Page 48 of Thanatos' Craving

By the time I’d destroyed the entire room, sweat covered me, my damp robes clung to my body, and some of my feathers were bent at odd angles. My feet were bruised from running into various pieces of furniture, falling over tomes, and stepping on relics.

I’d run out of things to break.

I fell face first onto the couch where she once laid where her body was bloody and broken a week ago. My wings sprawled out, laying across the room. I buried my face into the soft texture of the furniture, and I swore I could smell her.

I hadn’t taken in her scent yet. Too worried about her wellbeing and understanding touch again. But I knew this couch held her scent, and she exuded the aroma of damn sunshine.

Because how else would fucking sunshine reach the darkest depths of the Underworld?

Fuck.

How long can a female remain holed up in a bedroom?

For three days, I have granted her solitude, allowing her to immerse herself in thought. Every day, I meticulously prepare three wholesome meals, accompanied by snacks. However, as I approach her with sustenance in hand, she fixes me with a piercing glare, her arms defiantly crossed.

The clothes I have provided her fit her well, better than the nightgown I first gave her. I suppose she doesn’t want to dress in baggy attire to hide herself, which I thought might be the case.

Which is good. Her experience hasn’t completely broken her. However, I am going to be there to pick up the pieces. There are parts of her that need mending and I cannot last much longer being away from her.

While she kept herself hidden from me, I’ve taken time to speak to Hades’ demons. They’ve been scouting Fuzzy Bunnies for me for the time being. There are no more auctions scheduled for at least a month. In that time, they pose as customers and the operation is running as normal. Two demons are becomingloyal customers, spending large amounts of cash, and becoming noticed.

It is exactly what I wanted, and hopefully the owner, who is supposedly female, will see it. Odd, but not necessarily unheard of these days.

The owner has not brought forth another possessing demon like Koozoth, not that she would. They were rare and I have every other replicant possessing demon tagged in the Underworld right now. She wouldn’t be that stupid to summon another.

They have stationed additional guards, who are humans. Less conspicuous, but they are greedy fuckers. The owner is losing money, which means they might not stay in town for long.

Another way to keep my mind off my mate, I’ve read in the bonding book that Athena has left me. It took some time to find it amongst the mess I created, but like a siren’s call I found it amongst the irrelevant scrolls and tomes that lay open along the cave floor.

A human can sense the bond, but its intensity pales compared to that of a recent pairing of Poseidon and his human mate. His mate, Lani, wielded her power over the bond, coercing Poseidon into submission. However, considering Juniper’s recent traumatic experience, she might be actively resisting the bond's influence.

Or maybe it was how I approached the situation.

“Juniper thinks she doesn’t have a choice being here.” Athena’s smooth voice laced my ears.

I knew Athena would show up eventually to check on me, but never thought she would enter my mind. Breaking into one’s mind, invading privacy was an unspoken rule amongst the gods you do not break.

“Athena,” I hissed. “You should not have— “

“I didn’t. I’ve been talking to Juniper.” My eyes widened in surprise, and I turned to face her.

She put her hands in her pockets and walked over the mess I have yet to clean. It took careful steps for her to find an open chair and sit down.

“Still wearing the robe? Haven’t shown your face yet?” she asked.

I stared at her beneath the hood, still holding the Mating Bond tome in my hands.

What did she want? Why was she here? To help?This was my mate, and I would deal with her how I pleased. I was just rusty dealing with a female. A female that was far more stubborn than I realized.

“You told Juniper her soul was yours to take since you saved her. Have you done anything to rectify that, Thanatos? You are not just taking her soul, but that your soul is hers as well?”

I stared at her. She knew the answer, otherwise she would not be here.

“Thanatos.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

My wings rose and flung out beside me. “I have it under control,” I snapped. “I don’t need your help!”

Athena rolled her eyes, and she stood. “Fine, but you need to calm your mate. She will start praying to everyone now that she knows gods are real.” She paused and stared directly into my hood.

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