by Setta Jay
“How were you planning to call him?” Drake demanded, already knowing part of the answer from Nastia’s prior visit to the God’s mind. This was to get the rest. Drake was glad she was in the God’s mind now; he didn’t want more surprises.
“I only have a way to call Agnarr here.”
Drake waited for Hades to volunteer information about the stone.
It took several beats before Hades bit out, “I will use a stone that I have to get from a palace in Efcharistisi.”
“What stone?” Drake played along.
Hades eyed him for a moment. “A blue sickle-style stone set in a chandelier.”
Good, the God was at least being straight with him. About this. “And how is it used?”
“I’ll have to use it in a pool of water in Earth Realm. It somehow connects directly to Agnarr. If he’s dead or imprisoned, we could be right where we started.”
“But you’re willing to try?” Drake questioned.
Hades snarled, “Aren’t you?”
He nodded, but he wouldn’t do anything without first making preparations.
“We’ll go tomorrow,” Drake commanded. “I want copper cells prepared before we do anything.”
Hades looked like he wanted to argue, but nodded instead. “Fine. And no Pothos, Drake. It’s for his own good.”
“Yeah, and you’re about to explain all of that to him,” Drake growled.
Hades’ eyes grew hard at the order.
Sander, not a word about P’s family situation.
Agreed, Sander growled. The Phoenix and P were close and any information Nastia had been able to get from the God’s mind wouldn’t be discussed with the others unless P chose to share it himself.
Everyone get in here, Drake commanded in the Guardian link.
“P, Hades will fill you in. We’re meeting back here in the morning; I’ll explain the details later.” He gave his cousin a nod, eying him pointedly.
Ask about your mother. Hades is protecting you from something, he sent to his cousin as the other Guardians filled the room.
Drake didn’t care that Hades sent him a glare or that the God was pissed at being dismissed to explain things to Pothos.
What is he hiding? P growled a few moments later.
Ask him. He didn’t say.
Fuck, P snapped back.
The second P and Hades ported away, Drake relayed the information he’d gleaned from the God. All the while his mate stayed at his side, watchful.
“Was Hades holding information back, Nastia?” He cocked a brow in Sander and Nastia’s direction.
“Just arrogant God shit. Other than that, he seemed to be spilling everything.” Nastia gave Drake a pointed look that said all he needed to know. She wasn’t going to divulge anything about P. Good.
What was the information? he asked Sander.
P’s abilities from his priestess mother could be seen as a threat to the Gods there. At least that’s what it sounded like. He didn’t divulge any deep musings on the subject, Nastia answered using Sander’s link.
“Conn and Jax, I want you to coat several cells at the Guardian Compound in Earth Realm and here in Tetartos with copper. We don’t know if we’ll need to detain anyone.”
“Also cuffs and maybe blades,” Era intoned at his side. All looked at her and nodded.
“You have the night to get it all ready and be refueled. I don’t know exactly what we’ll be up against, but we need to get Apollo back,” Drake added. “Gregoire stays with Alyssa.” He saw the big warrior relax, knowing he would be at his pregnant mate’s side. “I want Nastia, Bastian and Tasha there in mist. Sander will be at my side with Hades.”
Everyone started protesting at once. He growled, “If Agnarr is an ally, I won’t scare him, nor do I plan to show our hand if he’s an enemy.”
I will be there too, Era snarled in the link and he saw smoke lifting from her lips as the Guardians looked on. He gazed down at his fierce female and finally nodded, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop her if she planned to go. “My mate will be the only other one at my side.”
Chapter 29
Drake’s Home, Tetartos Realm
As Era reformed in their home, it was with absolute relief. He instantly sent power to light the fire in the hearth. She’d been introduced to everyone individually and she felt completely spent.
“I’ll need to take more time with Rain and Alyssa,” she said as Drake pulled her into his arms to sit in front of the massive stone hearth in their room. She needed to explore her new home now that biting need wasn’t completely ruling her.
“I think they’d like that.” She loved the deep rumble of his voice.
“They both knew Delia and I don’t think they know what to think yet.” She sighed. “I want to feel comfortable around them all.”
“You will,” he said and turned her to straddle him. His eyes were already heated when she slid up against his hard cock.
The frenzy was over, but that only meant she was wild for him all on her own. His touch felt so damned good.
“It’s been torture not having you.” He lifted off her tank top and eyed the lacy bra beneath and growled. “I’m glad I didn’t know what was under the shirt.” One big hand was already sliding the cup down to roll his palm over her tight nipple as she gasped for more. She couldn’t get enough of him; she gripped his jaw in both hands and enjoyed every second of his kiss.
When he broke the kiss, he demanded, “You taste so damned perfect. Now be good and get in the bed naked. I need to repay you for your protection earlier.” His eyes glittered and she moaned.
“I thought you said I didn’t need to protect you from Hades.” She’d known her action had made him hot.
“I don’t, but your devotion still deserves my appreciation.” He was being playful. Her heart stuttered, knowing from his memories that he didn’t play. “I plan to reward you well, temptress.” Gooseflesh rose over her skin at his deep growl. He set her on her feet and watched her toe off her shoes before sliding her jeans and panties down her thighs slowly, giving her mate the show he seemed to want. He lounged back in the chair, eating up every movement with his gaze.
