Hair of the Dogs

Amy Sumida

Copyright © 2024 Amy Sumida

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More Books by Amy Sumida

The Godhunter Series (in order)

Godhunter

Of Gods and Wolves

Oathbreaker

Marked by Death

Green Tea and Black Death

A Taste for Blood

The Tainted Web

Series Split:

These books can be read together or separately

Harvest of the Gods  &  A Fey Harvest

Into the Void  &  Out of the Darkness

Perchance to Die

Tracing Thunder

Light as a Feather

Rain or Monkeyshine

Blood Bound

Eye of Re

My Soul to Take

As the Crow Flies

Cry Werewolf

Pride Before a Fall

Monsoons and Monsters

Blessed Death

In the Nyx of Time

Let Sleeping Demons Lie

The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf

Hear No Evil

Dark Star

Destiny Descending

The Black Lion

Half Bad

A Fey New World

God Mode

Faeries Gone Wild

Faking Fey

Wrath of God

Queen of Cinders

Beyond the Godhunter

A Darker Element

Out of the Blue

The Twilight Court Series

Fairy-Struck

Pixie-Led

Raven-Mocking

Here There Be Dragons

Witchbane

Elf-Shot

Fairy Rings and Dragon Kings

Black-Market Magic

Etched in Stone

Careless Wishes

Enchanted Addictions

Dark Kiss

Shame the Devil

Heaven Can't Wait

Heaven To Pay

The Spellsinger Series

The Last Lullaby

A Symphony of Sirens

A Harmony of Hearts

Primeval Prelude

Ballad of Blood

A Deadly Duet

Macabre Melody

Aria of the Gods

Anthem of Ashes

A Chorus of Cats

Doppelganger Dirge

Out of Tune

Singing the Scales

The Devil's Ditty

A Shattered Song

—completed series—

The Spectra Series

Spectra

A Gray Area

A Compression of Colors

Blue Murder

Code Red

With Flying Colors

Green With Envy

A Silver Tongue

A Golden Opportunity

—completed series—

The Soul Stones

The Hawk Soul

The Lynx Soul

The Leopard Soul

The Fox Soul

The Wolf Soul

The Falcon Soul

The Eagle Soul

The Lion Soul

The Tiger Soul

—completed series—

Tales of the Beneath

The Ghosts of War

A Leopard Changes His Spots

Heart of Stone

A Swan-Shifter's Song

The Dragons of Serai

The Dragon King's Assassin

The Dragon Prince's Necromancer

The Dragon King's Philosopher

The Dragon God's Sacrifice

The Dragon King's Rock Star

The Sea Dragon King's Slave

The Dragon King's Outcasts

The Dragon King's Monster

The Dragon King's Commander

The Dragon King's Thief

The Dragon King's Rebel

The Dragon King's Inventor

The Dragon King's Gardener

The Sea Dragon King's Pirate

The Wraith Lords

Igniting Ember

Stoking the Flames

Adding Fuel to the Fire

Where There's Smoke

Up In Flames

The Hounds of Hades

Triple Dog Dare

The Hand That Feeds You

Hair of the Dogs

Fairy Tales

Happily Harem After Vol 1

Including:

The Four Clever Brothers

Wild Wonderland

Beauty and the Beasts

Pan's Promise

The Little Glass Slipper

Happily Harem After Vol 2

Including:

Codename: Goldilocks

White as Snow

Twisted

Awakened Beauty

Erotica

An Unseelie Understanding

Historical Romance

Enchantress

Chapter One

“I don't want anyone else,” the woman whined to her friends for the hundredth time that night.

“Girl, you need to get over him. It's been six months,” one of those friends said. “Come on now. We brought you here so you can see there's so many more men out there than that asshole. Take a look around. Isn't there anyone you find attractive?”

“No one will be as good as Craig.”

I rolled my eyes. As the owner of Hair of the Dog—a casual bar featuring craft cocktails in Spokane, Washington—I'd heard it all. That particular line had been said about a thousand times before, maybe more. And I wasn't including the extra times it had been said that night. Just remove “Craig” and insert the name of your choice. I blame it on hormones. Hormones do a number on us ladies. We can get fixated. Jackie, one of my wait staff, calls it getting dickmatized. But I don't think sex is the problem. We get obsessed with love. Usually, the idea of it.

One of the friends of the fixated woman was a regular. She spotted me and came up to the bar. “Hey, Amélie.”

“Hey, Julie,” I said. “Another round?”

“Yeah, um. Do you have any of the stuff you gave me that one time? You know, when I was getting over Jack.” She slid a hundred-dollar bill my way. “It really helped me, and my friend could use a little help tonight.”

I grinned and pocketed the money. Sometimes, I added a little magic to customer's drinks for free, but that was only when I saw someone in desperate need, say on the verge of killing themselves kind of desperate, or if I wanted to reel a new customer in. Yes, like a drug dealer. With the sort of extra service I offered, discretion was best, and clients needed to be vetted, usually by some intense observation on my part. But I'd been in Spokane long enough that word had spread about my specialty libations, and I rarely had to reel in newbies. These days, I only did that when I was inspired. As a witch, I always listened to my instincts.

“Sure thing.” I winked at Julie and pulled a special bottle out of my private stash—the cabinet I kept locked up so only I could get into it. The last thing I needed was a bartender grabbing the wrong bottle and accidentally dosing someone with magic they didn't need. But Julie's friend needed a little help. No doubt about it. I made Julie another round of mojitos and added a splash of Get Over It—a potion I enchanted to help the heartbroken—into one of the glasses. “Here you go.” I added a sprig of mint to the special one. “The mint's in hers.”

“Got it!” Julie beamed. “Thank you, Amélie. You're an angel.”

The words sent a shiver down my spine, though I didn't know why. I had no problem with angels, even if they didn't fit into the pantheon I worshiped. I was an old-fashioned witch, taught by my Greek grandma, on my mom's side, to worship the “true gods.” Her words, not mine. I believed that religions were more about beliefs than truths. If it was true to you, then go with it. But I'd also been influenced by my dad's family. They were Creole Catholics with a touch of Vodou thrown in. You'd be surprised how well Catholicism and Vodou mix. Anyway, I was cool with angels but whenever someone mentioned the word lately, I got the shivers. It felt like a premonition, but that wasn't one of my gifts.

“No problem,” I said as Julie headed off with the drinks.

I put Get Over It away and locked the potion cabinet, then slipped the key back into my pocket. The bar was packed since it was Saturday night, and I had to get back to work. My other bartenders were busy filling orders, and the wait staff was bustling back and forth between tables.

I prided myself on providing a safe, comfortable environment. The music was kept at a low level, promoting conversation instead of causing hearing damage, and the scattered tables had padded couches with wide chairs around them instead of wooden seats. We did have dancing and even some live music on occasion, but all that was done in the soundproof back room. Up front, everything was mellow with jewel-toned velvet upholstery, polished wood floors, and potted plants for hints of lushness. Hair of the Dog may have a dive bar name, but it was far from one.

Why not name it something classier? Something witchy? Because the name came to me in a dream, and when I woke up, I thought it was perfect. After all, I opened the bar as a modern way to offer the public my potions—remedies. Sure, people got drunk here, but only to a fun level. I had the Hair of the Dog special for anyone I spotted stumbling or getting too sloppy, and it was always on the house.

Within a month of opening, the locals had learned to go elsewhere for a hard night of drinking. But if they wanted a good time without worry, they came here. And guess who likes that? Women. And guess who likes women? Men (and lesbians). So, they all came to Hair of the Dog eventually, and most left in a better condition than they arrived in. But there was always an exception.

And there he was.

The man came striding in as if he were on a mission, and I mean that literally. With his short dark hair and muscular build, he looked like a military man. An ex-military man. Those bangs were too long to be enlisted. And if he had been in the military, he would have been in the special forces. Special and deadly were written all over him. The closest base was Fairchild Air Force Base, and I suppose he could have been a pilot, but that didn't feel right to me. He seemed too grounded. This was a man who liked prowling the earth, not shooting across the sky. No, Katy Perry could not convince him to be a firework, not in a million years. Set them off, certainly, but he'd never lose his control enough to explode . . . okay, I was taking that a little too far.

I cleared my throat and looked away. I shouldn't fantasize about my clientele. Especially not Mr. Dark and Brooding. He came to my bar for one reason and one reason alone—to get laid. Oh, yeah, the ladies were already sitting straighter in their seats, some surreptitiously checking their make-up. Even Ms. No-One-Is-Better-Than-Craig took notice. Although, that could have been my potion starting to work. Maybe a combination.

One look at him sent hearts atwitter, but I knew better. I knew his type. Not his type of woman, but the type of man he was. He didn't have a type of woman. He was an equal opportunity man-whore. That being said, he had high standards. Only the most beautiful women would do. But as long as she was beautiful, he didn't care what color her skin, hair, or eyes were. Or how tall she was. Or how fit. He liked pretty women. Period.

As I said, he was an exception to my usual clientele. He came in and left in the same condition. No better or worse unless you counted the company he gained. He never drank alcohol, only soda, and he rarely bothered with food. He just wanted the women. Not that he ever took home more than one at a time. And believe me, he could have. So, there was that, at least. I guess that meant he had some morals. He also had rules. He never took home the same woman twice.

I'm not saying he was a one-and-done kind of man. From what I'd heard from the women he'd been with, he usually stuck around for a week or two before he told them it wasn't working out. That could be another point in his favor. He did put some effort into starting relationships. So, it wasn't merely about sex for him. But those relationships never lasted long.

I concluded that he either got bored easily or he was searching for “the one.” I'd met a few men like that. They had a list of qualities they wanted in a mate, and if a woman didn't check off everything on the list, they moved on. Actually, I'd met some women like that too. So far, this guy taken home of the most beautiful women who frequented my bar. He was going to run out of the cream of the crop soon and either have to settle for someone not up to his standards or he'd have to find fresh hunting grounds.

Sure enough, he looked around, frowned, then his broad shoulders moved with a deep sigh. The hottest women in the room had already been in his bed. Then that gray stare shifted to me.

I froze like a fucking rabbit.

The guy had never looked at me. I got the feeling it was one of those don't-crap-where-you-eat kind of things. But the predator had killed all the good game and was ready for a nice, satisfying poop. Oh, that's awful. I apologize. But he did have an air about him that said he'd be moving on after he got through with me. I scowled at him.

His stare widened and his lips parted. Those gray eyes caught the light from the bar and glittered, turned silver.

Holy. Shit.

Retreat!

I swallowed past the dryness in my throat and pulled out my key. In a rush, I bent and opened the potion cabinet like a soldier rapidly trying to reload. I needed something to boost my willpower because this guy was about to test it. Just a little dash of Know Your Worth should do the trick. Men only got the better of you when you lost sight of how special you were.

I disappeared below the counter and swigged straight from the bottle. I had just finished capping the potion when I heard the thud of someone settling on the bar just above me. I put the bottle back, locked the cabinet, and closed my eyes as magic rushed through me. I know I made a comparison to drugs, but magic isn't drugs. It's not addictive and a dealer taking her own product isn't a bad thing. All those new age “witches” who chant things and dance around trees naked don't have real magic. So when they say shit like “You should never use magic for personal gain,” they don't know what they're talking about. What would be the point of having magic if you couldn't use it for yourself?

“Are you sneaking a drink under there?” a deep velvety voice asked, a twinge of amusement in it.

I grabbed the glass of ice water I kept under the bar and stood up. By the time I faced him, I had a cool grin in place and a layer of magical armor over my heart. No one would get through unless they were worthy. And this guy wasn't worthy.

Still, that didn't stop me from noticing how much his looks improved by proximity. With most people, it was the opposite. The closer you got, the more you saw their flaws. This man had no flaws. Believe me, I tried to find one. Just one goddamn flaw. Nada. He looked as if he'd been made by the Gods, every hard curve smoothed by a divine hand. His complexion was even, his pores invisible, and he even smelled like heaven—a masculine, musky heaven for angels who liked to get naughty with demons.

I lifted my glass of water at him before I replaced it. “Hydration is important.”

“Ah, yes.” His stare slid down, over my T-shirt with the bar's logo, and further, as if he could see through the polished wood countertop. “And here I was thinking you were naughty. What a shame.”

Damn. The man was a slick talker on top of all that? That just wasn't fair. But my potions are top-notch, and his sexy voice and sexy words and sexy . . . everything didn't affect me. Well, not enough for me to get past his past behavior.

“What can I get for you?” I asked.

He reached across the bar and touched my face. I was so shocked that I nearly jumped back, but before I could, he slid the errant curl off my cheek and over my ear. “Looks like the heat is getting to you.”

“Excuse me?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

He grinned and even with the potion in place, my heart raced. It was a hell of a smile. “I was trying to politely point out that your hair is sticking to your sweaty cheek.” He chuckled. “Sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it.”

“You shouldn't have touched me,” I said in a cool tone. “Don't do it again. That's your only warning.”

He blinked, his whole demeanor going blank. It was as if his programming had failed. In a way, it had. I was probably the first woman to react poorly to his flirtation.

The thought had me doing a mental jig, and I barely held back my grin. The celebration was for both my potion and for putting him in his place. If only I had dosed the women he had targeted before he'd gotten to them. But I'd done the next best thing and helped them get over him afterward. I should thank him. He'd made me a lot of money.

“Ouch,” he finally said. “Have I offended you?”

“Not personally. But I don't know you. Why do you think it's acceptable for a man to touch a woman he doesn't know so familiarly?”

“Well, we're in a bar.”

“You're in a bar,” I corrected, waving at the counter separating us. “I'm behind a bar. Working. Not here to hook up. But even if I was one of the women here who was interested in some action—which shouldn't be assumed merely by my presence in a bar—you don't have the right to touch me without permission.”

“My mistake. I thought I saw some encouragement in your eyes.”

“In the whole thirty seconds after you walked up and accused me of drinking on the job?”

He laughed. “So, I have offended you.”

“No, I'm not offended. I'm aware. This is my bar, and I've seen you around, heartbreaker. I've seen the women you target after you're through with them.”

“Target?” He lifted his brows.

“Yeah, target. You don't know me, but I know you. Your sort. And I'm not interested in anything on your menu. So, would you like a drink, or are you going to wait for your next victim to offer to buy you one?”

“Harsh,” he said. But instead of getting upset or walking away, he slid onto the bar stool and set his perfect, corded forearm on my bar.

Damn. I love a good forearm. And his was beautiful. Just the right amount of muscle creating channels under that bronzed skin and only a sprinkling of dark hair. His hands were good, too. Manly, but not dirty or calloused. Clean nails. Strong fingers. Shit! Why was I noticing so much after taking a dose of Know Your Worth? But then again, that potion wasn't about making you immune to a man's charms. It was about making you strong enough to resist someone bad for you. I could look, but I knew better than to touch. Unlike him.

“I could make assumptions about you, but I haven't,” he went on. “Yet, you assume you know me from merely watching me interact with a few women?”

“First of all, you did make assumptions about me, not the least of which was your assumption that I wanted you to touch me. Second, it's more than a few women. I've seen you go through the crème de la crème of my patrons. Every beautiful woman who drinks here has gone home with you at some point.”

“That's not true.”

“Oh, yes it. I just watched you walk in, look around, and realize it for yourself, Romeo. That's the only reason you're standing here, talking to me. You ran out of options. And I hate to break it to you, but I'm not an option either. So, will you be moving on to a new bar now?” I lifted a brow and smirked at him. “I'll be so sad to see you go.”

“There you go assuming again,” he drawled. “I meant that it isn't true because you are the most beautiful woman in the room.”

I guffawed. Not just laughed or giggled. I guffawed like an old man, slapping the wood of the bar for emphasis. The guy was not thrilled. His pretty lips turned down.

“You don't know you're beautiful?” he asked. “Don't you own a mirror?”

“Oh, darlin',” I drawled. “I'm fucking gorgeous, and I don't need a man to tell me so.”

“Then what's so funny?”

“That cheesy line and the fact that you think I'll fall for it after all the shit I've just given you. Are you just a sucker for abuse?”

“Maybe I see something in you that I haven't seen in anyone else.”

“You all right, boss?” Ralph—AKA Wreck-It, our bouncer/bartender—leaned over from where he was pouring a beer on my left to ask. He scowled at my stubborn suitor, then looked back at me.

“Oh, yeah. I can handle this guy,” I said.

“Just holler if that changes.” Ralph glared at the man, then took the beer over to a waiting customer.

“You can handle me, eh?” Mr. I-See-Something-In-You asked. “Sounds like a challenge.”

“Nope.” I pointed at him. “Not a challenge. Don't go getting all into me because I'm telling you no. This is not a game, this is a rejection. Now, shoo.” I waved him away. “I'm working. Go find another woman to call sweaty.”

The man roared with laughter and his bellow was nearly as ungraceful as my guffaw, but it was still damn sexy. If a lion laughed, it might sound like that. Everyone stared, men and women alike. Even my potion couldn't hold out against that. My willpower started to wither.

At last, he settled into a grin and stretched his hand across the bar. “I'm Darius.”

Grudgingly, I shook his hand. It was just bad manners not to. “Amélie.”

“Of course you are,” he murmured, his stare lifting to the ceiling before he shook his head.

“Why do you say that?”

“No, it's nothing.”

“What?”

“It's my favorite movie.”

“What is?”

“Amélie. Have you ever seen it? The one with the cute French girl.”

I blinked. What the fuck? “You've seen that movie?”

“As I said, it's my favorite.”

I just stared at him.

“What?” he asked.

“You just made that up because of my name.”

“At least you'll never be a vegetable,” he said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Even artichokes have hearts.”

I gaped at him. Then I growled, “Rude!”

Darius laughed again. It wasn't so booming this time, but it sent the same shivers down my spine that the word angel had earlier.

“It's from the movie,” he said, still finishing his laugh. “Amélie. It's a quote.”

I cleared my throat. “No, it's not.”

“Is too. Google it.”

I pulled out my phone and googled it. “Well, shit.”

“I try not to lie,” Darius said.

“How honorable,” I drawled.

“Naw. It's just easier that way.”

“Um, could we get another round, Amélie?” Julie asked as she stepped up beside Darius.

She slid him a smile, but he didn't even glance at her. Julie was attractive, but not Darius-attractive. Cold, but true. Frankly, I didn't think I was Darius-attractive.

“Sure thing,” I said to her and started making three mojitos. “How's your friend doing?”

“Getting better.” She tore her gaze away from Darius to answer me. “Thanks for the pick-me-up.”

“Anytime.”

She cleared her throat. “Are you a friend of Amélie’s?”

Darius finally looked at Julie. “Just met. But we're getting closer by the second.”

I snorted. “Yeah. All right.”

He grinned and focused back on me. “Aren't we? I thought I was doing well.”

“That's what you got from our conversation?” I set the mojitos on the bar. “Wow. You're pretty, but you're dumb.”

Julie gaped at me as she slid me a twenty. “Um, keep the change.”

“Thanks, Julie,” I said warmly.

“So, that's how you sound when you're being nice,” Darius mused. “I think I prefer the bite.”

“Good. Cuz I'm all bite for you, sugar.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you,” Julie stammered as she carried her drinks away.

Darius didn't notice. He was still staring at me, now with his head cocked. “Do I detect a note of Nawlins in your voice?”

I grimaced. “Dang it. It comes out sometimes when I get annoyed.”

“So, I'm annoying you?”

“Now, you're catching on.”

“Two JDs, a shot of Cuervo, and two Heins,” Jackie said as she set her tray down. “Hey, Darius.”

“Hey, Jackie,” he said absently. Then he focused on her. “I'm trying to hit on your boss here, but she's giving me a hard time.”

Jackie and I snorted together as I started to make the drinks.

“You're not her type, pretty boy,” Jackie, who was hardcore without the help of a potion, said. “Swing it somewhere else. Try those three over there.” She nodded toward Julie's group.

Darius chuckled. “What if I have to her? What if it's her or no one else? What would you recommend?”

Jackie and I both gawked at him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I finally demanded as I popped the lid off a bottle. “Go. Away.”

“No,” Darius said. “I think you're incredible, and I'm not leaving without your number.”

“Here's my number. It's easy to remember.” I flipped him a single digit. As in a finger. The middle one.

Jackie burst out laughing. “Told you. Just give it up. She's way out of your league. Wa-a-a-ay out.”

“Do you really think it's fair to judge me as you are?” Darius asked me. “Come on. Give me a chance.”

“Like you just gave Julie a chance?”

“Who's Julie?”

I snorted. “The girl that I made those mojitos for.”

Darius frowned. “I'm sorry. Did Julie ask me out?”

“Did you ask me out?” I countered.

“I'm trying to.”

“Are you though?” I asked in that dubious, mocking tone people used. “If you are, you're really bad at it. Just terrible.”

Jackie laughed again and sauntered off with her tray, tossing a, “Good luck, Darius,” over her shoulder.

“Will you go out to dinner with me?” Darius asked.

“No,” I said.

“Why not?”

“I'm not interested.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I don't like cocky men. Go. Away.”

“No.”

“That's it!” I growled and spun toward the sound system. I pushed a button and cut off the current song, putting the bar into silence.

Everyone turned to look toward the bar. Then Meghan Trainor's “No” came on. Women all around the bar started laughing and cheering. They knew the routine. Meanwhile, Darius scowled.

“Ladies!” I shouted as Meghan sang off her own persistent Romeo. “I'm gonna need your help here.”

They all cheered.

Along with Meghan, I sang out, asking what my name was.

All the women in the bar shouted at Darius, “No!”

I asked what my sign was.

“No!” they shouted again.

Then my number.

“No!” they shouted.

I kept singing, shaking my hand at Darius, telling him to let it go. We went through the whole song, rejecting Darius over and over, the whole bar getting in on it. Instead of walking away in shame, he grinned and nodded at the other patrons. And he watched me. He watched me as if he enjoyed every second of my performance.

When the song finished, the whole bar cheered and applauded, including Darius.

As everyone went back to their drinks, the mood high, and I set the music back to the original playlist, Darius leaned back on the bar and smiled at me.

“Oh, for fuck's sake,” I snarled. “You just don't take a hint, do you?”

“No,” he said gleefully.

“All right. You asked for it.” I narrowed my eyes at him, then called out, “Wreck-It!”

“You hollered?” Ralph came over with an eager grin. “Need some assistance, boss?”

“Can you help this customer with his drink order? I'm taking a break.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Ralph grinned at Darius. “Might I suggest tonight's special? It's called Walk Away, Asshole, and has a shot of loser liquor in it.”

Darius grinned at me as he said, “I'd prefer a shot of her.”

I pointed in his face and said, one last time, “No!” Then I turned around and went through the door that led into the back room. In other words, I ran away. But it was a hell of an exit.

Ralph's furious voice followed me, “Didn't you hear that damn song? She's not on the menu, moron. But my fist is. Would you like a free sample of my knuckle sandwich?”

God bless, Wreck-It.

Chapter Two

Yeah, I was hiding. From a man. In my defense, Darius was a breathtakingly gorgeous man who, despite everything I knew about him and a dose of magic, was getting to me. Couldn't have that. I wasn't about to become one of Darius's conquests. So, I was “working” on refilling a potion in my office.

Around me, the walls were covered in shelves and those shelves were stocked with ingredients for my potions. I could cast spells as well, but I preferred to do that at home. The only reason I made my potions at the bar was so that I didn't have to transport them across town. Can you imagine getting into an accident with a carload of magical potions? It would be an epic mess.

It was much easier to make them on-site and lock them away once they were empowered. And if I ran low of something, I could quickly restock. Which is what I needed to do with the bottle before me.

The sound of clicking bottles comforted me and slowed my racing heart. Perusing the labels and gathering the ingredients was like a signal to my brain that we were about to do some magic. And I loved magic. It was the best thing to take my mind off a sexy, no-good man. I took everything to my desk. I did normal work there as well, but all the papers were put away and my potion mat laid over the wood. Atop the waterproof mat were spoons, knives, a mortar and pestle, a funnel, and a pottery mixing bowl. I took a deep, cleansing breath and got to work.

I had just finished the incantation to empower the potion when I heard my office door open.

My employees rarely interrupted me when I was in my office and if they did, they knocked. No one entered unannounced. They all knew I mixed my “elixirs” back there, and no one wanted to interrupt the boss at work. So, I instantly knew that whoever was coming into the room wasn't supposed to be there. Then, before I could turn to see who it was, that person grabbed my shoulder. I reacted instinctively, flinging what was in my hand—the potion.

Darius cried out as he was drenched in liquid and let go of me.

“What the fuck?!” I screeched.

He swiped at his wet face. “What do you mean? I'm the one covered in . . . what the hell is this?” Then he blinked.

“Oh, fuck,” I whispered as I looked down at the bottle in my hand even though I already knew what I'd see—a handwritten label that read, “Open Your Heart.”

It was a potion to help people focus more on love than lust. A lot of women ordered it for their dates. Not that it made people fall in love. It just opened them to the possibility of it. It allowed someone to see what love could be like. If, by the end of the evening, the target didn't seem more interested in getting to know their date rather than getting into their underpants, then the woman would know for certain that she had no future with the guy.

But the potion was meant to be used sparingly. A tablespoon at most. Darius was covered in the stuff. Granted, it worked best if ingested, but absorption through the skin was good too. Or not good, as the case may be.

“I knew it,” Darius whispered.

“Oh, fuck,” I said again. “I'm so sorry, Darius. But no one comes back here when I'm working. I thought—”

“I had this feeling,” he went on, still dripping potion from his chin. “When I spoke to you tonight, my chest tightened. I knew it was you.”

“Okay, buddy. Why don't you sit down?” I took his arm to lead him to a chair.

Darius grabbed my waist and spun us so that I was backed against the chair I'd been leading him to. He pushed me down into it, following me as he went to his knees before me. “Amélie, you're the one. The one I've been looking for.”

“Right.” I grimaced and rolled my eyes. I'd called it. He was one of those men searching for the one. Great. “I'm not your soul mate, Darius. Take a breath.”

His face twitched. “I'm going too fast.” He frowned. “I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm acting like this. I came back here to ask you out. That's all.”

“I'm a bit of a . . . an herbalist. I make potions. You just got drenched in Open Your Heart. It's meant to make people more inclined toward love than lust. But don't worry. It will pass in a few hours. Then you can go back to your man-whoring.”

Darius stared at me. Then he laughed, throwing his head back to expose the strong line of his throat.

I scowled at him. “I'm not joking. My potions work. You are evidence of that.” I waved at him.

“Oh, I know you're not joking.” He chuckled a bit more, then shook his head. “I should have known.”

“Known what?” I couldn't follow him. Maybe the potion was affecting him worse than I'd thought. “That I wasn't joking?”

“That you're a witch.”

“A . . . a what?” I stuttered while inside my head, I thought, How the fuck does he know that?!

Darius held up his hands as if in surrender and stood up. “I'm not making fun of you. I know about your kind.”

“You . . . what is it that you think you know?” I stood up.

“More than you, Amélie,” he said gently.

I snorted. “Right. Okay, Darius. I think maybe you should go home now. Sleep it off.”

“Do you know how you got your magic?” Instead of leaving, he closed the office door and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

“I'm not a witch. I don't have any magic. I just make herbal remedies.” I almost winced. Each lie had been almost painful to say.

“Herbal remedies that open hearts to love?” Darius lifted a dark brow. “What else do they do? Heal broken hearts? Make people brave?”

“Alcohol makes people brave without any help from me. They call it liquid courage for a reason.”

“Yeah, but it doesn't open hearts or heal them.” He smirked. “You help people, don't you? You can't help but help people. It drives you—the goodness inside your soul.” His smirk shifted into something softer. “Dear gods, that's why you shine. You just glow with it. You're so fucking beautiful. I don't know how I missed it. How did I ever walk past you without falling to my knees?”

“Okay, you need to go.” I shoved at his shoulder. “Move, please.”

“No.” He smirked again.

“Move!”

Oh, he moved all right. Darius yanked me into his arms and kissed me. As soon as his lips met mine, I became another woman. The man was pure sex, and I couldn't resist him when he was groaning like that, his tongue gently flicking at my lips, seeking entrance. I wrapped my arms around him and opened to him in so many ways. My lips parted, and I welcomed him in.

With a rumbling sound that came from deep in his chest, Darius grabbed my ass and lifted me off my feet. He carried me effortlessly across the room and lowered me into my desk chair. The leather creaked as he pressed forward, sliding down to his knees between my thighs. My long, full skirt bunched between us. Darius gathered the hem in one hand and yanked it up my thigh. Then, with his hands on my hips, he angled me forward. We both groaned when our cores met—his hard and mine soft. Is there a more perfect combination?

The undulation of Darius's hips, grinding that hardness against me, was hypnotic. Pulses of pleasure shot through me with every push. He was growling into my mouth, the vibration yet another form of seduction. I couldn't think straight. And inside my chest, a warmth started to spread.

I shoved him away with an, “Oh, fuck!”

Darius drew back, panting, and gaped at me. He was unbelievably gorgeous with his hair mussed, his lips wet, and that promising bulge in his pants. But I knew he never would have been so earnest and eager without my potion.

And neither would I.

“You got some of the potion on me, you asshole!” I growled and stood up. After cursing and swiping at my lips, I tried to slip around him.

Darius grabbed me and pulled me back to him, his expression desperate as he stared up at me, still on his knees. “Amélie, please. Just sit down and talk to me. We don't have to do anything more than that.”

I shoved his hands away. “Listen to yourself, Darius. Does that sound like something you'd say?”

“Not normally, but you're different. Special.”

“Stop it.” I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Focus! It's just the potion making you open your heart to me.”

“That's not true. But even if it is, so what? You're not affecting my free will. You wouldn't do that, would you? Not you.”

I frowned at him. “No. The potion normally doesn't affect a person's free will. That would be wrong. But you got a lot of it on you. And then you kissed me and got it on me. Now, I'm feeling shit that I don't want to feel for you.”

Darius staggered to his feet. “Why not me? What's so wrong with me?”

“You wouldn't stick around. And I'm not going to fall in love with some guy who's just going to leave me in a week. Get out, Darius.”

“I won't leave in a week.” He took my hand. “I'm not ever leaving, Amélie. You're it for me. You're the one I've been looking for.”

“No, I'm not. If you go out into the bar right now, you'd find twenty more women to feel this way about. Go give one of them a chance.”

“I don't want anyone else. It's only you.” Darius pulled me back into his arms. “I sensed it when we were talking, but now I'm certain.”

“Let me go.”

“Not happening.” He bent his head and nuzzled my neck.

Damn it! That was one of my happy places.

I tried to jerk away from him, but he wouldn't let go. The bastard was really strong. And suddenly, that frightened me. I was alone in a room with an enchanted man who was physically stronger than me. And I didn't have any defense potions close at hand.

“Let me go!” I shouted.

“Shh.” Darius kissed my cheek, then tried to move to my mouth. “It's all right. I'm not going to leave you. You're the one.”

“Stop saying that!”

“Boss?” Ralph knocked on the door. “You all right in there?”

“Help!” I shouted.

Wreck-It came bursting in, took one look at Darius and me, and went fucking ballistic.

“You son of a bitch!” Ralph grabbed Darius by the scruff of his neck and the back of his pants and yanked him away from me.

I don't think Darius had ever been handled like that before. His eyes went wide as he flew backward, out of the room, and hit the hallway wall. Ralph turned, hunching his broad shoulders like a bull, and barreled after him.

“Hey!” Darius held up his hands. “I wasn't hurting her!” He looked around Ralph at me. “Amélie, call off your brute before he gets hurt.”

Ralph snorted a laugh and went for Darius's throat.

Darius twisted under Ralph's arm, past him, and shoved him in the back so that Ralph ended up against the wall, exactly where Darius had been except that Ralph was facing the cement. It also brought Darius before me.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you,” he said.

Ralph grunted and swung back around.

Darius dodged Ralph's fist while keeping his stare on me. “Call him off, Amélie. I'll go.” Another twist and a shove sent Ralph back into the hallway. “And when I come back, you'll know this has nothing to do with the potion.” A spin. Arm grab. Push. “I was into you before you doused me in that stuff. You know that. The magic just made things clearer.”

I gawked at the ease with which Darius handled Ralph. Wreck-It was six-foot-five, slabbed with muscle, and had once been an MMA fighter. No one outmaneuvered him.

Except for this potion-befuddled fool.

Not that the fool was a little man. Darius was only a couple of inches shorter than Ralph, and although he was leaner, he was still more muscular than your average male. A lot of it was hidden beneath his clothes, but I'd felt those muscles when we'd kissed and I got a glimpse of them while he fought Ralph. Darius had to be ex-military. He had some serious training.

“Stand down, Ralph,” I said, holding up my hand.

Ralph glared at Darius and took up a position beside me, arms crossed.

“I'm going,” Darius said to him. “But I'm coming back.” He looked back at me. “Please, tell him to let me in when I return.”

I grimaced.

“Tell him or I'm not leaving, Amélie.”

“Don't you threaten her!” Ralph growled.

“I'm not threatening her!” Darius snapped. “But I'm not leaving until I know I can come back.”

“Fine,” I said. “You can come back.”

Darius let out a breath and nodded. “Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow night for our date.” He turned and left.

“We are not going on a date!” I shouted after him.

“I'll just make sure he gets out safely,” Ralph said as he stormed after Darius.

“Thanks, Wreck-It.”

He shot me a wincing look over his thick shoulder. “I don't know how he got past me, Boss. I'm sorry. Won't happen again.” He shut the door.

I frowned at the closed door. “How did he get past you?” Then I rubbed my lips and cursed. “Damn it! There's nothing more pathetic than a witch getting played by her own magic.”

Chapter Three

“Binx!” I called as I shut the front door. “Binxy, I'm home!”

The thud of little paws came from the stairwell and then Binx, my black cat—because all witches need a black cat—appeared at the top of the wooden stairs. I grinned as he sauntered down the steps. He looked overweight, but to quote Gabriel Iglesias; he was just fluffy. His black fur had a reddish-brown tinge to it and his ears were pointed, giving him the look of a red panda. He'd been a gift from my mother. The best present I'd ever received.

“Hey, baby,” I said as I crouched near the stairs.

When he got to the final step, Binx stood on his back paws. I bent down so he could put his forepaws on my shoulders. Then I picked him up and carried him into the kitchen like he was a human child. The craziness of the day seeped away under his purring. My boy and a pint of Tillamook Sea Salt and Honeycomb ice cream was all I needed. It was a full-pint night.

I set Binx down on his window perch near the kitchen counter and went to fix his dinner first. He had me trained. If I didn't get him, his wet food before I tried to make my meal, he'd be weaving in and out of my feet, crying. Damn, I loved that cat.

I warmed up Binx's food and set it on the sill before him. As he ate, I grabbed a bag of frozen broccoli from Costco out of the freezer and threw it in the microwave. While that nuked, I peered around in the fridge. No, I wasn't going to go straight for the ice cream. I needed some protein first. I was suffering from some serious energy loss.

I made some quick chicken fajitas with leftover rotisserie chicken, then added the broccoli on the side. Butter and salt all over the broccoli, and I was good to go. I sat down at the kitchen table and set into my meal.

Ten minutes later, Binx was on the seat next to mine, and I was thinking about that ice cream. All right, I was thinking about Darius and ice cream. Yes, together. You don't have to get your thoughts out of the gutter because that's exactly where mine were.

“Ugh!” I growled and stood up.

Binx stared at me with his bright blue eyes.

“There was a situation at work today,” I said to him. “I accidentally doused a man-whore with Open Your Heart.”

Binx made a huffing sound.

“Yeah, I know!” I threw my arms up. “It was a nightmare. Especially since the guy is gorgeous and kisses like a dream. And he's one of those man-whores who's actually looking for the one. His soul mate.” I rolled my eyes as I went to the window to grab Binx's dish and ended up staring out of it while I sighed. “Ugh! Now, I'm acting like a lovesick fool. I don't even believe in soul mates. And I know he was only . . .” I trailed off as I saw movement on the edge of my property.

I lived on several acres of wooded land on the outskirts of Spokane. Mostly, I didn't see my neighbors, and I liked it that way. But the house to my left, the one in the direction I was looking, had a lot of traffic heading to it recently. At night, sometimes I heard gunshots. I got a bad feeling about those people and what was coming out of the tree line confirmed it.

“Shit!” I ran for the front door. “Get out of the window, Binx.” I grabbed my spell vest, its front covered in utility pockets full of potions and spell grenades. I slung it on as I bolted out the door. I did make sure to close the door behind me because of Binx, but then I was running at full speed through the front garden, toward the tree line. Because a man was stumbling out of it, looking as if he was about to fall over.

The closer I got, the more I heard the sound of shouting. They, whoever they were, were chasing this guy. But he was in my territory now, and damn lucky for it. On both of my properties—the bar and my home—I had magical spells cast into the borders, just in case of an emergency like this one. The proper words from me would activate the spell and raise a ward—a magic barrier. Not only would it keep out everything from bugs to bullets, but it would also encourage people to turn away.

I got to the man just as he stumbled and fell to his knees. He looked up at me with wide eyes, their color lost to the darkness, but his expression was one of wonder. He reached for me as he swayed, and I saw that his shirt was wet with blood. I grabbed his hand, then steadied him with my thigh.

“Run, angel. Fly away. The Host is after me,” he said.

He must have lost a lot of blood to be spouting that kind of nonsense.

“Shh. You're safe now. Just give me one second to protect us.” I held out a hand toward the edge of my property and felt the answering tingle of magic. “None shall pass!”

With my words, the spell activated, shooting up from the earth to dome over my property and even dive into the ground. Suddenly, the sounds of shouting were muted, and the night went quiet.

“Holy fuck!” the man exclaimed. “You're not an angel. You're fucking Gandalf.” And then he passed out.

I caught his weight with a grunt, then said, “Actually, Gandalf is seriously misquoted. He says, 'You cannot pass.' But whatever.” I glanced back at the house, then down at the man. “I may not be an angel, but I can still fly. And I can make you fly too.”

I pulled a potion out of a pocket and sprinkled some on him. With a few words to cast the spell, the man floated up to hover before me on his back.

“Come on,” I said as I took his hand. “Let's get you inside.”

I pulled him along, crossing the yard with my man-float, and then went up to the porch. I lived in an old Victorian-esque house with a wide porch, gingerbread details, wobbly-paned windows, and a turret. The turret is what sold me. I loved my house. It was my sanctuary, and I couldn't believe that I was bringing a complete stranger into it. Around my cat.

But I couldn't leave the guy out there to get lynched. Not on my watch, Satan! So, I took him inside. As I shut the door behind us, I glanced back at the trees, but there was no movement. And there wouldn't be. My place was on lockdown. Only I could cross the border. Or those I brought across in my company.

I took the man into the living room but left him hovering there as I went to fetch a drop cloth and towels. Yeah, I know. But I wasn't about to let him bleed all over my beautiful hand-loomed rug. So, I set the cloth down and then lowered him onto it. He sighed and then went still.

After unbuttoning his shirt, I used one of the towels to wipe away the blood. I expected to find wounds. Plural. And I did, but they looked weeks, if not months, old. And they were improving before my eyes.

“What the hell?” I whispered as I ran my fingers over what had to be bullet wounds. Or had been bullet wounds. They were circular red welts that were getting paler and smoother under my fingers. “Holy shit.”

Binx padded over and gave him a sniff. Then he hissed.

“Binx!” I gaped at him. He rarely hissed.

Binx growled at the man, then ran for the stairs.

“Binx!” I called after him.

“Angel,” the man murmured. “Saved from the Host by a real angel. How ironic.”

I looked back at the man and my jaw fell open. Not because his wounds had healed further but because he was handsome as all hell. Short raven black hair, a jawline that wouldn't quit, and a pair of golden-gray eyes. I looked closer. No, they were gray with flecks of amber. Silver and gold. Wow. And he looked really familiar. Sort of like Darius. But that had to be remnants of the potion affecting me. Shit. Now, I was seeing Darius in every man I met, even some random guy who stumbled onto my property.

After getting shot.

“I need to call the police,” I said and started to stand.

“No, don't.” He grabbed my hand, then instantly let go when he saw me flinch. He held it up, palm out. “Sorry. Just, please don't call the police. I'm fine. See?” He sat up and swiped at his face, smearing blood across his cheek.

“Yeah, about that. How are you doing that?” I waved at his vanishing wounds.

He smirked and really looked like Darius. “How did you save me, angel? How did you even get me in here?” He looked around. “I felt like I was floating.”

“You were. I'm a witch.” What the hell. Why not tell the guy with supernatural healing what I was? Maybe he'd show me the same courtesy and be honest with me in return.

A pair of perfectly arched brows climbed the man's forehead. “A witch? It's been a while since I've met one of you.” He inclined his head. “Then I was right. You are an angel.”

“What?” I frowned.

“There are no bad witches. You're all angels. The purest souls around.”

“Uh-huh.”

He chuckled. Then he went serious. “But not all of them are as beautiful as you.”

Two in one night. Wow. I was on a roll. After months of celibacy, my libido was jumping for joy. Especially now that I could look at the man's chest without getting distracted by his wounds. It was a piece of art, sculpted by a god. Pure sexual beauty. Seeing him heal was startling, but I was glad that he wouldn't have scars. It would have been a crime.

“I'm Dominic,” he said and held out his hand. “Dominic Demos.”

“Nice alliteration,” I murmured as I shook his hand. “Well done on your parents.”

“Actually, I chose my name. My dad was, uh, very progressive.” He grinned again, and I got the impression that he smiled more than he didn't. Dominic Demos radiated joy.

So why had Binx run from him? Maybe it was all the blood.

“You chose your name? How did that work? You were just nameless until you could talk?”

“You haven't told me your name? Or should I just continue to call you angel?”

“Oh! Sorry. I'm Amélie. Amélie Chenier.”

“It's a great pleasure to meet you, Amélie. French, eh?”

“Yes. That's right.”

“It suits you. Beautiful.”

I chuckled. “Well, Dominic. Care to tell me who the Host is and why you were running away from them?”

Dominic crossed his legs and got comfortable even though his shirt was bloody, in tatters, and hanging open. Oh yeah, and he was sitting on a drop cloth on my floor. “They're the bad guys. I'm one of the good guys.”

“Uh-huh. And are you a witch too? I've never seen magic that can heal like that. Usually, you have to at least activate it with a chant. Unless you cast it on yourself earlier.”

“No, I'm not a witch.” He chewed at his lower lip. “Hey, I know we just met, and you don't know me, but I swear to you that I'm a good guy. You can trust me.”

“I believe that, but my cat doesn't seem to like you and that worries me.”

Dominic blinked. “What?”

“My cat. He hissed at you and ran off.” I leaned forward and peered into his strangely beautiful eyes. “What are you, Dominic? If you're not a witch, you must something else. Something Binx doesn't like.” I glanced at his chest. “Something that can heal wounds in seconds.”

His stare swept over my face and his nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. In a low, velvety whisper, he said, “I can barely think when you're this close.”

I eased back. “Uh-huh. Answer the question.”

Dominic grinned. “Can I use your shower?”

“What?” I scowled at him.

“I'm covered in blood. It's starting to itch. Would you mind if I showered?”

“Aren't you worried about those people who are after you?”

“You set a ward, didn't you? We're safe.”

“How did you know that?”

“You're a witch. And I heard activate something.”

I grimaced. “At least tell me who the Host is. That's what you called them. They're right next door. I need to know if I'm in danger.”

His convivial expression went serious. “All right. I promise I'll tell you everything. After a shower. Agreed?”

I grimaced. “Fine. Come on.”

I got up and waited for him to do the same. He did so without a wobble, and then he was looming over me, and I was rethinking the whole bringing a stranger into my home thing.

“Whoa now.” Dominic held up his hands again. “I'm not going to hurt you. I told you that you can trust me. You just saved my life. What kind of bastard would I be if I turned around and hurt you? Besides, don't you have a spell in that vest of yours that could lay me flat?”

I looked down. I was still wearing the vest. With a frown, I looked back up at him. “How did you know these are spells?”

“Lucky guess.” He grinned.

“Dominic,” I snapped.

“Oh, now you sound like my packmates.”

“Your what?”

Dominic cleared his throat. “My, uh, teammates. I'll explain after my shower.” He paused to grin again, flashing a dimple. “Please. I hate being itchy. I'm going to start scratching soon.”

I sighed. “All right. This way.” I led him upstairs and into the hallway bathroom. “Help yourself.” I waved at the towels and the stuff in the shower. “I'll go make us some tea.”

“Sounds good.”

I went to step past him, and he touched my shoulder. Just a tap to get my attention. “Amélie?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For all of this. For helping me and welcoming into your home. You really are an angel.”

I snorted. “Hardly. But you're welcome.”

I shut the door and went downstairs, wondering if I was a moron. Or maybe that Open Your Heart potion was still working on me.

Chapter Four

Binx crept into the kitchen while I was steeping the tea.

“Hey, baby,” I said gently. “Are you all right?”

He jumped up on a chair and stared balefully at the steaming pot of tea. I stroked his head, and he started to purr.

“Oh, yeah. You're fine. Good boy.” I went to the pantry and got out a box of shortbread cookies.

Binx meowed.

“No, you can't have a cookie.” I arranged a few on a plate, then set them on the table. “Here.” I grabbed a cat treat out of Binx's jar and set it on the table before him.

He turned his head and licked up the treat.

Meanwhile, I went back to gathering the tea supplies. I'd gone with peppermint because the smell calmed me. I set out the sugar and some spoons. By the time I was done, I heard the sound of Dominic coming down the stairs.

Binx straightened, his head swinging toward the doorway.

“Easy now, Binx,” I said. “We have a guest. He's clean now.”

He started growling before Dominic appeared.

Dominic must have heard him because he stopped in the doorway.

Both Binx and I gaped at him.

Had I said something about his beautiful chest? It was better than I thought. Yes, better than a god sculpture. It was the most perfect chest I'd ever seen. Not a single hair on it, just smooth, hard flesh crowned by dusky pink nipples. An errant water drop rolled down from his nipple to a tight abdomen and got lost in his belly button. Over those rippling muscles was a tattoo of a double-headed spear, the two lengths bordering his belly button. The detail of the tattoo was magnificent, the artist obviously talented, and the placement was a tease.

The spear was maybe five or six inches long and half of it was the head with those double points. The shaft was shortened and ended at another point—a deadly tip that pointed down. That's right. The tattoo pointed the way to another shaft like a goody trail. Or a warning. Don't venture below unless you're ready to have your world rocked.

All Dominic had on was a towel. Thank God it was fluffy enough to hide the bulge of that other spear. But it only covered him to his mid-thigh, leaving a good portion of corded legs revealed. And then there were his arms. Oh, how I love muscular arms. One look at Dominic's biceps, and I was fantasizing about how they'd look set to either side of my head as he held himself above me.

As I got lost in sexy thoughts, Dominic soothed Binx. I caught the end of it.

“—you're okay, little one. I'm not a threat to you.”

Binx jumped off the chair and backed up.

Dominic crouched, the towel bunching, and held out a hand. “I know. I must smell scary. But I won't hurt you.”

“It's okay, Binx.” I finally got with the program and bent to stroke the cat. “He's okay.” I went over and laid a hand on Dominic's shoulder. His bare shoulder.

Dominic's muscles twitched under my hand, along with his expression. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, then his head swung as he stared up at me.

I couldn't breathe. My legs nearly gave way. I had an instant urge to drop to my knees and kiss him. Pull off that towel. Defy that weapon. Find out for myself how deeply the one below would pierce me.

