Kismet Dating Agency Box Set: Fated Mates Romance

by Haley Weir

"We had sired a new power," the God of Death retorted as if the answer had been obvious. "Demigods. Like you, we started mating with humans. Little did we know that shifters and demigods could be the perfect weapon to kill us...that they could take our place and we would fade from existence."

  "Zeus is afraid."

  "Very," Hades confirmed. "We all are. For the first time since the dawn of time, a real threat has emerged. But my daughter is no demigod. She is a goddess prophesied to rise from the ashes like a Phoenix. Atë plotted the downfall of those around her only to learn that there was someone who could stand in the way."

  "Diana."

  Nemesis nodded. "That is why she was killed before her powers could truly mature."

  A loud snort came from the window as Styx shoveled a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "The big guys upstairs think they need to choose sides in a war destined to end in their destruction because they think there's strength in numbers? Stupid."

  "If Seth and the others fight for me, can we win?" Diana asked, ignoring Styx's outburst.

  "It is possible. If you win, the Titans and the gods will be stuck in limbo until you decide who is to rule." Hades gripped Diana's arm and gestured for Seth to step closer. "If you ascend to the throne, we cannot stop you from embracing the darkness. The corruption that comes with power will be too much for you to handle."

  "Then I won't take the throne," she vowed. "Knowing that you turned it down to maintain the balance makes me proud to be your daughter. And if the gods and the Titans are put in limbo, then the war stops, and their children can finally set things right."

  "You're sure?"

  "Most of the demigods are half-human, so they'll know better than anyone how fragile mortal lives are," Diana replied. "We fight for the chance to have a better future for our children and make a world where being part human isn't seen as a weakness or crime deserving of punishment from the gods." Her gaze slid to Madeu, and Seth pulled her in for a kiss. Diana had despised his brother because Seth had been hurt by him. And yet she had the heart to forgive him just as Seth had.

  Styx clapped his hands like a giddy child. "If she's making decisions and handing out thrones, I want to keep my marsh."

  Chapter Seventeen

  Destiny Falls, Alaska

  Diana had snuck out of the castle long after Seth had fallen asleep. She walked through the forest at the base of the mountain and released a flood of magic that had been building up inside of her since she left the underworld. The expelled magic slowed like beams of glittering light. Vines crawled up the trunks of trees and sprouted scarlet spider lilies. A twig snapped, and Diana looked over her shoulder at the fanged goddess who had birthed her. "I thought I would never meet you."

  "You wouldn't have if not for your father wanting to avenge your death," Nemesis replied in an impassive tone. "Meeting me would only have led to disappointment. I was never the mother you needed, Diana. Hades had always been...emotional."

  "But you aren't?"

  "I was created to ensure balance, Diana," her mother answered. "To avenge those who have been betrayed, to punish hubris, and—”

  "Retribution and balance leave no room for love?" Diana had started to understand why her father had chosen to forget Nemesis. "You never loved Hades, did you? I was born because you wanted to use me to set the balance, to ensure that the equilibrium never faltered due to one god's actions over another."

  "Dawn of Hope or Damnation. You are the perfect balance, Diana. Hate me if you wish, but I have a duty to this world and the next."

  “You had a duty to protect your daughter and stand beside your mate,” she argued.

  “Don’t be foolish.” Nemesis spread her wings and destroyed the flowers that Diana had created. “If you fight this war with your heart exposed, you will regret it. The gods will use your mate against you, and everything you hold dear will be burned to ash as you live out the rest of your immortal life alone. Is that what you want?”

  “Seth is—”

  “Mortal, Diana. Shifters live longer than humans, but they are mortal nonetheless, and your mate will die." Nemesis interjected. "You can love him and birth a child with him, but what then?"

  Diana shook her head and moved away from her mother. Nemesis ran her down and pinned Diana against a tree with her wings. The bracelet on Nemesis's arm transformed into the branch of an apple tree. In the other hand was a satin blindfold. "Others have swords and shields or a bow, but I have these."

  "Samael descended from the gods. His sons are different than other shifters. That's why Plutus and Atë wanted their allegiance."

