firmly, “and believe me, Yakov’s head will be rolling on the ground before another day is over. But we’ll meet them on our terms, from a position of strength… not like this, and not until you’ve shifted and healed. I need you strong beside me, beloved.”
Taking a chance, Kirill wrapped his arm around Arvyn’s waist, pleased that the wolf leaned into him. Looking over at the demon and his wolf mate, Kirill waved his free hand at the three statues. “You two appear to have more experience with these matters than we do. What do you suggest we do now?”
Chapter Five
Unwilling to face Seth’s bad attitude, Ra decided against going back to his realm, and headed for Zeus and Paulie’s earth home instead. The domestic scene - Paulie and Zeus curled up on their large couch, a sleeping Egan on a pile of cushions on the floor beside them - did nothing to ease the ache in his heart Ra had felt since he’d translocated the vampire to his wolfen beloved, but it gave him hope.
Deciding to be respectful for once, he did knock on the front door, even though Ra knew Zeus would’ve already sensed his presence. “It’s only me,” he said, entering the warm home. “I have a gift for Egan.” He magicked up a tiny pair of sneakers based on a pair he’d seen famous sportspeople raved about. “A celebration of his first steps.”
“Ra.” Paulie looked genuinely pleased to see him. “Come in and sit down. Did you have a chance to find Cass and Wesley yet?”
“You have been a naughty little demigod, haven’t you?” Ra did as he was told, settling into a large single seater couch and resting the small shoes by Egan’s cushions.
“I don’t know what you mean. Would you like some tea, or do you prefer coffee?” The red on Paulie’s cheeks was cute. While he’d grown in confidence from when Ra first met him, and even more so since Egan’s birth, the tiger shifter couldn’t lie with a straight face.
“No, you sit there. I can conjure my own refreshments.” Ra looked across at Zeus who had a knowing smirk on his face. “Did watching Egan’s first steps wear you out that badly? So badly you didn’t have time to check your computers? You must be getting truly old, if you couldn’t manage the half a dozen steps it’d take you to get to your office.”
“Seventy-four steps.” Zeus faked yawned. “Did you ever stop to think that I was helping you, because I know how bored you get doing nothing on that realm of yours? Most of your people live on this plane, and with only Seth for company… well, we all know anything would be more fun than dealing with him all day.”
“That’s the excuse you’re going with?” Ra arched an eyebrow in Zeus’s direction. “You and Hades run the little operation with Cass and Wes – surely one of you…”
“We both have new young that keep us very busy.” The look Zeus gave his sleeping son was fond and changed the older god’s whole persona. “You love to be among mortals. The work the demon and the wolf shifter do is vitally important…”
“Not to mention it allows you to stick your nose into mortal affairs without upsetting the Fates,” Ra interrupted drily. He didn’t miss Zeus’s worried glance at the ceiling.
“Paranormals don’t have the same access to resources that other mortals do. Their very nature means they aren’t likely to access law enforcement, or counselling services, and our little team are only sent after truly innocent beings who are in dire need of help.”
Leaning back in his chair, Ra conjured himself a cup of Death Wish coffee. The rich brew had a heavenly scent. “Quite a change of thinking for you, being all caring about paranormals when you used to avoid them like the plague.”
“Paulie changed me.” Zeus hugged his mate close. “I’m not ashamed of admitting to change. I think it shows what a well-rounded god I can be, instead of only one or two dimensional, and you know, you know the work Cass and Wes do truly helps paranormals in need when they have no one else to turn to.”
Paulie’s face was getting redder by the minute, but he ducked his head when Ra caught his eye. The question was there. Ra could see it on the young demigod’s face, and while Ra wanted nothing more than to talk about his own revelations over the past few hours, he