9

I thought that was going to be the end of putting Barb in her place and moving on to punishing her cousins, but someone else had other plans. The moment we moved out of the ring, Colton of all people jumped up there. He stared down Barb and pulled off his shoes before yanking off his shirt.

Something she very much enjoyed.

"Renee's smart to not want the target on her, but I've already got it, and half of your hate for Arabella is your jealousy that I don't want you," he said, smirking when rage filled Barb's eyes. "I. Don't. Want. You. I didn't before Arabella. I certainly would never consider you after spending time with her. And now I don't have elders gagging me or holding threats over me.

"So how about we settle this, Barb? I bet you can't even spar with me and keep it together enough not to shift like a mongrel." He chuckled darkly when she growled. "Sure, prove my point. I have no problem smacking you around even if you're a woman. Not in a fight like this where people agree and we've got set terms. Or are you not strong enough?"

"Your mother would never—"

"Do not speak for me, Barbara," Nicole said firmly. "I tire of your attitude and your causing trouble. I've always hated you and the way you make women look bad. You think you're so amazing, prove it." She gestured to where she was standing, clearly on my side and then around. "All the strongest stand here."

"Those who don't know the situation or what is really going on are standing over there," Poseidon said to be fair, pointing to a lot of other groups from New England that we didn't know. They weren't on ours or the Kraft's side but hanging back by the door.

And it wasn't so much that others were on the Krafts's side, but more they didn't want to be on ours. It was clear that the infected wolves would all stand against having Mary as the strongest in New England, but I doubted they would really agree with being friends with the Krafts or wolves like them.

Or I guess it wasn't really New England… Though Mary was confused because some sources said it was six states and others seven—whatever, we did the whole northeast region.

So it was every pack and coven that we knew of from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

All the vampires were on our side. None were stupid enough with their ancients there. We'd met and worked with several covens of warlocks and witches, so they were with us and not just locally. We had deals in New Jersey and New York. We'd met with one in Virginia as well.

And supes talked so yes, we had a lot of people in the huge warehouse on our side… Who were enjoying the free food. I glanced over and saw a dozen tables had been emptied and refilled them.

Clearly, it wasn't everyone from the groups though because that would have been thousands of people more than we had. That was fair, understandable even given the little notice we'd provided.

But I still planned on having people follow up and make sure that others were behaving and doing what they should.

I sat back in my chair, Mary and Kary standing on either side of me making it clear where their place was. I couldn't get over this turn of events, and part of me thought I should shut it down or do something, but I simply watched.

Colton stretched and smirked at Barb. "You've always wanted a chance to touch me. Take it." He moved his hands over his pecs and ripped abs, and Barb looked like she might need to wipe up some drool.

And she wasn't the only one. Damn man.

He pushed his hair back and chuckled when she got lost in his body. "Fine, you win, and I'll go out with you like you lie to everyone and make it sound like we already have. I'll give you a real shot. Two months of dates and a real chance to court. Publicly even."

She did a double take. "And you won't see her. No going sniffing around her and just doing it for show. You give me a real chance."

"A hundred percent."

"Deal," she blurted. "I can beat you into your senses."

He snorted at her. "When I win, you stop all the shit with Arabella. No more snide remarks or petty anything. I know you're still locked down, but no more since you're clearly still talking to your cousins. This is all done, and I am allowed to enforce it magically, punish it magically. I then become the mediator of the situation, the judge of it."

She looked at him and smirked. "Sure, Cole."

Fool. He had something big up his sleeve. I was looking at him like I'd never seen him before and shocked to my core he was acting like this. Even Hades and Poseidon seemed frozen and to be holding their breath to see what happened.

"No magic," one of the Krafts called out.

"As long as she keeps her claws and teeth in," Colton agreed. "I'll only call magic to protect myself."

Now why would he phrase it like that? Call magic.

I glanced at Nicole and felt her amusement. Right, Colton had said he had magic on him or his magic gave him enhanced abilities.

She was too confident. So were other "elite" warlocks and witches who knew him. Oh boy.

"With your permission, I will officiate," one of the ancients checked with us. Both sides agreed, but Barb made it clear that the "bloodsucker" better not touch her.

"Seriously, your daughter has a death wish," Hades told Mr. Kraft. "He's an ancient vampire thousands of years old. That's why he looks as he does. He cannot blend with humans. He could snap her before she would even know he was there, and they tend to when insulted. You really need to teach your family some self-preservation."

The fight started and Barb launched at Colton, ready to end it quick and clearly to embarrass him… Before dating him? What was even her logic there? He embarrassed her by what he said and not falling at her feet or giving in all this time, so now she wanted to turn the tables?

That didn't sound like desiring someone but the red flag of a narcissist.

