Page 90 of Muzzled

“You’ll see it in good time, boy,” the god chastised, slipping the page to Apollo and getting comfortable while he witnessed the final tattooing of Cerberus. “Now stay still.”

*

Ryan paced thebanks of the river alongside his brothers, their anticipation over Charlotte’s and Sage’s arrival only adding to his own rising impatience.

“How long is this fucking thing gonna burn?” Bo grumbled, still complaining about the pain his first sober tattooing had brought with it.

Alex craned his neck toward the entrance of the underworld. “Should’ve jumped in the healing pool with us when we told you to, dumbass,” he replied.

Ryan’s own tattoo was almost fully healed thanks to the enchanted spring, the intricate embroidery on his chlamys brushing across the new ink periodically and reminding him of the incredible design spread across his back and shoulders.

The incredible design his wife-to-be had created.

The final shade had been added, its place on his body a bone of contention between him and Micah when Hades first approached her to provide the finishing details of the artwork.

“Like it or not, it’s a part of me and a part of you,” she’d replied calmly when he’d snuck a peek while she hunched at her vanity, sketching furiously. “Trust me.”

His right shoulder twitched.

The shade stood alongside the others, balancing the formerly asymmetrical design with its hollow eyes and disturbingly familiar features as it took its place in line, a permanent reminder of the Pirithous blood that had surged through her veins.

But it was what Micah had added to the full piece that made its presence bearable.

Bo had grinned like a fool when he’d seen the finished work on Alex’s back.

“Sage wore that dress at our wedding,” he announced, licking his lips as he examined the image of his wife hugging his hound form from behind. “Fuck, she’s hot.”

Alex had had a strangely similar reaction, leaning toward Bo’s tattoo and examining the image of Charlotte kneeling beside Cerberus, the skirt of her silver dress spread across one paw.

Steeling himself, he’d taken a deep breath before checking out the completed piece on Bo’s back.

Micah sat in front of Cerberus, one arm reaching back, her hand wrapped around the gold chain hanging around his neck as the other lay over the exposed paw, her fingers draped between the claws. Her red hair cascaded across her shoulders and over the white chiton and gold rope laced around her body, her new engagement ring hanging from the delicate chain around her neck that mimicked his own.

“About fucking time,” Bo muttered, tossing his chlamys over his shoulder and jogging along the banks as Charon’s boat came into view, Dio standing at the helm with the ferryman.

“And this excitable pup is Boreus,” Dionysus announced with a grin as Bo moved to jump into the water, yanked back by Alex when the boat skimmed toward the river’s edge. “As you can see, he can be a handful.”

There was a soft laugh as Sage stood and held her hand out to her husband, hushing admonishments as he pulled her to him and attempted to get his hand under her skirt.

Alex assisted Charlotte, murmuring in her ear as she passed him a paper, his words sending a blush across her cheeks before she kissed his cheek and turned to him. “Hey, Ryan. You ready?”

“He’s been ready since midnight,” Dio answered for him, slapping him on the back. “Let’s get this show on the road, boy.”

*

Micah swatted Persephone’sintrusive hands away, adjusting the boning of her gown herself. “So?”

The goddess busied herself smoothing out the black embroidery that trailed down the length of the skirt and train. “We should have scheduled more time walking in this,” she muttered, straightening up and hooking her fingers through the onyx ribbons of the corseted bodice. “Beauty is nothing without grace.”

Accepting the compliment for what it was, she smiled and centered the engagement ring hanging on the lace choker at her throat. “I’ll do my best not to face plant on my way in.”

Beaming, Seph stepped back. “I’ve already given instruction to Dio to keep a good hold on you until he delivers you to—” She sniffed dramatically and dabbed at her eyes, a move she’d perfected over the past few days. “Delivers you to my baby.”

She gave the goddess a quick kiss on the cheek and called out to the god waiting impatiently outside the doors. “Are we good to go?”

“Your future husband is shaking in his sandals as we speak,” Dio replied, opening the door and holding out his arm. “You look every bit the goddess he deserves. Unfortunately for you, he looks every bit the mutt you don’t deserve.”

Smirking, she crossed the floor and joined him, tuning out Seph’s walking instructions while they proceeded down the hall to the banquet room.

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