Chapter Sixteen

My mate shot me a piercing gaze, her fingers tensed against the cold porcelain of the toilet. A surge of unfamiliar sensation coursed through my body as my long-dormant appendage stiffened against my thigh. Grateful for the thick, weighty robes enveloping me, shielding my form from her prying eyes, I silently thanked the fires of Tartarus. It was imperative to conceal my erection, for I doubted she would find my attraction to her fury acceptable.

She was absolutely stunning.

With her cascading crimson locks, her velvety bosom, and curved thighs, she exuded irresistible allure. It came as no surprise that she held the title of the top earner, embodying the epitome of every man’s fantasy. And she was mine, our souls fated to entwine in an eternal embrace.

Our carnal desires would be met.

I sensed a trickle of my essence escaping from the tip of the head, a subtle warmth spreading. Suppressing a groan of delight became my utmost priority, as my partner was battling illness. The guilt weighed heavily on me, knowing that I was the cause. Yet, my body betrayed me, unable to conceal this intimate detail.

Juniper. Was. Mine.

“What did you say?” she growled. “My soul belongs to you? I haven’t given it to you!”

“I saved you,” I reminded her. “You had the will to live. You wanted it, craved it, and I gave you life.”

“T-that doesn’t mean I would have wanted to stay in the Underworld! With you and—and your skin gloves!” she spat.

A sharp dagger plunged directly into my heart, causing an intense ache that I had long forgotten could be so excruciating. I instinctively reached for my chest, desperately attempting to alleviate the piercing sting. Despite my efforts, the pain stubbornly lingered, residing within me. As I lifted my gaze to meet hers, her countenance softened, and I could almost feel the regret in her words.

Does she feel the pain too in her words against me?

“I said your soul is mine, but—”

“Get out!” She stood and leaned against the wall.

My shadows encompassed her, steadying her body so she didn’t fall. She was still weak, her face pale from being ill. I stepped forward to put my hands on her, to make her feel better. The bond would take care of that, right?

“No! Get out! Right now! I don’t want to see you, go away! Leave me alone!” She stepped forward, both hands pushing against my chest. Instead of feeling bone, her face grew pink and her fingertips dug into my skin beneath my robes.

“Oh muscly.” She whispered and shook her head. “No, get out, you cunt-cake!” she screamed again like a howling demon.

I recoiled, stunned by her ferocity. Her words cut through me like a thousand daggers, each one twisting deeper into my soul. This was not the way I had planned for our reunion to unfold. Not at all.

The shadows that had embraced her retreated, sensing the turmoil within her. I watched as she struggled to catch her breath, her anger giving way to exhaustion and despair. The sight broke my heart, but I knew I couldn’t force myself upon her. If she didn’t want me here, then I must respect her wishes.

“I…I understand,” I mumbled, my voice tinged with sorrow. “I’ll leave you be.”

With a heavy heart, I turned away from her and slowly made my way toward the exit of her dimly lit apartment. My footsteps echoed in the silence, each one a reminder of the chasm that now existed between us. The weight of her rejection hung heavy on my shoulders, threatening to crush me under its unbearable burden.

She was my mate; she was supposed to want me.

With heavy footsteps, I raced out of the bathroom, out of the bedroom, and into the living quarters. I slung the tomes, the busts, and the trinkets onto the floor. My rage consumed me, my shadows inconsolable as well as they copied my every move.

By the time I’d destroyed the entire room, sweat covered me, my damp robes clung to my body, and some of my feathers were bent at odd angles. My feet were bruised from running into various pieces of furniture, falling over tomes, and stepping on relics.

I’d run out of things to break.

I fell face first onto the couch where she once laid where her body was bloody and broken a week ago. My wings sprawled out, laying across the room. I buried my face into the soft texture of the furniture, and I swore I could smell her.

I hadn’t taken in her scent yet. Too worried about her wellbeing and understanding touch again. But I knew this couch held her scent, and she exuded the aroma of damn sunshine.

Because how else would fucking sunshine reach the darkest depths of the Underworld?

Fuck.

How long can a female remain holed up in a bedroom?

For three days, I have granted her solitude, allowing her to immerse herself in thought. Every day, I meticulously prepare three wholesome meals, accompanied by snacks. However, as I approach her with sustenance in hand, she fixes me with a piercing glare, her arms defiantly crossed.

The clothes I have provided her fit her well, better than the nightgown I first gave her. I suppose she doesn’t want to dress in baggy attire to hide herself, which I thought might be the case.

Which is good. Her experience hasn’t completely broken her. However, I am going to be there to pick up the pieces. There are parts of her that need mending and I cannot last much longer being away from her.

While she kept herself hidden from me, I’ve taken time to speak to Hades’ demons. They’ve been scouting Fuzzy Bunnies for me for the time being. There are no more auctions scheduled for at least a month. In that time, they pose as customers and the operation is running as normal. Two demons are becoming loyal customers, spending large amounts of cash, and becoming noticed.

It is exactly what I wanted, and hopefully the owner, who is supposedly female, will see it. Odd, but not necessarily unheard of these days.

