sweet either. He couldn’t imagine that was the case, but she understood how he was feeling. She knew what it was like to have someone to see more in him.
His heart swelled.
Damn it, he was turning into a poet at the very touch of her hand. This wasn’t him. He was the apathetic and terrifying god of the Underworld.
Yet, here he was. The dangerous god melting under the soft touch of a flower maiden.
Gods, he was so screwed. Hecate was right. He was in over his head.
Clearing his throat again, he gestured for them to move forward. “I believe someone is waiting for us at the gate who you might recognize.”
“Really?”
She hadn’t thought through where they were. Or perhaps she thought Cerberus only guarded the entrances to the Underworld, not the afterlife. While his guard dog was certainly impressive in knowing when someone entered, he could only guard one gate at a time.
That was why Hades put him here.
As if it knew they were approaching, the gate to the afterlife appeared out of the mist. Ten men high, the arches were carved out of black obsidian and shone with a deep blue internal light. A few flickering blue orbs trailed through the twin columns on either side. They almost looked like souls trapped within the stone.
Kore stared up until she nearly fell backward. “Wow,” she whispered.
“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” Hades looked at the arches with pride. “I designed them myself.”
“They’re rather simple, don’t you think?” she asked. “Very... minimal.”
Minimal? He hadn’t designed them to be ornate or even beautiful. They were intimidating and also welcoming at the same time. Arches that the souls would remember for the rest of their lives, even more so than the terrifying dog who guarded the gates.
Hades opened his mouth to argue, only to pause when he saw the mirth in her gaze. Her eyes crinkled at the edges and she watched him with her tongue caught between her teeth.
She was joking with him? Teasing him?
Perhaps they were farther along than he thought. Hades let out a soft chuckle, then inclined his head. “Yes, Kore. I suppose they are rather minimal. But what did you expect? Zeus’s face staring down at them?”
“Oh goodness, no. I would never think you would put Zeus in the Underworld.” She gave a little shake of fake fear. “I thought you’d put your own face there, glaring down at them like the imposing lord you are.”
“What—”
He didn’t have time to clarify. She raced forward, calling out, “Cerberus!”
And like the ridiculous fool his dog was, the three headed beast came careening toward them from behind a pillar. All three tongues lolling and tail wagging so fast it was a blur, Cerberus ran directly into Kore. With an audible “oof”, she fell onto her back with the dog’s paws on her shoulders.
“All right, that’s enough Cerberus.” Hades knew the command was half-hearted at best. He would have yanked the beast off her and tossed him to the side if Kore screamed or cried.
He’d seen Cerberus make many people break down in tears. He was a terrifying creature, and no woman had ever looked at him with softness in her gaze. None, at least, until Kore.
She was laughing so hard no sound even came out of her mouth. Eyes squeezed shut, she rubbed her hands up and down Cerberus’s sides while all three of his heads desperately licked her. She kept turning her head side to side, trying to dodge the onslaught of tongues, but no matter where she turned there was another face trying to lick her.
Hades wished her luck. Cerberus was relentless and he wouldn’t stop until ordered.
When Cerberus had gotten enough love, he climbed off Kore and loped over to Hades’ side. The grin on all three of his faces was embarrassing, even to Hades. He put a hand on the nearest head and gave it a pat. “Happy with yourself?”
A sharp nod was his answer as Cerberus sat down on his foot and together, they watched Kore roll onto her feet. She dusted the black sand off her chiton and shook her head. “That animal is ridiculous.”
“Yes, yes he is.” Hades pat his head again. “But he’s mine.”
“Ours,” she corrected, then grinned. “I think as your wife, he’s also mine.”
Wife. The word was so good to hear, even though he knew she was saying it as a joke. His heart thudded hard in his chest.
Hades glanced down at Cerberus and realized both he and the dog had reacted the