Divine Ecstasy (The Guardians of the Realms Book 8) (24 page)

There were so many layers to him, and she found she loved them all.

She bit back a moan when she pulled away from his arms, willing the desire away along with the images. Sacha growled at her dirty male, “Bastian will be here any moment.”

He grinned wickedly. “You love me dirty.”

She sighed, but avoided admitting it. She turned and looked anywhere but at him as she fought back her desire. She inhaled the scents of the expensive restaurants below and focused on that.

“I’ll play nice,” her male said as he tucked her under his arm.

Sacha felt the second that her son and Tasha arrived, and they turned to greet them. Tasha moved in and hugged her, and Sacha accepted the warm welcome with a smile on her face. “It’s good to have you back,” Tasha whispered in her ear.

“I’m happy to be back,” Sacha said, feeling guilty at not seeing them sooner, but she’d needed to deal with the newness of Hades and all the arousal before seeing her son. Though apparently the arousal would never be gone, she thought as she said, “I wish it could have been sooner.”

“I understand,” Tasha whispered as she broke their hug and winked. Sacha shook her head and turned to her son, who she’d heard say Hades’ name as a greeting.

Bastian pulled her into his arms and she was a little surprised, but immensely pleased. She circled his back and squeezed before they moved apart. “I’m glad you’re okay,” Bastian said. She’d been unconscious for weeks and then mated a God. She imagined Bastian had been worried even though she’d spoken to him through their bond.

“I am. I only needed some time,” she said without elaborating.

As it was, her son was eyeing Hades, seeming less than pleased. When his gaze turned to her, she spoke. “I’m going to show Tasha the koi ponds inside.”

She felt like they needed a moment to get over their own awkwardness. She sent her love through the link to her son.
I know it’s uncomfortable for you, but I’m happy. I love you.

She felt Bastian’s mental sigh.
I love you too. We’ll be fine.

She knew Hades heard it all, and he winked at her before she turned. Everything would work out.

*****

“You’re going to stay here?” Bastian bit out.

“Your mother loves it here,” Hades said, cocking his brow.

“The Tria know about it now,” the Kairos said without asking anything. The male was assessing him.

“And we’ll see what they do next,” Hades pointed out. “They tracked my power here; they could track it anywhere.”

“So why not live in Tetartos Realm? They can only send Hell beasts.”

“We’ll stay between both.” Possessed weren’t anything more than pests, they might be faster and stronger, but they couldn’t do anything spectacular. And a part of him was curious as to what Deimos would say they needed the Tria for. He was sure it had to do with the bastards having felt the portals open from Thule, but he wanted Deimos to say that.

He focused back on his female’s son, allowing him to know their plans. He didn’t want the male to worry for Sacha. “I’m going to have Pothos buy this building and start renovations. I plan to make this place a fortress.”

Bastian eyed him. “Do I need to make threats?”

Hades grinned. “You’re welcome to… I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m guessing you know it’s unnecessary.”

“How do I know it’s unnecessary?” the Kairos calmly pointed out, his big arms crossed over his chest.

“I love her,” Hades said easily. “I’d never allow anything to harm her.”

The tension seemed to ease from the male. “Good. She deserves the world. She should be cherished.”

He understood where the boy was coming from. He and his mother had been slaves to a God. Hades wondered if the male knew all the things his mother had done to protect him when he was young. The look in Bastian’s dark eyes said he did. At least more than he should have known. More than his mother would want him to.

Hades nodded. “She is cherished. And Apollo will suffer before going back in his box,” he assured the male with a hard glint in his eye.

“As long as he goes in the box after I’ve had my own bit of blood,” Bastian said, seeming calm, but the flexing in his shoulders told another story.

The male eyed him for a moment longer and then nodded.

Hades’ instincts told him that he’d been carefully assessed and that he’d been deemed at least mostly worthy of Sacha.

Chapter 26

Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm

“Any improvement with the Goddess yet?” P asked as he strode into Drake’s office. P knew that Drake had Sander and Nastia watching over Kara’s recovery. It made sense because the Phoenix had proven immune to the energy power of Thule’s weapons during battle. Energy power that the Goddess had apparently wielded from the palms of her hands. Sander was annoyed as hell when P saw him. They had no idea how long it would take for the Goddess to wake up, and the Phoenix hated sitting around.