I snorted. Yes, that was Barb Kraft.

Colton had obviously studied judo; it was apparent right away from how he kept using Barb's movements against her. I knew this from all of the twins' martial arts training over the years.

"He's a black belt for sure," Mary said under her breath, her head where mine was.

"He's good," Kary muttered. "He could have fought back when we beat his ass. Smart he didn't, but he could have."

"He didn't have a death wish," I drawled. If he'd hurt the twins—even defending himself—I would have sent him to the underworld.

After dancing with Barb for several minutes and burning out her energy, he turned and threw an elbow in her face. "That's for all the shit you've said about Sara, you psycho." He spun away and kicked out her knee. "And my mother. My family that I didn't know quality to not take you up on your many, many offers." He rolled his eyes and moved out of range.

"This is clearly about more than you, Sister," Hades chuckled. "And therapeutic."

"Eat your popcorn," I grumbled.

"I've had enough salty," Poseidon sighed, Hades nodding in agreement.

I made an array of fudge appear for Hades and Krispies treats for Poseidon, both happy with what they received.

"Glad we're not the only ones spoiled anymore, Uncles," Kary teased.

"I'm rather jealous," Chen said from the end. "I heard rumors about some ridiculous chocolate layer cake with fruit frosting that I keep having dreams of."

I nodded. "Three are on the table now, love."

"You're the best," Mary groaned and raced Dion and Chen over there.

Apparently, she had a craving as well.

"You're cheating, Cole!" Barb screamed. "There's no way you're this fast and—"

"You are not the victim!" he bellowed before full-out slugging her in the face. "Stop it! Just stop. Stop calling me Cole like we're close. Stop bitching that everything is unfair when you're so fucking privileged. Stop being so disgusting! Your life and reputation are shit because you did that. You failed college. You take nothing seriously.

"You can't get a job because no one will hire you even with your last name. You are the one to blame. No one will date you or take you seriously, only fuck you because you're a Kraft, and then you play the victim. You treat everyone beneath you and then cry foul when they treat you like shit as well! That's not the world, and I'm sick of how you treat me.

"I'm not your fucking prize to be won. I'm not yours, and I just don't know it yet. If I said shit like that about you, people would rightfully call me out as a disgusting pig. You are a disgusting pig, Barb. It's not cute or funny because you're a woman. You're not just wearing me down. It's gross. You are gross."

"Wow, he's really needed this," Kary whispered. "And to be set free. Look at Nicole."

I did and saw the tears in her eyes. I honestly felt bad for Colton and realized he'd been dealing with a lot more and had more on his shoulders than I'd ever realized.

Colton punched her again, and she went down hard. "I'm not yours, and I won't ever be yours. No one of value will be with someone like you until you fucking become someone of value. It's not all of us, but you, Barb. Finally fucking hear us!"

And then he kicked her in the face and knocked her out.

He stared down her shocked family. "She's lazy. Being a wolf is nothing if you think it solves everything and just makes you great. I was bred for my magic and trained since I could walk to be the best, be puppetted to puppet a fucking goddess. It was the stupidest plan in the world, but your worldview of the way things are is stupid too.

"You didn't even believe vampires were real. There's hundreds here. You thought the children of Lycaon were dead. They're not. Your own stories about how your type of wolf came about were lies. Fucking use your heads or you won't have anything left."

He moved to the edge of the ring and towards the two women who had gone after Jamie.

"Jamie is my friend, one of my closest friends and business partner now," he seethed, his chest heaving from exertion.

"Yeah, but he stole the woman you want and—" one tried to defend.

"Don't fucking play those games with me, dipshit," he snapped. "You can't say you did it for Barb while pushing her at me and then now it was okay because I want Arabelle. We're not all as stupid as you are. Go after him or start problems with her again, and I will put you in the ground. Until then, enjoy your comeuppance."

He muttered under his breath and formed some sort of light between his hands. He pushed them together after a moment and the light was gone.

And everyone around us gasped.

"What are we not seeing?" I asked my brothers.

"Holy fuck," Mary breathed.

"What is it, Niece?" Hades answered.

"He scarred them," Mary whispered. "They look like they've been in a fire or—there's scars on their faces and necks."

"Enjoy your curses," Colton purred as he grabbed onto the ropes of the ring. "And no, they won't go away if you or your family kill me. You're stuck with them then. You do anything to my family and the curse is locked. It can only be lifted if I forgive you. Good luck with that."

"You will regret this, Cole!" one screamed as she felt her face. "Get me a damn mirror."

"Use your phone, idiot," the other snapped, breaking down sobbing as she stared at her phone. "He deformed me."

"We're too powerful to see it," I muttered. "Kary, get us pictures so we can, yeah?"

"Of course," she agreed before slipping away.

