"Okay," Elias said quietly. "I'll try." He looked both men in the eye. "But you can't think that if I disagree with you about it, I'll just go along with what the both of you say." The Omega sat up a little straighter. "If I'm going to tell you about something I want to do, and you don't want me to do it...if I still want to do it after you try to talk me out of it, you should probably know that I've climbed out of windows before when my family told me no." Eli's brows drew together, making him look both fierce and adorable. "I got used to not asking and just doing because I was tired of feeling like I couldn't do anything. I'll try to do better, but you can't treat me like I'm made of glass," Elias finished, looking Mateo firmly in the eyes.

"I'll do better, too," Mat promised. "But remind me if I forget and mess up." The big wolf looked pained. "And if you're going to do something, please let me come along. I promise I won't try to stop you unless I think it's dangerous. But if you suddenly disappear, even if you'll be back later... I'd be so worried I'd probably tear the city apart looking for you, just to make sure you're alright."

"Come now, there will be no need for you to climb out of any windows in your own home," Pax huffed as he gently rubbed the Omega's back.

Mateo's eyes glimmered for a moment as he glanced at Pax, ready to agree. But then Pax finished his sentence.

"That's why you have a house key. You can walk out and come back in whenever you wish," Pax concluded.

Mateo's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I...I guess for you to trust us, we gotta trust you, too."

Elias nibbled his lower lip and shifted on Mateo's lap.

"Okay, then, can I ask to go somewhere?" the Omega asked with uncertainty.

"Of course," Pax said gently.

"Yeah, anywhere you'd like," Mat added.

"Then..." Eli sat up straight. "I want to go to a vamp club like everybody else got to do when they snuck out as high school seniors."

Pax couldn't help a little smile while Mateo looked as though his sweet Omega had asked to go do heroin while pouring water down his own grandmother's gas tank. Both Alphas were about to open their mouths when the house phone rang. Wanting to escape the tension, Elias leaped across the room to snatch the cordless.

"Hello?" Eli asked brightly.

"We can't let him go to one of those clubs," Mateo whispered furiously to Pax.

"Why not?" the other wolf asked, just as quietly, considering that Elias was talking on the phone. "Didn't you go when you were about to graduate? I know I did."

"That's beside the point. I don't want Eli to get hurt," Mateo snapped back.

"He won't be alone." Pax's amber eyes seemed to glow, his wild energy prickling against Mateo's skin. "And no one will hurt him. If anyone even tried to touch him with anything other than innocent intentions..."

Pax didn't need to finish the thought because Mateo nodded in agreement. The silver wolf had a point that the Alpha and Beta could undoubtedly handle a vamp club. They would watch over Elias. And if it made Eli happy...Mateo thought of how Elias could smile at him like Mat was the only person in the world. Eli wasn't pleased with Mateo, and Mat hated it. This would be a way to show that Mateo truly did respect him and didn't want to hide the Omega away in a cage.

"You're right." Mateo gave a sweet crooked smile that made Pax's heart thump faster. "And it might be fun."

They turned to Eli as he hung up the phone, their smiles falling at Eli's expression.

"That was the head devotee of Khonsu," Elias told them, putting the phone back in the cradle. "She said the Goddess whispered to them. She wants all the Omegas in the area still seeking a mate to come to them as soon as possible." Eli shook his head. "She wouldn't say any more than that." Elias shrugged and walked over to his mates, taking their hands. "I guess we should get those groceries in quick and then get going." He looked down at Mateo and smirked. "I'm going to put on a shirt. You gonna go in your birthday suit, hot stuff?"

:::::

The Goddess Khonsu had always been androgynous. Her waist-length, midnight blue hair was fashioned into a side braid laid over her shoulder with tiny crystal clips that glimmered like stars. She had no bangs due to wanting to please a particular God because he preferred to see her whole face without them. That specific God was a being that she was pretty aggravated with. At the moment, she was pacing and fretting. Her pale, silvery eyes lowered as she lifted an elegant finger to her chin.

Could her aggravation and heartache, Anubis, have anything to do with this?

Khonsu felt that something was not right, that some of the stones of her beloved Omegas had been tampered with. But who could have done such a thing? When it came to Gods, there were many, including herself. She had aunts, uncles, cousins, half-siblings, and then there was Anubis.

The Goddess bit her lower lip when she felt a slight pang at the mere thought of his name. No. He would not risk her wrath a third time, not after what it cost him...or would he?

Khonsu drew in a long breath of air as she settled her hands on her hips and leaned back, her gaze falling onto the moon, her symbol, and crown in the night sky. She would ask her devotees to keep vigilant if she didn't know who was behind it. In fact, it was time to pay them a visit.

Lady Tatiana couldn't help but smile at the sight of their beloved Goddess descending from her Realm into the temple. All of the devotees, including herself, immediately bowed in reverence. They would even kneel in the past until the Goddess permitted her to stand. But, as the years passed, the Gods became more and more lenient with them, choosing to watch over them instead. 

"Beloved Goddess Khonsu," Tatiana greeted as she righted herself. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Oh, sweet dearie," Khonsu sighed as she unintentionally began to pace a bit. "This time, it is not good news, I'm afraid. One of the other Gods has targeted at least one of my Omegas, if not more. Until we get to the bottom of this, I will need for you to gather up the Omegas and have them be on guard and report anything odd that they come across. Remain calm for now. I will always be watching, and I will protect you."

