Kyra-“Is it true?” Artemis’s gleeful voice sounded from behind us. “Is Caleb really dead?”Twisting my body to look at Artemis, I sucked in a sharp breath. Not because she suddenly appeared, but because if Caleb were going to wake up, it would be any minute. Since Zeus had left so long ago, I didn’t think Artemis would arrive to see for himself.I had already concluded that the plan wasn’t going to work and began trying to think of another solution. At least now I had calmed down enough and realized that there was hope that Caleb would wake. When Hunter died, the mate bond had been severed, whereas with Caleb, I still felt the bond.If we still had a chance, we needed to make Artemis believe Caleb was dead and that it was final. We have a chance if we can get her to take out the Orb. Now that the time we had to accomplish this was precious, we would need to fly by the seat of our pants instead of following a script. “I am going to kill you!” I pretended to be a distraught and unhin
Kyra-“I wanted to take a break from my studies, so I left to wander around the Olympian garden without permission. I knew I shouldn’t, because grandmother warned me to not go near Olympian without someone with me. I didn’t think it would be a problem, but I was wrong. While I was in the Garden, I was captured.”My hands balled into fists as I was tempted to go against the plan and have Artemis killed. “What happened next?”“I will tell you!” Artemis stopped dancing and came to stand beside Cosmo. “Your little girl is in love!”That didn’t surprise me, but I didn’t know how it connected. Focusing on Cosmo, I tilted my head to the left and tried to understand. I noticed he was tense, and his jaw muscles flexed. He also refused to meet my gaze.“What does that have to do with anything?” My attention returned to Artemis.“Because I saw them kissing and knew that if I wanted the greatest Seer in all of Mount Olympus to work with me, I needed a bargaining chip. I took Ryleigh and told him
Kyra-Zeke, Xureus, and Alec followed behind her. Other than Xureus, who didn’t seem like he had any feelings, the others seemed happy that everything worked out. They all gathered around us, with Alec patting Caleb on the back.“What do you mean?” Hunter asked Selene.“I mean, there is no way that Hades will simply hand over the Scepter.”“Then how can we get it?” I asked.“I can try to ask my foster mother, Nyx.” Selene suggested.“Will she help us?” Hunter asked.“Regardless of how good our relationship is, Nyx is loyal. Currently, she is the caregiver of the underworld, so she likely won't do anything to go against Hades to get the Scepter. I could ask, but it could be a shot in the dark.” Selene’s eyes looked off into the distance as if she were deep in thought.“What about Achilles?” Zeke asked.Selene’s eyes moved to look at Zeke. “That actually might be a better idea.”“Who is that?” Caleb asked.“Achilles was a hero in the Trojan War, but now he works for Hades in Tartarus.”
Hunter-“How do I get to Tartarus?” I asked for the second time.“You won’t be able to travel there directly, but I can take you to the Lethe River.” Zeus began.“I don’t exactly feel comfortable being anywhere near that River. I just had my memories returned. I don’t feel like losing them again.” I cringed.“Don’t worry, even if you fall in this time, you will be fine.”“Why do you say that?” I asked.“Although Zeke got your memories back, the River is ironically forgetful. It only remembers who was in the River. As far as it is concerned, you already lost your memories. To prevent being abused, it will only take the memories of someone once.”I felt a little relieved hearing that until Zeus spoke again. “On the other hand, there are dangers you will face on this journey. You will be on a boat, traveling through the five Rivers leading to the underworld. Your powers and your wolf will be useless.”“Why will my wolf and abilities be useless?” I asked.“Every creature you come across u
Hunter-Giving my attention back to Kyra, I rubbed her back a few times before lightly shoving her away so I could look into her eyes. “Don’t worry about this. If I can survive Purgatory, I can survive anything.”Kyra opened her mouth, more than likely to argue, but I shook my head and continued to speak. “We can’t live our lives in fear. If you knew half of what I went through during my time in Purgatory, you would understand that the only way to deal with Artemis is to do what we plan and get the Scepter. Purgatory is the best place to lock her up. I know you don’t like it, but I am the only one who can get it.”“I really can’t lose you again.” Kyra’s voice trembled.“I promise that I will return to you no matter what happens. Nothing can keep me away. Not anyone or anything.” I said as I glanced at Caleb and jerked my head slightly.Caleb seemed to understand what I needed him to do as he moved toward us and pulled Kyra toward him. After Kyra was tucked under Caleb’s arm, I slowly
Hunter-As I crossed over the water of the Lethe River, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I had to strain to endure it for a day, but as long as I lay at the bottom of the boat and held on for dear life, I was fine. I managed to reach the next River without any problems other than being exhausted.If that were going to be my biggest problem, I think I could manage to get to my destination even if I couldn’t get any proper rest. I lifted my head to look over the edge when the water calmed. When Zeus said the River was surrounded by fire, he hadn’t been joking.The shores were bathed in fire, and creatures were moving around, covered in flames. Some flew, and others walked around with whips slung over their shoulders. I also noticed that there weren’t any of the spirit demons who had attacked me on the Lethe River.The River was calm and warm, perfect for taking a nap. Laying back on the bottom of the boat, I tucked my arm under the seat so I could be alerted to any surprises.