  "They were given powers, yes, but not immortality," Nemesis replied. "Pay attention, Diana. Why are these my weapons?"

  "I don't know!"

  "To be the Goddess of Retribution, I must be blind to all but what pertains to the crime committed," her mother explained. "You must do the same. If you remove yourself from your emotions, would you still choose to give up your place as queen?"

  "I would."

  "Why?"

  "Because it's the right thing to do!" Diana shouted. She blasted her mother with a spell and leaped away from the tree.

  "What determines that? Why are you so certain that putting demigods on Olympus is the right thing to do?"

  "Justice."

  Nemesis's eyes glowed bright enough to eclipse Diana's light. "Justice is not what you speak of...it's retribution. You want revenge against the gods for abandoning their children and toying with mortal lives. You want revenge against me for leaving you behind, letting another female take your mate, and letting Atë kill you. You think I failed you."

  "Because you did! Where was my retribution? After everything I've faced, you stayed silent." Diana sneered at her mother and adjusted her coat. "You stand there acting like you're a heartless icon of unbiased judgment, but you're not." Nemesis fell silent as the lilies sprang from the vines once more. Diana walked towards her mother and raised an accusatory finger as she continued. "You cared about me. That's why you gave me to a loving family that would raise me to value empathy. As much as you wanted to forget that you were a mother, your heart never let you."

  "I have no heart."

  Diana grabbed her mother's hand and held it over her chest. "I do. You can feel it beating. If I have a heart, then so do you. If I can love, then so can you."

  Nemesis yanked her hand back. "You were never supposed to. Hades had no right—”

  "He had every right." She shouldered her way past Nemesis and headed back the way she came. The guard at the west gate let her inside, and Diana hurried up to Seth's bedchamber. He rolled over and cracked open his eyelids the moment she stepped inside the room. "Sorry to wake you up."

  "Where did you go?"

  "To get some air," she sighed. "It was ruined by my mother. Of all the gods in Olympus, I got saddled with Nemesis. I thought being abandoned was bad...turns out walking away is harder."

  "I'm sure it was just as difficult for her." Seth pulled Diana into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "And if you feel you can't forgive her, then at least you have your father."

  "Dad wants to kill you half the time he's on the surface. Adonis was captured because he got too close to me, and now my father is blaming himself...my family needs therapy as much as yours." Diana rested her forehead against his shoulder and whined unintelligibly.

  "All families are dysfunctional in one way or another," he chuckled. "We deal with it as best as we can, and then we move on. Most of the time, moving on means making a family out of the friends we have." Seth reclined against the headboard and held her until she fell asleep in his arms.

  ~*~

  Castle Black

  Destiny Falls, Alaska

  Giddeon had called a meeting at dawn. Seth yawned as he rubbed the back of his neck. Damien and Madeu were next to enter the study, with Caleb and Balor close behind. Seth turned to Giddeon. He expected his brother to give a long, drawn-out speech about the importance of family in times of struggle, but Giddeo
n seemed to have something else in mind. For the first time in Seth's life, he saw his brother truly vulnerable. Giddeon's head was lowered, and his shoulders had slumped quite a bit. Dark circles rested under his bloodshot eyes, and he looked rather pale.

  "Casey is pregnant with our second child," Giddeon announced.

  Balor cocked his head like a curious animal. "You don't seem happy, brother."

  "No...I am not. My son is strong, and I know he will grow to be even stronger. But I can't sleep peacefully knowing that Zeus and Atë plot our demise." Giddeon ran his fingers through his short hair and sighed. "There are complications with the pregnancy. The healers believe the stress of the impending war is taking its toll on Casey. We need to put an end to the immediate threat."

  Damien crossed his arms and cleared his throat pointedly. Madeu flashed a livid glare at his mate and huffed. "I want to return to Kodiak Island. The Reckoning scattered after the failed attack, and they're leaderless. If I go to them, perhaps they can be persuaded to return to the castle...and the Sleuth," Madeu suggested. "They may have trouble believing any of us have their best interest in mind."

  "How do we convince them?"

  "Send Diana and Rina."