The owner has not brought forth another possessing demon like Koozoth, not that she would. They were rare and I have every other replicant possessing demon tagged in the Underworld right now. She wouldn’t be that stupid to summon another.

They have stationed additional guards, who are humans. Less conspicuous, but they are greedy fuckers. The owner is losing money, which means they might not stay in town for long.

Another way to keep my mind off my mate, I’ve read in the bonding book that Athena has left me. It took some time to find it amongst the mess I created, but like a siren’s call I found it amongst the irrelevant scrolls and tomes that lay open along the cave floor.

A human can sense the bond, but its intensity pales compared to that of a recent pairing of Poseidon and his human mate. His mate, Lani, wielded her power over the bond, coercing Poseidon into submission. However, considering Juniper’s recent traumatic experience, she might be actively resisting the bond”s influence.

Or maybe it was how I approached the situation.

“Juniper thinks she doesn’t have a choice being here.” Athena’s smooth voice laced my ears.

I knew Athena would show up eventually to check on me, but never thought she would enter my mind. Breaking into one’s mind, invading privacy was an unspoken rule amongst the gods you do not break.

“Athena,” I hissed. “You should not have— “

“I didn’t. I’ve been talking to Juniper.” My eyes widened in surprise, and I turned to face her.

She put her hands in her pockets and walked over the mess I have yet to clean. It took careful steps for her to find an open chair and sit down.

“Still wearing the robe? Haven’t shown your face yet?” she asked.

I stared at her beneath the hood, still holding the Mating Bond tome in my hands.

What did she want? Why was she here? To help?This was my mate, and I would deal with her how I pleased. I was just rusty dealing with a female. A female that was far more stubborn than I realized.

“You told Juniper her soul was yours to take since you saved her. Have you done anything to rectify that, Thanatos? You are not just taking her soul, but that your soul is hers as well?”

I stared at her. She knew the answer, otherwise she would not be here.

“Thanatos.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

My wings rose and flung out beside me. “I have it under control,” I snapped. “I don’t need your help!”

Athena rolled her eyes, and she stood. “Fine, but you need to calm your mate. She will start praying to everyone now that she knows gods are real.” She paused and stared directly into my hood.

My head ticked, and I felt my jaw tightening. If she, as a mortal, prayed to any god, and prayed long and hard enough, they might just answer her. Because most gods have a big fucking head.

Like Zeus.

And I don’t want that hot-headed fucker anywhere near my mate.

“She wouldn’t dare,” I growled.

Athena smiled. “If you think so. I don’t think you should go in there huffing and puffing, though. This isn’t some dark romance. I think she needs sunshine and rainbows. And who better to have help than your brother?” She hummed in satisfaction and waved two fingers to the entrance of the cave.

There stood my brother Hypnos and Fluffy. Fluffy was large, his belly dragged on the floor and was groaning as he came forward.

“What did you feed my pet?” I snapped, rubbing Fluffy’s head.

“We could hear you throwing your stuff around, and Fluffy wanted to go to you. To stop him, I fed him Reese”s Peanut Butter Cups to calm him down.” Hypnos rubbed the back of his head. “Then he wouldn’t stop eating them, and then he got into my stash of candy. I couldn’t tell him no. He was so upset you kicked him out. Are you mated yet? Because I don’t think he wants to go back with me.”

Fluffy’s large, pleading eyes locked onto mine, shimmering with anticipation. A soft whimper escaped him as he gently nudged me, tugging at my heartstrings.

Great, now he is going to have the shits for days.

And I’m—feeling.

“I have made a grave mistake.” My wings wilted. “I have said the wrong things in my haste to claim her as mine, to bind our souls, and now she is sore with me. Perhaps I am not worthy of her affections. I am not of sound mind. I am Death and I cannot make things thrive.”

Hypnos walked forward, stepping over my broken things, and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Brother, don’t say that. She will like you if you are you. Like Athena said, you just need to tone it down a bit. Your emotions are out of whack because of your body. Which I knew you would get most of your emotions back when you brought your flesh and organs.” He winked.

It was true. I’d felt more the past several days than in thousands of years. Still, I did not know love but sympathy, compassion, I might know what those might be.

“I still don’t want you around her,” my voice became firm, stepping away. “I don’t like the idea of another male in her presence.”

Hypnos threw his long white hair behind his back. “Is that so? Why do you think that is?”

“Jealousy,” Athena quipped. “Thanatos fears you are more fun than he is. He doesn’t want his mate falling for you.”

“That’s physically and soulfully impossible.” Hypnos reassured me. “I’ve read the soul bonding book. Trust me.”

It seemed everyone knows more about soul bonding than me. I supposed I must dig deeper into the book and into myself. I cannot take what is not mine, I cannot force her, I must work for her affections.

I did not want to extinguish the light that had drawn me to her since the moment I saw her.

I let out a sigh and cracked my knuckles.

“And for the love of the Fates, Thanatos, clean up this mess before you start, do you hear me? Living in such filth is an abomination I tell you.”