Chapter Thirty-Two

I woke up to someone crawling under my blankets.

I knew who it was the moment the bedroom door opened, heard those socked little feet hurrying across the floor, the slight breeze when the blanket was lifted, and the bed dipped with a familiar weight.

I didn't want to leave the comfort of the bed.

It was so warm and Wren smelled so good up against my chest, but I could feel him stirring as well as our visitor made a noise of annoyance at having to try and get between Wren and I.

I groaned as a smirk of amusement curved the corner of Wren's lips.

"Elias," I grumbled, rolling over onto my back. I lifted the blankets and Elias beamed up at me, quickly crawling on top of me so he could get into my face. He was quickly abandoning the concept of personal space, and I don't think it helped that Elias was all over Theo all the time and Theo just let him climb on him or jump on him like a frickin' spider monkey.

"Jasper, wake up," he whispered eagerly, as I reached over to pick up my phone to check the time and I tried not to weep when the clock read it was only five in the morning.

"Elias, I think we need to talk about your bedtime."

"What'd you mean? I went to bed at midnight," Elias said with a scowl and I continued to stare at him and he stared back, clearly not understanding that five hours of sleep wasn't really that much, especially when you were recovering from a traumatizing experience.

Of course, not everyone experienced trauma the same way.

Elias had been absolutely devastated by Polly's passing. I think being there with her when she did pass in the end was good for him, but at the same time, he'd spent the whole next day crying. Luckily, Theo was there to cradle him and love him and tend to his needs. I only went to check up on him and make sure he was doing okay.

Now, Elias was much brighter and I think it helped that he didn't get a chance to mope around in bed and overthink the whole thing. Theo had snatched him out of bed bright and early the day after, taking him on a grand tour of the palace and the palace grounds. Kali had also joined them to get a feel for the place, even though she didn't have plans to stay at the palace.

Something else that had devastated Elias.

I think he was expecting us all to live in the palace and live happily ever after.

He wasn't too disappointed, though, when Theo took him to visit their place in Styx. He was excited and had come back talking for days on end about how he was going to be a prince of Styx and he was going to get to decorate their Christmas tree in town. He talked a hundred miles an hour, so I wasn't sure about the rest of it, but it sounded like Theo was more than happy to buy him whatever he wanted.

It made me smile.

Yeah, I think Elias won the jackpot in terms of parents.

Even though Adonis was still stand-offish, he at least joined them and was present to watch and learn. I had a feeling he wanted to learn more before he took his first steps forward as a parent, which was completely understandable.

I was apprehensive about Adonis at first given his comments about not wanting children, but he was taking small baby steps to accepting Elias as part of their life. That went a long way in showing me that, despite his feelings about children, he cared more about giving Elias the best chance he could at a better life.

Speaking of which...

"Why are you in my room and not theirs?" I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes sleepily as Wren shifted in the bed, rolling over onto his back so we could look at Elias, who just gave him a beaming good morning smile that Wren met with one of his own and a sleepy "morning".

"Cuz they're already outside," Elias whispered and I scowled, "Come on, put a sweater on, cuz it's cold! We're going outside!" I grimaced.

"Elias, there is frost on the ground."

"Yes! It'll make everything so pretty!"

"And cold."

"So?"

"I'm quickly learning that I am not a cold person, Elias. Anything below twenty-two at this point is freezing for me," I muttered, trying to gather the blankets close, but Elias was already tugging at them and whining for me to get my ass outta bed. I had no idea what had him so eager to go outside; he wasn't specifying anything. He just kept bouncing on me and yanking the blankets off while Wren laughed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to get up.

"You heard him, baby, time to get up," Wren said, then paused to stretch and yawn. I snorted.

"Sounds like I'm not the only one who's still tired," I pointed out, then grunted when Elias picked up Wren's pillow and hit me with it. I groaned, snatching it from him and he fell over me trying to get it, so now he was kicking me and elbowing me and pinching me.

"Wren," I whined as he laughed, rising to his feet.

"You know, I should just hire Elias to be your alarm clock."

"I can do that," Elias exclaimed jubilantly, then actually hit me in the groin on his way bouncing off the bed. I groaned, rolling over to cup myself a little as Wren laughed, covering his mouth as he made his way to the bathroom.

"How can you laugh at this abuse?" I moaned as pain pulsed hot in my stomach. Wren just laughed from the bathroom and I groaned again, rolling over onto my stomach as Elias finished yanking all of the blankets off the bed, leaving me cold and exposed.

"Come on, Jasper! Hurry up! We're gonna be late!"

"We're on a time crunch?" I groaned. Elias made another noise of distress and this time actually started to tug on my foot to drag me out of bed.

"Alright," I exclaimed, making him jump back with a triumphant grin, "Alright, just. Let me find a sweater. And a jacket. And sweatpants. Are snowsuits a thing?" I glanced toward the bathroom door where Wren was brushing his teeth while watching us. He gave me a nod of confirmation at the question as Elias clapped his hands to urge me to move faster.

I managed to drag my ass out of bed and, for once, thanked fucking Hades that he had heated floors in this place, because I dreaded the moment my feet would touch that floor. Only for warmth to meet my feet as I sighed, moving my feet up and down on the warm marble.

"Elias, you should probably wear a jacket too," Wren said after he brushed his teeth, heading to the closet, "Or did Theo give you one?"

"Why would I need a jacket?"

"Because it's cold outside."

"Oh. Okay!" Elias had no problem following Wren into the closet to pick out a padded jacket for him. I took the opportunity to duck into the bathroom for some privacy. I finished brushing my teeth in front of the mirror, only to pause at my reflection when I straightened.

I somehow looked different.

No, I was still fucking giant, still tall, but my hair had gotten longer. A bit too much to where I looked more like Hades than I wanted to. Though, I think having Yiuwa's eyes helped. And when I looked closer, I realized I didn't have dark circles under my eyes anymore. The dark bags that were indicative of my insomnia had vanished.

Because the moment I arrived at the palace, sleeping seemed easier. It was more than just having someone there to remind me to go to bed. I was engaged in constant stimulation and activity that didn't require life or death consequences. I was actually enjoying myself throughout the day, for the most part, and by the end, I wasn't dead tired or strung out, just pleasantly exhausted and it made sleeping so much faster.

My skin tone had actually evened out too, now that I was examining my face. It probably came from eating actual nutritious meals and not supplemental bullshit because I was constantly on the run. In fact, since I had arrived at the palace, I was eating full meals. I wasn't eating a protein bar here or there and then forgetting to eat for two weeks. They were full homemade meals that kept me full and going through the day.

I was actually starting to enjoy eating.

Especially since, most of the time, I was sharing that meal with someone. Not even just Wren. Sometimes I would have breakfast and Elias and Theo would be in there already, or Kali and I would bump into each other and share coffee and pastries. Sometimes I walked in on Yiuwa already eating, so I would just sit with him and eat and we would actually talk.

Not about war shit, not all the time.

Sometimes it was just normal stuff, which was fucking wild.

Normal stuff, like what his plans for the day were, what did he like to eat, was he going to spend time with Rowan or did he decide to go into work. I had yet to run into Rowan casually like everyone else, but it seemed like the guy had a habit of hiding. Yiuwa said Rowan was used to his solitude, so sometimes, as much as he wanted to be around others, his anxiety was too much for him at the moment and he needed to decompress.

I totally understood that.

Sometimes the lovey-dovey family love and constant socializing was exhausting.

It wasn't that I didn't like my newfound family.

I just needed to adjust.

And I think in a way, Rowan was still adjusting too.

It wasn't easy spending thousands and thousands of years in absolute solitude, only to suddenly be thrust into the thick of it all.

So I respected his space and figured he'd come to me when he was ready to talk.

"Jaaaaasper!" Elias's shrill whine from outside the bathroom door made me laugh as I finished my morning routine. I came into the room with Elias jumping up and down, looking positively adorable in a blue parka that was way too big for him. His little hands were hidden in the big sleeves and Wren was trying to attach the hood in case his ears got cold.

"There's a jacket in there for you too," Wren said, making me look at him curiously as I headed to the closet, "I bought some things while I was out yesterday. I had a feeling you might end up outside this winter." I found it right away tucked in between some pants and shirts, and I paused to look around the inside of the closet, because it was always surreal to me.

I had never paid much attention to clothing.

I only wore what covered my ass and that was about it.

Didn't matter what it looked like.

So to see that my side of the closet had almost as much as Wren's now was a little wild.

I took the green parka off the rack, but I wasn't going to trust just a jacket. I grabbed a sweater and sweatpants and bundled up, finishing off with my boots as I came out and Elias scowled at me.

"It's not that cold."

"And I repeat, there is frost on the ground, Elias."

"But you have socks and boots."

"And I am already cold," I sighed wistfully. Elias gave me a playful shove before he took me by the hand and started to yank me toward the door impatiently. Wren laughed, throwing his jacket on and following us out into the hallway.

The lights were still dimmed, so it seemed like most of the palace was still asleep.

We made our way downstairs and out the back doors to the private family patio. Of course, I had been absolutely correct about the temperature because the moment we came outside, I was hit with a cold breeze and I grimaced, actually shutting my eyes to cope with it.

I felt Wren's warm hand sneak into mine that was shoved into my pocket. I looked at him gratefully and he just smiled. I squeezed his hand.

"Come on!" Elias whispered to us, tugging at my other hand. Wren and I smiled at each other before following him across the patio.

It was still dark out, but I could start to see the sun coming over the horizon as we seemed to be getting closer to it. Elias led us through the garden out to the other side.

