The Bear Goddess — Kelley Heckart

Callisto is known in the Greek myths as the nymph who betrayed Artemis. This is her story. Callisto, the daughter of the great Arcadian King Lycaon and the nymph Maia, has taken a sacred vow of purity, forsaking all others for Artemis, and attains the revered position of Bear Goddess among the nymphs. When she meets Kasin, a follower of Zeus and her sworn enemy, her life is shattered. Kasin is a centaur prince and one of few who can take human shape. Despite having sworn allegiance to Zeus, he saves the life of one of Artemis's nymphs. He is torn between his love for Callisto and his duty to his people and his god. When their secret, forbidden connection is exposed, and they make their escape, danger and betrayal follow Kasin and Callisto. To survive, they must evade a god obsessed with having Callisto for himself, as well as others who also want to keep them apart. With a devastating war looming between the centaurs and the nymphs, Callisto must make a difficult choice. To prevent bloodshed and to save an innocent life, she must die. * * Beneath the cascading water and twilit colored skies, he gave her a lingering kiss. His lips spread heat throughout her body, pressing into her soul. She didn't care about the thoughts that had been plaguing her. All she cared about was the here and now, and the wonderful sensation of being in his arms. How could something that felt so wonderful be so wrong? How could forbidden love make her body burn with such passion? Even if she hadn't taken a vow of purity, mating with a centaur was forbidden. If the Guardians caught them, not only would they kill her, but both of them would die. ****