My stunned gaze followed between Zak and Axel as they argued.I’d thought everything had worked out between them and things would go as nice and smooth as cream now. But they were still the ultimate alpha males and always would be. They would never shed their dominant trait as it was inbred in their blood.
They only became a united front when they faced our enemies. Maybe that was good enough?
They often acted like big boys when they were around me, or argued about me. Héctor had once told me that I made him feel young again.
Zak rolled his blue eyes at Axel. “Admit it, Axel,” he said. “I’m the calmest and most just demigod. I’m better qualified than you or anyone to monitor the situation between Paxton and my Rosebud. I can talk them down if they go too far. You, on the other hand, are a hothead. You’ll screw up.”
“I don’t screw up anything,” Axel said. “How far can they go with our enemies watching like fucking vultures across the cave?”
Growling, Paxton pulled me away from Axel, and crushed me against his chest. A hint of madness glinted in his violet eyes.
Axel gave Paxton one look, shook his head, and rose to his feet.
“No one wants to argue with crazy anyway,” he said. “Fine. You monitor them, Zak. Shout for me if you can’t handle it.” He sent Paxton a dark, warning look and stalked toward Héctor.
“I can’t believe this bunch used to be my formidable generals.” Ares gritted his teeth. “They reverted to barbarians after they met the demon hellion. Fucking unbelievable! How long must I suffer them?”
“They think they’re in love,” Lucifer said. “I was in their position when I first saw Lilith. That kind of passion is intoxicating, all-consuming, and it only comes once in a lifetime. You won’t understand, Ares. As the God of War, love is never your thing. You’re all for brutal combat and bloodbath. You live and breathe on the battlefield and thrive in conflict. Mostly, you can understand lust. Your affair with Aphrodite also shaped who you are.”
“Why does everyone keep bringing up that old tale?” Ares pressed his lips in a thin line. “That happened eons ago. I don’t even remember the details now. I only banged her a dozen times.”
“It isn’t about numbers, Ares,” Lucifer said. “You just don’t get it.”
“Like you got it and fell into Celeste’s trap,” Ares snickered. “I was watching on the other side and saw it all.”
“Then you should have warned me!” Lucifer growled.
“Why should I?”Ares gloated. “That little twig was quite good at impersonating Lilith. I have to give her that. She tricked the King of Tricksters. And you, the Devil of Deception and Lies were so pathetic in front of your old flame.” He changed his voice to mimic Lucifer.“I’ve never stopped loving you, Lilith. Now that you’ve come to me, my love, I can’t let you go. I can’t give you up. Not again. Never again. I’ll serve you and warm your bed—”
Lucifer smashed his fist into Ares’ face, and the god of war sent his own fists flying. Meaty thumps, nasty snarls, and the cracking of bones filled the air as they brawled.
Then Paxton stole my attention when his hot, sensual mouth traced up the column of my throat to my jawline, then to my lips.
I stretched my body against his hard one and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. He chuckled against my lips, liking how I trapped him.
“My Buttercup is just as possessive as I,” he said in approval.
He’d been possessive even when I’d thought he hated me back in the Half-Blood Academy, when he barged into my dormitory, dragged me out of bed, and forced me to go to class.
He hadn’t been able to hide the heat in his eyes when they roamed over my nakedness, yet he’d pretended disinterest by mocking me.“What do you have that can possibly interest a demigod, mortal?”
Only I wasn’t a mortal. Had never been a mortal. But I hadn’t known my true heritage back then.
All my demigods loved and accepted me unconditionally. They couldn’t care less that I was half-demoness. My insecurity had brought myself all the grief and misery. It was partly my fault that we all ended up in the Void. But if I said so, my mates would blame everything on Ares and Lucifer, and I wouldn’t argue with them on that point.
Right now, Paxton’s body heat radiated to me, stoking the liquid fire in my tender flesh. I was already on his lap. My ass wiggled, encouraged by his erection, huge and hard.
“This is only a kissing session,” Zak said, restraining himself from needing to touch me, “serving to give Paxton a little taste and calm his raging lust.”
The Demigod of Sky seemed to have resumed his role as an occasional instructor in the Academy.
Ignoring Zak, Paxton thrust his tongue into my mouth with a burning need. This kissing session didn’t seem to calm his raging lust. Quite the opposite, in fact, but I wasn’t going to stop him. I wanted him, all of him.
Zak wasn’t wrong about Paxton being denied for too long. I’d been denied too long as well. When I finally accepted him and we’d started the mating dance, he’d confessed in my temporary quarters in Hell,“I love you with every piece of my black heart, Buttercup.”
And then Lucifer and Ares had knocked down our door.
They were the rudest motherfuckers ever.