Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Aleksei said from near the window. “But there is a mob forming out here, Justice. I’m not sure Adres’s barrier will hold much longer.”
Henry’s phone rang, and he yanked it out of his pocket, smiling as he put the call on speaker.
“I am glad you made it home safely, pretty wolf. I’m on my way.” Taleb’s deep, confident voice resounded around the room and seemed to make Orion’s anxiety simmer down.
Henry stroked one of Orion’s cheeks with a shaky hand. “Oh, Taleb. You should see him. He is beautiful.”
“Soon,” Taleb promised. “Henry, take care of him until I arrive.”
“Of course.” Henry gave Orion a watery smile that already looked full of adoration.
“And Henry.”
“Yes.”
“I miss you.”
Henry released a startled puff of air that sounded like pure joy. “I miss you too, my heart.”
“I love you,” Taleb declared.
The banging and frustrated growls outside were becoming difficult to ignore.
“I will handle this,” Justice gritted out as he began to unbutton his jeans to get ready to shift.
“Do not leave my mate’s side, Justice! He could not travel with me because three of my betas are unmated. It would’ve driven them crazy. But he’s still in danger until I get there,” Taleb explained. “We are not that far, but there’s an accident on the Kancamagus Highway that’s causing significant delays.”
Justice glanced back at Alek. “Can you handle this?”
Aleksei’s irises went from pale blue to black like coal, brimming with orange embers as Wrath leapt to the forefront and took the surface. The heat in the room escalated but not enough to harm them, only enough to make his presence known.
“Hadeon… shall we?” Adres faced Wrath, calling his old comrade by one of his many names. But Adres always thought that “blazing warrior” was his most fitting.
Wrath narrowed his eyes as if he was suspicious before he slowly came forward. Adres was just able to keep a straight face as he stared at his longtime ex-rival turned best friend. “Orestes?”
Adres gripped Wrath’s broad shoulders when he called him by his Titan name, which meant western warrior. Hadeon stood several inches taller than him in this body, but those eyes never changed no matter who his friend possessed. “Yes. It is me, old friend.”
Wrath yanked him into a spine-cracking hug, “It is about damn time.”
Neither of them smiled, but Adres’s light was bright within him, and he was certain Wrath could feel it. Adres had all of his shields down. There was nothing for him to hide anymore.
Belleron came up beside his mate. “What is this?”
Adres answered since Wrath was still staring at him as if he was making certain it was him. “Easiest way to put it. I am not three hundred years old.”
“You wish,” Wrath scoffed.
Adres ignored him, which he remembered was what he often did with Hadeon’s snide comments. Wow, how he had missed them. “I am more like closer to two thousand. But the curse put on my soul attacked my memories and blocked away my identity, all to prevent me from finding my cherished. To hinder the prophesy, I assume.”
“But you did anyway.” Wrath glared. “I told you that you were not lost in there.”
“And however did you end up in a Volkov?” Adres asked Wrath, looking him up and down as he stood proudly in Aleksei’s strong body.
“Well, after the curse took hold of you, and nothing we did could get it released, I begged the gods to heal you… and they refused. After all the good we had done. And then you went into hiding, and I went mad. I got… angry, Orestes.”
“Futu-i.”
“I may have gone a bit overboard when I burned down a few cities and lit part of the sky on fire.” Wrath shrugged as if that was no big deal. “I was captured and confined back to the Underworld.”
“By who?” Adres asked.
“By your goddamn brother! Who else?” Wrath pointed in Adres’s face, and he batted the accusatory finger away as if it were an irritating mosquito. Belleron and Justice were staring as though they couldn’t believe that Adres had just slapped Wrath… and nothing happened.
None of them knew of their long history.
“Which one?” Adres droned.
“Fucking Zepharali. He came with the full force of his east winds and rained over my waves. I was defenseless against him.”
“And then…” Adres prodded. “Stop stalling for theatrics. What happened after?”
Wrath spread his arms out. “Now, I am out on good behavior.”
“That must have been one hell of a deal you made.” Adres shook his head.
Whatever Wrath had been about to say was cut off when a window towards the front of the cabin shattered. Adres pulled his hood over his head, and Wrath faced the door.
“Just like old times, my friend,” Adres murmured as he stood beside Wrath, ready to do battle.
“Like the earthquake in Thebes after the giants’ war.”