Chapter 24
Hades
The Labyrinth Breeding Pit
Serapina is pregnant.
Yet I can’t sense a damn thing.
Not a soul. Not the scent of life. Not even an Omega designation from my own fucking mate.
When I find Demeter—and I will—I’m going to take her into the death pits and let the souls feast on her for eons.
But my hunt will need to wait because Serapina’s skin has taken on an ashen quality.
“That’s not possible,” she says to Alina. “I… Can it even happen that fast? I don’t… But I just… Lina, that’s impossible.”
“I can sense it,” her sister replies, both of her palms against Serapina’s belly now. “A thriving soul. Can you not feel the life inside you? The beautiful creation?”
Tears form in her blue eyes, the reaction one that has my heart freezing in my chest. Because she looks horrified. “Oh, stars,” she breathes, looking at me. “Hades, I… I’m so sorry… I…”
A tear falls, the path down her cheek catching my focus as a frown tugs at my mouth. “Why are you sorry?” I ask, utterly confused by her reaction.
Omegas love children. They exist to create life. Why would Serapina apologize for such an amazing gift?
“I’m supposed to be yours. And I… I…” Her face falls as she palms her stomach. “I’m sorry, Hades. It’s… I didn’t realize…”
I stare at her for a beat, trying to understand her sorrow. But it doesn’t make any sense. “Why are you apologizing for creating a life?”
“Because I… I feel like I failed you?” She jolts backward like I slapped her, but I haven’t even moved. “Stars, what’s wrong with me? I’m pregnant. I’m… I…” She blinks rapidly. “I shouldn’t feel bad. I shouldn’t be apologizing. I… This is my child. Why am I apologizing?”
She sounds almost angry. And when she looks up again, her eyes are narrowed at me.
“I take it back. I’m not sorry,” she tells me, her voice stronger now. “I mean, I… I feel bad that it’s not yours, but I—”
“Not mine?” I repeat, my brow coming down.
Then suddenly her words all click into place.
Her statement about how she is supposed to be mine.
Her commentary about failing me.
Stating the child isn’t mine.
Because of course I’m not the biological father, as I haven’t knotted her yet.
But she’s very clearly not understanding a key dynamic of our relationship. Which highlights a significant failure on my part.
“Oh, Serapina,” I say, pulling her into my arms. “Your child is very much mine. Just as you are mine.”
Confusion pulls her brows down, but I kiss her before she can give voice to the emotion.
“We’re a mate-circle, darling,” I say softly against her mouth. “That means the life inside you is ours, as a circle. Your child. My child. Maliki’s child. Morpheus’s child. We will all love him or her equally, just as Alina’s circle adores Thea.”
Serapina blinks. Then she looks at her sister, who is snuggled into Flame’s side and taking comfort from his purr. I imagine she felt distressed at seeing Serapina upset. I experienced a similar feeling of distress, so I understand her needing her mate.
However, the situation is clear to me now.
And I’m oddly a little amused by it.
Which is rather ridiculous considering the circumstances.
Serapina thought I would be displeased because she doesn’t trust my intentions when it comes to our circle.
I can’t fault her concerns. But it is my responsibility to fix them.
“Do you mind if I spend some time alone with Serapina?” I ask, my query for Alina. “It’s clear we need to discuss a few things.”
Alina stares at me, then looks at Serapina. “That’s up to Sera. Do you want to be alone with him?”
“You’re right,” I interject, my focus returning to my mate. “I should have asked you first, Serapina. Can we have a few minutes alone?”
She stares up at me. “You’re not mad?”
I smile. “No, mate. I’m very much the opposite of mad.”
“But you and Persephone never…”
My smile wanes a bit. “She never desired children.” And now my smile dies completely. “Do you desire children?”
“I… I didn’t before. Or I don’t think I did. It’s not something I considered too deeply, though. But I…” She blows out a breath. “A lot has changed in a very short amount of time. I didn’t think a mate-circle was even possible for me. I also didn’t want to be bred. Or taken by monsters. Or… or…”
She trails off and buries her head in my chest.
My purr rumbles to life in response, my arms tightening around her as I meet Alina’s gaze.
She glances at her sister, then shifts her attention to Flame and their sleeping daughter. “Let’s go tuck Thea into the nest.”
His lips curl. “That sounds like a good plan. Especially since Reaper and Orcus are back and looking for us.”
I blink. “They’re back?”
He nods.
“Did they find anything?”
“Orcus says to talk to Morpheus” is the only information he provides. Well, at least until he adds, “And work on your mate-circle.”
I nearly snort. “Solid advice.” The words come out in a deadpan tone, one that has Flame chuckling as he steers Alina down the path through the rose garden.
She glances backward near the exit to the labyrinth, her gaze on Serapina. Flame kisses his mate’s head, his eyes meeting mine. Then he pulls her and Thea into the labyrinth.