As he held my stare, Dominic slid a hand around my calf. It felt natural, as if we stood that way all the time. But then he slid his hand up, under my long skirt and over the curve of my muscle to rest on the back of my knee.

My heart sped up.

“Amélie,” Dominic whispered. “You feel it too, don't you?”

“Feel what?” I whispered back.

“You know what.” He turned on his knees, moving in front of me. His free hand went to my left ankle and slid up to the level of his other hand. His eyes gleamed like a cat's. “Tell me to stop.” His hands went higher.

I stared at him. How long had it been? It seemed like forever. And this man was gorgeous. I could see it all now. No blood or even clothes to hide him. Just that towel. How I hated that towel. It would be so easy to let Dominic lift my skirt. I could already picture him pulling down my panties and burying his face between my thighs.

“Amélie,” Dominic said again, making my name into a prayer.

Binx meowed.

Dominic and I jerked apart, then stared at each other. I was shocked to see that he was shocked too. His lips were parted, his eyes wide, and his hands were still up, fingers splayed as if they still held me.

Slowly, he looked over his shoulder at the cat. “Binx,” he called, then crouched lower, practically lying on the tile floor.

I nearly groaned to see the towel ride up and give me a glimpse of the bottom of his, well, bottom.

But then Binx was warily walking up to Dominic. He sniffed the air around the hand Dominic held out. Got closer. Dominic didn't move. I held my breath. This cat was my world and if he didn't get along with Dominic . . . wait. What? So what if he didn't get along with Dominic? He wasn't moving in. I didn't even know who or what he was. But inside my chest, a feeling was growing—a sense that this man had been meant to run into my arms. Into my life. This was destiny. Fate.

The word shivered through me.

And then Binx head-butted Dominic's hand.

“Oh, thank you, buddy,” Dominic said, keeping his hand still. He waited a bit for Binx to knock into him again and then carefully stroked the cat's head.

Binx leaned into it.

Dominic pet him.

Binx purred.

“Nicely done,” I said and crouched beside them. “Yeah, Binxy? He's okay, right?”

“You're a sweet boy,” Dominic said as he slowly sat up. He stroked a hand down Binx's back. “Two angels in one house.”

Binx rubbed up against Dominic's knee, then set his forepaws on it. He lifted his head to look at Dominic. Man stared at cat and something passed between them. And that cinched it. Dominic wasn't a normal man.

As if his rapid healing hadn't been enough to convince me.

“All right. You said you'd tell me everything,” I reminded Dominic.

Dominic slid his stare my way as he continued to pet Binx. “I'm a shapeshifter. That's why Binx was scared of me. I can transform into a hound.”

I blinked. “That was not what I was expecting.”

He chuckled, but it was a low, almost serious sound. “How much do you truly want to know, Amélie? If I tell you, your life might change. You'll see things differently.”

I stared at him. My legs still tingled from his touch. Things were tightening in the sexy region. I wanted him. Badly. And before I could have him, I had to know who he was. I had to know everything.

“Tell me,” I said.

Dominic briefly closed his eyes. It was as if he were savoring the moment or maybe preparing himself. He smiled when he opened them. “I'm part of a Cerberus team. Do you know what that is?”

“Cerberus? As in the three-headed dog that guards the Greek Underworld?”

“Yes. But we're not just dogs and there's more than one of us.”

“Three dogs,” I whispered. “Three shapeshifters. One for each head.”

His grin returned and this time it was brilliant. “Gods, you're smart. Beautiful, magical, and smart. You're the perfect woman.”

“Focus,” I said. “So, you're in a team of three shapeshifters that's called a Cerberus?”

“Yes. Hades made us.” He tapped his belly right over the tattoo.

I looked at it again. “Hades?” Something tingled in my memories. “Is that his symbol?”

“Yup. It's a bident. It's also his mark. He marked each of us when he made us. The mark connects us to him and grants us a little of his magic.”

“That's the mark of a god?”

“It is.”

“All right.” I absently stroked Binx when he lost interest in Dominic and wandered over to me. “But if you're a Cerberus team, why are you here? Shouldn't you be guarding the Underworld?”

Dominic grinned and shook his head. “You're taking this really well. I expected to have to shift for you.”

“I saw you heal bullet wounds in seconds,” I said. “I believe you. But maybe you can shift for me later. When Binx isn't around.”

His grin turned wicked. “I'd be happy to.”

“You didn't answer my question, Dominic.”

“Which one?” Dominic was staring at me again, and it made me feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet.

How was he doing that?

I cleared my throat and asked, “Why aren't you in the Underworld?”

“Ah. Right.” He bit his lip, then said, “There was only one team initially. Then a few souls escaped. After a while, Hades realized that he needed teams on Earth too.”

“How many teams are there?”

“Hundreds.” Dominic shrugged. “I think. We've got them in all the major cities and scattered through less populated regions too. Each team has a territory to guard. We cover the entire planet.”

“So, you watch for escaped souls?”

“That and lost souls. The ones who haven't moved on. We deal with hauntings, poltergeists, and everything related. Recently, we've been dealing with an escaped soul who has found a way to jump bodies.”

“What do you mean? He possessed someone?”

“Yes. That's how escaped souls stay on Earth. They know more than the incorporeal spirits who linger. They want more. They want to live again. So, they possess people.” Dominic crossed his legs and casually shifted the towel to cover himself. “But once a soul possesses a body, it can't leave. We have to remove it.”

“You remove it?”

“Yes. Our hound bodies can become incorporeal, and when we're in that form, we can grab souls. We basically jump through a body, bite the invading soul, and tear it out of its host. Then we take it back to the Underworld.”

“Holy shit,” I whispered.

“Yeah, it's a pretty cool gig.” He winked at me. “But this dickhead of a soul has learned how to leave a body on his own. He jumps before we can catch him. He's already evaded two other Cerberus teams.”

“What?”

Dominic nodded. “He's moved from Oregon up here. He was just in Seattle, but he's here in Spokane now. And it gets worse.”

“Worse how?”

“He's gathering minions. He tells people that he's an angel and we're demons.”

“What? Why?”

“To protect himself.” Dominic snorted. “Those poor people think they're doing holy work. God's work. Fighting demons and shit. They've attacked the other teams, and those teams had to defend themselves.”

“You mean, kill them. Those teams had to kill the people this soul tricked into fighting for him.”

“Actually, we aren't allowed to kill humans.”

“Why not?”

“Something about fate.” He shrugged again.

Fate. Even hearing him say the word affected me.

“Amélie?”

I looked up. “Huh?”

“I asked if you were all right. You look a little lost. Is this too much?”

“No, I'm just processing. Go on.”

“So, we can't kill humans, but if they accidentally die or someone else kills them, it's all right,” he said. “Generally, we try to get Michael's followers arrested or otherwise locked up.”

“Like in the loony bin?”

He snorted a laugh. “Yes, like in the loony bin.”

“The soul's name is Michael?”

“That's what he calls himself.” Dominic shrugged again. “You know, the whole angel thing. And he calls his minions the Host.”

“The Heavenly Host.” I shook my head. “I get it.” Then I blinked. “That's who moved in next door to me? That body-jumping soul and his insane acolytes?”

“Yup.”

“And you were there trying to get to him?”

Dominic winced.

“What?”

“Okay, don't think poorly of me.”

“What did you do, Dominic?”

“There you go, sounding like my packmates again.”

“Dominic!”

“I was seduced, okay? This woman came onto me, and I went home with her. Except her home was full of the Host. They were waiting for me with automatic weapons.”

“What?” I whispered.

“Yeah. They know how fast we heal. So they try to injure us enough to keep us down long enough to behead us. We're immortal, but there's no healing the loss of a head. I mean, unless you're a hydra.”

I blinked. “A hydra? Those are real too?”

“Oh, yeah. All the Greek monsters are real.”

“What about the other monsters?”

“You mean like vampires and werewolves?”

“Yes.”

“I suppose we're the Greek version of werewolves and there are some blood-drinking races, but if you mean exact versions of those stories, then no. Or at least, not that I know of.”

“At least there's that,” I muttered.

Binx wandered off and as he did, Dominic took my hand. “I was a stranger. I stumbled onto your property covered in blood, and you helped me anyway.”

“I couldn't let you die.”

“Amélie,” he whispered and leaned forward.

“I'll make a deal with you, Dominic.”

He paused. “What?”

“I won't judge you on getting seduced if you don't judge me for it.”

Dominic went still. Then he said, “Deal.”

The word was like the starting call of a race. It launched us both forward. I slammed into that hard chest and wound up on his lap. Dominic settled me there, his hands roaming my thighs, the palms hot. Meanwhile, our lips met, and there was a feeling as if I'd been waiting forever for that touch. I groaned into Dominic's mouth.

Dominic didn't groan. He growled. He grunted. He went savage. His hot tongue lashed at mine as his hands yanked at my skirt, trying to gather all the material and get it the fuck out of his way. I slid my hands down his solid arms and off them to grab my skirt and pull it over my head.

Dominic made a wounded but pleased sound and yanked at the towel. I went still as it parted and fell to either side of him. It was just as I imagined—his mark pointed right at his cock. And his shaft was thick, long, and hard, pointing at me. I licked my lips.

“Don't do it, angel,” Dominic said in a warning tone. “Your mouth around me would send me over in a second. And I need to make love to you.”

I shivered. Make love? We didn't know each other. We wouldn't be doing that. And what kind of man says that shit the first time he's with a woman?

But all those thoughts disintegrated under Dominic's level stare. He meant those words. And he hadn't said them before. I knew it in my bones.

Holding Dominic's stare, I stood up. His hands went with me, gripping my hips, and his stare remained on my face, reverent. I put his hands on the sides of my panties and pushed. Licking his lips, he took the hint and slid them down my legs. As he did that, I pulled off my blouse and then my bra. I needed to be naked with this man. Now.

“Great Gods,” Dominic whispered as he stared up at me. “You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.” And then, holding my stare, he leaned forward and kissed me. There.

With a groan, my hands went to Dominic's head, and I angled one leg out. He grabbed that leg and hooked it over his shoulder.

“Oh, fuck,” I cried.

Hot flicking-tongue bliss. Long laps that sent shivers through me. Strong sucking. And then he slid his tongue into me. I angled my hips and rolled against his face. Dominic growled and worried at my flesh, shaking his head as he tongued me.

“Fuck!” I screamed and burst into stars. Thousands of stars.

My knees gave out, but Dominic caught me. He caught me as he stood.

“Where's your bedroom?” he asked.

“Just take me here.”

“The fuck I will,” Dominic growled. “It's our first time together. We're doing this right, angel.”

“Upstairs. Go!”

Dominic carried me upstairs, and I pointed the way to my bedroom. He barely glanced around the room when we entered. Just found the bed and headed for it. It was a simple queen-sized bed with an antique metal frame. The linens were white cotton, covered in an old quilt. Dominic laid me down on the quilt and kissed me, bringing his body over mine.

When he eased back, I looked to my left and saw the vision I'd fantasized about—that thick arm propping him up. It was glorious.

“Do you have condoms?” Dominic asked.

“Oh. Uh.”

“I can't give you an STD, but I might be able to get you pregnant. I don't know for sure.”

“Oh.” I chewed at my lip. “I don't have any condoms.”

“Fuck,” he hissed.

“I don't care if you don't.”

He went still. “Are you sure?”

“Just pull out.”

Dominic nodded. “All right.”

And then he was kissing me again, his body moving against mine, working my legs further apart to get to my center. He reached between us and angled his shaft against me. Rubbed it through me. Got slick.

I jerked away from his mouth to say, “Now, Dom.”

“Amélie,” Dominic groaned as he slid into me.

“Dominic!” I yanked at his shoulders and lifted my hips to meet him. “More!”

“Oh, fuck, angel.” He pumped deeper. “Take it all.” He nuzzled into my neck. “I need you to take it all.”

“Mine!” I snarled, suddenly feeling something I'd never felt before—possessive. I didn't recognize myself as I clawed him closer.

“Yes, angel,” Dominic said. “Fuck, yes.”

He bent to suck at my breasts, but I needed more. It had been so long. And the last man I'd been with hadn't been half as incredible as Dominic.

“Dominic,” I groaned.

“I got you, angel.” He rose onto his forearms and started thrusting faster. “Tell me what you need.”

“I need . . .”

“Yes?”

“I need . . .”

“Tell me.”

“I need to fuck you!” I shoved at his chest and rolled him onto his back.

Dominic stared up at me with that same look of awe I'd seen earlier. I slammed down on his cock and then rose onto my knees. Down again. I braced my hands on his hard chest and closed my eyes, losing myself to the feeling of fullness. Completeness. Destiny.

“You're so deep,” I panted. “So thick.”

“Oh, fuck,” Dominic moaned, his hands going to my breasts. “Look at you. You fucking goddess. My angel. Ride me, baby. Take that cock. It's yours. You fucking own me.”

His words sent thrills through me and stirred that possessive beast inside me. I dug my nails into his pectorals and slammed down on him again and again.

“Angel,” Dominic said. “Tell me you're mine too.”

I opened my eyes and met Dominic's stare. I saw worry there. This gorgeous man, this supernatural being, was anxious that I might reject him. Well, didn't that just make a girl feel special?

I grabbed his hands and squeezed them so that he squeezed my breasts harder. “I'm yours. For however long this lasts, I'm all yours, Dom.”

“I'm holding you to that, angel,” Dominic growled and rolled us.

I yipped as he hooked his arms under my knees and pushed me back into a pose meant for serious fucking. With an eager grin, I reached between my thighs and grabbed his hips to pull him deeper. Then I grabbed his ass and squeezed.

“Fuck!” Dominic roared and started slamming wildly into me.

Then words vanished, taken from both of us. We were nothing more than a couple of animals mating. Instinctively fucking. And yet, when the time came, he still remembered to pull out.

With a deep grunt, Dominic thrust forward, his wet, glorious cock bobbing over my belly to spurt a stream of cum on my chest. I shivered and groaned, nearly there. But he wasn't done.

As soon as he finished coming, his hips jerking forward with each release, Dominic shoved my legs back further and dove for my sex. It took three seconds of his tongue lashing at me to send me over, but he didn't stop licking and sucking until I begged him to.

Only then, when the screams were done, and I was shivering through the after-bliss, did Dominic lay down beside me and pull me in against his chest.

He tucked in around me, kissed my cheek, and whispered in my ear, “This is going to last forever, angel. You're the one.”

I fell asleep wondering where I'd heard that before.

Chapter Five

“I'm telling you—she's the one,” Dominic's voice lured me from sleep.

I frowned and opened my eyes. Took in my bedroom. The sun shining through the lace curtains. Binx curled up near my feet. Something woke me. What was it?

“I don't care about some woman you met in a bar,” Dominic growled. “Look, I'm not coming home yet. I need to get to know her better.”

I turned toward the open door. Dominic's voice was coming in from the hallway. I had the urge to get up and creep closer to the door, but it wasn't necessary. He was speaking loud enough for me to eavesdrop without looking like an eavesdropper.

“She's amazing, and she saved my life,” he went on. “No, I wouldn't have survived! They were fucking hunting me. If they had caught me instead of her, I'd be dead right now. She found me, and I fucking passed out. They could have taken my head. But that fucking angel brought me into her home and protected me. She's amazing.” A pause. “Whatever. Go after your woman. I'm staying with mine. And I will make her mine. I don't care what you say. She's the most incredible woman I've ever met, and I'm not letting her go. I'm staying as long as it takes.” Another pause. “Fuck you. I'm not bringing her around you two assholes yet. I have to ease her into meeting you. Especially you. You're a dick.”

The conversation ended.

I was surprised to find that my heart was racing. Dominic really had meant what he'd said. He thought I was incredible. Holy shit. That had to be one of his packmates he'd been talking to. Another shapeshifter. Holy shit, he was a shapeshifter! They were real! And I had sex with one of them. A man who could turn into a dog! No, I hadn't seen it yet, but I believed him. It was impossible not to after he fell at my feet looking like a honeycomb and then filled in those holes as I watched.

I heard soft footsteps come into the room, and I turned toward him, deciding to be real with him. Honest. That's how we had begun, and it was how I wanted to continue. Besides, I hadn't eavesdropped on purpose. He had spoken loud enough for me to hear. Right outside my bedroom.

Dominic stopped beside the bed. He was naked and holding a phone. He blinked. “Uh, good morning.”

“Good morning.” I sat up.

Binx cried, stood up, stretched, then stepped over to me. I stroked his head as I grinned at Dominic.

“Did you, uh, hear any of that?” Dominic asked.

“Any of what?” I grinned broader. “How incredible I am? How you're going to stay as long as it takes? That's unexpected after I jumped into bed with you mere hours after we met. I must be a hell of a lay.”

He winced, squeezing his eyes shut, then chuckled. “You have no idea.” He sat down on the bed and absently stroked Binx. “Well, at least you only heard good things. So, are you going to let me stay long enough to plead my case?”

“Plead your case?”

“Yeah.” Dom smirked. “You know. Woo you. Court you.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek, then whispered in my ear, “Seduce you to the Cerberus side.”

“You can stay for a while. At the very least, we have to get you some new clothes.”

“And condoms,” he said as he sat back. “Lots of them.”

I burst out laughing. “Actually, I could just use a potion. I didn't have any prepared last night, and it takes a bit to whip one up. But I think I have time now.”

“I don't know about that.” Dominic slid closer and nuzzled my neck. “You're so beautiful with your curls wild around you.” He eased back to run his hand through my dark, curly hair, dragging it down to the ends near my waist. “You're like a wood nymph, painted with sunshine.”

I widened my eyes at him. “You're a poet too?”

He snorted. “Hardly. Someone as beautiful as you can make a poet out of anyone.”

Full-body meltdown. In a good way. As in, everything melted into a puddle of happiness. It's funny how that happens when the right person compliments you. With Darius, it had felt like nothing. Less than that. It made me defensive enough to say that shit about knowing how gorgeous I was. The potion may have promoted that as well. Still, that's not how I saw myself. I didn't have problems with insecurity, but I didn't have the confidence of a goddess, either. So when someone as incredible as Dominic—someone who wasn't a player—told me I was beautiful, it lit me up. Couldn't be helped. Superficial? Yeah, maybe. But what woman doesn't want to be beautiful?

And this was after what I had expected to be a one-night stand. To wake up hearing him declare his intentions to a friend had been astounding. It also gave credence to his compliments. To everything he had said. Dominic was real, while Darius had been all kinds of fake.

A strange, overlapping combination of memories suddenly hit me when I thought of Darius. I saw him kneeling before me in my office, but I also saw Dominic kneeling before me in my kitchen. The similarities I'd noted before, the ones I chucked up to being brought on by my magic, were glaringly obvious in that image. The same coloring. The same haircut. Similar build. Even their eyes were similar. Darius had silver flecks while Dominic had gold. That was strange. But as a witch, strange was acceptable. Sometimes that was how the world worked. You get two nearly identical options with one glaring difference, and the difference usually clarified things. It was generally a metaphysical kick in the ass. A way to see what was truly best for you.

There was no contest here. Dominic was the best.

“Oh, yeah,” I whispered to him, all those bubbling, bright feelings rising into my smile. “You can stay.”

Dominic grinned and reached for me.

I slid back, taking Binx with me. “But I need breakfast, you need clothes, and I still want to pick up some condoms. Just in case I don't have time for the spell.”

Dominic fell onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. “You're killing me!” He waved at his hard cock. “Do you see this? How am I supposed to leave the house like this?” Then he looked me over. “Oh, Gods, look at you!” He sat up. “Come to daddy, angel.” He held out his arms.

With my grin widening, I shook my head and snuggled Binx. “Not happening. And you're not leaving. I'm going to run into town and grab everything while you feed Binx.”

“What? No. If you're going, I'm going. I'm not letting your gorgeousness out of my sight.”

“What are you going to wear to cover all of your gorgeousness?”

“You think I'm gorgeous?” He smirked and reached for me again.

“Down, boy.” I waved a finger at him. “Focus. What are you going to wear?”

“My jeans. They're bloody, but at least they cover me. I can wait in the car while you get me something cleaner. And then we can go out for breakfast. My treat, of course.”

“You were just whining about your dick.”

He widened his eyes at me as he popped to his feet. “Oh, I like a woman who talks dirty. Say it again. Go on, talk about my cock. Ple-e-ease!”

I snorted. “Stop it, Dom. You can come with me if you want. Put on your jeans.”

I went to my walk-in closet and got dressed, going with something girly. My style was already a combination of Stevie Nicks and Florence Welch—lots of lace, velvet, flowy skirts, and big sleeves. But I felt especially witchy after the magical night I'd spent with my new puppy. So, I went with a tiered long skirt, each silk ruffle adorned with antique lace, a tight tank top layered with a puffy-sleeve lace crop top, and Edwardian boots. After finger-combing my hair and pinching my cheeks, I went back out to the bedroom to find it empty.

Frowning, I called, “Dominic?”

Nothing. No Binx either.

I went to the bathroom first. In my haste to look pretty, I'd ignored my body's morning needs. After taking care of business, I washed up, including my face, lathered on some moisturizer that I made myself—beef tallow and castor oil—and used the excess on my hands to moisturize the ends of my hair. Dominic seemed to like it loose, and so did I. So, I only pinned back a small piece at my temple, securing it with an antique comb. A dab of lip gloss and I was ready.

I found my puppy downstairs, feeding my cat.

Leaning in the kitchen doorway, I watched Dominic with Binx. He had found a can of wet food and given Binx the whole thing, piling it onto a pretty plate for him. Noticing me at last, he stopped petting the purring cat and stood up to grin at me as if he'd invented soap.

I snorted and went past him, trailing my hand over his tight, bare belly as I passed by. He was in his stained pants, but the blood had darkened to cinnabar and looked more like paint. Not so bad.

“I don't think so, Binxy,” I said and scooped up the plate.

Binx meowed in offense.

“Nope. You thought it was your lucky day, huh?” I got his cat dish out of the washer, scooped about an eighth of what was left on the plate into the dish, then put the rest in the empty can that was on the counter. “Here you go.” I set the plate on the plastic feeding mat. Then I covered the can and put it in the fridge.

“Shit,” Dominic said. “Sorry. I've never had a pet.”

“You tried. Thank you for that.” I pulled Dom to me by a loop on his jeans and kissed him. He tried to take the kiss further, but I leaned out of it. “Come on, Romeo. Let's go get you some clothes and then food. In that order.”

“And condoms.”

“Yes, and condoms.”

Chapter Six

Although his jeans weren't awful, Dominic didn't have a shirt to wear. So, he waited in the car while I went into a chain store and bought him some new jeans and a T-shirt that read, “Savage as hell, but I still need cuddles.”

I gave him his change and the bag. The shirt was on top.

When Dominic saw it, he burst out laughing. “You are my perfect woman. Do you know that?”

“Put it on already. I'm getting hangry.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He snapped off the tags and pulled on the shirt. Then, after leaning the seat back, he slid off his old jeans and handed them to me. “Can you grab my phone and wallet out of the pockets?” He pulled on the new pair.

“Sure.” I cleaned out his pockets and then watched Dom wriggle and shimmy until he could zip the front of his new jeans. “You good? They fit okay?”

“Yup. A little stiff, but that's to be expected.”

“Not as stiff as these.” I tossed the bloody jeans in the backseat of my old Honda Accord. “Come on. The cafe I want to go to is just around the corner.” I got out, waited for him, then locked up.

Dominic hurried around the car to take my hand as I stepped up on the sidewalk. Like a couple who'd been together for years, we strolled along, nodding at the people we passed.

I looked over and caught him grinning at me. “What?”

“I can't believe that just last night, I followed some random woman home, and it led to this. To you. Talk about turning a tragedy around.”

“You got shot. A lot.”

“Angel, I'd do it ten times over again to meet you.”

Was I blushing? I didn't blush. But I ducked my head to hide my face anyway, anyway.

Dominic released my hand to slide his arm around my waist and pull me in against his side. He kissed the top of my head. “I feel so damn lucky.”

“Okay, stop,” I said. “I love compliments as much as the next girl, but this is getting . . .”

“Creepy?” He grinned in a maniacal way.

“Oh, that's just wrong. Terrifying actually.”

Dom chuckled and stood back to take my hand again. “All right. I get it. Slow down, Dominic.”

“No, I like the speed we're going at. I'd just like to put it toward getting to know you too, not just getting flattered by you.”

His grin softened. “I want that too.”

I waved at the restaurant. “Maybe over breakfast.”

“Definitely.” He held the door open for me.

“Hey, Amélie,” Cassie, one of the waitresses called when we walked in, and then hurried over. “Table for . . .” she trailed off and stared at Dominic. Then she cleared her throat. “Two?”

“Yes, please,” I said. “Cassie, this is Dominic.”

“Nice to meet you.” She grinned brightly. A little too brightly. Then she waved us over to a booth. “Cassie likes this table.” She flushed, then hurried to correct herself. “I mean, Amélie likes this table. This all right with you?”

“Anything my angel wants is good with me,” Dominic said.

Cassie whimpered.

Dominic slid onto one of the benches and as I did the same across from him, Cassie leaned over to set down the menus. She turned toward me to dramatically mouth, “Wow!” Then straightened. “Uh, we have a couple of specials this morning. Maple pecan pancakes or we're doing a scramble of bacon, zucchini, mushrooms, green onions, and potatoes with Bearnaise sauce. You guys want anything to drink other than water?”

“Coffee, please,” Dominic said.

“Me too,” I said. “Decaf.”

“You got it. I'll get those for you while you look over the menu.” She hurried away.

We spent a few minutes looking over the menu, and then Cassie was back with our coffee. I got the pancake special and Dominic got pancakes as well, but he went with the chocolate chip and added a side of bacon. I fixed my coffee with cream and sugar, then sipped it, feeling oddly shy. Mentally, I chided myself with, This is what happens when you get intimate with someone you barely know.

“So, I, uh, like cream and sugar in my coffee too,” Dominic said.

“What?” I frowned at him.

“Well, we're getting to know each other and we're drinking coffee. I thought it was a good time to get that out of the way.”

I snorted.

“I also love that you snort,” he said.

I snorted again. Then I laughed. “You don't think it's unladylike?”

“Oh, fuck that. It's an expression of humor, and I love to laugh. It's my favorite thing. Well, my second favorite.”

“Yeah, I figured that out. Your energy is very lighthearted. Kinda unexpected after the way I found you.”

Dominic's good mood vanished, and he glanced out the window. “Shit. I need to be more careful with you. One of the Host could see us.”

“So what?”

“They might target you to get to me.”

“They won't get past my ward.”

“And what about when you're out in town, like this?”

“I have ways to protect myself.”

“Yeah, so do I. And they still got me.”

“Because you let your dick rule your head.”

Dominic barked out a laugh. “Fair enough. But women used to be a weakness for me.”

“Used to, eh?”

“Yeah.” Dominic's expression went tender again. “I think it's just one woman now.”

I stared at him.

“Shit,” he muttered. “Sorry. That was too much.”

“No, that was sweet. But it felt real.”

“It is real.”

“It can't be. We barely know each other.”

“All I need to know is that you're the one.”

“You're the one,” I whispered.

“What?”

“Oh. No, sorry. I was just thinking about someone else who said that to me.”

“You're thinking about another guy?” Dominic gaped at me. “Already? Wow, I'm really insulted.”

“Well, he said it to me yesterday. It's odd timing.”

Dominic blinked. “Yesterday? Someone said those very same words to you yesterday?”

“Yes.” I frowned. “You know what's even stranger? He kinda looks like you.”

“Does he?” Dominic said, his expression going blank. “How interesting.”

“Now you sound strange.”

“What's this man's name?” Dominic asked. “How do you know him?”

“He comes into my bar a lot.”

“Your bar? You work in a bar? I wouldn't have guessed that.”

“No, I own it. I serve my potions there along with regular drinks. It gives me a way to help people without being obvious about it.”

“Now that I can see. So, back to this guy.”

I rolled my eyes. “He's a total man-whore. Well, sort of. He comes in, picks up a woman, dates her for a week or so, drops her, then comes in again for someone new. His name's Darius.” I frowned. “He has a D name too. Weird.”

“Yeah. That's really strange.” Dominic's eyes twitched. “But it sounds like this guy is an asshole.”

I laughed. “And you're not just saying that because he's competition?”

“He's not competition.” Dominic snorted.

“Here you go!” Cassie said brightly and slid several platters of food between us.

I leaned back. “Thank you.”

“Anything else I can get you?” She looked back and forth between Dom and me.

“No, we're good,” Dominic said. “Thank you.”

“I'll be back to refill your coffee.”

“Thank you,” I said again. I smiled at her until she was gone, then lifted a brow at Dominic.

“What?”

“You're jealous.”

“No, I'm not.” He chuckled. “You said he's a total man-whore. I assume you put him in his place.”

“Oh, I did. Very much so.” I winced. “And then I accidentally doused him in a potion.”

Dominic burst out laughing. “You did what?”

“It was horrible,” I whispered. “He kept hitting on me, so I left the bar and went into my office. I was working on a potion when he snuck in. He startled me, and I tossed the potion at him.”

“What potion was it?” He leaned forward over his pancakes, totally ignoring the steaming stack of deliciousness.

“It's called Open Your Heart. It's to make people more open to love.”

“Oh, shit.” Dominic laughed again. “That's perfect for a man-whore like this Darius guy.”

“Normally, I'd agree. The problem was; the potion needs to be consumed. When taken properly, it doesn't affect free will, it just opens the person to possibilities they may not have considered. But Darius got drenched in the stuff and instantly started spouting all of this romantic nonsense. He said he dates all those women because he's looking for his soul mate. And then he said that he was certain I was her.” I shook my head. “It was the potion.”

“Ah. Well, there you go. That explains it. It's a coincidence, but he was enchanted while I mean every word.”

I stared down at my pancakes. They were covered in an ooey-gooey maple sauce studded with candied pecans. I cut into it and took a bite. Then I groaned.

“I'll slow down,” Dominic said, then took a bite. He groaned too. “Wow.”

“Yeah, they make the best pancakes here.”

“The bacon's good too.” He waved a piece of thick-cut bacon at me. “Damn. How have I never been here? We've lived in Spokane for centuries.”

I glanced around to make sure no one had overheard him, then widened my eyes at Dominic.

“Don't worry about it.” He waved his fork. “If someone hears me say shit like that, they assume I'm joking, or exaggerating, or that they misheard.”

“Have you really lived here that long?”

He nodded. “Since before it was a big city.”

“Wow. Immortality. It must be nice.”

“It is.” Dominic paused, then added, “Now.”

I shook my head and went back to eating.

“What kind of movies do you like?” he asked.

“Anything but horror. I used to like zombie stuff, back when The Walking Dead was popular, but then I realized how it brought down my mood. It hung around, you know? The brain can't differentiate between what it sees on a screen and what is really happening to you. So, for your brain, watching a horror movie is like you're getting chased by monsters. I started to watch happier stuff and guess what?”

“My angel got her wings?” Dominic shoved another forkful of pancake in his mouth.

“I certainly felt better.”

“Well, try this and you'll be flying even higher.” He held out a forkful of chocolate chip pancakes.

I ate it and groaned. “So good. Here.” I repaid the favor and offered him a bite of mine.

“Oh, damn!” Dominic leaned closer. “Can I have some more?”

“No way! Eat your own.”

“Pardon me.” Dominic waved down Cassie.

“What can I get you?” Cassie hurried over. “More coffee?”

“That too,” Dominic said. “But can I get an order of those pancakes?” He waved at my plate. “Amélie won't give me more than a bite, and I need them.”

Cassie chuckled. “You got it!”

“Well, in that case, you can share more of your pancakes with me,” I said and stabbed the piece he'd just cut for himself.

“Hey!” He glared at me. “You denied me, woman. You don't get to eat my pancakes and have me too.”

I laughed. “I think I can.”

His glare slid into a smirk. “See? You do know me.”

My smile softened. “I'm getting there.”

Chapter Seven

After breakfast, we stopped at a 7-11 to get condoms and snacks—including slurpees, then hurried back to my house. The ward shimmered as we passed through, and Dominic winked at me.

“I've never had someone look after me before,” he said as I parked in front of the house.

“Maybe we can look after each other,” I offered.

“I didn't think a strong witch like you would appreciate anyone assuming that they could look after you.”

“It's different when it's my boyfriend. Then it's more like a partnership.”

“Boyfriend, eh?” Dom drew back. “Now, look who's rushing things.”

“Oh. I, uh, sorry. I didn't—”

“I'm teasing you, angel,” he cut me off, then leaned in to kiss me. As he pulled away, he said, “Call me whatever you want as long as I'm yours.” He grabbed the bags out of the back and headed to the house.

I gaped after him, then hurried after him. I slipped ahead and unlocked the front door. “Binx!” I called as I went in. “We're back.”

Binx came down the stairs to greet us and see what we'd brought him. I hadn't got him anything, so I gave him some of his treats out of the container in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Dominic put our leftovers away and emptied the bags from the convenience store.

He held up the condoms. “No time for potions, angel. I've been waiting all morning.”

I pulled the comb out of my hair and tossed it on the table as I sauntered over to him. “Is that right?”

“It is.” He grabbed my hips, still holding the box in one hand.

“Do you remember calling me Gandalf?”

He laughed. “Yeah, I do. Cause of what you said.”

“The incantation.” I nodded and undid my outer blouse. It fell to the floor.

“Would you rather I call you Gandalf?”

I snorted. “Hell, no.”

“Good. Because I think that might have an adverse effect this.” He grabbed my hand and put it on his bulging crotch.

I slid my hand upward and popped the button on his jeans.

“Oh, now, you're gonna get it,” Dominic growled and scooped me up.

“Where are you going?” I asked when he carried me into the living room.

“You'll see. I set something up this morning while you were getting dressed.”

“You set something up? What does that mean?”

“Be patient, angel. You'll see.”

Dominic took me through the living room and out to my favorite room in the house. I had spent a lot of money building this add-on. It was a sunroom, or a conservatory if you wanted to go with the Victorian theme. Its roof and walls were made of glass panels held in iron frames. The living room opened onto it, with a pair of French doors separating the spaces. Even the floor was special, covered in salvaged antique tiles, and plants of all sizes filled the space, many of them set on wooden platforms. A worktable stood before one of the tiered platforms, with gloves, tools, and assorted equipment strewn across it. I grew a lot of the herbs I needed for my potions there, but most of the plants were simply for enjoyment, chosen for their beauty. I loved to relax in the room, so there were a few antique chairs strewn about, including a chaise lounge. Sprawling across its velvet expanse amid all those plants in the middle of winter with sunshine coming through the ceiling was the height of hedonism for me.

Dominic had done a little rearranging.

There was a full-length mirror set before the largest of the chairs—a heavy, wooden thing carved with dragon heads. I rarely sat in it. Without a cushion, it was uncomfortable, but it was so beautiful, I kept it. He set me down before the chair and undressed me. Slowly. Taking his time to appreciate every inch revealed.

I glanced at the mirror as he crouched to remove my skirt. “You brought this in from the living room.”

“That's right.” He stared up at me reverently as he slid my panties down.

I yanked off my tank top, unwilling to wait for him. It felt natural to be naked there, among the plants. With him. Dominic stood up and shucked off his shirt. Then his pants were gone, all in less than a minute. His cock was still bobbing from its rapid jeans exodus when he sat down on the wooden chair.

“Come here, angel. Straddle my lap and face the mirror.”

“Oh, we're getting kinky now?” I asked.

“You think this is kinky?” Dominic grinned. “Oh, you really are an angel.”

“Shut up,” I said affectionately as I straddled his thighs. “Now, I know why you chose this chair.”

“It's big and sturdy enough to deal with what we're going to do on it. And it's hella cool. I dig the dragons.” He lifted a condom packet and opened it with his teeth.

I glanced back to watch him roll the condom down his shaft. How Dom made it sexy, I don't know, but he did. I was wet by the time he was covered.

“Oh, you fucking gorgeous, glorious woman,” he growled and pulled me back to lie across his chest. “Let me just worship you awhile.”

“Worship away.” I relaxed back and waited to see what he'd do next.

Stroking me from chin to core, using light, then hard motions, Dominic sighed. I shivered. Our stares met in the mirror, his eyes burning. Turning into molten metal. Gold and silver. I rolled my head to kiss him, and we groaned together as his hands claimed my breasts, massaging them before plucking at my nipples. I reached back to grip the back of his head as we kissed, and Dom slid one hand down my belly to delve into my sex.

“Fuck!” I moaned, jerking away from his mouth.

“Gods, you're wet,” he murmured. “I need to get inside you. Will you think less of me if I cut the foreplay short?”

“I demand it.”

“Thank Hades.”

Dominic eased me forward, and I rose up, off his lap, hands on the heavy armrests to brace myself. He held himself straight, and I slid over him, working him into me until he was in position. Once perfectly placed, I lowered onto that thick shaft. He was right; I was wet. And that meant he slid into me like a hot knife through soft butter.

“Oh, fuck,” he whispered. “Oh, fuck. Look at you. Look at me sliding into you. Lean back, angel. I want to see everything.”

He eased me back onto his chest and slid forward a little. It put us on full display. Like our own porno, we were framed in gold, his sex pumping up into mine and then emerging, coated in latex and my desire. I wanted to feel his flesh again, but it was better to be careful. Next time, I'd have the potion made and then we wouldn't have to worry about pregnancy.

“So beautiful,” Dom panted. “Oh, yeah. Writhe for me, angel. Move that body. Take me into you. Grind that thick ass on me.”

I did just that, undulating over him. The sight of my naked body rolling atop his while we angled ourselves together, his cock going deep into me, made me feel bolder. Sexier. Dom knew just where to rub me, his middle finger circling my clit to send searing ecstasy shooting through my sex and up my belly to meet the more tender pleasure radiating from where he kissed and nibbled on my neck. Moaning through the magic of our merging bodies, I massaged my breasts. Then I lifted one breast and sucked my nipple into my mouth.

“Fuck!” Dominic roared and slammed up into me. “Oh, fuck, angel!” He grabbed my hips and kept thrusting, harder and harder. “Suck the other one for me. Oh, Gods, that's the sexiest shit I've ever seen!”

I took my other breast and did the same maneuver.

Dominic came off the chair, his arms under my thighs to hold me aloft as he pumped primally into me. I reached my free hand back to grab his neck. His muscles were tight, creating a column like steel. Our stares met in the mirror—his hotter than Hades. Then I deliberately looked down.

I stared at Dom's cock slamming up into me, my body pulling at it with every exit as if begging it to stay. My thighs were spread wide, and my sex was bright pink and plump, dripping over his. I released my breast and slid a finger over my clit, circling it. The swollen bud was near to bursting already. One touch, and I fell into a sexual oblivion.

“Dominic!” I screamed as I plummeted.

“Angel!” Dominic latched onto my neck, then locked up, his last thrust so deep and hard that I was flattened against him.

The feel of his teeth in my neck magnified my orgasm, and I shuddered through pleasure so vast, I couldn't form thoughts. The magnificence of it just kept rolling upward until I crashed over a second apex and came down in a rain of stars.

Panting, Dominic fell onto the chair and cradled me in an adoring embrace. I sighed as he reached between us to grab the base of the condom before he eased out. Then he shifted me so that I lay across his lap and nestled me into his arms.

Dominic laid his forehead against mine and whispered, “Let's do that again. Just give me two minutes.”

I burst out laughing.

Chapter Eight

“What about the Host?” I asked several hours later, after we'd showered and dressed.

I had made us a quick lunch of sandwiches and added some chips from our convenience store haul. We sat on the floor in the living room, our plates and glasses set on the round, Chinese, carved coffee table. The curtains were open, letting in the afternoon light, and it all felt very normal. Safe.

But I couldn't forget that right next door were men led by a soul who had escaped the Underworld, and they were intent on killing Dominic.

“I told my pack everything this morning. They're watching the house and forming a plan.” He grimaced. “I may have to leave soon to help them.”

“I could help too.”

“No.” Dominic's usually lighthearted expression went grim. “No,” he repeated. “I won't put you in danger. It's bad enough that you're right next door to them.”

“I don't have to go with you to do. I could just enchant you. Give you a boost of power. Invisibility. Invulnerability.” I shrugged. “Something like that. Honestly, I'm not a fighter. I don't want to accompany you.”

Dominic blinked. “I mean, uh. We're already immortal.”

“But you're not invulnerable. You proved that the night we met.”

“And you can make us invulnerable?” He leaned onto the coffee table, closer to me.

“For a little while. It wouldn't be a blanket invulnerability. It would be something specific. Like invulnerability to drowning or bullets.”

“Bullets. You can make us bulletproof?”

I grinned. “Yes, I can.”

“Holy shit, woman!” Dominic grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me into a kiss. “Have I told you that you're perfect?”

I smirked. “A few times.”

“Well, you're even more perfect than I thought. What else can you do?”

“What do you want me to do?” I waggled my brows at him.

His grin turned wicked. “Oh, so much. So very much. And there's even more that I want to do to you.” He picked me up and set me on the couch, then knelt between my legs. “Lift your skirt for me, angel.”

With a grin, I pulled up my long skirt, lifting my hips so I could gather it around my waist. As I did that, Dominic pulled down my panties. I sat back down and lifted my feet so he could remove them completely. And then he was pushing my thighs apart, and I was scooting to the edge of the couch, anticipating the pleasure of his tongue. God, I loved random acts of oral sex.

I already knew how Dominic performed it. I knew that he'd start with a few long licks. Oh, yes—one, two, three. Each lick sent ripples of delight through me, but Dominic also moaned and closed his eyes. And when I looked down, I saw his erection already straining his jeans. Next would come some light flicks of his tongue to get at my clit, revealing my little bud as he sent zings up my spine. And then—oh, wait, he was mixing things up and adding fingers already. I sighed and set my feet on the couch, opening myself more to him.

“So fucking beautiful,” he murmured against my flesh, his stare locked on my face. “Take off your clothes. I want to see all of you.”

As Dominic continued to lick and stroke me, drawing his finger through my center, I removed my skirt, and then my blouse. I teased him a little, taking my time with my lace bra, and he growled into my flesh.

“Oh, yes!” I cried and grabbed my breasts through the bra. “Right there!”

“Take it off,” he demanded, then slipped a finger inside me. “Do it, or I will. And I'm afraid I won't be gentle about it.”

I shivered, enjoying the aggression in his voice. Dom was always so sweet, so adoring. To see him take control and hear the power in his voice was a thrilling change. And it was a relief to know that I hadn't figured him out yet. Not completely. It was too soon for that. I wanted more mystery. I wanted to draw this out a bit. So, yes, I was relieved to see another side to him.

“What if I don't want you gentle?” I licked my lips, then bit the bottom one.

Dominic rose to his knees, his finger still inside me. Thrusting it slowly, he leaned down to kiss me. Then he eased back to whisper, “My angel gets what she wants.”

With one hand, Dominic reached behind me and flicked my bra open. All normal there. But then he grabbed the center front of and yanked it away, the force of his motion so great that he lifted me off the couch with it. I yipped as I fell back, my breasts jiggling. He smacked one of them, then grabbed it.

“You will tell me if I'm too rough.” It was a command, not a question.

I nodded eagerly.

He pinched my nipple, then bent his head to suck it. Hard. As I groaned and writhed, he withdrew his finger and slid it downward. Drawing moisture with him, he gathered it around my back opening. I clenched in surprise.

“Easy, angel,” Dominic said around my nipple. He flicked his tongue over me. “I'm going to fuck you here, but I need to prepare you first.”

“What?” I whispered.

He shifted his glittering stare up to my face. After one last lick, he drew back and straightened. “Haven't you done that before?”

I shook my head.

Dominic shuddered, his eyes closing briefly. “Oh, fuck. You keep getting better and better.”

“Dom, I don't know if I want to do that. It doesn't sound enjoyable.”

“You'll enjoy it. I'll make sure of it.” He bent and kissed me again, his tongue savaging my mouth. Then he whispered, “But if you don't, you tell me, and I'll stop. Okay?”

“All right.”

“That's my angel.” He slipped his finger into me.

I gasped and tightened around him, pushing him out.

“Just feel me,” Dominic said and crouched between my thighs again. “Forget what you know about receiving a man here and just feel. Look at it as the possibility of a new type of pleasure. Be open to it.”

He circled my hole, but this time, he also bent his head to my sex and started working his magic there. I groaned and did as he said, letting go of I believed about anal sex and focusing on being with Dominic. Just simply exploring what we could do together to see if it might be something I'd enjoy. Why not?

But then Dom stood up, leaving me splayed open and naked while he was still clothed.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Stay there.” Dominic pointed at me. “Don't fucking move. I want to come back to find you open and dripping for me.”

Breathless, I said, “Okay.”

He left the room. Left. The. Fucking. Room.

I watched him go, wondering if he were about to pull some freaky Fifty Shades of bullshit on me. But he quickly returned with some condoms and lube.

Right. We'd need those. Especially if he was going back there. Suddenly, I relaxed. Dom wasn't a man who cared only about his own pleasure. A normal guy wouldn't be as motivated to remember a condom for anal. After all, he wouldn't have to worry about getting me pregnant that way. But if we had anal sex unprotected and then later, we had normal sex unprotected, he could give me a nasty infection. And Dominic was concerned about that. His concern made me feel safe with him. I could trust him to do what was best for me.

Dominic grinned when he saw that I was in the same position he'd left me in. He came to stand before me, then set the things down on the couch beside me. Still watching me, he undressed. I watched, hungry for every inch of skin he bared. I'd never been so sexually aroused by a man before. Had it only been a day that I'd known Dominic Demos? Impossible. This man knew my body better than anyone.

And I knew his.

Oh, God. Look at that chest. Those arms. Those thick legs. And that cock. Dominic stroked it as he stared at me. Then he knelt before me again and got out a condom. He had it on in a few seconds. Next came the lubrication. But he didn't put it on himself. Instead, he squeezed it over my sex. I noticed that he was careful to use his right hand to rub it in, then took over with his left to spread it down to that other place.

I sighed and wriggled. It felt good. That slickness. The gentle rubbing. Then he pressed the tip of his finger into the center of me. My flesh yielded. I sighed. My sex clenched instead of my back opening. My eyes closed. Hard flesh rubbed over my sex, and my eyes popped open. Dominic was sliding his sheathed cock over me, getting it slick, all while he teased my ass.

Watching me with his hot stare, Dominic grabbed the base of his shaft and angled it until he found his way into my sex. I cried out, my entire body shuddering as he entered. I'd expected this to be about anal. I thought he was going to focus on that act. But, just as Dominic said, that's not what this was about at all. It was about pleasure. Our pleasure. We'd get there eventually, but it was about the ride. The whole ride.

I bit my bottom lip and closed my eyes to enjoy the journey. I wanted to go wherever Dominic would take me. And he took me slowly, pumping in and out, letting my sex adjust to him as my other channel adjusted to his finger. He stretched me perfectly, his cock just big enough to fill me without pushing my limits. Then he rolled forward.

I forgot about Dom's finger down there. Even as it breached me. Even as it moved faster. I was too wrapped up in the way our bodies merged higher up. The way Dominic licked his lips as he stared at my breasts. The way he rolled his hips to make every entry a sexual feast both visually and physically.

It didn't register that he was finger fucking my ass until he started pounding it in time with his thrusts. My eyes went wide. It felt good. Better than good. So good that I wanted more.

