Hermes narrowed his eyes at me, "and what may that be?" He said clicking his tongue.
"Hades."
"Hades! Hades is your plan? Are you insane?! We're doomed." Hermes yelled frantically.
"It'll work, you've got to trust me!" I growled at him."
Hermes dismissed me, shaking his head, "Trust YOU?" He growled before sarcastically laughing at me. "And how do you presume you'll be able to bring him into this? Huh? He despises us! He despises everything." Hermes stated quite angrily.
"Since he doesn't live with the Olympians he wasn't caught in the prison world. We'll go down to the underworld, and we'll bring him with us. The witches were too scared to imprison him. He's our only hope!" I growled.
"You cannot trust him! And bringing him here, it's a fools errand."
"It's my only hope Hermes. I have to protect Ariel, i have to save us all."
~
Chapter 31 Day One Pt.2
Aries
I growled. They were coming. We needed to get ready as soon as possible. I needed to tell everyone.
Today was going to be a long day. But if everything goes as planned, I'll be right on track and I'd be one day readier for The Battle of the Witches. Time was running out, but I knew what to do.
I needed someone ruthless by my side, someone worse than me, someone with no heart, I needed death itself.
I looked at Hermes, "I know what we need, but you're not going to like it." I said lowly.
Hermes narrowed his eyes at me, "and what may that be?" He said clicking his tongue.
"Hades."
"Hades! Hades is your plan? Are you insane?! We're doomed." Hermes yelled frantically.
"It'll work; you've got to trust me!" I growled at him."
Hermes dismissed me, shaking his head, "Trust you?" He growled before sarcastically laughing at me. "And how do you presume you'll be able to bring him into this? Huh? He despises us! He despises everything." Hermes stated quite angrily.
"Since he doesn't live with the Olympians he wasn't caught in the prison world. We'll go down to the underworld, and we'll bring him with us. The witches were too scared to imprison him. He's our only hope!" I growled.
"You cannot trust him! And bringing him here, it's a fool's errand."
"It's my only hope, Hermes. I have to protect Ariel; I have to save us all."
Ariel
I stepped into the bathroom as soon as Aries left.
Filling in the tub I sighed in content. I watched as each drop of water fell and joined another, filling the tub. Finding a bubble bath bomb in a sealed container on the side, I opened the container, unwrapping the sphere, I smelled it's rich vanilla lusciousness before throwing it into the tub filled with water. The bomb fizzed and dissipated filling the water with bubbles everywhere. I slowly got in my body's muscles relaxing at the touch of the hot water, like a spell. Another sigh of content and happiness left my lips as I shut my eyes and rested my head backward.
My thoughts raced as I reminisced about last night. Electricity sparking, palms twitching, fingers scratching, gazes lingering, kisses burning, and every tantalizing thing he could do to me. His touch so hot, so soft, so gentle, it burned me into a thousand flames, lit me into an ardent fire that I wish not in any other manner.
He was all I wanted. Nothing more, nothing less. He was mine and I was his. So sinfully beautiful, so imperfect in every way that he was oddly...perfect.
He was the worst I've ever known in the best way possible. I know my words have lost all meaning. My thoughts messed up. My knowledge of the world and all beyond formatted into knowing one thing and one thing only. Aries. He completely mesmerized me. My eyes as though only created to gaze into his, my fingers made to intertwine with his, my touch made for him, my body only his. Everything and everyone I've known seemed to no longer matter as long as he was with me. My love for him was consuming. But little did I care, let it suffocate me; let it consume me in every way possible, I did not care. I was content. Happy. Satisfied. Complete. In a way, I have never been before.
"Ariellll-l!" Elizabeth's voice rang through my room, cutting me from my train of thought.
I sighed, shaking my head before sinking into the water just to get my hair wet.
As I resurfaced, I replied, "In here!"
Liz barged into the bathroom, eagerly looking at me, "Tell me all!"
I huffed, "Nope." I said, with a smile.
"Hand me that towel please."
Liz complied, "Why not! Tell me! How was it? It was your first time! I told you about mine!" She pleaded, giving me puppy dog eyes, as she held up the towel for me.
I wrapped it around, stepping out of the tub, before combing my hair at the sink then brushing my teeth. I trailed out of the bathroom with Liz nagging me for the deets but I decided to keep my private life with my mate total hush-hush.
"Enough, Liz. You lied to me about that, you said it was with Michael, remember? And I had to find out from him, that it was some frat boy over the summer."
Liz frowned, "So?"
"This is my mate you're talking about, and I'd like whatever happens between him and me, private. Please respect that." I stated with a small smile.
I went into my dressing room and put on my underwear and some jean shorts with a white tee on top. Looking for some socks, I spotted my white superstars so I put them on and headed back out.
