Chapter 9
Fólkvangr, Falls of the Dead – Thule
Pothos retracted his wings, bracing the bulk of his weight on his forearms as he lay above his sleeping female. It felt too damned good cradled between her smooth thighs. His breathing had finally eased, but he couldn’t seem to move from her. There was something about listening to her soft inhalations that both calmed and enthralled him.
She was a drug.
He stifled a groan when his cock twitched inside her warmth. Shaking his head, he gently slid from her body to settle at her side. There really wasn’t enough space on the lounge, but he scrunched his bulk against her hip, letting his feet dangle off the end. He wasn’t ready to leave her yet. This was the first time he’d actually been able to look his fill without lust and a thread of vigilance battling it out inside him. The frenzy had turned him into a damned wild animal.
A quick check on his Guardian links told him that his father and the others were in Tetartos Realm, and he exhaled in relief. He could take a few minutes to himself; this female was his. It’d all happened so damned fast and he knew they’d have hell to pay, but he deserved this incredibly rare moment of calm. That didn’t stop him from mentally tracking his link to her. It seemed stronger. Brighter. He frowned as he saw two gold threads, bonds that connected where? To who?
The cats?
That seemed right; in fact, he swore he even heard purring. A deeper look gave him a location for the beasts. They weren’t in Earth Realm anymore, which P took as a good sign. He quickly built a block to his thoughts, knowing his brothers had all been telepathically wide open when the mating frenzy started. There would be no blocking the telepathic conversations that came in, she’d eventually hear those communications, but his private thoughts could at least be locked away. That was if his bond with her progressed the same as other matings.
Everything felt so damned clear, crisp and contained. The power pumping through his veins was new and vaguely foreign, but it was there, just beneath the surface, waiting for him to wield it.
He’d need to figure it all out, but not now. Enjoying this quiet peace with his female was a first for him. A mating was special in their world, and he’d truly doubted he’d ever find such a gift.
And at any moment the tensions between their worlds would come crashing down on them. He mentally groaned. Their situation wouldn’t have been simple even if her world hadn’t taken one of their Gods and then attempted to abduct his father. There was nothing easy or ideal about any of it. By all accounts, they should be enemies. Maybe they were. As matings went, this was the most fucked of them all. There was no way any of this would be simple.
He glanced away. The clouds had already dissipated, allowing streaks of sunlight to break through the brilliant green canopy. Huge flowers of red, purple and blue brought a fairytale kind of beauty to the forest around them. Between the branches he could see the pale slivers of two moons in the now cloudless blue skies, more evidence that this wasn’t where he belonged.
Or was he?
That was the million-dollar question. He’d barely learned of the fact that he was born of two worlds, but, nevertheless, his family was his true home. Though neither of them had asked for it, she was now a part of that family.
Yeah, fucked didn’t quite cover it.
He inhaled the sweet smell of rain in the trees and on their skin. It mixed with the scent of sex and sweet female. He still tasted her on his lips and wanted more. More mindless pleasure. No thoughts of war and imprisoned Gods. Just them.
He was a Guardian, though, and was incapable of shutting off duty for long. Not when his family was involved, whether they were safe in Tetartos or not. He took a breath and sent a message to both his father and Drake. What happened at the lake? Is everyone okay?
Yes. We just briefed the others, Drake answered. Are you okay?
He was vaguely surprised that Hades hadn’t interrupted him having sex, because he would almost guarantee his father had stalked his location when they’d left the lake. That meant P either hadn’t heard the call, or he had Sacha to thank for keeping his father under control. His money was on Sacha.
I’m fine.
Where are you? his father demanded.
Hades wasn’t going to be happy with the confirmation he was asking for. We’re still in Fólkvangr. P trailed a thumb over her soft cheek, moving the wet strands of hair away from her skin as he listened to his father curse and demand to know what had happened. His palm cradled her face when she turned into his touch.
She mumbled something incoherent and then rubbed her skin beneath his hand before letting her head fall into his hold. He smiled at the trusting action. Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard between them. They had some trust beneath it all, and Gefn had tried to stop her brother from warring with his family.
