Luka

Waking up with Samael cradled in my arms was one of the best feelings imaginable. I stared down at him, watching his nose crinkle with each breath and how his lips were slightly parted. I hadn't pegged him for a mouth breather, but he sure was a cute one, even with his gentle snoring. I was utterly smitten with him. Last night had been beautiful. I didn't regret a single decision I had made, and I hope in the light of day, Samael won't regret anything either.

"I can feel you staring at me," Samael grumbled as he nuzzled his face further into my chest.

"You are cute when you're asleep," I reply, causing him to grumble as he sits up, pushing himself off me.

"I am not cute." He growls. "Katrina is cute."

I chuckle at his ridiculousness. He doesn't seem shy about last night, but he also wants to establish that he's not a bottom. That is completely fine with me. No one ever said two Alphas couldn't enjoy their time together. I was already looking forward to our future fights for dominance; maybe Katrina could be the mediator for a few of them.

"So," Samael speaks up, clearing his throat, as his eyes rake over my naked body, desire flaring in them as I stand up from the couch, paddling my way through the house in search of the nearest bathroom, "What's the plan once we reach Lilith's prison?"

"I don't really have a plan. We will start from the bottom level, which is here in the pits of Tartarus, and then work our way up. The fourth level brings us into the underworld, and by the time we reach the seventh level, we're in the ocean depths. The last three levels are located in the Bermuda Triangle. If we find the elixir made by Freyja in Lilith's prison, we can follow the prison up to the first level, and once we reach the top of the Bermuda Triangle, I can use the shadows to take us back to the underworld entrance." I reply while I start up the shower, sticking my hand in every once in a while to check the temperature.

"Hmm." Samael huffs as a reply before wandering off.

I watch him walk away, slightly curious about where he's going, but also because damn, that man has a fine backside; once he's out of view, I jump into the shower relaxing under the heat of the water. I'm so intuned with the massage the showerhead is giving my back that I don't notice the shower door opening and Samael stepping inside.

"Scoot over." He murmurs, gently pushing me off to the side.

"Who said you could join?" I laugh.

"Haven't you heard that if you shower with someone, it'll help with water conservation... or some shit like that," Samael replies, groaning as the hot water pelts him against the chest. "Jesus Christ, Why is your water so damn hot." He snarls as his hand flickers upward to adjust the knobs.

"Nope!" I yell, grabbing his hand, "If the water is too hot, go ahead and get out. Touch those damn knobs, and I'll kick you out myself."

His eyebrow raises in a challenge as his hand grabs the hot water knob. I tackle him against the wall, grabbing his hands and shoving them above his head, causing him to let out a gasp in surprise.

"I wasn't joking," I reply, growling into his ear. Samael's breath hitches again, and I know it has nothing to do with shock and everything to do with me being pressed up against his backside. I massage my body against him before whispering, "Luckily for you, I'm already done washing." And then I step back and leave the shower, smiling to myself as I sense his eyes on me, watching me walk away.

I use my magic to reach into the ether of Tartarus and pull out some clothing I previously stashed in there in cases of emergency; luckily for Samael, I keep two of everything, though I wouldn't mind if he had to walk around naked. I look at the garments in my hand. I have a pair of dark blue jeans, a navy blue shirt, grey sweats, and a black muscle tee. I opt to wear the sweatpants knowing that if Samael wore them, I wouldn't be able to concentrate; something about gray-colored sweatpants. I slip on the muscle t-shirt quickly before making my way to the kitchen to see if there's anything edible.

I open the fridge and notice a few eggs and a questionable potato in the back. I close the fridge door and search the ether, seeing if perhaps I'd thought ahead to pack some food. When I came back empty, I let out a groan. My stomach was killing me, and I'm sure Samael's appetite was just as ferocious as mine. I opened up the fridge again, deciding to take a chance on the eggs and potatoes, and was shocked at what was within. The once empty fridge was now full of fresh basil, a carton of eggs, a dozen potatoes, and various meats and cheeses. The perfect makings for an egg skillet.

"Hmm, an enchanted fridge," Samael states from the entryway, drawing my attention to him.

My eyes trail down his glistening torso, slowly making their way past his chiseled chest and washboard abs and settling on the towel he'd wrapped loosely around his waist. Will I ever get enough of this man? When my eyes finally met his, he had a smug look. Yep, he'd caught me checking him out.

"An enchanted fridge? I don't think I've ever heard of one." As I shuffle around grabbing the ingredients, I'll need to make an egg skillet.

"You wouldn't have," Samael replies, sneaking his arms around me and grabbing an apple out of the crisper, "They were gifted to the royal families by Pandora herself before she went all coo-coo." He winked at me before taking a bite out of the apple and walking over to the other side of the counter, sitting down on the barstool.

I mumble under my breath about him being spoiled, causing him to glare at me over the counter before I continue frying up our food. "There are clothes for you in the living room," I state as I chop up the peppers and throw them into the wok with the onions and garlic.

I can feel Samael stare at me for a bit longer before he turns and leaves the room. When he returns, I've already had our food plated and sat on the bar.

"So, what do you think?" He asks playfully as he spins around in a circle.

Fuck, maybe I should've given him the sweats. The navy blue shirt clings to him like a second skin, and the jeans hug his ass and are tight around his thighs, emphasizing everything he has to offer.

"Eh, they'll do," I reply, hiding my smirk as I duck my head down and attack my plate.

Samael snorts and sits beside me, his arm brushing against mine, setting my skin afire. We sit and eat in a comfortable silence as my thoughts trail to the journey we still have ahead of us. The remainder of the journey to Lilith's prison can go two ways. It'll be smooth sailing between the rocks of Wahieloa and Lohi'au, or the demons of Tartarus will be drawn to the powers of Samael, wanting to kill him and take the power he possesses as his own.

"We should head out soon; the demons of Tartarus will stay hidden until the sun starts to set. If we hurry to Lilith's prison, we should be able to get there just before nightfall; we will only be wandering Tartarus for an hour to so while the monsters are out." I tell Samael as I get ready to head out of Pele's home.

"What type of monsters live in the depth of Tartarus?" Samael asks, washing his hands in the sink.

"There are a few Cyclopes left that the BOUA couldn't capture, but they'll be the least of our worries; the Giant Tityos should be a concern either; he is still licking his wounds, if you were Aphelion, we would be in more trouble. Then there are the Danaids, who, much like a siren, will lure you to the pits of Tartarus and then sink their fangs into you and suck your very essence; but the creatures that should concern us the most are the Three Original Kings; Tantalus, Sisyphus, and Ixion. They will smell your power and hunt us down like rabbits. Once they capture us, they'll kill me immediately, but they'll keep you and cut you into tiny pieces, sending you to your father and mother until one of them crack and open the doors to the underground kingdom. Only a relative of Hades can command Cerebus to leave the doors of Tartarus. Oh, and of course, there is the soulless, but we did a pretty damn good job avoiding them yesterday."

Samael lets out a scoff; I'm not sure if it was because he thought I was jesting or because he was worried we wouldn't be able to survive the trip to the prison. I never promised that the trip would be a cakewalk.

"Why would the kings kill you, wouldn't capturing the Prince of Darkness be more advantageous than killing him?" Samael asks, looking at me curiously.

"Prince of Darkness?" I ask, confusion evident in my eyes.

"Shit." Samael mutters, "Just forget what I just said; we should get going; the sun is already midway in the sky."

**Author Note** ***i have two more chapters i am editing that will be posted tomorrow. i hope everyone had a wondeful mother's day weekend.***