Page 8 of Hades

“Hades, god of the Underworld,” I hear Kat mumble under her breath.

“First, I’m not a god. Second, I thought you were Enoch,” I add, pointing to Cain. He laughs at my joking because he’s cloaked in a human façade, which he drops when I call him out. The moment it’s gone, the other pup scampers over, and he picks up the wet bundle. I give him a raised eyebrow.

“Hades, meet my wife, Kat, and our son Zane,” he adds, scratching the pup she’s holding. “And this little troublemaker is our daughter, Zoe.” The look of astonishment must be evident across my face. “You’ve missed a lot, old man.”

“Wow. Congratulations,” I say with a genuine smile as I approach. Cain maneuvers his bundle and clasps my forearm in a warrior’s welcome.

“We have two more downstairs napping. How did…” His words trickle off as he shakes his head. “Reaver, of course. He’s back over on the other side, isn’t he?”

I give him a curt nod, and even as I do, I can feel the inexplicable need to find Aradia. The sensation is like a fire coursing through my veins. It’s been so many years, and I’ve tried many things, but I’ve never been able to stay away.

The moment I stepped through the gate, I could feel her. I must shake my head to return my focus to Cain and his wife. I haven’t registered anything they’ve been saying until they mention The Black Door Club.

“So, what finally brings you out of hiding?” Cain questions as we stand waiting for the elevator to take us down. The anticipation is beginning to build inside me. With it being this strong, Aradia must be very close by.

“I wanted to see this shithole Reaver continues to go on about,” I respond quickly, doing my best not to say,I’m here to stalk my ex, who won’t remember me anyway, and if she does, I’ll vanish from her memory like a fucking ghost.

The elevator opens when Cain pushes the button, and I follow behind him and his wife, who is now managing both pups. Kat and their pups get off in silence a few floors down, leaving just Cain and me.

“So why are you really here? Because I know it’s not that bullshit you spouted out about needing to see the club. It’s been decades since anyone has even heard from you, and now you show up out of the blue. ‘Hey, here I am. I just wanted to look around your club,’” he mocks.

I let out a long, aggravated breath. “So, you and the shifter?” I ask, deflecting his questions.

His eyes flash red as he gives me a sneer. “Her name is Kat, and she’s my wife.”

Holding up my hands in surrender, I give him a crooked smile. “Stand down, demon. I’m just making conversation. The wolf shifter’s name is Kat,” I mumble with a chuckle, earning me another growl from the demon.

Little does he know I get it. He would protect her from anything, even himself, if that’s what it came down to. Yet here I am, again unable to let Aradia go.

What’s that saying?The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting a different outcome. I guess that makes me insane.

The moment the doors to the elevator open, the deep pull inside me tightens its grip. Aradia is not only close, but she’s also in this building right now.

Cain is still talking, warning me about poking an Enoch demon. I’m happy for him and his family. He’s lived so long with no hope of children once the plague wiped out all females of his species. I really am genuinely happy for him because I know what it’s like to have no hope of a legacy.

But I’m not paying attention. Instead, I’m scanning the area, looking for my dark-haired beauty.

“Fuck me!” I hear another familiar voice yell, although not the one I would ever want to hear yelling those two words. Turning, I see Asher, Reaver’s twin brother, approaching. “Holy fuck! I thought Kat was kidding when she said you were here.”

In the endless centuries since my banishment from the Heavens, I have tried not to interact with any of the fallen Arcs. Their memory, along with everyone else’s who once resided in the Heavens, has been wiped clean of Aradia’s existence. That is, everyone’s memory but mine.

I extend my hand, and Asher takes it, pulling me in for a brotherly hug. He and I had once been as tight as brothers, but that was so many lifetimes ago it barely matters now.

“It’s been too long, old friend,” I say, patting his back while still scanning the area for Aradia. A tuft of chestnut hair catches my eye, and I don’t even need to see her face. It’s her. I would know the gait of her walk, the sway of her hips, and the curve of her shoulder anywhere. And I must go to her. “We’ll catch up, but the person I’m here to see just caught my eye.”

I do not need to elaborate. I’m heading toward my mark before Asher or Cain can question me further. The club is crowded with humans and some demons who can easily pass as locals. Although I’m laser-focused on Aradia, it doesn’t escape me that every male in the place watches her as she passes.

My possessive side urges me to snap the necks of every man here who dares to glance her way. But I am far too civil for that, or at least I can pretend to be. I make it to the center bar before she does, an easy task since humans naturally get out of my way.

It takes me a moment to realize why her trek is so slow.

She’s not alone.

By her side is the dog I had seen with her, or at least it looks like a dog. Humans instinctively love dogs, and someone asks to pet the beast every few steps she takes. When she finally arrives, a gentleman at the bar generously offers her his seat. The guy probably has no idea why he’s inclined to make her so comfortable. Despite being human, at least in appearance, and lacking her heavenly powers, she is still a goddess. Daughter of Ares and Themis, it is human nature to appease the gods, even if done subconsciously.

I wave to the bartender, who comes right over. He isn’t human but a shifter. Not a wolf, rather a coyote or mountain lion.

“Sir,” he says with a tentative smile. “What’ll it be?”

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