P answered calmly, I couldn’t teleport her out. There is something confining the Realm, which goes with what the priestesses said about not being able to bring anyone here. It was odd that Thule’s Realm of Souls had protection. Earth’s Heaven and Hell versions didn’t have anything confining them.
A flicker of sunlight reflected off something in her hair. The clasps he’d seen holding the heavy strands back. At closer inspection he saw that the one facing him was in the shape of a single wing. His lips curved at the irony of her choice, but he couldn’t imagine they were comfortable for her. With a breath of power he unclipped them both before sending them to sit on the pile of her clothes.
But you can leave? His father’s tone held a hint of exasperation mixed with relief.
Yes, he gritted out, knowing where his father was going. I’m not leaving her here.
Just the thought of doing that, abandoning her, made his jaw tense. He wouldn’t leave her to feel stranded and trapped, especially not when he’d been responsible for taking her there in the first fucking place.
Add that to the fact that some deep-seated part of him hated the idea of being separated from her at all. He shook his head. The lust he understood, the protective instincts, but it probably wasn’t normal or sane to have this much affection for a female he didn’t know. Maybe it had to do with the fact that they’d both been thrown into this chaos together.
He moved to stretch his legs only to have her entire body turn into his. When her head snuggled into his chest, he stilled, his hand suspended in the air for a few beats before he let it rest on her hip. He leaned down and kissed her head before he could think about it. She felt good. They felt good.
Touch was something he’d rarely engaged in because his power to enthrall had always been barely leashed, keeping him at a distance from even those he cared about. It had always been smarter to stay in the shadows when small doses of power slipped free, always drawing others in.
His father sighed in obvious frustration. Where is she now?
With me. Sleeping.
His cock twitched, reminding him that the frenzy was still there. Need for her was already building again, because this was only a short reprieve. They were effectively screwed. Pun intended, he thought sardonically. At least until they finished the bond.
He added to his silent father, When she wakes, we’ll see if she has enough of my power to leave with me. The words were meant to ease Hades, because P had a bad feeling that it wouldn’t work, at least not until they were fully bonded. The spell confining this place was powerful.
It could very well be that she’d need his priestess mother’s blood through a blood bond. That was one of the stages in a traditional mating ceremony. One of many steps he’d have to eventually explain, though he’d been hoping to skip that one. His father hadn’t needed a blood bond to finish the soul connection that bound his father to Sacha for eternity. But that was Hades; he was literally the God of fucking soul abilities. P might be able to see a soul when he chose to look beneath the surface, but he’d never been able to concentrate power to manipulate a life force as a weapon, and he sure as hell hadn’t ever been able to completely tear the essence from a body.
His female rubbed her forehead on his chest before tucking her hands under her face. He stared down at her before manipulating the air to softly dry her skin and hair like he should have done before. She made a small purr-like snore a second later, and his lips twitched.
His father was silent, and P could almost feel the male’s mind churning with distrust of P’s Goddess. Have you gained any of her power?
Yes, and it’s strong. I also feel her connection to the cats. Now, tell me what happened at the lake?
He listened to the details of his father’s account, frowning because nothing made sense about these Gods of Thule. His eyes caught on the pool beside them. There were animal heads carved into the ancient stone; he cataloged the shapes of dragons, wolves, bears, birds and cats all spilling water from their open maws.
He took in more details of his surroundings to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. He didn’t hear or sense anyone; not even animals or insects entered the pavilion itself. The closest he could tell, there were only those colorful, now chirping, birds outside the temple area.
He and his female were alone, unless he counted the souls in the falls and the statues of females with dresses made of ivy. He couldn’t see the brilliant lights of the spirits from their location, but he could feel the magic of this place.
His father finally came to the end of his story… and then the bastard left.
At least a few things were positive, and P pointed some of that out. At least Gefn warned us that Hroarr was powerful enough to break the beasts’ hold. She hadn’t needed to, but he’d truly felt her desire to stop any problems between their worlds. The other interesting part of his father’s detailed account was that Gefn’s brother hadn’t attacked or tried to harm Hades or the others when he’d had the upper hand. Third, the priestesses had done their part in getting Hroarr and the cats from Earth, though his father hadn’t known what they’d said to Hroarr to motivate him to return to Thule. They were all positives in the way of finding some kind of tentative truce between the worlds.