"You sure we're allowed to be out there far?" I muttered, glancing back at the palace. It wasn't getting smaller or anything, because it was a goddamn palace that took up about ninety percent of the open space surrounded by towering redwoods. But it was definitely looking further away.

"Ssh!" Elias hissed. I looked at Wren drolly and he just grinned and put his finger to his lips to emphasize Elias's command. I rolled my eyes, but said nothing as we trekked through the woods on the other side of the garden. As we walked, I noticed we were going up a slight incline. I glanced back and realized that I could see the palace sitting in its little bowl amongst the trees.

For a moment, I was caught off guard because from this distance, the palace looked... magical.

I'd seen a lot of big monuments in my lifetime and almost all of them were dedications to some dude's fucking ego. I'd seen churches and castles and statues that took up more space than the Hadifarian palace, heavily decorated with golds and jewels and anything that made it sparkle like a diamond in the rough.

But there was something... warm about the Hadiferian palace.

It didn't necessarily stick out amongst the trees, despite its heavy Rococo influences, so it was super detailed in its carvings and engravings, and it was decorated in blacks, whites, golds, so it still suited the family, and yet at the same time, it looked like it was being cradled by the surrounding forest. It blended in well, like it was supposed to be there.

What really set it apart was knowing that it wasn't a monument to anyone's ego, not even Hades's or Lucifer's.

It was a monument of the love that powered this family.

It was a monument representing the love and devotion Hades and Lucifer shared, the one that really seemed to click their families together neatly.

The final piece to a puzzle in a way.

I felt Wren tug my hand and I followed him the rest of the way up the forested hill with Elias leading the wall, jumping up and down over fallen logs, stopping to pet moss on the ground, or lichen on the trees. Every so often, he'd pick up a leaf and put it in his pocket. He'd pick up rocks and stones, even a random bone, and just fill his pockets.

By the time we got to the top of the hill, his pockets were bulging with his found treasures.

And I realized what he had brought us to the hill for.

Adonis and Theo were already waiting at the top of the hill. Elias launched himself at Theo the moment he saw him and Theo laughed, grabbing him up with little effort to give him a little swing that made Elias burst into laughter.

I stared at them, because that immediate comfort and love was startling. There was no shyness in Theo, no hesitation at all. He took Elias into his arms and squeezed him tight. Adonis watched them with a faint smile on his lips, like he thoroughly enjoyed watching them interact. He glanced over when he saw us, then snorted when his eyes landed on me.

"It's not that cold," he said, even though he had his parka hood pulled up and his jacket hugged tight to his body.

"Says the dude with shriveled balls," I retorted. Adonis scoffed, but he was amused by the comment. Wren shook his head at us, looking over at where Elias was excitedly chattering about the things he'd found on his way up to the hill. Theo didn't stop him or interrupt him at all, just grinned and admired his findings.

"Is there a reason we're out here at," I paused to look at my phone, "Six in the morning?"

"Give it just a few minutes," Adonis said, tilting his head back to look up at the sky and his hood slid back so his thick blonde hair came tumbling around his shoulders. I frowned, tilting my head back to stare up, then paused, my mouth opening slowly.

The sky was fucking incredible.

I had never seen so many stars in my life. In fact, it was just swirling mists of stars everywhere. Even cooler was seeing soft light pink rays spreading out from behind the mountains of Helheim just beyond the hill. I followed the soft to the horizon, staring at it as I realized why we'd come out here.

"Theo's been bringing Elias out here for the past couple mornings," Adonis said, making me blink and look at him as he watched Elias and Theo interact, "He wanted to show Elias that if he ever got lonely without Polly, all he had to do was come out here and say morning to her." My throat closed up at that as I looked over were Theo was now sitting on the hill and Elias was next to him, staring up at the sky toward the horizon.

Beside me, Wren squeezed my hand and I looked at him gratefully. He smiled, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. His lips were so soft and warm. I breathed out a sigh, my breath coming out in clouds that rose up toward the sky that was slowly starting to brighten as the morning sun came creeping over the mountains.

"There she is," Theo said to Elias, who's eyes widened as they stared up. He pointed to an area of the sky where a misty cluster of stars were fading in brightness against the sun's powerful rays.

"I see her," Elias breathed, his eyes briefly tearing up before he blinked them away and held a hand up toward the sky, "Good morning, Polly!" I clenched my teeth to keep from crying. It was so fucking sweet, so fucking kind.

I couldn't wrap my head around all the total bullshit Hera had fed the artificials about Theo in particular. How he was a wild card that killed indiscriminately and was a Beast when scorned. Rumors about how he plucked the wings off imps and killed puppies just for the fun of that. That kind of shit, I had known it was bullshit to begin with because it was just so outlandish, but the other artificials didn't have that deduction, weren't able to compare it with anything else, so they had to believe her.

Except I wasn't seeing some kind of monster on a rampage.

I was watching a young father who had experienced absolute shit in his life, eager to make up for all the failings of those before him, opening his heart and soul up to a son I'm sure he didn't expect or prepare for. But he loved and cherished Elias nonetheless.

It was made so very crystal clear in that moment as Theo smiled up at the sky with Elias.

"Mornin', Polly," Theo said and Elias just smiled wider, wrapping his arms around Theo's arm so he could snuggle close and Theo smiled at that, pulling him in closer before looking up at the sky, "Do you wanna show Polly all the things you found?"

"Yeah," Elias exclaimed, sitting up straight now and emptying his pockets out on the grass in front of him, neatly displaying everything so Polly could look down and watch, "Look, Polly! I found a really shiny rock with pretty red on it! Rocks are so pretty. I'll leave some by your tree so you can have them whenever you want."

"Show her the squirrel bone you found."

"Oh! Polly, there are squirrels here! They're cute and fat and they make silly little sounds when they talk. I think this bone came from one that died, so I'll leave the bone with you so you can take care of him when he gets there. Oh, and-and I found this snakeskin— and this eggshell from a nest! It's got spots on it!"

My heart swelled.

I looked at Adonis, who was watching them as if he were trying to figure the situation out. I didn't really want to butt into his head, because I'm sure he was used to gods fucking with his brain all the time, but at the same time, I had an intense curiosity to know how he felt about watching Theo and Elias.

Cute, I faintly heard Adonis's voice in his head, they're so cute together... he's so small. He's not a baby, but for some reason, it feels like he is... my baby. I watched his eyes grow shiny for a moment before he blinked hard to clear his vision.

I didn't delve further. I didn't want to disrespect his privacy more than I had, but it was at least reassuring that he was warming up to the recent changes and not flat out rejecting Elias. I hoped some day he'd feel comfortable enough to get down on the ground and hug and kiss Elias as much as Theo did.

We stood there and watched the sunrise.

It was incredible.

Beams of pink, orange, and purple streamed across the sky over our heads, reaching further and further across the land. I turned around to see the splendor and it really took my breath away.

Streams of light spread through the valley, making the frost on the trees and grass glitter and gleam. The forest was stirring with life now as birds began to take flight and chatter. Squirrels and other critters moving through the trees and bushes as the sun lit the way. The sun's rays eventually hit the palace and it was honestly just so beautiful that I was speechless.

Beyond the palace and the glittering frosted forest were the distant dusted peaks of mountains, the Black Sea a massive dark pool between the glittering cities in the distance. Inferi was eventually gleaming in the sunlight too, smoke rising from stacks and activity rising from the streets. Across the sea was Hell, just coming awake as the sun spread through the streets and people began to stir with the morning.

It was such a massive beautiful area and it took me a moment to realize that I was going to be living in this.

I was going to be living amongst trees, cities, people, animals, mountains. Every morning the sun would rise and I would have the opportunity to see it again, even if I missed it once. Every evening, the sun would dip below the horizon, and I would be able to watch that too, whenever I wanted. I would be able to wake up normally, have a full breakfast, and go outside without having to report where I was or check-in with anyone.

I looked down at my parka.

I'd be able to wear whatever I wanted.

I looked at Wren, who was smiling at the view, his eyes sweeping across the land like he, too, wanted to take in the breathtaking beauty around him. The cold wind nipped at his nose, turning it pink to match his cheeks, his tongue darting out to wet his dry lips from the cold. His blond hair whipped around his face, those brown eyes catching the sunlight in a way that made them flash almost gold. He caught me looking at him and smiled, giving my hand a squeeze.

"Makes it worth getting up a little early, huh?" He asked me. I smiled.

"Yes."

"Wanna do it again tomorrow morning?"

"Absolutely not," I stated, making Wren grin at me, "It's gorgeous and I love it, but holy fuck, I am exhausted and is it just me, or does getting up earlier make you twice as hungry? Because I am fucking craving Blaine's fresh made potato scones and that weird mince meat stuff he made."

"You actually eat haggis?" Adonis asked me abruptly and he looked positively disgusted by that, which made Theo bark a laugh.

"You'll eat cow tongue, but not haggis?"

"Cow tongue makes great tacos. Sheep innards sound gross. There's only so much new food I am willing to try and mashed up innards in a stomach casing does not make that list."

"Ew," Elias managed, staring at him in disgust. Theo rolled his eyes and gave him an elbow.

"Oh no you don't. You're gonna eat all the things here. It sounds gross, but trust me, it's not that bad. It's not like it's just boiled either. It's seasoned."

"What's that mean?"

"It means there's lots of yummy flavorings that turn it into something delicious. There's lots of foods people think are yucky until they season them."

"Ohhh," Elias said slowly in understanding, then scowled, "What's a sheep?" Theo looked at him, then at Adonis, who actually put his hands up in a shrug. Theo rolled his eyes, then smiled at Elias.