As if he could hear my thoughts, Dominic slid out of my sex and rubbed his shaft over my clit. “I think you're ready, angel. Do you want to try my cock in your ass now?”

I nodded.

“I want you to rub your pussy for me while I fuck you. Do it like you would if you were alone.”

Oh, the shivers his words brought. I moaned in answer and started rubbing myself.

“Good girl.” Dominic positioned his cock lower.

I felt it prod me down there. Push gently. Draw back. Push again. I wriggled on him.

“Stay still,” he growled.

Shivers of delight ran through me in reaction to his harsh tone, and I went still.

“Now, take it.” Dominic slipped into me.

I cried out as I was filled in a way I'd never been before. New pleasure burst through my body. Exciting feelings. Nerve endings that had never been stimulated like that before came alive. My fingers sped up, jerking over my clit and rubbing my sex. Wet sounds came to my ears, and I realized it was me. My desire. I screeched in pleasure and set my feet on Dom's chest, opening myself further to him. Needing as much as he could give.

“That's my angel,” Dom groaned. “Oh, fuck, look at you. I wish we were in front of the mirror again so you could see how beautiful your body is, stretched around mine.”

“Shut up and fuck my ass!” I screamed.

Dominic's grin was glorious. He wrapped his arms around my thighs and started slamming into me. And he looked magnificent fucking me, his stomach rippling with every undulation, his arms bulging with muscles, and his jaw thrust forward. Light burst behind my eyelids. Were my eyes open or closed? I couldn't tell. My head rolled from side to side, my body opened like a flower, and my clit exploded with ecstasy.

I stroked it faster and screamed like a banshee. “Oh, fuck! Don't stop! Keep fucking me!”

“Anything you want, angel.”

Dominic put on speed, the force of his thrusts making the couch creak. The world seemed to crack open and gush all over me. Or was that just my core drenched in passion? Was it always like this? Or was it Dominic who could make something so base feel like magic?

“Come for me, angel,” Dominic snarled. “Come hard!”

As if he could command my body, I instantly rolled into a wild orgasm. My back arched, my breasts shook, and my thighs went tight. Back there, my channel squeezed his flesh, and he groaned, then gave one final thrust, locking up against me. As I screamed, clawed, and shuddered down the walls of an abyss of pleasure, he tumbled after me.

Then we hit the bottom and collapsed together on that sweet expanse. Or the couch. Whatever.

Panting and pressed together, Dominic and I stared at each other. He was still inside me, my body clutching at his limp flesh as if it never wanted him to leave. I squeezed harder.

Dominic gasped. “Great Gods, angel. You've ruined me for all others.”

“And you made me like something I thought I was going to hate.”

He reached down and extricated himself, then dealt with the condom. I slid up on the couch as he set it aside, and then he crawled up beside me to snuggle me into his arms.

“I'm honored that you let me try it with you, even when you believed you wouldn't enjoy it. Thank you for trusting me.”

“With my ass virginity?” I grinned against his chest.

“Hey, don't lessen what just happened. That was one of the most incredible sexual experiences of my life. Second only to our first time together. And you don't know how proud I am to have been the first to show you a new kind of pleasure. I . . .” He swallowed roughly, fighting emotion. “It was more than sex for me, angel. I feel closer to you now. To be brutally honest, I'm relieved that I didn't mess things up. I tend to do that.”

I stared at him, my throat closing up on unexpected emotion. Again, I was reminded of Darius and the differences between the two men. One was so arrogant it made me sick while the other, who was just as gorgeous and therefore, just as vulnerable to conceit, was endearingly unaware of how amazing he was. And that made Dominic ten times more incredible. Not that he was insecure. Far from it. But he was also far from the cocky vanity of Darius. It was enough to make a woman fall head over heels.

Sliding my arms around his neck, I kissed his cheek, then said, “You haven't messed up with me. Not once.”

Dominic's stare shivered, something rising in the gray depths, then he blinked. His usual, carefree expression fell over his face. “Oh, just give me some time, angel. I'm sure I will.”

“Don't pull back now,” I said softly. “You were right there with me.”

“Right where?” he whispered, the smile falling away.

“On the edge of something real.”

“Angel, this is real.” Dominic's stare backed his words. “We passed the edge together, and I'm not looking back. I'm here with you. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Dom,” I whispered. “This feels right, but my head keeps telling me this isn't how love works.”

“Tell your head to fuck off.” He grinned broadly. “And if it doesn't shut up, I'll fuck your pretty ass again and your screaming will shut it up.”

I bent my head to hide my face. “I really enjoyed it.”

“Hey.” He took my chin and angled my face up toward his. “You told me not to pull away, and now you're doing it.”

“I'm a little embarrassed that I enjoyed it so much. I went a bit wild.”

“Are you kidding me? You were glorious. I've never seen a woman fall into pleasure with such freedom. Just not giving a fuck about anything but the way she feels. You trusted me to take you there, but then you dove in all on your own. I . . . Amélie, I need to tell—”

Something chimed.

“Damn it,” Dominic growled and looked over his shoulder. His cellphone was on the coffee table and its screen was alight. “Not now!”

“It's all right,” I said. “It could be important.”

“You are more important than anything else on the face of the planet.”

“That's sweet.” I sat up. “But answer your call. I have to get ready for work anyway.”

“Don't go in. Take the day off.” He pulled me back down onto his lap and kissed my neck. “Call in sick. Ple-e-ease.”

“I did tell you that I own the bar, right?”

“And you have employees, right? Can't they handle things without you for one night?”

“Yes, of course. Jackie supervises for me on my days off. But I'm off tomorrow and the next day. I don't want to ask her to supervise three days in a row.”

His phone went silent.

“All right. I'll go in with you,” he said.

“Dom, I think you should go home and talk to your team,” I said. “You've got to deal with the Host.”

“I don't wanna!” Dominic whined.

I chuckled and snuggled in deeper. “I don't wanna either. But you can come back tonight. I'll adjust the ward to let you through. Then we can have two days all to ourselves.”

“Fine,” he grumbled.

His phone started ringing again.

“Damn it all!” Dominic sat up, taking me with him, one arm tight around my waist, and grabbed the phone. He settled us back against the couch as I laughed, then he answered with an annoyed, “What?!”

I shook my head at him and slipped out of his arms.

“Hey, come back here.” Dom reached for me, but I eluded him. “I'm not talking to you, asshole. Fucking obviously. You're not here, are you?” A pause, then, “What do you want?!”

As I headed upstairs, my body wonderfully languid, I grinned to myself.

“No, not yet. Actually, I've just found out that she can help us. You won't believe what she's capable of. She might be exactly what we need to catch Michael.”

Right. I forgot about that. I had offered to help. But I had to go into the bar. I wasn't going to put my life on hold to help them. Then again, it's not as if I had to close the bar to do it, and if all Dom said were true—and I believed it was—ridding the world of Michael was in everyone's best interest. He was an escaped soul tricking humans into doing his dirty work. And that work included killing the man I—

“The man I what?” I muttered to myself as I entered the bathroom. “You're not in love with him. That would be crazy. It's been a day, you stupid girl. It's just hormones. He's made you come a billion times and that releases a billion hormones. Steady yourself.”

I turned on the shower, then looked at myself in the mirror over the sink. My hair was wild, my cheeks flushed, and my eyes alight. I looked amazing. I fucking felt amazing.

“Yup. It's the sex,” I said to my reflection. Then I blushed. “Who knew that anal sex would feel so good?” I smirked. “Well, the gays, I guess. They knew. They've always known.” I shook my head. “It shouldn't. It makes no sense. But it does. And he looked incredible while he did it.”

The image of Dominic savagely fucking me entered my mind, and I shivered. I wanted to shower with him. Wash his hard body with a soapy scrubby. See the suds slide over his delectable skin. I wanted to spend the night with him. I wanted to wake up with him again tomorrow. And the day after that. I wanted to do everything with him. Most of all, I wanted him inside me again.

They say that the more sex a woman has—good sex, mind you—the more she wants it. I could see the truth of that now. My ass ached but in the best way. As if it were crying for more. And not just there. My sex wept for Dom. My poor little swollen bud had seen more action than it had in years, but it didn't care. It wanted another tongue-lashing. Fuck, even my breasts tightened from a few thoughts of him. Dominic was right downstairs, and we had just had sex, but there I was, hot and bothered, my hand sliding into my curls to rub at myself again.

With a gasp, I braced myself on the counter and bent forward, hiding my face with my hair. Running frantically, I moaned as another orgasm built.

“Oh, don't you dare, angel,” Dominic growled.

My head shot up to see Dom standing in the open doorway. Naked. The mark of Hades pointing down to his hard cock. As if I needed the reminder. He strode forward, pushed me even further onto the counter, and shoved into me with one slick maneuver. It was as if Hades had made Dominic's body to fit mine. I cried out and braced myself, lifting my head to meet his stare in the mirror.

“What took you so long?” I growled.

Dominic grinned. But then he cursed, “Fuck. We need a condom. You still haven't cast that spell.”

“Forget it. You can pull out again.”

“You know that's not the—”

“Dominic!” I snarled.

He groaned and grabbed my hips as he thrust forward, obeying my command. “My angel gets what she wants.”

Chapter Nine

Dominic's truck was parked on the public road that ran along the front of my property. A few other homes had driveways off the same road, including the Host house, but he had parked closest to mine.

“I must have sensed you,” Dominic said as I stopped my car beside his truck—his shiny, black, expensive truck. “Even before we met.” He leaned in to kiss me goodbye. “Call me when you get home, and I'll come running, angel.” He grinned. “Like a good dog.”

“Okay,” I said with a shy smile. “I'll see you later.”

He grabbed his bundle of bloodstained clothing and got out. I waited, watching to make sure that he got in his truck and started it safely.

“I'm fine, Mom,” he teased, leaning out the window. Then the truck roared to life, and he waved me off. “Go on. I'll follow you into town.”

And he did. It was comforting to see Dominic's black behemoth right behind me the entire way. Only when I turned into the Hair of the Dog's parking lot did he leave, driving past with a wave. I waved back and then parked behind the building. I owned the bar, but the space was rented. I had lucked out and gotten the bottom floor of a seven-floor building downtown. It was a great location, but what was even better was that the upper floors were all rented by companies whose employees left by early evening. So there was no one there to be bothered by any noise coming from the bar, and we had the entire parking lot to ourselves. At this hour, between the closing of the companies above and the opening of my bar, the lot was empty. The building didn't even have a security guard since my bar stayed open late, and I had bouncers guarding the entire bottom floor. So that saved the companies money. It was a win-win for all of us.

As I unlocked the side door, I stared at the simple sign that declared it was the employee only entrance to Hair of the Dog.

“Hair of the Dog,” I murmured. “I guess I sensed you too, Dom.”

I went into the bar, leaving the door unlocked for my employees. They'd be arriving at any minute. Inside, the place was dark, but it was a second home to me, and my hand knew exactly where to go to flip the switch. Another few feet and I came to the control panel for the entire bar. I switched on the lights and power, then headed into the main room. The scent of rosemary welcomed me, coming from the prosperity wash I used on everything that was wood and needed polishing. It cleaned, polished, drew money to the bar, and had the bonus of smelling fresh. People often commented on how clean my bar smelled. It's not something you expect from a drinking establishment.

I didn't bother turning over chairs or getting glasses out of the dryer. That's what I paid people for. Instead, I checked on our supplies, starting with the alcohol and ending with my potions. The alcohol was good, but I had four potions to refill, including the one I had wasted on Darius.

“Darius.” I rolled my eyes. “Fuck. He's going to be back tonight.” I went into my office, leaving the door open. I'd start preparing the potions, but wouldn't get started enchanting them until someone else had arrived to look after the bar. “Or maybe Darius woke up this morning and realized what a mistake he made. Yeah, that's probably what happened.”

“It's not at all what happened.”

I spun around to see Darius standing in the doorway. Again.

“What the fuck are you doing here?!” I shouted.

Darius held up his hands. “I told you I'd be back.”

“I expected that to be later tonight. When we're actually open. Not for you to come skulking in through the employee only entrance like a fucking criminal!”

“I believe you open in twenty minutes.”

“Yeah, but no one comes in that early.”

“Then why do you open that early?”

“Because it gives us about an hour to prepare for the people who come in at eight.”

“Well, I wanted to be here before anyone else. And you left the side door open.” He shook his head. “You shouldn't do that. Anyone could come wandering in. Someone dangerous.”

I went still. Stared at him. It was astonishing how similar he looked to Dominic. Now that I had him before me again, and Dom was still so fresh in my memories, I could really see it. They could have been brothers. And both of their names began with D. Odd. Very odd. Speaking of odd, what were the odds of that?

“You mean like you?” I asked as I subtly reached behind my back for one of the ward potions I kept in my desk.

They were for emergencies. It was a quick barrier spell, one that didn't have to be set into the earth but instead set upon a person. It formed an impenetrable shield that lasted about an hour. Just long enough to get me to safety if need be. In fact, it was kin to the spell I had offered to protect Dominic with.

“I'm very dangerous,” Darius admitted freely. “But I'd never hurt you, Amélie. I promise.”

“Uh-huh. I think I'd like you to leave now.”

“What have I done to scare you?”

“Nothing besides come on way too strong last night, throw around my best bouncer, and then show up here tonight before anyone else has arrived.”

He grinned and shook his head. “Yes, all right, I can see how bad that looks. But I'm not a threat to you. I just want to talk. Cast your spell if you like.” He waved at the desk. “I know you're reaching for one.”

I sighed and went to sit down behind my desk. I had good instincts about people and my instincts told me that Darius, although a slut and dangerous, was a good man. He could have hurt Ralph, but he hadn't.

“Look, Darius, I'm just not interested.”

“It wasn't the potion, Amélie.” Darius strode up to my desk and planted his feet shoulder-width apart. He crossed his arms and stared me down, as if bracing himself for a fight. “The only thing your magic did was open my eyes. I want you. No one else.” With a sigh, he dropped his arms. “I'm doing this wrong, aren't I? Fuck, I should have brought flowers. Or chocolate. Or flowers and chocolate. That's the usual offering, right?”

I chuckled. “I don't think I've ever seen you this unsure of yourself.”

“Because I've never been like this.” He plopped down in the chair beside him. “I don't know much about romancing a woman. They usually, well, never mind that. It's just going to sound conceited.”

“Women usually pursue you? Is that what you were going to say?” I lifted a brow at him. “You don't have to say it. I've seen it. I've watched you literally crook your finger, and a woman got up and went to you. Frankly, it disgusted me. I was embarrassed for my sex. I mean, you're handsome, but not that handsome.”

He flushed. The color did him good. Made him more real.

“To be honest, it's nice to see you unsettled,” I went on. “I think this is good for you. Try to remember this the next time you go after a woman. Be more humble. Women like that, especially in men who don't have to be. Humility and even a bit of insecurity in a good-looking guy is sexy. Better than what you've been throwing out.”

I instantly thought of Dominic and how adoring he was. How vulnerable he'd made himself with me. I would have felt out of my league with him, but instead, he made me feel like a goddess. And that was sexier than any swaggering hottie. Dom knew he was handsome, but he didn't toss it in my face. He didn't use it against me. Instead, he acted as if he were nothing compared to me. And there was more to him than his appearance. Dom had layers that kept me interested when we were out of bed. Darius might have them too, but I doubted he'd ever show them to his lovers. He simply wasn't as brave as Dom.

“I can be humble.” Darius leaned forward. “You're humbling me right now.”

I gentled my tone to say, “I don't mean to. Truly. I'm sorry I doused you last night. And I'm really sorry it opened your eyes to me. I don't want to humiliate you, and I don't mean to be cruel. You're a beautiful man who has grown accustomed to women behaving in a certain way around you. You're not the only one at fault for your arrogance. But maybe don't shine a light on your confidence. Ease back on the self-love and you might actually find someone else to love more.”

“So, this is what a pure soul is like,” he murmured.

“Excuse me?”

“You, Amélie. You're glorious.”

“Don't start, Darius.”

“Oh, I'm going to start all right. And I'm going to finish. I'm going to say exactly what I want to say and this time, you won't be able to blame it on your potion.”

“Fine,” I huffed. “Say your piece, but know that it won't make a difference. I don't want to go out with you.”

“And yet, you still care enough about me to give me that advice.”

“Don't take it personally.”

Darius laughed. “Oh, I don't. I know you care about everyone. As I said, you're a pure soul.”

“Stop saying that. It's weird.”

“Let me ask you something. Did you open this bar to draw the broken ones to you?” He leaned back and crossed his legs as he stared at me in the way of a psychiatrist. “All the sad and lonely people. The depressed and the shy. The ones who think they'll be alone forever. And the ones who just want to end it all. You slip them a little something and change their lives, don't you? A little magic to make the world a better place. You don't hoard it as some would. No, you share your magic.”

“How did you . . . ?” I whispered. Then I mentally shook myself. “I told you; I'm not a witch. I'm an herbalist.”

“Right. An herbalist. Whatever.”

“I don't just give away my remedies,” I huffed, annoyed at his attitude. “I charge for them. I'm not some pure soul, do-gooder.”

“Just because you charge for your magic, it doesn't mean you don't want to help people. It just means you need money to continue helping. I get that. You have a bar to run. Staff to pay. Bills.”

I shook my head. “Who are you?”

“You want to help people because you have a pure soul,” he ignored my question. “You did so much good in a past life that when you died, you went to the Blessed Isles—the heaven of heavens. And there, you were given a choice to stay in that beautiful place forever or return for another go at life. This time with a few magical perks. And you chose to come back. Not for yourself, but for the good you knew you could do.”

My breath caught as emotions rushed through me. Something shivered up my spine. An awareness. That urge that drove me. The need to guide and protect. In the past, I worried that I was arrogant. Who was I to think I could guide others? But now, listening to Darius, I knew it wasn't arrogance at all. It was love. Love led me, and I wanted—no, I needed—to share that love with the world. I had so much love for everyone. When I saw someone struggling, all I wanted to do was help them. Even people like Darius. He was schmuck, but I still had hope for him. Was it because of a choice I had made in another life? No, in death. He said I chose to leave heaven to help people. This was insane, right? He had to be crazy.

The crazy schmuck uncrossed his legs and leaned forward to plant his forearms on my desk. “Did you know that all witches have pure souls, Amélie? You were born into a witch family, weren't you? The best of them are the ones with magic, right? I don't mean they're the best because they're magical. I mean they're the best people. Truly good. Pure souls.”

Grandma—my mom's mom—had been the kindest, most beautiful person I'd ever known. I had always believed that I inherited my need to do good from her. She's one of those people who believe in leaving the world a better place than it was when you arrived. And on my dad's side, there was my Aunt Lexi and my cousin, Beau. They were both practitioners of Vodou who had done great things for their communities. They were good people. Truly good. The kind of good that's unshakable. No one could taint their goodness. And yes, people had tried.

Shivers ran down my spine. The skin on my arms pebbled. Something inside me reacted to Darius's words in epiphany. A vision of buildings made of jewels flashed through my mind and then was gone.

“The Blessed Isles?” I murmured. “That's Greek mythology, right?”

“Well done.” He nodded. “You remember something, don't you? Did you see the Isles? The homes there are made out of precious jewels.”

“Oh, my God,” I whispered. And my shock wasn't just because he had just described my vision. It was also because of Dominic. My Hound of Hades. He was an immortal here to do a god's bidding. And now this man was talking to me about the Underworld. This man who resembled Dominic.

“You don't get to remember your past life,” Darius went on. “Not even I remember mine. But sometimes, people remember the Underworld and they think it's their past life. I remember being reborn in the Underworld.”

I blinked. “What did you just say?”

“If you were a normal woman, I'd ease you into this. But you're not. You're a witch. You understand magic, and I see that you believe what I've shared with you. I think you'll understand me and my packmates.”

“Packmates?” I froze.

“I'm not a libertine, Amélie.” He grimaced. “Perhaps my behavior can be seen as a bit slutty. But it's because I've been looking for my mate—the one Hades promised me. You see, I work for him. A very long time ago, when my soul was in the Underworld, Hades offered me another chance at life. Eternal life. But it came with a price. I'd be his soldier, protecting the world from any souls who linger too long or escape the Underworld.”

“All right, that's enough!” I shot to my feet, horror and epiphany warring in my head. Everything was clicking into place, and I didn't like the clicking. It sounded like the hammer of a gun hitting empty chambers in a game of Russian roulette. “I don't want to hear anymore. This is over.” I waved at the door. “Get out, Darius.”

“I'm telling the truth.” Darius leveled his startling stare on me and the light caught the metallic flakes of silver in his eyes. “Shall I prove it to you?”

Oh, I knew he was telling the truth. I knew it because I had finally figured out why he looked so much like Dominic. It seemed so obvious now. I felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner. Darius was a Hound of Hades, part of Dominic's Cerberus team. His pack. But he was saying things that Dom had only hinted at. That's why I was upset. Not because of Darius. It was Dominic. I was falling for him, believing that he'd been utterly honest and vulnerable with me. Maybe he was, but he'd also been holding back some serious information. A mate? Hades had promised them mates? What did that mean? Magic? Most likely. But what sort of magic?

Dominic's phone conversation from that morning came back to me. How he told his packmate that I was the one. He'd said it to me too. He wasn't going anywhere because I was the one. He had to mean I was his mate. Then he told his packmate that he didn't care about the woman he'd met. A woman in a bar. Fuck! He'd been talking to Darius. And they'd been talking about the same woman. Me.

I processed more. That horrifying clicking came again. Empty chambers, but one of them would inevitably fire a bullet straight into my brain.

At breakfast, Dominic had behaved oddly when I told him about Darius. And he'd laughed at Darius for getting doused in my potion. He had laughed hard. As if it was personal. Did he know then what I'd only just figured out—that Darius was after me too? Is that why he'd been so gleeful? Because he'd gotten to me first? Was this a sort of friendly rivalry between them, and I was a prize that Dom had snatched away from Darius?

Nope. Not dealing with this. Not ready. My brain simply couldn't process it all. I needed more time to think things through. Possibly with alcohol. No, definitely with alcohol.

“Get out,” I said again.

And then Darius left.

Oh, he didn't leave the room. No, no, no. Darius isn't a man to give up that easily. He transformed. His body morphed into that of a huge dog, his clothing stretching around him until the dog went transparent. Then the clothes fell through him to pile on the floor. As I jumped back, bruising my ass on my desk, the dog sat down on his haunches and stared at me.

“Holy shit,” I whispered. “Darius?”

The dog gained color and substance, becoming physical, and barked at me.

“Holy shit!” I shrieked. “You really are a Hound of Hades.”

There was no greater confirmation than that. Darius was undeniably Dominic's packmate. They were shapeshifters. A Cerberus team. The Cerberus. From Hell. Well, the Underworld, but tomato-tomahto.

The dog made a huffing sound, and then it transformed again, turning back into Darius. Naked Darius.

I averted my gaze.

“How do you know that title?” A little shuffle, and then Darius said, “I'm dressed. You can look.”

I looked back at Darius. He was mostly dressed. He had his pants on—a nice tailored pair of tan slacks—and he was tucking in a button-front shirt as he slipped his feet into his shoes. I absently noted that his chest was just as amazing as Dominic's, but his clothes held more fascination for me. Dominic and Darius were so alike and yet so different. One dressed like a billionaire playboy and the other like a college boy. And why the fuck was I focusing on their clothes? Maybe so I wouldn't start screaming and breaking things. Yeah, I was mad. I just couldn't figure out who I was mad at or why exactly. Do you know what I mean? I was just really fucking annoyed, disappointed, and pissed off. Like, in general.

“I asked you a question, Amélie.” Darius narrowed his eyes at me. “How do you know what I am?”

“Oh, hell no, you did not just take a tone with me!” I snapped.

He cleared his throat but stood his ground. “The tone is warranted. You acted as if you didn't believe me, but then you used my title—a title very few outside of gods know. So, how exactly is it that you know it, Amélie?”

“I read about it. In a book.”

“Bullshit. No human book would have that information.”

“No normal human book would, but I read it in a witch's book. One passed down to me from my grandmother.”

I don't know why I was lying to him. Partly because I was angry. Information had been withheld from me, so I wanted to do some withholding too. I should have just told him about Dominic. That would have ended things between us immediately. No more of him rambling on about me being the one. It would have been satisfying to see Darius finally get smacked down irrefutably. But now I was looking at him differently. He was the same as Dominic. And he had told me something Dominic hadn't. Something important. So, I didn't want to end it yet. I wanted to keep him hanging on long enough to tell me everything.

“Isn't Cerberus supposed to have three heads?” I asked. Yes, I knew this part already, but I had to play dumb to get him to talk.

“So, your book didn't tell you everything about us.”

“No. Just that you protect the world from escaped souls.”

“Interesting,” he murmured in the same tone Dom had at breakfast when I told him about Darius.

The same response given in the same manner. The exact same manner. Had Dominic been mimicking Darius? Making fun of him without letting me in on the joke? Oh, I'm going to spank Dominic's fine ass when I see him later! Spank it and bite it and . . . ugh! Focus, Amélie! He is not getting sex after holding shit like this back. In fact, I should end things with him. But, oh, I like him so much!

“Cerberus is not a single dog with three heads,” Darius squished up his face. “Well, we can be. But that's only when my packmates and I unite.”

“You can unite?”

“Yes. Most of the time, we're three men who work together. We can shapeshift into hounds and when we're in those forms, we can go spectral, as you just saw me do. That's how we collect souls. But in times of great danger, we can combine our hound forms and become one giant, three-headed Cerberus.”

“Holy shit,” I said. Yeah, Dominic had left that out too. “You and your packmates—are you brothers?”

He shrugged. “Not exactly, but it wouldn't be entirely wrong to label us as such. We were created by Hades together. At the same time. It's how he makes every Cerberus. A bonded pack. He put some of himself in each of us.”

Even as the memory of Dominic's brazen tattoo came to mind, Darius lifted his shirt to show me a duplicate. Well, the upper portion of a duplicate. The twin tips of Hades's bident poked above his waistband in back. I didn't have to see all of it to know what it looked like. I immediately imagined the spear points coming together to form a thick shaft—right over Darius's left ass cheek. Hades definitely had a sense of humor.

“Through his mark, Hades grants us some of his power, mainly that over the dead,” Darius went on as he shoved his shirt back in place. “We're bound to him, but also separate. Just as we are within our Cerberus pack.”

“Within the Cerberus,” I repeated, as if I was trying to process it. Because I was.

“There are three men in every Cerberus team and there are teams all over the world,” Darius said.

At least Dom had told me that much.

“And you protect the world from spirits,” I said.

“Yes, that part is accurate. Sometimes, a soul slips free of the Underworld, and we have to track it down. But we mostly deal with the newly dead who don't move on.”

Then something occurred to me. I snorted and said, “So, you're literally a hound dog.”

“Yes.” He scowled. “And?”

“And you think I'd be interested in you after you've rutted your way through my clientele?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Oh, that type of hound dog,” he muttered. Then he shook his head. “That's what I've been trying to tell you. I haven't been rutting. I've been searching for the mate Hades promised us. He cast a spell on all the teams so that we'd find our mates. To survive eternity, we need someone to love. Someone who will remind us of what we're fighting for. Someone special who will love us just as fiercely and be true to us forever. Without that, we will wither away. So you see, I go through women quickly because as soon as I know they're not the one, I move on. I have to. It's life or death for me.”

A shiver ran down my spine. In my mind, I heard Dominic say, “You're the one.”

Shaking off the memory, I said to Darius, “Don't say it.”

“I think you're the one, Amélie,” he said. “You're our mate.”

Chapter Ten

I didn't catch it at first. The little distinction that made all the difference. I was too busy watching Darius come around my desk looking like sex on a stick. I didn't want him. I wanted Dominic. But my body wasn't getting the memo. It had been primed by one hound and was more than ready to take a lookalike. It was nature. That's all.

“You feel it too,” Darius said smugly as he sat on the edge of my desk. His hand went to my neck. Gently, he cupped me there and laid his thumb over my rapid pulse. “You're mine, Amélie. Ours. Our destined mate.”

“What?” I jerked back. “Did you say, 'ours?'”

“Every team gets one mate to share.” Darius gripped the armrests of my chair and leaned in to whisper in my ear, “You're a lucky girl. You just won three lovers and immortality. Congratulations.”

As Darius brushed his lips over mine, I shrieked and pushed him away. Or rather, I pushed myself away, rolling my chair back with such vehemence that it smacked into the wall and rattled the bottles. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

“We share our immortality with our mate.” Darius sat on the edge of my desk, making himself comfortable. “And we share her.”

Damn Dominic! This was why he hadn't told me who Darius was. Because then he'd have to explain that I wasn't just his soul mate. I was the soul mate of an entire Cerberus team. Three men! Dominic's phone call replayed in my mind once more, and I remembered how he said he had to ease me into meeting them. This was why. Not because he was worried that I wouldn't like his friends. It was because he was worried that I wouldn't like the other two men I was supposed to sleep with! Dom intended to share me. He really hadn't been jealous of Darius. I didn't want a possessive lover. That could get irritating and even dangerous. But that didn't mean I wanted a man who was okay with sharing me with his two buddies. That was just gross. Wasn't it? Yes, it was gross. No matter how attractive the three men were.

I got up and hurried to the door before my libido changed my mind. “Please leave, Darius.”

Darius frowned at the door. “I'm not going anywhere.” He paused, his smug demeanor vanishing. “Just meet the others. Please. You won't be disappointed. I swear.”

“I won't be disappointed?” I gaped at him. Then I repeated it with amazed indignation. “I won't be disappointed?! Do you really think that's what bothers me? That your friends might be ugly? How about the fact that I don't know you? That is, beyond you coming in here every couple of weeks to pick up a new woman. Oh, and that you're a shapeshifter from Hell!”

“The Underworld. And I told you I was looking for—”

“I don't care! Get out! Get the fuck out, Darius! I don't want any part of your weird, immortal, shapeshifter sex team.”

“All right.” He held up his hands. “I understand. It's a lot to accept. And I can't be completely sure that you're our mate until you meet the others, but—”

“Oh, my God! You're doing all of this without being certain? You don't even know me. We could end up annoying each other to no end. It's looking like a distinct possibility at the moment.”

“Then get to know me. Come to dinner with me tonight.” Darius paused, then added, “Please.”

“I'm not going anywhere with you.”

“You don't care that you could be the woman we're meant to be with? We'd make you immortal, Amélie. You'd live forever.”

“I don't want to live forever. There's a purpose to the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. And frankly, I don't trust you. The only thing I know to be absolutely true about you is that you're a shapeshifter. As far as I know, that could be all you are and this story about protecting the world and looking for your eternal mate could be a line you use to get laid.”

Yeah, it was harsh, especially since I knew he was telling the truth. Well, I was fairly sure he was telling the truth. I couldn't be certain about anything anymore. But I didn't like him. I liked Dominic. And Darius had just ruined Dom for me. He had turned my sweet, lovable, humble puppy dog into a sly wolf in spectacles and grandma pajamas. I was projecting my rage at Darius because he was a convenient target. But Dominic was going to get it too. A plan was already forming in my head.

Darius's face went into spasm. “I don't—” He cut himself off and started again, “I've told you the absolute truth. I've been more honest with you than I've ever been with a woman. It's a lot to process, so I'm going to forgive that shit you just said. And I'll leave so you can deal with this. But I'm coming back, Amélie. This isn't over.” He turned and left.

“Oh, you're right about that,” I growled. “By the time I'm done with you, you'll be crying for Hades. That's when you'll know it's over.”

Chapter Eleven

I wanted to call Dominic and yell at him. But that would be taking it too easy on him. I may be a pure soul, but I also had a vengeful side that needed satisfaction. Mainly because my heart was breaking.

I glanced at the door, considering going into my stash and having a swig of Get Over It. But that would feel like weakness, and I didn't want to numb my emotions. I needed to feel everything so that I remembered not to trust people so easily. One day. It had only been one fucking day, and I had let Dominic in. Into my home, my body, and my heart. It was embarrassing. He was probably at home, laughing with his other packmate.

“Don't be bitter,” I snapped at myself. “He's not laughing. It was real. He just didn't tell me the part where it would be more than him getting real with me.” My anger cooled a bit, but that was worse. Because sorrow rose to replace it.

There was no way I'd become their destined mate, giving them something to live for, and all that crap. And it was crap. Because it would be a spell. A spell cast by a god. Yeah, that part had sunk deep and really screwed with me. I knew all about magic. The good and the bad. The light and the dark. It was all perspective, of course. But, generally, altering someone's free will was considered bad juju. Bad manners at the very least.

It was difficult to do—love spells. The heart is the most stubborn organ in the human body, even more stubborn than the brain. It's like a cat. You can't force cats to do things like you can with dogs. Cats don't care about things like alphas or if you're mad at them. If you want a cat to do something, you have to make them want to do it. Oh, and don't even think about punishing them if they do something you don't like. They'll just shit in your shoes. Yeah, cats can be difficult little assholes. But when they love you, they do it with all their being, and that love is real. It's not obedience or training. It's given freely and forever. You win a cat's love, and you feel like a god.

Hearts are the same as far as magic goes. And I don't mean the actual organ, despite that line about hearts and brains. I'm sure you know that, but let's be clear. I'm talking about what the organ represents. What's “housed” in it. Love. I make potions that work with love, giving it what it wants—relief from pain, a new insight, the chance to be fulfilled. But if you try to force love to go where you want it to go, it will fuck you up. All claws out. Shit not in your shoes but on your face. Oh, you may get it to submit at first, but it will inevitably find a way free. And then all hell will break loose.

Or all Hades.

Love spells aren't just difficult to cast, they're also difficult to maintain. And they have to be maintained because of the aforementioned stubbornness of the human heart. It wants what it wants. That being said, a love spell cast by a god was a different matter entirely. Would it all go to Hades if Hades was the one to set the enchantment? I was betting not. That spell would be unbreakable. Which was what made it so terrifying.

“Oh, fuck.” I swayed on my feet. “It might already be taking effect. That would explain why I feel so strongly about Dominic after only one day.”

“Amélie!” Jackie rushed into the office and steadied me. “Are you all right? Here. Sit down.” She helped me to my chair.

“Sure. Now, you come in,” I muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” I smiled at her. “Thanks. I just haven't eaten today. My blood sugar is dropping.”

“Oh, girl. I feel you.”

Jackie's parents were Nigerian and African-American. She was stunning, with dark skin and even darker hair the color of a bear's pelt. And she had the temperament to match—God love her. Being around Jackie was comforting because she reminded me of my family in Louisiana. She felt like home. Like strength. Not that the other side of my family didn't empower me. I learned a lot from my Mom's mom. And the rest of my Greek relatives were pretty wonderful too. I remember visiting Greece one summer and meeting all of my cousins. We were just little kids, and you know how kids are. They don't give a shit. They'll call it like they see it. They took one look at me and called me a mermaid.

Yep, a mermaid. I don't know what it was. If it was the darker shade of my skin or my wild curls which were even wilder back then, but they saw a sea creature when they looked at me. Maybe they just sensed the magic inside me. Kids are more sensitive to magic than adults are. Whatever it was, I loved it. I had never felt more proud of who I was.

Jackie didn't make me feel like a mermaid. But she did make me feel like a strong woman who could face anything. Even a trinity of supernatural men with magic that could force my heart into submission. Fuck that. My heart had swamp water running through it.

Jackie had been going on as I silently mused over magic, men, and family. I caught the end of what she was saying.

“—get hangry and then woozy. You're at the woozy stage. You just stay here and I'll grab you something from the kitchen. You want some toast?” She headed for the door.

“Yeah, that would be great. Thank you.”

“I'll smother it in Nutella.” She winked at me as she left.

Our kitchen was on the small side, just large enough to make bar food. But it had an industrial fridge and freezer as well as a full-sized oven. Not just a range. I could have gone back there and made French toast if I wanted to. But hunger wasn't my problem. No, that title belonged to Dominic and Darius.

“I wonder what the third guy's name is,” I muttered. “And if he looks like the other two.”

Then I squared my shoulders. Jackie had given me the kick in the pants I needed. The Hounds of Hades may have a god on their side, but I had magic too. I was . . .

“Oh, wow,” I whispered as another part of my conversation with Darius returned to me. “A pure soul. The Blessed Isles.” I blinked. “I need to call Grandma.”

I fumbled for my purse and pulled out my phone. Jackie had inspired me to be strong, but the person I truly needed to talk to was my grandma. My Mom's mom. She wasn't just a witch. She was also Greek. She worshiped the Greek Gods. Well, a few of them. Not Hades. And what I had to tell her probably wouldn't change that. But if there was anyone who would understand what I was going through and even find joy in what I had discovered, it would be her. And I needed someone to point out the positives of this situation.

“Here you go!” Jackie returned with a toasted croissant slathered in Nutella. “I found a bag of croissants in the fridge. I figured they wouldn't last long anyway.”

“Oh, that looks amazing!” I reached for it, then moaned when she set down a mug of steaming coffee beside it. “Thank you. You're a goddess!”

“I know.” She smirked. “I figured if you haven't eaten yet, this would be breakfast.”

I bit into the croissant and groaned. “You should make one for yourself. This is incredible.”

“Oh, girl. I did. It's in the toaster.” She sauntered out the door. “You all right now?”

“All good. Thank you.”

“You want the door shut?”

“Yes, please. I'll be out in a few.”

“No rush. The others are here. They're already prepping.”

“You guys are great. Thank you.”

“Again. I know.” She shut the door.

I dialed my grandmother.

Chapter Twelve

My grandma was thrilled to learn about the Hounds of Hades and how I had met two of them. Not so much about the possibility of me becoming a mate to the entire Cerberus team. However, she took that better than I thought. As expected, she had great advice for me. She reminded me that there were many charms that could be employed to protect me from love spells. In fact, they're the easiest charms to make. Some were as simple as picking a flower. But I loved my potions and knew that nothing worked as well as something you ingested. So, I went that route.

Grandma even helped me charge the potion, chanting with me through the phone's speaker. Magic is all about intention. Distance has no bearing. So, I wasn't surprised to feel her power add to mine, swirling through the dark tincture of herbs. I took the potion while I was still on the phone with her, but it wasn't a potion whose effects you could immediately feel, and I had no way of testing it. So Grandma said she'd pray to Persephone on my behalf. If there was anyone who could stop Hades's spell, it was his wife. And, as a victim of an arranged marriage (to put it lightly), Persephone might be inclined to help another woman escape a similar fate.

After my talk with my grandma, I got to work. I needed something to distract me for a few hours. I refilled my potions, then went out to help work the bar.

The night was calm and normal for the first bit. But then a man walked in and changed that. He was good-looking, with a Latin look and a closely cropped beard. But it wasn't his appearance that caused a stir. It was the way he started drawing people aside to speak to them.

I didn't notice it at first. But then I saw him leading a man over to a group of people who were sitting on one of the couches near the back of the bar. The guy he was leading looked as if he was in a daze. He sat down among the others and they all gave the Latin guy their full attention.

I wandered over to the nearest empty table and tried to eavesdrop as I cleared away the glasses and beer bottles.

“God will protect and guide you,” the guy said.

I scowled at that. It wasn't completely unheard of for a religious fanatic to stroll in and try to convert people, but this felt different.

He went on, “He sent me to form an army in his name.”

Oh, fuck. No way. It couldn't be.

“An army to fight what?” a woman asked.

“Demons.”

One of the people snorted.

“I will prove to you that I'm an angel.”

I glanced over. The Latin guy slumped forward and the man beside him gasped.

“And I am here,” the second man spoke in the same tone as the Latin guy. Then he slumped. The woman beside him shuddered, then said, “And here.”

The same thing happened to each of them, moving in a circle until it returned to the Latin man.

He inhaled deeply and straightened in his seat. “I'm the Archangel Michael. Do you believe me now?”

“Yes,” they all said, stares focused on him in wonder.

“Oh, hell no!” I shouted and stomped over to the group.

Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing to look at me.

“Wreck-It!” I called.

“Coming, boss!” Ralph's voice sailed across the bar.

“Get up,” I snarled at Michael. “I know who you are, you bastard.” To the people he'd been conning, I said, “He's not an angel. He's an escaped soul who can jump bodies. He just possessed all of you. He wants you to kill innocent people so they can't take him back to hell.”

As if coming out of a spell, the people on the couch shook themselves, then gaped at me. Then at Michael.

“Get out of here,” I said to Michael.

The Latin man stood up with a curious expression on his face. “Now, who do we have here?” He peered at me. “What are you? You seem human and yet not.”

“I'm here, boss,” Ralph said as he stepped up beside me.

“Escort this asshole out of my bar, Wreck-It,” I said. To Michael, I added, “Don't come back. No matter what body you steal, I'll know it's you.”

“Really?” Michael's current body stumbled.

Wreck-It gasped.

I looked at my employee in horror.

Ralph turned toward me with a smirk. “I think you'll be the one leaving.” He reached for me.

“That is quite enough of that bullshit!” someone roared.

I looked over to see one of my regulars get up from his table. Devin. He was just as handsome as Darius and Dominic, maybe even more so. With dark, wavy hair down to his broad shoulders and a pair of green eyes that always seemed to be twinkling with mischief, Devin—what was it with D names?—was movie star-handsome. But he wasn't a player like Darius. He always sat with the women he came with. And he left with them. All four of them. Not to imply that he was with them romantically. I'd never seen anything more intimate than a shoulder-grab between them. If I had to guess, I'd say they were very close friends.

Devin's very close friends stared at Michael as if studying something slimy that had grown legs. And Devin looked especially disgusted. He strode up to Wreck-It, his walk casual and loose, but there was something dangerous about him. Hovering in his aura. Suddenly, he wasn't the nice guy who came by weekly for a few drinks and some cheap bar food. He was power incarnate. And I knew, just knew, that I was in the presence of a god.

What the actual fuck was going on in my life?! First, I discovered that one of my patrons was a shapeshifter, then an escaped soul walked in, and now I had a god.

“You are ruining my favorite drinking spot,” Devin said. “And that is not allowed.” He poked his finger into Wreck-It's chest.

Ralph jerked back and stumbled. The Latin guy, who'd been calmly waiting to one side with a far-off expression, gasped as Michael returned to him.

“Surprise, surprise,” Devin drawled as he turned his attention to Michael's original host. “The dogs aren't the only ones who can evict you. Remember that, moron.”

“Who are you?” Michael whispered.

Devin grinned. “Someone more powerful than you.” He grimaced. “Look, I don't give a fuck about who you possess out there.” He pointed at the door. “But I like it in here. It's not like other bars. It's relatively quiet in here. Calm. This woman knows how to treat her patrons. It reminds me of some of the taverns I used to go to. Not a lot of those around anymore. As in, only this one. So I'm declaring that it's under my protection. Get the fuck out, or I'll hold you in that body until the local Cerberus comes to take you back to the Underworld.”

“If you could do that, I'd appreciate it,” I said. “This guy has been giving them trouble.”

“You know Cerberus?” Devin eyed me.

“Two of them.”

“Huh. You just got even more interesting, Amélie.” He looked me up and down. “And what would I get in return for my help?”

“Uh. Free drinks for a month?”

He lifted a brow.

“And food.”

Devin pursed his lips and nodded as he reached for Michael. But before he could grab the soul, its host body shuddered. Devin's hand went through the man's chest—literally into it—and came out with a white, cloudy mass.

“Damn it,” Devin muttered and shoved the nebulous thing back into the man. “He's gone.”

Michael's host stumbled back, his eyes wide, then he bolted through the crowd of gaping onlookers. I watched him go, then realized that we had a problem.

“Oh, shit,” I whispered. “Witnesses.”

“No worries, darling,” Devin drawled. “I didn't hold up my end of the bargain, so I'll take care of this for free.”

Devin waved his hand, and a shimmer ran through the bar. As it passed through people, they swayed. It left everyone blinking in confusion. Then Devin clapped once and instantly, the dazed people went back to what they'd been doing pre-Michael. Conversations resumed, glasses were lifted, and the wait staff started weaving through the tables again. Even Wreck-It went back to the bar without a word to me. The only ones unaffected were Devin's friends, Devin, and me.

“Which god are you?” I asked him.

Devin smirked. “Good girl. Took you long enough to recognize my status.”

I snorted. “I wouldn't have if you hadn't done all that.”

“True. I guess you're not that impressive after all.” He turned to saunter back to his table. “But I do love your establishment.”

“Thank you.” I followed him. “And thank you for your help.”

“Don't mention it.”

As Devin sat down, his companions watched me. Their stares felt sharp. Piercing in the most disturbing way.

“So, which one are you?” I asked again. “And are they gods too?” I nodded at the women.

They snickered.

“They're my attendants,” Devin said. He stared at me a second, then added, “I'll give you one more chance to impress me, Amélie. These women are Maenads. Now, who am I?”

I stepped back. Maenads. Holy fuck! All this time there had been a pack of Maenads in my bar. Myths said they were wild women who loved to get drunk. But it wasn't the alcohol that made them wild. No, that was their nature. A nature inherited from their god. Maenads were the followers of—

“Dionysus,” I whispered.

Devin grinned. “Well done.”

Dionysus was viewed as a party guy by most people. The God of Wine and all that. Those were the people who were spoon-fed myths and never read beyond the popular shit. Dionysus was the God of Revelry, yes, but he was also the God of Madness. And he was given that title because, as a child, he delighted in tearing other children to pieces with his bare fucking hands and then bringing them back to life. The other gods called him “the mad one” or “the raging one.” Zeus's little monster. I'd always wondered if he started drinking to quell that madness. He certainly seemed calm when he was in my bar.

But what were myths? Just stories. Maybe I shouldn't judge him by gossip. Especially after he just did me a good turn. So, I reclaimed my ground and dropped into a deep curtsy.

“Welcome to Hair of the Dog, Great Dionysus. Please, allow me to fetch you another round of drinks and whatever you'd like to eat. On the house, of course.”

Devin straightened in his seat and beamed at me. “Well, shit. If I'd known you'd be so polite, I would have revealed myself to you sooner. I mean, I sensed the magic in you, but I didn't know you were a follower of us old gods.”

“Not a follower, exactly. But I know enough to show you respect.”

He nodded. “Smart girl. And don't worry. I wasn't lying about this being my favorite bar and once I give my protection, it's eternal. That soul won't be bothering you again.”

“Did I say one round was on the house? I meant the next four.”

The Maenads hooted with glee and threw their hands into the air.

Devin chuckled. “In that case, we'll each have a bottle of your best wine.”

“Coming right up. I'll get you some wings too. And some baskets of fries.”

“I knew I liked you, Amélie.”

I smiled at him before I walked away, but my hands were shaking. A god. The fucking God of Madness. No, I wasn't going to judge him, but he still scared the shit out of me. I would have offered him free drinks for life, but with the way Devin drinks, that might have put me out of business. So, a few rounds would have to do it, and I'd pray it was enough to keep me on his good side. I'd rather deal with a hundred Michaels than one angry Dionysus.

Chapter Thirteen

After taking care of the mad god and his wild women, I called Dominic. The situation was larger than my hurt feelings, and he needed to know about Michael. I told him what had happened. The part with Dionysus and Michael, at least. Not Darius.

“I'm on my way,” Dominic said.

“No,” I said. “There's no sense in coming now. He's gone, and Dionysus says he won't be coming back. But I think it's time that I met your team.”

Silence. Then, “All right. What time should I pick you up?”

“You don't have to do that.”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm a big girl, Dom. I can drive to your house all by myself.”

“What's wrong?” his voice went worried.

