Kismet Dating Agency Box Set: Fated Mates Romance

by Haley Weir

  "This was what I was worried about. The second she walks in here, no one else exists." Tears glistened in Megan's eyes and she refused to meet his gaze. "Do you still want to marry me, Seth?"

  He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and kissed her softly. "Of course I want to marry you. The fates made you just for me. Being my mate is...it's going to change everything for us."

  "If you love me, you'll stay away from Diana Kelly."

  ~*~

  She was surrounded by males at all times. Hades and Adonis stayed within arm's reach, but many of the wolf shifters had begun to sniff around her. Damien said something about breeding pheromones that Diana had ignored because it was far too embarrassing to discuss in front of her father. She fanned herself off and wished she was anywhere but the ballroom. Seeing Seth had felt good...too good. Adonis was a great guy, and he had enough tolerance to deal with Hades—which even she struggled with on a daily basis. He fit all of her standards perfectly.

  Adonis was the right choice.

  He was the safe choice.

  Even so, she couldn't stop her eyes from scanning the room in search of her true mate. He stood in a dark corner with Megan in his arms. They kissed sweetly, and Diana felt nauseous. She excused herself and headed into the corridor to get away from the crowd. The air seemed thin and she gasped for breath as she threw open the shutters of a palace window. A gust of snow and wind blew in from outside. Diana gripped the windowsill and leaned out into the cold.

  Her head spun dangerously. The walls seemed to close in on her and Diana dropped to her knees. A hand touched her shoulder gently, and she looked up into the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. "I love you," she sobbed as tears streamed down her face. "I tried not to love you. I truly did...but I can't help how I feel. Seeing you with her is tearing me apart."

  "Diana, I'm engaged."

  "I know." She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the cold bite of the winter wind on her face. "The dates weren't supposed to work out for us, Seth. It was supposed to be you and me facing the world together."

  "She wears my mark."

  Diana swiped away the tear that dripped down her chin and licked the salt from her lips. "I refuse to believe that the fates would subject me to this kind of pain without reason."

  "I wish things were different," he said softly. "With all my heart, I wish things were different. I wanted it to be you...Gods, I prayed to the heavens that you would come back here, and we would be together. But Megan walked into my life like something out of a dream."

  Diana wanted him to just plunge a sword into her heart and get it over with. "I won't stop until you're mine, Seth. Even if I have to wait a lifetime for you to love me, I'll face all the ridicule and the shame if I know we'll end up together in the end."

  "It will only cause you more suffering, Diana."

  "I'm a glutton for punishment," she chuckled deliriously. "I guess you can say I get it from my father…"

  "I'm sure he'd be proud to hear it."

  Diana's smile faltered and she opened her eyes to take in the features of his face that she had memorized long ago. "When you hold her, does it ever feel wrong? Do you have doubts at all?"

  "It's not my place to question fate's design. I've swum against the current my entire life. For once, I think I just want things to fall into place." Seth stood up straight and held his hand out. Diana accepted his help and closed the window. She had bared her heart to him, and still, he wanted someone else.

  But deep in her soul, Diana knew a corrupt magic was at work. She could practically taste the darkness on her tongue. Someone wanted her to suffer. Diana left Seth in the corridor and searched for her father. Hades saw the tears in her eyes and roared, "Where is he? I'll kill him."

  "Dad, I need your help."

  She saw the internal battle that raged on inside of him. The father side of Hades wanted to help her, but the immortal deity wanted someone to pay for her tears. Diana waved her hand and slowed time until it stood still. She had never used such blatant displays of magic before, but Hades looked rather proud. "What do you need?"

  "Mom."

  "You know I can't find her," he said sadly.

  Diana pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and traced the mark branded in his flesh. "I think you can. Just look inside your heart."

  "The God of Death has no heart, Diana. I'm a selfish beast that trapped Persephone and enslaved helpless souls to do my bidding." He tried to pull away, but Diana wouldn't let him.

  "I know you have a heart because you've shown that you love me." She pressed her forehead against her father's. "Please?"

  "I'll search for her. In the meantime, stay away from that imposter until we know what her game is," Hades said. "Keep in touch, glowbug."

  "I will."