"It's a domestic animal."

"What's domestic?"

I tried not to laugh at the conversation that went from one question and somehow turned into a thousand questions that continued even after we packed up and headed back down to the palace.

"Okay," Elias said slowly as we walked down the path toward the palace, "So let me get this straight... People buy animals to eat, but they have to take care of them until they are eaten. Some animals can be eaten, but not others. Why can I eat a sheep, but not a dog?"

"Because dogs don't have good meat, first of all," Adonis said, sounding offended by the comparison, "Second, they're cute and cuddly and you can put them in outfits." Theo burst out laughing at that while Elias scowled.

"Why can't you do that with a sheep?"

"Because sheep stink."

"What do they smell like?"

"Barnyard and manure."

"What's that smell like?"

"Gross."

I tried not to laugh at that conversation. I had a feeling that even though Elias was going to be learning the most from those two, they were probably going to learn a thing or two from him too.

The path back to the palace was much easier to see in the sunlight. The forest was definitely alive as we walked through. Squirrels and chipmunks would duck in and out of bushes, a good few birds of all different species chattered and flew by on their daily errands. I thought I saw something larger and brown waddling around behind the trees, but it disappeared fast for being large.

The garden came into view and Elias went running into it to get to Polly's tree so he could decorate the base with his findings. As we approached, I realized Elias had been doing this for a while. Maybe since Polly had passed. Because there were numerous gifts surrounding the base of that pomegranate tree. From cute little plates with cartoon characters to found jewelry, bones, toys, rocks, pretty leaves and flowers.

Actually, I noticed some things that definitely hadn't been left by Elias.

There was a beautiful bouquet made with a cluster of pink heather and carnations, purple thistles, little buds of chrysanthemums, and a single white lily in the center. All of it was tied together with intricate knotwork done with what appeared to be shiny brown hair, and dangling from the knotwork were glittery gems and feathers.

I knew without a name that it was Blaine's gift to Polly. Each flower, each knot, each strand of his own hair, all beautifully woven together with intent.

Beside it, a stuffed teddy bear the kind you give to a baby, a couple of unopened letters addressed to Polly, a framed copy of a formal birth certificate and her death date, with printed and stored information that Polly existed. She'd been here, even just for a short time, and we wanted everyone to remember that.

It was a beautiful tribute.

Hades hadn't said anything against us using his pomegranate tree as her grave. In fact, I noticed something new in the garden I hadn't noticed in our dark morning trek up the mountain.

A stone bench sat just on the other side of the pomegranate tree, facing the tree and where the sun would rise over it and shine down. It was so perfectly placed, so beautifully designed with neat swirls carved into basalt with the armrests really just small curves up before it naturally faded back into the stone.

I glanced up at where Hades's office window was.

The curtains were open and the glass panes were cracked open to let the cool morning air in.

I wondered if he knew we were here, but somehow, I had a feeling he did and that was the whole reason his window was open.

We left Theo, Elias, and Adonis to their morning routine so Wren and I could retreat back to our bedroom. I considered getting back into bed, because the moment I took off my parka, I was once again cold, even with the sweater on. Except Wren was getting into the shower and that told me if he came out and I was still in bed, he was not going to be happy.

So I settled for just standing near the balcony doors to stare outside. The view was still lovely, still magical. I could see why Lucifer had chosen this place for their home, for their family.

Restless and trying to keep myself from climbing back into bed, I went to the dresser to see if Wren had packed it with clothes for me like he did the closet.

Of course, the first drawer I opened, I was surprised to find a familiar pink leather collar inside sitting in a black velvety case, and it had received a new addition. Laying against the heartshaped little tag was another dog tag, but this tag was engraved with a muted, but shimmery text.

My Darling Jasper.

My breath caught in my throat.

Before I could stop myself, I was taking the collar carefully out of the case to admire it in the lighting. He'd cleaned it up all nice and both tags were practically gleaming, they were so polished. I felt a little dazed as I walked over and sat on the end of the bed, staring at the collar in my hands.

For a brief moment, I wasn't sure what to do with this information.

Why had he added the other tag? Was that supposed to mean something aside from being fucking adorable?

No, I quickly reminded myself.

Wren did that for a reason.

I swallowed thickly, unbuckling the leather in my hands and I savored the way it slid between my fingers. I held it open, staring down at the inside of it. I glanced at the bathroom door, hearing the shower water shut off. I turned back to the collar and before I knew it, I was lifting it to my throat and I paused as I laid that soft leather against my throat, closing my eyes.

You'd think after being dragged around by Hera on a leash, treated like her fucking attack dog, that the idea of wearing a collar like a dog would just be fucked up.

Except this collar wasn't hers.

This was Wren's.

No, I realized as I fingered the tag that had my name on it.

It was my collar.

This was not a representation of Hera's hold, or a representation of servitude. It was mostly just a fun way for us to connect, a loud declaration that we were so head over heels for one another, that we needed the whole fucking world to know just how deep that connection was. It was more than a ring that could be lost or stolen. It was more than just a fun sex toy in the bedroom.

It felt like a proposal.

I gasped abruptly when I felt hands doing the buckles on the back of the collar. I looked up to see Wren leaning over the bed beside me to buckle it. He smiled as he came around to adjust it on my neck as I stared up at him, my hands lowering to the edge of the bed between my knees.

"I see you found me out," Wren murmured, reaching out to brush the hair back from my face. I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring that gentle touch with a sigh. I rubbed my cheek against his hand and he smiled. I reached up to take his wrist, guiding him forward until he was in my lap, wearing only a pair of boxers so there was no hiding exactly how aroused he was. The scent of him filled my head as he settled into my lap, cupping my face in his hands as I stared up at him now, my hands gathering at the small of his back to hold him steady.

"I think you already know what my answer will be," I murmured, gazing up at him as he smiled, "Because it will be the same every single time you ask me." Wren's eyes teared up for a moment before he swallowed thickly, stroking my cheeks.

"I still want to hear you say it."

"Yes," I said immediately and Wren gasped softly in relief, closing his eyes and tilting his head down so our foreheads touched, "You don't need to ask me ever again, Wrenny. This will be the last time, because from here on out, nothing will ever come between us again."

"Jasper—"

"I mean it," I added, reaching up to take his face into my hands now, bringing him down for a kiss where just our lips touched before I pulled away to see his shiny brown eyes, "I will not hesitate from here on out. I will do what I need to do to make sure that this lasts forever... That we last forever." Wren swallowed at that, then leaned down to capture my lips in a kiss.

It wasn't soft or gentle anymore.

He attacked me with the hunger of a ravenous incubus and I moaned, parting my lips to let him in. His arms slowly wrapped around my neck, his hand pausing to stroke over my neck and collar, like he was reminding me it was there. I purred at the sensation of his skin and the leather dragging against my neck. I put my arms around him, though snaking one hand up along his back to feel his lean muscles and my other hand dipped down below his boxers.

He gave me the sweetest most satisfied moan, arching his back and letting me stroke along his crack until I could brush my finger against him. He pulled me against his chest now, moaning as I started to delve my finger inside him. I showered his neck and chest with kisses, suckling every so often to leave behind a soft bruise. He moaned, running his fingers through my hair and giving my collar a little tug for more as I curled my finger up inside him.

"More," he mumbled, leaning down to kiss the top of my head as I latched onto his nipple. I twirled my tongue around the stiff sensitive bud, using my finger to press into him so he arched forward against my face. I felt his cock, rock and hard and already leaving a wet stain on the front of his boxers, pressed against mine and I growled at the sensation, at the heat that stirred with Darling in my chest.

"You're so sweet," I murmured against his skin, "So hot. Every time I curl my finger right... there." Wren whimpered, shifting his hips so he could encourage me to finger deeper, but I teased him by drawing back, but not completely out.

"You melt," I whispered against his ear. He moaned, his skin flushing a ripe pretty pink.

"Yes," he breathed. I drew my finger further back, only to add a second and he groaned, pushing down on them, encouraging me to go back in to that special little spot that drove him wild. I purposely avoided it, though, purposely dragged my fingers just past it. He shifted, like he was trying to get me to hit that spot, but I drew back again.

I felt his teeth nip my ear in frustration and I laughed softly, plunging my fingers in hard, slamming into that soft bundle of nerves. Wren cried out, dropping his hips down to meet that thrust and I smirked in triumph, watching the wet stain on his boxers spread as he came, slumping over my shoulders for a moment before he moaned, caressing my head against him.

"Wanna slip off those boxers," I murmured, tilting my head back to look up at him. He met me with dewey eyes, wet lips, flushed cheeks. My mouth watered as he gave me a single nod. I took my fingers in his boxers now as he slid back off my lap to stand. I dropped his boxers to his feet and sat back for a moment to admire his semi-hard cock that was twitching back to life, as if just having me look at him naked was arousing.

I pushed away from the bed to get on my knees in front of him and Wren's eyes widened slightly, his mouth opening like he was going to suggest something else, but I was already down on my knees between his legs, his cock in my mouth. Wren gasped, sinking his hand into my hair and his legs trembled, like he was going to fall. I slipped my mouth off him long enough to whip him around and drop him back onto the bed, his legs falling open automatically.

I crawled back onto the bed, diving right between his legs to take his cock back into my mouth. It was so sweet, and there was still leftover cum dripping down the sides, all of which I licked up like the icing off a cinnamon roll. He moaned, arching his back and sinking his hand back down into my hair. I savored the sensation of his fingernails scraping my scalp, his fingers twisting in my hair as his hips trembled under the intensity of my blowjob.

