And in the doghouse.
His mother moved back to Megan and fussed over her.
When she placed her hand on Megan’s bump, her green eyes lit up. “Oh, how she kicks. She is strong, my lo—”
She cut herself off and the soft look she had been about to give Hades turned into a glare.
“Mother,” Keras started. “It really was my decision.”
“Not yours entirely. He gave you the pills, and he said nothing to me about them.” Persephone issued another withering look at Hades.
His father’s shoulders sagged.
Ares had definitely been there.
“Women scorned, eh?” he said and Megan rolled her eyes at him.
He fell silent as he stared at her, finding it strange but weirdly right to see her in this room—in this realm. She belonged here. He felt that deep in his bones. She was stronger here, and would grow stronger the more time she spent in this world. The dark circles that had been beneath her eyes were already fading and she had more colour, and gods, it felt good to see her brighter again.
It felt good knowing she was safe and protected, and that nothing could touch her.
“And we shall transform the unused wing of the house into a nursery for you and your mother.” Persephone bent over and spoke to Megan’s belly, her soft tone bright and filled with the excitement that was written all over her face.
Hades looked as if he wanted to say something but was biting his tongue. Ares could imagine what it was.
Megan and the baby didn’t need an entire wing to themselves. Megan wouldn’t enjoy it. She liked being close to others, in the thick of things, surrounded by her family and friends.
Which is what made this so damned hard.
Ares released her hand.
Megan’s eyes instantly leaped to meet his.
Panic washed over them, her expression stricken as she twisted away from Persephone and reached her hand out to him.
Ares wanted to take it.
But he couldn’t.
Keras’s gaze drilled into him as Ares backed off a step, placing more distance between them. He didn’t look at his brother, couldn’t take his eyes off Megan as tears filled them.
And filled hers.
She shook her head, sent them tumbling down her cheeks. Tried to lunge for him but his mother took one look at him and seized hold of her shoulders, keeping her in place.
Megan jerked backwards, trying to dislodge Persephone. She clutched her belly and she shook her head again, sending more tears chasing down to her jaw.
He swallowed to dislodge the lump in his throat and husked, his voice tight as tears choked him, “Keep her safe.”
“No.” Megan tried to break free of his mother.
Managed it this time.
She hurried to him and his heart broke when she gripped his arms, when he felt the panic mounting in her.
“I don’t want to stay here.” Her eyes darted between his, the tears that filled them ripping at him.
Tearing down his strength.
“Don’t make me stay here.” Her brow furrowed as she looked up at him, as her belly pressed against him and she held his arms. “I don’t want to be away from you. I can’t do this without you.”
Ares wavered.
Steeled himself as he blinked and cleared his vision, sending hot tears down his cheeks.
He slid his hand around her nape and pressed his forehead to hers, wished with all his heart that he could do as she wanted.
But he couldn’t.
“I need to know you’re safe,” he croaked and clutched her to him. “Sweetheart… this kills me too.”
She shook her head and dug her fingertips into his arms, desperately clinging to him. “I’m a healer. You need me. Don’t do this! Please, don’t do this. Don’t leave me.”
He cursed the tears as they flowed down his cheeks, couldn’t stop them no matter what he tried. He dipped his head and kissed her, long and slow, savouring the feel of her lips against his as she kissed him back, as she clung to him. When it became too much, he tore himself away from her.
Megan stared at him, the pain in her eyes calling to him, making him want to give in and let her have her way, because he hated seeing her cry.
He hated hurting her.
Persephone came forwards and gently took hold of her shoulders.
He stepped forwards again and placed his hand on Megan’s belly, smiled as she placed hers over it and looked up at him, a flicker of understanding dancing among the pain in her dark eyes. She hated that he was doing this, was going to be angry with him for a while, but when she calmed down, she would understand why he’d had to do it, and she would know how much it had hurt him as well as her.
He felt as if he was ripping his own heart out of his chest as he looked into her eyes.
Severing a vital part of himself by leaving her here.
“I love you both,” he whispered. “Won’t be long.”
Words he had said to her countless times whenever he’d had to leave her over the last couple of months as her pregnancy had progressed and the need to protect her and remain with her had grown stronger.
He waited, desperate for her to respond as she always did, to show him that she understood and to give him the strength he needed to do this.
And something to keep him going while they were apart.
She broke free of Persephone, tiptoed and grasped his nape.
“I love you too,” she breathed against his lips.
And kissed him.
A kiss he would never forget.
Full of hurt, full of hope.
Full of love.
And a plea to come back to her.
He swore that he would.
He stepped back from her.
“Are you really going to do this?” Keras murmured.
Ares nodded, but didn’t have the strength to leave.
Keras took the decision out of his hands, gripped his wrist and pulled him into the portal. The moment it closed behind him and he felt the connection between him and the Underworld sever, he sank to his knees on the tatami mats.
“What’s wrong?” Esher rose from the couch and hurried towards him, the rest of his brothers and their women doing the same.
Ares stared at the mats, unable to muster his voice as his heart ached, as the need to force Cal to open another portal tore through him. He lifted his hand and swiped the back of it across his cheek, sniffled like a damned girl as he thought about Megan, as that need to return to her pounded inside him.
“Megan?” Esher’s gaze darted from him to Keras. “Did something happen?”
Ares drew down a deep shuddering breath, aware that he needed to answer his brother because if he didn’t Esher was liable to believe something bad had happened to her and the baby, and he would go off the deep end again.
“No,” Keras said for him, his tone soft, calming. “Ares decided it was best Megan remain in the Underworld with Mother and Father.”
“I just want her safe,” Ares croaked.
He just wanted her at his side, but he couldn’t let her remain in this world where she would be in danger, and he couldn’t remain in the Underworld with her. He had a duty to do. His brothers needed him in this fight.
Keras placed a hand on his shoulder, and it was weird that he could do that now, could touch him without fear of Ares’s fire burning him thanks to the spell Cass had woven into the bracelet he wore with his limiters. That spell gave him control over his fire, made it easier for him to keep it in check in this world.