When did they leave?
About half an hour ago.
No one has come here. And he had a feeling if Hroarr could access this place, he would have. P was a little surprised that he hadn’t sent the priestesses back to check on Gefn. They had to be trusting his female’s beasts to keep a mental watch on her through the bonds he’d seen. That was what she’d told them to do, not that P had expected them to obey. Not with how concerned they’d been when they left.
And if Hroarr is playing it straight, we’ll have Apollo put back in a fucking box soon. He could hope.
Hades growled, Not until I’m done with him.
P understood his father’s need for the God’s blood. Apollo had done some horrible things in his time, and Sacha had been one of the victims of the bastard’s experimentation to breed the perfect army all those millennia ago.
His female murmured something incoherent again, and he looked down at her closed eyes.
Once Gefn wakes up, I’ll ask her more about her brothers and why they took Apollo in the first place.
His father paused. Fine.
Drake hadn’t spoken much, no doubt waiting for Hades to finish his tirade, but P closed the link with his father, and they were on a private connection now. Are you okay?
I am, P assured the dragon.
Sirena wants blood tests from you both.
I think we’re past that point. I’m not sure we’ll have a choice but to go through the steps. He paused. I’m half Thulian, so that has to mean something, and biologically Hades was compatible enough with my mother to have me. I also doubt that those cats would have encouraged this match if they thought it would hurt her.
True, but they may not care if it hurts you, the dragon growled.
He nodded. If I can get Gefn out of here, I’ll get samples for Sirena to check.
Good. Sirena worries. Hell, I worry with you in another fucking world, the dragon ground out.
I know. Is everything else okay? He now felt guilty for not adding Sirena on this call.
Alyssa’s baby blew another wall out of the manor. Drake sounded tense as he relayed the details behind those staggering words. Something his father hadn’t shared in his tale.
Fucking hell, but Alyssa and the babe are safe and healthy? And Gregoire?
He could feel the dragon’s frustration and concern through the bond when he added, Gregoire is out of his mind with worry for them both. Era and I were just there with them.
P shook his head. Alyssa and the baby needed to be safe. Gregoire would lose his mind, they all would if something happened to the first Guardian child. That little girl was a gift to them all.
All we can do is watch. Sirena won’t leave their side until the baby comes. We have months, which seems like fucking nothing, the dragon bit out. For now we need information from your female before your pigheaded father attempts to exchange Kara for Apollo.
You’re really letting him go alone, P snapped, not believing that for a second, no matter that his father’s reasoning made sense. Hades thought he was fucking invincible. Hell, maybe he was.
Fuck no, but I don’t waste breath arguing with your father. I will take care of it.
P’s lips curved. Having his father awakened after all the thousands of years the God had spent in stasis ended up being a full-time job. One P’d taken as personal penance for his part in the Creators sending all the Gods to sleep. It hadn’t mattered that he’d rallied for his father’s freedom, the Creators hadn’t allowed any of the Gods to stay awake. That guilt had always followed P, and he knew the same went for Drake because the dragon’s mother and father, Aphrodite and Ladon, were both still asleep.
He assured Drake, I’ll figure out why they took Apollo in the first place and see if this exchange is some kind of trick.
Good. Watch your back.
P had known the second his Goddess had awakened. He’d felt her tense against him a while ago, but she hadn’t spoken, and he wanted to know what she’d do or say. It didn’t take long to know that she’d heard his mental conversation.
She was up in a flash. “Who was that in your head? He said Hroarr offered an exchange to get Kara back?”
He would trust her with as much as he could. If they didn’t talk and figure this out, they were going to get nowhere. So far she’d proven she didn’t want war. That was why he hadn’t cut off Drake when he felt her wake up. “That was Drake, my cousin and the leader of the Guardians. He was at the lake with his mate. And, yes, your brother offered an exchange.”
He didn’t like not having her in his arms. She was gloriously nude and didn’t seem to care about that as she faced him before starting to pace. Her thoughts were broadcasting to him and he tried not to feel guilty for creating a block to his own. This side effect of the mating frenzy was about to tell him all he needed to know to protect the ones he loved. The deception would let him know if he could truly trust her.
Too much was at fucking stake.