Chapter 6 #2
Wrapping the towel around myself, I run my fingers through my damp hair and head toward the bedroom, just as I hear Hades demand, “Why are you here?”
I freeze, thinking he’s talking to me for a moment.
But Morpheus answers with “I let you lead last time. And we all know how that ended. So I won’t be doing that again because, unlike you, I refuse to make the same mistakes as I did two thousand years ago.”
“I’m not repeating my mistakes,” Hades says, the calm tone he used with me in the shower nowhere to be heard. “That’s evidenced by Maliki being here.”
“Funny, that,” Maliki drawls. “It seems everyone else knew to meet here except for me. So why am I here, again?”
I slip out of the bathroom and see Hades clench his jaw, his focus on Maliki. “The only one who knew to meet here in an emergency was Orcus.”
“And you didn’t feel it was important to let your hired babysitter know to bring his charge here in the case of an emergency as well?” Maliki asks.
I frown at him referring to himself as a babysitter and me as a charge.
Hades glares at him. “I wasn’t anticipating the need. Orcus and I agreed on this location many moons ago.”
“Before Serapina,” Morpheus murmurs. When Hades shifts his narrowed gaze toward the God of Dreams, Morpheus holds his hands up and adds, “Sometimes clarifications help when asking for forgiveness.”
“You have nothing to do with this conversation, and you certainly have no business being here. So why don’t you kindly fuck off?” Hades suggests.
Morpheus simply smiles. “No.”
“She’s not your Omega.”
Morpheus cants his head. “Oh? Is she yours?”
Hades steps up to him, and a chilling energy sweeps through the room. “Careful, Cousin.”
“I’m done being careful,” Morpheus returns, his smile slipping as power whips around him.
My eyes widen. “Okay, that’s enough,” I say, over all of this.
“I’m tired. I’m hungry. And most importantly, I belong to me.
Sera. Human. Mine. Whatever. I’m not anyone else’s anything.
I am just… me. Now, can I please have a shirt or something?
Because I… I want food. I want some sleep.
And…” I trail off, uncertain of what else I want.
I’m pretty sure I’m just being repetitive at this point.
But I’m done with today.
Done with the possessive shenanigans.
Done with Hades’s heavy words.
Done with concepts of being hunted. And going into heat. And…
“Hold on,” I say, aware that I’m rambling and not really caring. “When am I going into heat?” Because no one has really explained that yet. “And while I’m asking questions, I know a knot ties an Alpha to an Omega. But, uh, how does it do that?”
Because Morpheus didn’t explain that part. Just told me the purpose of a knot.
I also understand the concept of a heat and the purpose of it—thanks somewhat to Alina. But I don’t know exactly what it entails.
Though, it’s… it’s kind of obvious what the outcome will be.
Which, naturally, has my lips parting as I think about that part. “Oh, fae, you’re going to get me pregnant…” My eyes widen and I step backward. “Ohhhh, no. No, no, no.” I clutch my towel like it’s a shield. “I am not ready for that.”
Or any of it really.
I just want a snack.
And a nap.
I press my hand to my head, and suddenly Maliki is in front of me. Not sure how or when he arrived, but his hands are on my arms and he’s pulling me into a much-needed hug.
“I’ve got you, trouble,” he murmurs against my ear. “How about we kick the Alphas out, enjoy a meal, and snuggle, yeah?”
I nod. Because that sounds like a really nice plan. “Yes, please.”
“You’re kicking me out of my own room?” Hades asks, sounding incredulous.
“You’re a God. Manifest a bed or a couch or something in the other room,” Maliki tells him. “And you… we’ll keep talking soon. But right now, Sera is my priority.”
“As she should be,” Morpheus replies.
“Keep talking about what?” Hades demands.
“Ask Morpheus,” Maliki suggests. “But preferably in the other room. Or, Styx, another realm would be fine, too. Just fucking go.” His arms tighten around me, and I sink into his protection, loopily pleased by his warmth and his familiar leathery scent.
I practically bury my nose against his chest and inhale.
He’s wearing a T-shirt. I don’t know how or when he changed. But I don’t care. It smells like him and I like it.
Silence descends around us, then Maliki chuckles. “Morpheus just grabbed Hades and misted him somewhere. Kind of wish I could follow with some popcorn.” He kisses the top of my head. “However, I’ll settle for enjoying some pizza with you in Hades’s bed instead.”
My brow furrows. “Pizza?” My nose twitches. “As in… human pizza? Like with the pepperonis?”
He loosens his hold and pulls back to look down at me. “So you’re a fan of it?”
I nod a little. “Reaper made me try it last year. It’s… it’s really good.”
“It’s amazing,” he corrects me. “And he dropped off the best kinds for us to try. I ended up tossing everything I created in the kitchen as a result. But it’s delicious.
” He drops one of his arms, then starts walking me toward the bed.
“How about you get changed and I’ll go grab the food?
Then we’ll make a mess in Hades’s sheets. ”
My cheeks heat at his words. “A mess?”
His lips curl. “With crumbs, trouble. But if you’re open to another kind of mess…” He lets that comment linger, then leans in to press his lips to my ear. “Morpheus says no orgasms. But sometimes delayed gratification is fun.” He nips my earlobe. “We’ll discuss it more… after you eat.”