Lexi loved mornings in Nova Scotia. It didn't matter the time of year, there always seemed to be a refreshing breeze, like the air had come straight off an iceberg before making its way to the coast. She tended to keep her balcony door ajar for that reason, and this morning felt extra special. 

Besides waking up in her old bedroom, there was the added bonus of having her lover's arms around her. She also had the visit from Aristaeus to look forward to. If all went as planned, she would be returning to the underworld with her best friend.

"Good morning, my enchanting one." Hades spoke into her hair as he snuggled against her, his bare skin warming her back and his morning wood pressing into her butt. "I thought of you all night."

"I'm glad to hear that. Were you reminiscing about our private party in the stable?"

"Yes. Then we continued our dalliance on the beach and in the limousine and under the falls. My desire for you is inexhaustible."

He cupped her breast with one hand, waking the nipple with a few teasing pinches and making her giggle. His hand dipped lower and he fondled her pubic hair as he navigated his hard-on between her thighs. Lexi arched into his pelvis, giving him access to her center, and his finger found her clit, which tweaked with sensitivity. By the time he slipped his erection inside her, she was nearly ready for release.

"Oh, gods, you turn me on," she whispered.

Hades held her close as he pounded into her, his breathing growing raspier with every thrust. She knew he could go any time, as she hung by a thread herself. How did he manage to do it? She had been asleep only five minutes ago. Just as she was about to succumb to her body, a series of heavy knocks rattled her bedroom door, followed by a booming voice. 

"Lexi! When you have finished screwing my brother, you have visitors at the stable."

"Shit." Lexi's body immediately tensed, and she felt her climax evaporate like dew in the sun. "Zeus sure knows how to ruin a mood."

"Ignore that killjoy, Lexi. Let me take you to your happy place." Hades continued his mission to pummel her into passion oblivion, and she gave in to her base urges, blocking out the image of Zeus listening on the other side of her door as her bed squeaked out their love song. 

She stifled her moan as Hades filled her with his warmth, and she joined him, extracting a shiver of satisfaction that lingered a long while. Lexi had never purposefully defied her elders, but it felt oddly gratifying to engage in deviant behavior within earshot of a disapproving parent. She wasn't a child anymore.

After a not-so-brief shower, Lexi and Hades trundled downstairs and found only her mom at work. With Chef Pastille and his minions being given a reprieve for the weekend, she had laid out breakfast, buffet style. It was no secret that Lilith Maxwell would be perfectly happy to remain in charge twenty-four-seven, but she would drive herself and everyone else crazy.

"This spread looks fit for a king, Lilith," Hades said as he popped a mini quiche into his mouth.

"Thank you. I hope it lives up to the standards of Chef Pastille. He taught me everything I know. Try the baked brie and cranberries. It's divine."

"We need to get to the stable, Mom, but we'll be back to join everyone for seconds." Lexi piled her plate higher than she normally would. Sex seemed to improve her appetite as much as any post-game hunger did. "Where's...um, Dad?"

Lexi and her mom exchanged an uncomfortable glance. She still hadn't found time to talk to her mom about her affair with a god. Of course, Lexi couldn't give her mom too much crap about it. She had fallen for one herself, and if she hadn't been born a demigod, she never could have escaped to the underworld with Hades to become his full-time lover. Lexi was sure her mom wouldn't have left the family if she had demigod status. Unlike Hades, Zeus was a whore.

"He's handling a business matter in his study. I'm sure he won't be long. Why don't you and Hades head to the stable. Clary and Dion are taking a walk on the beach, and Mnemosyne is enjoying a bath. I've got blueberry scones baking, so I'm stuck here for a while, but I believe Zeus is waiting for you." She looked up from the tray of fruit she was obsessing over. "Zeus wasn't too pleased when he found out Kade had gone behind his back and invited Aristaeus to the estate."

"Why? Are Zeus and Aristaeus on bad terms?" Lexi talked around the baked brie she had spooned into her mouth.

"No, nothing like that, but Zeus likes to know what's going on. And, apparently, Kade has a habit of doing whatever he pleases with no regard for protocol." She offered Hades a subtle eyebrow lift, and he offered an innocent shrug in return.

"Don't look at me," he said. "Kade gets his bad habits from his mother."

Lexi and Hades made for the path while her thoughts plagued her. What was going to happen to her horse? Would Zeus and her dad ever exchange blows? Did Hades have bad habits she hadn't seen yet? 

As they entered the stable, Lexi found Zeus talking with a broad-chested man in a denim shirt. A man Lexi immediately recognized, although she hadn't seen him since she was ten years old. "Hank? What are you doing here?"

A wide smile broke across Hank's face, exposing a row of white teeth behind a thick, black beard. "Lexi, how you've grown." He lumbered over, greeting her with a strong hug, which brought back a flood of memories, most of them involving Hank rescuing her from the back of an unruly horse named Zenith. "Zeus was right. You have bloomed into an absolute beauty."

Lexi's stomach lurched, and she set her plate of food on a bale of hay before she spilled it. "You...you know Zeus?"

"Of course. I attend to Zeus's horses and oversee the animals of Olympus."

"This is Aristaeus, although you remember him as Hank." Zeus joined them, making no attempt to acknowledge Hades. "I asked for his help with Zenith when the horse proved to have more spunk than a five year old demigod could handle."