  He vanished, and Diana returned the flow of time back to its original state. No one seemed to notice that such powerful magic had been used aside from Balor. The sage kept her in his line of sight for the rest of the party despite Adonis at her side. When the ball came to an end, Diana followed Balor back to his sanctuary. "You've become very powerful," the youngest son of Samael Black observed. "Not that I'm surprised, of course. But do you think spending so much time in the Underworld is wise? The darkness there may be contagious."

  "It's where I was born."

  "It is a place of death and sin."

  "I could say the same thing about this palace," Diana shot back. She expected Balor to argue further, but he laughed and brushed his fingers along the spines of the books on the shelves. He stopped at a pale leather book and handed it to her. "What's this?"

  "You're curious about your mother, aren't you? This is her gospel. I hope it serves you well."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Destiny Falls, Alaska

  The book sat untouched on Diana's table. She couldn't bring herself to open the cover and read what was inside. It felt all too real. Adonis sat with his shirt unbuttoned and open to reveal the golden muscles of his godly form. He stared at her for hours, offering his silent support even though he owed her nothing. Diana braced her elbows on the table and leaned forward. Adonis didn't deserve to be second best, not when there was someone out there who could appreciate him the way she couldn't. "I'm sorry, Adonis."

  "Your heart belongs to Seth. I am glad you told me rather than let me believe I even stood a chance," he chuckled. Adonis grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. "He desires you above all else, Diana. I can read the love in his soul, but something is keeping him from you."

  "Megan."

  "I sensed no evil in her, but, indeed, she is not what she seems." He traced patterns against the back of her hand gently. "There's a halo of light that surrounds you. Many will seek to extinguish it before you learn your true potential. Don't let them...not even Seth Black."

  "Are the gods really at war?"

  Adonis laughed, and the sound rang through her apartment, filling it with warmth. "We're always at war. The others are desperate. They're afraid of fading out of existence, so they're fighting for power. It's always about power…"

  "Giddeon was approached by Artemis. She wasn't happy to hear about Caleb's bargain with Plutus. The Black family can't fight in this war," she sighed.

  "My aunt has many warriors, but I'm not surprised she felt offended by Giddeon's rejection. She isn't used to being denied what she wants."

  "So what do we do? My father isn't interested in another war. I'll have to declare my allegiance to someone eventually, but I don't even know—”

  A knock sounded on the door—just a single knock that sounded like a shotgun blast. Diana stood up from her chair and Adonis held her back. "Don't. I have a bad feeling about this, Diana," he whispered.

  "You need to leave."

  "I'm not leaving you here on your own," Adonis argued. He walked towards the door and it burst into flames. Adonis was thrown across the room and hurled into a portal of whirling darkness. Diana screamed. She tried to grab him, but he vanished before sh
e was able to reach the portal. Her knees hit the floor, and she trembled beneath the force of an unholy power that flowed through her body.

  She glared up at the doorway as Megan stepped inside the apartment. A man with pure white hair stood beside her with his hand lifted to release tendrils of dark magic that swirled around Diana. Megan's appearance shifted into a tall, beautiful woman of a slender build and pale skin. She pulled Diana to her feet and stabbed her in the belly with a golden sword wrapped in lightning. The woman yanked the sword free, sliding her hand across the stained blade. "Not so powerful now, are you? They told me you would come. They told me you would rise as Goddess of The Dawn...a beacon of hope that light will always vanquish the darkness."

  "W-who are you?" Diana wheezed.

  "You know who I am."

  She clutched her middle and tried to summon enough strength to heal her wounds, but she was too weak. Diana gasped and coughed around a mouthful of blood that spilled over her lips. "Atë," she hissed. "Of course...I should h-have known it was....all an illusion."

  "Very good, Diana."

  "Why?"

  "Why did I kill you? Or why did I take your mate?" Atë goaded. "It's simple, really. I did it because I could. There's no one to stop me from doing as I please...not anymore."

  "What have y-you done?"

  "I took back what was mine," the goddess shouted. Atë and her companion faded into the shadows. Diana crawled across the floor and drew symbols on the floor in her own blood.

  The pain dissipated and her body became colder than death. She laid at the center of the circle she had drawn. A single tear fell from her eyes and rolled onto the floor. Magic swept through the apartment and Diana spiraled into a vat of inky black shadows that swallowed her up, cradling her like a babe. The guttural roar of Hades reverberated through the underworld as he caught Diana before she hit the ground.