I stare after them, a pang hitting my heart.
What is it like to have a complete circle? One that allows all the mates to speak mentally and constantly be in tune with one another?
As it is, I didn’t realize Morpheus and Maliki had returned until Flame’s commentary about heading back to the nest.
I frown then, a thought occurring to me. Flame actually only mentioned Orcus and Reaper. I assumed his words meant everyone came back together. However…
“Can you sense Maliki and Morpheus?” I ask Serapina, a little frustrated that I can’t automatically do that myself. My link to Maliki is subdued, our bond more of a surface-level connection since we’ve only initially marked one another.
A single bite from me would change that.
Which appears to be what Orcus did with Reaper and Flame. I’m not sure when that happened, or if my suspicion is correct. I just know that their circle deepened their bonds when Alina joined them, and furthered their connections once Thea arrived.
Perhaps they did it as a form of security to ensure they could properly guard their Omega and their child.
Or maybe it’s something more.
But I can definitely understand furthering a connection in the name of protection.
I’ll need to discuss it with Maliki later.
And Morpheus, too.
“Maliki says they’re at the cabin and Morpheus is taking a nap,” Serapina mumbles against my chest.
“Morpheus is taking a nap?” I repeat, confused.
“Maliki used another venom-laced knife on him.”
My eyebrows lift. “Another venom-laced knife? When did he use the first one?”
“In the Netherworld Village.” She’s starting to sound sleepy, perhaps because of my purr. Or maybe it’s a result of her residual heat.
Regardless of the cause, I lift her into the air with my hands on her hips, not wanting to risk her collapsing at my feet.
“Morpheus sent Maliki into a nightmare or something,” she goes on as her arms weave around my neck. “So Maliki got him back by throwing a knife at him. Morpheus caught it, thinking it was just a dagger. But it was laced with slug venom.”
My lips curl. “That sounds like our clever Maliki.”
“He used ingredients from his favorite drink today,” she tells me, her nose scrunching.
“I can’t believe I’ve been pouring those spider ales.
I had no idea what they were made of. Not sure I do now, either.
But if it was strong enough to knock out Morpheus, I shouldn’t have been allowed to serve it. ”
“You shouldn’t have been serving anyone or anything at all,” I correct her. “But that’s my fault. I should have talked to you.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” she says, her words hurting a bit.
“You’re glad I didn’t talk to you?” I phrase it as a question because I’m not sure how to interpret that. “You don’t want me?”
She laughs a little. “No, Hades.”
I wince.
“No, I mean, I’m glad I had some time to be independent,” she clarifies, her palm against my cheek as she clings to me with her opposite arm.
I readjust my hold on her, lifting her even more and slipping one arm under her knees as my opposite braces her back.
A bridal carrying position.
How appropriate.
“I’ve spent my life always living by someone else’s rules,” she adds. “It was nice to do something just for me. And while it may have been short-lived, I’m grateful I had the opportunity to prove that I can survive on my own.” Her lips twist. “Sort of, anyway.”
“You can still make your own choices,” I promise her. “But now you have three mates who will fully support those choices, too.”
“Three mates,” she repeats, her expression turning dreamy. But the look is gone in a blink. “Hey, I want to see your wings. It’s not fair that Alina has seen them and I haven’t.”
I startle, her abrupt conversation change almost as unexpected as her request. “You want to see my wings?”
“Well, yes. You showed them off for another Omega. Two, actually. Alina and Thea. But I haven’t seen them. And I… I don’t like that.”
I blink at her, then start to digest her words and the little petulant pout now forming in her features. “You’re jealous.”
“No, I’m annoyed.”
“And feeling possessive,” I add, too pleased by this development to acknowledge her comment. “How very Omega of you, darling mate. I approve.”
“You approve of what?” she demands. “Showing me your wings?”
“How about I take you flying?” I suggest. “Would that appease your possessive needs?”
“I didn’t say anything about possessive needs, Hades.”
“You could see the maze from above,” I go on, intentionally ignoring her rebuttal. “I’ve never taken Thea or Alina flying before.”
She doesn’t immediately respond, her mouth appearing to be frozen in slight awe. “You won’t take them flying, will you?”
“Thea, maybe,” I admit. “But only if she asks. Alina, no. Orcus would kill me.”
“But you want to take her flying?” my proprietorial little mate demands. “She’s my sister!”
“I didn’t say I want to take anyone flying other than you, wife,” I say, ensuring she hears my claim with that single word.
“You’re the only one I want. The only one I’ll ever desire.
The only one I need. So if you tell me my wings are yours and yours alone, then no one else will ever see them again. ”
Her full lips part on a sweet gasp, her eyes seeming to glaze over. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay,” she says again. “Take me flying, Hades. Please.”