Chapter Thirty-One

Ihad time to think, at least.

I didn’t have to tell Thanatos I wanted to be soul-bonded right away with him, and I was grateful for the reprieve when we got dressed and were ready to go to the meeting in Hades’ office.

Thanatos, shrouded in his robe and hood, remained steadfast by my side, his touch secure around my waist. The comforting weight of his presence enveloped me, as if shielding me from the outside world. I loved it. There wasn’t a question about that.

But being bonded to him through eternity? It was so permanent. What if he regretted it?

As we stepped into Hades’ office, the room buzzed with anticipation. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted to my nose, mingling with the tantalizing scent of warm pastries and freshly cooked bacon. The coffee table displayed a delightful spread of pastries, eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits, enticing us with their golden hues and savory appeal. The sight of the massive buffet tempted my taste buds, and as Thanatos reached for a delectable treat, I marveled at the magic before me. No matter how much we took, the table replenished itself in an instant.

I wasn’t all too hungry, still the thoughts of soul bonding on my mind, but Thanatos made me a plate anyway and motioned for me to sit on the couch next to him.

Succulent strawberries glistened under a drizzle of what appeared to be golden honey on Uriel”s plate. As she delicately licked her fingers, she moaned, sucking off each one from the stickiness. It had Lucifer’s full attention. His eyes were fixated on her, a hunger palpable in his gaze.

Uriel reached forward and grabbed the jar of honey, not even eating the strawberries, and poured more on her fruit. Lucifer reached for the jar in her hand put it down on the table. “Eat your fruit, Uriel. It isn’t healthy eating that much sugar. In fact, why don’t you eat some protein? Grab a sausage.”

Uriel pouted and shook her head. “No, I don’t like that.”

Lucifer smirked and leaned forward. “I’ll give you a shot of protein later if you don’t pick up that sausage.”

I coughed on the eggs that I had just put in my mouth. Thanatos patted my back and put a napkin up to my lips until my cough settled.

“Are you alright?” he asked me.

Thanatos glared over at Lucifer, who did not apologize. He was still trying to get Uriel to eat something other than sugar.

“Fine, just inhaled some egg,” I replied, trying not to look Lucifer’s way.

Boy, he was fucking intense.

Lucifer growled and pulled Uriel closer to himself but I ignored him. The guy was a complete weirdo, and I already decided I didn’t like him very much. Now, Uriel, she was going to be one of my friends and he would have to get over it.

Hades leaned on his sturdy mahogany desk, and set down his porcelain plate and silver fork, their clinks echoing in the large chamber. He briskly brushed his hands, feeling the remnants of his meal slip away. “Alright, let’s commence this meeting,” he declared, the scent of his untouched food lingering on his plate. He cast a firm gaze at Lucifer. “Mind keeping your comments to yourself, Lucifer. Not all of us find your dynamic comfortable.”

Lucifer’s jaw tightened, but he nodded.

Hypnos emitted a soft snore, resonating from the back corner of the room. His figure remained upright, arms crossed, as he leaned against the sturdy bookcase. Thanatos released a weary sigh, filling the air with a tinge of exasperation. “He’s used to getting at least twelve hours of sleep, I apologize, Hades.”

Another snore echoed in the room and Hypnos shakes his head and rubs his eyes. “I’m awake. I’ve been awake the whole time.”

Ares chuckled and nudged him to wake him further.

“We have Andriel,” Hades announced. “He’s being brought up to the office now. Ember prefers we talk to him peacefully first, and if we need to use drastic measures we will. He’s been in the dungeon for the last several hours. I’m hoping that has loosened him up enough.”

Hades walked behind his desk and sat in his chair while Ember followed him and stood behind him, but he quickly pulled her into his lap.

Why are all the women sitting in laps?

“To let everyone know who belongs to who,” Thanatos whispered and pulled me into his. He’s already hard, and I wiggled to get comfortable. He squeezed my thigh in warning, and I shot him a look.

“You can’t just put me here.” I wiggled again.

“I can–and I will. Admit that you like it.” His hands delved between my thighs and my face heated. The plate in my hand clanged with the fork and he grabbed it before I dropped it and put it on the table in front of me.

“I–I don’t.” I stuttered.

Thanatos hummed and brushed his finger over the fabric covering my clit. “Is that so? Should I check in front of all these people?” he whispered.

“Thanatos!” Hades snapped.

My face looked back at Hades in horror when I met the God of the Underworld’s eyes, but he and Ember were looking at us in amusement.

”If you need to solidify your bond, you have my permission to leave,” he said, his lips twitching.

“N-n-o!” I stammered. “We’re good. We want to know what’s happening!”

Thanatos huffed disappointedly and shifted me in a better position in his lap.

We had other important things to do right now, is to figure out this whole Fuzzy Bunnies thing. We had to help those women, and I knew he wanted to help. Maybe once this was all over, then we could come back to this soul bonding thing.

