THE MORNING AFTER Q left, Psyche woke up with a hole in her heart she’d never experienced before. She was used to waking up without him, but this was not a normal day. She knew he wasn’t coming back. Tonight, he wouldn’t come into their bedroom, take her in his arms and love the world away.

No. She would be alone, and she couldn’t stand it. So far, he hadn’t returned her text messages, and she needed a plan.

She spent the next few days trying to get Pierce to reach out to Q, but he didn’t seem to be having any more luck than she was. There were no hints as to his whereabouts on social channels, but she refused to give up.

As intimidating as it was she knew she was going to have to reach out to Q’s family.

“Pierce, I need you to get word to Q’s mother. Tell her I can’t find him, and that I need to speak with her.”

Pierce raised an eyebrow, but agreed. “Yes, Madame. Right away.”

After she got dressed, she spent the next few hours pacing the floor, waiting for word from Q’s mother.

Finally, Pierce came back and said, “I have spoken with her, and Venus has requested you be teleported to her domain. The invitation is for one hour from now.”

Something inside her stomach turned over. Venus?

Then it made sense. Of course. Q was short for Cupid, and he would be a stunningly handsome man because his mother was the goddess of love. The most beautiful woman in all creation. Was that why he hadn’t wanted her to see him? He hadn’t wanted her to know he was a god?

It didn’t make much sense.

Her mind shifted to Venus. Having her for a mother-in-law was extremely intimidating.

But Psyche told herself Venus would want her son to be happy. That was something all mothers wanted for their children, wasn’t it? Perhaps she could get Aphrodite’s assistance in locating Q and maybe she could help him understand her side of things.

In the meantime, she went back to her dressing room to make sure her makeup was applied as professionally as possible. After all she would be meeting the goddess of love and beauty—her mother-in-law—a time when you really wanted to look your best. Pleased with her appearance, she walked back downstairs and told Pierce she was ready.

“Stand over here, Madame, and I shall send you off.”

Only the very wealthy were equipped for teleporting and Psyche had only done it a few times before. The trips were slightly bumpy, and it was always a little unnerving when you arrived in a location completely different from where you were only moments prior. In the past it had given her a little motion sickness. She prayed that wouldn’t happen this time.

“Wish me luck, Pierce.”

“Good luck, Madame. Have a nice trip.”

With a boom and a flash, Psyche was moving, and it felt like she was traveling through a black hole, being vacuumed into space.

A moment later she stood in a marble hallway, adorned with golden archways, the walls lined with elaborate paintings housed in jeweled frames.

“Hello?” Psyche called, her voice echoing through the cavernous space.

Out of nowhere a handsome young man wearing only a pair of shorts and sandals appeared. He was in excellent physical condition, but his attitude was flippant.

“Follow me,” he said with a bored expression.

Psyche saw no alternative other than to follow him.

After what seemed like a mile, they finally came to the end of the room where a stunningly gorgeous woman sat upon a throne constructed of amethyst crystals. An entourage of beautiful men, each more attractive than the one next to him, milled around, catering to her whims.

“Here you are. You must be the ‘famous’ Psyche,” the goddess said with enough snark that Psyche couldn’t possible miss the jab. Venus had large brown eyes and dark hair that flowed past her waist. Everything about her was exaggerated—her lips, breasts, hips, derriere—they were all plump and sensuous. She wore an emerald colored gown that showed off her enticing figure which was accentuated by a tiny waist and well-toned biceps.

“Yes, I am,” Psyche responded. “Thank you for seeing me. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

The goddess rose from her perch and strode towards Psyche. “Of course. My son should have brought you to me weeks ago. Instead, he’s been hiding you like a dirty little secret.” She touched a perfectly manicured nail to her cheek pensively. “That is something I do not approve of, and I’m sure you don’t appreciate.”

When Psyche said nothing, Venus continued. “My dear, you can’t imagine the stress it has caused me—my son treating me this way—keeping his bride a secret from me. I’m sure this wasn’t your idea—the secrecy—or was it?”

“No! Of course not. I would have loved to have met you. But Q, well, he has certain rules, and I felt it was my duty as his wife to abide by them.”

Venus laughed, a melodious sound that charmed all of her attendants. “Q? Did you hear that boys, isn’t that cute? She calls my boy Q, short for Cupid.”

They looked at her with fresh appreciation as though that was the most delightful thing they’d ever heard. “Ah. Perhaps he is ashamed of you. I’m not sure why he would be, but that doesn’t sound like him—hiding things from his mother. There must be something terribly wrong between the pair of you.”

Suddenly, Psyche felt overwhelmed and began to sob. She tried to be brave and go find Venus in the hopes that she would be able to help, but now it seemed like things with Cupid were worse than she originally thought.

She thought that they loved each other, and that the only problem was that she betrayed his trust by breaking his rule of not looking at him. It never occurred to her that he was hiding her as though she were something he was ashamed of. Maybe he didn’t love her the way she thought he did.

Venus wrapped her arms around Psyche and patted her back. “There, there, dear. Everything will be fine. I will help you.”

“You will?” She looked up at Venus with the first glimmer of hope she’d had since Cupid left her.

“There is something I need you to do for me. That is if you don’t mind, my dear sweet daughter-in-law.”

Psyche clasped her hands together, pleading with the goddess. “Anything. If there’s anything I can do . . .”

Venus took a step away and began to pace the floor. “I would not admit this to many people, but seeing as you are family now . . . I have to tell you—I’ve been so stressed lately at my son’s mistreatment of me, that I’ve lost some of my beauty.”

Psyche’s eyes widened. Surely this woman could never have been more beautiful than she was at this moment. “That can’t be. Goddess. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Venus shrugged with false modesty. “It is true, though. But you can help me. You see, there is a serum that Persephone in the underworld has. And I need it to be able to restore the beauty I’ve lost.”

Turning, Venus says, “Retrieving it for me is a dangerous mission and something I would normally never ask of a close member of my family, but seeing as you and Cupid were the cause of my distress . . . and since you say you don’t mind, I would appreciate it so much if you would do that for me, Psyche. In exchange, I’d be happy to put in a word for you with my son. Such a foolish boy, he is sometimes.”

Psyche steeled herself. “Tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.”