by Sasha Parker
Hades nodded, “Every God has one or so the Fates mumbo jumbo tells us. They say there is one person in the world destined to be ours. One person who will, above all others, know us, honor us, and protect us at all costs. That is what the human female is to Ares. She is tied to him. You can see the strands of their lifelines twining together. It's not yet permanent, not until he gives her his vow. Then, if anything happens to one it will effect and happen to the other.”
“Like what exactly?” Apollo asked quietly.
“If she dies, so too will he. His powers will be absorbed back into the universe and never seen again. Unless they had a child, then the child will take on those powers when he or she comes of age.”
“Huh,” Apollo tipped his head. His expression said he was trying to process the information. “So, you're saying that we're all destined to turn into lovesick fools like Ares?”
“That is the current rumor,” Hades said. He gave a snort and shook his head. “Whether it’s the truth or not, we have a piece of evidence before us that says it's possible.”
“Well, hell!” Apollo looked mortified, annoyed and slightly disgusted at the prospect. “Uh…did they happen to say if they were to all be humans?”
“You know that’s not their way. They speak in riddles and then watch us flounder around. Until this moment,” he waved a hand toward the temple. “I didn’t know they meant a consort. Seeing them together, that piece of the puzzle fell into place and their prophecy or part of it anyway, made some sense finally.”
“So, what does that mean for the rest of us?”
Apollo sounded more than a little apprehensive. Given the way he liked to go through females, he likely was. He wouldn’t like the idea of being stuck with one female for the rest of time. Unlike him, Hades thought the concept had merit. Of course, he'd ended up screwed on the last deal he'd made with a female. He would not be making the same mistake again.
Thank the Gods for a little known clause he'd found to get out of that. All he’d had to do was set that bitch Persephone up and let her hang herself. Then he'd been free, free of her sadistic and conniving clutches and free of her bitch of a mother, Demeter, too. Now all he had to do was figure out the best way to pay them both back, slowly and painfully.
“Well, nephew,” he smiled. Hades knew it wasn't a pleasant smile, not much about him was pleasant any more, not after being shackled with that bitch Persephone for so long. “I’d either avoid this realm entirely or get ready to pick out china patterns.”
Apollo swallowed hard, yeah...he didn't like the idea at all. “What about you uncle?”
Hades frowned, “What about me?”
“Well, you're in the same boat as the rest of us, are you not?” That said the golden little shit flashed away with a too smug grin.
But, he was right. Gods protect the female that thought to bring him under her heel. He'd been fooled once, nearly lost his life before it was his own again, there wouldn't be a second time. “Shit!” He really needed a drink. Maybe he'd hit up the Goth club. At least there he didn't stand out and no one in their right mind fucked with him.
Excerpt from Broken Battlefield, Mended Hearts
Breaking Protocol Book Two
by Willow Brooke
Jared hung the phone up, having just spoken with Joker, smiling from ear to ear. Tomorrow morning he would start work with Joker and the crew. He couldn’t believe it. He and Joker had been best friends since high school. The wild teens had joined the Army as the result of a bad night of drinking and poker in which both had lost their ass. They had talked about it over the years, but finally had a reason, no matter how stupid it was to actually sign the papers. When the two of them stepped out of the recruiter’s office, they were on top of the world. The ink hadn't dried on their signatures when the realization had hit them that this was what they were meant to do in life.
During Basic, they lucked out and were put together. Come AIT, they were split up for their advanced training in their individual fields, both graduating at the top of their classes, and somehow ending up stationed together at Ft. Drum, New York, for a couple years. Both Jared and Joker had jumped on any specialty training offered, and soon they were shipped to Kentucky to work with the Special Ops units.
Joker had been there the night Jared had met Bella. One glimpse of her from across the dance floor and he knew she would be his wife, one way or another. Joker had played wingman, getting her friend away long enough for Jared to make his move. He ended up going on all but three dates with them, and had been the best man in their wedding.
Unfortunately over the past few years, they had very few chances to work together or be in the same place at the same time. On the rare occasion they were both home, Joker could be found fighting Heather for her purple dinosaur pillow pet for his bed on the couch or stealing Skyler’s favorite blankie. Joker had all but cried when he missed the kids being born while he was deployed. The second he stepped off the plane, the crazy bastard had shown up with what looked like the entire Toys R Us store crammed in as many sacks as he could hold. He was his brother through and through.
Bella is going to flip! he thought as he walked back in the house. The kids were already passed out, and Bella had fallen asleep on the couch. He contemplated waking her or waiting to tell her in the morning, but the moment he caught sight of his sweet little wife, he couldn’t bring himself to wake her. Her hair was a mess, her mouth hung open with drool most likely dripping out, all while she snored like a freight train. And yet, his heart melted. She was the most beautiful creature on the planet. It was the rare times like these that he treasured. He was the luckiest damn man on earth…which Joker made a point to tell him every time they talked. If he didn’t trust Joker with his life and love him like a brother, he would definitely worry about his connection with Bella. She took care of Joker the same way she did Jared when he was around, from making his dinner plate to doing his laundry. And Joker was expected to take out the trash and mow the lawn if it needed. It was a normal, big happy family.
The kids were going to be ecstatic. Uncle Joker was the only family they really had that visited, and he was the only one who had shared holidays with them. He had played the Easter Bunny for the past few years, and had made a few Santa appearances to keep them true believers. This was going to be freaking awesome! He was finally going to be back with his best bud, and couldn’t wait to go back to work.
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