Chapter 10
The Nest
Damon
A few days later
Cora was making a nest.
I stood at the conservatory’s entrance, watching her arrange blankets and cushions under the largest tree.
The plants had grown wild since her powers awakened.
Vines thick as my forearm climbed every wall, and the humidity made the air heavy enough to taste.
She’d transformed the underground garden into a jungle.
Persephone herself would be proud.
“The plants respond to her beautifully.” Cassandra stood beside me, medical bag in hand. Her eyes tracked Cora’s movements with the focus she reserved for interesting cases. “Even they recognize what she is.”
The vegetation leaned toward Cora as she moved. I’d watched this happen dozens of times over the past week as her house Demeter blood calling to the plants. They reacted to her presence, to the divine legacy awakening in her veins.
“She’s exceptional,” I said, satisfaction threading through my chest.
She was also more powerful than she realized, more adaptable than I’d dared hope. And now here she was, creating a sanctuary among all this wild vegetation. An Omega nest. In my territory.
Not for the first time, I congratulated myself for bringing her here. Since I’d introduced her to the conservatory, something had definitely shifted between us.
It went beyond the tentative deal we’d agreed on after Helena’s arrival. She’d genuinely stopped fighting every moment of captivity, stopped treating each interaction like a battle. It was progress, proof that my ancestors had been right. Flowers could bloom underground, if given room to grow.
“Once she is fully awakened, she’ll be able to control entire ecosystems,” Cassandra commented, not unkindly. “But for now… We have other things to worry about. Don’t let your pride blind you to her true condition.”
I nodded, the firm reminder settling heavy and cold in my gut. “The heat was brutal.” I kept my gaze on Cora as she tucked another blanket into place. “It came in waves. The temporary mark wasn’t enough to suppress it fully.”
“Waves are unusual.” Cassandra’s professional mask slipped for a moment, concern flickering across her features. “Standard heat builds, peaks, then breaks.”
“There’s more. She’s seemed off lately. She should have recovered by now, but… She just isn’t.”
“I see,” Cassandra replied. “You were right to call me, Damon. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure there aren’t lingering complications.”
By now, Cora had settled into the nest’s center, her silk robe pooling around her thighs. Her auburn hair fell loose around her shoulders, and for the first time since I’d taken her, she looked almost comfortable. Almost at peace. But if Cassandra and I were right, much too fragile.
We approached slowly. Cora lifted her head, her body going rigid despite the blankets surrounding her. She’d heard our footsteps, maybe caught Cassandra’s unfamiliar scent in the air.
“Cora.” I stopped at the nest’s edge, careful not to enter her private space. “This is Healer Cassandra Reed, from House Hestia. She’s here to see you.”
Cora eyed Cassandra with visible suspicion, but didn’t turn her away. “Hello, Healer Reed.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Cassandra knelt beside the nest rather than entering it, setting her medical bag down with care. “Damon asked me to check on you. We need to make sure the heat didn’t cause lasting damage.”
“I’m fine,” Cora replied automatically. “Just tired.”
She was lying. I could see it in the way she held herself too carefully, the slight tremor in her fingers before she tucked them into the blankets. It was a weariness that went beyond the physical, and it clung to her like an ominous shroud.
“You’re sleeping twelve hours a day.” I couldn’t keep the edge from my words. “That’s not normal recovery, and you know it.”
Cassandra shot me a look that very clearly said let me handle this, you possessive bastard. We’d been friends long enough that she could communicate entire conversations with a single glance.
I gave a subtle, almost imperceptible nod.
I had brought her here for her skill, and for a gentleness I did not possess.
“Dr. Ellis, I’m sure you don’t need me to explain the potential dangers of an anomalous heat.
” Cassandra turned her attention fully to Cora.
“Given the circumstances, I’d like to examine you.
Would it be alright for me to enter your nest? ”
At first, Cora was silent. I could see her weighing risks, calculating whether cooperation served her better than refusal. The analytical mind that was working through the political implications of letting House Hestia examine her was the same one that had created breakthrough suppressant formulas.