"And I warned you that Zenith's strong bloodline would make him difficult." Aristaeus nudged Zeus in the ribs as they both enjoyed a throaty chuckle.

"Even the father of gods can have oversights on occasion," Zeus said.

A loud snort interrupted their banter, and Lexi glanced into Jackie O's stall, but Jackie O was not the first horse she laid her eyes on. A beautiful black stallion stood in the next stall over, and his fearless dark eyes were aimed right at Lexi. "Oh, my gods. You brought Zenith." She hurried over to him and offered a respectful bow before reaching out to touch his head. "You are just as handsome as I remember." Another snort echoed inside the stable, and Lexi turned to address Jackie O. "And you are the most beautiful mare in all of Nova Scotia, my friend. What do you think of this fine stallion?"

Kade strode into the stable with an armful of apples, and he dumped them into the treat bag. "I rounded up something sweet for the horses to whet their appetite. Aristaeus seems to think there's a good chance we can get these two together, but there are some complications." He maneuvered next to Lexi, and Hades appeared at her other side within seconds, his fingers grazing her hip.

"What kind of complications?" she asked, acknowledging Hades with a light touch.

Aristaeus stood between the two stalls, gesturing to the pair of horses. "As you may recall, Lexi, from our numerous conversations about horse breeding, the offspring of a pair will typically display the strongest traits of its parents. Which is why only the finest specimens of the species are encouraged to breed. In the case of Zenith and your friend, Jackie O, we have a stallion with godlike qualities, and a purebred mare with no special qualities other than her bloodline."

"What are you getting at?" Lexi stifled her annoyance. Jackie O had plenty of special qualities, and her mare snorted against Aristaeus's head, putting in her two cents.

"While their offspring may exhibit magical abilities, simply having these two mate will not imbue your horse with enough godlike qualities to allow her safe passage into the underworld. Of course, she would have no trouble joining us in Olympus."

Aristaeus offered a subtle nod in Zeus's direction, and the annoyance Lexi had stifled won out. "Well, she's not going to Olympus, so there's no point in bringing that up." She felt Hades's hand tighten around her hip. Was he letting her know he was there for support, or warning her to hold her tongue? "So, you're saying I won't be able to bring Jackie O to the underworld without her meeting the same end as the humans who arrive at the gates?"

Aristaeus pursed his lips as he studied Jackie O with a keen eye. "It is possible their coupling would give Jackie O a better than average chance to survive the trip, but she would likely need to be revived once she reached the gates."

"Explain revived."

"Her heart would need to be started again, which takes a great deal of electrical current for an animal her size."

Lexi raised her eyebrows at Zeus. Surely, this would count as something a loving father would do for his daughter.

He huffed as he shook his head. "If you think I'm going to follow you into the underworld to save your horse, clearly you have not been listening to your lover. I'm sure Hades has told you that I do not enter his domain, and vice versa."

"But you're a god, so it is possible. And you said you would help me learn to control my powers. I thought we were friends, Zeus." Lexi played the sympathy card for all it was worth. She wanted this to happen, and she was willing to do a little brown-nosing to make it so.

"You and Jackie O are welcome to visit Olympus whenever you are ready, and I will make good on my promise to help you hone your skills. I think you will find the palace of the gods to be grander than anything you have seen here. Or anywhere else, for that matter."

Heat rushed to Lexi's face and her forehead bunched as she glared at him. "Forget it. I'm not interested in visiting your palace. I'll figure this out myself." She addressed Aristaeus, hoping the tremor in her chest wouldn't give away her anxiety. "What do we need to do to make this happen?"

"Well, Kade said he was willing to use his godly influence on the pair to create a conducive mood for mating. I suggest we leave him to do his work. I don't know about you, but I could use a bit of nourishment." He glanced at Lexi's food sitting on the hay, and Lexi quickly retrieved an uneaten croissant from her plate and handed it to him.

"Try this. It's freshly baked, and Mom has blueberry scones in the oven. I'm sure she'll be excited to talk with you."

He nodded as he bit into the croissant. "I have always enjoyed conversing with Lilith. She's an intelligent woman with a lovely disposition." As he made for the stable door, Zeus shadowed him, engaging him in the topic of the upcoming Olympic games.

"You don't have to rush off, Lexi," Kade said as he offered Jackie O an apple from the treat bag. "You might find my methods interesting."

Lexi felt Hades's arm tighten further. His possessiveness was endearing but unnecessary. "Thanks, Kade, but I'm not interested in watching two horses get it on."

Kade chuckled. "You don't have to stay for that. I just thought you might like to see how I exact my awesome powers. Both you and Hades are welcome to watch."

"I have seen you exact your awesome powers, Kade, and I'm afraid the thrill is gone," Hades said.

"Suit yourself, but don't you think Lexi should take advantage of any opportunity to witness the powers of the gods? It can only benefit her now that she is walking among us as an equal."

Kade spoke to Hades, but his attention was focused on Lexi. She didn't like the way Kade treated Hades as if he was nobody important. The guy was the ruler of the friggin' underworld. While she felt compelled to find something positive about Kade, being Hades's son and all, she couldn't help thinking of him as a self-important delinquent. Of course, he had gone out of his way to help her with Jackie O, so her conscience told her to be nice.

"Sure," she said with a polite smile. "We'll stay and watch."