“Quit it, you two,” Zak said, his voice desolate. “We lost one of us. But bickering and fighting isn’t the way to deal with grief. You’ll only further upset my Rosebud.”
Their sorrow was just as heavy and black as mine. The demigods had once fought for territories for centuries, but they bonded like blood brothers when they all chose me as their mate.
I turned my bleary eyes to Axel. Of all of the demigods, Axel had the worst temper, and struggled to rein it in. With me, he was already being his gentlest, best self.
There was no light but the infinite cold darkness in me when I lost Héctor. But knowing I hurt my other mates by being emotionally unavailable to them only made my bleak heart bleed more.
“I love you just as much as I love him,” I said, tears flowing from my burning eyes like a faucet. “I wouldn’t want to live if any of you perish.”
“I know how much it hurts, Rosebud,” Zak said. “But you need to keep going, just as we do, for you. We live for each other. You aren’t bearing the pain alone. He was our brother, and he saved me. If I could, I would gladly take his place, so he could be with you.”
I pressed my fingers to his lips. “How could you think I would rather you die instead? You’re all precious to my soul. I just don’t have the strength to go on as one of you is no longer…”
“Lean on us,” Paxton said. “Draw strength from us. Take whatever you need.”
Alex leaned toward me, his forehead against mine. “I’m sorry, baby. We love you more than anything, more than our wicked selves. Give us a chance and lean on us.”
I nodded as I wept.
Zak rolled me onto his large, strong body, so I no longer curled on the cold rock. I clung to him as Axel pressed against my back. Paxton shuffled closer to half-embrace me, though his alert, hard eyes never left our enemies in the other corner.
While we comforted each other, I vaguely heard the war god scoff. I didn’t pay him any mind. He might be a powerful god, but he was unloved and unwanted.
I was loved, wanted, and cherished.
However, a black glacier had encased my heart. If I didn’t want the same to happen to the rest of my mates, I needed to break through the layers of dark, hardened ice.
And I’d lean on my mates and borrow their light and fire.
CHAPTER 3
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The monsters prowled outside, besieging the cave. More and more of them leapt to the rooftop, stomping and howling, cracking our nerves.
Exhausted from heartbreak and cocooned in my mates’ warmth and solidity, I drifted to an anguished, shallow sleep.
Hunger gnawed my stomach, jerking me awake a few times only to find my throat was parched. I was a descendant of an archangel and a Titan. I shouldn’t be bothered by lack of food and water, yet here I was, weaker than ever.
Looking at my mates’ cracked lips, I knew they were just as hungry and thirsty as I was. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d eaten.
“I’ll take the next shift,” I said.
“You never need—” Paxton stopped cold, staring. But not at Lucifer and Ares, though neither had slept despite their exhaustion. Paxton stared at the entrance to the cave, his face pale as if he’d seen a ghost.
I followed his gaze. A giant of a man covered in blood from head to toe appeared at the mouth of the cave. The monsters outside growled, yet none attacked him. One large hand gripped a longsword, while his other hand held a small roasted beast and an old waterskin.
My mouth fell open. He grinned at me, looking more like a demon than my beloved death demigod. Even so, I’d recognize my Héctor in any corner of the universe.
No matter how he looked, he was mine.
I shrieked in joy, jumped off Zak’s warm chest, and sprang toward Héctor.
He stepped in as if he owned the cave, tossed the roasted beast and waterskin at my other mates. Axel caught the meat and Paxton got the water.
Héctor opened his arms. “Lamb, come here.”
I threw myself into him with hot tears all over my face. I’d never been so happy to be called Lamb.