Chapter 2
Maliki
Shock and confusion flicker through Sera’s beautiful features, her blue eyes locked on Reaper.
“Don’t scare my sister,” Alina chides.
Reaper frowns down at her. “I’m telling her about a party. Why would that scare her?”
“You’re talking about a massacre,” she corrects him.
“Yes. Also known as a feast of souls, thus a party. I can bring you some Alpha hearts, if you like?” He gives her a hopeful expression. “Would that please you?”
Sera’s expression tells me that this sort of gift would not please her at all.
That’s fine.
I would much rather pleasure her in other ways.
Such as with my tongue between her thighs.
Styx, I can still taste her. Less than an hour ago, I was feasting on the most divine pussy I’ve ever tasted, and now I can’t wait to do it again. With or without Hades’s permission.
Because I won’t be asking. I’ll be taking instead.
He should have known there would be consequences to letting me play with his wife.
She’s mine now.
A statement I declare without words as I sweep her up into my arms and turn toward Hades’s cavern. My beauty needs a shower and to be properly cared for.
She also needs to understand what’s happening.
“Hades,” I say, glancing back at him. “Come with us.”
He arches a brow at my command. As a God, he makes the rules. But I’m not in an obedient mood.
I was happy between Sera’s legs, enjoying her pleasure. And now we’re all in the Human Realm, hiding from a bunch of crazed Mythos Fae Alphas.
Why?
I have no fucking idea. All Hades told me was to expect company, then he grabbed Sera and disappeared without a word, thus leaving me to greet the incoming Alphas.
Fortunately, he returned before too many of them appeared, and quickly misted me here.
One word could have saved him the trouble. But no. He didn’t give me a location at all. Just vanished.
Perhaps he reacted without thinking. I don’t know because he hasn’t explained himself yet.
But he will be elaborating soon.
Preferably inside the cavern.
Maybe while Sera takes a bath.
Hades must see something in my expression because he doesn’t question me. Instead, he simply looks at Morpheus, heaves an irritated sigh—likely because he’s annoyed that the God of Dreams is here—and steps toward me.
I take that as confirmation to lead. “We’ll talk once we’re inside,” I promise Sera.
Her brow crinkles as she looks around. “Inside where?” she asks me. “No, forget that. Why does Reaper think I’m about to go into my first heat?”
“Because you are,” Hades says as he reaches my side.
“That doesn’t mean you can just knot my sister,” Alina states, following us as well. “I know you think she’s yours, but she’s not. She’s my sister—”
“She’s not,” Hades interjects. “You’re not related by blood at all. And further, you should know that Alphas are possessive. We don’t like it when our Omegas mention another Alpha’s knot.” He looks pointedly at Orcus. “Teach her.”
Then he moves with purpose toward his front entrance, the rock instantly transforming into a sheer material that grants him entry.
Sera’s lips part at the sight while her sister sputters behind us.
“Do you want that Alpha’s heart?” Reaper offers her softly. “Because I will happily kill him for you, pet.”
I don’t stick around to hear Alina’s reply and instead follow Hades inside, which causes Sera to gasp in my arms. She instantly lifts herself to look over my shoulder.
Which is when I realize she can’t see through the enchantment.
Right.
Because the cave-like entrance is riddled with magic, one that masks Hades’s cavern as an impenetrable landscape. All Sera would have been able to see was a beach framed by massive white cliffs.
And we just walked through one of those cliffs.
“It’s a spell that protects Hades’s hiding place in this realm,” I explain as I follow him down a rocky corridor. “Humans can’t see the entrance. We also just crossed through one of those veils like in Death’s Palace, so we’re heading to Hades’s personal wing.”
Which means Morpheus and the others won’t be able to follow us. But I don’t add that part as it should already be implied.
Hades is very particular about whom he allows into his space. I’m pretty sure Sera understands that already.
He leads us into a modern kitchen with dark marble countertops and an enchanted refrigerator.
“That’s no ordinary fridge,” I tell Sera as I gesture to the appliance with my chin. “You just touch the handle, and inside, it’ll create whatever you desire. Then you simply open the door and take out your meal of choice.”
The contraption—along with this entire cavern and all the magical wards surrounding it—was created by Hades and his powerful manifestation ability.
But I don’t tell Serapina that part. It’s not my place to explain Hades’s gifts to her.
The God in question glances back at me with an arched brow. “Are we giving a tour?”
“Are we staying here long?” I counter.
His jaw tightens, and he resumes walking without acknowledging or responding to my query.