  She curled her fingers in the lapels of her father's coat. "Dad…" she breathed slowly. "You h-have to save them. A...Atë."

  Hades moved her hand out of the way and attempted to heal her with his power, but the God of Death couldn't take his daughter's pain away. Lightning crackled against his hand. "The Sword of Zeus...I can't heal you, Diana."

  "Save them. J-just save them." She placed her hand against his cheek and brushed her father's tears away. The golden light that surrounded her flickered out of focus. Diana felt the cracks in her soul spread until it fractured like fragile glass. The air in her lungs flowed from between her lips. A whisp of magic left Diana as her father clutched her tightly to his chest until she turned to dust and blew away like ash in the wind.

  Hades summoned the spear from the wall of his throne room and stabbed it into the ground. The black marble of the floor cracked. Fires of Tartarus streamed through the openings. Hades bellowed towards the sky. Clouds clashed, and souls screamed out in terror. Fury rippled from Hades and a being of radiant light stood before him.

  Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution, had risen from her resting place to avenge her daughter.

  ~*~

  Castle Black

  Destiny, Alaska

  Alarms blared from the guard towers. Screams filled the air just as dawn crested over the hills. Seth awakened with a start. His head throbbed as memories of the Reckoning facility assaulted his senses. He bounded to his feet, teetering on unsteady legs, and raced towards the staircase. It was as if he could taste the blood in his mouth again and smell the scent of his own waste and sweat clinging to his skin. The past and present blurred together. Seth shook his head, trying to pull himself from that dark hole where his enemies had tortured him.

  His bare foot hit the landing at the base of the stairs. He sucked in a harsh breath and leaned against the door. Balor appeared beside him with a look of concern etched into his features. Seth waved him off as one of the palace guards handed him a weapon. Though Seth preferred his revolver, he wasn't opposed to using a sword every once in a while. They met Caleb at the palace doors. "What set off the wards in the forest?" he asked as Caleb's eyes shifted to that of his bear form.

  "I need to get higher to see but prepare to fight. Something is wrong. We can't lose—"

  A loud roar pierced the air. Seth gripped his head, bending over at the waist as a flood of nausea rushed through him. Caleb grabbed his quiver and climbed a ladder. He ran along the tops of the walls, firing arrows from his enchanted bow. "Octavius is attacking the south gate," someone shouted. Fire erupted along the roof of the castle. Bottles of liquid doused the courtyard before it was consumed by flames. Giddeon launched himself from the window of his bedchamber and landed on his feet seven stories down. "Guard the prisoner! No one gets close to Madeu without losing their head."

  "I can fight!" Madeu reached for a sword, but Seth blocked his path.

  He shoved Madeu towards the palace. "The Reckoning is here for a reason. I wouldn't let you out of those shackles if you were drowning." He turned to the guards. "Your king gave you an order! Take him inside, and don't let anyone near the castle."

  Guards hurried to cover the entrance as Seth dashed towards the south gate. He peered over at the tree line, counting well over two dozen Reckoning fighters with loaded guns. Their armored militia formed a line as they advanced toward the castle walls. Seth caught sight of several grappling hooks soaring for the wall. He signaled to Caleb and the other archers. "Aim for the ones scaling the wall!" Seth shouted above the fight. He ran over to the south gate just as the rest of the Reckoning arrived.

  The young warriors training in the barracks rushed over to assist as he tried to keep their enemy from breaching the castle. Seth pressed his back against the wall and counted to ten before he rushed the fighters. Bullets whizzed past his head, pinging off of the stone walls as the Reckoning open fire. The rumble of automatic weapons filled his head with static. Three shifters dropped dead, unable to dodge the shots in time. Seth knocked the others back. "Stay behind the walls!" He nearly crumpled to his feet as a barrage of bullets struck his back. The pain triggered his shift.

  Giddeon's roar answered the call, and the guards shifted into their bear forms. Seth barreled towards the rebels. Octavius smiled wickedly and met him head-on. The abomination sprinted towards the gate like a bull charging towards the color red. They collided so hard that the breath had been punched out of Seth's lungs. He went flying through the air until he hit the ground with a loud thud. His bear whimpered before skin replaced the fur of his pelt once more. Octavius shifted with ease, standing over Seth's broken and battered body with a hint of amusement in his gaze.

