*CONTENT WARNING: BLOOD, VIOLENCE, AND GORE THROUGHOUT THE BEGINNING PORTION OF THIS CHAPTER. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. WHEN ASTERISK (*) APPEARS, IT IS SAFE TO READ AGAIN.
Cerberus
I slit the final bar goers throat, smiling as the sounds of her gurgles reached my ears, kicking her away from me as she landed on the pile of bodies in front of me.
"It's safe to assume that she isn't here darling" I turned toward my wife who was currently perched on the bars counter "What do you advise we do now?"
My beautiful wife sighed, her long dark hair styled in those adorable pigtails that made her look innocent and helpless.
A deadly combination that allowed us entrance into this bar in the first place.
She motioned for me to come closer and I did, fitting right into the space her legs created for me from the perch on the high bar top.
She ran a bloodied hand through my blonde hair, streaking it red, and I sighed, leaning into her touch.
"We may have been a tad late my love" she whispered in my ear before nipping my neck and running the flat of her tongue against my blood soaked neck "I fear your brother and cousin may have gotten to her first."
I growled, tightening my grip on her ass "I thought we got rid of Xenos?"
She licked the column of my throat again, momentarily distracting me from my question, and making me moan out loud.
"According to my Scouts, those archers I sent did indeed hit their target" she gripped my hair tightly in her hand, pulling my head back just enough so that my eyes could lock on her dark honey colored ones "But apparently your brother was somehow able to heal him."
"How is that possible?" My eyes widened in shock "Zephyr couldn't even heal the wounds I inflicted on him. How could he have healed Xenos?"
"I don't know" My wife said, shrugging those delicate shoulders of hers and loosening her grip on my hair "But I have some of my followers trying to figure that out as we speak."
"Will this hinder our plans my love?"
She pulled back, giving me a contemplative look "It might complicate things."
"How so?"
"If they realize what's right underneath their nose than they might use that to stop what we have planned" she said, her doe eyes wild and filled with tears as she gripped my face, "If they figure how to use the weapon before we get our hands on it than they might use it to send me back my love. I...I can't go back to that awful place Cerberus. I just can't. Not when I just started living."
I gripped her tighter, pulling her soft body against mine.
"I won't let that happen my love" I vowed to my wife...my darling Hecate "I won't make the same mistake that my weak brother did. I'll kill him before he even has a chance to take you away from me."
***~~~~~***
ALESSIA
"Where are we?" I asked as soon as I untangled my limbs from Xenos, turning in a complete circle to take in all the sights around me.
Xenos leaned against a tree, his eyes tracking my every movement.
"My favorite place in the entire world" he said softly "The one place where I usually come to escape the bullshit that is my life."
"And where is this favorite place of yours located?"
"Surprisingly," His lips tilted up "My favorite place happens to be Zephyr's grandmother's realm."
I cocked my head to the side "And where is..."
I trailed off, my eyes widened when I realized which Grandmother Xenos was talking about.
"Demeter's?" I gawked at him "We're in Demeter's realm?"
He nodded.
"How?"
"Demeter gave me access to her realm when I was a boy" Xenos said softly, his lips tilting in a fond smile "She knew what life was like at home for me and, being a mother herself, decided to give me a safe space to go if I needed help."
My eyes softened "And I'm guessing you used to come to this place often?"
"I did" he said "Having parents and siblings as unyielding as mine...was particularly hard. Being the youngest boy of seven siblings...I was never allowed to be myself. I was often compared to my brothers and sisters, never being as physically or mentally strong as they were no matter how hard I tried. Instead of giving up on me and shifting all their focus onto my siblings, they made it their lives mission to make my life a living hell"
He closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath in.
"Under the guise of wanting to make sure I 'lived up to my full potential' they tortured me to their hearts content" he swallowed thickly "For everything I did right, they would push harder. For every mistake I made, their punishment was crueler than anything you could ever imagine."
My heart ached at the thought of a young Xenos facing those punishments...how scared and alone he must have felt.
I couldn't even imagine the horrors he faced at such a young age, nevertheless, at the hands of his own parents...the people who were supposed to protect you from the evils of this world.
To know that he never experienced the type of parental love that me and my brother did...the warmth and guidance they provided us...was devastating.