It had only grown in intensity because I once again forgot that even though Wren was Milo and Milo was an antichrist, that didn't change the fact that in this reincarnation, he was an American incubus as well.

His cum was sweet and thick and hot. It shot down my throat and I swore I felt it spill into my stomach and somehow, that sensation, whether real or imagined, only aroused me further. I groaned, holding some of it in my mouth to savor the taste, until Wren sat up and bonked me on the head with his fist, making me swallow and cough.

"I told you not to drink that shit," he managed as I panted against the heat of arousal that was quickly lighting my veins on fire.

"But it tastes so good," I mumbled, licking my lips as I sat back on my knees, using my finger and thumb to sweep any drops left on my face to my mouth. Each lick, each little drop, was just adding to that fire that burned deep in my groin, in my gut, and into my chest.

"Then don't blame me for anything that happens later," Wren warned, reaching forward to pull me over his body so I was propped up above him, sweating and trembling now as the arousal made me stiff and hard. He captured my lips and I moaned, then gasped as he reached down between us to capture me in his palm. His hand was wet and slick with his own natural lubrication and for some reason, that just fucking drove me wild.

I moaned, pumping myself up against his hand as little jolts of electrical pleasure coursed through me, making me twitch and tremble. It felt like I'd just swallowed a gallon of gasoline and was going to slowly combust. I tried to keep myself propped up over Wren so I didn't smash him, but my arms were getting weak and trembling.

"What's the matter, baby," Wren murmured up at me, reaching up with his free hand to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. I moaned at the touch, thrusting my cock up into his palm and it slid against his belly.

"Cum— I need to cum—"

"Sure, but with just my hand?"

"N-No, no— more— Wren—"

"I have an idea."

I wasn't really sure what that was until Wren decided to just move us around instead of explaining. One second we were face to face, his hand on my cock, and in the next, I had his cock back in my mouth, and mine was in his.

Everything about the moment was intensely erotic.

Wren's aphrodisiac was making me tingle and twitch wherever I was touched. Wren's mouth was a hot wet suction on my cock, his hands gripping my ass and spreading me open, like he was really excited to get his tongue in somewhere else. All I could do was helplessly suck his cock. I could barely function that much as I drooled and suckled at the tip of him.

"Are you trying to get more," Wren gasped breathlessly, taking his mouth away from my cock and I groaned, missing that stimulation instantly.

"Yes," I said between sloppy licks and sucks on his cock and I worked my way to his balls, parting my lips to take one into my mouth, "More. I want more." I suckled at his balls for a second and Wren groaned, tightening his grip on my asscheeks. I felt him spreading them wide before he yanked me down and I almost landed on top of him, but managed to catch myself on my elbows before I felt his hot wet tongue against me.

A second later, he was in and I was unable to focus on anything, but drooling and arching my hips back up. Wren slowly sat up so he could get a better access, his tongue pushing in deeper and I groaned, grabbing at the sheets and blankets.

Before I knew it, I was slumped forward face down on the bed while Wren thrust his tongue in and out of me, curling and flaring his tongue, like he wanted to lick every last nook and cranny. My whole body trembled, the arousal getting stronger and it was actually making me a little delirious. I was having trouble focusing on what to do aside from moaning and writhing on the bed. Wren massaged my cheeks, thrusting his tongue in before he drew his mouth back.

The sound of him smacking his lips brought me to the edge.

And his hand slapping against my ass sent me over.

I gasped sharply, arching back as my cock kicked and spilled onto the bed. The orgasm only kicked into overdrive when Wren's hand connected with my ass again and a second later, his tongue was back inside me. I cried out against the blankets, slamming my eyes shut as I hit my peak so hard, I lost the strength in my knees and almost went down.

Wren wrapped his arms around my waist to help hold me up as he continued to torment me with that tongue action. He rang out every last bit until I slumped facedown on the bed, trying to catch my breath. I felt Wren lay himself over top of me, his arm sneaking up across my chest to hold me.

"You're right," Wren murmured, "You taste so good." I could barely manage a tired laugh at that, then groaned as I felt my cock hardening against the bed, my fingers twisting in the blankets.

"Shit, that stuff does not wear off fast, does it?" I mumbled. Wren smiled, pausing to finger the dog tags at my collar before he looked at me.

"If we, ah... continue, we should probably use protection," he said quietly. I blinked at that, and I feel like any other time that would've kind of woken me up and had me leave the room to avoid going further. Not because I didn't want to be with Wren, but the reminder that either one of us could get pregnant was unnerving. At the same time, that aphrodisiac was still hot in my veins and I was actually so hard again that it was almost painful.

"Kay," I managed as Wren propped himself up over me, "Yeah." Except when Wren's body heat left me when he sat up, there was an odd sense of panic that went through me.

"No!" I gasped, lunging up. My legs were still weak so all I could manage was a sloppy little toss of my body against Wren, who gasped in surprise and caught himself on the headboard. He looked back at me, confused.

"Jasper?"

"No," I moaned, unsure why I was stopping him because it made perfect logical sense to not have any fucking kids right now, but for some insane reason, it was like I was possessed, "No, don't leave—"

"Jasper, I'm just—"

"Fuck me," I moaned against his ear and he froze at that, his hands catching mine at his chest, "Fill me up until I'm pouring out. I want to feel your cock inside me. I want to have your babies. Fuck me until I'm pregnant." I had no idea where those words came from.

Inside, I was fucking horrified and embarrassed. What a completely irresponsible and stupid thing to say and now of all times, with everything happening around us, and knowing that we still had a child out there somewhere.

I wanted to put my own head through a window.

I expected Wren to scold me or maybe even get concerned because holy shit, that aphrodisiac was no joke, but I was surprised when Wren turned in my arms, reaching up to take my face in his hands. His brown eyes were full of understanding, kindness, and love. He gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Maybe someday, baby, but not today," he murmured against my lips and I felt a whimper come up my throat, but he smiled, "No, I think today you deserve all the love and all the play. You've been a very good boy. The best boy." His compliments made me tremble, filling the sudden void created by that embarrassment and denial. Logically, I knew he was correct, and logically I knew having babies now was not a good idea.

Still, for some reason, my mouth took on a mind of its own.

"Please fill me," I moaned. Wren trembled at the plea, stroking my cheek and jaw. I parted my lips to take his thumb into my mouth as it passed over, and he groaned as I suckled at his finger, reaching up to take his hand in mine. I drenched his finger in a matter of seconds, then guided his hand down between my legs.

"Protection, Jasper—"

"Nooo," I moaned like a dumb idiot. Wren just smiled helplessly, then groaned as I managed to guide his finger right inside me. It was briefly uncomfortable until he added a second finger on his own and I purred, arching myself against him, rubbing my cock against his stomach, leaving wet dribbles.

"You're so messy," Wren murmured, poking the tip of my cock with his other finger and I whined, because it was just a quick touch, no harsh friction that I desperately craved. I rubbed myself against his stomach some more and a slow smile spread across his face. With two fingers inside me, he used his other hand to start tugging at my cock.

I didn't last long with that.

My vision burst into stars and I cried out, feeling the desperation to thrust myself down on his fingers, but also thrust up into his palms, so I was really just awkwardly bouncing trying to keep that momentum going. Wren just gazed up at me, like he was watching the sunrise. It only sent me spiraling over another edge.

I was a little dizzy after that, so it was a blur how we ended up with Wren laying back against the pillows and headboard, staring up at me as I thrust myself down on his cock. There was a bit of frustration with the condom, but it felt so good I didn't have time to stop and tell him more stupid bullshit about being pumped full of cum. All I could do was bounce up and down, trying not to completely crush Wren considering I was way too fucking big to be doing this shit. Yet he didn't groan or grunt or complain about my weight. He just gripped my ass in his palms, like he was so excited to get his hands on them, and I reached back to hang onto his arms as I moved.

"You know," Wren said breathlessly as he watched me, sweat making his pretty blond hair stick to his face, "I can go a lot deeper than this. You're hesitating."

"I don't— mngh— want to crush you— fuck—"

"I can handle you just fine, Jasper," Wren assured, but I shook my head in denial and he raised an eyebrow for a moment, then smiling slowly, "Let me show you."

"No, Wren—" My voice cut off into a choked sob as Wren gripped me by the hips and brought me down hard. I lost my balance and slumped over on top of him, gasping sharply as his cock thrust hard, slamming repeatedly into my insides. My vision danced with stars as I writhed and squirmed, trying to get him deeper now, my weight completely forgotten.

Everything was frenzied after that. I only remembered the hot fever of arousal, the softness of Wren's skin, lips, hair, the hardness of his cock sliding into me and filling me up. Our hands came together, fingers intertwined, our lips hovering as we panted for breath.

"Jasper, I love you," Wren whispered to me and I felt my eyes water, and Wren's eyes shimmered as well, "I love you so much. You will forever mean more than just a soulmate to me, more than my husband, and more than my best friend. You are the other half of me."

"I've spent a lifetime waiting for you to come back to me," I managed, feeling tears wet on my cheeks now and Wren tilted his head up to kiss me on the cheek, trailing those kisses to my ear, "I will never have to wait for you again. We will stay together forever. No matter what happens, Wren, I love you. I love everything about you, everything within you. You are also my other half. Together, we can and will make peace." Wren smiled, capturing my lips now.

The kiss helped cool down the lust.

I was still warm, a little tingly, but I managed to get calm enough to just lay sprawled in bed on my stomach as Wren took yet another shower. I listened to the sound of the water running, his occasional hum, then pause, like he was surprised he was humming, and then it would continue, like he didn't give a shit.