  "I came to take back what belongs to me."

  "Go to Hell," Seth snapped.

  "Not unless I can drag you down with me." Octavius kicked Seth over onto his back. "I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance. My men and I took it easy on you, Seth."

  "You tortured me!"

  "I toyed with you," the abomination chuckled. "You have no idea what real torture is...but you will. I'll keep you alive long enough to watch everyone around you die as painfully as I can manage."

  A boot pressed against Seth's throat. He gasped for air, struggling beneath the strength of Octavius. Black spots swam in his vision. Caleb called out to him, but his brother was quickly swarmed by the Reckoning. Seth watched as Caleb notched arrows back and fired them at the rebels. Rina fought beside her mate, but they were losing...everyone was losing. Balor slashed with his claws as he fought back to back with Giddeon. Bear shifters chased down the Reckoning, but they were outnumbered. Flames licked at the tapestries that hung from the banisters.

  "Take Madeu…"

  Octavius threw his head back and laughed. "You think I came for him? I want the key!"

  "It's gone."

  "Lies."

  Seth rammed his fist against the back of Octavius's knee, dislodging the foot on his throat. He wobbled to his feet and flexed his fingers. Every inch of his body ached. "Atë's key is dangerous. It would only bring you more suffering."

  "I am no stranger t
o suffering." Octavius lunged for Seth but missed. Picked up a chunk of stone and bashed Octavius in the head. Blood sprayed across the ground, staining the scorched earth in scarlet liquid. Seth dove behind the guards and crawled inside of the castle. He used the door to pull himself up before limping into the throne room. The doors behind him exploded into shards of wood, covering the floor in debris. Large, meaty claws reached out for him as Octavius shifted back into his true form. Seth blocked the attacks as best he could, but his body was slow to heal.

  Madeu rushed into the throne room. "You will not hurt him again!" The other Alpha gripped the enspelled collar around his neck and snapped it. Free from the enchantment, Madeu let out his Alpha roar and attacked Octavius with a fury that startled Seth. Anger and desperation hovered in the air like a thick fog. He kicked Octavius into Madeu and sidestepped another vicious swipe of claws. Madeu landed punches that left the abomination winded. The creature recovered quickly. Seth spun the sword and slid the blade across Octavius's torso. He cursed under his breath as the wound knitted itself shut a moment later. "How the fuck do we kill this thing?"

  "You're asking me?"

  "It's your pet," Seth hissed. He ignored the searing pain in his ribs and swung the sword in a deadly arch. Madeu jumped back as Octavius reared up onto his hind legs with a furious growl. Seth was knocked off of his feet. The sword flipped into the air. Madeu caught the sword before it hit the ground. Octavius ran towards Seth with murder in his eyes, but Seth evaded the blow. Octavius's head broke through the stone wall, nearly knocking himself unconscious. Dust crumbled to the floor as the enormous creature stumbled backward. Madeu plunged the sword into the abomination's shoulder and Octavius backhanded him. He pulled the sword free and tossed it aside.

  Seth summoned the strength of his ancestors and the blood of the gods that flowed through his veins. Magic sizzled along his nerves, filling him with the power of the bear without forcing the shift. Octavius snapped his jaws at Madeu and sank his teeth into his throat, clamping down so hard that the other Alpha let out a ragged scream. Seth lunged for Octavius. He felt his claws rip through the abomination's flesh as he yanked the creature off of its feet. Octavius howled as he released Madeu. They rolled across the floor in a heap of limbs. Seth pounded his fists into Octavius's face until the abomination became a man once more. The sound of a gun cocking echoed in Seth's ears. He jumped back, and the bullet grazed his arm before hitting Madeu in the side. Seth kicked the gun out of Octavius's grip. The firearm rattled across the floor until it hit the base of the throne. Octavius bellowed out in rage, "I'll kill you all!" The punch that hit Seth's jaw caused his ears to ring painfully. He ducked in time to avoid the second blow and rammed his knee into Octavius's stomach. Octavius buckled under the pain but landed a swift hit to Seth's chest. Real fear finally entered the man's gaze, and he attacked Seth with a blind fury.