Chapter Twenty-Three

Shadows crept under the door as soon as I told Uriel her new word to call Lucifer.

This could be a good or a bad thing for me later.

Uriel laughed and laughed until she was leaning on me. I’d never felt so wanted by another woman for friendship. She could very well be like this for everyone, but it was a friendship I would cherish. She really reached out to me, and I’d remember this moment forever, just like Amanda, who reached out for me, even if it was to save her life.

As Thanatos’ shadows enveloped me, I felt a shiver crawl up my spine, compelling my arm to turn the key in the lock. With a faint smile, I pushed the door open, allowing the warm light from the dining room to flood in. In that illuminating moment, two ominous silhouettes confronted us, their piercing gaze fixed upon us.

“Hi cunt-cake!” Uriel chirped to Lucifer.

Lucifer frowned and stared at me. “I don’t know if I approve of this newfound friendship of yours, Bunny.” His lip twitched and held out his hand to lift her up off the floor.

Thanatos chuckled, and his shadows lifted me off the floor and straight into his arms. He was certainly more lovey dovey today. I’m not sure if it was because Lucifer showed his affection toward Uriel or it was because he was going to be leaving me today. That was the whole point of me coming to the palace.

I was here to be under heavy guard while they searched for the demon called Andriel. I assumed Uriel was going to accompany me because the way Lucifer looked at her, it seemed like he wouldn’t allow her to get involved in any messy tasks.

“Are you stirring up trouble?” Thanatos whispered in my ear as he led me back to the dining room table.

“Maybe.” I whispered back. “It”s not hard. She’s got her own agenda, too.”

Thanatos hummed in agreement. “She’s impeccably smart. Don’t let her child-like spirit fool you. She’s only second to Athena in intellect.”

My eyebrows rose as he sat me down at the table.

“Just to recap so Uriel and Juniper agree,” Hades began. “Thanatos and Hypnos are going to talk to Samael, the warlock who passed Koozoth to his new owner. We need to find out who this owner of Fuzzie Bunnies exactly is.”

Thanatos squeezed my leg and nodded.

“Ember, Lucifer, and I will scour the Underworld for Andriel. If he is here, we will find him by the end of night. Athena and Hermes received an alert about Simone. They will keep an eye out in the Celestial Kingdom for her whereabouts. We would like to keep this as quiet as possible so this does not alert other beings that we are onto the trafficking and spook anyone who may be in on this.”

Everyone nodded again.

Hades locked eyes with Uriel and me. “As for the two of you,” he chuckled. “You both will remain here at the palace. Mostly for Juniper’s sake.” Uriel sat up straight and grabbed my hand.

“Uriel’s safety is also of importance,” Lucifer growled.

“Of course, son, but we both know Uriel can take care of herself.” He raised his brow.

Uriel turned her head and stuck out her tongue at Lucifer.

If looks could kill.

“I looked mean, didn’t I?” Uriel whisper-yelled at me.

“You’re the one with a spanking coming.” Lucifer said as he eyed her.

“But I like those,” Uriel replied.

“Not the one that’s coming,” Lucifer snapped.

Hades forcefully slammed his enormous fists onto the wooden table, causing it to splinter and crack right down the middle. The deafening echo reverberated throughout the vast dining hall, filling the space with a resounding boom. Simultaneously, the flickering lights above cast sporadic shadows, enhancing the dramatic atmosphere. As the lights wavered, my skin seemed to radiate, absorbing and reflecting the ethereal glow, as if trying to capture and hold on to the luminosity within the room. “Silence!”

I think I peed myself.

Thanatos yanked me forcefully from the chair, causing me to straddle his lap. As I settled onto him, his massive wings cocooned me, their velvety feathers brushing against my skin. Despite their comforting embrace, my body continued to tremble uncontrollably. The overwhelming aura emanating from Hades filled the room, a palpable force that sent an unwanted chill down my body.

Thanatos’ shadows hovered around us, like a haze. “My Lord, I don’t mean to overstep, but you must realize we have a human in our presence. I will not hesitate to protect her and her wellbeing.”

I quivered at Thanatos’ words, despite being utterly terrified. He was protecting me, shielding me. Everything was going to be fine. I peeked over his wing that slacked, letting me see the man that scared the crap out of me.