I smiled at that.

Then pressed my face into the pillow because I knew it was one of those dumb lover boy smiles that Kali liked to tease me about.

The sound of my phone vibrating on the nightstand ruined everything.

I had specifically chosen this ringtone for this specific person, so I could take a couple rings to decide whether or not I was in the mood to answer it. Of course, when I didn't answer, it just rang again.

Jeepers, Creepers

Where'd you get those peepers?

Jeepers, Creepers.

Where'd you get those eyes?

"You know," Wren said as he came out of the bathroom while I glared at the phone, "He's eventually just gonna come here himself and I doubt you want him to see you bare assed, covered in cum."

"Do you think it would traumatize him?" I asked hopefully. Wren grinned and hit me with a pillow.

"Stop that, answer the phone," he scolded as I tossed the pillow aside with a groan, "It could be important." That was the only reason I eventually dragged myself to the phone that had just gone through a second ring cycle.

"I'm sorry, did you think we gave you a new phone just so you could ignore it when it rings?" Hades's irate comment made me sigh as I rolled over onto my back and Wren went to grab some body wipes to help clean me off.

"Usually that's a sign that the person you're trying to call is preoccupied at the moment, please call again later," I deadpanned, glaring up at the ceiling as Wren gently wiped me down. Though he paused to give my asscheek a little pinch for my smartass comment.

"If we weren't caught in between two major pantheon wars," Hades drawled, "I'd probably never fucking call you in the first place."

"Ah, now, see, I don't believe that for a second, Hades. I don't know if you can survive without me now."

"I've done it this long."

"Have you, though?"

"How about the reason you called?" Wren asked as he finished wiping me up and throwing things away. I heard Hades's sigh rattle the phone and I smirked, rolling over onto my back as I listened to Hades also moving around in the background.

"You and Wren get to the main hall, we're having an emergency meeting," he said, making me scowl and glance over at Wren, who frowned as he picked up what Hades said, "If you can find Rowan on your way in, bring him too. Fucker didn't just ignore my call, he literally swiped me." I tried not to laugh.

I had no idea what had recently gotten into Rowan, but the guy was back with a vengeance in a way that reminded me so much of Hades, that it was actually funny to see Hades just get annoyed with someone who behaved just like him.

"Yeah, I'll grab him on my way down," I said with a chuckle.

"Glad everyone finds this amusing. Move, or next time I'm going to come get you."

"And you won't like it when I do," I mocked in a low voice, then paused when I heard the dial tone a second later, then scowled, "I think the fucker just hung up on me." Wren stifled his laugh with a cough and tossed me a towel.

"Get in the actual shower and get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs." I nodded and he started to leave, then doubled back to give me a kiss on the cheek before he walked out. I smiled after him, then hopped in the shower. I threw on a track suit because heated floors or not, this place was fucking cold.

I headed down the hallway toward where Rowan and Yiuwa's room was. I hadn't actually walked in there or really did much visiting because I didn't really want to bother Rowan, or worse, walk in on those two together. I briefly wondered why none of the rooms in this house had a child safety lock.

Or just a do not disturb sign.

I was hesitant to knock on their door when I got to it, and I wasn't sure why. Anxious about what kind of Rowan I was gonna get on the other side, if any at all. Hades said Rowan deliberately ignored his call. Not in the same way I did, but enough to pick up his phone and swipe ignore.

That was harsher than just staring at the phone waiting for it to stop ringing.

Not that Hades didn't deserve an ignored phone call from Rowan.

It was pretty low key compared to the shit Hades dished on Rowan regularly.

I sighed, reaching up to rake my hand through my hair before I reached over to knock, only for the door to open to reveal Rowan. I was so caught off guard that I had to step back. He also looked a little startled to see me.

Well, as startled as he could look with that pokerface of his.

Those cat-green eyes widened slightly, darted to the side for a second, like he was considering calling for Yiuwa to back him up in case things got awkward, but those eyes slowly shifted back to me and locked. There was a change there, I noted. The way he looked back at me, like he was bracing himself for having to deal with me.

I knew it wasn't anything I did to him personally.

He was just used to people taking stabs at him.

"Hey," I said after a moment and he just stared and I stared back for an awkward amount of time before clearing my throat, "Hades wants us in the main hall. Sounds like an emergency meeting."

"Oh," Rowan's shoulders relaxed for a minute, but then when he actually absorbed that information, a frown worked onto his face, "Oh. Yes. I'll be right down."

"Ah, I think he intended for me to bring you with me to make sure you actually come," I admitted. Rowan's eyes flashed at that and dare I say he was annoyed?

"Considering this war centers around my children, I don't think he needs to worry about that," he answered coolly, "I'll come down when I am ready to come down on my own. I appreciate you checking in, but I can walk on my own." I was quiet for a moment, because I was glad he was finally standing up for himself, but weirdly, I was kind of looking forward to some alone time with Rowan.

The last time we'd been alone, you know, aside from the whole whack over the head thing, he had been very withdrawn and quiet and depressed.

Now, I wondered if we could actually have a conversation.

No sooner did the thought cross my mind did Rowan blink and meet my eyes.

"Actually," he said after a moment, "Just give me one second. I'll join you." I frowned curiously, but said nothing as he shut the door. I waited, cocking my head and wondering if I should just get comfortable, but a minute later, he was back at the door. He gave me a nod as he stepped out and we headed down the hallway.

I tried not to laugh, because despite Rowan being one of my parents, and yeah sure, we had plenty of similarities, that all stopped when it came to our styles.

Rowan was so proper and cleaned up in a steel gray three-piece suit, sans the jacket, his buttons all beautifully polished and sparkling, his loafers neatly shined, his short black hair neatly styled so he looked like a good little office worker.

Meanwhile, my hulking ass wobbled on shaky legs in a thick black and green tracksuit with those fuzzy blue socks that had the rubber grippers on the underside.

I had quickly learned you did not go barefoot in this palace.

Firstly, it was cold.

Secondly, gross?

And thirdly, the slip and slide effect had hit at least everyone in the family once and I had been part of the convenient audience for both Elias and Three. To say it was funny was an understatement.

Of course, it wouldn't be funny if it was my dumbass, so I jumped on the "yoga socks" craze fast to avoid toppling down the stairs.

Still, to walk beside Rowan who was so fixed up and proper, I felt a little like a lazy slob.

"Don't worry about that," Rowan said and when I glanced at him with an arched brow, he gave me a deadpan stare, "You don't need to be a mind reader to know what you were thinking. No one here will judge you for wanting to be comfortable."

"I guess I just don't want people to see me as incompetent," I admitted with a shrug and Rowan frowned at that, "Especially Hades. I mean, when it comes down to it, fuck his opinion, but I don't want him to see me as useless or worse, some kind of obstacle."

"Hades sees everything as a challenge," Rowan replied and I looked at him curiously, "Some challenges are good and help him grow. Some challenges terrify him and he avoids them so no one can see him fail."

"Failure shouldn't make us ashamed," I said. Rowan blinked at that and he came to a stop to turn and look at me. I frowned at him curiously and he just stared at me.

"Sometimes the failure is intense," he murmured at last, "Sometimes failure has a way of traumatizing us. It's a necessary part of life to fail, yes, but that doesn't make it hurt any less."

"Are we talking about Hades's failures, or your own?" I asked. Rowan surprised me when he smiled a little. He searched the floor, like he was choosing his words carefully, then looked up at me.

"We all fail sometimes. It can leave scars on our souls. Sometimes we accidentally hurt those we love because we're scared of failing them the most," he replied. I let that sink in.

I thought of all the choices I'd made up until now.

Obeying mother, even as Milo warned me. Losing Milo, not just once, but a thousand times over. Trying to protect the artificials while also trying to find a way to make Hera understand.

Only to learn in the end that you couldn't force someone to make good decisions.

You couldn't force someone to be a good person.

I made my choice to leave, to gather as many of the artificials as I could to get out of there, get them somewhere safe.

I had made my choice too late. Some of us had gotten free and some of us had made it to the light at the end of the tunnel.

But Polly hadn't.

The younger artificials, and...

My throat closed up.

My child.

From here on out, my choices were going to affect everyone around me, including the child I had never met. I had to be careful and now I could feel Hades's anxiety. I could suddenly relate to his intense fear, his desperation to fix everything so that no one else died, so that no one else would get hurt.

The problem with trying to save everyone... is that you couldn't always do that.

But it was not Hades's sole responsibility to fix this. How could anyone force him to carry that kind of burden? And I don't even think Rowan had intended for that to be Hades's purpose at all. His purpose had been to give hope. He had suffered so long, so hard, and yet he was still here, still had family that loved him and cared for him, had a lover that was eternally dedicated to him.

Hades could find happiness, even if he was afraid of it.

Because he knew that even in the darkest parts of a nightmare fueled hell realm, there was still love, still hope, still something to fight for.

Hades was the reason we lasted this long.

And now we were going to be the reason that he stayed.

Whether Hera liked it or not.

"I don't know if I'll be a good son to you," I said at last, making Rowan tense, like he couldn't believe I'd said such a thing, but I hurried on because I wanted to get something off my chest while I had him alone, "I don't know if I was ever a good son to begin with. I've made a lot of mistakes and I am trying to learn from them. I want to keep trying. I want to see my child. I want to be happy. I want to be free. I want to wake up and eat breakfast in peace. I want to go to bed at night and not be afraid of losing someone in the night. I want to leave my house and come back alive and safe. And I want that for the rest of our family."

