Page 119 of Thanatos' Craving

As I crossed my arms, I could feel the tension in the air, waiting for Loki's response. However, all he did was nonchalantly shrug his shoulders and carry on walking.

I growled and dug my fingers into his arm and pulled him around to face me. I didn’t care if he was a god, that he was more powerful than me, he owed me some damn answers.

I was too quick to agree to let him help, and to get my butt out of the Underworld and make a difference. Maybe the Earth’s atmosphere was putting some sense back into my head.

“Why did you have this planned out so well?”

Loki emitted a low, soft coo from the depths of his throat, his eyes darted around our surroundings with an intense, apprehensive gaze. Without warning, his hand clamped firmly around my bicep and yanked me forcefully into a dimly litalleyway. The pungent odor of urine, the scurrying of rats, and the lingering stench of decaying food assaulted my senses, instantly triggering long-forgotten memories of the place where Thanatos had once discovered me.

Well crap.

“Listen,” I took in a deep breath. “You’re up to something, And I will not get caught into whatever you are doing. How did you get an appointment with her? She knows you’re coming?”

Loki took us further into the alley way away from the people walking on the sidewalk. “Keep it down. You don’t know who is watching,” he hissed.

My back went ramrod straight and looked back to the opening of the alley.

“It’s not as simple as just looking in a window and seeing her, Juniper. You are going to have to go inside and see her, face to face.”

My face paled.

This wasn’t what I was expecting.

“I didn’t think so. And I can’t tell you much more of the plan because--I need you scared. I need her to believe that you are petrified, otherwise we will not get an audience with her.

For the first time I’ve spoken with him, granted, it has only been an hour; it was the most intense and serious statement I’ve heard from him.

“You’ve got to trust me,” he pleaded. “But yes, there are other motives why I brought you here. I can’t get out of the Underworld unless someone takes me with them. You were my ticket out.” He gave a mischievous grin. “And after I help my family take care of this problem, I’m hoping they will lift the ban and let me out. If not, I’ll just go on a little vacation.”

Captain fucking Crunch.

“You are insane!” I hissed.

“I’m insanely bored,” he whined. “I need other things to do than have lessons with Athena and listen to my brother and his mate fucking all the time. It messes with your head.” He tapped at his temple. “And this was the best way to get out of there. I’ve got everything we need to find the matchmaker, and you can point out who it is. It’s just that we need to do it my way. Okay?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. I couldn’t trust him. This was a bad idea.

“Come on, Juni.” He threw his arm around me. “It will be great. You will finally feel fulfilled. You did something with your human life. You aren’t on the sidelines, fading into the background. You are making a difference and not waiting on the wet blanket, Hera.”

I bit my bottom lip, trying not to laugh. It was insane he knew so much about me, but the comment about Hera —

He was Hades’ son, and I hoped this wouldn’t come back to bite me in the butt later. We had gotten this far so why not? I wouldn’t back out now, not when I’d gotten this close.

Loki pulled me out of the alley, and I was able to breathe again. We went down street after street until I could no longer tell where I was. All the roads were unfamiliar. I’ve never been to this city before.

I had grown up in a small town of West Virginia where everyone knew everyone, and the furthest I had traveled was to Paducah, Kentucky, before someone took me.

Loki led me through a labyrinth of winding streets and narrow alleys, his pace quickening with each step. The anticipation and nervousness welled up inside me, threatening to burst.

Finally, we arrived at a modest building tucked away in a forgotten corner of the city. It wasn’t what I expected. No grand façade or grandiose entrance; just a simple door with peeling paint. The sign above displayed faded letters that read “The Littlest Pet Shop.”

Were we even in the right place?

“As endearing as your thoughts are, try to keep them to a minimum.” Loki’s voice turns dark, and he grabs my wrist too hard for my liking.

I pulled back, but he grips it tighter.

“Behave.”

---