Asterion (The Court of the Underworld #1; The Gods Universe #1)

by Alessa Thorn

"I have no pockets because of the patriarchy, so where else am I going to put them?"

"Is she fucking smiling right now?" Asterion said incredulously, leaning over the edge of the balcony for a better look. She was. A big fuck you grin now stretched from ear to ear.

Hades's phone binged. "Medusa is offering two million drachmae for her." Asterion glared at the Serpent Queen's cameras above him and lifted his middle finger.

"Medusa says, 'If you kill her, I'll turn you into the world's ugliest birdbath' and what looks like a smiling poop emoji."

"Good luck to you, boss. I don't know what you see in that harpy," Vin said but gave him a wink where Ariadne couldn't see. Vin knew precisely what he saw in her. Asterion would be surprised if all his men weren't a little in love with her now, not to mention Erebus. Like he needed that headache.

"From what Hades has told me, she already does backtalk. Big ovaries on her to sass the boss, but she did. I'm so in love with her. We are going to be besties in no time. Though I think I'm going to have to fight Erebus for her. The boys are all quite impressed with her."

"Look upon me and despair, mortal!" Medusa shouted theatrically, making Asterion jump in surprise.

"Wow, not even a nibble. No wonder Hades was pouting that his supreme awesomeness didn't affect her," Medusa chuckled.

"You need to get something into that bull head of yours. Ariadne is a capable, kick-ass woman. She's not like one of the ditsy club girls you usually sleep with. She has more experience wading through the filthy underbelly of Styx than the majority of your men. She was born into it, and has lived through the worst of it. You can't treat her like a damsel and expect to keep her."

"Promise me, and I'll give you whatever you want. I'll burn the world to the ground, or I'll lay it at your feet, just promise me you won't run away and scare me again."