Hunter-I knew the alarm hadn’t called him away, plus it hadn’t been two hours of being chased yet. I also knew I was only a little more than halfway across the river.“He won’t come to this boat.” An older woman in her late eighties spoke with a gentle tone.Turning to look at her, I noticed she was the only one in the boat with me. She also had a kind smile with sparkling eyes. Since she didn’t seem as if she grabbed me to do anything more than save me, I relaxed.“Thank you?” I arched my brows and questioned her motive for saving me.“Those creatures won’t come to this boat. You will be safe here.” The lady said.“Why do you think they won’t come to this boat?” I asked as I scooted over to sit in the seat opposite of her.“Because I have already been judged, and I am protected.”“Protected how?” I asked as I looked around and saw the Fire Demon glaring at me in a nearby boat.“Because I am going there, which means a protective shield is around my boat.” The lady extended her arm ou
Hunter-When my boat came to a stop, resting on the shore, I hesitated before easing out of the boat and onto land. I wasn’t sure where to go until I heard something rumble inside a cave to the west. Thinking that was Cerberus snoring, I took my chances and continued in that direction.I didn’t know how I would get past him, as I imagined it was easier said than done. When I reached Cerberus, I stopped and tried to figure out how to get around him. I didn’t know how long I stood there, trying to figure it out, but when Cerberus flicked his tail, it moved enough to give me a clear path to the entrance.Careful not to make any sudden movements, I crouched low and snuck past him. To my surprise, when I was standing between Cerberus and the entrance, I realized that it really was easier done than said and not the other way around. If I hadn’t spent so much time trying to figure it out, I could have already had my hand on the Scepter.Shrugging, I straightened up and spun on my heel to ent
Kyra-“Kyra?” Tristan’s voice came from the other side of the door to my cell.I had fallen asleep in the corner, but I quickly became alert. Pushing up from the corner I had curled up in, I jumped to my feet and rushed toward the door. Tristan was standing on the other side, peeking through the small window in the door, blocked by thick glass.“I am here.” I whispered.A second later, I heard the sound of rattling keys as he stuck a key into the door. I held my breath as I waited for the sound of the lock releasing. When it did, and Tristan opened the door, I flung myself into his arms.“I’m sorry I am late.” Tristan returned my hug briefly before stepping back to let me out of the cell.After I was out, he pulled a small spray bottle from his pocket and sprayed me with it. “This will mask your scent so no one knows what direction you went. I also sprayed myself.” Tristan handed me the bottle, which I slipped into the front pocket of my jeans. “Let’s get you out of here.”Nodding my
Kyra-Over the following three days, I didn’t leave my hospital room. Tristan took care of everything I needed and took care of me around the clock. On the few occasions he went to investigate our situation, he didn’t have anything to report.My wound wasn’t fully healed, but it was healed enough that I didn’t have any reason to stay in the hospital. At the moment, Tristan was gone, handling my discharge paperwork. I was looking forward to leaving the hospital, mostly so I didn’t have to listen to the nurses gossiping outside my door.I was fairly sure that they were doing it intentionally because their topics always revolved around me and how it wouldn’t be long until I was kicked out on my ass again. Tristan tried to defend me a few times, but Hunter punished him each time he did. Hunter’s reasoning was that rogues shouldn’t be protected.The more time I spent around the gossip or hearing about Hunter, the more heartbroken I became. As I was waiting for Tristan to return, I sat on m
Kyra-“Ready?” Hunter asked as I stepped out of the room.“I guess.” I diverted my gaze from his.Pretending I didn’t know him would be more challenging than I thought. When I first stepped out of the room and saw him waiting for me, I had almost forgotten where I was for a moment. The way his eyes wandered over my body as if he was tempted to take me into the room and have his way with my body.“Have you eaten anything since you woke up?”“Not yet.” I shook my head.“Let’s go to a restaurant.” His tone was more like an order than a request.Keeping my attention on the floor, I walked alongside him. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything all the way to the restaurant. When we arrived, I felt everyone’s attention was on me.The restaurant was packed with people, and I knew them all. Some were from before Hunter returned from the dead. Others were new members from after we moved into my father's house, and Caleb took over as Alpha King.“Are they here?” Hunter asked the waitress who was gui
Kyra-Peeking through my lashes, I noticed they both left. Exhaling a slow and long breath, I opened my eyes and sat up. Staring at the door, I wondered how I was going to pull this off. This situation was different from what happened in the past, but there are a lot of similarities.If someone was pulling the strings here, I needed to be careful and not slip up. For now, I will remain in the hospital so I can heal. Without my abilities, I might not heal quickly. After I did heal, I would pretend to be weary and try my best to keep up with the pretense that I was once again the scared seventeen-year-old who didn’t trust anyone.Chewing on my lower lip, I tried to make a plan. I devised a few different plans, but each one didn’t seem feasible. It slowly dawned on me that I wouldn’t be able to plan anything. Until I knew who my enemy was, I would need to be flexible and play it by ear.“Kyra?” A familiar voice spoke inside my head, which filled me with excitement.“Tristan!” I answered.
