Page 49 of Thanatos' Craving

My head ticked, and I felt my jaw tightening. If she, as a mortal, prayed to any god, and prayed long and hard enough, they might just answer her. Because most gods have a big fucking head.

Like Zeus.

And I don’t want that hot-headed fucker anywhere near my mate.

“She wouldn’t dare,” I growled.

Athena smiled. “If you think so. I don’t think you should go in there huffing and puffing, though. This isn’t some dark romance. I think she needs sunshine and rainbows. And who better to have help than your brother?” She hummed in satisfaction and waved two fingers to the entrance of the cave.

There stood my brother Hypnos and Fluffy. Fluffy was large, his belly dragged on the floor and was groaning as he came forward.

“What did you feed my pet?” I snapped, rubbing Fluffy’s head.

“We could hear you throwing your stuff around, and Fluffy wanted to go to you. To stop him, I fed him Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to calm him down.” Hypnos rubbed the back of his head. “Then he wouldn’t stop eating them, and then he got into my stash of candy. I couldn’t tell him no. He was so upset you kicked him out. Are you mated yet? Because I don’t think he wants to go back with me.”

Fluffy’s large, pleading eyes locked onto mine, shimmering with anticipation. A soft whimper escaped him as he gently nudged me, tugging at my heartstrings.

Great, now he is going to have the shits for days.

And I’m—feeling.

“I have made a grave mistake.” My wings wilted. “I have said the wrong things in my haste to claim her as mine, to bind our souls, and now she is sore with me. Perhaps I am not worthy of her affections. I am not of sound mind. I am Death and I cannot make things thrive.”

Hypnos walked forward, stepping over my broken things, and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Brother, don’t say that. She will like you if you are you. Like Athena said, you just need to tone it down a bit. Your emotions are out of whack because of your body. Which I knew you would get most of your emotions back when you brought your flesh and organs.” He winked.

It was true. I’d felt more the past several days than in thousands of years. Still, I did not know love but sympathy, compassion, I might know what those might be.

“I still don’t want you around her,” my voice became firm, stepping away. “I don’t like the idea of another male in her presence.”

Hypnos threw his long white hair behind his back. “Is that so? Why do you think that is?”

“Jealousy,” Athena quipped. “Thanatos fears you are more fun than he is. He doesn’t want his mate falling for you.”

“That’s physically and soulfully impossible.” Hypnos reassured me. “I’ve read the soul bonding book. Trust me.”

It seemed everyone knows more about soul bonding than me. I supposed I must dig deeper into the book and into myself. I cannot take what is not mine, I cannot force her, I must work for her affections.

I did not want to extinguish the light that had drawn me to her since the moment I saw her.

I let out a sigh and cracked my knuckles.

“And for the love of the Fates, Thanatos, clean up this mess before you start, do you hear me? Living in such filth is an abomination I tell you.”

Chapter Seventeen

Juniper

“Remember when he yelled at you instead of comforting you? It’s the same thing. He was trying to show affection.” Athena soothed, as she brushed my hair.

“So when Thanatos said he was going to take my soul, was that how he shows he cares? That’s a bit much!” I huffed and crossed my arms. “He could have said, ‘let me take you out on a date, let me give you some flowers.’ Not the whole ‘you are mine and I’m going to suck your soul out and devour it whole and make you live in the Underworld foreverrr!’” I said with my voice lowered to a bone-chilling, guttural growl.

Athena stopped brushing my hair and stared at me in the mirror with a horrified face. “That is not what he said,” she deadpanned.

Athena showed up on day three when I got the bright idea to pray to the gods. Athena was the logical choice. I got on my knees by my bed and begged for her to come, and it worked.

I didn’t know what else to do. I was ignoring Thanatos. I had to because what he did was completely unacceptable. He could not keep me here.

Give him my soul? Out of the question. At first, I didn’t know I could do anything with my soul. I thought it was just who I was, and when I died, it would go to heaven or hell. I didn't think it had much meaning. Apparently, it does because he wants it and I won’t give it to anyone.

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