  Seth stood up and charged Madeu, but he stopped in time to avoid hitting his brother out of anger. He inhaled sharply and dropped his arm, unsettled by the surge of anger within him. "I'm sorry...I just...I just got Diana back. Sending her into danger is—”

  "I understand," Madeu replied. "You wish to protect your mate. But know that I wish no ill fate upon any female, much less one who will eventually be my sister. I only ask that Diana accompany Rina to show the Reckoning that the gods are on our side as well, that fighting against Zeus isn't a suicide mission."

  "No, I'll ask Hades to accompany you and Rina. Nemesis and Balor will look in the archives for any information we can use on how to trap Atë," Seth said. "Giddeon will stay with his wife and the children. Diana and I are going to Olympus with Styx."

  Giddeon straightened to his full height and shook his head. "Are you insane? They'll kill you!"

  "The gods won't even see me coming."

  "And what do you expect to do when you get there?"

  "We'll steal weapons from the armory," he replied. "Diana can get us in there, and Styx can conceal us from their senses. We'll get the Trident of Poseidon, the Spear of Ares, Medusa's head, and Athena's Sword. Caleb already has Artemis's bow, and Balor has Hermes' sandals."

  "What do you plan to do with all of these weapons?"

  Seth looked at his brothers and smiled. He clapped Giddeon on the shoulder. "We're going to battle Atë and the Titan."

  "We don't even know where they are!"

  "Damien does," Balor exclaimed. "At least he will when he tracks them down using that wolfy nose of his."

  "Then it's settled. Damien can hunt down Atë and the Titan while my mate and I team up with Styx to pull off a celestial heist in Olympus." Seth heard the sound of applause and peeked behind Giddeon's desk. Crouched in the shadows was Olivia Knight with a bag of dill pickle chips in hand and a mischievous smile on her face. "This was supposed to be a private meeting, Olivia."

  "Hey, it's not my fault that I woke up and heard a bunch of really cool evil plans."

  "They aren't evil!"

  "Fine," she snickered. "But they did sound pretty Bond villain-y from where I was sitting." Olivia brushed crumbs from her hands and sauntered out of the room casually.

  Giddeon stared down at the trail of crumbs on his carpet as if they had personally offended him. Seth followed Madeu and Damien out of the study and stopped them just outside of the dining room. "How's Eliza? Is everything settled about the baby?" he asked. Madeu's face turned red, and Damien became flustered. Seth looked between the two of them in confusion. Their reactions were suspicious, to say the least.

  "Well, we haven't exactly bonded yet…" his brother said awkwardly.

  "And?"

  "And I can't get anyone pregnant until after I've bonded with my mate." The pure humiliation on Madeu's face forced Seth to choke back his laughter.

  "You've never been with anyone, have you?" Seth inquired. He never expected a real answer, but Madeu's expression gave it away, nonetheless. "All right, all right, just breathe. I'm not trying to embarrass you two. Just do what feels natural. Your instincts will guide you through it."

  "We are NOT having this conversation."

  "Fine, if you won't talk to me, then talk to Styx. He's bedded anything with two legs or a fin, so I'm sure he can explain the logistics of it," he chuckled. "The fates put you two together for a reason. Figuring out why can be a rollercoaster, but you won't regret the ride when it's over." Seth headed back upstairs. He caught Diana as she ran into him.

  Drops of water from the shower clung to her skin and slithered down her chest, only to get lost in her cleavage. Seth traced the drops with his tongue and felt her pulse beneath his lips.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Castle Black

  Destiny Falls, Alaska

  The door slammed with a flourish of magic. Power coiled inside of her, making room for pure desire to course through her entire being. Diana shivered when Seth’s warm breath caressed her ear. Calloused palms untucked the knot in her towel and let it fall to the floor. She reached up and grabbed Seth’s shoulders, trying to remain steady on her feet as he kissed her neck with a feather-light touch. Those powerful hands gripped her hips. Diana felt the edge of the mattress against the back of her legs and Seth lifted her onto the bed. She pushed damp strands of hair from her eyes. “Did you tell them the plan?”

  “I did,” Seth answered between kisses along her clavicle. “Giddeon didn’t take it well, but the others were supportive. We’re going ahead with it anyway. I’ll need to speak with your father, though. Madeu will need his help to convince the Reckoning to fight with us.”