Kyra-My head felt like I was run over by a truck. With a groan, I covered my head with my hands and applied pressure to attempt to relieve the pain. Opening my eyes, I sat up and blinked a few times to clear my vision.“Where am I?” I asked as I looked around at a room I recognized but couldn’t remember where I saw it.Glancing around the room, I noticed it was a hospital room. My mind was a little foggy as I tried to remember what happened to me. Bits and pieces of memories flooded my head, but not enough to clarify anything.As I continued to look around the room, I was suddenly hit with a feeling of DeJa’Vu. I didn’t know why because my memories were a jumbled mess. Frowning, I pushed off the covers and winced from pain. Lifting the shirt I was wearing, I noticed a long wound on my side. It stretched from my rib cage down to my hip.I couldn’t remember how I got it. Spotting a mirror on the wall, I walked over to it to examine the wound closer. The wound was sewn together, with the
Kyra-“Did you enjoy your weekend?” Hunter asked the moment I entered the door.“I did.” I smiled when Hunter grabbed my suitcase and handed it to a maid.“Take that up to her room.” Hunter instructed the maid.After the maid left, Hunter pulled me into the house, toward the living room. When he sat me on the couch and knelt before me, pulling off my shoes, I felt a little embarrassed. This wasn’t the first time he had pampered me like this, but Tristan, Rex, and Caleb were in the room.“Samantha went home. Why aren’t you home?” I asked Rex as Caleb moved to sit beside me on the couch.“We were discussing a new training course we want to try. Not only will we implement it here, but I will travel to other packs to train them as well.” Rex answered.While Hunter continued pulling off my shoes, Caleb tucked me under his arm, forcing me to lean against him. “We weren’t sure when you two would return.” Caleb spoke.“I sent Samantha a text a bit ago, so she knows where I am at.” Rex leaned
Kyra-“We both agreed that the final decision would be up to you. Although neither of us would be able to walk away, we also wouldn’t pressure you or influence your decision. We wanted to respect your choice.” Caleb answered.“After discussing it, we decided that if you did choose one of us, the other would walk away completely. Not disappear from your life like Caleb had, but we would move away to give the other space and to find a way to move on with our lives.” Hunter added.“We had hoped that after some time, you would be able to accept both of us. Since we are best friends, we decided that we could accept sharing you with each other. Besides, I don’t know how it's possible, but other than initially feeling jealous, I don’t feel any discomfort when you kiss Hunter.”“Are you sure?” My gaze moved between both men.“Absolutely.” Caleb nodded. “Neither of us wants to lose you.”I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but the weight in my heart disappeared. “What about the sleeping arran
Kyra-A month after having Artemis locked up in Purgatory, I still couldn’t let go of my uneasiness. Everything seemed to be safe and relatively standard, but something felt off. I wasn’t sure if it was because things had finally calmed down or if it was something else.Everyone has tried to return to their lives. My brothers have all left except for Rex and Tristan. My father has gone to spend time with my mother. The younger children have returned home and are bringing joy to everyone around them. My life now almost seemed a little too good to be true.There was only one thing left to do. Maybe after that, I will feel a little better about everything. Since the children were down for a nap, I decided that it was time to talk to Caleb and Hunter about the situation between us. I haven’t come to a conclusion about anything, but maybe I will after I speak to them.Walking through the house from the children’s room, I went to find Caleb and Hunter. As expected, I found Caleb in his offi
Hunter- “Caleb!” I yelled as I rushed forward, no longer caring about concealing myself. As I ran toward them, time seemed to slow down. I didn’t know if my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it looked as if Caleb was moving slowly while the others were frozen. Nyx and Achilles had their mouths open as they reached out. Artemis was baring her teeth as she was inches away from piercing Caleb’s heart. Caleb’s hands wrapped around Artemis’s wrists, deflecting her from inching forward. As I reached them, I grabbed the knife from Artemis. Once the weapon was stashed in the realm, I kept my other weapons, and everyone except for Artemis returned to normal. “That was close.” Caleb gasped as he released Artemis and stepped back. “You don’t need to tell me that.” I groaned as I thought about how close Caleb came to dying. “You’re an idiot for putting yourself in front of a blade.” “I would have been fine. It wouldn’t be the first time I have been stabbed.” Caleb shrugged. “No, but it wi