“Kas! Is it true? Les will be here tomorrow?” I turn around and see Sun charging at Maya and me. I brace myself to protect Maya from getting squished by our sister’s powerful hug. “You know what that means, right?” “Hi darling. I-I think it means Hephaestus will be here.” “Well, that but also-“ “Kas!” Lena squeals and rushes up behind Sun, joining in on the group hug. “Why are you crying?” “Oh, sorry. Maya and Dre had to get their vaccinations.” I wipe tears away and try to smile. “Maya growled at the nurse and they both cried from the shots. It made me cry too.” I feel my lip tremble just thinking about their sweet little faces when they felt the needles. Lena looks at Maya lovingly and takes her from me. “I’ll help her feel better.” She gives Maya a kiss on the forehead, letting her silver healing energy move to Maya. I breathe a sigh of relief when I feel Maya’s tension relax and she coos at Lena. “Thank you, Lena. Is everyone in the conference room? I have about half an ho
“Oh, eyes just like your daddy!” Bronx’s mom Sandy gives Dre a fat kiss on the cheek and nuzzles him. “Kas, we’re so proud of you, sweetie. I know it was a rocky start, but you have done a great job with these two so far.” “Thank you, Sandy.” I look past her and watch Bronx’s dad, Michael, making wolf faces at Maya. “I take it she looks like you did when you were little?” He looks up with a huge smile on his face. “Oh yeah. There are no pictures to compare, but same color eyes and mousey brown hair. It’s amazing to think one day those eyes will turn red and her hair dark brown, huh?” “We’re so sorry we didn’t come sooner, Kas.” Sandy rocks Dre in her arms. “After what happened with Lenora, we took some time to live in wolf form and we were just so disconnected from everything. We didn’t even know you were back until we got to Prague last week. Bronx explained it was an accident. So, if he forgives you, we do too.” “It’s okay, Sandy.” I consider how to answer her. “I’m just glad y
Another knock at the door interrupts Lady Camille and Delilah while they explain the complexities of suppressing the dark magic. Bronx excuses himself and answers the door. We all stop and turn when he bursts out laughing in the doorway.“Codi girl, what are you wearing?” Bronx laughs harder when he raises her high in the air. “Uncle Bonx! Codi a weretiger like Swagga!” She is wearing a winter beanie hat, orange with black stripes and cat ears sewn on top. Her shirt is neon green with a jack-o’-lantern face and her leggings are hot pink. I chuckle at the ballet slippers that finish her chaotic look.“Leticia bought her the hat.” Klay stands quietly in the doorway with his hands clasped in front of him and watches them. “Beta Milo had to take care of a few security matters for tomorrow’s ceremony. He asked me to escort Miss Codi to visit her cousins before it’s time for the nanny to put her down for bedtime.”“Thank you, Klay. Please come in.” Bronx steps to the side and closes the do
Bronx’s POV“Hey Bronx.” Milo comes in without knocking. If it were anyone else, it would bother me. Things have calmed down between us, so I let it go. “I need a huge favor.”“Of course. What’s up?” I sit back in my seat.“I have a thousand things to do for tonight. Can you please take Codi to get her a dress? She’s Hell bent on a white one like Kas has.” He looks worn out. I wonder if I could convince him to take time off. “Ashley already called the kids’ boutique and they have a few, but Codi needs to try them on. It’s the place Lenora always took her, so Codi knows the owner. Nice lady. She can help Codi change and all that. I would do it, but I just don’t have time.”I look down at the to-do list Carly left me. It doesn’t matter. I can squeeze in time with my niece.“Sure, but I’m taking your truck.” “Deal. You’re a lifesaver.” Milo looks relieved. “Klay will go with you. Oh, and she’s going to want a cupcake from the bakery.”“Cupcake. Got it.”“No juice. Just milk or water. Th
“Get up.” Saint pulls me back from a dreamless sleep. “We have to get out of here, Bronx. Get up.”I inhale a sharp breath. The scent of astringent burns my nose. It makes me groan and forces my eyes open. I’m in the hospital, but it doesn’t smell like Blood River.“Saint? Which hospital is this?” I reach up to rub my eyes, but pain shoots down my arm. I look down at the sling, keeping it in place. “The photographer shot me?”“Yeah. Now we’re in a human hospital.” He sounds calm, but is not willing to sit around any longer. “We have to get out of here.”“Human hospital.” I try to recall what happened. My heart skips when I remember the details. “Codi.”Time to move. I have to get out of here and find Codi and Klay. I ignore the pain and sit up. Wires and tubes stick out from my skin. I pull them out and slide off the bed. When my feet touch the floor, I feel myself wobble, so I lean against the side of the bed.“Saint, give me an assessment.”“Forty cal to the shoulder. Nicked artery,
When I get to the second floor landing, most of the Menae are heading out to the backyard for the ceremony.“Bronx, what are you wearing? That won’t work.” Sun stops and looks at me like I’m dressed in a chicken suit or something. She’s only wearing a simple cotton dress, but it’s an olive green instead of the natural fabric she usually wears. “Should I ditch the tie?” The women walking with her are in similar plain dresses of varying colors and styles. Even the Maven, who always pride themselves on dressing in the most current fashions, are in simple pink flowy dresses. “Bronx, why are you in a monkey suit?” Ayrelles laughs as she approaches. She isn’t in her signature all black form fitting clothing either. Her light blue dress only has one shoulder, exposing a tattoo usually hidden by her high neck tank tops that is an exact half-size replica of the rose and dagger tattoo Lenora had on her forearm. I feel my mouth drop slightly. How is that possible?“I… didn’t know you...” I fee
I look back at the Menae. A soft golden glow engulfs the outside of their circle, spiraling inward. The light creates a gentle, strobing effect that matches the cadence of their song. As curls its way toward the center, goes to the center, it turns red, then silver, then blue, and finally violet. The alluring lights grow brighter and seem to dance in a spiraling pattern around the women.The women sing like they’re a practiced choir. At the center of the circle, their collective energy creates a white light around Kas. It gets brighter by the second, until it’s impossible to see her. The floating crown shines black with deep purple flames, brighter than the energy Menae release. Five jets of jewel toned fire rise out of the spires high into the night sky. As they touch the crystalline bubble, they expand and turn into spotlights. The spotlights extend to the clouds, breaking them apart like they are nothing more than a simple vapor. The crowd gasps, then claps and cheers at the specta
“Good Morning Alpha!” Diane comes into the apartment with a happy sing-song tone. “Oh, someone’s not thrilled this morning.”“Yeah, how long does teething last again?” I say over Dre’s wailing cries. “I tried everything you told me. He’s been up almost all night.”Diane goes to the kitchen, washes up, then comes back and takes Dre from me. She sits him on her lap, takes her pinky finger, sticks the tip in his mouth and moves it around until she finds the tooth causing his discomfort. She hums a soft tune until he stops wailing and just sniffles at her.“Wh-what did you do?” I look at her in awe.“Just a little pressure on that tooth. Helps ease the pain for a few minutes. Lena showed me how to do it last night. My little Mandi is teething, too. You should see Jordan. He worries about her so much and he already has healer instincts even though he can’t heal her yet. He puts his hands on her cheeks and coos at her.” She puts Dre against her shoulder and rocks him while she pats him on t
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.