“Yes,” Drake growled. “Sirena says it’s been significant in the last few hours.”

P narrowed his eyes on the dragon. What wasn’t he saying? “Is she improving too quickly, then?” They had no idea how powerful she was.

“That’s the fucking question and the reason you’ll be the one to see how Sacha wields that soul power of your father’s. I need to be here.”

P nodded while his jaw hardened. Drake was sending him to babysit his father because he was trying to keep P away from the Goddess. Hades hadn’t needed any help with possessed before, and if Sacha was able to wield the same power, that meant they had shit more than covered. Not to mention they were doing nothing more than waiting for possessed to come, testing how long it would take. They could easily call P when that happened.

He eyed the dragon. “I said I wouldn’t try to talk to the Goddess.”

Drake eyed him. “But you want to.”

“Of course I fucking do,” P admitted. “But wanting and doing are two different things. You don’t need to keep sending me on bullshit tasks. I’m playing nice.” He didn’t like it. His father and Drake were both treating him like a child. He was a millennia-old Demi-God and he’d been generally calm and intelligent for all those thousands of years. He may want to get to the bottom of this shit, but he didn’t plan on doing it. Not now. That might change if Drake didn’t get some fucking answers soon.

“Are you?” Drake challenged.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down his cousin.

Drake sighed.

“I will take your bullshit task. I will have Sacha’s back because I want to see her power. But also because there’s nothing else to fucking do,” P growled. The Tria had been quiet since the last bloodbath in Hell Realm, and the Guardians had a lot of people patrolling even with Gregoire off with his pregnant mate. They were in a kind of anxious limbo.

Drake growled, “Fine.”

He narrowed his eyes at his cousin. “What’s going on?”

Smoke lifted from the dragon’s lips. “Alyssa’s pregnancy has progressed quickly in the last few days.”

P stilled, not liking the sound of that. The pregnancy was supposed to last some long-assed amount of time for a Hippeus, half warhorse. “Is she okay?”

Drake growled, “Sirena says yes, but Gregoire is losing his mind. He’s worried as shit for her and being a demanding motherfucker right now, and I can’t blame him. I’d be a fucking asshole too. Era’s double-checking all the blood tests Sirena did in order to calm G while Sirena checks the Goddess again.”

“But the baby’s healthy?”

“Yes. Sirena and Era both confirmed it. I called you here because I want you to let the others know without calling a meeting or blasting it through the Guardian link.” He couldn’t resent messenger duty; everyone needed to know this.

“What’s the difference in time frame? She didn’t look like she was getting bigger,” P pointed out. He’d just seen her at the meeting a couple days ago and she seemed fine.

“The bump’s not that big,” Drake growled, his eyes sparking. P could only imagine Gregoire right now. The male hadn’t been able to keep his hands off Alyssa’s flat stomach before, now that there was a difference, it was probably making the male insane.

“If it’s not big, there’s still time,” P pointed out, relaxing a little.

Drake ran a hand over his neck as he gritted out, “Her sixteen-month pregnancy just progressed to eight months. That’s faster than even a human pregnancy.” And she was already at least a couple months into it, if P calculated correctly.

“Shit,” P said, running a hand over his head. “Do we know the sex yet?”

“Girl,” Drake said with a glint in his emerald eyes. The dragon’s lips twitched until he shook his head.

P smiled a little. They were about to have a baby girl Guardian. “That’s going to be screwed.”

“Yes, it will.”

“How’s Alyssa mentally dealing with everything?”

“She’s strong, but worried, maybe shocked. I won’t be surprised if she rips Gregoire to pieces by the end of this. She was trying to soothe him when I left. She did add that she’s been getting more energy jolts in the last day.”

“Son of a bitch. What happens now?” And the last time Alyssa had these energy spikes, the babe had given her a personal shield. And the young had blown up a sitting room of the manor in the process.

More smoke lifted from the dragon’s lips as he growled, “Fuck if I know. It’s one more thing we don’t have any damned control over, and I fucking hate that. Add in the fact that I have to go pick up Adras and Ava when we’re done, and I’m not sure any of us will make it through this.”

