Page 35 of Wolf Embraced

“That’s enough!”

I glimpsed red wings in the fog and my daggers dissolved when the demons moved aside. Cyrus stepped into view, his black hair slicked back to his nape.

"I wondered how long it would take before one of you gods showed up," he said with a wave of his hand. The demons snarled at me before flying off. "Things aren't so great in the God Realm, are they? I wasn't expecting you, though, Goddess."

“I am as surprised as you are,” I told him, and his bright green eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”

His crimson wings vanished, and he clasped his hands behind him, and smiled warmly. I did as well, though I knew he couldn't see it beyond my hood.

“My mate will lose her mind when she sees you," he said.

“I’ve been keeping tabs on her,” I admitted. He raised a questioning brow, but his smile didn't falter. "I can't have one of my wolves living in this realm without being a little concerned, even if she's mated by choice to the only demon I don’t hate.”

Cyrus was Elinor’s friend, a demon who’d lived with the Blackmoon Pack during the First Vampire War. He’d met Skye, Elinor’s best friend, and fell in love.

He was the first and only demon accepted by a wolf pack, and he’d played a vital role in winning the war against the vampires back then. However, like Elinor and Will, who sacrificed greatly, Cyrus—an Incubus and the son of the Demon King—had to make a deal with his father to save the life of the woman he loved, or she'd turn into a vampire.

Cyrus preferred Earth because the wolves had treated him better than his own kind. But as a son of the demon Lust—one of the seven deadly sins—and the Demon King, he had a duty in this realm as a prince.

When creatures howled in the distance, Cyrus held his hand out to me. His arms were tattooed, like Brian's, but Cyrus's tattoos were magical, their patterns constantly moving.

“Let’s go,” he said. “Before my father finds out a goddess is in his realm. I’m not interested in seeing him today.”

I took his hand. “My sentiments exactly.”

* * *

Natalie

Imade my way back to the others and sat down with a sigh. “She’s fine. The Goddess agrees with us. Still, asking for help from the Demon Realm won’t be easy for her to do, understandably.”

"Where is she?" Lucian asked.

I rested my head back against the sofa. "She left," I answered. "I offered to go, but she said she was the one who had to do it. So she left for the underworld."

"What?" Lucian shouted, and I sat up. I'd never heard him raise his voice like this before. "Natalie, what do you mean the Goddess left for the underworld?"

"She said she has a plan—she knows how to get the help we need." I looked from him to Brian, who appeared as shocked and confused as I was. "She insisted, Lucian. I couldn't exactly stop her, and we're running out of time.”

"Of course, she insisted," he grumbled, pushing his fingers through his hair. “She shouldn’t have gone alone,”

Brian and I exchanged confused glances.

“She said she has a plan,” I repeated, hoping that would offer some comfort, but I wasn’t too sure they’d work. Lucian didn't only seem upset—he looked worried. "Lucian, she's the Goddess. I couldn't stop her. She can handle herself. And I think I should try to mind-link with Rumir again while she’s away.”

"You don't understand, Natalie." Lucian shook his head. "The Goddess is still struggling. Vampires are gone, but now she really has to face her sister's death. Sure, she went into her alternate reality to rest, but she's been in revenge mode since her sister died."

He clenched his fists. “She shouldn’t have gone alone. Now she’s really grieving her sister’s death, while at the same time, trying to fix everything that went wrong because of her need for vengeance. She’s mended her relationship with me and Rumir. And I know she's spoken to you, Elinor, and Ruby, the women most affected by the things she had to do to win the wars on Earth."

I frowned.

I recalled my chat with the Goddess at her castle, thinking back to the way she'd told me to take care of her sons. She'd said it like someone saying goodbye, and I'd wondered if she was preparing not to make it through this war.

Maybe she hadn't been worried about dying. Maybe she was going to welcome it with open arms when the time came.

"Even with a plan, getting help from the underworld won't be easy," Brian said, looking at Lucian. “Even for her.”

"Especially for her," Lucian added. "I've spent lifetimes by her side. I know how she thinks. She’d do anything to save the Mortal Realm. And now she has a valid reason for going to the underworld and facing the Demon King."

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