Hunter: The Reckoning

Chapter 23

My heart was pounding against my chest as if it was demanding the same amount of attention as the baby within my belly. Something was wrong, and not even the familiar setting of the Last Drop provided me with its usual feelings of home. Ignoring the curious looks from the demons as I headed towards the bar, I saw Hermes with Ares in the back, both talking furiously at a bored looking Hades.

Of course they were here. They seemed to forget they had a world all of their own to be in, rather than annoy me in mine. A shiver ran up my spine at the thought; it should make me angry that they were here. But why?

Their world.

They had something else they should be doing but what that might be...

"Bunny! What are you doing here?" Apollo moves fast, nearly knocking over the stool he had been sitting on and a flicker of relief at seeing him makes me forget about the three in the corner. "You're supposed to be resting at home. How did you get away from your Mum?"

Mum.

The frantic pounding of my heart pauses for a second as if to make way for the ache that takes over. If I was just with her, why did I miss her so much? Thinking of home, and Alfie, sitting on the sofa with Jordan watching TV and eating her cooking had my eyes burning with tears. Apollo tugged me against his side, yet as he went to kiss me, I turned my head away so instead of my lips, he found my cheek.

"You okay?" He whispered, the hand on my stomach only adding to the feeling of unease as I slipped out of his hold. "Bunny?"

"What are we doing here?" I ask him instead, moving towards the bar.

We were supposed to be somewhere else.

"Well, I came to check in with Paul and where he was at with the paperwork for taking over this place while you were supposed to be resting. You don't look all that good, you didn't walk all this way did you?" Apollo frowned. "Listen to what the doctor told you, Elise. Now isn't the time for you to be so stubborn. Our baby is due within the next couple of weeks and you can't just-"

"Our baby?" I look down as if expecting it to answer from inside of me.

"I think you need to go back home." Apollo decided.

"No, I-" Where was home?

Looking around again, Hades catches my eye as he ignores the other two completely. There is something about the look on his face that I wasn't expecting to see. Hate. Anger. Had we argued?

"Oh look, it's her majesty!" A familiar voice called from behind me, and turning around, Kara drunkenly walked over. "All hail the Queen!"

"Fuck off, Kara. Not tonight and not here." Apollo snapped.

"Don't talk to her that way." I warned, yet he didn't seem to hear as instead I am gently moved behind him as he squares off against her.

"That crown still seems a little too tight on your head, Apollo. Might want to get that checked before permanent damage is done." She spat at him.

"I am your King, in our world and this one. Do not upset her tonight." His tone is dark, and dangerous in a way I never knew Apollo could sound.

Wait, King?

"What is going on?" I push past him, looking at Kara for answers I knew I shouldn't hear.

"Baby Brain kicked in then, Queenie? I thought you were never coming back here after what you did?"

What I did?

"She makes a good point." Hades says from behind us.

"Let's go, this is why I told you not to come back here." Apollo angrily whispers, spinning me around towards the exit.