Sweet fuck. Alyssa’s parents? Gregoire and Adras in the same place for an extended period of time while Gregoire was losing his shit? Adras and Gregoire had been friends until G met Alyssa as a babe and knew she would someday be his. They definitely weren’t close now.

“And they’re all staying here at the manor?”

“Yes. Gregoire wants to be close to Sirena, and Ava and Adras insisted on being near their daughter.” It was a good fucking thing Drake had built the manor so big. There were a ton of people living there now. Shit, the Lykos alone took up an entire floor.

“Are Adras and Ava having someone take over their watch in Lofodes?” The mated pair were in charge of the Immortal warriors who guarded the city of Lofodes in Tetartos Realm.

“They’re making arrangements now.”

P groaned. “I don’t envy Alyssa or Gregoire at this point.” Or Drake, for that matter.

The dragon grunted. “Neither do I.”

Drake eyed him for a second. “Now, why the hell do you keep going to that lake? Do you feel something there?”

“I already told you that I don’t,” P ground out, knowing that Drake had been mentally stalking him. “I don’t know why I go there, because it doesn’t do anything but make me question why my father needed to use that lake to call Kara?” His frustration started to peak. That water felt like one more mystery in his existence.

His power licked out, and Drake’s eyes narrowed when the thrall came close to the dragon. “Are you having problems with your ability?”

“Yes and no,” P bit out and then added, “It’s a little harder to control, but I’ve also never been so fucking agitated in my life.”

“Have Sirena check it out,” Drake demanded.

“Don’t you think she has enough to do?” P bit out.

Drake glared at him. “Have her check it the fuck out.”

P ran both hands over his shorn hair. “Fine.”

Drake nodded and P didn’t miss the hard glint in his cousin’s eyes. “I know you want answers. But you already know who you are. The Creators wouldn’t have made you a Guardian if they didn’t see a worthy male meant to protect this world. And you’re not just a Guardian… you’re my brother.” Drake waited for P’s nod before continuing, “You had my back when I was losing my hold on the dragon because of Era. Let me have yours in this.” The dragon eyed him as he added, “I’ll get your answers.” It was a promise.

P blew out a breath and calmed the hell down. Family. Only half of him was from this world, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t his true home.

“Let’s go see Sirena. I need to make sure Gregoire’s okay. It’s only a matter of time before one of the females knocks him out for his own good.” Drake sighed. “And then I’ll pick up his in-laws.” P knew it was an excuse, but he wasn’t going to call the dragon out. Gregoire needed backup either way.

Chapter 27

Sacha’s Paris Home, Earth Realm

“They’ll be fine,” Tasha mused as she and Sacha walked toward the patio doors, leaving Bastian and Hades to talk.

She smiled at her new daughter-in-law. “I know.” And she did. She could feel exactly what Hades was doing.

Tasha’s eyes twinkled when she glanced over. “You’re happy.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” she said easily before asking a question of her own. “Are you doing better now that Nastia’s settled?” Nastia, Tasha’s twin, and Sander had still been fighting their mating when Sacha had been poisoned.

“It’s a relief, but it hasn’t been without its challenges.” Tasha grinned. Tasha was the calmer of the two and constantly worried for her sister. It had shown in her eyes when Sacha spent time with Tasha before her mating ceremony with Bastian.

She led the female to a sitting area with a view of the door and windows showcasing a view of their males. The two were talking, and she didn’t feel anything off from Hades. It would work out. Her son was calm and logical like she’d always been.

“I need to get to the manor to see everyone.” She’d been in her own world, bonding with her mate and trying to figure out her power. But she’d also needed that time to get comfortable with herself as a mated female and how it blended with the warrior and mother she was.

“No one faults you for taking time to bond and get to understand the power inside you. Trust me. We all know what a mating means and how awkward it is. But, yes, now that it’s all calmed and you’re comfortable, Nastia and everyone else are itching to see you. Nastia’s mostly dying to see Hades downed by a mating. She’s threatened to snoop in his mind for sappiness she can call him out on.”