I reach my hand out, but the spot next to me is empty and cold. I open my eyes and look around, but Kas isn’t in bed. Mixed in with the sounds of the apartment, I hear her in her little lab shuffling things around. I fall back and pull her pillow to my face. The fresh rain and lilac scent infused in it makes me sigh. A comforting feeling washes over me as her scent brings back dozens of memories. “My mate is working on the portal.” Saint says. “Go ask her about this whole ‘next life’ thing. I gotta know.”“YOUR mate?” I groan and rub my face. Kas’s scent lingers on me. The thought of the look in her eyes when she was licking my hand makes me grin. “Can I get a shower first? I want to know too, but I can’t walk around smelling like sex, bro.”“Fine. Make it quick.” Saint grumbles. “Stupid human hygiene. And yeah, she is my mate. I’m not the one who broke the mate bond, dummy. If you want her to be your mate, you need to fix it.”“I can’t just fix it, Saint. It’s not that simple.” I si
“You okay, Baby?” I whisper in Kas’s ear as I trudge through the portal. Her grip on me is getting looser with each step.“There’s no more magic to keep my strength up.” She says with a strained voice. I grip her tighter and keep trudging through the portal toward the tiny speck of light at the other end. Each step feels like walking through thick molasses.“I’ve got you.” I lean in and try to move faster. “We’re almost home.”Falling out of a portal is easy. Protecting your mate as you fall, that’s the hard part. The end of the portal goes from a pinpoint of light to a gaping hole that sucks me in before I can brace myself. As we fall, I twist to land on my back, but there’s no “This Way Up” sign inside a portal. I fall at an awkward angle and land on my side. My shoulder hits the hard ground with a painful snap. I feel my clavicle cave under my weight, making me instantly nauseous. Kas lets go of me, but her leg wrapped around my waist makes a sickly pop when it gets trapped between
Kas’s POV Maya and Dre are sleeping soundly against me. At some point in the night, I rolled onto my side to snuggle with them. I don’t feel Bronx next to me anymore. I turn my head as far as I can and see him having a quiet conversation on his cell phone while he paces the floor. It sounds like a business call, so I let him be. I turn my attention back to my pups. Dre’s dark hair is getting in his eyes. It’s almost time for a haircut. Maya refuses to let us cut her hair. Most days she fights us to brush it, but Diane and I try our best to distract her to comb through it during bath time. When Bronx sees me awake, he comes over to give me a kiss on the cheek. He puts the phone on mute and smiles at me with the babies. “Sorry, Baby. Talking to lawyers about Santoro Enterprises. When I’m done, we’ll go downstairs so the doctor and Jorge can give you a check-up. Diane and Marybeth are outside waiting outside to watch the twins.” Before he goes back to his call, he takes a picture of th
“I knew you were smart. I didn’t know you were a kataraménos [damned] genius, Iokaste.” Hephaestus leans back in his chair and chuckles. I look over and see his dark eyes twinkle at my plan.“So you can make it happen?” I smirk at the compliment. “She broke our deal. So now there’s nothing stopping us from going on the offensive.”“Hmm. Yes, is this what you’re thinking?” He pulls a small shiny metal top out of his pocket and spins it on the table. A spotlight emanates from the toy, creating a 3-D screen. We all watch in awe as Heph reaches into the beam of light, creating bright lines with his fingers, bending and manipulating them until he has a sketch of what I described to the team.“Heph, that is exactly what I had in mind.” My eyes light up at the realistic diagram.“I’ll need to go do some… uh… maintenance… to make it happen, but yes.” He muses with his thick Greek accent. “In the meantime, you work on your fighting skills. Do you prefer a long sword or Claymore?”“Arnie? You’r
“So, Kas, before we get to the fun stuff, do you mind if we discuss some more serious things?” Dolly Driscoll shuffles her notecards, but she and I discussed the questions she was going to ask before the show started.“Of course, Dolly.” I fold my hands on my lap and smile.“When I spoke to you over the phone last year, you opened up and told us you grew up in a pretty dangerous environment and that was a big part of what inspired you to create the Goddess Foundation. Can you tell us a little more about what growing up was like for you?”“So, um, growing up was weird, to say the least. My adoptive parents were verbally and physically abusive. I won’t get into those details, but they forced me to live in an unheated room in the unfinished basement that was the size of a small jail cell. When I was sixteen, they pulled me out of school to become the family cook and housekeeper. So, basically, I was an indentured servant.”“Didn’t you know that was wrong? It’s not normal for people to tr
“Kas Mason hit up a local fitness center this morning in hot pink leggings and a matching sports bra. It’s so exciting to see her hopping around L.A. on her promotional tour. She fits in really well here.” The blonde gossip reporter gives the camera a big fake smile. “So true, Casey. Everyone who’s encountered her has had nothing but good things to say. According to patrons at the gym, she stayed low key and was no nonsense, getting in a full workout with no fuss. They also claimed that they noticed her limping, but she didn’t use her cane in the gym, and her security guard was also her personal trainer.” The man next to her has an olive skin tone like Bronx, but his teeth are unnaturally white. “Apparently, Kas knows her way around the free weights. She bench pressed almost two hundred pounds with ease. Who knew our beloved Kas was such a powerhouse?” “That’s impressive for such a petite woman, Mark. An inside source tells us Bronx was busy with business meetings and didn’t have ti