“You mean beyond Michael coming into my bar to recruit followers, then jumping into Ralph and threatening me?”

“Yes, besides that.”

“Nothing. I'm fine. I'll see you around two a.m. Will you all be up?”

“Yeah, I'll make sure they stay up to meet you.” He rattled off an address.

“Okay. I gotta go.”

“Angel, are you sure you're okay?”

“I'm fine. See you later.” I hung up and then stared at the phone.

I had come up with a plan before the Michael thing happened. I was protected by my potion and had been ready to confront Darius and Dominic. But after seeing Michael in action, I wasn't sure. What if they really did need me? I had offered to help them, and Dominic had been so excited about it. He thought my help might be exactly what they needed to catch Michael. What if it was? If I walked out on them and Michael remained free, I'd feel as if I was to blame.

“This is not my responsibility,” I said to myself.

My Dad had always told me not to borrow trouble. I could hear him in my head, “Amélie, we all have got enough trouble to deal with. There's no need to borrow more from others. Focus on yourself and your family. Do that, and you'll be all right.”

If I focused on myself and did what was best for me, it would mean cutting ties with the Hounds of Hades. So, that's what I was going to do.

Chapter Fourteen

The Hounds lived in a house that my house wanted to become when it grew up.

They were in Nine Mile Falls—a neighborhood that wasn't the wealthiest in Spokane but was up there. And if you preferred to have a lot of land between you and your neighbors, this was where you'd get that along with a mansion. The nicest neighborhoods didn't have that. And that's what I drove up to—a Victorian mansion sitting pretty amid acres of private land.

The house formed a U around the circular drive, the wings obviously newer than the center building. But whoever had built the newer construction had done it right, seamlessly weaving the wings onto the main house so that the old matched the new.

I stared up at the enormous structure, its roof crowned with several peaks and turrets, and felt small. Lost. Ground lights illuminated the drive and shot swaths over the sides of the house, but most of the windows were dark. Foreboding. I didn't belong there. The house knew it, and I knew it. I grabbed my seat belt and pulled it back on.

But then the front door opened and Dominic rushed out.

My fucking potion failed me. One look at the man, and I was grateful to be sitting. My knees had gone weak. Almost as weak as my heart. I wanted him. Desperately. Damn stupid, stubborn heart. Could it be that my desire had nothing to do with the spell? That would mean one of two things—either Hades's spell didn't force people to fall in love or I wasn't their destined mate. One of those possibilities delighted me more than it should and the other did the opposite.

I got out of the car. “Hey.” I looked up at the house. “This is, uh, big.”

“I know.” Dominic grimaced at the house. “We kept expanding, each of us adding our ideas to the mix, and we took it too far. It was like, 'Hey, I want a theater room,' then, 'I want a conservatory,' then, 'I want another turret even though we have like fifty of them.' On and on until we ended up making a mausoleum for Tim Burton.”

I couldn't hold back my snort.

“Oh, thank the Gods.” He pulled me into a hug. “I thought there was something wrong.”

“And my snort convinced you that there isn't?” I teased.

“Yup.” He grinned, then nuzzled into a kiss.

I allowed it because of my plan.

All right, I enjoyed the hell out of it. I had to grip his shoulders to keep standing.

When Dominic finally eased back, he gave me a grim look. “Angel, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I wanted you to meet the others first, but now I'm thinking I should have prepared for this. I think I fucked up. I shouldn't have let you come here without telling you everything. I'm so sorry. Now, it's going to get sprung on you and I . . . shit. I don't know how to make it easier on you.”

My heart lurched. There went my anger. Gone. Poof. I struggled to recapture it. Regardless of what Dominic said, I didn't want to be shared by three men. Frankly, it sounded like a lot of work and headaches. Not to mention the aches I'd feel in other places. So, I could forgive him, but that didn't mean I could keep him.

“Just bring her inside already,” Darius said in a grumbling tone.

He must have been at the door, but I couldn't see him. More importantly, he couldn't see me. Dominic was shielding us from each other and it was also dark. As soon as I stepped into view, my plan would unfold. The men would both get the surprise they deserved. It would be fantastic. And yet, my hands started to tremble.

“I need to tell her about what she's walking into,” Dominic growled over his shoulder. “Give me a fucking second.”

“You don't know for sure that she's the one. In fact, I'm certain that she isn't. So, why don't you bring her inside and we can determine that before we put her through all the rest of it?”

I froze. Darius was certain that I was the one. So certain that he was ready to reject Dominic's woman for me. Yeah, I was the same woman, but go with me on this. They were both sure that I was their destined mate. That made the odds of it being true pretty good. Just one hound left to convince. Except that I didn't want this. Right? Right.

“She's the one,” Dominic said. “You know how I feel about her, Darius.”

“And you know how I feel about my prospect,” Darius shot back.

“For fuck's sake, Darius, we're both right,” Dominic growled. “Just give me a second to explain a few things to her and then everything will make sense.”

That's right. Dom knew that I was the same woman Darius wanted. But what Dominic didn't know was that I knew he knew. He thought I was just as clueless as Darius was. And he was trying to prepare me before I got a look at Darius. It was like a classic comedy skit. Who's on first?

Well, I wasn't laughing.

Before Darius could respond, I stepped out of Dominic's arms and met his stare. “And what is it that you think you feel for your prospect, Darius?”

“Amélie?” Darius swayed back on his loafers. “What are you . . . ?” He made a strangled sound.

“Surprise!” I said as my sweet smile shifted into a glare. I swiveled that glare from Darius to Dominic.

Dominic, who'd been ready to tease his brother, stopped to frown at me. “Hold on. You knew? You knew who Darius was?”

Suddenly, Darius burst out laughing. Not the reaction I was going for. I went back to glaring at him as he laughed and laughed and laughed.

“What are you two assholes doing out here?” a third man joined us.

He had the same coloring as the other two, with the same haircut, though a slightly larger physique. I couldn't tell what color his eyes were with the only light coming from the overheads on the porch, but I had a feeling they'd be gray, probably with glints of silver or gold in them. Hades hadn't changed the mold much with these three. I mean, if you find perfection, why fuck with it?

“And you're the third?” I asked. “Hold on, don't tell me. It's coming to me.” I held up my hands to my forehead as if I was getting a psychic vision. “Your name begins with the letter D!”

The man shifted toward me, his expression annoyed until his stare met mine. Then he went still. His face went slack. He strode up to me and looked me over. I looked back.

There were differences there. The men weren't triplets. They each had a distinct face. And this man's face was pure magic. I couldn't tell you what it was. I don't have the skill needed to describe what precisely made him so handsome, if it was the long slope of his nose or the way his cheekbones slid down to a masculine jaw. It was just an attraction. Instant attraction on a deep level. So deep, I could practically hear gongs going off inside me, announcing the arrival of the man of my dreams.

Wait. Wasn't that position already taken by Dominic?

“Hello, Amélie,” my dream man said. “I'm Declan.”

I wanted to say something witty, or at least sharp. Like, “Of course you are.” But I was too busy clenching my hand into a fist to keep from touching him. So I just said, “Hello, Declan.”

Declan turned to look at the other two. “It's her. We've found our mate.”

“Damn it, Declan! I haven't told her about all that yet,” Dominic said.

“I have,” Darius said. He smirked at me. “You figured it out, you cunning girl. That's how you knew our title. Not because of some book. And that's why you kept asking those questions.”

“It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together,” I said. Then I grimaced at Dominic. “Even though some pieces were smaller than others.”

“You knew who Darius was?” Dominic growled at me. “And he told you about the mating thing? You knew, and you didn't say anything to me?”

“Excuse me?” I growled back. “I didn't figure it out until this morning when I talked to Darius. But you knew that I had met Darius. I told you about Darius yesterday. I told you how much you looked alike and how you had said similar things to me. And you said it was a fucking coincidence!”

Dominic winced.

“You were having a grand ol' time, weren't you?” I plowed on. “You loved hearing about me drenching Darius in that potion. And all his declarations made you even more certain of who I was, but did you tell me about it? No. You couldn't tell me because then you'd have to explain all of it. And you didn't want to tell me all of it.”

“You fucking knew?!” Darius shouted at Dominic. “All this time we've been arguing over who found our mate when we were both talking about Amélie and you fucking knew?”

“Yes, all right, everyone knew,” Declan drawled. “Dom, you shouldn't have kept that from us. Not about this. About her. She's too important.” He looked at me. “I'm sorry, Amélie. This isn't how this should have gone.”

“Look, we just met, so I'm not going to give you as much shit as I'm about to heap on them,” I said. “But how exactly do you think this should have gone?”

Declan shrugged. “We should have eased you into it. You needed to get to know all of us before hearing whatever it is that Darius told you.” He paused to glare at Darius. “Although his motivations were wrong, I'm with Dominic on waiting to tell you. This isn't the sort of thing you just spring on someone.”

“Really? Not even after you spend an amazing night together and you're talking about sticking around forever?”

Declan's dark brows rose. He glanced at Dom, but he was staring at me with a soft look of regret and adoration. “Especially not then,” he said. “Look at him. He couldn't risk losing you after confirming who you are. As I said, you're too important. This needed to be done with care.”

I rolled my eyes. “I take back that whole thing I just said. You deserve as much shit as they do.”

“Why?” Declan scowled at me.

“Because I should have been told before I slept with him!” I pointed at Dominic. “Before I made myself vulnerable and opened up to him. Before I started feeling things that I don't want to fucking feel for three goddamn men! I needed to be told he was a package deal before I bought the single serving. This isn't just false advertising, it's bait and switch.”

Declan's eyes twitched. “I see your point.”

“Angel, I didn't know for sure that you were the one until after we got close enough for me to sense it.” Dominic hurried over to me and took my hand. “I was as honest with you as I could be. I told you about us. I told you about Hades.”

“You failed to tell me that he cast a spell on you or that the spell might affect me!”

Dominic jerked back. “Why does that upset you?”

“Oh, I don't know,” I huffed. “Maybe I don't like someone messing with my free will, Dom. I can't trust anything I feel for you.”

“That's not true,” Declan said. “The spell Hades cast is meant to draw our mate to us, nothing more. It doesn't interfere with free will. Your feelings are yours alone.”

I went still. “I can't trust you.”

Declan nodded as if this were perfectly acceptable. “No, you can't. You don't know me. So, why don't you take some time to think things over? You're a witch, right?”

“Yes. So?”

“Cast a spell on yourself. Free yourself from all influence. Do a cleansing. Then, when you know for certain that what you feel is real, maybe you'll be generous enough to forgive us for handling this poorly and give us a chance. I would be very grateful to have an opportunity to get to know you, Amélie.”

“Oh, you're good,” I said. “Very reasonable.”

“Yeah, Declan's the voice of reason,” Dominic huffed. “Come on, angel. I know it hasn't been long but—”

“It's been a day, Dominic,” I cut him off. “I rushed into things with you. Crazy fast. I knew it was too fast. I knew it was insane. I even knew it was impossible to feel so much in so little time. But I did it anyway. Because I connected with you like I've never connected with another man. I felt like we were kindred souls. Like I knew you. I thought I could trust you.”

“I know. And I feel the same. But I should have slowed down. You even told me to. I just couldn't stop myself.” He hung his head. “Please, Amélie. Give me another chance. I didn't want to scare you off. I thought I'd have more time with you before I brought you here. I thought I could . . .”

“What?” I demanded. “You thought you could what?”

“I don't know what I was thinking,” Dom admitted. “I guess I thought it would all work itself out. That maybe you'd love me enough to be open to this.”

“Well done,” Darius muttered.

“Oh, fuck off, Darius,” I snarled. “Sure, you did the right thing and told me everything from the start, but that doesn't matter.”

“Why not?” Darius whispered.

“Because I don't like you.” I looked at Dominic. “I'm sorry. But if being with you means that I have to be with him too, I can't do it.”

“Fuck!” Dominic shouted as I strode to my car. “Angel, please!”

“Let her go,” Declan said. “This is a lot for her. You've only given her a day.”

“A lot?” Darius huffed. “She gets three men while we have to share her.”

“And you're genuinely surprised that she doesn't like you,” Declan drawled.

“Fuck you.”

Meanwhile, Dominic chased after me. “Angel, please don't go.” He grabbed my hand. “Please, let's talk about this.”

I twisted it out of Dom's grip and got into the car. He held the door open and dropped to his knees. “We don't love each other yet, but it's coming. I feel it. I know you feel it too. You know how incredible this could be. Darius can be an asshole, you'll get no argument from me about that, but he's also a good man. He's sacrificed a lot to keep people safe. You could have something real with him too if you just give us a chance. All three of us. Just think about it. Most people are lucky to find one great love in their lifetime, and we're offering you three great loves that will be true to you forever. Please, don't go. Just stay a little while longer. Come inside. Talk this through with us.” His eyes widened when I glared at him and he hurried to add, “Or we can talk about other things. Just casually get to know each other. I'll make you a late dinner.”

“Dominic, let her go,” Declan called.

“No!” Dom roared at Declan, keeping his stare on me. He lowered his voice to say, “I'll never let you go.”

“Dominic, you are sounding like a crazy stalker,” I said calmly. “The more you talk, the faster I want to run.”

He flinched. His beautiful eyes filled with tears. One of them slid down his cheek. “I don't know what to do.”

It just about broke my heart. I wanted to slide off the seat and into his arms. To hold him and wipe away his tears. I wanted to make sure that he never cried again and kick the ass of anyone who tried to interfere with that.

But I was from a long line of witches—strong women and men with pure souls. I wouldn't embarrass them by being weak now.

I started the car. “If you let me go now, there may be a chance for us. But the longer you keep me here, the smaller that chance becomes.”

Dominic shot to his feet. “All right. Go, angel. Fly away. But be careful. Don't let your guard down for a second. And go straight home. Michael is still in that house next door.”

“Fuck,” I muttered. “I forgot all about him.”

“We've got cameras on his place,” Declan said as he stepped up to my car. “I'm sure your ward will keep him out, but if he tries to enter your property, we'll know, and we'll be right over.”

“We'll be taking care of him soon anyway,” Darius muttered, his expression still butt-hurt.

“How soon?” I asked.

Dominic stepped back and shut my door. “In a couple of hours. So, as I said, be careful, angel. Stay behind your ward and don't come out. Not for anything.”

“Dom . . . I said I'd help you. Don't go tonight. I can—”

“We were made to handle this,” Dominic said stiffly. “We don't need your help. Go home, Amélie.”

What did I expect after rejecting him so cruelly? I wanted to leave, and he was letting me go. I couldn't balk now.

“You be careful too, Dominic.” I pulled around the circle and drove away from the Hounds of Hades.

Looking back in my rearview mirror, I saw them standing together—three beautiful, strong men, staring after me as if I were taking their entire world with me.

“This is utterly insane,” I whispered.

And something inside me whispered back, “What's insane is that you're driving away from them instead of getting out of this car and running back into their arms.”

Chapter Fifteen

I was almost home when something appeared on the road ahead of me. I slammed on the brakes and came to a shrieking stop.

It was a man. He was smiling, but not in a pleasant way.

“Oh, fuck no,” I growled and stepped on the gas.

Or not. Scowling, I looked down at my feet. I was pushing, but the pedal wasn't moving.

“Hello, Amélie.”

I jerked my head up. The man was sitting in the passenger seat beside me.

I flinched away. “Who the fuck are you?”

“You may call me Silas. Now, drive.” He waved forward.

Suddenly, the pedal gave way, and my poor car stuttered before shooting forward. I squeaked and eased up on the gas. We were headed toward my house, and I was afraid he was going to make me take him through the ward. But no, he let me drive right past it.

“Turn here,” he said.

Fuck. The Host house. It was even worse. At least my house would have given me a chance.

I turned, intending to make a complete U and head back to the Hounds. But the steering wheel wouldn't go that far. It turned enough for me to take us into the driveway, then straightened.

“Who are you?!” I screamed.

“Well, I'm no angel.”

“Are you another escaped soul?”

He chuckled. “Hardly. This is my original body.”

“A god then?”

He winked at me.

I stared from the dirt lane to him. His short hair was nearly the same shade as the road—a sort of mediocre brown. His eyes were a little darker. He had a slim build but wasn't skinny. Just sort of average all around. But there was something about him that made him more than that. I could feel the power in him, but also, there was something in his face. A twist to his expression. A confidence in his eyes. I had learned to read faces over the years. Silas had the face of a man who had been through something terrible and it had altered him. I was betting it was not in a good way.

“Park over there,” Silas said.

I don't know why he bothered. The car parked itself.

I just sat there, staring at him. As I did, Michael came out of the house, still in his Latin host. And because I needed to give that host a name, I called him Antonio. He sort of reminded me of Antonio Banderas in his early films. Michael-in-Antonio approached my car with a smirk on his face. The smug son of a bitch.

Then I remembered the cameras. The Hounds had surely seen me drive up to the house. They'd be coming for me. They had to, right? They thought I was their destined mate. They wouldn't hang me out to dry. No. They'd be coming. They were probably already on their way. And then these fuckers would get it. They were toast. Doggy toast. I just had to stay alive until then.

“Welcome, Amélie,” Michael said as he opened my door.

Silas got out and strode into the house as if I was baggage that the hired help could deal with.

I undid my seat belt and got out because making Michael force me out of the car didn't sound fun. I wasn't worried about him possessing me. My magic protected me from that. But possession wasn't the only thing he could do to me. And he wouldn't be inclined to be nice after Dionysus had thrown him out of my bar.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

Michael laughed. “You are certainly brave.” He stopped smiling. “Or very stupid.”

“You're not too bright either if you're wasting your time on revenge over getting tossed out of a bar.”

“Oh, that's not why you're here. You—”

“Bring her!” Silas stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips.

Michael flinched. His minions, who were scattered behind him and across the porch of the old farmhouse, gaped from Silas to their master. So, we were all discovering together that Michael wasn't the one in charge. They must have been wondering who could command an angel. A stronger angel, I suppose. Or God. Even though Michael wasn't a real angel, I knew the answer was the same. Silas was a god. A god was backing this escaped soul. The question was; which god? And why?

Whoever Silas was, he was confident enough to go up against Hades. Or maybe not. There was no Greek god named Silas. So that meant he hadn't given me his real name, and I couldn't identify him by looks alone. He only winked at me when I asked if he was a god. It all added up to an undercover deity. And the only reason for a god to work in the shadows was that he wasn't strong enough to stand in the light of day.

Michael recovered and grabbed my wrist. “Come along, Amélie.”

“So, this is how you got your talent for jumping bodies,” I whispered. “You're not so special after all. You just made a deal with a god.”

“He has nothing to do with my talent,” Michael hissed back. Then he yanked me up the porch steps.

“Uh-huh,” I muttered.

Silas turned as we approached and strode into the house ahead of us. Michael and I followed him through a hallway and then down a set of stairs hidden behind a door at the end. They creaked appropriately and a bare bulb hung above them, illuminating the worn boards. The place was old, the type of old that used handmade nails. I noted the wide metal heads on the walls. How many people had walked up and down these steps over the years? And now there we were, the strangest group of all—a god, a witch, and an escaped soul. If only walls could talk.

These walls would probably scream at me, “Run, bitch, run!”

At the bottom of the stairs, a cellar waited. Silas turned on some overhead halogen lights, the kind that belonged in a government institution. The harsh light flickered into something far too bright, bringing out every detail of the sad dirt floor, stained cement walls, and one tiny, grease-smudged window high up in the left wall.

Bleak is the word that came to mind, but that might have been too perky to describe this basement. It was the perfect place to film a horror movie. Film students would gag over it.

“Put her over there.” Silas waved at the wall with the window.

I wasn't chained or restrained in any way, just shoved toward the wall and left to stumble off on my own.

“You're very lucky, Amélie,” Silas said. “As a witch, I'm sure you'll be fascinated by what I'm about to do. But even if you aren't, you're about to witness the next step in this war. A turning point, if you will.”

“You're fighting a war?” I asked. “Against who?”

Silas grinned at me. “Don't play stupid. You know who I'm fighting. And I know who you are.”

“Who is that?”

“The mate of a Cerberus.”

“Uh, you've got that wrong, buddy. I turned them down. Just tonight, actually. I was on my way home from their place.”

Michael's head swung toward me, and he wasn't the only one who was shocked to hear the news. All the humans in the room also looked at me in surprise.

“She refused the demons,” one of the women said. “Doesn't that make her innocent?”

“She's also a witch,” Silas said. “You know what the Bible says about witches.”

The woman grimaced and shot me a worried look.

Interesting. And there I was thinking that Michael had put them under a spell. But then it wouldn't have been Michael, would it? It would have been Silas, through Michael. So why wasn't he controlling the humans now? Maybe that was just something he did to win them over, and then he relied on their loyalty to Michael. Magic took energy to maintain, especially if it went against someone's free will. Yes, just like a love spell. Silas wouldn't want to waste so much of his power on controlling humans.

“You're lying,” Michael said to me. “A destined mate doesn't refuse the demons.”

“First off, they're protectors, not demons. You're more of a demon than they are. Second, I did refuse them. I'm not into four-ways, if you catch my drift.”

Silas chuckled. “Well, well, well. You may be more useful than I thought. For now, just relax and witness this great event, Amélie. It is momentous, I assure you. Later, after it has all sunk in, we'll talk more.” He looked at Michael. “Tell them who I am.”

Michael looked at his minions. “You are in the presence of God the Almighty. He has come to Earth and inhabited this body to bless our cause and each of you.”

The humans gaped at the god.

Silas held out his hands and began to glow. “I have seen your dedication and bravery. You are my chosen people. You will be my hands upon this world after I return to Heaven. You will be my fire. You will cleanse the Earth of all evil.”

They dropped to their knees.

I snorted. “He's a god, not the God.” I waved at Silas. “One of the Greeks. Probably a lesser one if he's pulling this kind of shit. You're all being fooled into doing his bidding. The Hounds aren't demons. They are the soldiers of Hades, here to protect the world from souls that linger too long or escape from—”

“That is enough, witch!” Silas shouted and flung his hand at me.

I went stumbling back into the wall, hit it hard, then slid to the floor.

“That is what witches do. Spout lies against me, your God,” Silas said. “They can't help it. They are born evil.”

I made a huffing sound. “It's the opposite, and you know it. We are pure souls, reincarnated with magic as a reward for the good we've done in our past lives.”

“Do you hear this nonsense?” Michael waved at me. “The Devil works through her, weaving tales to make evil look like innocence.”

The woman who had looked at me with compassion now glared at me. It was hard to argue against centuries of religious dogma, including the Bible. This was how witches got burned and why my mother had warned me to be careful about who I helped, and especially about who I shared my truth with. Because those without magic didn't understand it. Or worse, they coveted it.

“We should just kill her now,” one of the men said.

I rolled my eyes. It was starting. “You're all morons. But I've said my piece. I tried to warn you.” I stood up and dusted myself off. “Good luck to you.”

“We don't need luck,” the same guy said. “We have God on our side, witch!”

“Not the one you think.”

“Kill her!” someone else shouted.

That was all it took. The Host that had come into the basement with us—which wasn't all of them because they couldn't all fit—muttered and shifted, looking for weapons to murder me with. All because some lesser god messed with them. A few words and they were willing to kill for him. Oh, yeah. They were destined for Tartarus. Nothing I could do to help them.

“Cease!” Silas roared.

The mob went quiet.

“You kill when I tell you to. Any killing done without my command is murder. Do you understand? You will burn in hell if you commit murder.” He glared at them, then added, “I have a plan for Amélie. Do not touch her.”

The humans bowed their heads.

Silas looked at Michael. “Clear the room of all but the one you have selected to be the first.”

Michael nodded, then waved his minions up the stairs. To one of them, he said, “Paul, you're my number one. You will be first to receive God's blessing.”

The tall, blond man nodded and stayed behind. No questions about what the blessing was or how it would be given. Big and dumb. A good choice for a sidekick.

Michael waved at the stairs. “Lock the door.”

Paul followed the others upstairs, then the door creaked, and a lock clicked. He came back downstairs looking pleased and proud. I shook my head, knowing he should have been running, not smiling. Whatever they were about to do to him would not be a blessing.

But I couldn't help him now. I had to think about myself. So, what could I do to get out of there? I needed a distraction, and I was thinking that Paul would be it. But then what? I run for the door? Yes, sure. But I'd need something to get me past the Host who were up there on the other side of that door and to guard me from whatever Silas threw at my back.

I didn't need herbs or tools for all my spells. There were a few that could be summoned with words alone. But I'd pay for the magic with my energy. All magic took its due. It wasn't about payment. It was about balance. Harmony. You take from something and there's a deficit left behind. That vacuum must be filled. Energy is the currency of the magical world. So, it's usually filled with energy. If you think about it, energy is the most perfect payment. It can't be destroyed, only transformed or transferred. That makes it even better than cash.

Usually, I got around the energy drain by using herbs, crystals, and other items. Their energy went into the vacuum. But I had no problem using my own when necessary. It wouldn't hurt me. The only risk was in using too much. That sort of power can become addictive. Manifesting shit with just a few words could make you feel like a god. You didn't notice the little sips the magic took. Not until you passed out. Or died.

But I just needed a burst to get me out of there. Since my heroes didn't seem to be coming. And after all that bullshit they'd spouted about handling Michael and protecting me. Unbelievable. Fucking men. It made me want to sing some Lizzo. You know the one.

So, I prepared myself and waited.

Michael pulled a tarp off a large shape near one wall, revealing an old bathtub full of water. Not a nice one either. We're not talking claw-foot. It was a cheap fiberglass number that had been yanked out of a sixties bathroom. Avocado green with the sides going out like wings.

“Undress and get in the tub,” Michael said to Paul.

Paul didn't so much as flinch. He took off his clothes and climbed into the water. “Is this a baptism?”

Well, look at that. The big dummy finally thought to ask a question. Too bad it was too late.

“Yes,” Silas said. “That's it precisely. You will be baptized and reborn as my soldier. Are you ready?”

Paul looked at Michael.

Michael nodded.

“I'm ready,” Paul said.

“Oh, fuck,” I whispered.

I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. I needed to know when to run. So I watched as Silas pushed Paul under the water. I watched as he held Paul there as he thrashed. I watched as he went still. I should have run then, but just as my muscles bunched toward action, Silas dragged Paul out of the water and onto the dirt floor.

Water splashed everywhere and soaked into the hard-packed earth, forming a thin layer of mud. Paul laid there unmoving. But then Silas set his hand on Paul's chest and light appeared between them. I couldn't imagine what he was doing to the body. Paul was dead. There's no bringing back the dead. Not unless you wanted to make zombies, and that's way out of my league.

But not a god's. Oh, fuck. Was Silas about to make an army of zombies?

Paul gasped and sat up.

My chest tightened. I didn't know much about zombies, but I knew people didn't raise them on purpose. All of that nonsense about Vodou witch doctors was just stories. Ways for witches to scare people and keep them away from us. Zombies happened when a soul was so unsettled that they couldn't move on and so determined to have their life back that they refused to leave their dead body. They were essentially ghosts possessing a corpse. Not pretty.

Paul's stare went instantly to Silas. “Great One,” he said as he got to his knees.

As I said, I didn't know a lot about zombies, but this didn't look right. Paul should have been disoriented at the very least.

“You are mine now,” Silas said. “I've given you the strength you'll need to fight demons and the power to heal as they do.”

Hold on. What?

“Thank you, God.” Paul, half-covered with mud, stared up at Silas in blind adoration. No. Utter devotion. He believed.

I squeezed my fists until my nails dug into my palms and the pain focused me. I wasn't sure what had just happened, but I was certain that I didn't want to be here for what happened next. I bolted for the stairs, chanting as I ran. Silas noticed too late. By the time he sent a wave of power my way, I had sent a blast to meet it. The collision created a sound wave that threatened to rupture my eardrums and sent me stumbling forward onto the steps.

I was up a second later, my trembling fingers at the door lock. Something clicked, and I was through, bursting out into a crowd of shocked people. I cast another spell, the power shooting through me, and they parted like the Red Sea, bodies smacking into the walls to create a path to the front door. I ran the channel even as my legs began to shake. Two energy blasts in two minutes was pushing it. But I fought the drain, functioning on willpower alone. Then I was outside.

The night was cold, the moon high. Her light called to me. Spurred me on.

“Stop!” Silas shouted.

I kept running.

A wave of magic like a strong wind blew into my back and sent me to the ground. I lay there gasping, trying to get up. But I was so weakened by casting those spells, and Silas's magic was ten times as powerful as mine. Maybe more. My arms trembled as I lifted my torso. I fell back to the ground. Staring at the ruts in the dirt road, I knew I was going to die. Right there. In the dirt.

Maybe I'd stay in the Blessed Isles this time.

Silas's footsteps vibrated through the earth. He came closer but did so slowly, taunting me. “You foolish woman. Now, I'll have to bind you. If you weren't a witch, I'd claim you as I'm going to do with the others. Kill you and resurrect you as my slave.”

Holy shit. He had resurrected Paul? The guy wasn't a zombie? I didn't know that could be done. Sure, Silas was a god, but resurrection? I thought that shit was all smoke and mirrors. A big show put on by religious leaders to make their people believe. I thought the only god with power over death was Hades. And Hades wasn't into resurrection.

Also, this wasn't Hades.

“I would have taken great delight in watching you fight your destined mates,” Silas went on. “But you're protected from that, even when you're pathetically drained like this.” He toed my side.

Huh. So Silas could bring back the dead, but not a dead witch. Good to know. But I wasn't protected from dying. Only forced resurrection. I prepared myself for a killing blow.

I'd like to say that I was brave. That I faced death secure in the knowledge that I'd be going to a wonderful afterlife. But my mind was full of the people I loved. People who would mourn me. My family. Binx. Oh, my baby! What would happen to him? My ward would fade when I died, but how long would it be before someone went to check on me? How long until they found Binx? I started to cry silently. But then I thought of the Hounds. Would Dominic take care of him? Surely he would. But would Dominic be too busy mourning me? If I was truly his mate—their mate—what would happen to the Hounds? Would they wither away into death, as Darius said? The thought of them dying cut through me, and my tears came faster. The best I could do was hold back my sobs so Silas wouldn't know I was crying like a coward.

But then Silas said, “So, I'll just take you as my lover for a while. That will be nearly as painful for the Hounds. And very enjoyable for me.”

What the fuck? He wasn't going to kill me? Hold on. Lover? Who was this asshole kidding? He was talking about rape. He was going to magically restrain me and rape me. Then he was going to taunt the Hounds with it. Fucking evil son of a bitch. But I wouldn't be weakened forever. As soon as my strength returned, I was going to blast him again. Right in the dick. Even chains couldn't stop my magic. And then he'd reconsider raping a witch in the future.

My tears vanished with my fury, and I swiped at my face. With one last burst of strength, I rolled onto my back and found myself staring up at Silas. Behind him, several feet away, was his army of moron minions with Michael-in-Antonio up front. Oh, look, and there was Paul, all muddy and devoted. They waited and watched eagerly. The humans believed they were about to see God smite a witch. But Michael knew the truth and grinned at me. The motherfucker.

“You touch me, and I'll bite your fucking dick off,” I growled at Silas.

Silas flinched back and gaped at me.

I grinned, then snapped my teeth together. “I've got jaw muscles like a gator.”

His eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward.

Then a howl rent the air.

Silas's head jerked up. “Sons of bitches! Kill them!” He pointed off over my head.

Then Silas was on the ground, under an enormous paw covered in glossy black fur with thick, deadly claws that dug pits into the road. I stared up at the belly of a giant hound and had the strangest urge to stroke its silky fur. But even had I the strength, I wouldn't have been able to reach the body that arced over me protectively. All I could do was stare up at it and smile.

My hounds had come for me. They hadn't abandoned me after all.

As I sighed in relief and a strange, bubbling joy, snarls and thuds rippled through the air. Gunfire thundered. People screamed. I rolled my head to see bodies go flying in several directions. The most vicious sounds came from the three hound heads above me. Those sounds gave me strength, and I struggled to sit up.

That belly was still far above me—high enough that I could have stood up and still had clearance. So, I did. I wobbled, but I stayed standing.

Four legs stood much steadier than I, like furry temple pillars around me. The boundaries of my sanctuary. They bent or shifted a little as Cerberus fought, but didn't move from their location. I knew it was for me. Because I was below, and their entire purpose was to protect me. Beneath one of those legs, struggling under a claw that had pierced his divine chest, was Silas. His body glowed and where he pounded at Cerberus, he singed the fur and left blackened skin. I knew he wouldn't be down for long.

And Silas wasn't the only one Cerberus had to deal with. A half-circle of humans were shooting at him. Two of his heads were lowered, taking the hits so I wouldn't be hurt. The third head was snapping at Silas, trying to catch his head in its jaw like a morbid claw machine game. Right. They couldn't kill humans, but there weren't any rules about gods. I wondered if that would change after they killed Silas. The thought led to another—what if they couldn't kill Silas? What would Silas do to us when he got out from under that paw?

I ran to the right foreleg—the left held Silas—and jumped on the paw, wrapping my arms around it. “Go!” I shouted up at Cerberus. “Go now! Get me the fuck out of here!”

The great hound moved, kicking Silas away so powerfully that he sailed over the farmhouse. Two snapping heads swung from side to side, clearing the area further. I had a glimpse of the Host falling like bowling pins. Michael-in-Antonio was not in that glimpse. But I didn't care about him at that moment. All I wanted was to get the fuck out of there.

“Go through my ward!” I shouted.

Instead of running down the driveway and then up the road, Cerberus jumped to our left, leaping over trees and landing in a clearing. He jumped again and again as shouting came from behind us. The third leap took us through my ward, and I breathed a sigh of relief when it closed behind us. But Cerberus didn't stop. He—or was it they?—ran for my house. Only when we reached the porch did he stop.

I stepped off his paw and instantly crumpled, my willpower finally conceding the fight. As three giant hound heads bent over to nuzzle me, wet noses sniffing anxiously, I passed out.

Chapter Sixteen

“She'll be safer with us,” Darius said.

“This is her home. I'm not taking her out of it before she regains consciousness,” Dominic snapped. “And what about Binx? He doesn't like you two.”

“He's a cat. He'll deal with it,” Declan said.

“Yes, he will,” Dom agreed. “If you give him time to accept you here, in his territory first. Cats aren't like dogs. They're tricky. If you take Binx out of his home without letting him get used to you first, he's going to be too scared to think of you as anything but a threat. Then he's never going to be cool with you, and then Amélie will never want to live with us.”

“When did you become the Cat Whisperer?” Darius asked.

“Oh, fuck you, Darius. You know I'm right. That cat is like her child. We have to treat it with respect. Plus, he's cool. I like him. So, we're staying here. She's safe here. She has a ward as strong as ours.”

“And a fucking god next door! A god who kidnapped her!”

“I wonder which god he is?” Declan murmured.

“A small one. But a god is a god, and I don't want my mate anywhere near a god who isn't Hades,” Darius said. “I don't trust any of those fuckers.”

“She isn't our mate yet, and she won't ever be if you keep acting like an alphahole around her,” Dominic said. “Fuck, I knew you were a dick, but with all the pussy you get, I figured you at least knew how to treat women.”

“He relies on his looks,” Declan said. “It gets him in their bed long enough to determine if they're our mate. That's all he's ever needed. But now, he's starting to see that you can't treat a woman like a military campaign.”

Dom snorted. “Yeah, that's about right.”

“An alphahole?” Darius finally responded.

“Don't act as if you don't know what that is,” Dominic said. “The definition is in the word. Figure it out.”

“I know what it is, you fuckhead. I just can't believe you called me one. I thought only women used that word.”

“That is exactly something an alphahole would say. You've proved my point. You don't know enough about women to make this decision. Shut up and let the real men talk.”

Declan chuckled.

“What I know is that we need to get Amélie as far away from here as possible,” Darius snarled.

“No, we don't. She's strong. A fucking badass witch. We need to trust in her ability to take care of herself.”

“Yeah, because she did such a bang-up job of it tonight.”

“See? This is what I mean. Alphahole. Complete alphahole. We're staying right here. And we're going to have a talk about your fucked up attitude. You cannot ruin this for us, Darius. She's our mate. The woman who will make this all worthwhile.”

Darius made an annoyed snort. “And what if our magical mate wakes up and tells us to get the fuck out?”

“Then we get the fuck out,” Declan said. “You don't win a woman's love by forcing her to do what you want. And if we took her home with us without her consent, we'd be just as bad as that god.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Darius snarled. “That son of a bitch wants to hurt her. We want to protect her. We just saved her life.”

“She was in danger because of us,” Dominic said. “I don't think we get credit for saving her. And we weren't the ones who helped her earlier tonight. That was Dionysus.”

“What was he doing in her bar?” Declan muttered. “Of all the gin joints.”

“You know, I've been wondering that myself,” I said as I sat up.

The Hounds of Hades stood before the couch I was stretched out on. They turned toward me as one—Dominic grinning, Declan smiling softly, and Darius scowling.

“Welcome back, angel.” Dominic wedged his butt in the open curve of cushion made by my bent knees and belly, then leaned over and pulled me into a hug. “I was so worried about you. Are you all right?”

“I'm fine. Thank you for coming to my rescue.” I cupped his cheek. “And it does count. I don't blame you for all this. You didn't force me to help you the other night.”

“Amélie,” Dominic whispered and held my hand as he turned his face into it. “I'm so sorry I didn't tell you everything sooner. I was scared.”

“It's all right. I forgive you.”

Dominic whooped and pulled me onto his lap. “You do? Then you'll—”

“Slow down, cowboy.” I pushed off his lap and wedged myself in the corner of the couch. “That doesn't mean I want to be with all of you.”

“We understand,” Declan said, then glared at Darius. “Don't we, Darius?”

“Yeah, we understand,” Darius muttered. “I'm glad you're okay, Amélie.”

“I'm glad we put up cameras,” Declan said. “Without them, we wouldn't have known you were taken.”

“What took you so long?” I asked. “I didn't think you were coming.”

“We didn't see the footage right away.” Dominic grimaced. “We were arguing about you when the alarm went off. It goes off every time a car passes the camera, so we didn't check it immediately. It happens so often.”

“When we did, we saw you in the car with that man,” Darius said. “Do you know who he is?”

“He called himself Silas. But he told all those people that he was the one true god. You know, the Christian one.”

“Oh, him.” Dominic rolled his eyes. He still held my hand and was rubbing his thumb over it.

“I watched him drown one of the Host and then bring the man back to life. At first, I thought he was making a zombie, but the man came back normal, and then Silas told me it was a resurrection.”

“What now?” Declan crouched beside me. “He resurrected someone?” He looked from Dominic to Darius. “Why would he do that?”

“He said the guy would belong to him, like a slave.” I frowned as I recalled the resurrection. “Oh, he also told the guy that he'd be strong enough to fight demons now, and he'd heal as fast as you.”

“He bound the man through death,” Darius murmured. Then he looked at Declan. “Can all the Gods do that?”

Declan shrugged. “That's a question for Hades. Before tonight, I would have said no, that only our god had power over death. But now, I have no fucking idea.”

“Yeah.” Dominic went grim. “We need to tell Hades about this. It was bad enough when we had a rogue soul to deal with, but now there's a god involved. This is bad.”

“I think Michael gets his unusual powers from the god,” I said.

The men exchanged a dark look.

“So, it's been him all along,” Darius said. “That makes sense.”

“Does Hades have a lot of enemies?” I asked. “I got the feeling this was personal.”

“It must be,” Dominic said. “Gods don't randomly decide to come to Earth and pit humans against the Hounds who protect them.”

“Do you think it's Zeus or Poseidon?” Dominic asked.

“No,” Darius and Declan said together.

“They support us,” Darius went on. “They know we're needed here.”

“This Silas guy did drown a man,” Dominic said. “That's Poseidon's M.O.”

“But not his style,” Darius argued. “He wouldn't do this shit. Frankly, he doesn't care about dry land enough to bother.”

“We need to speak to Hades,” Declan said. Then he looked at me. “Will you come back with us, Amélie? We don't want to leave you here. I promise you'll be safer with us.”

“It doesn't have to mean anything,” Dominic said. “You'll have your own room and you can bring Binx. Bring whatever you want.”

“Binx needs to get used to Darius and Declan first,” I said.

Dominic shot the other men an I-told-you-so look.

“Fine,” Darius sighed. “Where's the damn cat?”

“Probably hiding because there's an alphahole in his territory.”

Dominic hooted in laughter.

I got up and headed to the kitchen as I called out, “Binx! Binxy, you hungry? You must be. Come on, baby. It's all right. These are Dominic's brothers.”

“Not exactly brothers,” Darius said as he followed me into the kitchen.

“You said it wouldn't be wrong to call you that.” I waved at the floor. “Now, sit down and be quiet.”

Dominic snickered as he came in. “She just put you in your place. Like literally.”

“I'm not sitting on the floor,” Darius said.

Declan came in and sat down on the floor, crossed his legs, and leaned back against the counter. “We need to look as small as possible. If you loom over the animal, it will only make it harder for him to accept you.”

I waved at Declan as I stared at Darius. “Listen to your not-brother. He's smarter than you.”

“What is your problem with me?” Darius suddenly demanded. “I told you why I slept with all those women. Dominic wasn't exactly chaste either, you know? He fucked as many women as I did.”

“Hey!” Dominic snapped. “You leave me out of this, asshole.”

“I know Dom slept with a lot of women,” I said. “But I didn't have to watch him smugly go through them like they were tissues and he had a bad cold. You would come into my bar with the attitude of a movie star and whisk some woman away, only to dump her a week later and come back to pick up another woman—often in front of your last, heartbroken victim.”

“Dude, you did that?” Dominic asked. “Rude.”

“I didn't . . .” Darius trailed off as his gaze skittered away. “All right, maybe that happened once or twice, but I wasn't trying to shove anything in their faces. I thought I ended things nicely with them.”

“You were an asshole,” I said. “And it pissed me off to no end that women kept falling for you. They just didn't seem to care about your arrogance or cruelty. They saw your pretty face, and that was all that mattered.” I shook my head. “Well, it takes more than outer beauty to win me.”

“I was searching for you!”

“I get that. But you didn't have to be such an arrogant dick about it. A man's character is shown in the ways he deals with others. You showed me that you didn't care about anyone but yourself.”

“Oh, please.” Darius rolled his eyes. “As you said, they knew what they were getting into. I was looking for eternity, but they were after a quick fuck with a good-looking guy. All of them had sex with me on the very first night.”

“What are you trying to say? That a woman who sleeps with a man on the first night is a slut?” I growled.

“Oh, fuck. Retreat, retreat,” Dominic hissed at Darius.

“No, of course not,” Darius said to me. “I'm saying that they weren't looking for forever with me. But I was looking for it with them. I wanted each of them to be you. They weren't. So, I moved on as soon as I realized it. Two weeks tops. Never long enough for them to fall in love.”

Dominic cleared his throat.

Darius stared at him, something passing between them. Then Darius cursed and ran his hand over his face. “All right. Fine. You can fall in love faster than that. But I tried my best to avoid that with them. I was polite but never charming for that very reason. If I had found you, I would have become more earnest in my pursuit, but they weren't you, Amélie. They weren't you.”

“Meow!” Binx said.

I cleared my throat, turned away from Darius, and exclaimed brightly, “Hey, Binxy!” I'd been getting his food ready while I argued with Darius. So, I just set the dish down on his mat. “Come eat, baby.”

“Sit down!” Dominic hissed at Darius before he crouched to pet Binx. “Hey, my man. They're all right. I promise. Go on.”

Binx purred for Dominic, then eyed the other two men. While Binx had been distracted, Darius had sat down. Binx hesitantly stepped forward, then went past Darius, who was sitting like a statue. Cats like stillness, so Binx passed by without issue. Then he went to Declan. He ignored Binx. So Binx was comfortable enough to ignore him. He went to his dish and started eating.

“Well, that's a good start,” I said as I sat down at the kitchen table. “Now he'll associate you with food.”

“How long is this going to take?” Darius asked.

Binx paused to look at Darius.

“As long as it needs to,” Declan said softly. “Hey, Binx. It's all right. You can eat. We won't disturb you.”

The cat went back to eating.

“We need to talk to Hades,” Darius said.

“And you can't do that here?” I asked.

“No,” Dominic said. “Hades would have to physically come here, and the other gods don't like him coming to Earth. He only does it for emergencies.”

“Then how do you speak to him at home?” I took a seat at the table.

“We have a special room that's enchanted to serve as a neutral zone. It's here but not. Hades can appear to us there or send us messages.”

“Or we can go to him,” Darius said. “But then we'd have to leave you here. Unprotected.”

“I'm perfectly safe,” I said.

“And we don't all have to go,” Dominic said. “One of us can go to the Underworld while the other two stay with Amélie.”

“That's a great idea, Dom,” Darius said and grinned.

“Not me,” Dominic said. “I'm the only one she likes.”

“That's precisely why you should be the one to go. We need to get to know her better.”

“And Binx,” Declan said. “We need to bond with Binx so Amélie will feel comfortable enough to come home with us.”

“Damn it, Deck,” Dominic growled. “I hate it when you're reasonable.”

Darius snorted.

Meanwhile, Binx finished eating and strode over to me, casting looks of superiority over his shoulder at Darius and Declan. It was kitty speak for, “She likes me, not you.” He jumped up on my lap and curled up, but continued to watch the interlopers.

I stroked his silky head. “You're my brave boy. Good job, Binx.”

Dominic sighed and came over to pet Binx too. “I'll see you later, buddy. I gotta go talk to the King of the Underworld.” Then he kissed my cheek. “Thank you for being patient with us.”

I nodded. “Tell Hades I said hi.”

Dominic chuckled. “Oh, he'll love that.” Then he walked away, going transparent as he did. Before he reached the doorway, he vanished completely.

Chapter Seventeen

It was time for bed. I showed Darius and Declan to the spare room, told them that they could decide who got the bed and who got the couch downstairs, then went into my room with Binx. Yeah, Dominic said he'd be right back, but I was too tired to wait for him. My power nap had restored most of my lost energy, but it was still late at night, quickly approaching morning, and I'd been through some shit.

I fell asleep near instantly. Even the chaos banging around my head couldn't keep me awake.

The next morning, I woke up to Binx curled against my chest and an arm slung over my waist. With a scowl, I looked over my shoulder to find a sleeping Dominic. Part of me was annoyed that he assumed he could sleep in my bed, but another part of me was thrilled to see him there. If it had only been Dom, there would be no question about being with him. I was over his withholding information. I understood why he'd done it. So, we were good. But not good enough for me to make two other men my lovers in addition to Dominic—one of whom was an arrogant idiot.

I sighed and sat up, making Binx mutter angrily. But then he stood, stretched, and jumped to the floor. I got out of bed too and headed for the bathroom. After doing all my morning business, including a shower, I came out to find the bed empty. Smart move on Dominic's end. If he'd been waiting for me, expecting something, the part of me that wasn't annoyed would have jumped ship and joined the part that was.

I got dressed, grinning at the smell of coffee and baked goods that wafted up to me. When I got down to the kitchen, I found the men gathered around the table, drinking coffee and munching on a pan of cinnamon rolls that sat in the middle of the table on a trivet. Binx was sitting near his food dish watching the men.

“Good morning,” I said as I entered the room.

“Good morning,” the three of them said in chorus.

“Did someone feed Binx?”

“I did,” Dominic said proudly. “And I gave him fresh water too.”

“Suck up,” Darius hissed.

