Divine Ecstasy (The Guardians of the Realms Book 8) (3 page)

He was the strongest of the Gods, so he’d never need the added power an Immortal could give him through the soul bonding. But that didn’t matter… this small female needed him. She needed his strength to heal, and his flesh crawled at the sight of her lying there with poison running in her veins.

He growled again. Time seemed to have stilled.

The soft cadence of her breathing pulled him closer as her soul continued its song, drawing him near like a Siren’s voice.

It was making him lose his mind. His reality singled down to one key point.

She belonged to him. Fate had made the choice for them both. For eternity. He forced his body to calm as he attempted to see the advantage. The Guardians would never band together and attempt to force him back into the Creators’ sleeping unit if he was bonded to one of their own. They could never go back on their word to allow him freedom after he found Apollo and locked the escaped God away.

The Guardians obviously needed him more than they cared to admit to themselves, to his continued exasperation.

But it was his son who needed him most, and he could be ruthless in his intent to make sure the boy was safe.

He gazed down at her and mentally cursed because none of that mattered as much as it should when her soul’s call was so damned incredible. Long dark lashes rested against smooth bronzed skin, so beautiful and so in need of his strength.

“Hades, listen to me,” Drake growled as he moved into the room, stalking closer to Hades’ side. The thrumming of her call almost completely drowned out the sound of his nephew’s words. He only spared a quick glare into the emerald eyes of the dragon, the male took up nearly as much space as Hades, which meant the room was too damned full.

He ignored the male as he gazed down at the bed, flexing his wings.

After the battle days ago with a Goddess of Thule, he’d been forced to refuel his energies down below the Guardians’ manor. The entire time, he’d been on edge, and now he understood why. He was a God; he didn’t get agitated. But being close to
this
female had affected him to the point that he’d been led to her side.

He growled as he moved closer and steeled himself for what he was about to do. What he fucking needed to do.

“You can’t touch her.” His nephew’s growled words were enough to distract him. The dragon had made it to his side.

Hades’ eyes shot to him as power licked out at the male in warning. His wings unfurled even further, curling in to touch the bed as he spoke. “Do. Not. Presume to tell me what to do, nephew.”

His eyes landed back on his female and he changed the course of his life in the blink of an eye. His muscles tensed and then power unleashed, sliding out to fill her up so full it felt like his whole being was inside hers, causing Sacha’s unconscious body to shudder. His groan was deep and animalistic as he connected them fully, infusing her with his strength. The intensity was enough to bow his back in pure pleasure. It was erotic to the point that his cock felt ready to explode before even touching her skin.

The sheer intimacy of the soul bond hit him like a blow. This was the secret ambrosia his sisters had spoken of, the treasure he’d never fully understood. Never thought he’d have the chance to know.

He glimpsed her supple back bow under the blankets, lifting full breasts toward him in sweet offering. The soft moan that slipped from her sexy bow lips called to him. It was the last he heard as he waited to see her eyes.

Draken’s body and power lashed out against him before he could pull her into his arms. Breaking them both apart as the dragon ported Hades away from his prize.

Chapter 2

Outside the Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm

When Hades reformed, his eyes flickered in the sunlit wooded area by the manor. He grabbed Drake by the throat and lifted him in the cool mountain air. His blue gaze tinted toward crimson as fury reigned. He’d been cheated out of the sight of his female waking for him because his nephew had teleported him from her side.

Everything felt out of control. His need, the intensity of his fury were all stronger in the moment.

And his iron control was stretched near breaking.

Draken fought the hold as Hades readied to drop him to the ground. Before he could dispose of his burden and teleport back to his female, his son was there. His son, Pothos, slammed his unique ability into the mix. Numbness filled Hades’ limbs, but nothing could dissipate the fury of his own child using power against him.

“Hades, you need to calm the fuck down before I knock you on your ass,” Draken snarled as the dragon grabbed his arm and fully broke Hades’ grip while putting out a telekinetic hold, preventing Hades from teleporting to his female. It seemed that Draken hadn’t been as affected by Pothos’ power, or his son was directing the majority of it at him. That thought made him more than fucking furious as he glared over at the boy.