It’s not like Hades to keep me in the dark. Not when it involves one of my tasks, anyway.
But I’m feeling oddly out of my element here.
Orcus arriving with his mate-circle suggests that some sort of plan was triggered—a plan I’m not familiar with.
Which indicates that I wasn’t factored into whatever is happening right now.
As for Morpheus, either his penchant for eavesdropping paid off, or he showed up here because he’s connected to Sera’s soul.
What I care about more is why we are here. As well as the comments regarding Sera’s heat.
I assume Sera feels similarly. Perhaps even more so.
So as we enter Hades’s loft area—one that leads to his bedroom—I say, “Sera needs answers, Hades. And so do I.”
He doesn’t acknowledge my demand, just continues toward his room.
And into the adjoining bathroom.
My gaze narrows when he opens a bespelled cabinet to pull out two fresh towels. When he sets them on the double-sink counter, he turns toward me and says, “Bathe Serapina. We’ll talk when I return.”
Hades vanishes before I can question him. “Cryptic arse,” I mutter.
“I don’t understand anything that’s happening,” Sera whispers. “I’m going into heat? We’re in the Human Realm? Alphas are hunting me?” She phrases everything as a question, her eyes rounding more and more with each inquiry.
“You’re not the only one who is confused,” I admit, irritated. Not with her, of course. But with Hades.
“Perhaps I can be of assistance,” Morpheus offers from the doorway behind me.
My eyebrows shoot upward. “How did you make it through the wards?”
He merely smiles. “I’m a God, Maliki. You would be amazed by what I can do.”
The innuendo lacing those words is not lost on me.
But this isn’t the time or the place to issue a sensual retort.
“If you can pass through the barriers that easily, then other Alphas can, too, yes?”
He shrugs. “Perhaps, yes. But why would they bother?”
“Because they’re hunting Sera?” I prompt.
“Ah, true. So if you’re planning to bathe Sera with your tongue, I wouldn’t recommend it. That would be akin to shooting off a flare in the sky. But so long as you keep her libido in check, as it is now, we should be fine.”
I stare at him.
He stares back, his brow beginning to furrow. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?” I demand.
Morpheus sighs and runs his fingers through his long silver-white hair, then leans against the door frame as he slides his hands into the pockets of his slacks.
“One would think that losing a mate would leave behind some sort of impact—a lesson, if you will. But Hades’s arrogance truly is extraordinary, is it not? ”
I assume that’s a rhetorical question, so I don’t acknowledge the question and instead face him fully as I repeat, “Know what?”
Sera gives Morpheus her attention as well, her body tensing in my arms. “Please answer him,” she says softly. “I want to know, too.”
The way Morpheus’s expression softens as he looks at Sera tells me how much power she wields over the God of Dreams. He practically melts in response to her attention.
Which is interesting to observe.
Hades doesn’t react that way.
Yet I know he feels deeply for his soulmate.
But how does he feel about Sera? I wonder. Does he finally realize she isn’t Persephone, but a human with his Omega’s soul inside her?
I never really considered the repercussions of that distinction before. However, now I’m wondering what he might do to try to free his soulmate from her human confines.
Will he hurt Sera if it means saving Persephone?
Are they even two separate entities? Or will they join?
With Morpheus, I have no doubt he sees them as the same individual. He sees Sera. And that may make him more of an ally than I previously believed.
At some point, Sera started to mean more to me than I realized. I’m protecting her because I want to, not because I have to. So if anyone—Hades included—attempts to harm her, I won’t hesitate to retaliate.
And it seems Morpheus may be inclined to react similarly.
“I’m not sure what happened during or after your dinner, little dreamer, but given the state I found you in on that beach, I’m inclined to believe you experienced an orgasm.”
Her cheeks redden, the flush seeming to creep down her neck to disappear beneath my suit jacket. “A glorious one,” I murmur, not because I want to embarrass her, but because I want to praise her.
“Hmm, I can imagine,” Morpheus muses. “And by the pride radiating off you, Maliki, I can detail that fantasy just a tad bit more within my mind. Well done.”
My jaw tightens as I look back at him. “Get to the point, Morpheus.” I may have started this tangent by complimenting Sera, but I won’t allow him to derail us further.
“My point is, that glorious orgasm awoke her inner Omega,” he says. “And that inner Omega essentially broadcast her presence to every Mythos Fae Alpha in existence.”
Sera swallows, her lips parting as though she wants to say something yet can’t find the words.