"Where are you going now?" She asked, pouting.
"Let's grab some breakfast before we go down to the field."
Liz nodded in response.
"Am I going to train too?" She asked.
"Yeah, obviously! Everyone is supposed to train, in all packs." I confirmed.
She gave me a look and looked at her attire. She was wearing a yellow sundress.
I ahhed in understanding, "Pick anything that suits you from my wardrobe."
"Okay!" She chimed before disappearing into my dressing room.
I headed downstairs, towards the kitchen. It was still 8 am so I thought why not get some breakfast.
I made some oatmeal with grapes on the side and poured a cup of pineapple juice.
As I ate I heard some loud voices yelling in Aries' study. I usually didn't like eavesdropping but this time I really couldn't help myself. I could feel Aries panic; it was like all he was feeling got poured into me at once. I felt obligated to know what was causing him so much worry and dread, so I listened in, using my heightened senses.
"You cannot trust him! And bringing him here, it's a fool's errand."
"It's my only hope, Hermes. I have to protect Ariel; I have to save us all."
Aww, he wants to protect me...
Wait...
Who were they talking about?
Should I just join them and ask?
Yeah...I should.
I am after all Aries' mate.
I should know these things, right?
I nodded to myself. Deciding to get up and ask them what was going on.
I put my breakfast aside and headed towards Aries' study.
Knocking on the door lightly, I waited for Aries to tell me to enter.
"Come in." sounded his faint voice.
I went in and smiled at Hermes, "Morning."
Hermes' sharp look was replaced with a gentle, chocolaty warm one once he saw me. "Good morning, Ariel." He greeted with a smile.
I sat on the seat in front of Aries' desk.
"So what are you guys arguing about?" I asked.
Aries looked at me sternly, "You overheard?"
I shook my head, "No, your voices were loud, I thought I'd ask." I replied, liar.
Aries looked at me suspiciously, of course, he didn't believe me, but he nonetheless ignored.
Hermes sighed, "Your 'mate' wants to bring an extremely dangerous person into the human realm. He thinks he's the only one who can help us free the Olympians and defeat the witches." He briefly looked at Aries, and huffed, "Aries is not mistaken. But it will be very difficult for us to bring him here and convin
ce him to help us."
"And may I ask who he is?" I inquired.
"Hades." Aries contributed before Hermes could answer.
My jaw dropped, "Hades? The Hades? As in the god of the Underworld?"
They both nodded confirming my baffled seeming question.
I pondered the idea. It made sense. The witches, they were mortal, but when they died they went to Purgatory. Like another realm for supernaturals in their afterlife. We could then discover a way to demolish the witches' ancestral plane in Purgatory after Hades helps us kill them all so they don't try to resurrect themselves. Them vengeful pesky witches tend to do that. But how could we bring him here?
"It's a great idea. We'll find a way to bring him here, come up with a plan to kill those nasty witches, and then find out a loophole to destroy their ancestral plane in Purgatory so that they don't try to come back to life!" I gleefully said.
Aries' lips morphed into a smile with a glint of pride in his eyes. Maybe he was happy that I agreed with him or that I finished the plan for them, but I was feeling optimistic today and nothing could rain on my parade!
Hermes' lips tugged at the side, almost smiling, "So you find the plan logical too? But then we come to face the biggest challenge, how do we lure Hades here?"
I hummed trying to think of something as I tapped my foot, "Wait, so Aries you're originally the son of Zeus & Hera? Right?"
He shrugged, "Well, not biologically, but yes I was created by them and given all their godly powers and gifts before they placed me in my birth mother's womb."
"So basically, like a demi-god?" I asked further.
"Yes."
"Okay, and Hades is Zeus' sibling? So basically like your uncle?" I inquired.
"Uh...when you put it like that, sure, but that's not how it works with the Olympians."
"But technically though. So maybe we can just ask him? We can summon him here, make Hermes go to him and tell him that you're dying. He'll have to come!" I pushed further.
Hermes nodded listening, but then remembered an important detail, "But he'll know I'm lying."
"How?" I asked.
Aries sighed, "Hades gets a chance to see every person as they die, to know the kind of spirit he'll be judging before they appear in the underworld. So basically for him to believe that I have to physically be in the process of dying."
I groaned. "Never mind that plan then!"
Hermes smiled wickedly, looking at Aries.
I gasped. "No! No. No. No. No. Absolutely not! We are not going to attempt to kill Aries!" I said growling at Hermes.
Aries' forehead creased, looking at me apologetically, as he sighed with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He nodded, "It might be the only way, Ariel. You said it yourself!" He said lowly but with an urged tone.
In a flash, I was by his side clinging to him like a child, "No! I said no! You don't get a say in this! You will not die to save humanity, no, no, no. I can't do that, sorry!"