"I'm sorry that I was harsh when we first met," I muttered, "I think a part of me was bitter and maybe even still kind of brainwashed. I was so incredibly lucky to have grown up with Milo, the love of my life. I learned love and compassion and empathy through him. But because of Hera, I also learned not to trust, not to let anyone in, and frankly? She taught me that love wasn't real. It was a farce created by men to manipulate and control. It was a weapon."

"And yet it conflicted with everything Milo had ever taught me and if there was one thing that Milo taught me first and foremost, it was to question everything. Hera agreed too, always question everything. I guess she just didn't expect me to question her."

"Anyway. I just wanted to apologize for hurting you, physically or mentally, or anything that may have upset you," I said at last, "I know apologies don't give anything, but I want you to know that I do feel like shit about it. I wasn't intending to hurt you. I just didn't want you to get involved in something that was already messy. You were already dealing with your own problems and I feel like I just kind of piled that on..." My voice trailed because Rowan was giving his head a hard shake.

"No, don't," he said, reaching for me, then he paused like he wasn't sure if I would be comfortable with that and while I certainly would be, it looked like Rowan wasn't confident enough yet, so he withdrew his hand to fiddle with his buttons, "Don't ever think for a second that your arrival caused any kind of ill feelings. I think... I was scared to fail again."

"You did not fail with your other children," I said. Rowan cut me a sharp look that surprised me.

"I am many things, Jasper, but I am not an idiot. I know what I've done to Ryk up until now, I know what I have put Hades through because of my actions, and I know that I have no right to inject myself into your life either... But I would be very humbled and honored if you would allow me to be a part of it," he said quietly, "Like you said. I know I have made mistakes. I recognize that and I am trying to learn. I am trying to learn how to do this, because I never prepared myself for it to begin with. The only plan I had for my life was to slowly wither away alone in a realm far out of anyone's reach, where I would never hurt anyone again."

"Things have changed," Rowan murmured, "Viviana appeared to me and showed me how to socialize again. She taught me how to interact and through that process, I eventually found myself meeting with my family once more. I found myself meeting Yiuwa." He stopped like he was imagining it and I didn't dare go into his head to see what he was picturing, but he did have a small smile touch his lips.

Just thinking about Yiuwa was making him smile, and my heart swelled at that, because I knew Yiuwa was the same way. Every time he mentioned Rowan, he would smile, as if just his very name on his lips was enough to soothe his aching soul.

"Hey, Ro?" I asked. He looked at me.

"Maybe we can get used to this whole family thing together," I said. He stared at me for a moment, then slowly smiled. There was such a warm softness to his gaze that I knew he wanted to hug me, but he was fighting it.

So I took that step forward and gathered him up in my arms.

Rowan was no small male, but his lean slender frame was so much smaller than my muscular physique, so he was swallowed up by my arms, but I think that ended up being a good thing. Because he was hiding his face against my neck, his hands timidly reached around to hug me, like he was afraid to squeeze me. When I gave him a good squeeze, he gasped in relief and tightened his hold on me. I felt his hand searching my back until he could bury it in my hair, like he wanted so desperately to know what I felt like cradled in his arms.

Jeepers, Creepers.

Where'd you get those peepers?

Rowan blinked and let go of me, scowling as I groaned, reaching into my pocket to take out my phone.

"I told him we'd be there in a second," I growled, pocketing my phone without answering. Rowan gave me a tired smile.

"It's been fifteen minutes."

"Holy fuck. Never mind then."

Rowan just seemed amused by that, so we hurried along the corridor to the main hall, which was a massive bustle of activity. And I mean massive, because it appeared that every single Hadiferian family member was in the room with their children and spouses. From Jaques and Naia and their kids, if you could call a bunch of thirty-year-old adults kids, to Dania and Alexis trying to get Floki to stay away from a little table that was set up with snacks. I spotted Theo and Adonis near the window with Elias, who was spreading out some pretty rocks on the ledge. Raven and Deveraux were also present with Five, who was sitting between them while Lumen leaned over her to help her type something into her phone.

I glanced over where Cerberus and Blaine were standing with their whole family, which included Ayo and his husband, King. I briefly wondered why they hadn't been present for Polly's passing, but figured now wasn't a good time to ask. In fact, Ayo looked kind of pissed with his arms folded over his chest, his eyes locked on the table in front of him while King stood at his side, patting his shoulder and saying something. Whatever it was, Ayo just waved him off and went back to sulking.

Across from them, Stanton was sucking on a lollipop and texting, his feet kicked up on the table. Alaric was busy scolding him for being disrespectful while Three sat between them, glaring up at the ceiling. I was a little surprised he wasn't with Hadrian and Six, who were just a couple seats down with their families. Though, Alaric kept reaching over to touch Three's arm, like he was reassuring himself Three was still there with him and Three just looked uncomfortable with that.

Weird.

"About fucking time," Hades said when he saw Rowan and I enter, "Did emergency meeting just not sink in with you?"

"We had an emergency meeting of our own," I deadpanned, making him glare and fold his arms over his chest.

"You ignored my call," he said to Rowan, who stared at him blankly.

"Yes."

"I call you for a reason."

"Indeed, but I would much rather you just come to me personally."

"I don't have time for that."

"Then I don't have time for your phone call," Rowan answered simply. I smirked at him, then looked at Hades to see if he was going to start some shit over that, but he just glared at Rowan silently for a moment. I think he was seriously considering going further, but there was a stern throat clearing behind him.

Rowan and I glanced around Hades where Michael was standing with his arms over his chest, Xiphrus standing behind him with a grim stare and Kali was also with them, much to my surprise. She gave me a little wave around Xiphrus and when I gave her a questioning look, like was she okay, she just nodded and put her head against Xiphrus's arm to show me it was cool.

Xiphrus fucking melted.

He gave her the softest most tender look, a soft murmur to ask if she was okay, and she gave him a firm nod.

"How about we begin the meeting instead of resorting to fisticuffs?" Michael asked. Hades glared at him.

"Hey, I'm letting you stay here out of the kindness of my fucking heart," he said, and everyone in the room actually turned to stare at him and he rolled his eyes, "Alright, so I'm only letting you stay here because I like Xiphrus and I like Kali. It still chafes my ass to have a fucking angel in my presence."

"Wait, they kicked you out of Heaven?" I asked, completely in shock.

Michael was fucking Yhwhwa's OG general.

Fuck, Michael was one of the first archangels to come into existence, only shortly after Gabriel and alongside Lucifer. I couldn't swallow the fact that Yhwhwa had kicked him out.

"Of course not," Michael stated with a huff, which was met with a droll stare from Hades, one that Michael met without a lick of intimidation, "I was not formally removed from Heaven. I am under investigation and during this process, I am not allowed to set foot on holy soil."

"Lot more than they gave Lucifer as I recall," a voice said and we turned to see Joxeia getting up from one of the seats. Zeus gave him a sour glare, one that Joxeia swiftly ignored, so he could face Michael, who glared at him.

"I was not part of the investigation on Lucifer. I was only told to remove him from Heaven. I did what I was told to do."

"Sometimes doing what we're told by the wrong people is still fucked up," I pointed out and Rowan grimaced at me for putting in my two cents worth, which I met with an innocent shrug. I looked over where Wren was walking away from his family to approach me, a stern frown on his face that I was once again involved in this bullshit.

"Alright," he said when he approached, "How about instead of going at each other, which is exactly what both Yhwhwa and Hera want us to do, let's just be a bunch of petty assholes and turn on them instead? Hm?" There was a moment of silence and I knew Michael wanted to say something more, but he gave Wren an odd look before shaking his head.

"He's correct," Michael said, "We have work to do. And it begins with plans to get into the Garden of Hesperides."

"Wait, what about Heaven?" I asked. Or more specifically, what had happened to the fucking angel I sent to get help? I think Michael knew what I was insinuating from my comment.

"D'Angelo was the one who alerted Yhwhwa to Hera's practices," Michael informed for everyone to hear and I saw the blood drain from Ryk's face, "He arrived in Heaven and was immediately gifted reincarnation into a full fledged angel for his loyalty. He is part of the investigation into Hera's genetic experimentations on antichrists." I stared at him and he stared back.

I looked over where Ryk was sitting in his seat. He just stared at the table, looking crestfallen. I think a part of him had hoped, much like myself, that D'Angelo would, yes, let Yhwhwa know, but somehow he would find his way back here.

Back to Ryk.

"Ight, so he's first on my hitlist," I muttered, taking out my phone to open up my notes app and Wren gave me a droll stare.

"Don't worry about him," Hades said suddenly, making me glance at him, "Fucker will get what he deserves in the process. We need to focus on keeping this realm safe and getting to the Garden of Hesperides. Heaven is going to fuck around with their dumb bureaucratic bullshit before they make the official call to have Michael removed from Heaven. Luckily for him, he gets to stay in a nice pretty room in the palace instead of crash landing in the forest alone in an unknown land."

Ouch.

But also very accurate.

And everyone in the room was quickly reminded that Michael, while part of the family in a weird twisted way, had some... shit he needed to sort out with them. Several pairs of glares went to Michael, who didn't bat a lash over it. Xiphrus, though, growled just the slightest bit under his breath.

"Garden of Hesperides," I reminded.

"Right," Hades stated, "Sit down. We need to sort this shit out fast before either Hera or Yhwhwa make a move." That seemed to get people's attention now and everyone was making their way to the table to find a seat. I was fucking amazed that everyone managed to fit at the table, as if the table had been perfectly designed for every member of the family. It helped that every seat was equipped with a neat little screen on the table to bring up any information. At the moment, it was just a screen saver of a skull slowly bouncing around the corners.