She inched off the bra and turned to crawl up on the bed.
She flipped her hair over a shoulder and watched as he stood. His eyes flashed with intent as he lifted the tee shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Her mouth went dry at the way his muscles rolled with the movement. She groaned and tilted her hips as she crawled further on the bed, watching her dragon stalk forward, shucking his boots.
“I’m hungry, temptress. Get on your back and spread wide. It’s time to feed your male.”
She nearly whimpered with desire as she rolled to her back and spread her thighs. He just watched her, unmoving. The jeans were gone and he was standing in front of her, staring fiercely at her aching pussy. His hand made a lazy stroke down his massive cock and she moaned. She let her hand graze down her stomach and between her thighs and felt how hot and wet she was. Watching him made her writhe in the blankets, loving the sensation of the soft material on her bare skin as her finger played in the warmth of her body.
He crawled between her legs and took her finger between his lips and sucked so hard it sent tingles down her spine.
All of your sweet juice is mine, my temptress. His growled words vibrated in her mind and made her whimper. He rubbed his beard over her thighs and then his lips and tongue moved over her wet opening to her ass and back, tormenting her before he gave her clit any attention. She loved every second of erotic torture. He slid a single finger inside and started pumping slowly as he flicked her clit with his tongue.
“More.” She squirmed into the bedding and tilted for more.
No. He denied her and kissed his way up to suck on her nipples instead.
She groaned as she gripped his hair, panting. It felt so good, but his suckling only made her ache that much more.
His power licked over her skin, touching her everywhere at once. It was sensati
on overload and she wasn’t sure she’d survive.
You will. You can take everything I give you, he commanded in her mind.
Invisible fingers were all over her skin. In her mouth, sliding inside her pussy and ass, pumping her full as his hot mouth teased her breasts.
Come, he demanded and she let herself go, crying out to the ceiling. His power backed off, but his mouth and hands didn’t.
Her body was his. He moved up, pulling her hair to gain access to her throat before his mouth claimed hers in a deep kiss. She moaned as he broke from her and trailed back down to destroy her. Her stomach muscles twitched with the feel of his tongue. She moaned when he made it to her feet and kissed her arches before flipping her over to give equal attention to her back. He licked and kissed his way to her ass and then nipped before sliding his tongue over her spine while using his power to hold her wrists to the bed. She was dizzy and panting with need by the time he moved her hair and bit her neck.
“No more. I can’t take anymore,” she begged.
“Yes, you can.”
And then he lifted her hips high and set his mouth to her all over again. She was crying out, bucking for more when two fingers slid inside her. Then three before moving so he could lap at all her juices.
Come on my tongue, he demanded and she did, circling her hips into him.
She heard a jar lid opening and felt anticipation for what would come. She gasped into the bedding as his fingers toyed with her.
You loved this during the mating. You want my cock here again, don’t you?
Yes. So much. She groaned. There was something so wild and primal about him filling her ass and holding her down. She’d come so hard the last time she’d actually passed out.
Power held her chest to the bed as she felt his hard cock pushing against her ass. She panted and moaned with pleasure as her dragon roared in delight.
He slid in slowly; the cream tingled and added even more heated sensation as he filled her.
He growled and started moving so deep her vision dotted.
“It’s so fucking tight.” His voice almost sounded pained, but he let her into his mind at that moment, fully letting her in so she could experience it with him. She felt what he felt and keened with the added pleasure as his fingers gripped her hips to thrust in and out of her body, stretching her full.
More thoughts and feeling slid through as he took her deep and slow, power toyed with her clit, and she felt the intensity of everything hit all at once. She came hard, screaming his name, and felt the warmth of him filling her.
When he cuddled her into his chest, she’d never felt so at peace.
“You own me, temptress.”
Her heart soared as she whispered back, “And you own me.”
*****
Drake caressed his mate’s back as she lay draped over his chest, sated and soft in his arms. “You’re the only thing in my life that’s ever been just for me.” He thought for a second. “I’m never going to be happy having you near potential danger.”
His mate lifted up and frowned at him.
He smoothed the crease between her eyes with his thumb as he spoke. “It’s not that I doubt your power. I love your strength. You know that.” He growled, remembering his reaction when she’d thought to protect him.
She nodded, and the crease was gone, but now she was searching his eyes for something. He wondered what his intelligent female would say.
“I understand, but I don’t like the idea of you facing danger either. And you won’t. Not without me next to you.”
He nodded and growled a little. “I know, temptress.” He hated thinking about it. “We should go down to the cavern to get refueled. On the way, you can see the rest of your home.” They hadn’t made it further than the bedroom in the days they’d been together. He wanted to show her the library, in case she still enjoyed reading. He’d ensured she had her favorite books at the manor, but she’d never read them. She might now that she wasn’t constantly fighting for sanity.
“I’d like that,” she whispered.