“I made cinnamon rolls,” Declan said. “I hope you don't mind me raiding your pantry.”

“Raid away if it means you're going to make me sweets.” I leaned over the table and breathed in the deliciousness. “Yum. I'll have two, please.”

“Coming right up,” Darius said as he snatched up the only empty plate and scooped two big rolls onto it.

“Now, who's sucking up?” Dominic asked.

“Fuck off.”

“You fuck off.”

“Dominic, why don't you tell Amélie what Hades had to say?” Declan suggested.

“Here you go.” Darius put the plate down in front of me and then added a fork.

“Thank you,” I said. I took a bite and groaned. “Damn, Declan, you're a great baker.”

“Thank you.” He grinned at me. It was almost to the wattage of a Dom grin, and I liked the way it crinkled his face.

“Coffee?” Dominic asked as he got up.

I cleared my throat and looked away from Declan to say, “Yes, please.”

“I know how she likes it,” Dominic declared as he went to the pot. “And it's decaf, by the way, angel.”

“Wonderful. Thank you.”

Darius rolled his eyes. “If you're not going to tell her about Hades, I will.”

“Give her a second to wake up,” Dominic huffed as he fixed my coffee.

I took another huge bite of cinnamon roll and watched the men squabble over me. It was kind of fun. Meanwhile, Binx came over and laid on my feet. I absently reached down and scratched his head.

Then I had coffee and things got even better. I ate, relaxed, and listened to the men as I watched them. They were so handsome. And yet still real. That was where they surpassed Dionysus. He had the gorgeous mug of a god, but it made him seem out of reach. Too beautiful to touch. The Hounds were stunning specimens too, but they also had an earthiness about them that grounded them. These were men I could hold. In fact, they'd love it if I did.

The thought gave me pause. Did I want to touch all of them? The longer I was around them, the more used to them I got. Even Darius's arrogance was wearing thin and revealing some interesting facets beneath. They felt familiar already. And instead of familiarity breeding contempt, it comforted me. I was slowly warming to the idea of having three lovers. It certainly made it less scary to commit myself for all eternity. With one man, there was the risk that we'd grow apart or get bored. But with three, things would always be interesting. And the odds were in my favor. Even if I stopped loving one of them, I'd still have two left.

Oh, that sounds awful. But I could think like that since I hadn't fallen in love with them. Yet. Possibly. Dominic was almost a sure thing for my heart. But I wasn't used to the idea that I could love three men at the same time. It felt wrong. Like cheating. Or unfair. If I loved one of them, I shouldn't be able to love the other two. But that belief was rapidly getting disproved. My heart would have to adjust. And make room. Prepare itself. Maybe it already was.

“Tell me about Hades,” I said.

“He's pissed,” Dominic said and leaned back in his chair. “By now, he's probably met with the other Olympians. He said he had to tell them about Silas.”

“Olympians? You mean the main gods of the Greek Pantheon?”

“Yeah. You know, Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, yada-yada.” Dominic shrugged. “Hades doesn't think it's one of them, but he'll know once he faces them.”

“Can't gods lie?”

“Sure, but he knows them. They've been acquaintances for a very long time.”

“So, he doesn't have any idea who Silas is?” I asked.

“I gave him a description and told him what he did, but evidently, a lot of gods can raise the dead, and magic like that is what they call opening magic. It gives the caster the opportunity to latch onto the soul of their target. Their magic is already holding it when it brings it back into its body.”

“Opens them up,” I said with a nod. “What about Hades's enemies?”

Dominic grimaced. “Vast. Turns out, the God of the Dead isn't the favorite at parties. He's got a lot of people who don't like him.”

“Would they all be willing to risk the world to get their revenge?”

“Probably not,” Declan said. “But there's no way to know which ones care about humanity and which don't. The bigger gods still have a following, so they'd be unlikely candidates. But the thing is, there are hundreds of lesser gods beneath the twelve Olympians.”

“Yeah, I know,” I muttered.

“And a good third of them don't like Hades,” Dominic added.

“Well, shit,” I said.

“Indeed,” Darius said. “But we can protect you until this is over. Even if you don't want to be with us. Please come and stay at the house, Amélie. I promise not to pressure you about our relationship. We can take things as slow as you want.”

“Or not at all?” I lifted a brow at him.

Darius sighed, grimaced, then said, “As you wish.”

I looked at Declan.

He nodded.

I looked at Dominic.

He grinned hopefully.

I looked at Binx.

He was asleep.

“Well, shit,” I said again.

Chapter Eighteen

Leaving my home was harder than I expected. It felt more permanent than it should have. I found myself looking around the place to commit things to memory. It was ridiculous. I'd be back. I had to come back. Even if, by some miracle, I decided to move in with the Hounds for good, I'd have to come back for my stuff. And to water the plants.

I packed several bags, including Binx's food, dishes, bed, and toys, but most of my belongings were staying behind. This was my home. I had poured love into it. I'd be back. And yet, I felt tears well in my eyes as I locked the front door.

Binx cried in his carrier.

“It's only temporary,” I said to him. To both of us.

His eyes called me a liar.

I turned to look toward the Host house, wondering if Silas and Michael were still there. Maybe they had their minions lurking around the edges of my property just in case my ward faltered. I was certain Silas had pulled his baptismal routine on all of them by then. Which meant there was no saving them. I don't know why I cared. They wanted to kill me. But I knew it was because of Silas and Michael. They'd been tricked, and they would pay for it. In this world and the next.

There was a silver SUV parked in front of my house. I wasn't surprised when Darius got in the driver's seat. Leave it to him to buy a car that matched his eyes. I shook my head and went to one of the back doors. Dominic opened it for me, and his chivalry cost him. Declan slid into the back seat from the opposite side as I put Binx's carrier on the bench seat.

“Declan,” Dominic growled. “I was going to sit next to her.”

“What are you, five?” Darius snapped. “Put her bags in the back and get in. Come on, we need to get out of here.”

“My ward will hold,” I said.

Dominic took my bags to the back, muttering to himself.

“Sure. Against normal people and even spirits,” Darius said as he looked over his shoulder at me. “But a god changes everything. He might be able to wear away at your magic and eventually get through.”

“Might,” I said. “Eventually.”

“Are you seriously willing to risk that?” He looked pointedly at Binx.

I pulled the door shut in answer.

Binx started crying.

“It's okay, Binxy. We're not going to the vet. I promise.”

Again, Binx accused me of lying. At least this time, I knew I wasn't.

Dominic got in the front passenger seat, and Darius started the car. He turned it around and drove down my drive, all very normal. Just three shapeshifters, a witch, and a cat driving from one safe house to another. At the end of the driveway, Darius stopped, and all of us turned to look toward the Host house. The road was empty, no sign of minions. But that didn't mean anything.

“Ready?” Darius asked.

Declan and Dominic pulled out handguns and laid them on their laps. “Go,” they said together.

As Darius peeled out of my drive, turning away from the Host and toward town, I held onto Binx's carrier, and he yowled. No one told me to shut him up. We were all feeling anxious. The cat was simply giving voice to everyone's emotions.

We were ten feet out of the drive when five trucks pulled out of the Host house's driveway and came speeding after us.

“Incoming,” Declan said as he rolled down his window and leaned out.

“Angel, get down,” Dominic said as he pulled the same maneuver.

I bent over Binx as guns thundered on either side of me. My poor cat yowled louder and cringed into a ball. I cooed to him, covering him as best I could. A boom came—the sound of a tire blowing out. Not one of ours, thankfully. Then a crash came. Yup, definitely not ours. More gunfire threatened my eardrums, and then something hit us. Not another car. I think it was a bullet. Another one pinged off a window. I glanced up and back to see a red pickup right behind us, a man standing in the bed, leaning over the roof to fire a rifle at us. A bullet hit the back window and made that pinging sound again.

Bulletproof glass. Thank God. I bent over Binx again just in case. Even bulletproof glass couldn't hold out forever.

“One of you take that fucker down!” Darius snarled.

“Dibs,” Dominic called.

I looked up again, shocked. Hadn't they said they couldn't kill anyone? But Dominic hit the man in his shoulder, sending him tumbling back, his arm useless, but he was still alive. Right. They'd been doing this a long time. They probably knew all the ways of defending themselves without killing.

“Damn it, Amélie, stay down!” Darius shouted.

I bent over Binx again.

Another crash came, but then Declan cursed. “Coming up beside us.”

I looked over to see him pull back and roll up the window. Just in time too. Another truck, this one bigger than the last, came abreast of us. Several people crouched in the bed, all of them with guns. And all of them fired at us. Declan turned and covered me with his body.

As pings went off and the glass held, Darius jerked the wheel, slamming us into the truck. Metal crunched, people shouted, and we jerked in the other direction.

“Fuck!” Darius growled.

“We're almost to town,” Dominic said. “Encountering traffic. But that's good. They're pulling back.”

Declan straightened and looked behind us. “We'll have to change license plates in case that other driver clocked us.”

“And ditch the SUV for now,” Dominic added.

I sat up in time to see Darius grimace. “The plate switch should be enough.”

“Don't be a baby,” Dominic said. “This isn't even your favorite car. You prefer the Rolls.”

“Yeah, but this is best for defense.”

“My Land Rover is better than this,” Declan said.

“Are you guys seriously arguing over vehicles right now?” I shrieked over the sound of Binx's yowls. “Shh, Binx. We're okay now. It's all right, baby.” I opened the top lid of the carrier so I could pet him.

Binx was trembling but started to relax under my strokes.

The guys had all gone quiet.

Finally, Declan said, “They've backed off, but they're still following us.”

“I figured,” Darius said. He turned right suddenly, taking a road into a middle-class neighborhood. Before the Host could turn down after us, he parked in the first driveway we came to and said, “Amélie, do it now.”

Back at my house, before I'd packed, Darius had asked me to cast a spell on his car, one that could be activated in a moment. Not a ward, but an invisibility spell. It was dangerous to activate a spell like that on a moving car. The driver wouldn't be able to see the vehicle to navigate it. And other drivers wouldn't be able to see it to avoid it. But it was perfectly safe to turn a parked car invisible.

“Now you don't,” I said, activating the spell.

The car shimmered, and that shimmer spread out over us. It was a startling sensation to be sitting there as if I were floating—no car around me or even a body to hold me. I felt like a ghost.

Binx didn't like it either. He started yowling again.

“Shh, baby,” I said, my hand still on him. I could feel him to pet him even though I couldn't see him.

It didn't matter, though. Two trucks drove past us—all that remained of the Host hunting party—and none of their passengers even glanced at us. We waited several minutes for them to go down the road and out of sight.

“All right, you can drop it now,” Darius said.

“Now you see me,” I said.

The SUV returned first, then the magic drew inward and uncovered the rest of us. Binx hissed.

“I know, Binxy. You've had enough of this shit. It's okay. You're okay,” I said.

“That poor cat is going to have PTSD,” Dominic said with a grim look at Binx.

“He's stronger than that,” I said.

“Let's hope so.” Darius sped out of the driveway and back onto the main road. “The last thing we need is a crazy cat loose in a den of hounds.”

Chapter Nineteen

I stepped into the foyer of the Hound Mansion—as I was calling it in my head—and gawked. It was like walking into one of those historical homes that they open for tours. Everything looked appropriate to the time when the house was built. From the hand-carved furniture to the light fixtures, it all looked antique. A glance to either side gave me glimpses into more period rooms, each with doorways that opened to more of the house. The wings.

“This way,” Dominic said and headed for the stairs.

It was a grand, curving, wide staircase, the end post capped with the statue of a beautiful woman wrapped in vines. Persephone, I presumed. A runner was held in place by brass strips in the crevice of each step, and old paintings hung on the walls in gilded frames that were worth more than my car. And I mean the frames, not the paintings. The paintings were probably worth more than my house.

But once we got to the top of the stairs, things changed. Lightened up. Dominic took me down a pale blue hallway, windows bringing in sunlight. The walls were bare, but there were a few potted plants set on the windowsills. He went past several rooms and then took me into the last one. It was the room that the corridor ended in, so we walked straight into it.

I gasped as I stepped inside.

Every fantasy I'd had as a little girl about where I'd live—you know, back when I thought I'd be a princess (a mermaid princess)—came to life in that room. A mammoth four-poster bed ruled, demanding that attention be paid to its beautiful pink marble posts and deference to its filigree crown of carved roses and vines that formed a dome over the bed. Cream silk wove through the crown and became bed curtains that were drawn back and bound to the posters with big pink bows studded with silk flowers. The massive mattress was covered in silk blankets and pillows with a pink velvet blanket folded at the foot. As if that wasn't enough, twin tables with pink marble tops stood to either side of the bed, holding matching Victorian lamps—the bases formed by brass peacocks and the shades made of hand-painted silk adorned with foot-long fringe. At the foot of the bed, a pale green velvet chaise reclined with a white fur blanket thrown casually across it.

To one side, a raised area bowed out into a bay window and was warmed by a fireplace. A real one with logs in it, not a gas monstrosity. Delicate chairs and a couch stood there like a gaggle of pretty girls, giggling together. Directly in front of the bed, a pair of French doors let out onto a huge balcony that was crowded with plants. In the wall to the right stood two doors. One of them was open and gave a glimpse of a bright bathroom. Oh, and above all this old-world glamor was a ceiling to sigh over.

Delicate plasterwork of the sort you might find in a Georgian mansion outlined the ceiling and formed panels that framed paintings of flowers, birds, and the sky. With a ceiling like that, you didn't need any artwork in the room. But that hadn't stopped the men from hanging several pieces within the borders of even more plasterwork moldings on the walls.

I strode forward, still holding Binx in his carrier, and stared at the plants out on the balcony. “I can't imagine you coming out here to water those.”

“Declan takes care of the plants,” Dominic said as he joined me. “He's a wonderful gardener. Loves plants. I've caught him talking to them.”

I could feel the anxiety in Dom's stare, but I was too enamored with the room to look at him. I glanced at the little table and chairs between the two doors, then at the huge painting of a forest that hung above them. Continuing on, I first went to the door on the right—the closed one. I opened it and peeked into a dressing room big enough to hold all of Cher's costumes and jewelry. Including her headdresses. Brass rods ran along the walls, framed by paneling capped in Gothic arches, all painted pale pink. Built-in drawers stood beneath some of the rods while others were left with empty floor beneath them to accommodate gowns. A glass display took up significant space in the center of the room, with thin drawers beneath it. Angled shoe racks waited behind glass doors, and at the end of the room, a dais housed a three-panel mirror, its gilded frame arched to match the moldings that dominated the room. As if whoever was getting dressed in this room might want to put on a musical performance halfway through. So, again, Cher would love it. But the design made it something straight out of an elven palace. And it was empty, just waiting for its queen to arrive and fill it with expensive clothing.

“Holy shit,” I whispered and spun around.

Dominic stood in the doorway, biting his lower lip. Behind him were Darius and Declan.

“Well?” Darius demanded. “What do you think?”

I walked out, the men parting to let me pass, and headed for the last door without answering.

“Women,” Darius muttered.

I didn't care. I stepped into the bathroom feeling as if I were in a dream. More pink marble. Wait. That wasn't marble. It was rose quartz. Fucking rose quartz! Slabs of the pink crystal coated the long counter while tiles of it covered the floor. There were even columns of the stone forming a frame for the steps that led up to a round bathtub. Because a bathtub like that needed a dais too.

I didn't know that rose quartz could be found in such huge pieces. I ran my hand over a column and looked at the doorway where the Hounds waited.

“Is this solid rose quartz?” I asked.

“No,” Dominic said. “Those are granite columns covered in tubes of rose quartz. But the bedposts are solid rose quartz.”

“That was rose quartz too?” I gaped from the tub to the shower nook—an open space lined with more of the precious stone, no curtains needed because it was enormous. The spray didn't stand a chance in hell of reaching the outer floor. “Holy shit. This must have cost a fortune.”

“Darius found the bed,” Declan said. “Then Dom and I liked the look of the posts so much that we decided to do the bathroom in the same stone. It was pricey, but we've got the money.”

I turned to look at Darius. “You selected the bed?”

“Why? Are you going to refuse to sleep in it now?” he muttered.

“No, I was going to say that it was an inspired choice. If I was going to choose a type of crystal to make a bed out of, it would be rose quartz. It's a love stone and very calming. It's known to release stress, promote circulation, and improve fertility. What better stone to use for a bed? Well done. It's almost as if you knew you'd be bringing a witch here.”

Darius blinked. His expression went slack. His stare went tender. He cleared his throat. “Uh. I'm glad you like it. I hope you'll be very comfortable here, Amélie.”

“Thank you. This place is amazing. I can see the care that you put into every choice.” I paused, getting choked up. Then cleared my throat to say, “Living here will be beyond comfortable. It will be like a dream.”

Binx whined.

“Oh! Sorry, Binx.” I set the carrier down but then hesitated.

“What's wrong?” Declan asked.

“When you bring a cat into a new place, you need to adjust them to it slowly, especially if it's larger. Can one of you close the door? He'll have to stay in here for a few days. Oh, and I need his litter box.”

“I'll get it,” Darius said. “And I'll shut the door on my way out.”

“Thank you, Darius.”

He paused, nodded at me, and left.

I waited until I heard the door shut to open the carrier. “All right, Binxy. Come on out and explore.”

The cat strode out, sniffed the air, then crawled up the steps to peer into the bathtub. He walked around the rim to stare out the picture window at the end of the nook. Then sat down. Leave it to a cat to be more impressed with the view.

“Let's leave him to it,” I said and waved the men out.

We left the bathroom, and I set the carrier down beside the table before heading out to the balcony. Opening the doors, I breathed in the fresh air and felt my heart lighten. If I had to leave my home and make a new one, this wasn't a bad exchange. Then I blinked. Was I seriously considering living there? As in permanently?

Shit, how could I not? It was glorious. Walking outside, I was instantly surrounded by lush, flowering plants. I took the measure of each, making sure that none of them were toxic to cats. Surprisingly, none were. And that's quite a feat. There are a lot of toxic plants, especially the pretty ones. That Declan had stocked this terrace full of safe but beautiful blooms was, well, magical.

I went to the end of the balcony and leaned against the stone railing to look across the gardens at the back of the house. Victorian homes didn't usually have balconies this large. But then, they also didn't usually have wings and stone walls. And a garden so big it had to be sectioned off into multiple gardens. This was an exceptional home. A palace hidden in Spokane.

“Declan, you did an amazing job with these plants,” I said as he and Dom joined me, leaning against the railing on either side of me. “Did you know that none of them are toxic to cats?”

“Thank you.” Declan beamed at me. “I knew they weren't toxic, but not specifically to cats. I just wanted a safe environment.”

“There are even herbs out here. A lot of these plants can be used for my potions. I couldn't have done a better job myself.”

Declan's throat worked as he swallowed. “When I was designing this balcony, I did it hoping to bring our mate out here one day and see her smile just as you are now.”

My smile faltered.

“Sorry.” Declan held up his hands. “No pressure. I just . . .” He looked away.

“No, it's all right,” I said. “You should be able to say things like that. You worked hard on this. I can feel your hope in these plants. They've absorbed it and it's helped them flourish.”

Declan gaped at me, then grinned. “I think that too. I think plants can feel our intentions. Dom and Dare think I'm silly.”

“I know you're not. There's energy in them. They're living things. Out of all the beautiful details in this suite, these plants are the most inviting. Whether I stay or not, thank you for letting me experience this.”

Declan looked from me to Dominic. “We've all worked hard on these rooms. We want our mate to be happy here.”

“It's the biggest suite in the house,” Dominic said. “We figured we'd be sharing it.”

I stiffened and stepped back.

“Fuck. What did you say to her?” Darius asked as he came outside.

Binx followed him out and the two of them stared us down. Well, for a second. Then Binx was off to inspect the plants.

“Nothing,” Dom said. “We were just talking about the room.”

“And he said we'd be sharing it,” Declan added.

“I didn't mean right this second,” Dominic huffed.

“Why the fuck would you say that?” Darius growled.

“I just said that I didn't mean—”

“All right!” I snarled. “Goddamn it! I was so relaxed and enjoying myself, and then you guys had to start bickering like a bunch of kids.”

The men went silent.

“Let's get one thing straight. I'm not your mommy. I'm not going to moderate your fights. I expect you to be adults and behave as such in my presence. Got it?” I looked from man to man. “If you wanna act like dogs, go outside!”

“Yes, ma'am,” Declan said, his lips twitching.

Dominic snorted a laugh. “We understand, angel.”

Darius just grunted and headed back inside. “I put the litter box in the bathroom beside the toilet. Binx has already used it. But I'm not emptying it. That's your responsibility.”

“Thank you. I don't expect you to take care of Binx.” I followed Darius into the house, the other two hot on my heels. “And thank you all for letting me stay here even though I'm not certain how long it will be.”

Darius stopped and spun to face me. “You laid down your rules, now here's mine. Stop saying shit like that. If we can't talk about you being our mate, then you can't talk about not being our mate.” He leaned forward, bending to bring his face to mine. “Because we are mates, Amélie. All of us know it. Even you, I suspect. You're the one. We were drawn together by the magic of Hades himself. You're it for us. Our destiny. This is your room. This is your home. We are your men. Forever. Take all the time you need to come to terms with that, but don't tell me lies.” He straightened and walked away, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

I just stared after him.

“Sorry about that, angel,” Dominic said. “Darius is frustrated. He's usually the most level-headed one in our team. If we had a leader, it would be him. But you've got him all twisted up. He's feeling anxious, scared, and inadequate—all things he's never felt before. He doesn't know how to deal.”

I turned to look at Dominic and found Declan nodding in agreement.

“He actually told you that?” I asked.

“No, we can feel his emotions.”

“You can what?”

“You didn't tell her?” Declan smacked Dominic's shoulder.

“When would I have told her?” Dom smacked Declan back.

“Do I have to remind you of what I just said?” I lifted a brow at them.

Dominic cleared his throat and said, “Sorry, angel.”

“It's part of our bond,” Declan said. “We can feel each other's emotions. The strong ones. It helps a lot, especially in a fight. But it means that when one of us falls in love, we all fall. And—”

Dominic smacked Declan again, cutting him off. “No pressure. Remember?”

“Right,” Declan said. “Uh, we'll just go get your bags. Are you hungry?”

“Sure. I could eat.” I went to my purse and pulled out my phone. “I don't suppose you're going to be good with me going to work tonight?”

“Well, we won't try to stop you if that's what you want to do,” Dominic said. “But we'd have to go with you.”

“And we might have to fight our way home,” Declan said. “Are you all right with a shootout in your bar?”

“All right, I get it.” I looked at my phone. It was only eleven. I wasn't sure if Jackie would be up. “I'll call Jackie later and let her know to open the bar for me.”

“Really?” Dominic asked in surprise.

“I may not like the idea of hiding out, but I'm not a fool, Dom.” I looked down at Binx as he rubbed up against my leg. “Hey, Binx.” I picked him up and carried him to the bed. After getting us comfy, I said, “I got scared last night. Really scared. Silas, uh, he threatened me with . . .”

“What?” Declan snarled, his broad shoulders hunching forward as Dominic started to growl.

Binx hissed at them.

The men reeled it in.

“Sorry, Binx,” Dom said.

“What did he threaten to do to you, Amélie?” Declan asked in a more neutral tone.

“He said he was going to make me his lover,” I admitted.

“He threatened to rape you?!” Dominic roared.

Binx yowled and ran off the bed.

“Shit,” Dom cursed. “Sorry, Binx!”

“He really doesn't like you guys,” I said. “Silas said he had plans for me, and I think they went way beyond rape. He wants to hurt you, and he thinks I'm the best way to do that.”

The men looked ready to explode.

“Please excuse us, Amélie,” Declan said. “We'll go get your bags now.” He dragged Dominic out of the room but as soon as the door shut, the hollow sound of snarls filtered through the wood.

Binx jumped up on the bed and stared at me.

“They're very passionate men,” I said.

He cried.

“I still don't know if I can handle being with all three of them.”

Binx cocked his head at me.

“What do you know? You're a cat. For you, romance is screwing one girl a night. Or it would be if you weren't fixed.”

I swear he glared at me.

I chuckled and stroked his head. “Sorry, baby. It had to be done. It's just better for you in the long run.” I looked toward the door. “Sometimes, I envy you.”

Chapter Twenty

A chiming rang through the house.

I was in the dressing room, hanging my clothes. My entire wardrobe wouldn't fill a fifth of the room and the meager selection I'd brought with me looked even more pathetic hanging there, but I wasn't about to waste the chance at having my clothes in a dressing room like that. At the sound of the chime, Binx, who was sleeping on a padded bench beside me, looked up.

“I'll go see what that's about,” I said to him. “You stay here.”

I hurried out to the hallway, shutting the door behind me, and then raced down it until I came to the main stairs. There, the chiming was louder. I followed it across the landing and into another corridor. The men were there, racing for a door.

“Amélie, go back to your room,” Darius said.

“What's happening?” I demanded.

“Hades is summoning us,” Dominic said. “We'll tell you about it later.”

I stopped just outside the room they headed into—a huge, masculine office done in polished mahogany with a massive fireplace in one wall.

“Sorry. We can't take you with us yet,” Declan said as he shut the door in my face. The lock clicked.

I gaped at the door. “Seriously?” Then I frowned. “Yet?”

As I stood there, something shivered over me. Magic. Power. It pebbled the skin of my arms. I backed away from the door, suddenly afraid. I assumed Hades was a good guy because he made the Hounds, and they were good guys. But he was also a god. Just like Silas. Gods could be fickle. Especially when they were in a bad mood. My grandma had told me lots of stories about the Greek Gods. Most of them were cautionary tales. In other words, stories about bad shit the Gods had done because mortals pissed them off. Or otherwise got their attention.

I turned and speed-walked back to my room, then locked myself in. As if any of that would stop the King of the Underworld. I curled up on the bed, and Binx joined me, crying to get my attention. I tucked him in against my chest and thought about those old stories.

“Actually, Silas fits the bill,” I muttered.

Binx looked up at me.

“Do you know how many Greek gods raped women? A lot of them. And they never paid for their crimes. Oh, no, it was the women who paid the price. The victims. Medusa got made into a monster for the audacity of getting raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple.” I shuddered. “The Gods can be cruel.” I let out a long breath. “But they can also be good. Maybe Hades is a good guy.” I frowned. “A good guy who abducted a woman and married her. Shit. He's another rapist. And he has a lot of enemies. You don't get that many enemies by being a sweetheart.”

Binx whined.

“You're right. I don't know the truth. All I know are the myths. Maybe humans got the stories wrong. They certainly messed up Cerberus.”

I sighed and stroked Binx. Brunch was still filling my belly and with Binx nestled against me, I was lulled into a relaxed state that soon became sleep. As I drifted off, I wondered how many of the stories my grandma told me were real. And how many were real but also inaccurate? It's all about perspective.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Angel,” Dominic's voice lured me out of slumber.

“Why do you call her that?” Darius grumbled.

“Because she saved my life, asshole!”

“Can you two please stop bickering?” Declan drawled. “She's complained several times already. And now, here you are, waking her up with more of it.”

“What he said,” I mumbled as I sat up. “Ugh, I hate it when I fall asleep in the middle of the day.”

Binx, who had no problem sleeping at any time of day or night, got up, resettled on my pillow, and started kneading it like sourdough.

“I brought you a mug of tea.” Dominic held out a steaming mug. “Mint with sugar, not honey.”

“Oh, for fuck's sake,” Darius muttered and walked over to the table to sit down. “She gets it—you know how she likes her drinks.”

“Thank you, Dom,” I said and took the tea. “And I appreciate you remembering. It's nice when a man pays attention to the little things.”

Dominic grinned at me, then looked over his shoulder and stuck out his tongue at Darius.

Darius rolled his eyes. “There are sandwiches over here, if you're interested, Amélie. And scones.”

“Scones?” I got up and headed over. “What kind?”

“Chocolate and plain. But there's butter and jam for the plain ones.”

“No clotted cream?” I teased.

“Clotted cream? That sounds disgusting.” Dominic made a face as he and Declan joined us at the table.

“It does,” I agreed. “And honestly, there's not a lot of flavor to it. It's just thick cream.”

“Leave it to the British to come up with a tasteless condiment,” Darius said.

“Hey, now. That's not fair. The Brits have some very tasty food,” Dominic argued (I suspected just for the sake of playing the Devil's advocate. Or Hades's advocate).

“Like what?” Declan asked, sounding legitimately curious.

“Fish and chips!” Dominic declared.

Declan made a face.

“And?” Darius asked.

“Uh.” Dominic frowned and looked down. Triumphantly, he snatched up a chocolate scone and said, “Scones!”

I snorted. “He's got you there. My favorite British food is sticky toffee pudding, with beef wellington coming in at a close second. In fact, I'd love them as a meal. In that order. Maybe with some popovers on the side.”

“A girl with her priorities straight.” Darius grinned at me. “I like that.”

“It's simple chemistry,” I said. “Your brain signals your body that it's full after it's had enough protein. So, if you eat dessert first, which is mainly carbs, you'll have room for both your main dish and the dessert.”

“Holy shit, that's brilliant!” Dominic declared.

“Is that right?” Darius frowned at Declan.

Declan had a pensive look on his face. “Well, that thing about protein is true, at least for humans. So, her theory is sound. I don't know if our bodies work the same way, though.”

“I rarely have trouble fitting in dessert,” Dominic said, as if in agreement. He leaned in toward me to add, “But I'm gonna try starting with dessert first. Then, maybe I can have two desserts—one at the beginning and one at the end of the meal.”

“You should be eating more protein,” Declan said. “As shapeshifters, it's even more important to us.”

“Sure, Dad.” Dominic rolled his eyes. “Hades put us back here, in these immortal bodies, to protect the world. We're always on call. So, I'm gonna enjoy all the perks of my divinely formed body whenever I can. I think it will be fine with double dessert instead of double protein.”

Declan shrugged. “We were talking about physical requirements, so I pointed that out. Frankly, I don't give a shit what you eat, Dom. And I'm sure as fuck going to eat whatever I want.”

“That's right!” Dominic held out his fist for Declan to bump.

Declan snorted a laugh but obligingly bumped Dominic's fist.

“Do you guys have to work out?” I asked.

Dominic grimaced. “Technically, no, but it helps, so we do.”

“I like to work out,” Darius said. “It makes me feel strong.”

“Of course it does.” Dominic rolled his eyes.

“Fuck off. These bodies may be immortal and work more efficiently than human bodies, but that only means we should appreciate them even more. I like honing my body until it's the best it can be.”

“Go preach it to the Marines,” Dom huffed. “I work out because Declan makes me.”

“I don't make you,” Declan said.

“You badger me. You go on and on about how even immortal muscles need honing and lifting weights is good for the mind as well as the body, blah-blah-blah.”

Declan looked at me. “It is.”

“You see?” Dominic jerked his head at Declan. “He makes me. But I'll bet if I didn't. I'd still be buff. I've got the mark of a god on me. Hades isn't about to let us get beer bellies.”

“Speaking of which, are you going to tell me what Hades said?” I asked.

They instantly went grim.

Darius swallowed his bite, set down his sandwich, and brushed off his fingers. “The Olympians are outraged. They see it as an attack against all of them.”

“Really? That's good, right?”

“Oh, it's excellent. Far more than I expected from them. Frankly, I'm shocked they're backing us.”

“I'm not,” Declan said. “Without us, the world is in jeopardy of being overrun by escaped and lost souls. The Gods don't want that. This may not be their home, but it's their favorite place to play.”

“And they like to fuck with humans,” Dominic added. “Fuck with and fuck. They couldn't do that if a bunch of souls were messing with the ambiance.”

“Plus, Hades is a major player,” Declan said. “If a lesser god can strike at him with impunity, it makes all the Olympians look weak. They can't have that.”

“Now, that I get,” Darius said. “If there's one thing the Gods don't like, it's a blow to their ego.”

“So, what are they going to do?” I asked.

“So far, they've lifted one of our laws,” Declan said.

“They lifted a law?” I huffed. “That's all?”

“It's the one against us killing humans,” Darius explained, his stare grim. “We've got carte blanche now. No holding back. And not just our team—all of them. All around the world, Cerberuses can kill if they want to. It doesn't even have to be in connection to this situation. The Gods didn't specify.”

“Holy shit,” I whispered. “That could go badly.”

“No, I don't think so,” Declan said. “You need to remember that all hounds are chosen for their skill, but also their honor. None of us will abuse our power.”

A shiver ran through me. I knew Declan was telling the truth. A god had chosen them, all of them, because of the quality of their souls. Just being a hound was proof enough of a man's morality. And I had three of them looking out for me. It made me feel . . . well, blessed. I was beginning to see how fortunate I was to be drawn to them instead of focusing on all the negatives. Three good men. All for me. Forever. It was overwhelming, yes, but now it was in a good way.

“The Olympians offered to send soldiers to help us, but Hades refused,” Dominic said with a smirk. “He knows we can handle it.”

Declan grimaced. “More like he's too proud to accept help. This attack may make the Olympians look weak if it's not dealt with, but within the Olympians, Hades will look weak if he requires help from them to do his job. We can't fail him.”

“No pressure then,” I muttered.

Darius snickered. “None at all.”

“But don't worry, angel,” Dominic said. “Now that we can go full-Cerberus on them, there's no contest. The Host is as good as gone.”

“Are you forgetting the fact that they've all had a god upgrade?” I looked from hound to hound. “They're as hard to kill as you are, and they're supposed to be stronger too.”

The men looked at each other and shrugged.

“Seriously?” I asked.

“If we can be killed, they certainly can,” Darius said.

“But you don't even know what that increased strength means.”

“It doesn't matter. Whatever it is, we have to deal with it. We're attacking tonight,” Declan said.

“Tonight?” I gaped at them.

“We need to get to Silas before he moves the Host,” Dominic said. “And we need to nip this in the butt.”

“The bud,” Declan drawled.

“I know.” Dominic smirked. “I like my way better.”

I tried to smile as I chewed on my chocolate scone, but the food was turning to clotted cream in my mouth—a tasteless sludge. Something bothered me about this. But then I remembered that I could help.

“All right,” I said. “If you're going tonight, I'm going to make you as strong as possible. Maybe I can get you your edge back.”

“What do you have in mind?” Dominic waggled his brows at me.

“You'll see.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

It took me over an hour to prepare the ink. When the potion was ready—ink is a type of potion—I went to find the men. They were waiting for me in the office. The masculine space smelled of leather and old books. With the addition of their manly spices—the scents that were unique to each man—the aroma became a heady mix that threatened to enchant me as much as I was about to enchant them. Except where my magic would empower the men, theirs would weaken me.

Dominic stood up when he saw me. “You ready, angel?”

I took a deep breath, steadied myself against the aromatic attack, and said, “Yes.” Then I grimaced. “Don't take this the wrong way, but I need you to strip down to your underwear.”

A wicked grin spread across Dom's face.

“She just said not to take it that way,” Declan said as he stood up and pulled off his shirt.

“I can't help it if I like getting nearly naked around her,” Dominic drawled.

“One at a time,” I said, then waved at Declan. “I'll start with Declan since he's already removed his shirt.”

Dominic plopped back down onto the leather couch with a grimace. “Tease.”

“Watch it, puppy.” I pointed at him with my paintbrush.

“Is that a paintbrush?” Darius asked.

“Yes. I'm going to paint symbols on you for protection and power.”

Declan continued to strip, getting down to a pair of boxer briefs in standard black. I tried not to stare.

“You're going to paint us?” Dominic's good mood returned. “That sounds fun. But might I recommend that you use your fingers instead of a brush?”

“No,” I said.

“Aw,” Dominic whined.

“I hope you're not ticklish,” I said as I waved Declan over to a leather chaise. “Lie down.”

Declan's body was just as magnificent as Dominic's. Maybe more so, depending on how buff you liked your men. I discovered that I was an equal-opportunity muscle lover. In fact, having the three of them to compare to each other made me appreciate the slight size differences more. Declan was just shy of being too big for me. I don't want an Arnold. But I did enjoy the Gerard Butler circa 300 bulk. I recalled how Declan spoke about working out and realized that's what made the difference. He had the bulk of a man who put some effort into his physique while Dom was a little less gung ho about it, sitting back on his god-given body laurels, as it were. And you know what? I couldn't fault Dominic for that. I wasn't into working out either.

But I still appreciated Declan's dedication.

Seeing Declan stretch out on the black leather, his tan skin turning golden against the darkness and all those muscles presented like a buffet, made focusing difficult. But then I remembered Silas, and my shoulders squared without a prompt from my mind. I hiked up my skirts and straddled Declan.

All three men groaned.

I looked from Declan to the others. “What was that?”

Declan cleared his throat. “I'm sorry. This is the first time you've touched me so . . . uh, with such familiarity. I couldn't help responding.”

“And his response was so strong that we all felt it,” Dominic added and then sighed as he rubbed his belly. “Fuck, that was good. Do it again! Do it again!”

“You can share physical sensations too?” Without thinking, I sat back and landed on Declan's erection. “Oh!” I instantly jerked up, but not before the men cried out together. “Sorry,” I murmured and settled a little further down, across his thighs.

Of course, that put the bulge—a significant one—right in front of me. As in, right in front of my lower lady bits. And those bits tingled as if begging me to slide forward a couple of inches and grind us against that big boy bit. I ignored my weak parts and bunched my skirts over Declan's erection for modesty's sake—mainly mine. He didn't seem the least embarrassed about his reaction to me.

“Could you hold this for me?” I opened the jar of ink and handed it to Declan.

“Yes, of course.” Declan took the ink bottle, then let out a long breath. He peered at the shimmering liquid as if fascinated, but I had a feeling he was simply trying to focus on something other than me.

“Try to hold still,” I said. “If you have to move, let me know.”

“Okay.”

“Oh, fuck. I'm so turned on right now and she hasn't even started,” Dominic said.

“Shut up,” Darius growled. “She needs to focus. This is magic, you asshole.”

“Fuck off. I can feel your arousal too, dick.”

“Yeah, but I'm not broadcasting it.”

“That's it,” I said and looked at them. “Get out.”

“What?” Dominic gaped at me.

“You heard her,” Declan said with a smirk. “Get the fuck out.”

“I'll shout for you when I'm done with Declan,” I added.

Darius got up and left without a word.

Dominic, not so much.

“Aw, angel. Come on,” Dominic whined. “I'll be quiet. I promise.” He pulled his fingers across his lips as if zipping them.

“No, you won't. And this is delicate work. If I mess up a single line or use the wrong inflection with my chant, you could wind up as frogs.”

“What?!” Declan and Dominic screeched together.

I chuckled. “Maybe not frogs, but the magic wouldn't work.”

“Mean, angel. Mean.” Dominic pointed at me, but he did so as he left the room.

“Alone at last,” Declan said with a grin. “And you've already got me down to my underwear.”

“Did you just turn into Dominic?” I lifted a brow at him.

“Sorry. I couldn't resist.”

“No, it's all right. Normally, I love Dominic's humor. But I need to focus right now.”

“Got it.” His grin vanished as he went still. “I'll tell you if I get an itch.” He shook his head. “Damn it, another Dom-line just came to mind.”

“Let me guess; you've already got an inch, but only I can scratch it?”

Declan burst out laughing and the sound was delicious—deep, warm, real, and so very masculine. “Yeah, that about sums it up.”

“All right. We've got that out of the way. Are you ready now?”

“Yes, ma'am. I'm all yours.”

I froze and stared at Declan. Those damn eyes. God, they were hypnotizing. I swear, the green flecks started to glow.

“Amélie?” Declan whispered.

“No more talking,” I said gruffly and dipped my brush in the bottle of ink.

With the brush still in the ink, I closed my eyes and focused on the result I wanted. I pictured Declan coated in magic, the power shimmering over him and sinking through him to give him strength, endurance, and resilience. I imagined the shimmer turning into a strong-as-steel coating—metaphysical armor. Then I started to paint.

The symbols were ancient, and I had them memorized. Starting at the top, I painted one across Declan's forehead. His eyes widened, but that was all. Seconds after I painted each symbol, the opalescent ink sank into his skin and disappeared, the magic melding with Declan. I moved on, painting swirling designs down his cheeks, his throat, and then across his chest.

“Should I hold my breath?” Declan asked. “Sorry, you said no speaking.”

“No, you're fine,” I said distractedly. “I mean, try not to talk because your body moves when you do, but you don't have to stop breathing, and you can say something if you need to.”

“All right,” his voice sounded strained, but I had to ignore it.

Then I shifted lower to adorn his belly and came face to face with his erection. Yup, still there. Ignoring that was harder. Er, more difficult. Talk about working under pressure. Between Declan's glorious body and his reaction to my touching it, it was all I could do to remember the chant. When I finished painting his rock-hard belly, I had to pause and take a breath.

“Can I move now?” Declan asked.

“For a little while. I'm just taking a break,” I said.

“Are you all right?” His free hand went to my left shoulder to massage it. “If this is too draining for you, we don't have to continue.”

I met his stare and once more, I was drawn to those green flecks. There were striations of green too that I hadn't noticed before. Green was my favorite color. The color of growth. Of life. A lush color. I'd been so into Dominic and so against Darius that I'd automatically placed Declan in the middle. But I shouldn't have. From the moment we met, Declan had demanded my attention. Steadily. Quietly. With a force that made me certain that if I had met him at the same time as Dominic, in a normal situation, I would have gone after Declan. Dominic was light and laughter. He was magnificent, and I could easily see myself spending the rest of my life with him. But Declan was a punch to the chest.

Have you ever met a man who did that to you? Just knocked the air out of you with his mere presence? And it wasn't physical. Not entirely. It was a kinship. And the more I got to know him, the more certain I was in that kinship. Dom embraced life and approached it like a flying squirrel, leaping into each new adventure. But Declan loved life too, just in a more grounded way. Literally. He loved the earth and the things that grew from it. He loved to transform those things into something beautiful or even delicious. And he treated his body in the same way, showing it the same kind of care and attention that he heaped on his plants. Not that I didn't appreciate his appearance too.

Declan's face was leaner than Dom's, his jaw more angular. But he didn't have the sharpness of Darius. He looked similar to them and yet was also unique. Like his lips. Lush. Full. Kissing lips. They parted as I stared at them.

“Keep looking at me like that, and I'll take it as an invitation,” Declan said.

My stare shot up to his eyes. “Sorry. You have very nice lips.”

“Very nice?” His nice lips spread into a smile. “It's not the best compliment I've ever received, but I'll take it.”

“You don't go out looking for women like the other two, do you?”

“You mean looking for you?”

I shrugged.

“I'm not a virgin, if that's what you're suggesting.”

My face went hot. “It wasn't. I . . . I would never have thought—”

Declan laughed. “Relax, Amélie. I'm teasing you. And to answer your question, I've done my fair share of searching.”

“But?”

“It got, well, depressing.”

“Depressing?”

“Imagine meeting someone you like. You have sex, get to know them, and then a few weeks later, you have to accept that they aren't the one meant for you. You just know it. And you also know that your soul won't be satisfied until you find that person. So, you're forced to move on.”

“Oh,” I whispered.

“Yeah. It's hard enough to feel the disappointment secondhand through Darius and Dominic. To experience it myself got to be too much. So, lately, I've let them do the hunting.” He grinned and slid his hand up to cup my face. “And it paid off. They both found you.”

I'd forgotten that his hand was still on my shoulder. Well, not forgotten exactly. It had felt comfortable. Normal. When he cupped my cheek, that comfort sank deeper. But within it was a spark. I bent down and kissed Declan. Just a peck on the lips, and then I pulled back a few inches in shock.

“Oh, no you don't,” Declan growled and pulled me back.

Not only did I fall back into our kiss, but I also fell atop him. His erection jabbed into my belly, and I found myself grinding against it, wanting to give him pleasure. Declan's free hand slid into my hair, and he gripped me tightly, holding me in place while he explored my mouth. His tongue was hot, demanding, and sent thrills straight to my sex. My nipples pebbled against his chest, and I moaned.

And almost dabbed him with the brush.

“Shit!” I hissed as I pulled away and sat up. “We can't do this right now. I almost screwed up the spell.”

Declan's lips were parted and glistening. His eyes glittered. “I know. I'm sorry.” He lifted the bottle of ink he still held. “I didn't spill any. I made sure of it, even when reason threatened to retreat.”

Reason threatened to retreat. Yup, that was about right. I stretched my neck and rubbed my hand over my face. “I feel like I just cheated on Dominic.”

“Hey.” He grabbed my hand. “There's no cheating here. Dom is thrilled that we had our first kiss.”

“Wait. He knows?”

Declan winced. “Sharing, remember?”

“But he could tell that we were kissing?”

“I think he figured it out.”

“Fuck,” I muttered. “Okay, we'll talk about this later. I need to finish the spell before the magic fizzles out.”

“Okay.”

I returned to painting symbols on Declan's body, the brush stroking his taut, tan skin. I went down each leg, painted a symbol on each foot, and then had him turn over. The beautiful expanse of his broad, muscular back greeted me.

“Great fuck,” I muttered again, this time under my breath. The man was just as diligent in working out his back as he was his front.

I began the chant anew and painted Declan's back. At least I didn't have his erection seeking my attention with him lying face-down. I was able to cover the rest of his body without trying to rub myself against him like a cat in heat.

At last, I climbed off the chaise and went to sit on the couch. Or rather, flop down onto it. “You're done.”

Declan sat up, set the bottle of ink down, and reached for his shirt. After pulling it on, he got into his jeans, tucking his cock away as if he walked around with raging hard-ons all the time. No big deal.

“I'm going to get you something to drink and a snack. What would you like?” he asked.

“Oh. Uh. Tea, please. And whatever cookies or sweets you have. The sugar will help. No milk in the tea, only sugar.”

“You got it.” Declan headed for the door.

“Declan,” I called after him.

He stopped and looked back.

“That was a great kiss.”

Declan beamed at me. “Yes, it was. Maybe we could try dinner first next time.”

“Like a date?”

“Yeah.”

I grinned. “I'd like that.”

“Great. Not tonight, though. I'm busy.” He winked at me. “Places to go, people to kill.”

I snorted a laugh. “Are you free tomorrow night?”

“I believe I am. I'll pick you up at your bedroom around six.”

“Deal.”

I watched Declan leave and shut the door behind himself, then fell back onto the couch. I was a little tired from the casting, but even more so from the emotional roller coaster I'd been riding. I had kissed Declan. And I liked it. He liked it too. So did Dominic. It was so bizarre and yet it felt right. Despite what they'd told me about Hades's spell, I wondered if it was the magic making me feel so comfortable.

And then Dominic walked in, grinning ear-to-ear. “Declan said he's getting you something to eat, so we shouldn't start yet. That means we have some time to fool around.”

I chuckled, my chest filling with a strange lightness I'd never felt before. Hold on. Was this love? Was I in love with Dom? And if I was, how could I feel so good about kissing Declan? I was actually excited about our date.

“We are not fooling around,” I said sternly.

“Declan gets a kiss, but I don't?” Dominic prowled forward. “That's not fair.” He sat down beside me and pulled me into his arms. With a sigh, he tucked me in close. Then his humor vanished. “Are you all right? You seem tired.”

“I'm fine. Are you truly happy about me kissing Declan?”

“Of course.” He kissed my forehead. “I was right there with him, angel.” He eased back to meet my stare. “This isn't like three humans sharing you. We're three parts of one whole. Yes, we have separate souls and separate forms, but our souls are magically tied together and our forms can merge. There's no jealousy between us. You kissing Declan means that you're starting to accept all of us. And that makes me very happy.”

