Almost At The Top- Book Four in the United Series

Chapter Two

Ivan's POV:

I watch Max as she heads towards the others.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I almost hit her. I almost punched her just mere minutes ago, and then she would never forgive me.

But then she tried to tackle me. I don't know what she would've done after that, but obviously nothing good. She probably would've pinned me down and started punching me.

I sigh and head back to the others. Max is there, talking to John with a smile on her face. She catches my eye and quickly looks away.

Suddenly, I feel a strong presence from behind me. "Ivanick," A soft voice from behind calls to me. I turn around and a beautiful black-haired, green-eyed woman stands behind me. Her features change the more I look at her. At first she looks like the female verison of another Mog I had a crush on at the West Virginia base, then like Max, and so on so forth. She's wearing a sleeveless white Greek dress and holds a white purse. She ushers me deeper into the woods, where none of the others can see or hear me.

"Hello, Ivanick. Or should I call you Ivan?" The woman asks me.

"Ivan," I answer her, confused. Who is she?

She smiles at me. "Okay, Ivan," She reaches into the purse she's holding and pulls out a small glass bottle filled with a bubbling pink liquid. "Do you know what this is, Ivan?" She asks me with a sweet voice.

"No," I answer, shaking my head. "Um, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but, who are you?" I ask her.

The woman laughs. "I haven't properly introduced myself, have I? I am Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty," she introduces herself. Aphrodite, Piper's mom.

"Okay, and what is that?" I ask Aphrodite, pointing to the small bottle full of the bubbling pink liquid.

"This, Ivan, is a love potion. You do know what a love potion is, don't you?" She asks me and I nod my head yes. "Then I'm pretty sure why I'm showing you this?" This time, I shake my head no, still confused on why this Greek goddess would come to visit me out of the blue.

"Well, I know you're having a bit of...trouble with Max Jackson," Aphrodite tells me and the realization hits me.

"Um, yeah, I do," I reply, already knowing where this is going.

"Well, Ivan, I'm pretty sure you now know what I want you to do with this?" Aphrodite asks me. I can't stop looking at her and seeing Max, smiling at me again. I nod my head as my chest aches.

"You want me to use it on Max," I guess and Aphrodite nods her head in confirmation.

"But, after both John Smith and Leo Valdez confessed their feelings for her, her father, Poseidon, has put up...precautions...on Max. Usually with a love potion, all you'd need to do is drink a bit of it and kiss Max, really, but Poseidon has made sure that Max can't fall for a simple love potion like this, with the help of King Zeus's wife, Queen Hera," Aphrodite explains. All of this sinks in. So Max absolutely hates me and the goddess of love herself has told me that she can't fall for a love potion even after recommending it to me.

"Okay, so how exactly am I supposed to use this on Max if it won't have any effect on her?" I ask Aphrodite.

Aphrodite shrugs her shoulders like it's the most simple thing ever. "Max is the daughter of the sea God himself, and I guess Poseidon thinks that Max will be safe around water," Aphrodite says and I shake my head in confusion.

"I don't get it," I tell her and Aphrodite smiles at me again.

"It's really simple when you think about it. Just find a body of water and pour this potion into it. Then make sure that you and Max are the very first to jump in." Aphrodite explains. "Poseidon hasn't set up precautions with water since he thinks Max is safe around it."

I nod my head, understanding. "Okay, and where am I supposed to find a body of water?" I ask Aphrodite.

She turns me around and points in front of us. "The Missouri River might do," she answers me and that's when I realize the river snaking through the woods just a couple hundred feet away from me.

"Will you do it?" Aphrodite asks me, taking a few steps away from me.

I think for a moment, then come up with a few questions before I answer her.

"Will it really work?" I ask her and she nods her head. I turn around to try to get a look at Max, but I can't see her.

I slowly turn back to Aphrodite. "What about John and Leo? She loves them. What'll happen to them?" I ask her and Aphrodite shrugs her shoulders.

"It'll be as if her love for them never existed," she answers and I nod my head.

"When will it wear off?" I ask Aphrodite.

"Until you tell her that you put her under a love potion, until she finds out herself, or when the one she truly loves does something for her," Aphrodite responds with.

"'Does something for her'? What do you mean by that?" I ask her.

"You know, admit that he loves her, kisses her, sacrifice himself for her. Those kinds of things that make you sure that he loves her," Aphrodite answers and I sigh. I know putting Max under a love potion to love me would be the easiest way to get her, but it seems so wrong. But I love her so much.

"Would it effect her in any way? Like, effect her personality?" I ask Aphrodite. She shakes her head and a wave of relief rolls through me. "Will it hurt her?"

"Not at all," Aphrodite answers. "And if the potion does wear off, she won't remember a thing that happened between you two. Well? Are you going to do it?" She asks me, waving the love potion in my face.

I close my eyes and think, then finally make a decision. One I'm going to keep for the rest of my life.

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