“Kas, we have a few surprises for you today. I hope that’s okay?” Ramona Bright, the celebrity chef turned daytime television host, hops on her toes next to me. Her audience claps and cheers at her excitement.“Um, I guess?” I look at the production man next to the camera. Butterflies rage inside my stomach. We hadn’t discussed what I would do other than helping Ramona make a recipe while we talked about the magazine article and Goddess Foundation. The man motions for me to look at the audience and smile.I force a smile and look for something to calm the anxiety. Bronx is sitting in the front row with Diane and the twins. I can already see Maya getting fussy, but Diane is tempting her with gummy fruit snacks. Dre seems to be content looking around at the clapping people as long as Bronx is holding him.“Only pleasant surprises around here, honey.” She laughs and clears her throat. “So, we all know you’re here to talk about your new charity and the article coming out in the September
In the morning, Psyche, Eros, and Hedone stop by our suite to eat breakfast with us. Bronx is distracted with Reggie, Milo, and Tyree, making sure security meets their stringent requirements for us to attend the concert. Eros offers to help them and wanders to the desk on the other side of the room.“Kas, would you and your girl gang like to come to my club after the concert?” Hedone gives part of her biscuit to Maya.“We’re going OUT! No boys allowed. Girls only.” Lex jumps around in my mind. “If you don’t wear a sexy dress, I’m gonna kill you, Kas.”“A nightclub?” I look at her skeptically.“Mmm hmm. Don’t let my appearance fool you, Kas. I only look young and beautiful. I’m thousands of years older than you. It’s just, you know… Goddess of Pleasure and Enjoyment. I kinda won the genetic lottery.” She leans her chin on her hand and scrunches her nose. “So I own a bunch of clubs. We have a lot of non-human clientele. L.A. and Miami are my biggest money makers. Now Tyree’s mate is hel
TWO YEARS LATER “There’s no way this is it, Lex.” I stare at the ancient temple. “This is what we’ve been looking for, for almost two years, and it’s abandoned. Leticia must have had the wrong coordinates.” “Well, Zeus doesn’t like people looking for them.” She huffs at me. “If you want their help, have faith and believe that you’ll find them. I recommend closing your eyes and fixing your damned mindset, Kas. That’s the only way we are going to get home.” Leticia was released from the Waiting Room about six months after she and Aphrodite were sent there. After a while, she realized she didn’t need to use dark magic against the Goddess of Love. When her thirty days were up, she got to leave, but Aphrodite is still trapped there. The Menae have tried to counsel her on what she needs to do to escape, but she refuses to comply. We used Leticia’s informants and connections to find out where The Fates reside in hopes of helping change Bianca Beryl’s thread. It’s an outside chance, but M
“Hey Little Sister, I got a little somethin’ for ya.” Milo’s hand pushes past the door of my office with a plate containing an omelet, sausage, toast, and a pastry. “Can I come in?” “Of course you can.” I lean back in my seat and smile, secretly grateful for the interruption. “Mrs. Miller is worried that you’re not eating enough.” He sets the plate and silverware rolled in a napkin on my desk followed by a cup of coffee. “Are you doing okay?” “I won’t lie to you, Milo, so…” I press my lips together and look around the office. “No, I’m not okay. It’s been almost three weeks and still no word from Bronx. I have no clue when he’ll be back and there’s literally nothing I can do about it. Maya and Dre keep asking about him. The last time they saw him he was fighting the Minotaur, then he disappeared into a portal wearing his boxers and your tac vest. I can tell Tavi misses him, too. I’ve been letting her sleep with one of his shirts, so at least she has his scent with her, but… do you k
“Kas, pacing a hole in the floor won’t help.” Lex jumps in front of me, blocking my way. “You heard Mother. We need to be patient. Why don’t you sit down and eat something?”“Is food all you think about, Lex?” I drop my shoulders and try to step around her, but she side steps, to stay in front of me. “It’s been hours. What if Zeus put Bronx in Tartarus or something?”“Kas, I love you, but you’re driving me nuts.” She pulls on the edge of my nightgown to the small table. “No news is good news. Now sit. Eat.”The table has a delicious spread of breakfast foods and pastries. None of it looks like it will take the knot out of my stomach. I settle for a cup of tea with a pleasant Jasmine aroma and look out the window. The enormous white horses buck and play in the field with no cares in the world. My mind wanders. I wonder what is happening to our pack right now. Who is watching our children? Does Lady Camille still have Tavi in the coven’s realm, or was she able to bring her home? Are Co
