by Helen Scott
Hunter’s fingers were slowly changing into claws around Thanatos’s throat. I tried to send my emotions through my newly strengthened bond with Hunter, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if it was working, but then he eased up, glancing at me over his shoulder. His eyes shone with understanding, and I smiled at him, making his expression change almost instantly.
He released Thanatos, who slumped down a little, which was when I realized that Hunter was taller than him and had been slowly pulling the god off his feet. I could feel the anger radiating off the guys. Each of them wanted to throttle Hypnos and Thanatos. If we didn’t get everything under control soon, we would have nowhere to hide until Emmett and Shadow brought Cass back.
“How do you know who Alpha is?” Derek asked.
The thought hadn’t even occurred to me, but now that he’d said it, it was all I could think about. They would have no way of knowing Alpha’s name unless they were working together. I backed up a step, feeling my fight or flight response kicking in.
“I know who everyone is,” Hypnos said.
“You might know individuals, but how do you know the name of a secretive human organization?”
Hypnos paused a moment too long, making the tension in the air crackle when Thanatos jumped in. “You mean humans who threaten us? Who want to take over our home? Yeah, why the hell would we know about that?”
“Give it a rest, Than. Everyone knows you hate humans. You don’t need to rub it in,” Hypnos said.
“I hate everyone. My distaste isn’t restricted to humans.”
“Oh good. I was worried there for a second,” I said, regretting my words as soon as they left my mouth, as it drew the god’s attention to me.
“Don’t worry, little girl. You’re barely above my notice.”
“That won’t be true for much longer,” I said, my temper rising.
“Than, we should help them,” Hypnos said, clearly the saner of the two.
“Why?”
“Because the hounds are right. She’s our future queen. Besides, if she loses, then we’ll be stuck dealing with either a bunch of humans or those Norse pricks who want everyone to die in battle.” Hypnos sighed before asking, “Do you know something?”
“I know a lot of things, Brother.”
“Don’t be a shit. Just tell them.” Hypnos ran his hand through his silver hair, frustration showing in every movement.
I watched Thanatos’s face as he seemed to struggle with his brother’s insistence on them helping us. His jaw ticked as he stared me down. Finally, the dam broke, and he said, “Why should I? Hel is their goddess of death. She’ll have people worshiping us again in no time. Why should I bow down to some human hybrid queen?”
“Brother, sometimes you’re an idiot. You really think she’d let them worship you? She wants all that power for herself.”
“She wants Ragnarok. That means all the dead will belong to her, not you, and when she’s done, the whole human realm will be destroyed. There will be no one left to worship you,” I said, hoping I got through to him.
There was a tense silence that settled over the hallway. While I had been talking, Nolan and Derek had decided to circle around Thanatos, so there was nowhere for the god to go. Finally, he relented and said, “I know who or what Alpha is because of Charon. He’s been bringing them over along with the agents of Hel. She promised him his freedom, and I think adding Alpha to the mix was just another way to ensure that our little hybrid here failed at claiming the throne.” The disdain in his voice when he called me a hybrid hurt, and he didn’t even know I was part demon. He just thought I was human. Everyone was quiet for a moment before all hell broke loose, which was saying something, since we were in the Underworld already.
18
Emmett
Cass had been hanging out with Pandora. I couldn’t believe it. The guy acted as if it were no big deal. It was as if he didn’t realize that she could kill him with just the touch of her hand. The whole time they had been chatting, the thing, the hecatoncheire, outside had been throwing a temper tantrum. If it hadn’t been for Megaera, then he probably would have killed us all.
“Ready to go?” I asked as the small talk died down.
Cass nodded before turning to Pandora and Megaera. “Thank you, and sorry for all the trouble I caused.” He took a deep breath, and when I expected him to turn and come with me, he moved to fully face Megaera. “Would you consider allowing Pandora the opportunity to fight with us? She could be a great help in the coming battle, and so would you.”
I rocked on my heels, stunned by his audacity. He had just proposed letting one of the most dangerous people in the world out of Tartarus. Megaera stared at him for a moment, her gaze critical, clearly evaluating his sanity.
“We could use the help. Hel’s army of dead is unrelenting, and with humans running around as well, we need every resource we can get to protect Poppy while she gets to the throne,” I chimed in, hoping I wouldn’t regret my words later.
Megaera’s eyebrows rose in surprise as she considered my words. Eventually, she said, “I suppose that makes sense. Pandora, Brutus, and I can help. Besides, she might be in Tartarus, but that’s as much to protect her as it is to protect everyone else. Right, Dora?”
Pandora nodded with a smile. “You don’t become what I am without people trying to control you.”
“Brutus?” I asked.
The fury jerked her thumb over her shoulder, indicating the door.
“You could control him enough for that?”
She nodded. “He’s actually quite reasonable when you understand how to communicate with him.”
My head spun at the implication. Nonetheless, if they were willing to help, who was I to turn it down? “I’ll find you when we decide on a plan of attack, and let you know what’s going on. If there’s anyone else you can bring to the fight, please do.”
“I’m sure Hecate will come if I ask, and of course, the other furies.”
