Chapter Nine

“You came back awfully quickly.” Hypnos yawned and leaned back on the couch.

I paced the large living room, my wings trailing behind me. They flowed outward and came inward repeatedly. My body was not sure what sort of reaction to take.

Hypnos eyed me, his brow raised as he sat up from his lounging position.

“What’s got you all riled up?” he asked.

I stopped and ran a boned hand down my face. “She called me a twat,” I said calmly.

Hypnos tried to contain his laughter but slapped his knee and threw his head back. I continued to pace the floor, unsure of this word, unsure of why she would call me such a name.

“I don’t think she tried to call me that out loud,” I spoke over Hypnos’ laughter. He paused, intrigued by my story. “She also asked herself since I have wings, if I molted.”

Hypnos eyes narrowed at me and then at his wings. “Well, can we molt?”

I snorted. “No, we are not birds.”

“But we have feathers. It is quite a logical question.” He trailed his fingers down his white ones. “I’m sure if we willed ourselves to that of our animalistic side, we could very well do it.”

We were twins, but we were very different in most ways. My skin was white, while his was dark. My wings were black while his were blazing white.

I ran my fingers through my feathers, feeling the delightful tingle they gave me when I preened them. They do not fall out, nor have I tried to clip them. It must be a mortal animal thing.

“And a twat,” Hypnos continued with a light laughter, “is a word of vulgarity. Like pussy.”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Kronos, how long have you been out of the loop, brother?”

A while. I don’t remember the last time I had just strolled Earth or Bergarian in my human form just to know the lay of the land and culture. I barely have time for all that now, anyway. I’d rather stay in my cave and tend to my duties. It was better to be hidden and not have gods find me and ask for favors.

Hypnos sighed. “It’s slang for vagina.”

I nearly gasped. “I am not a woman’s private area. Why would she call me that?”

“Well, did you do or say something for her to call you such a thing?” My brother smirked.

“I wanted to know if she was in pain. I tried to convey concern, but I might have yelled at her.” I crossed my arms.

My furry companion sensed my unease. Fluffy jumped down from the couch and rubbed his head next to my leg.

“Are you really that out of touch with your emotional side? You do not know how to convey compassion at all?” Hypnos rose from the couch and strode over to me. He put his hand on my shoulder.

He hated the form I gave myself centuries ago. Mortals continued getting me confused with other gods and legends. My name was not popular, and why would it be? I had no large legends to my name. Mortals often confused me with Hades when I came to collect a soul because of my dark hair and wings, and they would call out his name, which was disappointing.

Then, when Christianity became popular, they thought I was Lucifer.

If only they could see that Lucifer was born this century and wasn’t some fallen angel from a thousand of years ago. I think Hades purposefully named his son to take a jab at the Christian community.

His mate does not know about that religion since she grew up believing in the gods of old.

Hades had a sick, twisted sense of humor.

“I’ve lost any sort of emotion.” I stepped away from my brother and picked up the tomes I’d continued to knock over out of agitation. “Good emotion anyway. I know fear, anger, jealousy, sadness.” I turned to see the two most important people in my life. Did I know, love?

I knew I had a strong regard for both of them, and that I would do everything in my power to keep them safe. It was a possessive drive to keep them safe, but with Juniper–

My empty ribcage constricted itself.

Athena made me realize in her office that Juniper may be my mate. But I swore, it was just hopeful thinking. Why would the Fates bless me with such a gift when so many others were more deserving? Such as my brother?

“Thanatos?” My brother stepped toward me. “You lost yourself in thought.”

I growled and knocked over a pile of tomes to the floor.

We were not identical twins, but being womb mates was enough for us both to sense when the other was undergoing trouble. Hypnos struggled for years, wanting, and I have done my best to always be there for him. I never needed him to take care of me.

Now, I fear I may need his help more than ever.

“I think your skull might crack,” Hypnos joked. “Why don’t you switch back to your skin? I think that may be your problem. You can’t feel when you are hard as stone.”

I wiggled my fingers together, hearing them clack together. This was my shield. This kept the gods away. No one could see my face, my emotions.

“Thanatos!” The angelic voice called from my bedroom.

My breath quickened at the sound of my name on her lips, but a roar of anger overtook my concern and what little excitement I had. My brother was in this room, and while I cared about his well-being, he was a good-looking male, and I would not have my female look upon him and find him appealing.

I snarled. The sound resonated in the air, as my powerful wings unfurled and propelled me forward. With a forceful surge, I slammed Hypnos into the cold, unforgiving wall. His eyes widened in both surprise and fear, reflecting the intensity of the moment. As my hand wrapped around his throat, a surge of adrenaline coursed through me, heightening my senses. I felt the heat of anger surging within me, fueled by his nonchalant smile as if this were all just a game to him.

“Brother, green is not a suitable color for you.” Hypnos pulled on my robes around my wrists to gain a better grip.

“Thanatos?” her tiny voice came from around the curtain until she saw me with my brother”s throat tightened in my hand.