Colton went back to Barb and held his hand over her. She came around with a gasp.

"You cheated and—" she accused.

"Shut up, dog," the ancient who officiated the fight growled as he lifted her up by her hair. "Do not besmirch my honor that I can't tell when magic is used. You are lazy and uncoordinated. I would be embarrassed if you were a vampire to call you one of ours. I'm sure wolves feel the same."

"I won, Barbara Kraft," Colton chuckled as he squatted down so they were at eye level. "Just remember, you gave me permission for this with all of these witnesses. I don't think your parents will ever control you, and as much as I hate you, Jamie would feel pain if you died and never changed into a decent person. Beating you would only go so far.

"Even after your grandmother came back as a minion of Hades to whip sense into you, you're still full of piss and vinegar. So now I get to do what I've been dying to since the first time you gave Arabella any fucking grief, you whiney pathetic bitch." He moved his hand over her face and I felt strong magic pulse. It built in waves but then covered her like a coating.

"What did you do to my daughter?" Mr. Kraft demanded when Colton stood.

He barely spared the man a glance. "What you should have. Trained the feral bitch of your family."

Barb opened her mouth but then puked. I blinked at her and couldn't seem to understand what I was seeing.

But Poseidon did, throwing back his head and laughing. "He cursed her to vomit anytime she wants to speak bile about you or others. Oh, what a fitting training tool."

"She'll die of rotted insides within a month even with her rapid healing," Hades said, his tone amused. "I like the poetic justice of that."

"Knowing Colton, there's more to it," Mary muttered in between bites of her cake, back in her place next to my chair.

She was right. There was definitely more knowing Colton.

He grabbed his shirt and shoes before moving over the ropes. He came right for me and knelt in front of my chair, lowering his head even.

"I know I have wronged you. I know things went too far and I—I didn't understand it all. I didn't see it as you did—I couldn't. I couldn't even until what Cora said. I thought… I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Arabella. I never wanted—I just wanted to be with you. I wanted you in my life even if you were the reason so much of my life was a mess.

"You made it all so much better. You made me happy like I'd never felt. But I heard you that you wouldn't want to be with me as I am. You don't want a priest at your side. You don't want me with the history of my bloodline and all that has happened."

"It's not that simple," I whispered.

He nodded. "I know. I heard you and thought a lot about it. You wanted Colton the human you could have a simple life with." He let out a slow breath and raised his head, swallowing loudly. "Take my power. Make me human. If that's what you need to give me a chance to be in your heart again, I—take it."

"Colton, no," Nicole cried out.

"You fool," I rasped. "No. Never."

He shook his head. "I don't want it. It's brought me so much—my family so much grief. I want you. You brought me happiness and a chance for—you were the light I finally felt in so much darkness, Arabella. If being human is—"

"I will not shorten your life, you stupid man. No love is worth that," I said firmly, tears in my voice. "Think of your family."

"I am," he said firmly. "I'm still a pawn people want to use. Let it end with me. I'm the last alive with power of the bloodline of your priests. Let it end with me then. Just as it should have back then."

"No." I stood and shoved him to plop on his ass. "No! That will fix nothing. That won't change what happened. That's not penance for what you did. That's just being cruel. I will not become Hera and spread my suffering around to torture others!"

"That's not what I want either," he whispered. "I just want a chance. I thought it was a way for us to have a chance. You were happy with me." He stared up at me with tears running down his cheeks. "We were happy on New Year's. It was just Cole and Arabella. I know you saw me. No masks. No labels. No goddess or priest. Just us. There has to be a way to get that back."

"Your idea of sacrifice and penance even is noble, but you would resent her for giving up that power and who you are at your core," Hades cut in when I couldn't seem to find my voice. "You truly love my sister. I see that, and your offer is real. I cannot believe it, and I maybe have never met a man so in love with someone who would offer that much.

"But it would turn sour. You would see her power day in and day out and miss yours. You have lived too many years with gifts, and they would be gone like losing a limb. It would ruin anything you could have, especially when you would halve your life. It is not the answer. You would give it all up so she would never fear you, but you would give up your greatest asset."

"Your ability to protect her," Poseidon said for both of us when I couldn't hide my confusion. "Even against our wishes, you left wards at her new home and still handle situations to help her. Our sister has a pure heart, and even if she can be just, she cannot be harsh. For her to keep being fair as karma needs to be, she must never be tainted."

"I've long since been tainted, Brother," I argued.

"No, you are not the tainted one of us," Hades argued. "That is your job, Zeus."

I gasped as Zeus was suddenly standing in front of us wearing a hoodie of all things and his power cloaked. I'd felt other gods but hadn't realized he was there.

"I warned you not to disobey my sister," Hades seethed.