I nodded, starting to feel more like we had a chance than when I started searching for Cass. “Thank you. Cass, you ready? Shadow probably thinks we’re dead by now.”
The other man grunted, and we headed toward the door.
“You’re sure that, uh, Brutus over there will let us pass?” Cass asked, his nerves showing in the way he fiddled with his fingernails.
Megaera laughed. “Yes. I told him to stand down, so you’ll be free to pass.”
Before Cass could chicken out any further, I grabbed his hand and tugged him through the door. The beast was possibly sitting off to the side; I wasn’t really sure how its body was situated with that many arms and eyes, but it allowed us to walk by undisturbed.
“Where’s Shadow?” Cass asked.
“Waiting by the entrance. He was my backup and was keeping watch,” I said as we strode over the ground that looked almost like cold lava. The waves of black ran up to the pillars that held the prisoners of Tartarus. I was glad none of them were under my watch.
Finally, we reached the entrance, and a perturbed Shadow paced back and forth. The man was almost as big as I was, and that was saying something, since I was a hellhound. When he saw us, his face clouded in anger for a moment before his shoulders sagged.
“I thought you were dead,” he said, looking at Cass. “And I should have just come with you from the start.”
“Yeah, cause a fury and a hellhound obviously need a human’s help,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get back to our queen.”
We had made it up the ram and out into the hallway when I felt her distress smack into my chest like a brick. Without a second thought, I put my hand on each of the judges and reached for my bond with my queen. It was there, shining bright and strong, but her emotions were leaking out of it like a sieve.
When we arrived, I hadn’t expected to be in the Halls of Night, nor did I think I’d find my battle brothers kicking the shit out of Thanatos. Life was full of surprises. My eyes immediately sought out Poppy and found h
er cowering against the door. Our queen might have magic, but in a physical fight with a god? She wouldn’t be able to hold her own. Hunter and Knox not realizing how scared and worried she was pissed me off. I stormed forward, moving into the middle of the fight, and barely avoided a punch from Knox. I had been so focused on my brother that I hadn’t even noticed Thanatos lifting his hand. His punch glanced off my jaw and pushed me back.
“Stop!” I yelled with everything in me. “Why are you fighting each other? The enemy is out there!”
I made a brief second of eye contact with my queen and gave her a slight nod before refocusing. The smile that broke out over her face killed me. I knew if I looked at it any longer, I would completely lose track of my goal. When Shadow and Cass made their way over to her, I was able to see her throw her arms around first one and then the other out of the corner of my eye while I played mediator between a god, two hellhounds, and a judge.
“What’s going on?” I asked, bracing my hand out so neither of the main parties could attack each other without first going through me.
“Your friends here attacked me because I told them the truth,” Thanatos sneered. He had always been a stuck-up prick, even when we’d first met.
“We attacked you, asshat, because you’ve been lying to us, because you would have sold us all out to Hel for a few more worshipers before she destroyed the entire human realm, and because you insulted your queen,” Knox said, putting special emphasis on “your” as though he wanted to drive his point home once and for all.
“Is that true?”
“Which part?”
“By the gods, any of it,” I said, starting to get exasperated with his condescending attitude.
All Thanatos did was nod in response.
“Which part is true? Did you insult your queen?” I asked, each word feeling as if it were being pulled from me.
“The halfling isn’t my queen yet.”
“Halfling?” I breathed as the insult rushed through me. I hauled back and punched him in the face, feeling a satisfying crunch under my hand. “You listen here, you arrogant little shit. Poppy will be your queen within days. I expect when she takes the throne that you will bend your knee to her and apologize for your lack of faith in your new leadership. Between now and then, just stay away from her.”
“She broke into Nyx’s chambers,” Hypnos said, finally rousing himself from the half sleep he seemed to constantly be in.
“It doesn’t matter what happened. She is your future queen and has the right to go wherever she wants,” I said carefully.
“And if she’s woken the darkness?”
“Then we will deal with it, but to me”—I glanced over at the closed doors of Nyx’s chambers—“it doesn’t look like anything has been disturbed, let alone awoken. Now, take your brother and leave us. We have a battle to prepare for, and I expect your help, both of you, when we move to take the throne.” I turned away from them and back to my queen, listening as they moved away and walked off down the hall.
Everyone remained frozen for a moment, and then as soon as they were out of sight, Poppy was in my arms. Her sweet scent drifted into my nostrils and wound its way around my very soul. This woman wasn’t just my queen. She was someone I would die for, someone I loved, and someone I’d do anything to protect. I could feel the emotions flowing through our bond and tried my best to show her how I felt.
“I love you too,” she whispered quietly in my ear as she squeezed me tight before releasing me. Her hand stayed firmly around mine as she led me into the room we had been standing in front of.
“So, how’s everyone doing?” I asked as we all filed in.
There were nods and grunts and murmurs, but nothing that spoke of determination and power, which was what we needed if we were going to succeed at this. Poppy worried her bottom lip as she looked between all of us. The sullen looks on my battle brothers’ faces made her beautiful eyes cloud with concern.