“What the hell is going on?” Pothos snapped.

He ignored his son’s question and directed his anger at his nephew as his wings flared out behind him. Hades was a benevolent God, but a God nonetheless and not one to be challenged. He’d known the responsibility of the Realms since before they were even born.

Yet, since he’d been awakened to help the Guardians find his brother, they had been challenging him at every turn. And because their collective power and abilities were strong enough to put him back in his sleeping unit, he’d been forced to compromise at every turn.

His anger resurged as he let his power free, knowing it was the need to get back to his female fueling his anger. He pushed against his own son’s power to let Draken feel his rage; his ability gripped the male’s soul and squeezed, attempting to loosen the male’s telekinetic hold.

The dragon grunted and his thick shoulders tensed before he narrowed his emerald eyes. His nephew withstood the assault before launching into him. Hades sailed back into something hard and he heard the sound of wood snapping. More wood cracked from the force of impact as Hades powered Drake into nearby trees in return, but he still couldn’t port. It was like fighting through rubber as Pothos’ power pulled at him, every muscle in his body strained as he battled through it.

“Son of a bitch, would you two stop being assholes.”

Pothos growled as a female reformed next to him.

Hades was telekinetically ripped away from the dragon with a force that pushed the air from his lungs. Power constricted around him, holding him a few feet in the air. His narrowed eyes met the glittering gold of Drake’s mate, Era, once known as Delia. The small female’s black-cherry hair lifted in wild waves around her with the sheer power she unleashed on him. Fire licked at his flesh, and he fought the need to show her what it meant to challenge a God.

Pothos regarded them with a shake of his head. “I thought we’d already done this fucking pissing-contest shit. Did you two really think Era wouldn’t know you two were going at it? The whole place is shaking with the power from your damned temper tantrum.”

Drake whispered soothingly to Era, who looked all too happy to let her fire have him. New skin worked double time to regenerate the singed flesh. When it eased, he pushed against her telekinesis and watched her body jerk as he ripped free of the hold, but he was still prevented from porting by Draken.

He needed to get back to his female. He had no time to deal with whatever Draken’s petty issues were now.

“Enough,” Pothos commanded.

Hades narrowed his eyes at his son. Bright sapphire eyes assessed him back. Pride and anger fought for dominance in his mind. He loved his son, but this constant distrust was grating. It didn’t matter that he’d hidden things about his son’s mother and that she’d been a priestess of Thule. In the end he’d been on his way to Pothos’ home to discuss it when he’d been drawn to Sacha’s room.

“Release your hold,” he commanded with a push of power in warning. Thoughts of Thule and the Goddess Kara, who’d come through days ago, had a minimal calming effect on his cock. As of that morning, the Goddess was still unconscious. A quick check on his link with Apollo confirmed the missing asshole was still nowhere to be found. He’d been doing the same thing from the moment his nephew had told him the bastard was loose and that they needed his help in finding the God.

His skin itched with the need to get to his female. To see her whole and healthy and greedy for him to consummate the bond. He needed to feel her skin, her pouty little lips on his body.

His muscles twitched at the thought of all the ways he wanted her.

He growled as his glance hit Pothos. His son should be on his side. It had been a source of discord between the two since he’d been awoken. Pothos had been chosen as a Guardian when Hades was sent to sleep. The Creators had chosen wisely, his son was meant to lead. But now Pothos was duty bound to keep watch over the sleeping Gods, even him, while also ensuring humanity had the ability to evolve, which was why the Immortals were confined in Tetartos Realm, away from the fragile mortals of Earth.

He understood his son’s duty, but Pothos was Hades’ fucking son. It was right there in his features. The only differences were in hair and body adornments. His son had his black hair cut short, whereas Hades’ was long. His child also had black things in his ears and markings all over his arms. His child even had his wings. Though Hades would never understand why Pothos preferred to keep them retracted and wear shirts.

