I wake up to the buzzing of my phone. The room is dimly lit, showing it’s early morning with the sun just beginning to rise.

After we napped and had more sex last night, we got up, showered, and put on sleepwear before drifting into a deep sleep. Herc remains peacefully asleep beside me.

Glancing at my charging phone, I see it’s blown with missed calls and texts. I reach for it and see a number that sends a chill down my spine. He’ll be angry that I haven’t reported in yet.

The phone starts ringing again as I check it. Before answering, I look at Herc. Good, the ringing didn’t wake him. “Meg speaking.”

An irritated Hades speaks, “Oh, now I’m worth your time after you’ve had your fun with that boy.”

My blood turns to ice as he reveals he knows I was with someone last night. Am still with him now.

“It isn’t like that,” I say.

Hades scoffs, “Oh, are you saying you didn’t allow him to fuck you so hard it could be heard on the streets? Though I gotta say, you’ve got balls being that loud with his parents living so close to you.”

My face turns red, and I’m stunned speechless.

Despite the sounds of people talking in the background, Hades carries on speaking, “So, did you find any dirt on Zeus? You got to talk to him last night. You even went drinking with Ares.”

The extent of his knowledge about my actions and past makes me uneasy. I scan the room, half-expecting to find someone secretly observing us from a hidden corner. But it’s only Herc and me in the room.

I clear my voice but also try to keep my voice down and not wake Herc up. “Uh—I found out Zeus has a love child.”

Hades sounds annoyed, “He has several, it’s no secret.”

Oh god, I’m breaking out in a cold sweat, and Hades isn’t even here.

“Um—but this one is different. Zeus has never met him and has been secretly searching for him. I think he wants to make him the heir to the company,” I explain.

Hades sounds shocked now. “He wants to make Hercules his heir?”

That sends a chill through me.

“Wait, what do you mean, Hercules?” I ask.