"I swore to myself at a young age that I would never fall in love...or even long term lust with someone" He locked eyes with mine "And I was fine with that decision...until you came along"
"From the very first moment we met, I knew I was in trouble" He caressed his knuckles across my cheek before hugging mr "And because of that...because of you... I had to make myself another promise."
I swallowed thickly, wrapping my arms tightly around his tapered waist "What promise?"
"That I could never ever love you" he whispered, tightening his own grip on me "For if I show you love, you will only know heartache and suffer a tremendous amount of pain."
He reversed our positions, pinning me gently against the tree, and forcing me to look up at him.
"Xenos..." I tried to reach out to him but he gripped my wrists in his.
"I'm not a good man Alessia Jane" he said, his tone pained and his gaze pleading for me to understand "I'm exactly like my parents...maybe even worse since I have their blood running through my veins. I lie. I steal. I inflict pain and enjoy murder much more than I should"
"I'm the man your parents probably warned you to stay away from" He looked away, shame marring his beautiful face "You deserve so much better than someone like me."
"Xenos..." I started softly "I know you're much older than I am and I know that there's been others before me. During all that time...you've never gotten close to someone? Never wanted to break the promise you made to yourself?"
He stood stock still and silent for a few moments, just gazing down at me with different emotions crossing his eyes.
"There was one person..." he said softly "But, like everything I touch, she ended up losing her life."
My wolf growled at the mention of another female but I willed her to calm down, knowing that this conversation was needed.
"What happened?"
"My family saw the change in me" he laughed humorlessly "And any sign of happiness made them weary. Unbeknownst to me at the time, my mother sent my brothers to spy on me. The moment they saw her with me was the moment her death certificate was signed."
I flinched at the pain in his voice, the mourning his tone conveyed spoke volumes on his lost love.
"Xenos..." I murmured, breaking free from his grip and turning his face towards mine "It wasn't your..."
"Fault?" His grey eyes blazed "It was my fault. I'm the reason she's dead."
"No."
"Alessia Jane" he gripped my arms "I brought you here, not for your pity or to debate about my part in a death. I brought you here for you to understand."
I looked up at him in confusion "Understand what?"
"Why we will never work" he said "That display back there with your wolf, with Pandora, only proves just how much I'm not right for you and how much this bond was a mistake."
My heart dropped at his words.
"What?"
"We can't forget the promise we made before the bond Alessia" he said "And while things are different now, we have to try to keep our relationship strictly platonic."
"Are you being serious right now Xenos?" I gaped at him "I lost my control for a split second, which is normal for a newly bonded wolf by the way, and now you're telling me we won't work?"
"Alessia..." He tried to interrupt but I continued on.
"I'm not her Xenos" I gripped his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me "And while you might see her when you look at me, know that I am not her. I'm me. Alessia Jane Turner Matthews, daughter of an Alpha and the next Beta of the Matthews Pack. I can protect myself and those I love."
"You can't protect yourself against Gods Alessia" he murmured "They'll strike you down without even batting an eyelash."
"And you can't deny our bond Xenos" I said, shaking my head "Not now. Not without causing each other immense physical pain."
He gave me a horrified look, taking a step away from me "See, I'm already starting to cause you pain."
"It's not because of you Xenos" I reassured him "Its a normal reaction when Mates try to deny their bond once it's commenced."
A frustrated sound came from the back of his throat.
"Alessia, the bond is influencing your decision making" he said vehemently "A few weeks ago, you didn't even want a Mate. You can't possibly want one now."
"A lot has changed in those few weeks Xenos" I said softly "We've both changed."
"No," He shook his head "I haven't changed at all...The Darkness..."
"What Darkness?"
His eyes flashed from grey to gold as he took a step back, his aura instantly changing into something that made my Wolf's hackles rise.
"Xenos..." I asked wearily "What is happening..."
"Since I can't convince you with my words, it seems like I'll have to convince you with my actions instead" he said, his voice deeper and darker than I've ever heard it.
Before I knew what was happening, I was transported back into an unknown time.
When I finally gathered my bearings and took in the scene in front of me, my heart stopped.
Because lying in a bed, with dozens of people surrounding him in various throes of passion was my Mate.
His gold eyes blazing as he leaned against the giant headboard fit for a king, his dark smirk widening as he gazed upon the woman currently straddling his hips...
A woman who was definitely not me...