  “Giddeon didn’t want to do the heist?”

  “He has a lot on his mind. Casey’s pregnancy isn’t going well, so I’m sure he’s just being overly cautious. He’ll stay with the children while we’re gone.” Seth used his knees to spread her legs and settled between her thighs. “We should go in the morning, or else we risk losing the element of surprise. It’s impossible to know who our enemies are working with. There could even be spies within these walls.”

  “If we fail tomorrow…”

  “We won’t.”

  Diana sighed and flicked open the buttons of Seth’s shirt. She flattened her palms against his chest and felt his heartbeat. There was so much strength in his body, but Diana couldn’t get her mother’s words out of her head. The blood of the gods flowed through his veins, and yet he was mortal. If anything happened to him, Diana was certain her heart wouldn’t survive it. “Just...for a minute, let’s consider the possibility of failure. I don’t want to walk into danger without us being together. I’m yours, Seth. I always have been.”

  “And I’m yours.”

  “Then why haven’t you claimed me?” she asked. “I thought maybe you didn’t find me desirable, but now I’m not sure what to think.”

  He rocked his hips, and the weight of his erection rested against her femininity. “Desire is something that has never been absent between us, Diana. I’ve held back my urges because I wanted us to talk before we took that final step. But if you’re sure…”

  She grabbed him and kissed him fiercely. “I’ve always been sure.”

  “Then marry me.”

  “What?” Diana asked. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. “You want to marry me?”

  Seth nodded. He lowered himself on top of Diana, holding her tenderly. “I don’t want anything or anyone to come between us ever again. I love you, Diana. There’s no question in my mind whether I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re my best friend.”

  “I love you too.” Diana pushed Seth’s shirt off of his shoulders. The fabric pooled around his elbows until he shook his arms free. She reached for his belt and mad
e short work of unfastening the buckle. A hiss filled her ears as the leather slid from the denim. Seth groaned impatiently. He stood up long enough to kick his pants off. Diana giggled playfully and hooked her fingers in the elastic of his briefs. She tugged them down his legs before wrapping her hand around the girth of his shaft. “I want you to claim me.”

  He tossed his head back and released a moan that caused her body to tingle. She stroked him from base to tip and pressed a wet kiss to the crown of his member. Seth licked his lips and ran his fingers through her hair. Diana smiled impishly, lowered her mouth onto her mate. She loved the feeling of his velvet steel sliding past her tongue. His hands tightened into white-knuckled fists at his sides. She felt powerful as he trembled beneath her manipulations.

  “Diana…”

  Hands pushed her back onto the bed. Seth pounced on her like a beast, and she let out a fit of giggles that bubbled up. He pushed her knees up and propped her legs onto his shoulders. Diana leveraged her head up on a pillow to watch as he kissed her stomach. Seth nipped at her thighs and caressed her sides, moving lower and lower with a dark intent in his eyes. She smiled down at her mate and tried to prepare herself for the first swipe of his tongue, but nothing could have prepared her for the pleasure. “Oh god…”

  “Not quite.”

  Diana arched her back and tangled her fingers in the sheets beneath her. Seth used his thumbs to spread her open wider. She held her breath through the sensation of wet heat against her flesh. An onslaught of vibrations slid along her quivering slit, causing Diana to squirm away from Seth. He grinned wickedly and forced her hips to the mattress, pinning her down long enough to resume his place between her legs. “Using magic is unfair.”

  “Nothing that brings you pleasure is unfair in my eyes.”

  Her orgasm took her by surprise. Diana felt as if she had been hurled off of a cliff only to be caught by her mate. Every muscle in her body tensed, throbbing until a flash of release. Energy flowed between them like a live current of electricity. Seth kissed his way up her body. Diana gripped his erection and placed him at her entrance. The intensity in Seth’s gaze as he pushed inside of her was filled with an overwhelming abundance of emotion. Her hands clutched his back as a burning stretch spread along her channel. Diana breathed deeply, willing her body to accept him as her lover. Seth braced himself on his forearms and rocked his hips.