“This is so bizarre,” I murmured.

“I know. But it's a good kind of bizarre, right? Like David Bowie.”

I chuckled. “Yes, like Bowie.” I straightened suddenly to ask, “Is David Bowie in the Underworld?”

“Of course.”

“Do you know where in the Underworld?”

Dominic grinned. “Would you like to meet him?”

“What?” I gaped at him. “Really?”

“Yup. He's a good soul. Did a lot of generous things in his life. Not good enough to get into the Blessed Isles, like someone I know.” He widened his eyes at me. “But I've heard that he's in the Elysian Fields. He teamed up with a few other musicians there. Have you heard of Mozart?”

“Shut up!”

“I'm serious. Mozart plays piano and Bowie sings. I think their drummer was a Tibetan monk.”

“Holy shit. David Bowie and Mozart. Wow.”

“You see? Being with us has its perks.”

“Oh, I already knew that. The perks are pretty obvious.”

“Aw, thanks, angel.”

Dryly, I said, “I meant the house.”

Dominic's face shifted into shock, then he grimaced, and, finally, he started tickling me. “You little liar!”

I squealed and rolled away. Just as I landed on the floor, the door opened and Declan came in with a tray of food and tea.

Declan shook his head with a smile and said, “I tell you that you have some time alone with Amélie and you fling her to the floor?”

“We were just about to get it on, if you don't mind,” Dominic said with all seriousness.

I snorted, not in humor but in derision, and got up. “He wishes.”

“I do actually,” Dominic said. “It might revive you. What do you say?”

“At least let her eat first.” Declan put the tray down on the coffee table. “Mint tea with sugar and peanut butter cookies. I made you a chicken salad sandwich too, just in case.” He waved at the food. “I hope that's all right.”

“It's perfect.” I stopped to kiss Declan's cheek on the way to the table, then sat down on the floor to eat.

“So, I'm the lone man out?” Darius asked as he came in.

I looked up as I shoved a cookie in my mouth. “Huh?” I asked through peanut butter goodness.

“You and Declan,” Darius said and sat down on the chair across from me. “I hear you've got a date.”

I glanced at Declan. He shrugged.

“And?” I asked, then took a sip of tea.

“I want a date too. You've judged me unfairly, Amélie. Give me a chance to show you the real me.”

I stared at him.

He stared back.

“Try asking me,” I said. “I suggest waiting until after I've finished casting the spell on you.”

“Oh, yeah,” Declan said. “Wait until then.”

Dominic reached for a cookie, and Declan smacked his hand away.

“What the fuck?” Dom growled.

“Those are for Amélie. She needs the sugar,” Declan said.

“Oh,” Dominic said.

Simultaneously, Darius muttered, “She does indeed.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

After I painted Dominic, I worked on Darius. Even though his body was just as amazing as those of the other two men, I didn't feel the same desire for him. For me, desire started in the mind, and Darius had put up some hurdles in my mind. I was getting over them and even starting to like Darius, but every time I looked at him, I saw the hordes of women he had seduced. And then I saw them moping around my bar after he left them. It did not put me in the mood.

But it did make it easier to concentrate on the spell. I finished him faster than the other two. By the time I was done, Darius was frowning.

“What?” I asked.

“You . . .” He waved a hand limply at me. “I . . .” He set the ink bottle on the coffee table and stood up. “Never mind.” He started pulling on his clothes.

“No. What is it?” I demanded.

With his jeans on but unbuttoned, he swung to growl at me, “I felt their arousal. When you were painting Declan and Dominic, they enjoyed it.”

“And you didn't?”

“How could I when you were so cold with me?”

“Cold?” I sat down, too tired to stand and argue.

“Like a scientist conducting an experiment. Are you really not attracted to me at all?”

I sighed and leaned back. “Of course, I'm attracted to you. You know that. We've kissed.”

“Yeah, after you dosed me with magic, and then I transferred it to you.”

“Darius, I've had to watch you with countless women. If you had to see me with as many men, would you still be interested in me?”

He started to growl.

I went still. Hesitantly, I asked, “Darius?”

“There will be no other men, Amélie! You're mine!” He leapt over the coffee table and landed on the couch, posed over me, his body caging mine.

“What the fuck?” I drew back.

Darius shook his head like a dog getting water off. Panting, he said, “Fuck.” He rolled to the side and flopped onto the couch. “Fuck, I'm sorry.” He fisted his hands and pounded them into his head. “Fuck.”

“Darius!” Dominic shouted as he burst into the room with Declan right behind him.

They rushed for us, but then stopped short when they saw Darius hunched in on himself. Declan, who was holding half a sandwich, tossed the remnants of his meal onto the tray that was still on the coffee table, then sat down on Darius's other side. Dominic sat by me, but he leaned forward to look at Darius.

“Dare,” Declan said gently and laid a hand on Darius's shoulder. “Just breathe. It will pass.”

“What will pass?” I asked.

“We've been looking for you for a long time, angel,” Dominic said. “Our hounds started to lose hope.”

“What does that mean?”

Darius looked up. “It means that we're walking a dangerous edge right now. On one side lies salvation. On the other is madness.”

“Are you saying that if I don't become your mate, you'll all go insane?”

“No!” Dominic hurried to say and widened his eyes at Darius.

But Darius was already saying, “Yes.”

“It wouldn't be immediate,” Declan said. “But because we've found you, our beasts are riled. Eager. When you reject us, it makes them go wild. They don't understand. For them, it's simple. You're our mate. We should be with you. They can't grasp the intricacies of a human relationship.”

“I'm sorry I said that shit about you being mine,” Darius said. “I didn't mean it.”

“I think you did,” I whispered. “But I'll let it go.”

“Thank you. And thank you for this.” He waved at himself. “It could make the difference between failure and success tonight.”

“You're welcome.”

“And you're right,” Darius went on. “That thing you said about the women. If it were the reverse, I would not be so eager to be with you. I understand now.”

I nodded.

Then he went on, “I get that it's hard for you to look at me as a potential lover after seeing me like that. But you know why I did it and you don't have a beast inside you to mollify. I'm hoping you can let my past go and focus on the future. Once we're mated, there will be no other women, Amélie. Fuck, whether we mate or not, there will be no others. You're it.”

“What?” I looked around at each of them.

Declan nodded.

Dominic said, “We're certain, angel. It's you or no one.”

“That's too much pressure,” I said.

“Too much pressure?” Darius snarled. “Too much pressure?! How do you think we feel? If you reject us, there's no moving on. There's no life after you, Amélie. We will—”

“Enough, Darius,” Declan said. “You can't say shit like that to her.”

“Why not? It's the truth.”

“Because that kind of truth doesn't inspire love. You'll send her running.”

Darius frowned from Declan to me.

I just closed my eyes and rubbed at my forehead. They would die. That's what Darius had been about to say. Without me, they would die. Declan was right. That didn't inspire love. All it inspired was anxiety. And that anxiety blanketed the good emotions that had been rising. I wanted to tell Darius that. To throw it in his face that I'd been on the verge of wanting him too, but the shit he'd just said had reeled me back. Yeah, I wanted to be a bitch. But the tender emotions hadn't vanished completely, only pushed down. I cared about these men, even Darius. I wouldn't be nasty to him just because he had heaped a shitload of pressure on me. He was under pressure too. His life was in jeopardy.

“Angel?” Dominic took my hand. “Don't worry about us. Just be open to the possibility that we could be it for you too. That's all I ask.”

I opened my eyes and looked at Dominic. Without thinking, I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him to me.

As we kissed, Declan said, “Now, that's what you should have said, Dare.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“You can watch everything from here. But don't worry about us,” Declan said an hour later as he set me up at the desk, before a bank of computer monitors. “The Olympians lifting that law has changed the game for us.”

“Yeah. No more holding back,” Dominic said as he cracked his knuckles. “We'll finish this tonight. No problem.”

“Don't get cocky,” Darius said. “The Gods don't like that. Not even when you're on their side.” Then he grinned. “But it's all right to be confident, and I'm confident that we're going to wipe the hardwood with those motherfuckers.”

“They're still people,” I said sternly. “Don't be cruel.”

“We won't, angel.” Dom bent to kiss my head. “But there's no going back for them now. Not if that god has bound them to him.”

“It's a mercy to kill them,” Declan said.

“I don't know about that,” I muttered and stared at the screen in front of me.

It was divided into four portions with three of them currently dark. As soon as the hounds left, those sections would contain the feed from the body cams the guys were wearing. Just for me, I might add. With all three of them going, the body cams would have been pointless. But I said I wanted to go along, just to monitor things. They didn't want that. So Declan suggested this as a compromise.

The fourth portion of the screen showed their location on a map. Currently, the map was zeroed in to Hound Mansion and had three red dots right next to each other. I had argued that I couldn't help them if I was stuck at the house, but they refused to have me anywhere near Silas again, much less his Host of the undead.

“They're under a god's control,” Darius said. “It's akin to a possession. Trust me, their lives are not their own anymore and that's no way to live.”

“You're bound to a god,” I said. “Your lives are not your own.”

“It's not the same thing,” Declan said. “We still have free will.”

“Free will makes a big difference,” I agreed. “All right. Go on. I'll be fine.”

Dominic kissed me goodbye, then Declan. Darius hesitated.

I stood up and kissed him. It was just a quick goodbye kiss, the same as the others had given me, but it felt momentous. With the meeting of our lips, something changed. A tightness in my chest eased. A relationship between us felt possible. But it was also more than that. Fairy tales like to say that kisses can break curses. It's not true. But kisses can cast spells, and our kiss sparked magic that vibrated out, through us, and into Dominic and Declan.

I wasn't sure how many of the myths about the Greek Gods were true. But if the one about the Fates spinning lives like threads was real, I was betting that our four threads had just floated a little closer to each other. They weren't bonded yet, but that wasn't such a farfetched idea anymore.

“We'll be back soon,” Darius said, his voice different, deeper and more relaxed. More real.

I laid a hand over his chest, and my magic tingled in response. “I'll be there with you. At least, my magic will.”

Darius pressed his hand over mine and stared at me.

Several long seconds passed and then Dominic loudly whispered to Declan, “What's happening right now?”

Darius chuckled and dropped his hand, then leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a chance.”

Darius left the room. The other two grinned at me—Dominic's grin more of a smirk—and then they followed him out. I went back to my seat before the massive desk and stared at the screen. As I watched, the videos popped on, showing their progress through the house and into the garage that was tucked behind the right wing. They got into Dominic's truck and drove away. I heard the rumble of the engine through the video and the nearby window.

“Please, bring them back to me alive,” I prayed to whichever god was listening.

Chapter Twenty-Five

It was like watching someone play a video game. One of those first-person perspectives where the arms enter the screen and show a weapon. I hate those, by the way. So annoying. This was even worse. Because it was real.

The Hounds had crept up to the Host house and entered without being seen. At first, they used daggers to dispatch the people they encountered. Each death was swift and quiet, but that was because they had the element of surprise and no one fought back.

But then they came across a group and the quiet was broken with a shout. It was then that their true prowess shone.

My stare shot from feed to feed as the men spun, kicked, and shot off rounds from their guns with impressive precision. A strange feeling came over me, sort of liquid and full of awe but also horror. The horror was over the fact that I was so fucking turned on by the violence. My brain said it was awful. My brain said these people had been conned and deserved mercy. My brain said—

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” I growled at my brain as I watched Darius punch a man in the chest and send him crashing into a wall so hard that the wall cracked. “Holy fuck.”

They were beasts even in their man forms. No, not beasts. Warriors. Which was just another word for talented killers. Hades had chosen their souls from the multitudes in the Underworld because they possessed—bear with me as I turn into Liam Neeson for a second—a certain set of skills. Those skills had been chained by divine law, allowing only a portion to be used. The lifting of the law broke those chains and released the Kraken. Or the Cerberus, rather.

That being said, the Host wasn't defenseless or without skill. They shot at the Hounds. Stabbed them. Punched them. But with my magic in place, none of those attacks landed. Bullets pinged away, knife tips skidded off them as if hitting metal, and punches rebounded. But the Host kept coming. Even after getting shot, they'd climb to their feet and come back for another go.

Oh, yeah, those first kills? The quiet ones? They didn’t exactly take. Those people came running down the hallway, their clothes soaked in blood but otherwise fine.

“Take their heads!” Darius shouted.

“Already ahead of you,” Dominic said.

Darius's body cam swung to show me Dom, his hands around a man's head. He twisted sharply and broke the guy's neck.

“Get it? I'm a-head of you?” Then Dominic frowned and twisted more. “Shit. It's hard to get one of these off.”

“Use your knife!” Darius snapped.

“Do you know how long it will take to hack off a head with a little dagger?” Dominic shot back. “Next time, we bring swords.”

“There will be no next time because we're ending this tonight,” Declan said, his voice coming through my feed and their earpieces. “Now stop bickering and start slicing!”

“Damn it,” Dominic muttered as he balanced the limp body against his leg and drew a dagger. The body started to twitch just seconds before Dom made the first slice across its throat.

I looked away and my disgust was a relief. It wasn't the violence that was arousing me. It was the talent of these men. Their virility. That's a big difference. Being attracted to a man's virility was natural. Being attracted to the blood he spilled was psycho.

I had to turn off the audio because even the sound of Dominic hacking through the man's neck was enough to turn my stomach. And in that silence, as if it had been waiting for my attention, came the buzz of a phone call.

I looked over at my phone in surprise. Then I saw it was the bar. “Shit!” I grabbed the phone and answered it, “Hello?”

“Amélie!” Jackie shrieked. “You need to come in. Now!”

“What's wrong?”

“That guy is back. The one you threw out.”

“You mean the one Devin threw out?”

“Devin? What are you talking about?”

I blinked. “You don't remember Devin helping me?”

“No. You called for Wreck-It, and he tossed the guy out on his ass.”

Oh, that's right. Devin had whammied the bar.

“Whatever,” Jackie went on. “The guy is here, and he's brought a bunch of people with him. They're all strong. Crazy strong. And they're holding a knife to Ralph's throat. They're gonna kill him if you don't get here in fifteen minutes.”

“Call the police, Jackie,” I said as if that were obvious.

“Oh, why haven't I thought of that?” she growled. “Maybe because I'm fucking surrounded.”

There was a shuffling sound and then a man came on the phone. “Hello, Amélie. Your friendly neighborhood god isn't here to save your bar this time.”

“Michael,” I hissed.

“That's right. You're not going to sacrifice your friends to stay safe are you?”

I looked at the monitor. The Hounds were doing fine. Bloody, but fine. They had my magic protecting them and weren't hobbled by a god law anymore. But to finish this, truly finish it, they needed to take Michael back to the Underworld. Even then, there would be Silas to deal with. So, this probably wasn't going to end tonight, despite their confidence.

“I'll be there soon.” I hung up, still staring at the video feed, then sighed deeply. They weren't going to be happy. Clicking on the microphone, I grimaced, then said, “Michael is at Hair of the Dog. He's got my employees, and he's threatening to kill one of them unless I show up in fifteen minutes.”

The action slowed.

“What?” Dominic snarled.

“You heard me,” I said. “I've got to go.”

“No, you don't!” Darius shouted. “You stay put, Amélie! We'll go.”

“You can go, but I have to go too.” I clicked off the microphone and got up. I didn't have the time to argue.

“Amélie!” Darius shouted. “Amélie!”

But I was already leaving the room.

Chapter Twenty-Six

I wasn't a fool. Before I left, I went to my room and slung on my potion vest. Then I kissed Binx and hurried out. There was one problem. I didn't have my car. So, I went into Darius's room and found his keys on the dresser near the door. I snatched them up and ran downstairs. Luckily, his car keys were marked with the manufacturer's emblem. I could have taken the Rolls, but that felt rude. I went with the silver SUV instead.

On the way to the bar, I tried to formulate a plan. I couldn't go striding in the front, but if I wanted to sneak in, I'd have to park somewhere else. Maybe the convenience store a couple of buildings down. I didn't have time to cast an invisibility spell, and I wondered if that was why Michael had put a time limit on my arrival. Had he known that I wouldn't be able to cast a major spell and get there in fifteen minutes? Probably.

I parked at the convenience store, then went behind it and down the back alley to my bar. I knew that building like I knew my cat. There were three ways in—the front door, the side door, and the ventilation system. There was access to the ventilation system on the roof.

I used a potion to float up to the roof, then opened the hatch. The bar was on the ground floor of an old building and it had an odd ventilation system that included a ventilation shaft—a vertical tunnel that ran down, through all the floors. The building was seven stories high, so I had to climb down an equivalent amount of rungs on the ladder inside the shaft, past ducts that led to the other floors. At the bottom, there were ducts that led to my bar. And they were just big enough for me to pull a Mission Impossible.

Carefully, I climbed through the duct, placing my hands and knees gently to not make a sound. When I finally reached the vent that let air into the main part of the bar, I peered through it at an angle. The vent was high on the wall, giving me a great view. Michael stood in the center of the bar and in the center of a group of the Host. He had my employees with him. One of the Host had Wreck-It tied to a chair and a knife held to his throat. Ralph did not look pleased. Not scared either. More annoyed.

I paused.

I had planned on going in through my office, but what good would that do? As soon as I came out, they'd see me and there would go the element of surprise. No, I needed that element on my side. But maybe another one could help me too.

At Hound Mansion, I had prepared something special. Something my aunt had taught me and I had never thought to use. She wanted me to practice Vodou, but it never felt like the right path for me. Still, I had given it a shot for her, and I was glad I had. A lot of Vodou spells come in handy, and this one had the potential to end a war.

Out of the largest pocket in my vest, I pulled a clay jar. The outside was engraved with strange symbols and the clay was infused with magic. This was not a potion jar. It was empty. But not for long.

I laid on my side, needing to be as comfortable as possible to focus on Michael. Michael, not Antonio. I pulled the cork on the jar. Quietly, in less than a whisper, I chanted the words my aunt had taught me. I called upon spirits that may or may not walk the world—I mean, the Greek Gods were real, but that didn't mean the Lwa weren't. In Vodou, it was believed that humans who did great things in life became intermediaries between God and the living upon death. These spirits would assist you for the right price. Now, knowing what I did about Cerberus teams, I wondered if the Lwa were powerful spirits who had managed to evade Hades and his hounds.

It didn't matter. I called upon them because it was part of the spell, not because I believed in them. And that was what was great about Vodou. You didn't have to believe for it to work. You just had to have the magic inside you. And I did.

I stared at Michael, envisioning the invading spirit inside his stolen body. I chanted. I summoned. Be it power or spirits, I didn't care. As long as this worked.

Michael suddenly looked up. He shouldn't have been able to see me, but he seemed to meet my stare. I didn't even flinch. I was too lost to the magic. Vodou is different from any other spellwork. It had a sharper taste. A colder touch. Hard to explain, but it was the difference between walking through the woods on a sunny summer day or running through them on a bleak winter's night.

I ran. My magic stretched out its icy fingers.

“Not happening,” Michael snarled and stomped toward the vent until he stood directly below it. “Know that this is a strategic withdrawal, Amélie. It doesn't mean you won.” And then he waved his hand in a twirling motion. “Everyone out! Now!”

And then he ran.

My magic tried to follow Michael, but without an initial lock on his soul, it failed. With a hissing sound in my ears, the power withdrew back into the ether. Or the waters, if you're being true to Vodou.

I fell onto my back, panting, as my employees cheered and rushed to untie Ralph. They'd have questions. Mainly, why Michael had left. And I didn't have answers. So, I had to lie. I had to pretend that I hadn't been here. Michael had been acting insane anyway. Talking to a vent and then abruptly leaving wasn't outside the realm of possibility. So I'd crawl further and go in through the vent in my office, then enter the bar as if I had just arrived.

In a minute. I had to catch my breath first.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

When I walked into the bar, Jackie was on the phone with the police.

“Yeah, he left, but I still want to file a report!” She looked up at me. “Oh, thank God. The owner just walked in. Hold on.” She held out the phone. “That guy left. He just started talking to the ceiling and then left. What a fucking lunatic. But I called the cops to report it.”

“Good.” I took the phone. “Hello, this is Amélie Chenier, owner of Hair of the Dog.”

“Hello, ma'am,” a male voice said. “Your employee has reported that a patron came into your establishment, threatened people, but then left peacefully.”

“Yes, officer,” I said. “This is the second time he's been in. The last time, we managed to handle it ourselves, and I didn't think he'd return. But now that he has, I think Jackie was right to report it.”

“And he just left?”

“Yes, but he threatened people first. He had my bouncer tied up with a knife to his throat.”

“And what was he after?”

“He wanted me to come in.”

“He was after you? Do you know this man?”

“No. I only know him as Michael, but I don't think that's his real name. He was in my bar a few days ago, trying to recruit people to his cult.”

“A cult?” the man's tone went up an octave.

“I assume it's a cult. He was talking about God and fighting a war. So, I kicked him out. I don't need any of that crap here. But I think he has a grudge against me now.”

“I see. Well, your employee has already given me a description of this person. Do you happen to have cameras in the bar?”

“Yes, I do. I'd be happy to give you a copy of the footage.”

“Great. I'll send an officer by to collect that and fill in the rest of this report. If the video is clear enough, it might help us catch this man.”

“Thank you, officer.”

“Yes, ma'am. Pleased to help.”

I hung up and looked around. “Is everyone all right?”

“A little embarrassed, but yeah,” Ralph said.

“Hey, you were outnumbered,” Jackie said. “Don't you be embarrassed about anything. You took down three of them before they got you. That was fucking impressive.”

“Yeah, and they got right back up,” Wreck-It muttered.

“Crazy people are strong,” I said. “Their brains work differently.”

“That's true!” Celine, one of the waitresses, said. “And those people were futs—fucking nuts.”

“Futs.” Ralph chuckled. “I like that.”

“Did all the customers get out safely?” I asked.

“Yeah, they ran for it,” Jackie said. “We're the idiots who stayed.”

“If he comes back, you run,” I said. I looked at Ralph. “You too, Wreck-It. Just get out.”

“What about the bar?” Ralph whined.

“Fuck the bar. It's just a building. You are irreplaceable. Run. Get everyone to safety.”

Wreck-It got a goofy look on his face. “Thanks, Boss. And I will. You can count on me.”

“I know I can.” I nodded. “Sit down and have a drink. Eat something too. I'm going to copy the video for the police.”

“Aw, people are going to see that shit?” Ralph whined.

“They'll see you take down those three guys,” Alex, one of the bartenders, said as he handed Ralph a glass of soda. “It was awesome, dude.”

“Thanks.” Ralph sat down at the bar and sipped his soda.

I headed into my office and pulled up the recording. I was halfway through making a copy of it onto a thumb drive when I realized that the Hounds still weren't there. They should have been. I pulled out my cellphone and called Dominic.

“Angel?!” Dominic shouted over the sound of gunfire.

“Oh, fuck. Are you all right? What's happening?”

“They trapped us in a ward.”

“What?!” I shot to my feet.

“Yeah. We should have realized that a god could have warded this place. It was odd that we walked right—” A boom cut him off. Then, “I need to call you back, angel.”

“I'm on my way!”

“No, don't—”

I hung up and snatched up the thumb drive. I ran out to the bar and handed it to Jackie. “Give this to the police. I have a personal emergency.”

“Oh, no! Is it Binx?”

“No. It's, uh, a stray dog I found. My friend is watching it, and something's wrong.”

“Go! We've got this.”

“Thank you, Jackie.” I hugged her. “I'm so sorry you had to go through this shit.”

“Oh, please. I've been through much worse than this.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too. Now, go.”

I ran out of the bar and back to the SUV. A stray dog. Oh, God. The Hounds were in trouble, and I didn't know how to help them. But there I was, going anyway.

“Fuck,” I growled. “I'm in love.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Wards are tricky things. Keeping people out is easy, but keeping them in requires more power. The ward that held the Hounds had probably been set by Silas, so he had the power thing covered. But my guys would be fighting that ward, and if I added my magic to theirs, maybe we could break through it. Either way, Silas couldn't hold them there forever. Could he?

As I drove up, vehicles streamed past me, full of the Host. I knew then that the ward had been a defense tactic. A way for Silas to get his people out of there safely. Hopefully, that meant he'd drop the ward soon. But what if he didn't?

I parked the truck beside the driveway and got out. There they were, standing at the end of the drive, practically snarling at the magic that held them trapped. The Host was gone, and I was kinda relieved by that. At least they didn't have to fight in their prison. Just fight the prison itself.

“Amélie!” Darius snapped, looking maniacal thanks to the blood splattered all over him. Even with the ward dampening his voice, it still came through as a shout. “Get out of here, now!”

“There's nothing you can do, angel,” Dominic said. “You need to get home. We'll be fine. If nothing else, Hades will eventually come for us.”

“Eventually?” I asked. “Why doesn't he come now?”

“He has the entire Underworld to run,” Declan said. “He's probably—”

“Run!” Dominic shouted, cutting off Declan.

I spun to see Silas standing before me.

“For a witch, you're not that smart,” Silas said as he grabbed me.

The men shouted, but there was nothing they could do. There was nothing I could do either. Silas grabbed me and pulled a Dumbledore, whisking me away from the Hounds in a moment. When we reappeared, we stood in a bedroom—a modest room with a full-sized bed, no headboard. The lamp on the bedside table spilled meager light onto a handmade quilt and braided rug. A hope chest stood against the wall. I would have found that ironic if I hadn't been wearing my potion vest. As it was, I still had hope.

“What the fuck did you bring her here for?” Michael stormed up to us.

“Because I wanted to,” Silas said. “She showed up at the last location, and I couldn't resist.”

“Fine. Kill her now so we can be rid of her. She's the last Cerberus mate I'm fucking with. It only makes them more determined to catch me, and the whole point of the Host is to stop that from happening.”

“I'm not killing her. She's a pure soul. Do you have any idea what kind of power lies inside her?”

I'd been reaching for a potion when Silas said that. I grabbed it but waited. I knew I had magic, but Silas made it sound as if I had more than I thought. And what was this about Michael creating the Host? Was Silas behind this or not?

“Then take her to the God Realm,” Michael hissed.

“I'll do what I want.”

“That's it. This partnership is over. I'm done with you.”

Silas laughed boisterously. “Did you think this was a partnership? You're not strong enough to be my partner. All you can do is jump bodies. So what? I could teach any escaped soul to do that. Your main strength is that golden tongue of yours. Well, technically, that tongue isn't yours, but you know what I mean.”

“If I don't matter, then go.”

“Ah, but I've bonded your army to me. The Host is mine now.”

“I can get more. Or maybe I'll just lie low. I think I'll try another tactic to keep myself out of the Underworld.”

“No. I'm not done with you yet. You may not be as powerful as me, but you've thwarted Hades and now have his attention. That's what I want.”

“Fuck this.” Michael-in-Antonio became Antonio, the host body stumbling as the invading spirit abandoned him.

“I don't think so,” Silas said and grabbed something out of the air. He slammed his hand against Antonio's chest, and the man gasped, then shuddered as he became Michael-in-Antonio again.

I gaped at the casual display of power.

Time to go.

I slammed the potion on the floor like a toddler throwing a tantrum and ran out of the room. Instantly, the glass broke and noxious smoke filled the room. Not only did it hinder sight, but it also paralyzed anyone who breathed it in. I heard cursing as I raced out of the room and down a narrow hallway. But then even that stopped, the potion working into the muscles of their throats and jaws. I hadn't been sure that it would work on Silas, but it had, and that was both wonderful and fascinating. But the why had to be worked out later. First, I had to get the fuck out of enemy territory.

I got downstairs and heard voices. Slowing to a silent walk, I edged through the foyer and opened the front door. Once outside, I ran up to the vehicles parked before the house. All were locked. I didn't waste time trying to break into one. I didn't know how to hot wire a car and none of my potions would help. So I ran down the driveway and out onto the road. After a few minutes of mad dashing, I realized it would be smarter to walk in the treeline beside the road than run down it.

With a look back, I headed into the dark embrace of nature. As soon as I was within the underbrush, under the canopy of gently rustling branches, I breathed easier. God or not, Silas wouldn't be able to find me there. Nature and witches were siblings, and we helped each other. You don't fuck with family.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, a wild wind came rustling through the trees in warning, driving me to the ground and under some bushes. I didn't argue but instead went with the push, letting the wind lead me and the brush open to me. Nestled among the thick cover, I stared out at the road. A minute passed. Another. Sweat dripped down my forehead and instantly cooled in the night air. But I didn't move.

Then a shrieking came as something sped down the road as fast as a sports car, but much smaller. It was just a flash of movement and that terrible sound, but I knew it was Silas. He was searching for me. My potion had worked on him, but only briefly. Good to know.

Still in the bushes, I pulled out my cell phone and checked my location. I was in Latah Valley, near the golf course. Not too far from the bar. I could walk it in maybe an hour. But I had to call the guys first. I dialed Dominic's number and waited.

He answered immediately, his voice anxious, “Angel? Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I got away. How are you guys?”

“We're out too. The ward dropped just a few minutes ago. Where are you? We'll come get you.”

“I send it to you. One sec.” I sent him my location. “I'm hiding in the woods. Silas just passed by, and I had to take cover.”

“Stay there!” he practically shouted. “I'll call you when we get there. Don't leave your hiding spot, even if you see someone you think is me. Wait until I call you.”

“Got it. See you soon.”

“Amélie, I . . .”

“I'll see you soon, Dom.” I hung up. The last thing I wanted was some declaration of love over the phone after a trauma. Couldn't be trusted. Plus, if a man was going to tell me he loved me, I preferred that he said it to my face. Especially since I was pretty sure that I loved him back.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I saw the van pull over to the side of the road but stayed put. Then my phone rang, and I saw Dominic get out.

I answered as I stood up, “Hey. I'm here.”

“Thank the Gods!” Dominic rushed over to me, picked me up in a hug, and ran back to the van with me, holding me like that. He kissed me on the cheek, set me in the back of the van, and slammed the door shut, all before I could say anything. Then he was back in the passenger seat, slapping the dash and shouting, “Go!”

Darius took us onto the road and sped off.

Once we were moving, I sighed in relief and looked over at Declan, who was in the back with me. He held out one arm with a hopeful expression on his face. I slid down the bench and nestled into his embrace. We sort of crumpled together.

“Don't ever do that again, Amélie,” Declan said.

“Which part?” Darius growled. “Leaving the house when we told her not to, going to the bar to confront our enemy alone, or coming after us when there was absolutely nothing she could do to help?”

“Don't be a dick, Dare,” Declan said.

“I don't leave people I love to fend for themselves,” I said.

Darius's eyes went wide as he flung a shocked look over his shoulder.

I snorted. “I meant my employees.”

Darius grimaced and glared out the windshield as the other two men laughed.

Dominic turned in his seat to look at me. “But you meant us too.” He grinned. “Just a little, right?”

I couldn't help grinning back. “Maybe.”

Dominic's grin stretched wider. “Me too, angel.”

And there it was—said but not said. Why was I not surprised that our first exchange of love was so easy? So casual. It was perfect for us.

“Stop smiling like an idiot,” Darius snarled at Dom. “She got taken again. By a god. It's a fucking miracle that she got away.”

“I had my potion vest on,” I said.

Declan eased to the side to look down at me. “Is that what I'm feeling? Potion bottles?”

“Yeah. And get this—the freeze potion I used to get away worked on Michael and Silas.”

“It worked on a god?” Darius asked. “That settles it. He's a minor god.”

“He said I was very powerful. Oh! And from what I overheard, Michael and Silas haven't been in cahoots from the beginning. It was all Michael at first, then Silas offered him an alliance.”

“Really?” Declan asked. “That's interesting.”

“What's really interesting is how Michael tried to end their alliance tonight. He said he was going about this all wrong. All he wants is to be left alone. He created the Host to protect himself from Cerberus teams. But now he thinks it would be better to lie low instead of going on the offense.”

“He's right,” Darius said. “If he went to ground, he'd be much harder for us to catch.”

“Speaking of which, when Silas refused to end their alliance, Michael jumped out of the body he was using and tried to leave. But Silas grabbed his soul out of thin air and stuck it back in.”

“What?!” Dominic spun around to look at me again. “A minor god shouldn't be able to do that.”

“Unless his magic has something to do with souls,” Declan mused.

Dominic blinked. “Oh, that's good. That might help us figure out who he is.”

“Yup,” Declan said. “We gotta talk to Hades again.”

“By the way, I did just fine at the bar,” I said, straightening out of Declan's hold. We were already in the main part of town and the bright lights reassured me.

“What does that mean?” Darius asked.

“I nearly had Michael,” I said smugly as I took out the clay jar and held it up. “This is a govi pot—a soul jar. It's used in a funeral ceremony to hold the soul of the dead after summoning it out of the abysmal waters to be reborn.”

“Abysmal waters?” Dominic asked. “Yeah, I'd want to get out of there too.”

“Don't joke about it,” I said sharply. “Some of my family members practice Vodou. It's their religion.”

“Sorry, angel,” Dominic said. “I . . . you do know that there is only one place where souls go?”

“Yes, but that doesn't mean there is only one path to it,” I said.

“Holy shit,” Darius muttered. “She just gave me the shivers.”

“You may be right,” Declan said. “I mean, souls escape the Underworld more often than Hades likes to admit. There must be many paths to his territory.”

“And many names for it,” I said. “I took a chance that the ceremony would work for a possessed man as well, pulling out the soul as it might take it out of the waters. And it nearly did. Unfortunately, Michael realized what I was doing before I could finish the spell, and he fled.”

“Holy shit,” Dominic whispered. “You're amazing, angel. And perfect for us. A woman who can exorcise souls.”

“That is impressive,” Darius said. “But now they know what you can do. You have to be even more careful, Amélie.”

“Yeah. I know,” I muttered.

“We just want to protect you,” Darius said.

I sighed. “I know that too.”

“Good. Then maybe you'll listen to us in the future.”

I made a face at Declan, and he smirked at me. Then he nuzzled my cheek and pulled me back into his arms. And I stayed there for the entire ride home.

Chapter Thirty

“You can't go out with her,” Darius was saying when I entered the kitchen the next morning.

“Good morning, Amélie,” Declan said brightly.

“Good morning, angel,” Dominic added.

“Morning,” Darius muttered.

“Good morning,” I said and went to the teapot on the stove. They had hot water ready for me. “Thanks for this.” I poured some into a waiting mug and then selected a bag of tea from the many boxes laid out behind the mug. Alphabetically. I was betting that was Declan's doing. As I dunked my earl grey into my mug, I asked, “What's going on?”

“I was just telling Darius that we're going out on our first date tonight,” Declan said as he went to the stove and lifted the lid on a skillet. “Bacon and hashbrowns?”

“Yes, please,” I said.

“I'll make you some eggs,” Dominic offered. “How do you want them?”

“Over medium. Do you know what that is?”

“Whites cooked but yolk still runny?”

“Yep. Thank you.” I put some sugar in my tea, kissed Dom then Deck on their cheeks, and went to sit at the table where Darius grimaced at me. “What?”

“You can't go out with him tonight,” Darius said. “A god is after you. You need to stay here.”

“I never said that I was taking her off the property.” Declan sat down beside me. “I'm going to order delivery and we can have dinner in the garden. A night picnic.”

“I like that,” I said and bumped my shoulder into his. “Perfect.”

He grinned at me and my heart went wild. I had to take a deep breath, then a sip of tea. It was too early for my heart to get a workout. My brain needed to wake up first.

“We just strengthened the ward,” Darius said. “You'll have to go out to pick up the food.”

“They always call when they get to the gate,” Dominic said from over by the stove. “Deck can just meet the delivery driver out there.”

I lifted my brows at Darius as I took another sip of tea to hide my grin.

“Fine,” Darius huffed. “But Hades said to stay put while he investigated this god.”

“What else did he say?” I asked.

I had gone to bed as soon as we got home the night before, so I wasn't up when Darius got back from speaking to Hades. All I knew was that Darius decided to go alone so the other two could stay with me. It was considerate, and I had to remind myself of that, so his grumpiness didn't piss me off.

“He smiled when I told him what you learned. And it wasn't a good smile,” Darius said.

“He enjoys a good hunt as much as we do,” Dominic added. “He also helped to reinforce our ward. It should have been fine, even against a god, but since you're here, he wanted to be extra cautious.”

“It's nice that he cares,” I murmured, wondering if he really did. Did Hades believe that I was their mate too? And if so, how could I deny it? He was the one who had cast the spell. He would know when it worked. More importantly, did I even want to deny this anymore? Shit, I was even softening toward Darius.

“If you're going to spend time with Declan tonight, I'd like to spend some time with you today,” Darius said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“What was that?” I looked up from my tea as if I hadn't heard him. I was softening, but I couldn't help messing with him. It had become a habit.

“Will you—” He cleared his throat. “Would you like to stay in on a date with me?”

“Stay in on a date?”

“Instead of going out on one.”

“Right.” I grinned. “Sure. What would you like to do on our date?”

“Do you play chess?”

“Yes.”

“How about a game after breakfast?”

“All right.”

“That's your big date?” Dominic huffed. “You're going to seduce her with your chess skills? Way to go, Bobby Fischer.”

“Way to go on the really fucking old movie reference,” Declan drawled.

I snorted a laugh.

“Do you have a better idea?” Darius lifted a brow at Dominic.

“Yeah, I do.” Dom came to the table with the frying pan and slid a couple of fried eggs onto my plate, perfectly cooked. “First of all, food has to be a part of a date. It helps the hound bond—that whole providing sustenance for our mate thing.” He took the pan to the dishwasher, stuck it in, and came back to the table to sit down on the open chair on my right. “So, I'd cook a meal with her. Together. We could decide on the recipes, plan out the meal, prepare it, then enjoy it together.”

“Sounds wonderful,” I said. “How about lunch?”

Dominic beamed at me. “You're on. Come and get me when you're done with Darius. I'll have some recipes for you to pick from by then.”

“I like a man with a plan.” I leaned over and kissed him. This time, it was on the lips. Dom tried to make it more, but I pulled away when his lips started to part.

“Why does he get kisses?” Declan pouted dramatically.

“He got a kiss,” I clarified. “And you got one earlier.”

“He got a better kiss.” Declan's eyes twinkled.

“He's a bit ahead of you on the intimacy track.”

“Which is why you should be giving Declan and me priority,” Darius said. “I assumed our date would include lunch.”

“But you didn't say that,” Dominic pointed out.

“Don't start again,” Declan said to them. “Amélie has agreed to give us a chance. If you screw this up, I swear I will write the word 'Fool' on your foreheads in permanent marker while you sleep.”

I snickered, then leaned over and kissed Declan's cheek. “You're movin' up the track.”

Declan grinned at me. “Nippin' at Dom's heels?”

“The heels you should nip are mine.” I winked at him. “Maybe you can work your way up from there too.”

“I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff,” Dominic said. “Are we talking about some light spanking and bondage or something a bit more intense? Cause I'm down. And I mean either way. If you want to tie me up and slap my ass, we can do that. I'd even wear a dog collar for you.” He held up his hands like paws and barked. “Or I can buy us one of those  bondage chairs. Or tables. Or beds. Whatever they're called. Fuck, if I know, I've never done that shit before. But for you, I'll try anything.”

I burst out laughing. “Take a breath, Dom.” I blinked. “Dom. Oh, God, even your name is perfect for S&M.”

“So, that's a yes?” he asked eagerly.

“She was just teasing me, Dominic.” Declan rolled his eyes. “Gods, you are lucky that she ended up with you first.”

“She likes to laugh,” Dom said. “And I'm the funny one. We're all lucky that I ended up with her first.”

“Your modesty is humbling,” Darius said dryly.

I burst into another round of laughter.

“Declan's sense of humor is more mature and nuanced. You're a fucking frat boy.” Darius stood up and came around the table to hold his hand out to me. “Grab your tea, angel. It's time to play.”

I lifted my brows at Darius as I picked up my tea. “Oooo, that was sexy. You have my attention.”

“Hey!” Dominic growled. “Angel is my nickname for her. You don't get to slither in and snatch it up, Slytherin. She saved me, not you.”

With a surprising tenderness, Darius looked at me and said, “She's going to save us all, Dom.”

Chapter Thirty-One

My mother once told me that if I wanted a man to fall in love with me, the first time I played a game with him, any type of game, I had to let him win. I could play normally after that, but the first time mattered most. Men have very fragile egos, she said. And like any dog, if you stroke them right, they'll roll over for you. But if you put their fur on edge, they'll bite you and run away. She also said, if, at all possible, I should avoid games with men altogether until they declared their love. Unless, that is, we were on the same side, playing against others. If you can get into a situation where you have to work together toward a goal, a man's inner animal will see you as an ally instead of a threat, and they'll bond with you. Even a damaged guy, who isn't open to bonding in a more gentle way will bond through a shared goal or enemy.

Hold on. Shit. That explains a lot, doesn't it? We were already bonding because we had become allies. Mom was right. But then, she always is. The question was; did I still have to let Darius win the first game if we'd already started to bond? Darius didn't just have an inner animal—he had an inner animal who could become an outer animal. And it happened to be a canine. It seemed as if Mom's advice was tailor-made for my boys. Especially Darius. Was he damaged? Maybe. Beyond bonding through intimacy? I didn't think so. Still, it would be safest to let him win the first game. You know, if I wanted him to love me.

But I didn't want to make it easy on Darius. And playing these mind games that involved real games felt as if I was doing the pursuing when it should be him. Let him worry about whether I was falling for him or not. I wanted to know that I was the one, no matter what happened. Even if his hound saw me as a threat.

Time to play, indeed. I didn't hold back. If he won, it would be because he was better than me. Fair and square. As it should be.

Halfway into the game, Darius said, “You're good.” To his credit, he didn't sound surprised. Nor did he look upset when I took his bishop.

“I used to play with my dad,” I said.

His head jerked up. “Tell me about him. What's he like?”

“My dad?” I lifted my brows. “He's Creole. Half French and half African-American. Grew up in Louisiana.”

“Naw'lins?” Darius grinned.

“No. A little town called Eunice. It's closer to Baton Rouge than New Orleans. It's cute. It has history. A lot of Art Deco buildings.”

“Is that where you grew up?”

“No. Dad moved to Baton Rouge when he grew up. Then he went exploring around the world. He met my mom in Greece, married her, and brought her home.”

“So, you were raised in Baton Rouge?”

“Yes, Sur,” I drawled. “Geaux Tigers!”

“Go Tigers?”

“Geaux,” I drawled it out. “That's how we say it. Tigers as in the LSU team. Football is a way of life in Baton Rouge and the only team you root for is the Tigers. Unless you want to be mobbed.”

“Ah.” He grinned. “Is it wrong that I find you incredibly sexy right now?”

“Because I know football?”

“No, because of that slow drawl. Say something else.” Darius grinned wickedly, and it made something low in me clench. “Please.”

I snorted a laugh. “Well, now, dawhlin, we talk more southern in Baton Rouge than Cajun like they do in Naw'lins. It's a very special drawl. Slow. Sweet. And unique.” I dropped the accent to say, “But I left that girl in the South when I moved to the Pacific Northwest.”

“Do you miss home?” He moved a piece while I wasn't looking, then nodded that it was my turn.

I smiled to myself. So, he thought he could distract me? My dad used to try the same trick, but he never managed it either. I simply regrouped and reevaluated.

“No,” I said and meant it. “I made a new home that's all my own here. A life that's totally me. I visit my parents sometimes, and there's nothing like my mom's cooking—a combination of Greek and Southern cuisine—but I like a bit more snow and less swamp. Just a touch of snow, mind you. Rain is nice too.”

He laughed. “I feel the same. I've been to Baton Rouge. It's a fun town, but only to visit. The heat's a killer.”

“Yeah, and we've been getting hit hard here these last few summers. It's even worse down there.”

“I don't mind the gators though,” Darius said.

“They're okay as long as they stay in their swamps, but they can get adventurous. And frisky.”

“No shit. Sounds like someone I know.”

I met his stare. “You can be very charming, Darius.”

“Call me Dare.”

“No,” I said, but I grinned as I said it. I also set down my queen with a final click. “Checkmate.”

Darius blinked, then looked down. “Holy shit.” Then he laughed. “Holy shit, you totally slipped that past me.”

I leaned back and frowned at him. Instead of being threatened, he was enjoying my win. As if we were already a team and my win was his. Guess we had been bonding.

“Well done. Good game.” Darius held out his hand to me.

I shook it. “Another?”

“Sure. Maybe this time you can let me win.” He winked at me.

I smirked. “Never.”

Darius grinned wider. “Good. I'd be disappointed if you did.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

After my multiple games with Darius, of which I only won a little over half, I went to find Dom. I checked his room first. As soon as Dominic opened his door and saw that it was me, he yanked me into his arms and kissed me. Thoroughly. My body came alive with tingles that gathered in all the right places, and I responded with the release of my suppressed ardor. In other words, I moaned and writhed against him as I twined my tongue with his like a nympho.

Dom drew me into the room and kicked the door shut. His hands pulled at my skirt, then shoved the elastic waistband over my hips. The material pooled around my feet, and his hand instantly slipped into my panties. I broke away from his lips to gasp and throw my head back.

“Fuck, I've missed this,” Dom growled against my throat as he slid his fingers up and down my sex. Then he curved one into me. “I've missed you, angel.”

“Get me naked. Now,” I said.

“Yes, ma'am.” He peeled away my clothing, then carried me to a very masculine bed. No canopy, only a thick wooden headboard and low footboard. Simple. Sturdy. Mahogany. He laid me down, then stood up to undress. “Spread your legs,” he begged. “Let me see your sweetness.”

My breath caught, and I wasn't sure if it was from the sexiness of his words or that of his body. Dominic had a body that never got old. Every time I saw it, I was mesmerized anew. Those broad shoulders made my palms itch to latch onto them. That sculpted chest begged to be nuzzled. Those corded thighs were wide enough to bounce my ass on. And that cock was the perfect size for me.

I bent my knees and spread my legs. Dominic sucked in a breath, but I didn't stop there. As he went to the foot of the bed to get a better view, I slid my hands over my breasts, squeezed them, and lifted one to suck.

“Oh, fuck me,” he growled and climbed onto the bed, his cock swinging.

“I intend to.”

Dominic grinned as he crawled forward, heading for home. And that's when I dropped both hands down my belly and between my legs. Splitting my sex, I used my fingers to spread myself open.

“Great Gods, you're the sexiest woman on the fucking planet!” he cried and dove headfirst.

Groaning as he licked at my exposed flesh, Dominic moved his face back and forth, his cheeks brushing my fingers, and rubbed the bridge of his nose against my clit. I grabbed his head and yanked him against me as I exploded, stars bursting behind my shut eyelids.

Dom kept licking and nuzzling as I came. Only when the shivers died down and my grip went lax did he rise onto his knees and grin at me, his lips glossy. “How's my angel? Feeling good?”

“Very good,” I said, then sat up and pushed him onto his back. “My turn.”

“Oh, fuck,” Dominic whispered as my lips closed around him. “Fuck, angel, I don't know how long I can last with you doing that.”

I made an unconcerned sound and kept going, sliding up and down his thick length, loving the way it stretched my lips and filled my mouth. The tip hit the roof of my mouth and slid back. I took him deeper, but only once before I grabbed his base and shortened his reach. I knew it wouldn't lessen his pleasure because I also twisted my fist around him, working him as well with my hand as I did with my mouth.