Hades’ face softened, and he loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his collar. “I apologize, Juniper. That was irresponsible of me.” Ember grabbed Hades’ hand and squeezed. “I have forgotten my presence can be uncomfortable for a mortal.”

I didn’t want to think about anything. I didn”t need to have a slip up accidentally now.

“We must be swift,” Hades cleared his throat. “We need to catch the demon and angel quickly. I’m hoping we can find out the name of this owner before it’s too late. The demons that work for Thanatos have yet to find the identity of the owner of Fuzzy Bunnies. It doesn’t sound like they leave their office.”

“And,” Hypnos added, “We don’t know if there are operations elsewhere, which may be likely if she supposedly never leaves the office.”

Hades hummed in agreement. “Uriel, Juniper, you will remain here, along with our children Lilith and Loki—wherever the fuck he is.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ares and Mariah will watch over you once they arrive.”

I swallowed. “Ares? Like the God of War?”

Hypnos laughed. “More like the God of War and Porn.”

Uriel shuddered beside me. “Don’t ask about the birds and the bees… Just so you know they are not about the birds or bees,” she said.

Hades sighed heavily and looked at his watch. “We will leave in an hour. Everyone gather your things, say your goodbyes.” Hades stood and took Ember’s hand.

Ember stood and smiled at everyone. “Thank you everyone, for being so willing to help to fight this. It means a lot to me and to Juniper.” She nodded her head toward me.

Hades and Ember walked hand in hand toward the archway leading out of the dining hall, and before they were fully out, Hades was pinning her to the wall, making out with her.

Damn.

Lucifer and Uriel stood, about to leave as well, but Uriel turned to me. “We have to go practice making babies real quick. We have to practice a lot. Luci must not be good at it, because he says we can’t have babies until we are absolutely amazing at it.” Lucifer rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand to twirl her and gave her a swift slap on the ass.

Hypnos chuckled, grabbed his plate, and headed to the kitchen. “I’m going to grab another plate. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone to say your goodbyes.” He winks at the both of us before he’s gone as well.

I’m still straddling Thanatos, his shadows engulfing my lower half so no one could see my thighs that were exposed from my dress riding up. I twirl the sucker in my mouth and he sighed heavily.

The gods were nothing what I thought they would be. They really were like family, but also weird. A good weird, but different.

“When will you be back?” I asked, suddenly shy.

I wondered if we were going to do stuff, because I wouldn’t be opposed to it. If it was anything like last night, I was all for it.

“As soon as I get the information I need. I’m not sure how long it will take to extract the information from an eight-hundred-year-old warlock.”

I nodded and twirled the sucker in my mouth. His hands gripped my thighs, and I thought back to Uriel and Ember with the twinkle in their eyes as their men dragged them out of the room.

I wasn’t really worried about Thanatos, he was a big guy. He could handle himself. Kicking a warlock’s ass seemed pretty easy for him. Right now, he just looked tense.

Could I give him a little goodbye gift? Would Thanatos even make the first move? He always seemed so hesitant at first. And everyone else was doing something fun to say goodbye.

“Juniper, there is something I want to tell you,” he began.

Nope, he was gonna talk, and it”s probably about mate stuff. I already had that covered, Uriel was going to tell me about that later, so I had to cherish the time we got together.

Gotta get the D. So I dropped my sucker.

“Oops, hang on.” I crawled off his lap and under the table.

I heard him groan and saw that he has leaned back into his chair. “It’s very important, and I need to tell you before I depart. It’s about—”

I bit my lip, taking my time crawling on the floor until I see the perfect opportunity to go under his long robe.

Maybe he was still going commando? He liked to keep his dick free, that’s for sure.

I lifted the robe. He said nothing, and I crawled underneath.

It wasn’t until I kissed up his leg when his thigh twitched and he let out a gasp. “My treasure, what are you doing?”

“Looking for my sucker?” I said innocently.

I continued up his leg, onto his inner thighs, nipping, sucking, leaving beautiful hickies on his thighs, taking my time until I reached the final destination. I grabbed his cock at the base and my gods, his girth is by far the biggest I’ve grasped.

Not that I have grabbed that many.

I was rather shy in my youth, and prom night wasn’t exactly magical for me.

It was quick and I don’t remember most of it. It was a wham, bam, thank you ma’am.