Juniper’s eyes were wide, her hand clutching the ankle-length white gown. She looked like the light I have always sought after.

I let go of my brother. He coughed in a fit of laughter and slinked away from me when I fully turned to her.

“Everything, alright?” she asked.

She tried to look at Hypnos, but I spread my wings to hide him. “Everything,” I paused, trying to calm my voice, “is well.”

She swallowed and shuffled from side to side. Athena stood behind her, giving her a push to speak with me. It appeared I am not the only one having trouble speaking and for that, I am grateful.

“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry.” She began and straightened her body. “F-for calling you a twat. I didn’t mean to call you that. Out loud, anyway.” Juniper crossed her arms and placed a hand over her mouth.

“You called me a female body part. I do not understand why.” I tilted my head at her.

Her face reddened, and my body went rigid. I liked this color on her. It went up to her ears and down her neck and I’m instantly interested to know if it went down her chest and the rest of her body. I stepped closer to her as she sputtered.

“Ah, well, you yelled at me. It is just a word you call people when you are angry. I didn’t mean to say it out loud. When I get nervous, I can say things out loud when I shouldn’t, but it was wrong. I shouldn’t have even thought that. I thought you were mad I was hurting. I didn’t try to—”

The more she talked, the more I liked it. I liked how she fumbled over her words. It made me want to touch her, to see what she felt like. My hand reached out, my boned fingers going toward her cheek. She didn’t notice at first; she looked everywhere but me.

My wings surrounded us, blocking out Athena, Hypnos and Fluffy. She played with her fingers, and when I got closed enough, I touched her cheek.

A minuscule jolt of electricity crackled through my finger, sending a surge of energy up my spine, making it stiffen instantly. The faint sound of the electrical discharge filled the breath between us, creating a subtle hum. As the shock coursed through me, I witnessed Juniper’s reaction firsthand. She gasped audibly, her eyes widening in surprise. In that moment, I extended my hand, the bones within it providing a stark contrast to her soft skin, and gently placed it against her cheek. The faint scent of her delicate perfume wafted around us, adding to the intensity of the moment. To my astonishment, she didn’t recoil like a mortal or even a god normally would if death touched them. Instead, she welcomed my touch, embracing it as if it were a long-awaited caress.

She leaned into me, and I leaned into her.

My wings, like a grand canopy, wrapped around us, casting a shadow that swallowed the flickering light, silencing the world.

In that moment, I forgot about everything else. I forgot about the gods, my duties, my brother, and even my identity. All that mattered was Juniper and the way she made me feel. It was like she had unlocked something within me, something that had been dormant for far too long.

Her trembling hand hesitantly inched upward, the faint scent of uncertainty hanging in the air. I stood frozen, unsure whether to retreat or allow her fingers to delve into the depths of my hood, exploring the contours of my skull. As the seconds tick by, a soft rustling sound filled the silence, a gentle breeze of feathers being displaced. Fluffy, our loyal canine companion, pressed against my side, his warm breath brushing against my robes. In a tender gesture, he nudged Juniper’s leg, his whine echoing in the stillness, as if urging her to reconsider her actions.

Immediately, the spell between us broke, and she shifted her attention to my companion.

“Oh my god, aren’t you a cute little beastie!” she squealed. “Can I pet it?”

She kneeled down before Fluffy, not waiting for an answer, and Fluffy licked her cheek. Juniper laughed and wrapped her arms around the beast, and immediately I feel the heat of jealousy surge in my body.

Shadows circled me with anger and she squealed in laughter when her backside connected to the floor when Fluffy pinned her to the ground, licking her, touching and tasting her.

“Damn, looks like your pet knows how to woo a female more than you do,” Hypnos whispered in my ear.

“Leave,” I snarled, my hand nearly connecting to his face. He backed away, unfortunately, his body vanishing in the blink of an eye.

“What a good beastie you are, yes you are!” Juniper laughed again and sat up. “A big, big boy. What the heck are you? Cat, a dog? Hey, Thanatos, what is this thing?”

Juniper stood, but Fluffy rose on his hind legs and perched on her shoulders, making him as tall as me.

“Down,” I commanded, and he whimpered and stepped away.

Juniper frowns. “What a big meanie, isn’t he?” She cupped her hand and whispered to Fluffy. “Maybe he is a big flabby twat.”

This. Female.

“Excuse me?” I growled and stepped forward. “I am not a…a… what you said.”

She giggled. “Can you not say it?” She tilted her head and stared up at me. “Can you not say twat?”

“Of course I can. I just refuse to.” I crossed my arms.

“Say. It.” She crossed her arms back at me, yet she smirked, daring me.

I longed to witness the curve of her lips forming a radiant smile, to relish the melodious sound of her laughter once more. It ignited a blissful sensation within me, not the scorching fury of anger, but a different kind entirely.

So, I leaned forward, close to her face, hoping she would feel uncomfortable, and said, “Twat.”

Juniper smiled widely, her laughter cut off by Athena dropping a pile of books when she walked by our strange conversation.