Page 114 of Thanatos' Craving

I could tell just by the way he tilted the glass he was over Hera. They haven’t gotten along since Uriel lived in the Underworld so she could be with her mate, Lucifer. Hera loved Uriel with all her heart, but it broke her to know that she lived here and away from the sunlight.

But Uriel thrived here–gave life not just to Lucifer but I believe the whole family.

Hera cleared her face of emotion and sat up in her chair. “Is that so? Why is that?” She tilted her head.

“Because you are overworked. You have told Michael over and over you are so he came to me and asked me if there were any problems to give it to him. He’s known about the angels for twenty years now and our cause. Now, can we please get back to why you are here and get you on your way and back to your sons?”

Hera's eye twitched. If gods could age, this woman would have had a full head of white hair. It wasn’t her fault she was like this. I, like many others, blamed Zeus. If he didn’t play around for all those years, she could relax and enjoy life a little more, just like her mate was trying to do for her. Poor soul might sleep on a cloud tonight after Hades threw him under the carriage.

“Mother, let me introduce you to Juniper. She’s human, Thanatos’ soon to be mate and one victim from of the sex trafficking rings.”

Hera’s face grew solemn when she gazed at my mate on my lap. I grasped Juniper’s waist to let her know I was here for her, that she should have no fear, but she didn’t radiate any in the slightest.

“My apologies, Juniper. I had forgotten in my anger that you were in the room. I hope my anger did not affect you?” Her tone was sincere, and I was grateful. I didn’t mind holding my tongue around the queen of the Celestial Kingdom when it came to me, but about my mate, that was something I could not promise.

“It’s fine, really,” Juniper said nervously. “I’m actually used to it by now. It’s not so bad anymore.”

Hera’s eyes narrowed at me. “Did Thanatos radiate his power too harshly? Do you want me to take care of him?”

My shadows erupted around me, holding my mate to my body. Juniper sensed my anger. She reached forward on the table, grabbed a strawberry and pushed it beneath my hood and straight into my mouth. My shadows dropped in surprise.

“Eat that, Bone Daddy.” My treasure patted my cheek.

Uriel snorted. “Bone Daddy. Isn’t that funny, Luci?”

Lucifer gave a slightly tilted smirk as he leaned on the arm of his chair.

“No, it’s just the entire atmosphere down here, you know? The Underworld, a human, walking around such, uh, powerful gods. It’s just the whole aesthetic that throws me off.” Juniper waved her hand in dismissal while I chewed on the strawberry.

“Right.” Hera leaned back into her seat and thrummed her fingers on the table. “I am sorry about you being caught in this traffic ring. I do not mean to sound so cruel. It’s just that the gods have laws, and that is to stay out of human affairs. Now that we have a deity—one that a god has created and is evolving—that makes it our problem. I hope you do not think less of me.”

Juniper squeezed my thigh, her lips pressed tight. “For now, let us concentrate on finding the owner,” she said diplomatically. “I’d really like to save those that are there because of a deity.”

My hand ran up and down her thigh to calm her. It only did so much, her body was tense. For me, too, it angered me Hera would be so dismissive. Ember and Hades have kept their cause hidden from most of the Celestial Kingdom. They save all, human or demigod-controlled trafficking.

Hera stared at Juniper a moment before Hades took the attention off my mate to explain our situation.

I could feel the heat of her body against me while she squirmed over the overview. My mate had the same feelings as me against Hera, but in time she will have to understand that we cannot save everyone–but we damn well try.

“Be still,” I whispered to her. “We will talk about it soon.”

Juniper grabbed my hand and threaded her fingers through it.

Once Hades finished explaining about Fuzzy Bunnies and the supernatural mating agency, Hera put on her business facade.

“And you think I would know who this person is? This blonde-haired woman with big hair and pink clothes?”

Ares chuckled. “There can’t be too many women like her. I mean, pulling pens out of your hair, looking like an evil Dolly Parton?” Ares continued to laugh to himself, but Hera stared at him with distaste.

“Being as it may, I don’t know anyone with that description.” Hera wiped her forehead. “Do you have anything else? Have you been to this agency to get a glimpse?”

Mariah shook her head. “We can go look, but we won’t know who we are looking for. We don’t know what they look like!”

“Juniper does. Have her go with you and she can point them out,” Hera said like it was such a simple answer.

“Absolutely not,” I snapped. “I will not take my mate anywhere near that fucking place.”

The rest of the table agreed. “It’s too dangerous to have a human go there. What if she got taken again?” Ember said.

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