Chapter 29

29

L averna sat next to Romulus in the back of a black van. The seat was narrow, and the belt clip was digging into her hip as they stopped and started through Rome's traffic lights. The sun had set, and the moon was rising.

Beside her, Romulus's eyes had been glowing the gold of his wolf for hours. He and the other wolves wouldn't change for a short time yet. They had a plan to see through and witches to kill.

Laverna wrapped her arm under Romulus's and threaded their fingers together. As soon as he changed, he wouldn't be able to talk to her, and she found the thought uncomfortable. She didn't even know how the bond would feel in his wolf form.

"You're not worried about tonight, goddess?" he asked.

Laverna made a scoffing sound that was all bravado. "Me? Worried? No way. I just don't want to have to tend to your wounds again if you get your ass kicked."

"That's okay. I'll find someone else to do it," Romulus said and then laughed like an asshole when her eyes narrowed.

"Or not. You could just not get hurt again. I think that's a better plan," Laverna replied.

Romulus kissed her cheek, and some of the anger and worry went away.

"We have both fought with worse odds than this. We have too much to lose tonight not to give it our everything. I finally can kiss you when I want to, and I need to make the most of it," Romulus said and then proved it by kissing her lips quickly.

On the other side of the van, Lucius pulled a face. "Are you two going to be this gross going forward? Because after years of seeing you at each other's throats, I got to admit, it's going to take some getting used to."

Laverna smiled at him and crossed her eyes. "Then stop looking, you perv."

The other wolves laughed, and some of the tension in the van eased. Laverna had always liked the praetorians, and it was nice not to pretend that she didn't. She had also been jealous of Romulus and his pack of friends through eternity. She had connections now, but for a long time, she had only been friends with mortals. Watching them die every year had ensured she never really got close to anyone.

Sensing her unease, Romulus squeezed her hand before lifting it and kissing the back of it. She wasn't alone. He made a point of telling her that. Maybe one day she would get to the point where she believed it.

"Okay, Laverna. We are coming up to the archaeological park. It's time to tell me where your secret entrance is," Roberto said from the driver's seat.

"Turn onto the Via in Miranda," Laverna said, and Romulus turned in his seat to look at her. "And go the very end of it. You should be able to park in front of the temple of Antonius and Faustina."

"Where exactly is your old entrance?" Rom asked suspiciously.

Laverna smiled her most charming smile. "I maybe could have possibly put one in the Temple of Romulus."

"You are unreal, woman," Romulus grumbled before turning to his wolves. "Can you believe this?"

"Actually, we can," Lucius replied.

"I wanted an access tunnel, and your temple had the underground levels I needed!" Laverna replied.

"Oh, did it now? How many of my statues in there did you piss on over the years?"

Laverna pulled a face. "Why would I want my secret entrance to the Colosseum smelling of piss, Rom? Think it through next time."

Romulus glared at her, and Lavera rubbed her cheek against his shoulder.

"You love me so much," she teased.

"Not right now, I don't."

"Liar. You love that I did so much territory marking, and so does your wolf."

Romulus's eyes narrowed. "You are going to pay for this insolence later."

"I tremble in fear of your punishments." Laverna thought about the last time he said she was going to pay. They ended up fucking on a wolf skin. She opened her mouth, but Romulus put his hand over it.

"Don't you dare say whatever it is you just thought of."

Laverna licked his palm until he moved it. Roberto slowed and parked.

"Show time," she said brightly and unclipped her belt.

"I hope you didn't think that just because you mated with her, she was going to behave herself," Eolus commented from behind her.

Laverna ignored them and stepped out into the night. It was humid but clear, the moonlight casting the archaeological park in ghostly black and white.

The building in front of them was the Santi Cosma e Damiano, with access to the part of the building that once housed Romulus's temple around the back. Laverna walked to the driver's side door, and Roberto dropped the window.

"I'll go in first and make sure the way is clear. Wait until midnight and then follow. I won't have you all popping out of the ground just to get murdered," she said.

Roberto nodded. "We are with you, boss. All the way."

Laverna squeezed his hand resting on the steering wheel. "Thank you, my friend."

She made sure Roberto was in position before she walked around the back of the church and to the entrance of the Tempio di Romolo. The other wolves were already shifting in the light of the full moon. Romulus was fighting it off for the chance to talk to her once more.

"You going to be okay getting in here?" Romulus asked, looking at the faded green paint on the double doors.

"I'll be fine. I'll make sure there's been no cave-ins and that it's safe for the others to come through," Laverna replied. The other wolves were fully changed and waiting for him. Laverna put her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a searing kiss.

"Be safe," he said.

"Watch out for witches' traps," she replied and let him go.

Romulus pulled off his shirt. "I swear I step into one trap, and everyone thinks I'm incompetent."

"Just don't do it again, and we will shut up about it." Laverna doubted that. Romulus rarely made mistakes, and they were never going to let it go.

Romulus standing naked in the moonlight was going to be seared on her mind forever. The pale light loved every muscle and dip of his powerful body. He must have felt her appreciation through the bond because he huffed out a laugh and shifted. He was slightly bigger than a normal wolf and was jet-black.

Laverna touched the bond, and it felt the same. She would know through it if he got into any trouble, and that thought comforted her.

"Watch your asses," Laverna told them and placed her hand on Romulus's head. He licked her hand once and then bounded out through the ruins, the other three wolves falling into place behind him. Laverna wished she had a talent for painting because they looked dangerous and majestic.

"No time to linger," she said and shook herself. She dug in her pockets and pulled out her lock picks. The locks popped in quick succession, and she opened one of the doors and slipped into the darkness. There was a keypad next to the door for an alarm, and she quickly disabled it too.

The interior had been turned into a small archaeological exhibit that she had no time to admire. She remembered when the temple had smelled of incense and offerings. When the priests wore very different robes, and when she had thought sinking a tunnel into one of Romulus's sacred places was great for a laugh. Laverna walked through the halls until she sensed where the entrance to her tunnel was. Unfortunately, it was now a supply closet, but it didn't take long for her to move the shelving of cleaning products out of the way.

Laverna crouched down and laid her hand on the cool marble tiles. She was a goddess of earth and darkness, and the tile creaked and lifted away. Laverna worked quickly and tried to keep her nerves in check. She had to trust that Romulus, his people, and hers all knew what to do. She couldn't control what happened next; she could only do her part as best as she could.

When the hole was big enough, Laverna cast a small light of her divine power and sent it down to illuminate her path. There was nothing she was going to hurt herself on, so she dropped down into the hole and cast an illusion over the hole she had created. Just in case a security guard decided to check the cupboard before Roberto and his people could get inside. She had left the path open for them, and they weren't afraid to knock out anyone who noticed them.

Laverna found an ancient torch and lit it. The tunnel stretched out before her, and she dropped her human form. She was the Lady of Bones; this was her kingdom, and she would fight for it until her last breath.