Page 82 of Junkyard Dog

Running his hands through his wet hair and sinking further into the warm water, he snorted. “I’ll go by and drag his ass to his quarters after I finish up here.”

Hades tested the temperature of the bath, wiping his hand on his chiton. “Overheard an interesting conversation between Seph and Iris after you retired to your room alone,” he said casually as he rose up. “I was under the impression Iris was one of your preferred companions when you were down here.”

“She’s sweet,” he muttered, slipping under the water to buy himself a few seconds.

Iris was sweet. Sweet and timid, and apparently still on hiatus from her millennia-old marriage.

Hades tracked him as Alex exited the bath and wrapped a towel around his hips, shaking his hair out and earning a chuff of amusement from Ryan. He put weight on his injured leg, bending it to test the amplified healing properties in the underworld water.

Not bad.

“What precisely does the termtakenimply?” Hades pressed, his arms crossing.

He snatched his chiton off a chair. “Nothing,” he replied. “Anything on the docket today or am I good to deal with Bo and hang out in the receiving rooms?”

His master remained motionless, dark eyes narrowing as he stared him down. “You’re free for now,” he said slowly, his hand dropping to scratch Ryan’s ears. “I’ll be holding court tomorrow. Your presence is required.”

He waited until Hades walked out before he exited the bathing room and made his way down the hall to find Bo. His twin was sprawled out in the banquet hall, his muzzle resting on the edge of a bowl of wine, paws thrown over his eyes.

Maintaining a human body in the underworld required significantly more effort than it did topside, the weight of ancestry and blood bearing down on the brothers to return to their natural form. Alex often held out longer than the others, Ryan preferring his inborn state and Bo usually too drunk to uphold his human physique past the first few hours.

He knelt beside Bo, lifting the enormous paws from his face and easing the bowl from under his jowls. “Come on,” he urged, meeting his twin’s glassy, unfocused eyes. “Hades is gonna flip a nut if he comes back in here and you’re heaving on his rugs.”

Bo struggled to gain his footing, leaning against him for balance and nipping at his hand when Alex attempted to lead him by the scruff. They weaved through the halls, passing Dionysus’s closed door and slowly making their way to Bo’s quarters. Pushing the heavy wooden doors open, he waited for Bo to stumble into his bedroom and collapse on the floor, growling before he passed out.

Leaving his brother to sleep it off, he entered the receiving rooms, freezing at the entrance when a dark ponytail caught his eye.

“Alexandros!”

Snapping his attention to Persephone, he gave his mistress a quick smile and joined her at the elegant seating area Hades had put together for her, the pastel fabrics and rich rosewood furnishings at odds with the harsh ebony and marble palace decor. He accepted a heaping plate of smoked meats and breads from one of her many handmaidens, glancing back at the dark ponytail and letting out a breath when the woman turned around, her angular features bearing no resemblance to the woman plaguing his head.

Seph reached over to him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear and scratching him under the chin. “Fill me in, honey,” she ordered, nestling back in her seat, her blue eyes sparkling with curiosity.

He swallowed his first bite, shrugging. “You’ve seen what it’s like up there. Same humans, same wars, same mistakes.” He paused. “The air reeks.”

Placing her cup down, Persephone leveled him with a blank stare. “Tell me about the woman. Charlotte, was it?”

His stomach knotted, the familiar tightness returning to his throat as he took another bite of the bread and chewed slowly to buy himself time.

Seph smirked at him, her time with Hades making her a master at identifying delay tactics. “You’re stalling, and I have all day.” She crossed her legs primly and cocked her head. “She was quite pretty.”

“Gorgeous,” he corrected, hunching over his plate. He looked over his shoulder to ensure no one was within listening distance.

“Still pining for her, I assume?” Seph posited, smiling sweetly at him when his eyes flicked to hers. “Your reaction to Dio’s handmaiden over there gave it away. Is she bright?”

He poked at his food. “Smart, tough, and independent. Like Athena without the vengeance issues.”

Persephone covered her mouth in feigned shock at his blasphemy, nudging his foot with hers as she hid her laughter. “That’s how you end up cursed,” she warned, waving off an approaching handmaiden. “How much did she know?”

“Nothing.” He set his plate down and rose to his feet, bowing quickly. “I better check on Bo.”

She lifted a delicate brow and nodded. “Of course. Please let Boreus know his presence will be required for court tomorrow. And Alex?”

He hesitated, keeping his head slightly bowed.

“You’re so much prettier when you smile, honey.”

*

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