Chapter 30
Earth Realm
Nastia was in mist right behind Sander, knowing he could feel her there. She was taking a long look at his sexy ass in the leather fighting pants. Sex. On. A. Something way bigger than a stick. Log had an odd ring to it.
Female, stop, he grumbled, but she could feel the smile in his mental tone.
She sidled her mist up beside her mate and would’ve smiled if she had form. Her male was perfect and seemed to truly get her.
Pay attention, her twin bitched at her side.
I am, she countered as she looked around the forest surrounding them. The lake was a beautiful crystal color set high up in the mountains.
The God was in a pissy fucking mood today as he used the sickle stone and somehow made it drip liquid into the water at the bank.
They waited and then waited a little more.
Drake and his mate were by Sander’s side, and Bastian and Tasha were in the air with her. If she could tap a foot, she would. The sheer anticipation was driving her nuts.
She kept expecting some big Viking-looking warlord to come out of the air.
Any minute.
They waited for what felt like an hour when it probably wasn’t nearly that long, when finally the atmosphere started charging. Not as strong as last time and she wasn’t sure what that meant until they saw the hole in the air was directly over the water. Gold staff-like weapons were the first things she saw. These were spear shaped with a carved design over the entire thing instead of dragon heads. And they weren’t firing like last time either, but everyone had ported to the right just in case.
What stepped through next wasn’t a big bearded Viking and she saw Hades tense at the sight.
Warriors and a female. A beautiful and powerful female with excellent mental blocks. So were the warriors’ shields, for that matter.
*****
Era tensed as several warriors and then a female stepped through the air to stand over the water as if it were solid. A gorgeous female emanated power in her icy blue dress. The color matched her pale eyes. Six warriors parted to stand at either side of the powerful female. Era instinctually slipped more power around her mate. He sent her soothing energies, but this wasn’t jealousy, it was unease.
The female had the power of a Goddess and her eyes instantly tracked to Hades. Her black hair was knotted at the top of her head, or Era was sure it would be floating with the ability rising from her twining around the warriors and back through the open portal behind her. Era could almost see it as a living entity.
Hades’ feathers were ruffled, which seemed to happen when he was agitated. “Kara, I was expecting Agnarr.” The God’s words were spoken in the old language, which Era now understood perfectly, thanks to her Guardian mate. The otherworldly warriors wore leather kilts and fierce looks as they scanned the area as if waiting for a threat to materialize.
The ice queen addressed Hades in the same language. “That would be difficult, as he’s dead.”
“When?” Hades commanded. The God was letting his power slide over the area, a warning to the female?
“Shortly after your last meeting. Now, where have you been? My scouts reported destruction and no Gods left here,” she demanded, but Era didn’t feel the female was saying everything.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does if you were here and hiding instead of doing as you agreed,” the female growled and set a hand in their direction. “And who are they?”
“This is my nephew Draken, his mate, Era, and his warrior Sander.” Hades introduced them casually, but his body was anything but.
“How are they so powerful? Only one has any amount of Creator blood,” the female asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Get to the point, Hades.” Drake bit out and Era felt him tense at her side, obviously feeling the air change, just a hint, but it had.
Hades growled either at Drake or the female, maybe even the whole
situation. “Do you have my brother, Apollo?”
Kara frowned and actually looked confused. “Your brother?”
“One of my siblings was taken by males with weapons that look like yours. In this case the staff was in the shape of a dragon.”
The female looked thoughtful. The ice queen definitely knew something and she didn’t seem pleased. “It looks as if I will have to take you to see him.”
The air currents charged higher and more warriors appeared beside the female as if they’d been hidden in thin air. Others charged through the still-open portal and Era’s power roared to life, violently ripping the staffs from their hands at the threat to her mate. The warriors shouted as their weapons hovered and pointed threateningly back at them and drew long deadly blades from sheaths at their backs. A golden net materialized, almost encasing Hades, but he ported away only to be blasted as energy balls shot from Kara’s palms.
Sander’s hands erupted with flame and fighters screamed as they were hit by the deadly Phoenix fire. Harsh shouts rang out in their different language and the stench of blood and fire filled the area.
The males abandoned the staffs and charged with blinding speed towards Hades only to be greeted savagely by Drake wielding a blade infused with Dragonfire, cutting through them like butter. Water and air whipped around in all directions forming steam and mist when it merged with the fire. Era battled at her dragon’s side, using her abilities, stopping hearts and lungs as she ripped weapons away before they could be fired. Her hair rose in crackling tendrils into the misty air as she felt the power surging free in all directions, strategically picking off ones she instinctively knew other Guardians would miss. It was like she was made for this as she watched other warriors go down around her. Tasha, Bastian and Nastia sifted through the air, the only evidence of their deadly presence were the bodies left in their wake.
I want some alive, Drake commanded as he grabbed a few males and snapped necks before they could get to Hades. The female, Kara, was screaming in pain as the God stood above her, his wings unfurled wide, a furious Deity ready to destroy her as she desperately pummeled him with more energy. He roared with fury at each hit, but the God wasn’t teleporting away. Instead his eyes glowed brighter with the power he was directing at the female. Kara gripped her chest in agony, but never stopped fighting.