Chapter Nineteen

The pain Hephaestus felt through his bond with his mate was so intense, it made him gasp. Not that busybody Eros noticed.

"…standards have to be kept, and…"

"Get the goddess down here now," he thundered, his words rattling the pictures on the walls. Landyn, still in his ferret form, was trying to get out of his hands, and Hephaestus didn't dare let that happen. He had no idea if he could even find his sweet mate again, now the ferret wasn't lit up like he had been.

"Aphrodite requested you attend her in her grotto."

"Aphrodite can get her ass down here right now, or I'll lay a complaint with Zeus and the Fates about her interference in my mating. Do it now!"

"The goddess is simply concerned. You can't expect her to ignore the tales brought to her door."

"Listen, bum fluff, call your goddess now, or I will, and it won't be pretty. Your callous words have done my mate incredible harm, not that I expect you to understand or care, but I could wipe you out of existence for what you've done. God of love, my ass."

"My first duty is always to the goddess." Eros pursed his slim lips, looking up at the ceiling. "The goddess will arrive directly."

Hephaestus ignored him, focusing on his darling ferret who had genuine tears in his eyes. "Landyn. Sweetling. Don't let Eros's harsh revelations ruin our day. We were having so much fun. Marriage wasn't even a construct when Aphrodite and I were paired in mortals' ridiculous stories. If it makes you feel better, then think of us as divorced. She was never my wife in the way you think about the word, and if you're wondering in that sweet head of yours why I had never mentioned it, it was because anyone who came before you was and still is completely unimportant. I told you that when we met, and that applies double now."

"Those are strong words from someone who once chased me for eons praying for an ounce of my attention."

"Which you never gave me, if you remember. You were too busy screwing Ares and causing mischief in the name of your power." Hephaestus looked up at his former partner. Aphrodite had an ethereal beauty that would never look natural on Earth. "What right have you got to send one of your minions into my home, entering without permission, insisting I attend you as if I was one of your companions?"

"I heard stories." Aphrodite seemed to glide across the floor as she came closer, her head tilting, trying to see Landyn, who Hephaestus was still holding on his chest. "Stories, I admit I didn't believe. You have lived your life with the giants for so long, I believed that the tales of your surliness and desire to spend your time as a hermit, doing nothing but honing your craft, were true. And yet here you are, cradling a ferret as though that animal was precious."

"This is my mate, Landyn, and he is precious. More important to me than anyone or anything else."

"This is not what I expected. The giants…" Aphrodite cut herself off. "Your young man, Landyn. Would he shift for me so we could speak?"

Looking back down at his ferret, Hephaestus gently rubbed his finger across the furry head. "Did you wish to speak to Aphrodite? I can make it so you shift with your clothes on, but only if you want to."

The ferret was watching him, his eyes so sad, but then he nodded slowly. Hephaestus felt the magic of the shift, and made sure Landyn was wearing his most comfortable clothes. Ignoring Aphrodite, and Eros who was still hanging around like a bad smell, he held Landyn close, whispering in his ear, "I'm so sorry sweetling. Do you forgive me for not telling you sooner?"

Landyn's arms wrapped around Hephaestus's neck, his warm kiss on Hephaestus's cheek worth more than gold. Then straightening himself out, Landyn turned to face the intruders, one arm still around his neck.

"You are Aphrodite, the ex-wife of my mate?" Landyn's words were hesitant, but they strengthened as he spoke. "You are truly beautiful. I can see why Hephaestus would want you as a wife. It is fitting he'd have someone elegant and gracious who cared for him."

Aphrodite laughed as she shook her head. "I confess, I didn't expect to hear that. I am sorry to break your illusion young shifter, but I never loved Hephaestus and he never loved me. His opening words to me were true. I was unfaithful to him from pretty much day one, and that never changed in the tumultuous times we had together."

Looking down, Landyn seemed to think for a moment, and then he looked up at Aphrodite and said, "Why did you marry my mate, if you didn't care for him?"

"Our father, Zeus, insisted on it." Aphrodite shrugged. "He was an old prude at the time and didn't believe that his goddess of love and desire and pleasure should have as much fun with lovers as he did. So he ordered me to marry Hephaestus, believing your mate's skills as a blacksmith would appeal to something inside of me that was clearly missing and stop me fooling around with others. It didn't. Hephaestus is highly regarded by many in our pantheon, but he was hardly husband material for one such as me."

Hephaestus wanted to break in and say something. It wasn't like the words from his ex hurt him anymore, but Landyn didn't need to hear them. She'd said the same things pretty much from the time Zeus ordered them to be together. But Landyn was clearly thinking.

"So you didn't even try to be the wife Hephaestus deserves?" Landyn was frowning.

"Why would I?" Now Aphrodite seemed puzzled, and that tickled Hephaestus. "Look at me." She twirled around, the skirt of her white robe flowing around her legs.

"Yes, yes, I already said you were beautiful." Landyn shook his head. "Is that all there is to being you? Dancing around, never staying faithful to your vows, never caring for someone with your whole heart?"

"I don't think you understand what I signify in the Greek pantheon." Aphrodite had stopped swirling.

"No, I heard. You're the goddess of love, pleasure, and all that sort of thing. But when someone loves another, they care about them, don't they? Isn't that what love is all about?"

"I suppose so. In other people." Aphrodite looked at Hephaestus. "Is he for real?"

"Landyn never needed your power, goddess, so it's clear why you wouldn't understand him. He shares his heart wholeheartedly and without question." Hephaestus stroked down Landyn's cheek with his finger, not caring that his smile would probably shock his ex-wife. "I have never felt love, or caring, as much as I have with my precious mate."

There was genuine confusion on Aphrodite's face. "But what about the giants? I admit, when they pleaded to see me, I truly didn't care to hear what they had to say until they mentioned your name. How is it caring if you discarded those who were your constant companions for more lives than this shifter could comprehend?"

"Did they tell you what they did to my mate? How they tried to gaslight me, telling me first that I was deluded in thinking he was my mate. And the morning after I was graced with my sweet mate's mating scar, Bronte picked my mate up and threw him into a wall. Those giants refuse to accept Landyn in my life, and I refuse to spend time with them until they do. I don't see that situation changing, but none of that concerns you."

"No. I think you're right." Aphrodite pondered for a moment, and then asked Landyn directly, "Do you tell me honestly and with your whole heart that you love Hephaestus and will stay with him always?"

"Yes. Hephaestus is perfect for me." Landyn's smile was back, and Hephaestus basked in it. Even Eros took a step back, his mouth dropping open when he saw it.

"You are beautiful inside and out, young Landyn," Aphrodite said softly, and this time Hephaestus could see she was being totally genuine. "You have my blessings on your mating. May your children be bountiful and may your lives be full of pleasure."

"Children?" Landyn was looking up at Hephaestus in shock and Aphrodite laughed.

"I see that's another conversation you need to have with your mate, Hephaestus," she said. "I am truly happy for you. In truth, I am envious. A bond like yours is something I fear I will never experience, and I wish you joy in it. You can be assured your mating will have no more interference from me or mine." Touching her heart with one hand, she grabbed Eros with the other and disappeared.

"So," Landyn said after a long moment. "That was the ex-wife, huh?"

"Yep."

"Those giants are really trying to stir up your family against you, aren't they?"

"Yep."

"Hmm." Landyn turned and Hephaestus knew what was coming. "What's all this about children? We can't have children…can we, or have you already got some?"

Hephaestus winced. Trying to explain all that was going to be a long conversation. "How about we talk about that another time. Where did you want to go to dinner tonight?"