Kas’s POVThe scent of honeysuckle pulls at the edges of my mind. It reminds me of my mother. I open my eyes. Where I could be. It’s an airy room, but there are no defined walls. I see low backed, ornately decorated chairs surrounding a small table with a teapot and fine china cups. There is a wide window on my left. The window is open, letting the honeysuckle scent in on a gentle breeze. Outside, there is a meadow with a few olive trees and large white horses grazing. Coffee and dark chocolate overtake the honeysuckle, making me smile. I roll on my side in the silky white sheets. Bronx is sitting on the floor with his back against the bed. He is pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed. A lit cigarette rests between his fingers. I watch a fine stream of smoke rise from the tip. It leaves the burnt tobacco aroma I thought he left behind years ago.“Please don’t be mad, Baby. I just needed this one.” He whispers without looking at me before he takes a long drag from the ci
When I don’t go for an immediate attack, Ares gives me a stupid smile and rolls his shoulders. “Ready to submit, Child of Perses?” “Yeah, I don’t go down that easily, you stupid fuck.” I give him a dry laugh and swing the sword around, letting its weight settle into my hand. I don’t care how desperate things may seem. He won’t get the reaction he wants out of me. I’ll go down fighting.This time Ares half runs, half hobbles at me. I roll to the side to protect my injured shoulder, but he lunges and grabs me by the armpit, digging his thumb deep into the open wound and squeezes hard.I use a jiu jitsu throw Kas has successfully used on me by planting my foot and throwing him over my hip. His ass hits the ground, shaking the throne room. Glass shards shower us from the ceiling, slicing into my skin.Ignore the pain. Ignore the pain.I let my body weight drop into a roll, giving us enough momentum for me to land on top of him. It’s a short-lived achievement. He throws his elbow out and
Ares is standing between me and Kas. I listen long enough to make sure her heart is still beating while I assess the room. Not that it matters. I’m going to destroy him, whether she’s breathing or not. His mouth is full of blood, and the inside of his knee is deeply bruised. I don’t know what Kas did to his mouth or how she could reach that high, but she was trying to take his leg out. He doesn’t seem in a hurry to come to me, so he must be in pain. That’s my girl.“Bingo.” Saint hisses at the realization that our target is already injured. He pushes forward, heightening all my senses. “Are you ready to break a kneecap?”“Give me a second.” I continue looking around. “He’s got at least seventy pounds on us. He’s definitely injured or he would have already attacked first, but I still need to check the room.”The Menae’s barrier is still in place - Ares can’t escape. Broken marble - potential weapons. A section of Aphrodite’s whip - another potential weapon. Puddles of dark blood - sli
The beast’s roar pierces my ears. My muscles strain to keep the door closed while it pushes from the outside. Saint extends his claws from my toes to dig into the floor still slippery with Sondi’s blood. “Saint, I need all your strength.” I grit my teeth and brace myself as the Minotaur slams its body weight against the door.“YOU ALREADY HAVE IT!” He growls. “You think I want that thing getting in here?!”The growling and howls from the other two cells remind me I’m not just fighting for my life and the lives of our packs pups. I’m fighting for our whole pack. “HOLD THE LINE!” I scream out loud. No one answers, but I don’t need them to. I just need them to know that I’m still with them.“Bronx, we’re through the portal.” Milo finally comes through. “We’re on the way.”“We’re under attack!” I pull my head back as the Minotaur tries to push his horns through the cell door. “The entire pack is here. MOVE!”“Get some kids to pull their trackers off.” Reggie sounds out of breath. “It wi
“Aphrodite, let them go.” I growl at the screen. “This is your last warning.”Aphrodite throws her head back and laughs. The sound pierces my ears like nails on a chalkboard. “You’re in no position to give me warnings, Demigod.” She snarls at the screen.There is a flicker and glitch in the feed that makes her pause. Her face darkens at the interruption. She looks beyond the screen then back into the camera, making hand motions I have seen Delilah, Leticia, and Kas use in the past. She’s using magic. Just like Kas said, she must be bad at it.“She’s using magic.” I mutter under my breath. My mind tries to connect with why it’s important, but the screaming coming from Ashley’s cell is distracting me.The feed stabilizes, and Aphrodite regains her composure. “I have control here. Iokaste and I had a deal, and she broke her promise. Now, I will destroy ALL aspects of her life and you will be participants. I’ve already sent a fun surprise to one cell. Don’t worry. There are two more surp
“Marco, I need your help.” I send him a mindlink. “Once we have the kids settled, you can get back to your pups.”“What’s up, Alpha?” He comes over and squats next to me.“We need to get the kids organized and as quiet as possible.” I lower my eyes and concentrate. “Uh, let’s see. Kids wearing a shirt under their uniform sweaters need to take the sweaters off. Figure out how many babies are here. Get them all wrapped in sweaters to keep them warm. Assign the oldest kids to take care of babies. Oldest gets the youngest until you pair everyone up. If there is an odd number, Andy is with you.”“Okay. We can do that.” He stands up to complete the assignment.“Marco, we need them to be quiet. The door opens inward. If anything in that hallway hears them, we’re sitting ducks. Tell them there’s a damn reward for the quietest or some shit.”“Got it, Alpha.” He claps my shoulder. “You help Sondi.”I watch him walk away, clapping quietly to get the children’s attention, then turn back to Sondi.