"As of right now," Hades began once everyone was seated, "I want both groups to be considered highly threatening. I don't want any unnecessary, unsupervised interactions with any angels. Do not wander into the mortal realm and do not wander into any other realm outside Hades, Hell, and Atlantis." He looked over where Hannibal and Akin were sitting with Seven.

Thirteen, being so young, was staying with his grandparents.

"We've managed to uncover at least three compounds aside from the one where we found Thirteen," Akin informed with a nod, "They've been shut down indefinitely. Unfortunately, no one was recovered at any of the locations."

"They clean up well," I replied, making them look at me, "Yeah, hi, sorry I blew one of those places up. Not, like, on purpose. It's just part of the procedure. If a compound is discovered, it goes into lock down and all non-artificial personnel are required to commit suicide. It's usually packed into one of our molars so we can just take it out and bite down."

"What's the poison?" Michael asked.

"Combination of wolfsbane, cyanide, and new moon crystal," I informed, making Michael stiffen and look at Xiphrus, who scowled.

"New moon crystal?" He asked.

"It's an otherworld gem," Hades answered grimly, "It's very fine sharp crystals. It's used as a poison to be inhaled and the moment you inhale it, it carves your lungs up like swiss cheese."

"Fuck, she's not kidding with the poisons," Floki commented with a shudder.

"Wolfsbane?" Three asked. I nodded.

"The only people without the suicide cap are artificials."

"You mean she lied to me about it?" Niko asked suddenly, reaching into his mouth to wiggle his teeth.

"Why would she want to kill you?" River asked in return.

"Why wouldn't she?" Three asked dryly. Niko flicked a rubber band at him and he cursed, reaching for where it hit him in the forehead. River immediately snatched the rubber bands out of Niko's hands, making him look around in bewilderment, like he had no idea how they got there.

He definitely didn't snag a handful out of Hades's office when he was in there recently.

Hades was staring at him with squinted eyes too, like he was trying to figure out the most recent time Niko was in his office.

"Anyway," Hades continued as everyone quieted down, "I need everyone to be on alert. We don't know when or if Hera or Yhwhwa will launch an attack on us, so everyone needs to be vigilant. Right now, our main focus is to do as much research as we can on the Garden of Hesperides. I want everyone to double down on this, that includes the artificials, and before you point out the obvious, I realize none of them have ever done a research project or participated in general society. That's why I'm going to assign all of the artificials a specialized training regime—"

Everyone started talking at once, and it was all the artificials.

"What the fuck!"

"Are you seriously fucking benching us?"

"I told you he was gonna bench us."

"We just came out of a place where we did daily training regimes, why the fuck do we have to do more?" Three demanded.

"Because none of you are ready to face Hera," Hades deadpanned, which was followed by more outraged protests from the artificials, whose families were trying to settle them down. Of course, I hadn't said a word, because I completely agreed with him. I think the other artificials were starting to notice that too.

"What's with the silence, daddy Jasper?" Niko demanded, making me snort.

"Don't tell me you fucking agree with him," Six said, glaring at me.

"You don't have a right to tell us we can't fight," Five added pointedly.

"I'm not saying nobody can fight," I said as Hades rubbed his temples in irritation, "I am agreeing that we are not prepared for the shitstorm that is about to hit us at full force. If you think Hera is going to be intimidated by you, you are forgetting the very simple and important fact that Hera created you and trained you to kill your families, not her. Not her people."

That was followed by silence.

I think that was a bit sobering, because no one said anything now. Even Niko was silent as he glared at the table. River reached over to take his hand to comfort him and Niko just looked at him, clearly distressed about the situation now.

"This doesn't mean you can't fight Hera or her people," I said and Hades shot me a look, but I kept going, "You will fight her and you are going to win, but in order to do that, you have to train to fight the right enemy. You have to study Hera and I don't mean with the propaganda bullshit she fed you in those classes, because I think you've realized by now that a lot of stuff she taught you— taught us— is completely inaccurate." The logic seemed to be having an effect, because now everyone was stewing over what I said.

"He's right," Seven sighed in frustration, raking a hand through his Atlantean braids, "As much as I hate to say it, I think we need to reexamine our roles in this war. We can't just go barreling into a random compound or the Garden of Hesperides and take the artificials. Remember, this bitch has been scheming for years." I noticed Zeus shift uncomfortably in his seat. Joxeia hadn't returned to his side and was instead standing behind his chair. He didn't reach out to comfort Zeus either, which was interesting.

Except Joxeia's mind was a fucking brick wall.

I wanted to see what their little tiff was about, but the moment I tried to take a peek into Joxeia's head, I was met with literally a brick wall and I felt the blood start in my nose. I pinched my nostrils shut as casually as I could, glancing with a grimace back toward Joxeia.

I was wigged out by the fact that he was staring at me with those intense red eyes.

Then he smiled sweetly.

Goddamn, he's creepy.

"So, what, you're sending us back to school?" Three demanded at last. I looked at him curiously.

"It's not really school. It's not a public environment, because it's still not safe for you all to mingle around with the general population outside of supervised visits with family. For right now, I think we should do a training regime here on the palace grounds. It's neutral ground between the realms and we're protected by the barrier, the mountains, the forest, and there aren't people for kilometers. We have the privacy and the manpower to train here."

Hades considered that and Niko made a noise of distress.

"Ew, I don't want to have to come back here every day," he complained and Hades just wiped a hand down his face, "I already had to live here for over a year. I don't want to have to be here every day."

"Why not Olympus," Joxeia asked suddenly and everyone in the room turned to stare at him, including Zeus, a look that said he was not expecting Joxeia's suggestion, "Olympus has a wonderful collection of libraries and training barracks, all of them supervised and carefully monitored by the Olympians and their people." That made sense. Plus, it was close to the Garden of Hesperides in a way, so it would allow us access to try and find it, with the innocent suggestion of training the artificials.

"That might work actually," Hades muttered and I watched Zeus's head swivel around as he gaped at Hades, like he couldn't believe he was agreeing and to be honest, I found Zeus's reactions both amusing and alarming. Because apparently neither of those guys talked to Zeus about it first, and I think everyone was conveniently forgetting the whole king of the Greeks thing.

"I will also be on Olympus," Joxeia added, making Hades raise an eyebrow at him, "Hera would never be able to access Olympus with me present. I would notice the moment she got past our barriers and the moment she accessed the Garden. I may not know where the Garden is myself, but I assure you that accessing it through its portal will tip me off."

"What barracks would they use to train in," Hades asked, "I don't want them with general pop."

"Of course not," Joxeia agreed, "We have private barracks for the Olympians when they train, so we can allow them to come in to train. From there, we can access all the library information we have on Olympus. Who knows? Maybe one of the artificials might stumble onto something useful to access the Garden." There was something weird about the way he said that and I glanced at him curiously, but he was weirdly looking at someone else.

I followed his eyes across the table where Three was rubbing circles at his temples, like he was getting a headache. He grimaced. I looked back at Joxeia, but this time the guy was staring right back at me. I stared at him, wondering what the fuck that look was for, but he just smiled again, then looked at Hades.

"Olympus works," Hades said at last. Joxeia seemed pleased with that.

Zeus did not.

But weirdly, the big guy did not say a single word. He eventually just sat back in his seat, his arms very tightly and stiffly folded over his chest, his sharp blue eyes locked on the table in front of him. He was pretty much pouting, but Joxeia and Hades appeared to have a decision without him, one that Michael also agreed with.

"That works perfectly," Michael agreed, "I will also be transferring to Olympus then."

"The fuck you will," Zeus blurted at last. Ah, I thought with a smirk. There he was; the typical angry Zeus we all knew and loved... kind of.

"It would be foolish of me to stay here in Hades," Michael answered swiftly, and I was impressed he didn't take a stab at Zeus for the nasty response, "I am clearly not wanted here, and there is information on Olympus that I may be able to use to make a case for Heaven." Zeus glared at him.

"You're not taking shit to Yhwhwa."

"I don't believe I asked for your permission."

"It's my fucking realm, you cocksucking pigeon—"

"Whoaaa," Naia exclaimed suddenly and everyone fell silent, because it was a little odd to have a tiny human female speak up at a meeting full of otherworlders, but there seemed to be some kind of unspoken rule in this palace regarding Naia.

You did not fight her.

Because she could pick her teeth with your bones if she was mad enough.

"Okay, we need to settle down," Naia continued gently, "I understand that tensions are high and I understand that feelings have been hurt down the line, to put it mildly, but to be quite frank, what has happened in the past should stay in the past. The whole reason we're facing the situation we are right now is because no one can let the past die."

"Olympus is clearly the perfect location for the artificials to train for the coming battles ahead," she went on, "It also has specific safety measures that could greatly protect them while they prepare for this war. It allows them access to the private libraries on Olympus and even gets them closer to the Garden, whose location we have yet to determine. It would be a great honor and gesture for the King of Olympus to allow these procedures to take place, not only as the king, but as a concerned family member. Would it not, Mr. Zeus?"

Zeus looked surprisingly flustered at being spoken to so calmly by a mere human.

Last I checked, the dude was used to kidnapping humans and using them up until they were husks.

"Ah. Yeah, I mean, it makes sense," Zeus admitted slowly, then frowned, "But Hera is going to figure it out and fast. What happens then?"

"Make her regret ever laying eyes on Olympus," Naia said with a shrug and Niko whistled low, clearly impressed by the "bloodthirst", which Naia met with a little smile, "I don't consider myself a violent individual, my lords and ladies. I am, but a mere human who has endured. I am, however, a mother to the core of my soul. I knew the day that I held my first child that I would never let anyone touch my child to harm them, the way that my husband was harmed, the way that his family was harmed, and the way my family and people have been harmed."