"My gods were gathering, and I had every right to know why and to hear what was happening no matter the location or her whims," he snapped.

Hades's hand shot out and wrapped around Zeus's neck, lifting him up off the ground. "We are not yours. You rule the heavens. You failed in your role of allowing good souls to end up there to watch over them. You never ruled us. I tire of repeating myself. If you break my sister's decree again, I will chain you to the heavens so you cannot even visit your wife in the underworld."

"You wouldn't dare," Zeus seethed. "My gods would revolt—" He flinched when Poseidon and I snorted.

"From what we hear, they tire of your bullshit just as much as we have," I drawled. I gestured around the warehouse. "Things are going so well, and you have the gods all so in line that you assumed this was some meeting to overthrow you? Sure, that makes perfect sense."

"How dare you speak to me and—"

"Fuck you, Zeus," I sneered. "You're a sexist disgusting pig who can't control shit and I have no love for. You don't get this affronted when Hades or Poseidon say anything to you, but it's always how dare I when I call you out. How dare you. I banned you from my realm. Was that too complicated for your tiny penis to understand?"

Hades and Poseidon both looked at me like they'd never seen me, shock in their wide eyes.

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. "I have thousands and thousands of years—since the beginning of timedealing with sexism. You lose patience with the idiocy of it. It's ridiculous."

"It is," Hades agreed. "So is your new plan, Zeus." I worried when Zeus flinched. "And I will not allow you to hurt my sister anymore."

I wasn't sure what that meant, but I heard four people exclaim in shock.

Four men.

One was Isiah. I hadn't realized he was in my view until I saw him fall to his knees, but then I focused on him. I realized Colton was one who made a noise too.

"What did you do?" Zeus demanded with a groan.

"I gave her four suitors a piece of your power," Hades said with cold amusement. "If you try to hurt them, you will do the same to yourself."

Fear raced through me, and I met Hades's gaze. "No."

He nodded. "He planned to kill Colton and Jamie so he could finally force the god he made for you on you and he would control you."

I lost my mind and grabbed Zeus by the hair and yanked him away from Hades, slamming the brother I'd once loved into the concrete floor. I punched him twice before he recovered from shock and was easily able to kick me away.

Poseidon grabbed me so I wasn't harmed, and Hades fisted the front of Zeus's hoodie to keep him in place.

"I am not yours do to with as you want!" I roared at Zeus. "I hope you and Hera kill each other with your insanity. I hoped it would destroy both of you after you chased me from my home, but you still plot to own and possess me. Never. I will never let you, Zeus."

And then I locked onto the necklace he always wore from Hera.

I shook off Poseidon and went to Zeus and ripped the necklace off. My eyes went wide as I felt vast power in it. "You were right. This is a curse. It feels like when I held the pillar. We could never sense it around—"

"Give me that!" Zeus roared and lunged for it, his eyes wild and desperate. "I swore to Hera that I would never remove it."

Hades turned so he wrapped his arms around Zeus's and held him to his chest. "You didn't. Arabella did. Calm yourself, Zeus. It's just a necklace."

"It's my oath to…" He frowned. "You're nothing next to my perfect Hera, Kismet. She should have killed you. I wish she had so we'd have been rid of you."

I tried not to react. I tried not to care… But I did. It hurt. It hurt so deeply that I couldn't even breathe, Poseidon's arm the only thing that kept me standing.

"Enough of your bile," Hades bit out.

I gasped as I was filled with power, a huge chunk filling me. Then I heard the twins moan in the background.

"If you hurt Arabella or her daughters, it will hurt your psycho wife. If she hurts them, she will only hurt herself. I thought and thought about how to handle this situation when neither of you will ever stop or see reason. This is the way. If either of you harm them, you harm yourselves."

"But the same isn't true if she wants to punish Hera, right?" Poseidon checked as I gasped for air.

Hades snorted. "No, and she's free to anytime Hera is in the underworld."

"That wasn't our agreement," Zeus argued, trying to shake off Hades. "I am the god of the gods. How dare you take my power? And especially give it to her. Those mongrels or—"

Then Zeus was gone.

I blinked at Hades.

He sighed. Heavily. "I tire of his bullshit the way you do sexism, Sister. He makes my ears bleed."

"Hear, hear," Poseidon agreed, helping me to my seat.

I reached out my hand to Hades, glad when he accepted the gesture. I kissed his hand for all to see. "Thank you, Brother."

He didn't react for a moment but then ran his other hand over my hair. "I will not let them hurt you again, Sister. Not while I still live. We will have the life we hoped for this time even if that means Zeus and Hera have to be returned to Father. So be it. I want the life you have hope for. I want to have that hope back, and I only can with you around."

I hoped I could deliver on that this time around instead of failing us.