Hermes narrowed his once warm eyes at me, a cold demeanor I never saw before on that face of his getting directed at me, "Stop acting like a child. There are bigger things at stake. This is why Aries was created. You cannot interfere with the prophecy. And it was your idea after all, so if Aries has to die for it, then so be it!"
My eyes widened, "No! There must be some other way!" I growled feeling attacked and overprotective, tears starting to gather and stream down my cheeks.
Remember the parade I talked about earlier? This was the rain. Coming down on me. Hard.
I thought hard and quick. What could temporarily kill him, but have a higher percentage recovery rate with the right care?
Before Hermes could retaliate, I got another idea, "Wait, wait, how about this. You said you had to be in the process of dying, even momentarily. W-we could temporarily kill you so that Hades could at least get a glimpse of you then we could bring you back. Just like how doctors do it on TV. The patient's heart stops for a bit then they shock them back to life. It's considered as a brief clinical death." I suggested as I took deep breaths, feeling a panic attack coming down on me.
Aries smiled at me feeling relieved, as he tightened his grip on me squeezing my shoulder reassuringly, "Breath Ariel, I'm right here. That was a good idea, I'm not going anywhere."
I tried to breathe, and placed my hand on my pained heart, worriedly.
We both looked at Hermes, waiting for his approval.
Hermes sighed, rubbing his temples, "And how may I ask, do you propose we do that, hmmm?"
A wave of relief washed over me, "With water." I stated simply.
"You mean Aries has to drown?" Hermes asked.
I took in a deep breath and let it out, running a hand through my hair stressfully, wincing, "It's the only thing I could think of that can effectively be cured by CPR, as long as he doesn't get too much water in his system."
Aries nodded, thinking over the plan briefly before agreeing.
"Alright, it's settled. At sunset. I will travel to the Underworld, while you handle Aries." Hermes started pointing at me, "Aries ask your Beta to come over so we could explain the plan to him, and he needs to be there in case she needs backup. You also have to have a paramedic team by her side. This is not an easy task."
We both nodded, as Aries mind-linked Jake to come over.
In a minute he was here, knocking on the door. "You asked for me?" He said with an arrogant smirk.
Hermes turned to him, "Yes, boy. We've got a Demi-God to kill." He half-heartedly smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes, while Jake's face paled, looking at us in horror.
Chapter 32- Graveyard of the Moon
Aries
I knew what I was doing was risky. But this was for Ariel. To protect her and to protect my people. All of them.
I sent everyone to train on the field, while I called on Jake to join me as I went to our pack prison so that we could deal with Alpha Blake.
Our prison was called Prison of the Moon.
I shifted to get there faster, with Jake swift on my tail.
My wolf felt anxious and vengeful. He was even angrier than I was, and I was afraid he wouldn't let me shift back if I let him stay this angry.
I mind linked Jake to head there before me while I cooled off so that I don't kill Blake upon arrival. I needed to know how he got into my house without anyone getting a whiff of him.
I stopped running and let Jake have a good head start. I looked down on my midnight black paws digging into the ground. He was livid, beyond belief and he wasn't thinking of the bigger picture.
I want blood.
You need to calm yourself before we get there. You can't kill him on the spot we need to know why he did this and how. I growled at him inwardly.
He touched our mate! He starved & tortured her! He spat.
I felt my whole body shake uncontrollably and I couldn't stop. I felt like I was on self-destruct. I've never felt this way before; my wolf was never this opposing. I felt myself lose control of him.
You don't think I know that! Just calm down or else I will shift back into human form! I answered, panicking.
I don't think so... He seethed before he took full control, blocking me out as I felt myself fade away.
~
Third-person
The black wolf roared shaking the earth underneath before charging forward towards the soon-to-be graveyard.
Meanwhile, down at the field, some people sparred either armed or unarmed, while others trained by shooting targets. There were all types of weapons, from pistols to bows & arrows. Each person picked the type they used best.
Ariel headed there with Liz & Michael so they could train. Michael was walking up in front of them lost in his own world
Ariel kept a stupid smile plastered on her face the whole way through. Her body still felt all tingly from the night before. Every time she thought of Aries she felt happiness and bliss spread through her. But she was also worried. Worried that they both wouldn't be strong enough to withstand what wa
s coming next. She didn't know what was going to happen. All she knew was that she was going to fight for him, until her last breath.
Nothing would be able to get to him. She promised herself that she wouldn't let a single being harm the love of her life. Even if it was going to kill her.
Her eyebrows were furrowed as she thought about Aries almost dying to lure Hades here. Her heart broke as she felt the worry eat at her, thinking: 'what if he really does die? What if we're unable to save him?'And it was her idea to start with. She couldn't let him go through with it.
Aries (Gods & Monsters Series Book 1) Page 27