"Violence is not the answer," Naia added, eyeing everyone in the room, "But when the enemy resorts to the most ruthless and bloodthirsty violence for the sake of some selfish vendetta? I'm sorry, but we can't just sit by and let this continue. We need to educate ourselves and prepare ourselves for what is to come. Because even I'm about ready to grab a sword and fuck this bitch's head off."

Everyone stared at her.

"Gods, I love you," Jaques said at last.

"Mom's fucking ruthles," their son, Jackson, muttered from his seat beside Naia, who just smiled at him.

"I learned from my babies," she said, then leaned over to kiss Jaques on the cheek, like he specifically was part of that learning process. Jaques flushed.

"So, what," Three asked in irritation, lowering his arms to the table, "We just get up and go to school every morning until she hits us?"

"No," I answered, meeting his eyes and he frowned at me, "You get up and go to training so you're ready when we hit her." Three stared at me hard.

"You were mother's favorite pet," he said at last and I just nodded because I wasn't going to deny that, and Three cocked his head, "What makes you so sure that we can beat her with some extra training and a magic garden?"

"Because we have the one thing that Hera does not have," I replied and when he stared at me blankly, I smiled, "A family." Three blinked at that. Niko smirked.

"Roast her over a fucking spit, Jasper."

"I'd love to."

"Then we have a plan for that part," Hades said with a sigh, then raked his hand through his hair as he looked down at the tablet in his hands, "Now we just gotta figure out where that fucking Garden is and how to get in, get the rest of the artificials, and destroy Hera. Great."

"You've faced difficult before," I told him, making him glance at me, "You can do it again, and the best part about this time is that you're not alone, Hades. You don't have to face it by yourself. This involves all of us." I looked at Michael, who frowned slowly, then back over at Zeus, who cocked his head curiously.

I met Joxeia's eerie red eyes.

They seemed to almost be alive in a way, alive in a way that was separate from the rest of Joxeia, because the red seemed to swirl and flicker before they settled.

Joxeia smiled.

"I know," Hades muttered and I think everyone was a little surprised to hear that as he stared at the table for a moment, then shut his eyes, grimacing as if he were thinking about something, then opened his eyes to sweep the table with glowing blue eyes, "We need to stick together. I know that sounds like some cheesy ass shit, but there's a reason that shit is cheesy and that's because it fucking works. We don't have time to worry about bullshit in the past, like Naia said. What's important is the here and now, and the future. No more petty bullshit from literally thousands of years ago. Right here, right now, we have a future to protect. And that future is sitting right here in the room with us." I blinked as Hades met my eyes.

"Ancients forget what it's like to be young. We forget what it's like to be new and alive. We forget that change is supposed to happen, because that's how we fucking grow up. We get comfortable in our miserable little worlds and expect everyone else to just play along."

"But the reality is that everything must change. Especially if we want our future to fucking thrive. And I don't know about you, but I'm fucking tired of entitled assholes trying to control the world to stop shit from changing."

"You're supposed to change your own world when shit doesn't work out, not uproot everyone else's," Hades concluded, then cleared his throat because everyone was kinda gazing at him a little starstruck and I think that made him uneasy, "Anyway. I think that's all the fucking energy I have for right now and all the points we meant to cover. I'll send out a text when the training begins on Olympus." He looked at Zeus, who frowned.

"As soon as possible," he agreed. Hades looked both surprised and relieved that Zeus didn't fight this time.

"I assume that means I am allowed on Olympus," Michael said at last, but his tone wasn't really haughty like usual. He seemed a little humbled all of a sudden. I could see Kali watching him too, and part of me wondered if that was why Michael pulled back on the sharpness of his tone.

It went a long way in assuring me maybe he would be okay with Kali being around.

"Yes," Zeus mumbled and when Joxeia cleared his throat and glanced down at his beautifully manicured fingernails, Zeus rolled his eyes and spoke more clearly, "Yes, I will have a location prepared for you." Michael inclined his head.

With that, the meeting was adjourned.

I hung around, mostly because I was curious about Joxeia.

He interacted so warmly and friendly with everyone in the family. Hades was a little sour with him, but that was nothing new where Hades was concerned. No, I wanted to know exactly what Joxeia knew, because his reactions during the meeting told me that Joxeia knew a bit more than he was letting on to the rest of us.

I watched him leave with Zeus, and I told Wren I'd meet him back at the room in five, before I hurried to catch up with them in the hallway. I was surprised they didn't just teleport, but as I approached, I realized it was because they were having a conversation.

"I am not comfortable with this," Zeus told Joxeia sharply, "I told you how I felt about the idea, but you went and said something anyway. What are you up to?"

"What're you talking about," Joxeia asked innocently with a smile, reaching up to brush a bit of loose hair that had fallen free from Zeus's usually gelled style. In a flash, Zeus was snatching Joxeia's wrist in a firm grasp, glaring at the demon, who only responded with that innocent smile.

"Does this have anything to do with that blond kid," Zeus demanded, making Joxeia laugh a little, "Shut the fuck up." Joxeia didn't take offense and he almost condescendingly removed Zeus's grasp from his wrist, then gently patted his husband on the chest, flashing their wedding ring in the lights overhead.

"Zeus. Love. I told you to find a hold on your temper. I guarantee we both know who will win if you upset me right now."

"Joxeia..."

"You know I can only say so much," Joxeia said with a smile, "Things will be revealed in time, but you need to find some patience." Zeus looked thoroughly annoyed with that and when Joxeia took a step back, Zeus abruptly reached out to sink his hand into Joxeia's ponytail. I tensed, because the action seemed a little violent, but Joxeia surprised me when he sighed, leaning up against Zeus's body, like he was encouraging him to pull harder.

"I don't like the idea of having a bunch of wild monkeys in my realm," Zeus said tightly as Joxeia stared up at him with that same blank smile, "I don't like the idea of Hades, or Yhwhwa for that matter, allowing their rats to infiltrate my home. I mean both Michael and the artificial creatures." Joxeia stared at him.

"You may want to rephrase that last part before I break your nose again," he said, making Zeus tense as Joxeia once again very easily removed Zeus's harsh grasp, "One of those artificials happens to be our fucking son."

"He's different," Zeus bit off, making Joxeia arch a brow, "He's not one of them."

"Yes, he is. As much as you hate to admit it."

"He—"

"Hera created him to fuck with you," Joxeia responded simply and I grimaced at something I really hoped Six didn't know, "She knew full well that our genes would not create anything out of the ordinary like an antichrist or a Beast. She just knew that having a child with me bothered you. And what do you know?" He gave Zeus a little scan from head to toe and Zeus tensed, like he was offended by the gesture, and his words.

"Looks like she was right." Joxeia's words were sharp now.

He was pissed.

Zeus glared at him.

"I'll see you back home. You have a visitor," he bit off, then vanished in a plume of smoke. Joxeia sighed, then turned to look down the hallway where I had thought I was perfectly hidden around a corner. I sighed, pushing off the wall and coming around the corner to Joxeia smiling, his arms folded over his chest and his foot tapping in a way that felt scolding.

"Sorry," I muttered. Joxeia smiled.

"No, you're not, but that's alright. And before you ask me, no," he said, making me blink, then scowl at him, "I cannot tell you where your child is, I cannot tell you why Three is special, and I cannot tell you where Hera is." I tensed, because it was fucking creepy that he knew all of that right off the bat. Even worse was that he seemed to know the answer to at least two of those questions, but he wasn't going to confirm or deny it.

What the fuck.

"How do you—"

"I met you for the first time when you were someone else," Joxeia said suddenly and I tensed as he approached me now until we were almost nose to nose, "I met you the second time when you were with Milo. The third time I met you was when I met Six. You may not have been heavily involved in his life, but you protected him and you cared for him. That will forever mean more to me than you could ever know." His words rattled me.

He knew me in a past life?

He knew me in another past life?

"I can't answer your questions," Joxeia said, making me blink and look at him, meeting those intense red eyes, "The Source restricts me in what I can and cannot do. It's not like a person either. I physically cannot answer those questions, but I can, however, give you a little hint..." I frowned, then tensed as he leaned over and touched his lips to my ear.

"He is very broken and broken people tend to find themselves in very difficult positions, Jasper. Sometimes those difficult positions can lead to catastrophe. Sometimes they can lead to great change. And sometimes, those things are hand-in-hand."

A weird feeling started in my ears, like a distant buzzing.

"Olympus is where broken people go to hide."

I pulled back and Joxeia was gone.

I blinked and looked around the hall, but there was no sign of him.

Olympus is where broken people go to hide.

"What the fuck does that mean?" I muttered.

And why did it sound so ominous?

To Be Continued...

--x--

A/N: Jasper's book is completed. After emotional turmoil, sleepless nights, and actually going outside on my breaks at work to write this book lmfao It is finally DONE. I realize not everything was wrapped up and now we have more questions.

What's wrong with Three?

What's wrong with Joxeia and Zeus?

Is Heaven going to attack?

Is Jasper going to find his baby?

Where the fuck is Hera?

All wonderful questions that I will not be answering :D!! Don't worry, though, because someone is ready and willing to answer all of those questions and more in the next installment of The Underworld Chronicles: Legacy— Broken. See ya in the next book, yall!

--x--

hm?

oh, i'm forgetting something?

.... 

OH RIGHT.

Three's been very talkative and he's excited to share his story with everyone, which is great, because he's driving me insane :D