“Angel,” Dom gasped. “It's gonna be soon. Oh, fuck me. Thank you, Hades. You're the fucking man!”

I grinned around him and kept going. His hands went to my head, fingers sliding through my hair. Tightening. I sped up.

With a roar, Dominic's hips jerked off the bed, thrusting his cock into my mouth as it released my salty reward. I drank him as he flailed, pride bursting through me, then followed him back down to the bed. With one last suck, I slipped off of him and sat up.

Dom lay splayed like a pile of limp noodles before me, his expression one of wondrous satisfaction. “Wow.”

“I think you needed that as much as I did,” I said as I lay down beside him.

It didn't matter that our heads were at the foot of the bed. We weren't moving. And Dom just tucked me in against him anyway, pillowing my head with his chest and arm.

“I did,” he murmured. “We all did.”

I stiffened.

“What?” Dom asked.

“Did Darius and Declan feel that?”

“Of course. I wasn't going to be selfish.” He grimaced. “Actually, I'm not sure I could have stopped them from feeling it even if I wanted to.”

I sat up. “Dominic!”

“What?” Utterly baffled, he sat up too. “We told you about that.”

“Yeah, but I thought it was only when you wanted to share. And I didn't expect you to do it now, before I had sex with either of them.”

“Before? So, you're considering it?”

“I was,” I growled as I crawled over him and got out of bed.

“Wait. What?” He crawled after me. “Angel, wait. I didn't mean to upset you. What did I do?”

“My terms! On my time!” I snapped at him. “You don't get to share me without my permission.”

Dom sat back and gaped at me as I yanked on my clothes. He couldn't form a reply until I got my bra on. Then he said, “I'm sorry. I assumed you knew it would be that way.”

“I didn't. I thought it was just you and me. As it was in the beginning.” I yanked on my top. “I'm not ready for this.” I headed for the door.

“Wait! What about our lunch date? I have a bunch of recipes for you.”

“Make your own damn lunch,” I growled and walked out.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Maybe I shouldn't have been so mad. Maybe I should have known. But I'd been hoping for a bit of normalcy to ground me. Dominic sharing our alone time made it feel less like ours, and that scared me. It meant that I'd never get that with any of them. It would always be the three of them in bed with me, even when it was only one. I'd been thinking this would be three relationships, and I'd been getting used to that. And it would be. But it would also be one giant Cerberus-sized relationship.

And then there was the fact that I felt, well, violated. No, that's too harsh. I feel as if I'm taking the gravitas away from women who have been truly violated by saying that. I had definitely consented to the sex. It wasn't force and there was no violence involved. More of an abuse of my trust. But Dominic thought I knew the sex would be shared—at least, the sensations of it. I truly believed that he thought that. I knew he was a good man and would never violate my trust knowingly. So maybe it wasn't that I felt as if my trust had been violated, but my hopes. That single act had dashed my hopes of having separate relationships with each of them. I mean, yes, I did want them to be happy, and I liked the thought that we could live together, maybe even get intimate together, but I didn't want that constantly. I wanted to have choices. Space to breathe.

There it was. Choice. My options had been hobbled, and I didn't like that. It was really the situation that I was mad at, not Dominic. What he did was just a misunderstanding. He hadn't deserved my harsh reaction. Shit.

I huffed in irritation as I entered my room. I've always prided myself on being honest—as much as possible with others and always with myself. But honesty can be a bitter pill to swallow. I was wrong to snap at Dominic like that. And that sucked. But hey, know thyself. Even better—be true to yourself. When I'm wrong, I apologize.

I opened the door and found Dominic there, his fist lifted to knock. “Holy shit!” I flinched.

Dominic jerked too. “Sorry. I came to apologize. Angel, I—”

“You don't need to apologize,” I cut him off. “I overreacted. I need to apologize.”

“What?” He gaped at me.

“I know you're a good guy, Dom. You'd never violate my trust like that. You assumed I knew. I assumed something else. A lot of assuming went on.”

“And you know what they say about assumption,” he said sagely.

Together, we said, “It makes an ass out of you and umption.”

Then we giggled like kids.

Dominic pulled me into a hug. “Still, I'm sorry I made you feel that way, angel. I want you to feel safe with me. With us.” He stood back to look at me, his glittering golden-gray stare going earnest. “Because you are. Each of us would die to protect you. And that would mean death for all of us, so that's an even bigger deal than—”

“What?” I growled, cutting him off again.

“What I say now?”

“The part about all of you dying.”

“Oh. Yeah. We're bound. So, if one of us dies, the other two will be pulled into death with them.”

“Holy fuck!”

Dom shrugged. “We're not going to die, angel. Don't worry about it.”

“What about me?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“If I'm bound to you, would I die in this hypothetical scenario too?”

He considered that. His expression went grim, then angry.

“That answers that,” I muttered.

“No . . . I'm upset because I don't know. I'll have to ask Hades. But death wouldn't be bad for any of us. We'd go to the Blessed Isles, and we could live there together. In peace. No more fighting.”

I grimaced. “I guess that's the bright side of death.”

“But we won't let you die.”

“Dom, that whole, 'Each one of us would die to protect you,' thing is kinda ridiculous now. Cause if you died to protect me, you might end up killing me. That's the height of irony.”

“I don't think that's the case, angel. Our bond is different from the one we'll form with you. I think you'd survive. But regardless, we're going to protect you and ourselves.” He pulled me back into his embrace and nuzzled my ear. “I wouldn't want to leave you here all alone. You'd be so sad without us.”

I snorted. “I adore your humility.”

“I'm teasing.” He went serious. “The truth is, I don't know where we stand with you. It seems to change every day. Sometimes every hour. You fucking confuse the hell out of me, woman.”

“I'm still figuring out what I want. I'm sorry.”

“No, it's normal. We haven't been together for long and now you're here, and I've thrust my pack on you, hoping you'll love all three of us. It's a lot. And it's going too fast. I get it.”

“I don't think we should have sex again until I'm sure.”

“What?!” Dominic screeched.

Binx cried and ran for the bathroom.

“Sex only confuses things,” I said. “I feel closer to you. Obviously. But then I'm left unsure of whether I'm falling for you or just enjoying the pleasure.”

“Oh.” His hands fell to his sides. “I understand.”

“It doesn't mean that you can't touch me or kiss me.” I took his hand. “Only that we need to slow down so I can figure things out.”

“You're right. And in my defense, I did intend to have a proper date with you.”

“I know. It's as much my fault as it is yours.”

“So, how about we pick out something to make for lunch?”

“I'm starving, so let's pick something fast.” I pushed him out the door and then shut it behind us. Right on cue, my stomach rumbled.

“It sounds as if we need to quickly choose something that we can also cook quickly,” he said.

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“Then forget the recipes.” Dominic turned us in the direction of the kitchen. “Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, it is.”

“Oh, that sounds divine.”

“Be careful how you use that word in this house.” He winked at me. “But yes, I happen to make the best grilled cheese sandwiches you'll ever have.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Dom's grilled cheese was pretty wonderful. He made garlic butter to grill the sandwiches in, turning the bread into garlic bread. The soup was just from a can, but he doctored that with some cream. All in all, it was an excellent lunch. Two dates done, one left to go.

Declan and I decided on Thai food for dinner. After it was delivered, he packed it in a basket, took my hand, and led me out to the backyard. Although, calling it a backyard was a little offensive. It was a garden. No, not a garden, but several stuck together. Like the Gardens of Versailles, Declan had turned their backyard into an adventure. A winding path led through one type of garden and into another, each space defined with something different—hedges, rows of flowers, trees, low walls, water features, and iron trellises. It went on and on.

I thought it might be awkward to go on this date after what had happened with Dominic. I expected to feel embarrassed. But Declan was so sweet, greeting me with a smile when I met him downstairs. There was no judgment, expectations, or smugness in his eyes. He was simply happy to see me.

So I relaxed as we walked, the path changing from flagstones to grass, to pebbles. Finally, we came to the last garden—a space defined by mature trees. I wouldn't have known there was a garden beyond them if not for the path. Even then, I thought it might lead to a meadow with a picnic table or something like that.

Nope. Declan had hidden his masterpiece like a treasure to be found by those determined enough to look. We went down the dirt path between eucalyptus, oak, and pine trees—each one majestic—and came to an iron gate. Wisteria wound through the iron walls and over the arch above the gate, creating a fairy tale fringe of purple blooms. The gate itself was free of the twining branches, giving a glimpse of the garden beyond through its iron scrollwork. That glimpse had me gasping.

Declan smiled as he opened the gate and took me through. Wisteria blossoms brushed my cheek as if in greeting. It felt like stepping through a portal into another world. The trees had shaded us, but passing through the gate brought us into the sun. That bright light warmed my skin and released the perfume of the multitude of flowers crammed into the oval garden. And yet it wasn't overwhelming. The scent remained light and sweet. Beautiful.

At first, the garden seemed overgrown, what with the amount of plants stuffed into it. But it had been designed to look that way and upon closer inspection showed the care that had been put into each plant's placement. There were staggered tiers created by flowers that grew at different heights. Not rows, mind you. Nothing so rigid. No, Declan had alternated the levels of plants so that the eye went up and down, following the differing heights, always drawn to something new. Even the ground was interesting, with succulents growing out of low, natural rock walls that formed the flowerbeds.

Declan took me around an orange tree that grew in the center of the path, and then I stopped short. He looked back at me. I saw him turn out of the corner of my eye. But my focus was on the iron dome before me. It rose from the grass in sharp, Gothic arches that were softened by the cap of the roof. Climbing roses grew up the iron, spotting the black metal and greenery with bright crimson like drops of blood.

I stepped forward in a daze. There, beneath the dome, waited an iron table covered in a white cloth and set with fine china and silverware. Silk cushions softened the seats and an ice bucket stood to one side, holding a bottle of champagne.

“This is so much better than going out,” I whispered.

Declan grinned as he went past me and set the picnic basket on one of the four seats. He started unpacking our food. “I'm glad you like it.”

“Like it?” I went up and put a hand on his, stopping him. “Declan, this is amazing. You did all this? I mean, the garden.”

“Yes,” his voice and expression went soft. “I planted everything. Planned it all many years ago and added to it as it grew.” He looked around, then up. “I nurtured these trees from seeds. Back then, there weren't nurseries you could go to and buy plants. I had to forage the seeds or saplings.”

“Holy shit.” I gaped at him. “The trees? You planted these trees? They must be over fifty years old.”

“Oh, much older than that.” Declan smiled at me. “This is my sanctuary. I've spent hundreds of years building it. You're the first person I've brought here. Dom and Dare saw it in the beginning stages, but they haven't ventured out here in many years. They don't appreciate the garden as much.”

“They don't? How can they not?”

“They think it's pretty, but they don't look at it as you do. There's no wonder in their eyes. Thank you for that. The way you're looking at my work is more fulfilling than I expected.”

“Declan, I'm glad I can give you that, but you shouldn't need me to fulfill you. This is amazing. It's a wonderland. I could live back here.” I looked around and shook my head. “I can hardly believe it's real.”

“You're wrong,” he whispered.

I looked back at him. “About what?”

“I do need you to fulfill me.” Declan's stare lowered to my lips.

It all went so slowly, and I was grateful for that. I savored every second of sliding closer to him. I saw every nuance of his expression. The joy. The pride. The hope. Then our lips met, and it wasn't fireworks. It was better than that. It was comfort and care. It was a meeting of kindred spirits. Soul mates? Maybe. The possibility bloomed between us more vibrantly than his wonderland.

As if he knew how precious the moment was, Declan eased back before our kiss could shift into something more passionate. But he paused a few inches away to smile at me. “I already feel fulfilled.”

“Thank you for sharing this with me.” I waved at the table. “And you did so much to make it even more special.”

“Your smile alone made it worth carting everything down here.” He shook his head and grinned self-consciously. “Sorry. That was cheesy.”

I grinned back. “I like a man who makes an effort. And a bit of cheese.”

“I'll sprinkle a little into our conversation then. But I don't want to overdo it.” Declan shifted back further and then came around the table to pull out a chair for me.

“Thank you,” I said again as I sat down.

Declan moved the chair beneath me so I wouldn't have to deal with shifting the heavy iron into place. Then he finished unpacking the food. As he worked, the sunlight faded at last, the long day finally giving up the fight, its colors clawing the sky as it went and leaving autumnal streaks behind. I watched it and Declan, letting him get everything situated. This was his date. He'd put a lot of planning into it, and I wasn't about to ruin things by trying to help.

At last, Declan sat down and opened the takeout containers. The scent of peanuts, lime, and coconut rose to mask the flowers. But the blooms were headed to sleep anyway, and we were hungry. When Declan opened the container of spring rolls, I started to salivate.

“Help yourself to a spring roll while I open the champagne,” he said.

I didn't hesitate. I opened the sauce, then snatched up a spring roll and dunked it. The flavor of pork, veggies, and rice noodles, combined with the sweet and tangy sauce, made me groan. Then came the soft pop of the cork, dampened by the dishtowel Declan had wrapped around the bottle. He grinned at me as he poured two glasses.

“What can I get you? A little of everything?” Declan asked.

“A lot of everything,” I said.

“Of course.” He filled my plate with pad thai, sticky rice, cashew chicken, garlic beef, and yellow curry, all while I nibbled on spring rolls. Only when I had a heaping amount of food before me did he fill his plate, prompting me with, “Don't wait for me. Eat.”

“Thank you, Declan,” I said softly.

He looked up, met my stare, and his went tender when he said, “You're welcome.”

We ate in companionable silence for a while and then, as if by magic, lights came on above us, twinkling among the roses.

“Oh, how lovely,” I whispered. “Are they on a timer?”

“They're solar,” Declan said. “They come on when it gets dark. There are more throughout the garden, to light our way home.”

“This feels like home,” I whispered as I looked around. “Better than home.”

Declan didn't say anything, so I looked back at him. He was staring at me with an unreadable expression.

“What is it?” I asked.

“You're so lovely,” he said. “I've never felt so grateful to Hades.”

I looked down.

“I know,” Declan hurried to say. “You're not sure. But I am, Amélie. The three of us are. We've waited so long. I started to lose faith in Hades. But I understand it now. It took that long because it had to be you. You had to be drawn to us. Not just your soul, but your soul at this time, with all the experiences that have made you who you are. Only this you can unite the four of us. How wondrous is that? How magical. To find love that lasts forever between two people is miraculous, but four?” He shook his head. “Imagine how the magic had to hunt through the years and evaluate all the billions of people on the planet to find the perfect match. It's both astonishing and humbling. I'm so grateful to be the recipient of this gift.”

As he spoke, I met his stare again. He sounded like a poet. A romantic. But he was a hardened warrior. A killer now, without limitations. He had probably been a killer in his last life too. Hades would want the best to serve him. A killer with the soul of a poet. What a beautiful contradiction Declan was. And his words shivered through me as if he were the witch, casting a spell on me. They had power, and I was betting it was over me alone.

“You're very convincing,” I said, then sipped my champagne. “And you have excellent taste in wine.”

Declan nodded as if I had said much more than that and his expression withdrew, pulling back some of the wonder and hope. Tempering it for where I was at—which was obviously not where he was. He took a breath and regrouped. “So, you know I like to make things grow.” He motioned at the garden. “And I have good taste. I know you like to help people with your magic and your soul is pure. Oh, and you love cats.”

“One, in particular,” I said. “And I know you're a badass.”

He chuckled. “Thank you. I assume it's a carryover talent from my last life. We don't train a lot. Work out, yes, but not train. We probably should.”

“Do you wish you knew who you were? I mean, before this?”

Declan shook his head. “It doesn't matter to me. Reincarnated souls don't get to know who they were before. That's how it is for everyone, and I don't think it should be any different for Cerberuses. I think there's a purpose behind it. Souls learn from their past lives, but that knowledge is ingrained in our subconscious. Like my talent for battle. That's the only way we can benefit from our past lives without being hindered by them. If we remembered everything, I think it would get in the way. It might even mess up our minds. What if you were deeply in love in a past life? In your new one, without that lover, you'd feel despondent. It would be difficult to fall in love again.”

“I think you're right. Reincarnation is all about moving forward. You can't do that when you're looking back. In fact, I think life should be lived in a similar way. The past is old news. People always say you have to remember it so that you don't repeat it, but I think it's the opposite. As a witch, I know that whatever you focus on, put energy into, you magnify. You give it power. So, if you focus on the past instead of the future, you can't help but repeat it. You get trapped in an endless cycle of the same things.”

“Yes!” Declan pointed at me. “That makes sense. Always look forward. That's a lesson from the myths.”

“Which myth?”

“Do you know the one about Orpheus and Eurydice?”

“Yes. The man who petitioned Hades to release his dead wife.” I leaned forward. “Is it true?”

“No, of course not. Souls do escape the Underworld, but Hades does not release them. Not like that. Think about it. Where would Eurydice's soul have gone if Hades had released her? Her body was already decomposing. She would have become a zombie.” He waved his hand as if to banish the tangent he was heading down. “The humans made up the myth, but it's a good one. I mean, most myths are trying to teach something.”

“And that one tells us to never look back,” I said.

“Exactly! Not in life or death. Freedom can only be achieved by looking forward.”

Shivers ran over me and something expanded inside my chest. I lifted my glass. “To looking forward.”

Declan lifted his glass and repeated, “To looking forward.”

The clink of our flutes seemed to ripple through me and the world, announcing that something had just changed. Hopefully, for the better.

Chapter Thirty-Five

I was reaching for the handle of my bedroom door when I heard the ringing of my phone from inside. Cursing, I burst into the room and ran for my purse, where I'd left it on the table. Binx, who had been sleeping in a patch of sunlight near the balcony doors, meowed.

“I know,” I said to him. “I should have had it on me. Has it been ringing?”

Binx just stared at me, but I had a feeling that it had been. Whoever was trying to reach me was probably getting anxious. I instantly thought of the bar. I should have closed down temporarily.

Sure enough, the caller ID said Jackie. Shit. “Jackie!” I answered. “Are you all right?”

“Amélie?” Jackie's usually strong voice shook. “Where have you been? I've been callin'.”

“I'm so sorry. What—”

“They've got me,” she cut me off, her tone getting even more tremulous. “They've . . . they've done things—” her voice broke. “To me.”

“Son of a bitch!” I roared. “Who? Michael? Did he touch you?”

She started crying.

“I'm going to fucking kill him.” No, it didn't make sense. I knew I couldn't kill Michael. He was already dead. It just came out. One of those things you say. But, in a way, I meant it. I couldn't kill him but I could send him back to Hades. For Michael, it was the same thing. “Where are you?”

“I, uh, I don't know. Fuck.” She was breathing hard, trying to pull herself together. “They blindfolded me when they grabbed me. But we didn't drive far. I can only see trees outside the window. The room they've got me in looks like a fucking Amish man decorated it. There's a goddamn braided rug. Who the fuck decorates with that shit these days? They fucking maniacs.”

And there was the Jackie I knew. It was a relief to hear that she hadn't been broken. Jackie had probably been scared when she couldn't reach me. And I assumed she didn't have long with that phone. But now she had me and she was feeling stronger. She knew I wouldn't let her down. And I wouldn't. Because I knew exactly where she was. Latah Valley, near the golf course.

“I got you,” I said. “I know where you are.”

“What?” Jackie's voice collapsed again, this time in relief. “How?”

“I was just there. I think I was in the same room.”

“You . . . they had you too?”

“Yeah, but I got out, and I'll get you out too. Don't worry. I'm coming.”

“Just call the police, girl!” Jackie hissed. Then she went quiet. “Oh, God. I hear footsteps,” she whispered. “I gotta go. They don't know I have my phone.” She clicked off before I could say anything.

“I'm going to bottle you, motherfucker,” I growled at Michael as if he were there. “And I'm not giving you to Hades. I'm going to bury you. Maybe I'll find some backwoods outhouse and toss you in. A family of those fuckers who live off the grid can shit on you for generations.”

Binx cried.

“I know,” I said and turned toward the door. “I have to be smart about this. I'm going to tell the guys.”

I yanked open the door and shouted, “I need you! All of you! Right the fuck now!”

Footsteps pounded, turning the corridor into a vortex of thunder. The entire Cerberus reached me in seconds, eyes wide.

Before they could say anything, I said, “They've got Jackie.”

“What?” Declan asked. “The Host?”

“Yes. Michael took her. And I think he raped her.”

“What?!” Dominic roared. And then the roar turned into a howl.

The other two men joined him, lifting their heads to send the sound echoing off the ceiling. It should have been silly, grown men howling like that, but they didn't sound like men howling. They sounded like hounds. Not just any canines. Hounds from Hell. And those howls were their battle cries.

It sent shivers down my spine. All I could think of was that Bram Stoker quote, “Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!”

Well, my night boys and I were about to conduct a symphony of pain that would horrify Dracula himself.

Chapter Thirty-Six

“I don't like this,” Darius grumbled for the sixth time.

“Yeah, we know,” Dominic said. “Look, Dec and I aren't thrilled about putting Amélie in danger again either. But this is her friend we're talking about.” He lowered his voice to say, “And Michael sexually assaulted her. Jackie is going to need a woman there.”

“I know!” Darius snapped. “I just don't like it.”

“I'm armed with every potion that could possibly come in handy and I've got a govi pot to trap Michael in,” I said. “I only wish we had time for me to enchant you three again. That magic has already worn off.”

“Don't worry about us,” Declan said. “Without the kill restriction, we'll be fine.”

“Yeah, I know. I watched you fight, remember? It was impressive.”

“Oh, yeah?” Dominic grinned. “You like watching us?”

Darius smacked Dom in the chest. “Focus! Jackie's in trouble, and she's like family to Amélie. That makes her our family too.”

With those words, Darius surmounted every obstacle I had put in his way. If I hadn't been so worried about Jackie, I would have kissed him. As it was, I sent him a grateful look through the rearview mirror.

“Sorry, angel,” Dominic said and winced. “And we'll take care of Michael. Don't worry about trapping him in your pot. We can snatch his soul in seconds. That's what we were made to do. Just find Jackie and get her out of there.”

“It's fine. And I want Michael in the pot. I want him trapped inside that clay forever.”

“That's risky,” Darius said. “You leave him in there and sure, he'll suffer, but he could also get out. In the Underworld, Hades will personally punish him. He has to. It's about pride and appearances now. And he will ensure that Michael never gets free again. There will be so many metaphysical chains on that soul that it will make all the other wards of Tartarus moot.”

I considered it. “Fine. Whoever gets Michael first gets to decide what to do with his soul.”

Dominic chuckled. “She's tenacious.”

“Especially when you fuck with someone she loves,” Declan added. “I admire that.”

“So do I,” Darius said and nodded at me. “All right, angel. It's a deal.”

I grinned viciously as Darius put on speed.

We were in their van, heading toward Latah Valley. As we drove, I stared out the window and wondered how many of those houses Michael had at his disposal. He must choose minions with money. I tried to focus on things like that instead of Jackie and what she might have endured. What she might currently be enduring. Why did he assault her? Maybe it wasn't Michael. I already knew that Silas wasn't above rape. He just liked to call it by another name. Fucking Greek Gods.

If it was Silas, I'd find a way to make him pay. God or not, there had to be something I could do to hurt him. Rolling my eyes at myself, I realized that I didn't have to handle Silas. All I had to do was find out which god he was and the Olympians would make him suffer. And they'd do a better job of it than I would.

I spent the rest of the ride trying to come up with a plan to make Silas slip up and tell me who he was. Maybe I was too anxious, but I couldn't figure it out. I might have to resort to a truth spell, maybe a potion. But I hadn't brought one of those with me. I had focused on attack spells.

Shit.

“It's the next driveway,” I said.

Darius pulled over and parked. As soon as we stopped, we piled out of the van and prepared for the attack. For the Hounds, that meant stripping, shifting, and going spectral. For me, it meant pulling on a jacket that I had doused in an invisibility potion. Just as it had with the car when whatever the potion affected was wrapped around something else, it made that invisible too. In this case, me. Potions don't last forever. I had eight hours max with it. But if it took us more than eight hours to save Jackie, it meant something had gone terribly wrong.

Before Darius started to strip, he came over to me and handed me a gun. “Do you know how to use this?”

“Yes, but I do better with magic,” I said.

“It's always good to have a backup. It would make me feel better to know you had this.”

I took the weapon and slipped it inside the side pocket of my vest. “Thank you.”

“Amélie.” His throat worked and his jaw tightened. “I can't go in there without you knowing—”

“I know.” I held up a hand, cutting him off. “You're not the man I thought you were. It's all right, Dare. We're good.”

His brows lifted at the nickname, but then he grimaced. “That's not what I was going to say.”

“Then what?”

Darius leaned forward and cupped my cheek in his hand. His eyes became molten silver, catching the moonlight like lightning in a bottle. His lips parted. My heart sped up. This wasn't the time for romance, but my body didn't agree. It melted. Once I'd gotten past the image I'd made of Darius in my head, I began to accept how incredible he was. Even when he was acting like a spoiled child. All of my hounds were incredible, but with Darius, it had felt like a transformation more than a discovery. He'd been z slimy womanizer who made me feel dirty every time I felt attracted to him. But now, that filth was gone, washed away, and I saw him for what he truly was. It made him shine so much brighter. Bright enough to block my issues about loving more than one man at a time.

Wait. Did I love Dominic? Yes, I think I might. And I was falling for Declan. Holy shit! Was I truly their destined, enchanted, magical, life-affirming, soul mate? Could this be real? Could I have all three of them? Forever? I found myself lifting my face.

But Darius only brushed his thumb across my lips and pressed his forehead against mine. With a voice like warm velvet, he whispered, “I didn't see you right away, and that will haunt me forever. But once I did, I couldn't stop looking. I haven't stopped, not since the night you drenched me in magic. You're the only woman I see now, Amélie. The only one I want to ever see.” He angled his face up to kiss my forehead.

It felt as if that touch opened my third eye, focusing it on him so that I saw him too. But not just him. I looked from Darius to Dominic and Declan, who had stepped in to circle me. It felt right, perfectly natural, to pull them into an embrace. It should have been awkward, but somehow, I found a way to hold them all at once. Maybe it was magic.

“I believe now,” I said.

“In magic?” Dominic grinned.

“Magic is a part of me. I don't have to believe in it. Your magic, however, was harder to accept.”

“But you accept it now?” Darius asked. “Us?”

“I'm not ready to make any vows,” I said in a warning tone. “But, as I said, I believe now. In us.”

“That's enough for me,” Declan said and kissed my cheek.

“Damn, I feel like I can conquer the world!” Dominic exclaimed.

“Me too,” Darius said in a softer tone, his stare locked on my face. Then he shifted it to Dom and Dec. “But let's not get cocky or lose focus. The Host is backed by a god now, and they've got someone special to our mate.”

“Not to mention, they've eluded us several times before,” Declan said.

“Yes.” Dominic went grim, and it looked odd on him. “We have to be careful. Especially you, angel. That motherfucker wants you. And he's cunning. You can bet Silas will have traps in place. Traps targeting you. Don't remove that jacket until you find Jackie.”

“I won't,” I promised. “And you three stay in your ghost forms. We're not after the Host tonight. Just Michael and Silas.”

“Yes, ma'am.” Darius grinned at me. “And don't think I've forgotten our game. First one to Michael gets to decide his fate.”

I grinned back. “I'm not letting you win this time either.”

“That's my girl.” He winked at me.

“Maybe,” I said and pulled on my jacket.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Invisibility sounds fun, doesn't it? Who hasn't imagined becoming invisible for a little while and walking through the world like a phantom? Sure, it can be fun to listen in on things you weren't meant to hear or mess with people's heads. But it's also disconcerting and difficult.

As I mentioned before, when you're invisible, you can't see yourself. That's a mind fuck right there. Your head reels for the first few minutes, trying to process where your body has disappeared to. You have to keep telling yourself that you're still there, still alive, that your lungs still work. And then there's the whole depth perception thing. The guys raced ahead of me as a pack of spectral dogs. I could still see them, but just barely, and I had to run after them to keep them from vanishing into the darkness. They got to the house ahead of me, but they didn't have to bother with pesky things like doors. They simply bounded through the walls. I rolled my eyes and reached for the handle on the front door. And missed.

“Damn it!” I hissed and tried again.

I got the door open, but the men had a huge head start, and I knew I wouldn't make it to Michael before them. Not only were they faster than me, but they could also sense his spirit, so they didn't have to search for him as I would have. I mean, I was still searching the house, and if I happened to come across Michael first, I'd put him in the pot, but I doubted that would happen now. Part of me thought it was for the best. Let the experts do the soul-punishing. So, I focused on Jackie.

The gun was an oddly reassuring weight in my vest as I crept silently across the foyer and to the stairs. Darius was right; it was good to have a backup. And a gun didn't need a chant to activate it. Aim and shoot, that's all, folks.

The first step creaked with my weight. I paused. Went to my tiptoes. I took the rest of them as quickly as possible, stepping on the sides of the stairs, where they'd be less likely to creak. When I reached the landing, I turned right, heading for the bedroom I'd been in before. Jackie had described that room. Granted, all the rooms were probably done in a similar style, but there couldn't be that many bedrooms in the place. Might as well start with the one I knew.

No one was in the hallway or any of the rooms off it. And I couldn't hear the hounds either. But then, they knew better than to howl in triumph after catching their quarry. Michael was only an underling. The bigger fish was Silas, and none of us wanted to alert him of our presence.

That being said, the warning about traps rang through my mind. I froze halfway down the hallway. I'd been fired up on fury and it had dampened my wits. Now, I started to think. Really think.

Why hadn't they searched Jackie when they grabbed her? They had to have. If one of them assaulted her, they would have removed her clothing. Granted, it could be done with her half-dressed, but even then, how had she kept that phone hidden? Maybe it was in her purse and they had let her keep that. But Silas wasn't stupid. He would have searched her purse. So why hadn't he found that phone?

He had. He must have. Which meant that he let Jackie keep it, knowing that she would call me. This was a trap. Had to be. But we had gone into it knowing that was a possibility. We were as prepared as possible. So why wasn't I moving?

Because something felt off. If this was a trap, where was the Host? Where were Michael and Silas? Had I walked past them? Were they downstairs? Had the Hounds gotten Michael already? That would still leave Silas lurking around, waiting for me. Yes, me. He had a bone to pick with Hades, but he intended to hurt the God of the Underworld through his children. And the best way to do that was to hurt me. But it was more than that. He wanted my power. I couldn't imagine how he could take my magic, but I knew he wanted to. Silas, whoever he was, was a minor god who wanted to become a major. I was his ticket to the big league.

What would a god do if he wanted to catch a witch? He'd take someone she loved and put that person in the middle of the trap. Bait. That much was obvious. But how would he restrain me? What would the trap itself be?

If it were me, I'd be waiting in the room with Jackie, hidden until my victim appeared.

I had to expect an instant attack as soon as I revealed myself. So, either I didn't reveal myself or I found a counterattack. Feeling for the vials of potions I had tucked into the slim pockets on my vest, I contemplated which would be best to use on Silas. My magic had worked on him before, so I was confident it would again. But I needed something with a wide blast radius and a lot of juice.

Violent spells had little place in my daily life. I couldn't remember the last time I had crafted a potion to harm instead of help. But I had filled my vest with such potions. Liquid pain. Spells to cripple and maim. The least lethal thing I carried was that gun. The most was . . .

I pulled a pair of leather gloves from my jeans pocket and slipped them on before I drew a vial from my vest. The gloves were important. Because within that vial was a deadly potion that would kill a human in seconds. And those seconds would be the longest of their life, filled with excruciating pain. The spell was called Render. Such a simple name that could be taken in several ways. Was it meant in the sense that it would render the target helpless? Or perhaps it referenced the way it melted the physical form as a cook might render lard. Or was it more like a name? The Render. Meaning the root of it was the description. To rend.

Yes, that was most likely it. The victim was rent by the spell. Torn to pieces internally. As soon as the potion hit skin, it would seep rapidly through flesh, rending it as it went. The drawing in my spellbook had been graphic and disgusting but necessary. It was a warning to every witch who read the spell. Be sure this is what you want to achieve. Be sure that you can live with yourself after you cast it.

Normally, that would be a no. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Such a thing might drive me to madness. But I knew this wouldn't kill Silas. At the most, it would render him immobile for a while. I suppose the spell had a range of results depending on its target.

To be honest, I hoped Render went through all the definitions with Silas. Even if he hadn't been the one who assaulted Jackie, he could have stopped it. Which meant he allowed it. And he intended to do the same to me. That fucking god was going to know what it felt like to be mortal.

Armed with the darkest of magic, I crept down the hall. This time, I was able to grip the door handle on the first attempt. Slowly, silently, I opened the door. Pushed it just a crack. A little wider. A little more. When it was ajar enough for me to slip inside, I did.

The room was dark, lit only by a little lamp on the bedside table. It was one of those round-belly antique things that had been an oil lamp at one point. It even had the glass tube at the top. But it had been wired for electricity and a bulb stood within the glass. The meager light shone on a body curled up on the bed. A sniff came from her.

I wanted to race to Jackie, but I quelled the urge. First, I made a circuit of the room. I popped the silver-hinged top of the vial as I walked, hand extended. If I could make myself invisible, a god could certainly do so. But I should still be able to touch him. So, I searched by feel, going into every crevice of the room. Near the bed, closest to the door, my hand slid over a solid chest.

“Hello, Amélie,” Silas drawled. “Congratulations. You found me.”

“Congratulations yourself, asshole,” I growled. “You just won a shit load of pain.” I stepped back and tossed the contents of the vial on him.

Silas screamed. It was a sound unlike any I'd ever heard before. The kind of sound that lifted gooseflesh on your arms and tingled the base of your spine. The primal part of you screamed back, telling you to run from that sound. And I did. I ran to the bed, where Jackie had shot up and was screaming too.

“Jackie!” I shouted as I grabbed her. “Shh. It's me. It's Amélie. Let's get the fuck out of here.”

I couldn't hear her response over Silas's screams, but I saw her mouth form my name. I grabbed her hand and tugged her off the bed.

The screaming faded to a whimper. Too fast. Shockingly fast. That spell would have killed anything mortal, but this fucker only got a few seconds of pain before he started to heal. It made me furious. He deserved far more. But Jackie deserved better. I had to focus on her.

“Come on!” I pulled on her hand.

She was just standing there, staring through me. Right. She couldn't see me. I shucked off the jacket.

Jackie's eyes went wide. “Oh, my God,” she sobbed and launched herself at me. “Amélie!”

“Later! We've got to get out of here.”

“Amélie,” Jackie kept crying. “Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. Please forgive me.”

“It's all right. Let's go.”

And then I felt something solid close around my wrist. I looked down. Jackie was drawing back her hand, easing it away from my wrist and the manacle upon it. With the touch of that cold metal, the world spun. Half of what made me who I was vanished. My magic. Gone. It left me weak and dizzy. I teetered on my feet.

“I'm so sorry,” Jackie said again. “It's my brother. Jake. My twin. You know how sick he is. Prostate cancer. It spread to his bones. Silas helped him. Showed me a little of what he can do, so I know it's real. He can heal Jake. Fully. I'm so sorry.” She hugged me.

I gasped as her words sank through me. Betrayed. By someone I thought of as family. For her real family. Yeah, all right. I understood. Blood comes first. But son of a bitch. I never expected this from her.

“Your brother is healed,” Silas said, his voice free of pain. “Go to him, Jacqueline. He's waiting for you.”

Jackie sobbed and clutched at me. “You promised you wouldn't hurt her.”

“Are you kidding me?” I found the strength to gasp. “He's going to take everything from me. Pain is the least of what he'll do.”

“No. No, he promised. He's only going to use you as bait,” Jackie said.

“That's right,” Silas said as he grabbed my upper arm and yanked me away from her. “Go now. Go to your family.”

Silas didn't wait for Jackie to respond. He simply disappeared. And I went with him.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

My vest is gone. That was the first thought I had when I woke up. The next was, Where the hell am I?

I knew one thing for certain; it wasn't Hell. Not even the Underworld. Ironically, I think I would have been safe there. Here, wherever here was, not so much.

The only good news was that the magic-sucking manacle was gone. I felt like myself again. The bad news—and there was more of it than good—was that the manacle had been replaced by silk ties that stretched me out across a bed and with it had gone most of my clothes as well. I was down to my underwear.

It took only seconds for me to add this up and come up with a disgusting total.

“Ah, there you are,” Silas said as he sat down on the bed beside me. “Just in time too. I've got everything prepared.”

“For what?” I glanced down to see that he was in his underwear too. A pair of thin cotton boxers. Too thin. I jerked my gaze back to his face. “You might as well tell me now that you have me here. And where is here, anyway?”

“You are one of the few lucky mortals to enter the Realm of the Gods alive,” he said. “This is my home. My bed. Which I believe makes you even luckier.” He grinned at me. “I've thought a lot about what to do with you. I considered killing you, as Michael wants, and taking your power. But that would be foolish. I'd get a single burst of energy. It would be like chopping down an orange tree to harvest the fruit. Why cut it down when I could just pick the oranges and savor the juice forever?” He lowered his tone to something wicked with the last words.

“Gross,” I said. “You're not getting my juice.”

“Oh, yes, I am.” Silas grinned wider. Then he cocked his head at me. “I assume you know a bit about the Greek Gods and the myths humans wrote about us.”

“Yeah. And?”

“Some of those myths are true. Some only partially. And some are completely false.”

“Uh-huh.” I was wriggling my wrists subtly as he spoke, but the bastard had really done a number on those ties. And although I had my magic back, there was nothing I could cast without alerting Silas. Not with me tied up like that.

“You, of course, know the myth about Hades and Persephone.”

“Who doesn't?” I drawled.

“Yes indeed.” He grimaced. “Hades is a popular god. Even today, they write stories about him, drawing on his myths to create more.”

“His myth basically says he's a kidnapping rapist.”

“And yet humans love him,” Silas snarled. “They make art in his image. They glorify his deeds and romanticize Persephone's rape.”

“Was she raped?”

“No,” he admitted. “That myth is false. It was spread by one of Hades's enemies to hurt his image. But it didn't work! All of you fools still loved him. You think it's sexy that he craved Persephone so much that he abducted her and took her to his dark palace to wed?”

“I don't think that. I mean, you just said it isn't true, but if it was, I wouldn't find anything sexy about it. More monstrous.”

“What a pity.” Silas grinned menacingly. “Because I've decided to follow in his mythical footsteps. There's a sort of cosmic justice in it. An irony that I am the man to make truth out of his myth.”

“First of all, you wouldn't be making his myth true. You'd be making yourself a rapist. Second, that's not irony. Third, where is the justice for me, asshole?”

Silas sat back and contemplated me. “You're right. You are an unfortunate pawn in the Game of the Gods. A lot of mortals have paid such a price. Believe me, I know. But that is the way of things. And you will be rewarded for your suffering. Hades's hounds can make you immortal, but I can make you a goddess, Amélie. When I wed you, we will be bound with an ancient spell that will unite our magic. I will have access to your power, but you will also have access to mine. You'll be able to do great things and help many people. I promise. In exchange, you will give me what I need to stand against Hades.”

“Wow,” I whispered. “Are all god marriages like that?”

“No. Only those who desire to bind themselves.” Silas shrugged. “Not many do.”

“Gee, I wonder why,” I drawled.

“It's worth the bond to get the power.”

“Do you really think that I'd marry you to gain power?”

“It will make you a goddess.”

“I don't wanna be a goddess.”

Silas blinked. “What? Why not? It's better than being a princess, and every woman on Earth has wanted to be that at one time or another.”

“Yeah, but then I grew up and realized that it's better to be a witch. Witches can do whatever they want, while princesses have to marry fuckers like you. I don't have to marry you because I'm a witch. My dreams are already fulfilled.”

“Your dreams are small. But I can help you craft bigger ones.” He leaned over me, his chest brushing the crests of my breasts. “I can give you so much, Amélie. Power and pleasure and immortality.”

A wave of sexual pleasure shot down my body, sending me into an instant orgasm. I screamed and writhed as my sex went wet and my nipples hardened. But as good as it felt, when it subsided, I wanted to throw up.

“You motherfucker!” I screamed as I thrashed against him. “You do not have my consent. Do you understand me? What you just did is tantamount to rape.”

Silas jerked back and stared at me with rounded eyes and an open mouth.

I yanked against the ties, making my wrists ache, but I was so furious that I barely felt it. “I will fucking cut your dick off! You hear me? Touch me like that again, and I will unman you permanently. I'll use my fucking teeth if I have to. And if you heal, I'll take it off again. Maybe not right away, but you'll eventually lower your guard around me and when you do, I will—”

“Enough!” Silas roared, the command going through my body and doing something odd to me.

This time it wasn't pleasure, but it wasn't pain either. Honestly, I'd been expecting torture after what I had done to him. But instead, Silas used his magic to calm me. My heart rate slowed and my breathing deepened. Two results he was after. But my mind also cleared, and I didn't think he had intended to sharpen my wits.

“That's better,” Silas said and leaned onto one hand. “Now, our wedding ceremony will be a little unusual since we don't have to bother with guests and the like. And since we don't have to worry about guests, we can initiate the bond in the easiest way—sex.” He chuckled. “I've heard that the Hounds set their mating bonds through sex too. So, again, it's fitting.”

“My threat remains.” I kept my stare locked on him.

“Once we are bonded, you'll feel differently. You'll know me intimately, and you will love me. You will never want to hurt me again.”

I snorted a laugh. “There's no magic powerful enough to do that.”

“We'll see.” He stood up and took off his shorts.

There went my calm. My heart raced as Silas settled himself between my legs. I tried to struggle, but although his calming magic had abandoned my emotions, it still held my body in thrall. My muscles were limp with relaxation. I didn't move when he snapped the side of my panties. Then the other.

I shivered as he settled himself between my legs. My breath caught. I was going to cry, and I hated myself for it. But then a chiming came, and Silas flinched back from me.

“Son of a bitch!” He shot out of bed.

I stared at him, still hovering over a screaming chasm of fear and disgust. What was happening?

Silas pulled on his shorts and flicked a sheet over me. “I'll be right back, my sweet.” He grinned and added, “Don't go anywhere.” And then he strode out of the room.

I watched him leave, finally registering the magnitude and magnificence of the room I was in. A lot of marble and gold. The ceiling was painted with a realistic scene of dancing nymphs around a round skylight. A clear blue sky filled the glass even though it had been night when Silas took me. But then, I wasn't in Washington anymore. Wasn't even on the planet. The time difference was probably huge. If time even existed there. Holy shit! Was I somewhere out of time?

Yes, I was on the verge of hysterics. I'd been seconds away from being raped—the very fate I had believed Jackie had suffered—and then I was saved by the bell. Or the chimes, rather. Whatever it was, it wouldn't keep Silas away for—

A male voice filtered through the door, “I thought you might like to know that the Hounds are currently demolishing that little house you tucked your toys in and are killing everyone. By morning, your project will be over.”

“The humans can't be killed. I've given them—”

“They are dying,” the other man interrupted. “Their souls are leaving Earth. You may have strengthened them, but these are the fucking Hounds of Hades we're talking about. Your pathetic army doesn't stand a chance.”

A pause, then, “It doesn't matter. I have their mate. And so I will have my revenge.”

“You what?!”

“I have the mate of the Spokane Cerberus,” Silas said smugly. “And she's a witch.”

“Say that again,” the voice went deadly.

“I took her, just as the myths say Hades took Persephone. Isn't that just perfect? And I will wed her too. Once I bind us in the marriage spell, her power will magnify mine. Can you imagine it? A pure soul blended with that of a god. I shall be unstoppable.”

“You will be dead, you fool! Hades is already within his rights to kill you. And as soon as you make yourself known, that's exactly what he will do.”

“He won't be able to kill me. Not with her magic magnifying—”

“Oh, fuck off! I warned you in the beginning that this was a bad idea. I told you to stay hidden if you went through with it. You want vengeance? Then you must be patient. You must be careful. You can't storm down there and let everyone know that you're in charge, you fucking moron! Do you really believe the magic of a human—a fucking human—will make you greater than the Lord of the Underworld? We're talking about an Olympian. One of the original gods. He's older and more powerful than you know.”

“I thought you were on my side?”

“I am. And that's why I'm doing this.”

There was a scuffling sound, then a thud.

I froze, staring at the door. It blasted open, the frame filled with light. I squinted against the glare, but all I could make out was a tall form. It came to me, moving quickly. As it did, the ties around my wrists and ankles fell away. The form became a little clearer as the god drew abreast of the bed. He leaned over me to gather me up, wrapping me in the sheet. I caught a glimpse of golden eyes, but that could have been a trick of the light. Everything else, all the man's features, were lost to the dazzling illumination.

“It's going to be all right, Amélie,” the man said. “I'll take you back to them. I'm so sorry for what Silas has done, but you're safe with me. Rest now. Close your eyes. Close them and forget about me.”

I closed my eyes and forgot.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

“Forget,” the voice whispered in my memories as I opened my eyes.

Stars. I saw them first. A heaven's worth of stars. It was a peaceful sight, one that matched the unnatural calm within me. Then sounds pierced my peace. Screams, shouts, and pleas for mercy blended with terrible snarls, roars, and growls. I gasped as I sat up, suddenly remembering Silas and what he had almost done to me. I remembered fighting him. How helpless I had been. But I didn't remember anything he said. Or how I escaped. How had I gotten back to Earth?

Before me was the farmhouse with its braided rugs and simple furniture. It had probably belonged to some real salt-of-the-earth people. Good people. I wondered what had happened to them. I hoped they were off somewhere nice, enjoying their retirement, and that they'd never learn what had become of their old home.

It looked as if a monkey had gotten into the driver's seat of a crane and attacked the house with a wrecking ball. There wasn't a single wall left untouched. Most of the second floor was open to the elements due to the lack of a roof. The first floor wasn't doing so great either, and with the loss of structural integrity, the house was swaying.

Above it loomed Cerberus.

The Hound of Hades smashed the house to bits as the Host tried to flee what had once been good cover. But with three heads, Cerberus was excellent at multitasking. One head oversaw the destruction while the other two snapped up Michael's minions and tossed them into the air like chew toys. Oh, yeah, Cerberus was a puppy at heart.

“Holy shit,” I whispered as I stood.

Someone ran past me, shouting, “Run! Get out of here!” He was so terrified, he didn't recognize me as one of his enemies.

On autopilot, I reached for a potion in my vest, flicked open the lid, and tossed it on him. As he fell to the ground unconscious, I strode past him, my stare on the giant dog.

“Holy. Fucking. Shit,” I said.

Pride slid through me. These men were mine. And they were even more impressive when they were one creature. With a pelt like midnight and glowing silver eyes, Cerberus was stunning. His fur was long and sleek, his massive paws tipped in claws like scimitars, and his ears were tufted. What a pretty boy. Magic and power radiated off him. I could sense it like an aura. Even see waves of it in the air like heat off an Arizona road.

Slowly, it occurred to me that Cerberus wasn't just raging. Those silver eyes—one pair pure, one flecked with gold, and one with green—were full of anguish. Truly sad puppy dog eyes. His tail hung low. His ears alternately drooped or laid back flat on his head. And every few seconds, one of the heads would lift to howl. Not in warning but misery.

“Oh, God,” I whispered. “This is for me. This is about me!”

I was just about to shout at them that I was back and safe when Silas and Michael appeared over by Cerberus—Silas gripping Michael by the throat. The god pushed the angel impostor toward the fleeing Host, saying something I couldn't hear. Michael ran toward his people. Silas then faced Cerberus.