Finally, she agreed. Perhaps a part of her realized what was going on wasn’t normal. “What do you need me to do?”
“Just relax.” Cassandra moved into the nest and held her hands palm-up, golden light began to glow beneath her skin. “This won’t hurt.”
The light intensified, warm and steady, spreading from Cassandra’s hands to envelop them both. The temperature in the conservatory rose, a tangible wave of comfort. The glow reflected in Cora’s amber eyes, and the rigid tension in her shoulders began to dissolve, melting away layer by layer.
I’d seen Cassandra’s powers before, watched her use them on dozens of patients over the years we’d been friends. But seeing her work on Cora made something possessive tighten in my chest.
“That’s...” Cora eyed Cassandra in fascination, as I’d expected she might. “What is that?”
“House Hestia’s healing fire,” Cassandra answered, her tone almost as kind as her powers. “It allows us to provide the best of care to our patients. It works on both mental and physical strain. You may feel slightly more relaxed throughout the process.”
The warmth reached me where I stood outside the nest. Tension I hadn’t noticed I was carrying vanished from my shoulders. The healing fire affected everyone nearby, not just the person being examined. Even to me, her presence always brought a sense of home, of safety, of hearth-fire comfort.
It was why I’d called her. If anyone could make Cora feel safe enough to accept help, it was Cassandra.
“When did you start sleeping so much?” Cassandra asked, now pressing glowing fingers to Cora’s wrist.
“It’s a recent development.” Cora’s eyes had gone slightly distant, her voice slightly mellow and slurred. “In the past couple of days. I think my body is just starting to recover from the stress.”
“Maybe.” Cassandra answered, though she didn’t sound very convinced. “How’s your appetite?”
“She’s eating well,” I answered before Cora could. “I’ve been tracking everything.”
Cora snapped out of her trance. Surprise and resignation warred in her expression before she looked away.
Of course I’d been monitoring every detail.
Sleep patterns, food intake, time spent in the conservatory versus the bedroom.
She was mine to protect now, and I took that responsibility seriously.
Cassandra definitely didn’t seem to blame me for it. “Good. Keep doing that. The last thing you want right now is for Cora’s diet to suffer.”
“But this isn’t about my diet, is it?” Cora asked. “If it had been, you wouldn’t be so worried. It’s about the mark.”
It wasn’t a surprise that Cora had chosen to address the proverbial elephant in the room herself. Temporary marks usually remained fairly inconspicuous. Some could even fade within a week. Hers was doing the opposite. Practically overnight, it had darkened to near-black.
A part of me was pleased. This was a sign her body was accepting the bond, claiming her as mine in ways that went beyond my conscious intention. But her body was doing something it shouldn’t be able to without full claiming ritual, something I hadn’t told it to. That wasn’t right, either.
Between that and the strange way her suppressors had interacted with the bond, I didn’t like where this was headed.
“I’ve tried to figure this out too, Healer Reed,” Cora said. “But… It just makes no sense.”
She was afraid. I could see it in the way her breathing quickened slightly, the tension returning to her shoulders despite the healing fire’s effects.
“Your body might be trying to make the bond permanent.” Even throughout the clinical explanation, Cassandra kept her tone warm. “That shouldn’t happen without full claiming ritual, but we don’t have recent data on House Demeter and House Hades pairings. Your bloodlines are… potent.”
“Is she in danger?” The question came out rougher than I intended. My power flared, and shadows bled across the moss-covered ground.
“Not from the mark itself.” Cassandra withdrew her healing fire, but her calm presence never faltered. “But I want to check for internal complications from the heat.”
She reached into her medical bag and withdrew a crystal the size of her palm.
It was perfectly clear, cut into facets that scattered the light in rainbow patterns.
Much like Helena’s tools, it was House Hephaestus craftsmanship.
This one was designed specifically for House Hestia healers to use in diagnosis.
“This will let me check on your reproductive system.” Cassandra held the crystal over Cora’s lower abdomen, about six inches from her skin. “It’s completely non-invasive. You’ll feel pressure but no pain.”
