” the god stammered, but the gorgeous brunette plowed onward.

“Instead of any of that ... you thank me for helping you be a good dad?“ She wasn’t even irritated, he realized. She was genuinely amused.

“Well...” Hypnos was in the unique situation of feeling decidedly uncomfortable and out of control. This was new to him, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. “I suppose...”

“You’re welcome,” Mariah interrupted, crossing her arms across her chest and smiling at him. She could obviously tell that she’d put him at a disadvantage and was enjoying every second of it.

The god stood there for a moment, tongue tied, before she raised her eyebrows and jerked her chin at the door. “Now get going, I have very important work to do.”

Dismissed, Hypnos turned and practically stumbled away through his apartment. He felt completely out of sorts. He was a minor god, certainly. Or, at least one, who was rarely thought of in spite of his importance. Still ... among all the Olympians he was known for being hardworking, ambitious and goal-oriented. While many of the other Immortals might have pretended to look down on him for these “mortal” traits, he knew they admired his work ethic and appreciated that his efforts kept around a third of mortal population abed at any given time — making life easier for all of them.

And yet ... This woman, this mortal woman, scoffed at him.

Hypnos shook his head. Then, he laughed softly. His smile turned wry and he glanced over his shoulder in the direction he’d come. Mariah didn’t know it yet, but his ambitions had just placed her squarely in their sights.

Nevertheless, the chiseled Olympian strolled through his kitchen on his way to the bedroom, hands in his pockets. In his bedroom awaited another, far more willing, conquest.

The women’s bathroom at school was surprisingly clean.

There was no writing on the insides of the stalls, no stink of unflushed bodily waste and not a single water spot on the long mirrors. Other than that, it looked surprisingly like the men’s room. I wasn’t sure what I had expected, but the only difference I could see was that there was no row of urinals on the wall.

Weird... I thought, but gave up on my perusal as the door opened and a gorgeous blonde walked into the room.

“Alex... ?” Paige was surprised to see me, her brow furrowing and her cute mouth opening in shock as she realized her best friend had invaded this private refuge of the female gender.

I grinned, feeling the rush of satisfaction that comes when one of your plans comes to fruition.

Paige looked hot. Her lips were a pink today rather than their usual red, which made them look soft and appealing. Meanwhile, the rest of her makeup was more complete than usual — like she had gone to the effort of looking good for somebody. Pulling it all together, her outfit didn’t just flaunt the dress code, it demolished it.

It was as if she was dressed for sex in a pair of high-heeled shoes, jean shorts that were cut off scandalously far above mid-thigh and a black v-neck sweater that clung to her figure and drew the eyes to her pert, braless tits.

After I had planted the series of subconscious suggestions in her mind last night, Paige had swallowed my load and awoken, giving me an amusingly chaste goodnight kiss on the cheek before heading home. Now, she was back to make sure my Tuesday at school wouldn’t be quite as terrible my Monday had been.

Instead of answering my best friend’s questioning tone, I instead leaned casually up against the bathroom counter and began undoing my belt.

She frowned in confusion as her eyes flickered to where my fingers unclasped the button of my jeans. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

Ignoring her, I quickly slid the zipper down with a quiet bzzz and pulled my semihard length from my boxer briefs.

Paige’s stormy blue eyes locked onto my manhood and I felt a shiver of power as her shocked, confused expression melted away, replaced by one of blank, mindless obedience.

“That’s a good girl...” I told told her, my voice husky as my rod swelled and throbbed, a fiery liquid lust filling my body. “Now ... come over here and show me what you can do.”

“Yes, sir...” Paige purred, her voice the perfect blend of blank submission and mindless arousal.

She addressed me just as I had directed, the honorific hitting me like a jolt of adrenaline. That’s right... I thought. All that time in the friend zone and I’m finally getting the attention I deserve.

A tiny voice somewhere in the back of my brain wondered, softly and hesitantly, whether Paige — my best, and only, friend for so long — deserved to be treated like this, but my rising confidence and lust crushed it easily. I was given this power as a gift, I reasoned. And I deserve to use it however I please.

The sexy blonde approached, her gait smooth and graceful as she slipped to her knees at my feet. Her hands stroked up my thighs as her eyes locked onto my cock, no other thought in her head but to bring me pleasure.

Paige had told me plenty of times in passing that practically no one came in here during the first period of the day — none of the girls gathered here to gossip until after their second class and before lunch. So, content that we were safe, I closed my eyes and relaxed, revelling in the sensation as her lips parted and she kissed the head of my shaft with an attitude of worshipful lust. Then, as if the first taste of my manhood had shattered any final, subconscious resistance, Paige moaned and slipped me into her mouth.