This was something to remember. And oh my gods, the thing had ridges on it.

I felt the waves of his shadows pull his robes up above his stomach. The material came above my head, exposing his cock and me staring at it.

And gods, it was big.

And he was a god, so it should be big.

“And did you find it?” he rasped.

“I certainly did,” I said, looking up into his hood. With the other hand on his thigh, I could feel the zing of heat at my fingertips. It traveled to my pulsing clit. My breasts felt heavy, and I knew all I wanted was one thing and that was to put this monster of a dick in my mouth.

Why was I horny all the time?

I took my tongue and licked him from base to tip, feeling those ridges on my tongue. It was weird and insanely different. All I could think about was it rubbing up against my pulsing clit later.

He threw his head back, his hood rustling. A deep, guttural moan escaped his lips, and it echoed into the empty dining hall. My heart raced as I felt the warmth between my thighs, a delicious ache that intensified with each passing moment.

Working at Fuzzy Bunnies had gotten rid of my shyness. It fueled my confidence in this seductive game. And now, driving him to the edge of madness became my sole purpose, a desire that pulsed through my every nerve.

I craved his touch; I craved him touching me and when he wore these robes, I didn’t get to touch him enough. It was such a damn tease, didn’t he get it?

And now that my hands were on him, I was going to take my damn fill of him.

I squeezed the base of his cock and slid the head into my mouth. My tongue licked his slit, and he hissed.

“Fuck, Juniper, how can a mortal take my soul?” He grabbed a fistful of my hair. “You are treading dangerous waters, my mate. You are putting me in a difficult position.”

Going against the pull of my hair, I pushed down deeper onto his cock until it hit the back of my throat. He let go, letting me suck and suction his shaft with my mouth.

I cupped his heavy balls, far bigger than any human ones. As I continued to bob my head up and down, his hand stayed firmly in place on my head. “My treasure, yes. Take all of me.”

His grip tightened in my hair, and he pushed me further down onto his cock. “Fuck yes, your mouth feels sensational.”

I hummed, suddenly feeling ridges growing around his shaft. My tongue slid over them, and realization dawned on me. They are like a damn ribcage.

My pussy fluttered. Damn, that would feel so, so good.

My breasts heaved as I take laboring breaths through my nose. The urge to pinch my nipples grew stronger, but I only had so many hands.

As if sensing my frustration, Thanatos leaned forward, his glowing blue eyes filled with desire, and he gently cupped my breast. The softness of his touch urged me on while his deep voice resonated in the air. “So perfect for me,” he murmured, his breath warm against my skin. “Juniper, your body was always meant to belong to me,” he declared, his words both possessive and seductive. My heart raced in response, knowing that soon he will claim every inch of me, making me his own.

I took my hand and slid it down my stomach, going beneath the folds of my wrap dress to feel the wetness pooling between my legs.

Thanatos took a large breath in.

“My treasure, are you wet for me, just by sucking my massive cock in your pretty little mouth?”

I whimpered, bobbing my head. My spit began to pool at the base of his shaft.

I felt his claws grazing my scalp with one hand, his fingers pinching my nipple with the other.

“Rub your clit for me, I want you to come as I do,” he rasped.

He was close, so close. His cock was hard as stone. I didn’t know if I could do it.

“Stick your fingers inside you, wet your fingers with your arousal.”

I pushed my breasts to his thighs that he’s spread open wider to accommodate me.

“That’s it, take what you need from me. Now flick your clit, that’s right, I can hear it now. Your little clit is so swollen, isn’t it? You’re ready for me to lick it, aren’t you? Have my tongue on you, my little mortal? Suck on that tiny little pearl until you come on my face.”

His dirty words did me in. I shattered at the same time and took a mouthful of his come. Ropes of his come wrapped around my throat. I greedily took it and swallowed his load. He groaned, silently cursing with his claws scraping across my scalp.

As I gulped down my last mouthful, tears cascaded down my cheeks. With a firm grip, he pulled me onto his lap. A forceful kiss follows, his tongue invading my mouth.

His hands tightened around the back of my neck. “Fuck, you”re delicious with my essence in your mouth.”

Damn it, talk like that and I’ll come again.

Thanatos’ shadows flew up around us. “I certainly plan to make you,” he snarled.