All three heads focused on Silas.

“Oh, shit,” I whispered.

I couldn't understand why Silas had let me go and returned to fight the guys, but I knew it couldn't be good. Not for us. If he was facing them, it was because he felt certain that he'd win.

“Where is she?!” one of the heads roared while the other two tracked Michael.

They could only target one of the two men in their combined form. So, as I watched, Cerberus shrunk and went spectral. As he went from the size of Godzilla to that of a gorilla, he split into three, each head sliding onto one smaller, but still mammoth, hound. Two of them went corporeal to confront Silas while the final hound raced after Michael, still in his ghost form.

“Who?” Silas asked. “Jackie? She's fine. She's gone to the hospital to be with her brother. He's made a miraculous recovery.”

The two hounds snarled.

One roared, “Where is Amélie?! Where is our . . . ?” he trailed off as his head jerked in my direction.

Both of the corporeal hounds looked at me.

The last hound, who'd been chasing Michael, spotted me then. Or maybe he'd seen me first and the other two had been alerted of my presence by his relief. He gave a howl of triumph and put on speed. Michael was between us.

I pulled out the govi pot and started to chant.

Caught between a phantom dog and a furious witch, Michael gave up the ghost. Literally. Antonio fell to his knees and an energy that could only be Michael rushed passed me.

“Son of a bitch!” I snarled even as I reached for the gun in my vest.

I remembered being nearly naked. So I didn't know how I'd gotten my clothes back, much less the gun, but there it was. And I was using it on the fleeing Host. Because it was faster than my potions and probably more merciful. The first to go was Antonio. Sorry, bro, but I'm not leaving that asshole's favorite host alive.

Michael's minions pulled up in shock, the crowd folding back in upon itself before splitting in all directions. Kinda like an atom bomb. They bolted, and I kept pulling the trigger while the hound—I wasn't sure which of them he was—went solid to knock people to the ground and tear out their throats. It was the first time I had killed, and I knew I'd freak out about it. Later. Right then, I had to protect my pack.

Meanwhile, the other two hounds howled in relief. Then one of them yipped.

I looked over to see that Silas had taken advantage of their distraction to attack. Power lit the night. God magic. One of my men went tumbling backward. They could have gone spectral to defend themselves but then they wouldn't have been able to attack Silas.

“Forget these people!” I shouted at the third hound as I raced past him. “We need to help the others.”

The hound finished his kill, then ran after me, quickly taking the lead. As the downed dog got up, we joined the one still standing. I pulled out a potion, but before I could use it, Silas blasted me with energy. It wasn't a spell. Just a wave of power that sent me flying even further than the hound had gone. I hit the ground hard but luckily, I did so on my back, so none of my potions broke. Still, it stunned me.

As I lay there groaning, the hounds snarled. Then came the sounds of a wicked battle. I forced back the pain and struggled to my feet just in time to see one of the hounds leap at Silas. The god waved his hand, capturing the hound in an invisible grip before tossing him overhead. The hound arced down to smack into the ground hard enough to break bones. He laid there, motionless.

“No!” I shouted and ran for the body.

The other two instantly attacked Silas. He went down under their snapping jaws. But I was focused on the fallen hound. I sank to my knees beside it and slid my hand into the fur at its neck. He was warm. I pressed into his skin and felt a pulse. Alive. I breathed out in relief and turned toward the fight.

The hounds went flying, both of them shooting up into the air as if there had been an explosion. Silas stood up and dusted off his shirt with a smug expression. As he did, I grabbed another potion. This time, I didn't try to deliver it myself. Not physically at least. Instead, I popped open the vial and used my magic to send it flying at Silas.

He turned toward me. Met my stare. But he'd been too late to see the launch of the potion. So, as I held his gaze, I also dumped magic onto his head. Silas's eyes widened a second before he dropped to the ground, his skin going red and bubbling.

I stood up, and the fallen hound whimpered.

“Relax, babe,” I said. “I've got this.” I opened another vial and sent it flying.

Silas was starting to recover as I hit him with more nastiness. He went down again, screaming as he clawed at his skin.

The other two hounds crept forward.

“Stay back!” I shouted at them. “You can't get that shit on you.”

They changed directions, gracefully turning around and running back to flank me and their injured packmate. As they did, the third hound got to his feet. A shimmer of magic rippled the air as the hounds became men. Naked men. I didn't even glance at their bodies. And that alone should tell you how intent I was on finishing Silas.

I opened two more vials, and they rose over the palms of my hands. I lifted my hands, then waved them forward, directing the potions at Silas. More screams tore up his throat. His skin melted. His hair was gone. He was nothing more than meat. And I kept going.

“That's it, Amélie,” Darius said. “Kill that motherfucker.”

Had I been proud of them before? Seeing them fight had brought out a vicious joy in me—the pride of a woman in the strength of her man. But now, I felt a different kind of pride. Pride in myself and them for feeling proud of me. We were a team now. That special bonding was happening. The one you get when you become more than lovers. Now, we were allies. We had each other's backs, and they believed in me as much as I believed in them. I was part of their pack.

Two more vials rose. I was sending everything I had at Silas. I tossed them at him, sensing that the end was near. Even a god couldn't withstand this much magic, could he?

Silas suddenly stood and sent out a desperate blast. It knocked all of us onto our asses and sent the last of my potions into the bushes. I lifted my head, squinting through the blast, and saw Silas fall. Within the glare, his form disintegrated. Then the magic winked out.

An abrupt silence made my ears ring. The world went hollow with it. Then came the sound of our heavy breaths. The men helped me up, and we hurried to the spot where Silas had stood. There was only a puddle of goo left with bits of god in it.

“Gross,” Dominic said. “Silas stew.”

“But effective,” Declan said. “He's definitely dead.”

“I am so fucking in love with you!” Darius declared and pulled me into his arms.

Our kiss was searing and celebratory. Dom and Dec laughed and then closed in around us, their hands stroking me, their bodies shielding me, and their hearts reaching for mine. It seemed natural to go from passionately kissing Darius to tenderly kissing Declan and then sliding into a full-body make-out session with Dominic. With their naked bodies pressed in around me, I felt both safe and sexy. And I needed to get somewhere more private to celebrate that in addition to our win. Somewhere without god goo.

I pulled away from Dominic's addictive lips to say, “Let's go home.”

I didn't have to tell them twice.

Chapter Forty

After we got into the car, I clarified that I wanted to go to my home. Something felt right about it. It had been where Dominic and I first made love, and I wanted it to be where the three of us had our first time together too.

We parked, and I got out. With a wicked grin, I said, “Catch me if you can.” Then I ran for the backyard.

The ward was still in place, and I felt safe to cast aside my clothing as I ran through the grass. Trees grew all around and across my property, but the mini forest at the back was special. It was there that I conducted all of my outdoor spells. As soon as I entered the sanctuary of the trees, I felt the welcome. Magic had seeped into the ground and plants there, and it recognized me. Strength infused me and joy ran up through the soles of my feet. Bare feet, yes. And I couldn't remember when I'd cast off my shoes.

That was the effect this place had on me. I functioned on autopilot there, moving with the magic. It swept me up and lured me forward, toward the center of the woods. Behind me, I heard the men give chase. At first, there were the soft sounds of their footsteps, but then it went quiet. I grinned to myself, knowing the quiet wouldn't last.

Sure enough, seconds later, I heard the cry of a hound. Two others joined it. Howls and yips. They were communicating. Working together to catch their prey. The hunt was on.

I circled the center of the forest, giving them time to chase me as my excitement also built. But with them on four feet and me on two, I couldn't let it go on for too long. If I tried, they'd catch me before I led them to where I wanted them. So, I darted inward at last.

There, the trees thinned and plants drew back. It wasn't a circle, more of an amorphous oblong. But I had cast many circles within that meadow. Circles of protection and power. The shape itself was special to many traditions, even those of this land. There is something magical about circles. The way they smoothly flow from start to end, to start again.

Since I was lucky enough to have a dedicated space for my magic, I had set a permanent circle with white stones. A ward thrummed within them, waiting to be set. Yes, I set additional wards within my property. Normally, I didn't have the larger ward up around the border, so the smaller one was necessary when casting spells. I did the same when I worked in the house. The stones glowed under the moonlight and within their circle grew moss the color of the flecks in Declan's eyes. The night hid the color, and the moon washed it away, but I knew it matched, and I felt the rightness of that too. It was all right. Perfect.

When I stepped across the boundary, I was naked. Only moonlight clothed me. I spun in a slow circle to face the hounds as they came through the trees, and they stopped to stare at me—three giant beasts entering the clearing at three separate points. Surrounding me. Feminine energy and power rushed through me. My blood shimmered with magic. This was it. The destined time and place for us to form our bond. Every step we'd taken had led us there.

The hounds came forward as one, placing their great paws carefully. Deliberately. Moonlight shone off their dark pelts. Then it glittered. The air around them sparked. With every step, they became less beast and more man until they stood only a foot away, fully men and as naked as I was. I let myself look and enjoy all three of them. Their appearances were similar, and yet each man was special. Darius was the most slender, though that was probably the wrong word to describe him. With all those muscles and broad shoulders, he was anything but skinny. It was just in comparison to the other two that he looked lean. I couldn't see his mark, but I was looking forward to biting it later. He had an amazing ass.

Declan's mark was on his flank—his outer, right thigh. It was longer than Dom's and Dare's, with a shaft that went down to his knee, making it clear that it was a spear, not some kind of dual-tipped dagger. And it looked magnificent on his muscular thigh, enhancing the length of his leg.

Dominic, standing directly before me, hid nothing about himself. His expression was eager and adoring, his hands open and reaching for me, and his mark not only announced who he was and what power filled him, but it also directed my attention to that piece of flesh that would soon join us. And not just physically. He said it all for them, without speaking a word.

“You've never looked more beautiful,” Darius said. “Naked under the moon.”

“Standing in a sacred circle of your power,” Declan added.

“Great Gods,” was all Dominic whispered as he stepped forward.

I went into Dom's arms because my body already knew him and it was almost a case of muscle memory. Plus, he stepped into the circle first. The other two flanked us, and my hands went to their chests even as Dominic kissed me. Instantly, something phenomenal swept through me and rushed into them. Something beyond my power and theirs. The force that sought to unite us was divine. A gift from a god. And I was surprised to find that I wasn't scared of it. Instead, I was grateful.

The men drew me down to the moss. Better than the finest mattress, the cool cushion of velvety growth cradled my back. Above us, stars glittered, dimmed only by the cotton-haze glow of the moon. Looking up at that soft globe, I understood why people worshiped it. But I wasn't one of them. Tonight, I would be worshiped. And I might do a little worshiping myself. But I appreciated the light.

Spreading my arms, I welcomed Darius and Declan into my embrace. Darius sought my lips as Deck kissed the column of my throat. I wasn't concerned with Dominic. He would do as he wished, and it would be—

I moaned into Darius as Dom lapped at my sex, not bothering with any lesser foreplay. Dominic groaned with me, the vibration heightening my pleasure. Closing my eyes, I could see waves of magic rushing inward from each of them. Love. Passion was there too, but love overwhelmed it. Three virile streams of love coursed through my body to connect with the well of bubbling emotion inside me. When they met, the four became one, and all of us cried out in bliss.

“Angel!” Dom gasped as he shot to his knees. “I feel you. I feel everything!”

“I need more!” I growled. “Give me more.”

Dominic met my stare with eyes that sparked gold. “You will have everything I am for as long as I live, Amélie. I swear it.”

“Now, Dominic!” I snarled.

“Oh.” He grinned as his hand trailed down his belly, along the path of his bident to the shaft below. He gripped himself and rubbed the tip through my wet flesh. “Is this what you mean?”

“Stop being a tease,” Darius growled and then dove for my breast.

I gasped as Dare's hot mouth sucked at my nipple and his hand massaged my breast, plumping it up toward him. He propped himself on an elbow and pumped his hips against my leg, rubbing an impressive erection against me.

“At least I'm not humping her leg like a dog,” Dominic said.

“Are you two fucking kidding me right now?” Declan snarled. “We're about to bind with our mate! If there is any time for you to can the bickering, it's now.”

I burst out laughing, and the men drew back to stare at me in horror. I laughed and laughed until tears filled my eyes and trailed down my cheeks. At last, I swiped away the tears and opened my eyes to look at each man for a few long moments, love pouring out of me. “This is absolutely perfect. Anything else wouldn't have felt like us.”

Dominic grinned and bent forward, over me. His cock found its home, but that wasn't his priority. His warm, hard body pressed into mine, forcing me to feel the differences between us. His solid pecs on my soft breasts. His flat stomach against my gently rounded one. And his manhood against my womanhood. The feel of masculine power against feminine made my mind reel, but Dom steadied me with his lips on mine.

The pleasure was there, and it was astronomical, but over it came joy and love. The two bubbling emotions flowed between us, within our mouths and over our tongues. Swept back and forth like a piece of candy. Our lips brushed together, and then he eased back to stare at me.

“Thank you, angel,” Dom said.

“For what?”

“For being my hero.” He winked at me. “You're saving me again.”

“This time, you're saving me too.”

Dominic brushed our noses together, then eased down my body to give my sex one more brief kiss before he rose to his knees. He glanced at the other men and nodded. But that was unnecessary. I could feel all of them. The magic was building and with it came a harmony of motion that included me. There was no fighting now, not even light teasing. We all felt the weight of what was about to happen.

As Dominic slid into me, I turned toward Declan. He moved to meet me, his pale shaft seeking my mouth. Meanwhile, Darius filled my left hand and went back to sucking at my breast. Connection. That's what it was about. Intimate connection with all three of them at once. It didn't matter who was where or how I held them. Only that our bodies joined physically and our hearts melded metaphysically.

I cried out around Declan's flesh even as he pumped over my tongue, his plum tip pushing at the back of my throat. He was bigger than Dom, but it didn't matter. Rapture grabbed my body and shook it like a tree. If I had leaves, they would have fallen. Every last one. As it was, my barriers broke and scattered, clearing the way for the magic to take root. As I burst into pieces of ecstasy, the men filled and covered me with their potions—Dominic in my womb, Declan in my mouth, and Darius across my thigh. It should have felt base, but I was over the concept that true love only happened between two people. What we had was holy. Sanctified. We trembled through the rapture and revelation together, then went still.

Panting, the men eased away, but only to fold more comfortably around me. Declan and Darius held me between them while Dominic laid his head on my belly and stretched out. Magic pulsed through every cell of my body, reminding me that although my flesh may be temporary, my soul had come into this body for a reason. For this. Union. Pleasure. All that the physical could offer. Joy, love, adventure. Even pain. Because the pain, like salt, enhanced the sweet.

And this flesh wasn't as temporary as it once was.

I could feel the renewal in my bones. The healing running through my blood. The divinity. I wasn't a goddess, but I had the magic of a god inside me now. And I didn't even need a mark. Although, my hounds had marked me in their own way.

We snuggled in bliss, sighing and kissing each other, until Declan lifted his head and said, “We obviously need to do that again.”

“We can't have our mate thinking we have no control,” Darius agreed.

“Oh, she already knows I can last,” Dom said. “And this night is just getting started. On your knees, angel. I want your ass next.”

“Oh, fuck no,” Darius growled. “You already got her pussy. You don't get to choose where you go next.”

“Her mouth was amazing,” Declan said.

“Yes, I know,” Darius said. “I felt your pleasure. But I'd like to experience it firsthand.”

“Now, I'm confused,” Dom said. “Are you arguing with me because you want her ass or her mouth?”

“I think he wants her pussy,” Dec said.

“It doesn't fucking matter what any of us wants. It's what our mate wants that's important. She decides,” Darius growled. “Angel, how do you want us?”

“Oh, now you're playing Mr. Chivalry?” Dominic rolled his eyes. “Have you already forgotten that she's bound to us now? Amélie knows I'm the most considerate lover out of the three of us. You're a dick.”

I burst out laughing again. As I laughed, I prayed that it would be like this forever.

Chapter Forty-One

“Let's just stay here forever,” Dominic said as the sun warmed the sky, turning it from lavender to pink.

I had thought Dom alone was insatiable, but adding Darius and Declan to the mix had magnified that by ten. I had never had so much sex in such a short time in all my life. And what was even better? I wasn't tired or sore. In fact, my body felt amazing, reaping all the lovely endorphins that great sex produced without the aches and pains of too much of a good thing. Evidently, becoming immortal meant you could never have too much.

Immortal. I'd live forever. The idea felt fantastical. It hadn't quite sunken in yet. What would that mean? What kind of life would I live? What great things would I get to witness? Was this a good thing, or had I just fucked up the basic foundation of life and rebirth? Oh, well. Too late now. And frankly, if it meant going without my men, reincarnation could fuck off.

“I'm okay with that,” I said as I turned toward Dom.

I was sprawled across Darius, his limp flesh still inside my back channel. It slipped out as I moved, and we all shuddered with the delicious feel of it. All four of us. Oh, yeah—did I mention that once I was bonded, I could feel their emotions and their physical pleasure? It was odd to be penetrated while feeling the pleasure of doing the penetrating. But I've been working with magic since I was a little girl and it didn't take me long to figure out how to work with the magic between us. By my third orgasm, I had mastered drawing back and focusing on one body's sensations at a time.

“Oh, no you don't,” Declan said as he drew me over to him and set me on my hands and knees. “I want that ass again. It's the most perfect ass in all creation.”

I moaned as Declan slid inside me. I knew now that Dom had insisted on ass play to get me adjusted to this, but it hadn't been necessary. The magic made everything better, and I was as addicted to anal sex as I was to every other type. As long as the sex was with them, I was happy.

The other two sat up and leaned forward to enjoy the show.

When the idea of three lovers had first been introduced to me, I'd been wary for many reasons. One of them had been jealousy. Yes, they said they were bound and practically one being, blah-blah-blah. But I couldn't imagine men as alpha as these three sharing one woman—a woman they loved. And they did love me. They loved me more than I thought was possible. It was a good thing too, because I loved them just as completely.

All my issues with them had vanished, including the one about jealousy. They were, as they said—a pack. They were united in their desire to love, protect, and please me. And they took a lot of pleasure for themselves, even when just watching.

“Nope,” Dom said. “I need a closer look.” He crawled over to us, dick swinging in a hypnotizing way, and got to his knees beside me. His hands slid over my back, then went to my ass. Spreading me, he moaned. “Now, that's beautiful.”

“Well, since you're more into watching than participating, I'll take her front.” Darius went to kneel before me.

“One second.” Moaning through the chant, I summoned moisture from the air and wrapped it around Dare's cock.

Darius sighed, his head rolling back as I washed him.

“There,” I said. “Now, you're clean enough for my mouth.”

“I love having a witch mate!” Darius shouted at the sky.

I was laughing as he slipped his cock inside my mouth. Then I was moaning again.

Dominic slid one hand down to my belly, then lower. His fingers glided along my flesh and a wet sound came to my ears. “Oh, fuck. You're dripping, angel.”

I braced myself as Dare and Deck found a rhythm, pumping into me at the same time so that they could go deeper. With Dom's hand on me, it was only seconds before I was screaming around Dare's cock. It sent Darius over, and then I was sucking instead of screaming, drinking him down.

As Dare fell back onto the moss, Declan lifted me with Dominic's help. He supported my thighs, pulling a maneuver that I remembered Dom employing once. But that was when it was just Dominic and me. Now I had all of them. So as Declan spread my legs wide, giving Dominic and Darius a show, Dom groaned and crouched before me.

“Oh, fuck!” I screamed as Dom sucked and licked at my clit.

Dom kept it up until I came again. Then, while I shuddered and shook, he shot to his knees and thrust into me. Unlike with Darius, Declan altered his entrance with Dom so that when one pulled out, the other went in. It became nonstop ecstasy. Almost too much to endure. But endure I did. Oh, what a hardship.

I clutched at the men, sandwiched between them in the best way possible, and felt sorry for every woman who had to make do with a single lover. When the climax took me again, I shouted their names and then I told them I loved them.

“Say it again, angel,” Dominic begged.

All three of them drew closer, creating a nest around me. Looking at them, I realized that I hadn't said those words. Not once during all the times we made love. And it was making love. Every time. They felt the love in me. I knew they did, but I also knew how important it was to hear it.

“I love you,” I said, looking from one man to another. “I love all of you.”

“I love you too,” they said in unison.

With that settled, we curled up and went to sleep at last.

Chapter Forty-Two

At some point during our recuperation, one of them carried me inside. I woke between Darius and Declan in my bed, the late afternoon sunlight seeping through the lace curtains to make patterns on our bare skin. I immediately replayed everything that had happened the night before, and the magnitude of it hit me. Not only of my new relationship status and the immortality that came with it, but also the fact that I had killed a god. Blasted him to smithereens. God goo.

Now, we just had to deal with Michael. But something told me that Michael had fled. He didn't want to continue the war. That had been all Silas, and now, Silas was gone. If I were Michael, I would have found myself a new body and took it on the run.

I took a deep breath and sighed it out. It felt like the first time I could breathe since this whole thing had begun. I knew in my bones that things would get easier now. My hounds could go back to their usual routine of collecting lost and escaped souls, I could go back to running the bar, and we could . . . what were we going to do together? Was I going to give up my house and live with them? Why not keep it? It would be somewhere I could go to do magic. And my dad always said that property was the best investment. “Once you get land, hold on to it,” he told me. This was mine, and I wasn't letting it go just because three gorgeous, immortal warriors had come along and made us a thing.

A wonderful, sexy, eternal thing.

“Good morning,” Dominic said as he came into the room. “You hungry?”

“Yes,” Declan and Darius said together.

“I meant our mate, you assholes,” Dominic said affectionately as he helped me out from between them. “And don't feel as if you have to get dressed. You're perfect as is.”

“Yes, I know,” Darius said and got out of bed.

“Again, I was talking to Amélie,” Dominic said.

“Good morning.” I kissed Dom on the cheek and then headed into the bathroom, smiling to myself. Their bickering had turned into playful banter for me, and I enjoyed it.

When I got out, the men were gone, but I could hear voices coming from downstairs and water running in the other bathroom. Feeling utterly at peace, I got dressed and then headed downstairs. Pensively, I ran my hands over my belly. Things felt tighter, or maybe just stronger. Was it the immortality or the marathon sex building my muscles? Whatever it was—oh, shit! I cut off my thoughts as I remembered my baby.

“Binx!” I hurried downstairs and into the kitchen. “I need to get back to Binx. He's going to be starving by now.”

“Relax,” Dominic said as he pulled out a chair for me. “I went home after we tucked you in and fed him. I also cleaned his litter box. He'll be fine for a few more hours.”

I stared at him.

“Angel?” Dom lifted a brow.

“You are the most amazing man I've ever met,” I said.

Dominic beamed at me. “I'm glad you've finally admitted that.” He shifted his smirk to the other two and added, “In front of witnesses. There's no disputing it now. I'm the best.”

I chuckled and went over to hug him. “Thank you for remembering Binx even when I didn't.”

“You're welcome. And I love that cat too. He's a unique one, just like his mommy.”

“Coffee?” Darius asked me.

“Yes, please.” I kissed Dominic and sat down.

Dom sat beside me, and we all filled our plates from the platters of pancakes, bacon, and eggs in the middle of the table. There wasn't much talking for a while, just a lot of eating and groaning. After our late-night-into-early-morning activities, we were starving.

And then Darius asked, “How did you get away from Silas this time?”

I snorted. “This time. Yeah. I can't believe I got caught three times by him.”

“Well, he was a god,” Declan said.

“A god who our mate fucking demolished,” Dom added with a grin. “You are glorious, angel.”

“Thank you.” I grinned back. “And I think Michael is probably gone too. He was only staying because Silas was forcing him to.”

“Yeah, I think he's gone to ground,” Darius said. “But you didn't answer me. How did you get away? You were gone and then Silas was back and then you were back.”

“Well, I wouldn't have been caught at all if it weren't for . . .” I trailed off.

“Angel?” Dom laid a hand on my thigh.

“Jackie,” I said, my heart sinking. “She betrayed me.”

“What?” Darius growled.

I held up a hand. “She did it for her brother. He's got cancer. Or did. He didn't have long to live. Silas offered to heal him.”

“And Jackie believed him?” Declan asked.

“Evidently, he healed Jake a little, just enough to give him more time and prove what he can do to Jackie.”

“Jackie and Jake?” Dominic asked.

“They're twins,” I said. “And as if you have room to talk. You guys chose your names, didn't you?”

Darius chuckled. “She's got you there.”

“Back to Jackie,” Declan said. “What did she do?”

“Well, for one, she lured us into a trap. Then she snapped a cuff on my wrist and it drained my magic.”

“A magic-nulling manacle,” Declan said. “Those are nasty.”

“And difficult to get,” Darius said. “Who was Silas?”

“We may never know,” I said. “He didn't tell me, not even when he took me to the Realm of the Gods.”

“He took you to Olympus?” Dominic asked in shock. “That was risky.”

“Was it?” I frowned as a memory tugged at my mind. “I think someone else was there. Silas was going to . . .”

“What?” Dominic demanded.

“He wanted to bond with me so my magic would magnify his.”

“Bond with you?” Darius narrowed his eyes. “You mean he was going to rape you.”

“Yeah. He got close.” Another tug at my mind. I rubbed at my head. “I can't remember why he stopped.”

“It was probably that other person,” Darius said.

“Another god,” Declan clarified. “And from the look of our mate, he wiped her memory.”

“He did what?” I growled. “A god can do that?”

“Gods can do a lot of things.”

“Hold on,” Dominic said. “If there was another god involved, then this isn't over.”

“But he saved Amélie,” Darius said. “Maybe he wasn't involved. Maybe he just knew Silas and when he saw what he was up to, he tried to stop him.”

“Then why not report him to the Olympians?” Declan asked.

“If he knew Silas, he may not have wanted to report him. They could have been friends.”

“If that's true, he may now want revenge.”

All three of my mates looked at me.

I shook my head. “I don't think so, but it doesn't matter. We killed a god. We can handle anything.”

“That was you, angel, not us,” Dominic said.

“No, you were with me. We did it together. And now we're bound, and we're even stronger. We'll be fine.”

Dominic grinned, then shifted his attention to the other two hounds. “She's right.”

“But we still need to talk to Hades,” Declan said.

“Yes, this could be far more complicated than we think.” Darius frowned into his coffee.

“Lighten up.” Dominic smacked Dare's shoulder. “We've got our angel, and Silas—whoever the fuck he was—is dead. Take the win.”

“Wins. Plural,” Declan said.

Darius nodded and smiled at me. “Oh, I've taken them. And I intend to keep celebrating my good fortune forever.” He leaned over and kissed me. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I shook my head. “It should feel weird to say that, but it feels natural.”

“It feels amazing!” Dominic said as he leaned back in his chair, pushed his T-shirt up to expose his stomach, and rubbed his belly. “But that might just be all the good food I cooked.”

I looked down at his tattoo. “Hades must have a sense of humor to mark you there.”

Dominic beamed at me. “He does, but I think he did it because it suits me.”

“You know, it does suit you. It fits your personality precisely.”

“Why do you sound surprised?” Darius asked.

“Because it means that Hades knew Dom before he marked him.”

“Obviously,” Dare said. “He had to get to know us to decide if we were hounds material.”

“Yes, but I mean that he knew you personally too. He knew Dominic well enough to mark him there. That's more than a knowledge of your skills.”

“Huh,” Dom said. “She's right.”

“Maybe he watched us awhile,” Declan said. “That wouldn't surprise me. The position of Cerberus is important. Hades had to be sure he chose the right sort of men for the job.”

“I think he chose wisely,” I said.

“Thanks, angel.” Dominic lifted my hand and kissed it.

“So what are you going to do about Jackie?” Darius asked.

“I'm going to forgive her.”

The men lifted their brows at me.

“I would do anything for you three,” I said. “Anything at all to save you. I'd betray anyone. And that's how Jackie feels about her brother.”

“I get it, but that's damn generous of you, sweetheart,” Darius said.

“I can afford to be generous. We came out of this on top. I may not have been so kind if things had gone differently.”

“Or it may just be your pure soul,” Dom said and winked at me.

I shrugged. “Where's my phone? Did we bring everything inside last night?”

“Yeah, uh.” Darius frowned and got up. “I think it's in the living room.” He went to fetch it.

“Thank you,” I called after him.

“No problem.”

Dare returned a few minutes later and handed me my phone. Our hands touched as I took it, and he got a goofy look on his face.

“What?” I asked.

“I can't believe you're mine.”

“Ours,” Dominic said.

“Yeah, yeah. Ours,” Darius said without looking away. “But she was harder won for me.”

“Maybe that's a good thing,” Declan said. “You're a guy who needs to fight for something in order to appreciate it.”

“Huh.” Darius sat down. “Maybe things did happen the way they were meant to.”

“Of course they did,” Dominic said. “I told you it was fortunate that I got to her first. I had to ease the way for you idiots.”

I shook my head and laughed as the men continued to rag on each other. I hit the button to dial Jackie, then held the phone to my ear and waited. To my surprise, she answered after the second ring.

“Amélie!” Jackie said frantically. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I'm okay,” I said. “I got away again. Silas is dead.”

“What?” she whispered. Then, under her breath, she muttered, “I wonder if that has something to do with it.”

“With what? Is Jake all right?”

“I don't know,” her voice broke. “Girl, I'm so sorry.”

“I know. And I understand. I would have done the same to save someone I loved.”

She started to sob.

“Hey, it's all right.”

“No, it's not. I don't know where Jake is.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was with him last night, and he was healed, Amélie. I mean, completely healed. The doctors couldn't figure it out. They did all these tests and scans and shit and couldn't find the tumors. All of them were gone. Jake wanted to go home, but they wanted to run more tests. I finally went home to get some sleep, and when I came back this morning, his bed was empty. The nurse said that he snuck out. They're very upset. I tried calling him, but he doesn't answer.”

A shiver ran down my spine. If Silas was still alive, I'd think Jake had gone to join the Host. But he was dead, and Michael was gone. At least, I hoped he was gone. What if he wasn't?

Then Jackie went on, “I got furious with them. I insisted on seeing their security tapes. And we found him on the video. I saw him leave the hospital, Amélie. He was with Indigo.”

“His girlfriend? That's good news isn't it?”

“It would be if Indigo would answer her fucking phone. But she's disappeared too. No one's seen her since she picked up Jake. She didn't show up for work this morning. I called the police, but they won't help. They said Jake left of his own volition with his girlfriend. There's no crime.”

“All right. I have someone who can look into it. Give me a few hours.”

“Really?” Jackie started to cry again. “You'd do that for me after what I did?”

“I still love you. I don't trust you around gods, but I love you.”

She snorted. Then asked, “Silas really was God?”

“He was a god. One of the Greeks, not the Christian God he claimed to be.”

“And he's dead now?”

“Yup.” I didn't explain. No need to admit to murder on the phone.

“Do you think his healing stopped working after he died?”

“No. You saw Jake leave the hospital. He looked fine, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I'm sure he's still healed.” I paused, then said, “All right, I'll call you later.”

“Amélie, thank you. I do love you too. I hope you know that. I just . . . he's my brother.”

“I know. Try not to worry too much. At least you know he's alive.”

“Yeah. Okay. Thank you.”

I hung up the phone and looked at the men. “Jake left the hospital with his girlfriend.”

“I mean . . .” Dominic made a wincing expression. “He could just be holed up with her somewhere, getting some action. The guy's been in a hospital bed for a while.”

“I don't think so. That's not like either of them. I've met Indigo. She's a nice girl. She stood by Jake through all his treatments. I think she would have been with him to the end. And she's like part of the family. Jackie's parents love her. That's not the kind of woman who picks up her boyfriend and runs off with him, forgetting all about the guy's family.”

“Maybe it's Michael,” Darius said. “Silas healed Jake. And Michael needed a new body. Maybe he took Indigo and then went to get himself a new minion—freshly healed with god magic.”

“I'll hack into the hospital's computers and get the video. I should be able to track them through traffic cams and the like,” Declan said. “We'll find them. Hopefully, they just got caught up in Jake's miraculous healing.”

“Thank you, Deck.”

“We need to do this anyway,” Darius said grimly. “If Michael has anything to do with Jake's disappearance, we need to know.”

“I don't know.” I scowled. “Why would Michael go after a man who Silas healed? It would be smarter of him to just leave.” I looked around at the men. “Unless I didn't kill Silas.”

“He was a puddle, angel,” Dominic said. “No one comes back from that. Not even wicked witches.”

I snorted a laugh, but under that laugh, I shivered.

Chapter Forty-Three

“What do you mean?” I growled—I think our bond was turning me a little primal.

It was hours later and Declan had not only hacked the hospital's security system, but he'd also hacked the state's traffic cameras. Jake had gotten into the driver's seat of Indigo's Honda Civic at the hospital and drove across the state border with Indigo. Yup, out of state. There was absolutely no reason for either of them to leave Washington. Indigo didn't have any family, but that made Jake's family even more important to her. And Jake adored his family. He and Jackie were as close as siblings could be. There was no way he'd leave like that.

And the couple wasn't stopping. Each sighting took them further away from us, across the thin strip of Idaho and toward Montana.

“They're out of our territory,” Darius said again. “Another Cerberus will handle them now.”

“Who are you—the state police?” I huffed. “Are you seriously saying he's out of your jurisdiction?”

“That's how things work with the teams. We guard our territories. Hades will make sure that the next team is up to speed.”

“But you're certain that's Michael in Jake?”

“Yes,” Declan said. “Hades confirmed it.”

Yeah, it got worse. Dare's theory had been correct. Except it wasn't Indigo who was hosting Michael. It was Jake. Michael must have jumped into Jake and then called Jake's girlfriend to help him. Poor Indigo was either a hostage or had no idea that her boyfriend wasn't in control of his body.

“And Hades is all right with you letting Michael go?”

“Michael has done this before,” Dom said. “We aren't the first team to deal with him. More like the third. This is how it works. Teams stick to their territories unless Hades specifically commands us to leave and help another team.”

“As we did with the Seattle Cerberus,” Darius said. “But Hades told us to stand down. So, we stand down.”

“It's because of me, isn't it?” I put my fists on my hips. “This is some kind of macho bullshit.”

“No, it's not, angel,” Dom said. “Hades is all about women's power, and he was thrilled to learn that you handled his god problem.”

“But that means that the law is back in place,” Declan said. “The Olympians have reinstated their decree that we can't kill humans.”

“So?” I grumbled.

“So, this is back to being a normal mission,” Darius said. “Michael is difficult, especially with the Host backing him, but he's not a god. Wherever he settles, the nearest team will handle him. If they need help, Hades will send them backup. But Michael is out of our reach.”

I cracked my neck. “Michael has Jake. And Indigo. I can't let this go.”

“Jake is alive,” Darius said. “That's a better future than he had before. And you can tell Jackie where he's headed.”

“And where he ends up,” Dom added. “She can go after her brother if she wants to. We can even alert the Cerberus in the area to watch out for Jake and assist Jackie if she goes.”

“What about Indigo? She could be in trouble. She's probably confused or terrified.”

“Michael has no reason to hurt her,” Darius said gently. “She'll be okay.”

“We'll tell the next team about Indigo too,” Declan said. “Every Cerberus is strong, angel. They'll get her away from Michael. Don't worry.”

I sighed and sat down. We were in their office, and Binx was with us, out of the bedroom now that he'd adjusted to his new digs. He looked from me to the men and curled up on the couch to go to sleep.

Binx was right. I was making more out of it than I should. Jake was possessed but alive. Indigo had been tricked, but she'd survive too. They'd be fine. I had to let this go and trust in Hades to handle things. My mates trusted him, and so far, the god had done well by me too.

“All right.” I sat down beside Binx and stroked him. It was more to soothe me than the cat.

“You gonna call Jackie?” Dom asked as he sat down beside me.

“Later,” I said. “I’m done dealing with this shit for now.”

“Good.” Darius sat down beside Binx. “We need some R and R.”

Declan just grinned.

“No,” I said. “I'm hungry.”

“You're hungry?” Declan got up and looked at the other two. “She's hungry.”

“What do you want to eat, angel?” Dominic asked.

“Pizza,” I said. “Ham and pineapple.”

“Ugh!” Darius groaned. “You can't be one of those. You're too perfect to be a pineapple pizza eater!”

“I am, and you're an uncouth baboon if you don't like it.”

“No!” Darius whined.

Dominic laughed his ass off. “Uncouth baboon!”

“You don't mind pineapple?” I asked Dom.

“I love pineapple. I love it fresh, as a Dole whip, in ambrosia, in pastries, in smoothies, and on pizza. I even like it in Chinese food.”

“Sweet and sour chicken!” I high-fived him. “Pineapple is the best fruit ever!”

“Yup. Only mango comes close.”

“Oh, I love you so much!” I kissed Dom.

“Yeah, can I get three pizzas, please?” Declan said.

I looked up to see him on his cell. I called over to him, “As thick a crust as you can get.”

Deck nodded at me, then said, “First one is a large pan Hawaiian. Uh-huh. Second a medium thin crust pepperoni and olive.”

“That's for me,” Darius said with a pinched expression.

“Ugh!” I made a face at him. “You like thin crust? You heathen! Bread is what makes us civilized. You're basically eating a pizza cracker.”

Dominic started laughing again.

“Last one, a large pan meat lovers,” Declan said. “Yeah, I want breadsticks too. And what have you got for dessert?” A pause. “Eight of those. And a Caesar salad. Oh, and one of your chicken pasta bakes. Thank you.” He hung up and grinned at me. “Twenty minutes. I got us lava cakes too.”

“I love you,” I said to Declan. “So very much.”

Declan came over, picked up Binx, sat down, and settled the cat on his lap. “I love you too. That means I will feed you when you're hungry.”

“And buy you pretty things,” Darius added.

“And give you lots of orgasms,” Dominic finished.

“Well, since the food is on the way, and I don't need any pretty things . . .” I let my sentence hang.

“Sorry, Binx,” Declan said as he put the cat on the floor.

As Binx strutted away in irritation, the hounds descended. I laughed joyously and opened my arms, letting them take care of everything, especially me. And I looked forward to an eternity of that. Fuck Michael. He wasn't my problem anymore. Another Cerberus would free Jake and Indigo. I had important things to focus on. Like multiple orgasms.

In a tangle of limbs, my mates and I tumbled to the floor together. We laughed even as we writhed, and I loved that. I loved them. Naked at last, we paused to stare at each other. They smiled at me. I smiled back. It was a perfect moment. And I knew my life would be full of them. A series of perfect moments, one leading into another. Forever.

“You're going to have to change the name of your bar now,” Darius said.

“Excuse me?” I scowled at him. Why was he ruining my perfect moment?

“Well, you've got three of us. Shouldn't it be Hair of the Dogs?”

I chuckled, the moment saved, and said, “I'll think about it.”

Epilogue

“Who the fuck is he?!” Hades roared.

He was back with the Fates, standing before their gazing pool, glaring at the image in the water. It was blurry. Right over the face of the god who called himself Silas.

“Once more, we answer the same,” Lachesis the Allotter said.

“We cannot see his face,” Atropos the Inevitable added.

“One more powerful than we three has hidden him,” Clotho the Spinner finished.

“No one can hide from Fate,” Hades said.

The women, each one so different in appearance but as closely bound as any Cerberus, shared a look.

“What?” Hades snarled.

“Do not snap at us, Lord Hades,” Clotho said. “We are allies.”

“I'm sorry.” Hades sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “You're right. I'm just frustrated. Is this god dead or not? Can you at least see that?”

“This light is a ward.” Atropos pointed at the pool.

The blurred image of the god got even blurrier as it started to move and then the view panned out to show Amélie, the mate of the Spokane Cerberus, attacking Silas with potions. That woman was brilliant, and Hades hoped that more of his boys would attract witches as their mates. With her magic, the Spokane Cerberus had just become one of the most powerful teams on the planet, second only to the Portland Cerberus.

Yes, witches would make great mates for his hounds. And Hades wasn't the only one who craved their power. That bastard of a god had tried to steal Amélie from his boys. He tried to force her into a union and take her magic. And, even more insulting, he intended it to be a nod at Hades's own myth about him and his beloved Persephone. A myth that was a horrid lie.

Hades was a true god and real man. He didn't abduct women or rape them. That was something he had always looked down on the other gods for. And it annoyed him to no end that he had been lumped in with their nastiness. Humans assumed he was just like Zeus and Poseidon, taking whatever he wanted, including unwilling women. But look what that had gotten those gods—unhappy marriages and empty hearts. While Hades and Persephone fell deeper in love every year.

And that motherfucker knew it. Silas—what a stupid name—knew it and wanted to make a mockery of it. If he wasn't already dead, Hades was going to obliterate him.

“We cannot tell if the witch killed the god,” Lachesis said as the past played out in the pool. “But we believe that ward was not merely for protection.”

“It was to hide the god as he attempted an escape,” Clotho concluded.

“So, he lives,” Hades said.

“It's possible,” Atropos said, her hand sliding back along her skull, over her tightly slicked-back red hair. “But if he survived, it was with help.”

“So two gods are working together against me?”

“Not necessarily,” Lachesis said. “Helping Silas does not automatically make this other god your enemy.”

“Oh, yes it does,” Hades growled. Then he narrowed his eyes at the pool. “A light ward. Strong enough to hide a god from the eyes of Fate.” He blinked, his expression smoothing in epiphany, then shouted, “Apollo!”

“Why would Apollo help this god?” Clotho asked as the Moirai stepped closer to the pool and stared at the images.

The past went still. Frozen on the blast of light.

“I don't know,” Hades murmured, staring at the light along with the Fates. “Apollo and I aren't friends exactly, but we're far from enemies. And he's no fool. He wouldn't want the Earth left unguarded—a playground for the dead.”

“He could have other motivations,” Lachesis said. “His thread is complicated.”

“Or you could be wrong,” Clotho said. “Apollo is not the only god who casts a ward of light.”

“No, but he's the strongest,” Hades said, lifting his head. “And if I'm right, it means that an Olympian is working against me.”

“What will you do?” Atropos asked.

“I don't know yet,” Hades murmured. “Have you seen anything that might help me? Anything about Apollo?”

“We don't spy on Olympians,” the Fates said as one.

Hades stared at them.

The Moirai faltered under that burning gaze. But then Lachesis slashed a hand through the air as if she were cutting a thread. “No, Lord Hades. There are some things we will not do, not even for you. You have seen what you need to see. If Apollo is a part of this, we must go no further.”

“What?” Hades growled. “Are you forsaking me?”

“No,” they said in unison. “We remain your steadfast allies.”

“We will help when we can,” Atropos said.

“We will look where we can,” Lachesis said.

“But we cannot get tangled in Apollo's thread,” Atropos finished.

Hades knew when he could push the Fates. He had been twining them around his fingers for years using a combination of flattery, kindness, strength, protection, and power to win their loyalty. He knew when they'd buckle and give him what he wanted. And he knew when they would stand firm.

This time, they wouldn't buckle.

“Very well,” Hades said. “Turn your eyes away from the Sun. I am not afraid to look into the light.”

With that, the King of the Underworld vanished, leaving the Fates to their threads.

The women looked at each other gravely and said, “Shit.”

A Special Look

Keep reading for a special look into the next book in the Hounds of Hades Series:

To The Dogs

Chapter One

“Fuck,” I whispered as I stared at my reflection.

I looked like shit. Dark circles under my eyes, sallow skin, and just kinda frayed around the edges. I'd been pretty once. Pretty enough to snag the hottest guy I'd ever met. But he wasn't so hot these days either.

“It's almost over, Indie,” I said, and then instantly started sobbing. “God, I'm a horrible person.”

My knees gave out, and I crumpled onto the bathroom floor. Leaning against the counter, I gave in to yet another round of tears. It seemed like all I was doing lately was crying. I loved Jake. Him and his family. As a foster kid, family was like the ultimate dream for me. And Jake's family was amazing. His grandma made cookies, for fuck's sake! And they all treated me like I was one of them. They adored me, but not just for me. It was because of Jake. Because of how I had stood by him through cancer.

Chemo. The craziness that came from all the steroids. The craziness that came from pumping poison into his body. The long nights holding Jake after he woke up from another nightmare. He had them a lot at first, before he accepted that he was going to die.

It took me a while to accept too. I was as determined as he was to fight the prostate cancer. And at first, it looked as if Jake might survive it. He responded well to the drugs. But a year into it, he took a bad turn. The cancer spread to his bones. And that was the beginning of the end.

Jake had to move to the hospital. Intensive care. It was to the point where they were trying to make him more comfortable. That only happens in the last month of life. Thus, my callous comment about how it would soon be over.

But I was so tired. I think he was too. We both just wanted it to be over. Every time I walked into his hospital room, he looked worse. For a second, his eyes would light up, but then a terrible sadness would fill them. I wasn't sure if my visits helped or hurt him. But I had to go. I'd hate myself forever if I abandoned him at the very end.

And yet, that's what he was doing to me. Abandoning me. Destroying my dreams of growing old with him and making a family of our own. I wanted that so badly. The Christmases around a fireplace. The scent of chocolate chip cookies permeating the whole house. The laughter of our kids. Gone. All gone in a few weeks. Could I move on? Maybe. But once a heart is broken like that, it's never the same.

“Stop it!” I hissed at myself and stood up. “You're not the one dying. You have to survive and move on? Oh, poor you. Jake has no future. No chance of moving on. He's not abandoning you, you asshole! He's fucking dying!” My voice broke on the last word, and I had to steel myself to keep from crying again.

It was 6:30. I had to get to the hospital so I could visit with Jake a little before I went into work. Everyone at Gable & Wassen had been great about my situation. They generally let it go if I was late a little in the morning. But it was a prestigious law firm, and I couldn't keep playing on their pity. I didn't want pity. I wanted to be a lawyer. I had to prove to myself that I was . . .

“What, Indie?” I huffed at myself. “Are you really going to be a fucking cliché? The poor little orphan who has to prove to everyone that she's good enough to be loved. That her mother must have been a crack whore or a crazy person to abandon her at the hospital. Or maybe she was just a kid,” I whispered that last part. “But it doesn't matter. Because I'm going to be just fine. Without her, Jake, or any family. All I need is me.”

With that, I wiped my tears away and headed for the front door of my apartment. I could do this. I'd see this through, be by Jake's side until the end, and then I'd go back to being alone. No problem.

About the Author

Amy Sumida is the Internationally Acclaimed author of the Award-Winning Godhunter Series, the fantasy paranormal Twilight Court Series, the Beyond the Godhunter Series, the music-oriented paranormal Spellsinger Series, the superhero Spectra Series, and several short stories. Her books have been translated into several languages, have won numerous awards, and are bestsellers. She believes in empowering women through her writing as well as providing everyone with a great escape from reality. Her stories are full of strong women and hot gods, shapeshifters, vampires, dragons, fairies, gargoyles... pretty much any type of supernatural, breathtakingly gorgeous man you can think of. Because why have normal when you could have paranormal?

Born and raised in Hawaii, Amy made a perilous journey across the ocean with six cats to settle in the beautiful state of Oregon which reminds her a lot of Hawaii but without the cockroaches or evil sand. When she isn't trying to type fast enough to keep up with the voices in her head while ignoring the kitties trying to sabotage her with cuteness, she enjoys painting on canvases, walls, and anything else that will sit still long enough for the paint to dry.  She's fueled by tea, inspired by music, and spends most of her time lost in imaginary worlds.

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