“Hey,” I said, tugging her hand so she was facing me. As I stared down into her eyes, I let my desire out of its cage and into the bond. Her breath caught in her throat, and her arousal filled the air. Some of the others stirred in their seats, but none of this was for them. “If you go run us a bath, I’d love to join you,” I said, breaking out the big guns and winking at her.
“On one condition,” she said, locking her gaze with mine.
I raised my eyebrow in question.
“You tell me how you became a hound.” She said the words quietly, but I felt as if a bomb had just gone off in my chest. I hated the story, but she had every right to ask about it.
“I will tell you whatever you wish to know, my queen.” I let the desire I had been feeling fill my voice and said, “I’ll join you shortly if that’s okay?”
She nodded and blushed ever so slightly, and if I hadn’t been so close to her, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it, but it was there, and it made my blood run all the hotter. With a smile, I kissed her hand and let her go. Once she was in the bedroom I assumed she’d been using and out of hearing range, I turned to the guys.
“Seriously?” I hissed. “I can see the doubt on all your faces, and if I can see it, then so can she. Knox, what the hell happened with the twins?” I asked, referring to Hypnos and Thanatos.
After giving me a rundown of events, Knox leaned back in his seat. With a huff, he said, “I wasn’t doubting. I was trying to come up with a plan. We need to get her to the throne, and then all of this will get a helluva lot easier.”
“Agreed. Have we made any progress on discovering how exactly we go about that?”
“No—” Knox started.
“Actually,” Hunter interrupted, “yes. I may have gone back to our place and picked up my books. There is one in particular that now that I know more about Poppy, I think will make more sense.”
I nodded. It was clear that while I was gone, Hunter had given into his own desire for our queen, and I couldn’t blame him.
“Keep working on it. I’m going to go wash some of the Tartarus filth off and do my best to pleasure the woman we all care for. I suggest that you all look a lot more confident when she comes back in.” I wasn’t normally the one doing the scolding—that was more Hunt’s territory—but needs must and all that.
“Mind if I join you later?” Knox growled from the chair. He had been without our queen’s touch just as long as I had, so I wasn’t about to deny him.
“Not at all,” I said. My battle brother knew well enough to let me have some time alone with our queen or I would get pissy with him, just as when he joined, he knew that I would take the back seat and ensure that not only was Poppy pleasured but so was he, provided I could stay awake, of course.
19
Poppy
I knew Emmett had sent me to run a bath because he was going to rip the guys a new one. I could practically feel it through the bond. His frustration and anger were leaking out, and when combined with his lust, it was a heady cocktail I could relate to.
The tub in the bathroom was a huge off-white affair with gleaming silver taps. I ran them both and found a bottle on the side that I hoped was filled with bubble bath. The lavender and orchid scent filled the room and helped me relax after the tense moments in the hallway.
As I swished the water around in the tub, big bubbles began to form on the surface, and whether or not Emmett actually joined me, I couldn’t wait to be covered from chin to toe in water that was just this side of bearably hot. I stripped out of my clothing with an efficiency I didn’t usually have, put my hair up into a high bun, and eased my toes in.
The delicious warmth made my skin tingle, and I had to take it inch by inch as I slipped under the bubbles. A wave of lust hit me through the bond from Emmett, and I knew he was wrapping things up with the guys. Just as I got settled, the door burst open. Hungry eyes took in the scene as he started pulling clothing off.
I watched and could barely contain my drool. The thin gray T-shirt was over his head and on the floor along with
his dark jeans, revealing his strong, lithe body. He was muscular beyond a doubt, but it wasn’t the rippling abs and perfectly defined pecs of some of the others, nor was it the softer, less muscular physique of Cass.
Emmett was the perfect blend of strong and supple on a man. His big arms and taut stomach made my mouth water, and when his fingers swirled the water around, I knew it was revealing me to him in sections. His breath caught after a moment, and he withdrew his hand so he could push his boxer briefs down his legs, bearing everything to me. I couldn’t help but lick my lips as I took him in. When he dipped his toes into the water, he hissed.
“You do like it hot, don’t you?”
I nodded with a grin. “My mom always used to say I could boil pasta if I took it in the shower with me.”
“She was probably right,” he said as he slid into the water a fraction at a time.
I smiled, enjoying the memory for once instead of being haunted by it. The tub was big enough that I didn’t have to move as he settled. Once the water was up to his shoulders, he groaned in the way most people did when they truly got a chance to relax after being tense for too long.
“Better?” I asked as his eyes drifted closed.
“Much,” he breathed before his eyes snapped open once more. “But mainly because I’m with you. It feels like it’s been forever.”
“It does. I’m sorry.” Guilt washed over me at having accidentally been distant from him.
Emmett smiled, the emotion lighting his rich-brown eyes. “You have nothing to apologize for. It’s not like you’ve been purposefully ignoring me or something. We’ve been fighting for our lives.”
“True,” I said as I watched him. “Do you ever regret it?” The question just popped out. I blamed the relaxation.
“Regret what?” he asked, the light in his eyes dimming as they became shuttered.