Hades cleared his throat. “We found Andriel at a bar in one of the demon villages not too far from here. He wasn’t hiding. He was in plain sight actually, with no remorse for what he’d done.”

Ember shook her head. “Hades, you don’t know that. I don’t think he knows he has done anything wrong.”

I perked my head up at that.

Hades pinched the bridge of his nose. ”Until we prove him guilty, we will conduct questioning peacefully.”

The men in the room groaned.

“I believe he is innocent!” Ember argued back. “You shouldn’t start beating people up automatically. Let’s get him talking first, and we have Uriel here.” She waved her hand toward my new friend. ”She has the ability to detect lies, so this should be fairly easy,” she explained confidently.

Lucifer held Uriel tighter. “I don’t want my mate any part of this.”

Ugh, a male that is afraid his female would break. What a trip.

Lucifer stood with Uriel in his arms, his wings exploding behind his back. “The fuck you say to me?”

Whoops.

Uriel shook her head at me. I’m assuming to tell me to shut the hell up. Was I going to do it? Eh, probably not.

“I’m just saying,” I began, “Uriel is a goddess, right? She’s strong, has outstanding powers. Shouldn’t she be able to at least tell if a demon is telling a lie? You won’t let her do anything.”

Thanatos chuckled behind me.

“Aw you think I’m strong, new bestie?” Uriel tilted her head, her feet fluttered as they dangled from Lucifer’s hold.

“Of course I do! Why wouldn’t you be? You’re a goddess. A nice one and if you can make me feel comfortable, more at ease with just your touch that has to be a super potent power because I know all about anxiety.” I gave a nervous chuckle.

“Aww!” Uriel cooed. “Put me down, Luci. I need to hug her.”

“No,” he snapped. “I don’t like her.”

“Why? Because I speak my mind?” I retorted. “Yeah, a lot of people don’t like me. It isn’t anything new.” I didn’t curl up in Thanatos’ arms and cry about it. I sat there and took Lucifer’s words like I always did.

Thanatos pulled me into his arms and kissed me on the cheek.

Do. Not. Cry.

Ember gasped. “Lucifer! I did not raise you like this!”

The room grew silent and Mariah stepped forward, glaring at Lucifer. “Well, I like her.”

Ares put a hand on Mariah’s shoulder and nodded. “And I like her too.”

“As do I. Even if she watched Harry Potter without me.” Hypnos crossed his arms and winked at me.

Uriel gazed up at Lucifer and scowled. “And I like her. You’re being such a hippo-twat-amus right now. What did she ever do to you?”

Lucifer’s eyebrows shot up his forehead until they settled back into a scowl. He hummed until he let Uriel down and she sat close to me on the couch.

“I don’t hate you, Juniper” he began. “I am,” he ran his fingers through his hair. “Threatened by you.”

Uriel clapped her hands excitedly. “Yay, he’s communicating. Athena has been working on this with him.”

Lucifer groaned, his wings falling back into his body. “I don’t want anyone taking away my mate. I don’t want to put my mate in danger because I’ve almost lost her once before from a terrible circumstance, and I don’t want to fucking share her. And she’s come to like you. More than I want to admit.”

I blinked back the tears forming. Uriel placed her hand in mine and squeezed.

“And you are going to be living down here with us in the Underworld. Meaning that you two are going to be getting into some trouble.” He wagged his finger at me. “So pardon me if I’m jealous if I have to share my mate. And,” he growled, “I have to put up with these gods-awful pet names you keep giving her to annoy me with.”

I bit my lip, trying not to smile.

I tried to hide my excitement that I had all these people in the room that said they liked me, even more so that Uriel had grown attached. People wanted to be around me. Didn’t care that I blurted out my nonsense.

And I had a hot god that wanted me too.

“I’ll make you a deal. I won’t teach Uriel anymore bad pet names,” I said.

Uriel whined and leaned back onto the couch. “But I like those.”

Lucifer smirked and nodded. “Fine, but Thanatos, we will have to work out playdates. I’m not giving my mate free rein with your mate all the time.”

Thanatos let out a bark of laughter. “I’ll see what I can do. She does have a free soul that likes to wander.”

Thanatos turned my head and pulled me into his hood, kissing me. “Just so you know, I like you the most. No one else can like you more.” He squeezed my thigh.

I snort. “I kinda figured.”

The heavy doors suddenly burst open, causing a crash. In their wake, two towering demon guards loomed, their massive horns barely clearing the doorway. Accompanying them was a much smaller demon, with small horns and hooves for feet. The scent of sulfur lingered in the air as they forcefully dragged in Andriel. Despite being a demon, Andriel dressed like any other human, wearing a shirt and jeans that were tailored to accommodate his unique lower body.

His jet-black hair, disheveled and wild, cascaded haphazardly across his forehead. He trembled uncontrollably, his words stumbling out incoherently, as they unceremoniously dumped him onto the hard floor before Hades’ imposing desk.

“Was that really necessary?” Ember wiped the tears away from her face after witnessing the touching moments with her son”s new communication skills.