The crystal began to pulse with soft light. Colors shifted across its surface in patterns only Cassandra could interpret. She moved it slowly, methodically, her expression growing more focused with each passing moment.
After what seemed like forever, Cassandra lowered the crystal. The light faded, leaving only dim artificial illumination from the overhead fixtures.
Something was wrong. I could see it in the set of Cassandra’s shoulders, the way her jaw tightened.
“Well?” I couldn’t keep the protective edge from my words. “What did you find?”
Cassandra set the crystal aside carefully, choosing her words with the precision she used for difficult diagnoses. “The good news is that there’s no permanent damage. Dr. Ellis’s reproductive system recovered well from the heat stress.”
“And the bad news?” Cora asked.
She was bracing for impact. Always expecting the worst. I couldn’t blame her. In her position, I’d do the same.
“There are unusual energy patterns in your womb.” Cassandra met Cora’s gaze directly, not softening the truth. “Not dangerous, but not normal either. It could be residual from your power awakening, or...”
“Or what?” I stepped fully to the nest’s edge, unable to maintain distance any longer.
Tendrils of darkness traveled toward Cora like a living thing. They wanted to wrap around her, protect her from whatever threat Cassandra was about to name.
“Or evidence of external interference.” Cassandra’s gaze shifted to me, and I saw confirmation of my suspicions in her eyes. “Someone triggering the heat artificially would leave traces in the body’s energy systems.”
A void of fury cracked open inside me. Alexander. If he had forced her into heat, had violated her body’s natural cycles for his own purposes, I would tear him apart. Slowly. Pull him into the darkest corners of existence and keep him there until he begged for death.
“Can you tell which it is?” Cora pressed her hand against her lower abdomen, right where the crystal had hovered. “Whether it’s from my powers or from... someone else?”
“I need a few days to analyze the crystal’s data properly.” Cassandra’s healing fire shone brighter, wrapping both of us in renewed comfort that pushed back my murderous rage. “The patterns are complex, and I want to be certain before drawing a final conclusion.”
She was right. Accusations against House Zeus required proof, especially when they were as serious as forced heat. The Olympian Council would demand evidence before taking action.
“I can confirm one other thing. You’re not pregnant, Cora.”
Relief and disappointment twisted together in my chest. A part of me craved that permanent connection between us, but now wasn’t the best time. Not with House Zeus lurking about, waiting to exploit any vulnerability. Not with our connection still in its incipience.
Cora clenched her jaw, her shoulders slumping. She was shaking, visibly unsettled, but trying to stay in control. “So I just... wait?”
“You continue resting,” Cassandra instructed. “No strenuous activity. Let your body finish recovering from the heat stress before we add more complications.”
She gathered her crystal and placed it carefully back in her medical bag. The examination was complete, but tension still hung heavy in the air. Even Cassandra’s best efforts couldn’t soothe it.
“I’ll come back in a few days with results.” Cassandra stood, brushing moss from her knees. “If anything changes, if you notice fever, pain, other symptoms, contact me immediately.”
“Thank you, Healer Reed,” Cora murmured. A vine wrapped around her leg, as if trying to comfort her. “I really appreciate this.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful. I can’t even begin to express how much I appreciate your trust. Believe me, Cora, I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Cora nodded, but I could tell she wasn’t really listening anymore. So could Cassandra. Without another word, we left Cora in her nest. Together, we headed toward the conservatory exit. “How bad is it?” I asked.
“Damon, I wish I could give you a proper answer, but I don’t have one.” Cassandra stopped in the doorway, her eyes serious. “I can’t say with certainty if Alexander triggered the heat until I’ve analyzed the data thoroughly.”
“If he did—”
“Then we’ll deal with it.” She touched my arm briefly, a gesture of friendship and understanding. “But right now, she’s stable and recovering. That’s what matters.”
I nodded, but a part of me couldn’t help but feel it wasn’t enough. Rage had settled in my chest, as cold and vicious as the Shadow Realm. Nothing would satisfy me until I saw that perfect face crumbling under my boot.
Soon, I’d make sure he paid the price for touching what was mine. No matter what it cost me.