His son growled, “Someone tell me what the hell this is about.” It was obvious to Hades that Pothos was meant to command, yet he kept to the shadows instead, allowing Draken to lead. He shook his head. Need beat at him, and annoyance wasn’t helping. Rational thought was a flimsy concept at the moment, but force wouldn’t help him now. He could get free, but they would only come for him in greater numbers and they’d only go through this same damned thing all over again. He drew a deep breath. Never had he dealt with anything like this.

“Why did you take me from her?” He commanded the dragon to speak.

His nephew snarled, “I was saving your ass from doing something fucking stupid.”

Hades’ eyes flashed and narrowed at the dragon as he snapped, “From healing her? The Guardian you were incapable of helping?”

“Somebody needs to make sense. You healed Sacha?” Pothos’ brows lifted and he seemed surprised and pleased by that, but also confused. Hades mentally growled; he’d been doing nothing but fixing Guardian issues since they’d woken him. His healing Sacha shouldn’t come as any surprise.

“He’s
mated
to Sacha,” the dragon bit out as if this was bad news.

Hades growled, “This should make you all happy.”

“Oh, fuck.” His son ran a hand over his short hair. “How the hell… What…” The boy appeared lost for words.

“Exactly,” Drake bit out.

Hades met the dragon’s gaze. “I need to get to her. So speak and let me fucking loose.” His words had the power to shake the ground beneath them.

The hold eased slightly, but he was still being prevented from teleporting away.

His son’s next words were tinted with resignation. “What’d he do?” As if Hades were some errant child?

“I helped her. As opposed to letting her stay in a poison-induced sleep.”

His son ignored his words to ask another question. “She’s awake?”

Drake answered this as more Guardians and their mates started filling the wooded area. “She is… Sirena is with her, attempting to explain what the hell’s going on. Trying to explain him!” Drake threw a hand up in Hades’ direction.

Frustration lifted smoke from the dragon’s lips, but Hades was even more irritated.

“Did you touch her?” his son demanded. He was getting really tired of the constant challenges in this new world from all the damned Guardians and their mates. Even his own son.

Why did it matter if he touched the female? She was
his
. He growled, tired of all their ridiculous rules, like no wings in the human Realm? Ridiculous. He’d apparently made some other infractions, and though he knew he needed to deal with the Guardians like this, he hated it. His body was strung tight with want. With need.

“I did not touch her,” he growled. “Not that it’s any of your concern. Now, just tell me what petty rule I’ve stepped on and be done with it.” He was done talking. He instinctually pulled at his bonds, wishing he could just teleport to her side. Drake and Era jolted with the force of his power, but managed to continue pinning him.

“You think you broke a fucking rule?” Drake snarled.

His gaze fell on Drake’s mate. She was shaking her head as if Hades should know what the hell they were talking about. The shimmering gold of her eyes was unique and completely otherworldly, showing her odd power. He nearly growled in frustration. He had been the one to relieve her of the beasts forced on her by experiments done by Apollo’s now dead son. Hades had been the one who’d made their mating possible, and now they were banding against him?

“Listen to me, Hades. I’m attempting to do you a fucking favor,” Drake snapped, smoke slipping from the dragon’s lips showing his annoyance as he continued, “Sacha’s been unconscious for weeks. She doesn’t even know I’ve released you from stasis to help locate Apollo. You would have confused the shit out of her, not to mention pissed her off along with every other Guardian here by not allowing her the freedom to accept your touch. By not giving her the freedom to choose your ass as her mate.”

The dragon paced in front of him as more smoke lifted to the sky.

What the hell was he talking about? “Choose?” He shook his head in exasperation. Either there was a soul connection or there wasn’t. There was no choice. It was fate.

Sacha was born in Apollo’s labs,
his son added telepathically.
You do not touch her without her consent.

He growled. “She’s mine. Of course she wants me to touch her.” She’d want his touch beyond anything, and they were keeping him from doing exactly that.