“Your Majesty, our apologies.” the demon guards bowed and pulled Andriel to standing.

“I don’t know my crime. I’m sorry for what I did. I swear I didn’t mean it!” Andriel cried out and bowed toward the desk. “Please, spare me!”

Hades curled his lip in disgust and rounded the desk. “I have little patience for whining, Andriel, and my time is lacking, so you best tell the truth.”

Andriel’s body crumpled to the cold ground, his desperate crawl away from Hades mirroring his fear. An electric energy filled the room, pulsating and thrumming against my chest, sending shivers down my spine. I instinctively leaned back, the weight of Thanatos’ presence pressing against me. His ebony wings enfolded me, their feathers whispering like the faint rustle of leaves. His breath brushed against my ear, a chilling yet comforting caress.

“It’s alright, just a little longer.”

“I swear, I will tell you everything,” Andriel pleaded.

“Uriel?” Hades looked to his son first, however, and Lucifer gritted his teeth with a reluctant nod.

Hades held his hand out, and Uriel’s face lit up when she came to help Hades.

“Yes, Lord Hades?” She saluted him.

“Just Hades is fine, Uriel,” he drawled.

“But we are working,” she whispered. “It’s more professional.”

Hades sighed. “Sure, whatever you think.”

“Lord Hades, how may I assist you?” Uriel bowed.

“Make sure this demon is telling the truth. If not, then we will have Lucifer make him tell the truth.”

Andriel gazed over at Lucifer, who is smiling wickedly. A wet spot appears between his legs.

Ew.

“Why are you in contact with the strip club, Fuzzy Bunnies?” Hades ground out. “Why was your name on documents in that filthy club?”

Andriel’s mouth hung open, his fangs piercing his lip when he speaks. “A strip club? I know nothing about a strip club!”

Uriel nods. “He’s telling the truth, Lord Hades.”

Hades growled, his commanding presence captivating the room. “Then why the fuck was your name there? Your name, Andriel Demon, was on a pile of papers with human requirements. Like you were fucking picking out a human to take home.”

Andriel shook his head, his tail that I didn’t notice before dropped into his hands and he held it like a lifeline.

“W-what? N-no I gave nothing to a strip club! I went to a supernatural matchmaking agency. That’s the only place I’ve put my name on human paper. Usually they match you with someone that you just spend time with until you find your mate, but she promised she can actually find your mate. She said she would help me if I paid!”

Hades whipped his head to Ember, and she shook her head, a confused look upon her face.

I asked Thanatos, ”I thought Ember was the only one who knows which soul is matched to who?”

“She is, other than Selene, who is currently gone right now. So why, Andriel, did you believe some random stranger?” Thanatos snapped.

Andriel swallowed, his breath panting. “I’m desperate. We all are. We know we can’t bother Ember. We are too fearful. I just wanted hope. I wanted help to find my other half. There was a rumor about this woman on Earth that claimed she has helped many. There were even testimonials. Her workers even said she matched them.”

“Lies,” Lucifer snarled. “They’re lies. No one can know anyone’s fated mate besides my mother. You have fallen victim to a scam.

Adriel shook his head. “Understand I was desperate. I’m tired of being alone.”

“We all are,” Hypnos muttered. “But you know the rules, Andriel. We are all to find our mates on our own. The Fates will lead us to our other half when the time is right, unless otherwise prompted by a pairing goddess.”

The look in Andriel’s eyes was of pure desperation. He was nearly in tears, wanting something he couldn’t have that wasn’t there. My heart sank for him for wanting something so badly.

And here I was with Thanatos, right beside me, still contemplating a bond with him.

Ember came around the desk to approach the demon. She knelt in front of him, but Hades stood in front of her. “That’s far enough, Ember.”

Ember scoffed and grabbed his hand. “No one else can find your mate except for you. And sometimes Selene or I can step in, but I’m telling you right now, this person who told you they would find your mate, they can’t.”

The demon heaved in a breath.

“What did they ask for payment?” Ember asked.

The demon bit his lip. “I was to help her find other people’s mates, too, in return.” He looked up at Hades.

My hand went to my mouth. I knew what was coming.

“She would give me a list of human names. Sometimes it was just features of human females she was looking for, and I was to bring them to her office.”

Hades clenched his fists tightly, wisps of smoke curling up from his back. A blazing inferno engulfed him, yet his suit remained untouched by the flames. Even from across the room, I felt the searing heat emanating from him. The sheer power he exuded was overwhelming, causing my body to sink deeper into the protective embrace of Thanatos. Hypnos swiftly positioned himself before us, acting as a shield, intensifying the sense of safety.

There was a blood-curdling scream from Andriel. The singe of burning flesh seared my nose.

My chest and my head felt pressure until I heard Thanatos tell me to look up.

Hypnos stared down at me, his eyes glazed over, while placing his hand on my forehead. “Sleep, Juni.” And that was when I fell into the dark.