:::::

"Oh dear, it looks like Khonsu's figured out something," a deep, male voice stated as he watched over the actions of the Goddess from the Realm.

"Then, maybe we should start with just one Omega, right grandpa?" suggested a younger female voice. "The brave and spunky one!"

The male voice let out a low chuckle. "Yes, I think that would be just fine."

:::::

"Well, that was...weird," Elias said, making a face as he climbed into the back seat of Pax's car after the meeting with the devotees of Khonsu. Mateo had tried to sit in the back, but Eli had insisted since he had shorter legs.

"Someone is targeting an Omega. The Goddess believes it's an Omega in this area," Mateo growled as he sat down and was careful not to break Pax's car door as he shut it. "But stay calm? Don't worry?"

"I especially liked when they said that if something goes really wrong, just visit them, and the Goddess will correct it." Elias snapped his seat belt on. "Creeps me out."

"The fact that the Goddess herself relayed this message is a bit concerning," Pax admitted as he pulled out of his parking spot and began to drive. "But, as long as we're together, we should be fine." He saw Eli's troubled expression through the rear-view mirror and decided that a distraction was in order. "Hey, didn't you say you wanted to go to a vamp club? Why don't we make it an outing tonight?"

"Really?" Eli instantly perked up.

"I think it'll be fun," Mateo forced himself to say.

"We have to go home and get changed into something awesome," Eli said, grinning from ear to ear and bouncing in his seat. "You guys are the best mates ever!"

Pax briefly placed a comforting hand on Mateo's knee and then drove them back home. Elias had given up the shotgun position since Mat was so tall, and he didn't mind sitting in the back. The brown-eyed werewolf seemed to drag his feet to the front door, whereas Elias practically skipped towards it. Pax shook his head at the sight of the bubbly Elias rambling about what he wanted to wear and Mateo's shoulders drooping further as he followed.

"Anything you want to pick out for me is fine," Mateo murmured in acquiescence while Elias went through the closet.

"How about this?" The green-eyed Omega announced triumphantly as he held a sleeveless mesh shirt in front of Mateo.

Brown eyes widened in shock. "Th-that? Are you sure?"

"How about a leather jacket on top of it?" Pax suggested as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Alright," Mateo agreed slowly. At least his nipples would be covered.

Elias gave a happy squeak and kissed Mateo's cheek. Pax chuckled at Mat's love-struck look, knowing he must look the same whenever his mates kissed him like that.

Mateo's look was completed with black jeans that were suggestively tight in the crotch and ass and a pair of heavy black boots.

"You swear I don't look ridiculous?" Mateo asked as he shrugged on the leather jacket and looked in the mirror.

"Love, you look amazing," Pax reassured Mat. "Are we sure we want others to see him like this, Elias? I feel a bit jealous of roaming eyes already."

"They can look," Elias said with a naughty grin, running his palms up Mateo's chest. "But they can't touch."

"If you keep touching, I'm not sure we're going to get any further than the bed tonight," Mateo warned, though he didn't sound like he'd be disappointed.

"Nope!" Eli pushed onto his tiptoes to kiss Mat's chin before scampering to Pax's closet and rooting around. "We're absolutely going!"

Mateo looked pained as he adjusted himself in his jeans.

"Aha!" Elias hollered from the back of the closet. He climbed out with a pair of burgundy leather pants in one hand and a white v-neck t-shirt in the other. He held them out to Pax. "Here's yours, sexy." Eli waggled his eyebrows and giggled.

Pax felt his mates' eyes on him as he changed into the pants and tight shirt. "Mat, love...I think we should pick out something for Elias to wear."

"Umm, okay," Eli agreed, cheeks pinking as he looked at how the soft white fabric stretched across Pax's chest and contrasted flatteringly with his mocha skin. "That sounds fair."

Pax found a set of green-plaid punk pants that would help bring out the color of the Omega's eyes. Mateo held up a dark-gray button-down shirt with short sleeves. 

Elias fingered the straps crossing the legs, and couldn't help but smile as he stripped out of his jeans and tugged them on.

"How did you know I wanted these?" Eli asked shyly as he shimmied the close-fitting fabric over his ass and zipped it up.

"You were eyeing them the last time we walked past the shops," Pax admitted. "I figured you liked them."

"Thank you," Eli said sincerely, slipping the gray button-up over his shoulders. "What shoes go with these?"

"Any black shoes...converse, boots, whatever you want," Pax suggested.

"Wait, I got it," Mateo said, kneeling on the floor and rooting under the bed, giving his mates a lovely view of his rounded backside.

Eli made a slightly sad sound when Mat got back up.

"Thought I saw these under here," Mateo said with a grin as he held up a pair of all-black converses that were obviously too small for Mat or Pax. "These are yours, right?"

"Perfect!" Eli chirped, giving Mateo a quick peck before plopping on the floor to tug on his shoes. He leaned back on his hands, arching his back slightly and looking at his mates through his lashes. "How do I look?" Elias purred teasingly.

Pax covered his lower face with his hand as he made a strained noise while Mateo readjusted his pants a second time.

"I think it's time we head out," the silver-haired werewolf decided. "Otherwise, none of us would be able to leave the bed."

"That means I look good!" Elias said happily as he hopped up, nearly dragging his men out the door. "Let's party!"