Page 12 of Loved by Aphrodite (Gods and Beasts #4)

Chapter 12

Aphrodite

T heir lips met, and Aphrodite felt a wave of relief and happiness flood through her, grounding her in a way she hadn’t realized she needed. Hephaestus wasn’t mad—he understood her. The kiss felt like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, warm and certain, chasing away every doubt she’d been holding onto. It was tender and unhurried, but it carried a depth that made her heart ache in the best way, as if he was pouring every unspoken word into the connection between them.

She smiled against his lips and pulled back just enough to murmur, “If I get to have kisses like this from talking to you, then sign me up.”

He laughed, a deep, warm sound that filled the room and made her heart flutter. She loved that she could make him laugh, especially like this—free of all the weight he usually carried. At that moment, he looked almost boyish, his seriousness melting away, leaving only a ridiculously handsome god gazing at her like she was the only thing that mattered.

Her thoughts tumbled over each other, chaotic and raw, but one thing stood out above the rest. She couldn’t imagine Hephaestus disappearing from her life again. “I…” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t expect this, Hephaestus. I didn’t think you—” She stopped, shaking her head. “But the truth is, I can’t imagine you not being in my life. Not again. Once was hard enough. Losing you a second time…I couldn’t bear it.

“I don’t know if I have the right words right now, but I know this: I don’t want to go back to pretending either. Not when you’re the one who’s been there, who’s seen me for who I really am—even the parts I try to hide. Not when it’s you.”

Her lips quirked into a small, soft smile. “So, I guess what I’m saying is…you’re not going anywhere. Not if I have any say in it.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, savoring the way his hands tightened on her waist. She could’ve stayed there forever, getting lost in him.

“Well, well, well,” a voice drawled, breaking through the bubble of intimacy.

Aphrodite froze and pulled back to look toward the sound. Standing near them, arms crossed and wearing a smug grin, was Eros.

Her mood shifted as she turned to face her son. “Eros, do you ever think about boundaries?”

Eros grinned, completely unbothered. “Boundaries? Come on, Mama. I just had to see what’s got you two all cozy these days.” He gestured vaguely between her and Hephaestus.

She folded her arms. “I am not happy with you.”

Hephaestus stayed silent, though his jaw tightened slightly. He didn’t look particularly amused either.

“But I’m your beloved son!” Eros feigned a wounded expression, clutching his chest dramatically. “I’ve come to check on your well-being after all the chaos you’ve been dealing with. You know, being a dutiful offspring and all.”

“Don’t,” she snapped. “Don’t try to play the concerned son act with me, Eros. I know you had something to do with Winged spiraling out of control.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His grin widened, but his gaze shifted slightly, just enough for her to notice. He was deflecting, as always.

“Drop the act. Do you have any idea how much trouble this has caused? The council is breathing down my neck, and I’m cleaning up your mess while you stand there smirking like it’s a joke.”

Eros tilted his head. “It’s not my fault love magic is so…unpredictable. Besides, it’s not like mortals didn’t have fun, right? A little chaos now and then keeps things exciting.”

“You’re impossible.”

Hephaestus finally spoke. “Eros, enough with the games. This is serious. You need to start taking responsibility for your actions.”

“Wow, look at you”—Eros raised an eyebrow—“stepping into the parental role. How touching.”

“Don’t push me,” Hephaestus warned.

Aphrodite stood and held up a hand, silencing them both. “Eros, if you don’t start being honest with me right now, I swear?—”

“Okay, okay,” he said, cutting her off with a sigh. “Fine. I might’ve tweaked a few things in the app, but it wasn’t supposed to get this out of hand. I was trying something new, that’s all.”

She narrowed her eyes, her hands on her hips. “And you didn’t think to ask me first? Or consider the consequences?”

Eros shrugged. “It’s not like I expected it to blow up. Besides, you always tell me to be creative with my work.”

“This isn’t creativity, Eros,” she shot back. “This is recklessness.”

“What’s done is done,” Hephaestus said. “But now we need to focus on fixing it. Together.”

Eros glanced between them, his smirk softening slightly. “Together, huh?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “And if you pull a stunt like this again, you’ll have more than the council to answer to.”

Eros held up his hands again, this time in genuine surrender. “Got it, Mama. No more tweaks without permission. Scout’s honor.”

She rolled her eyes. “You were never a scout.”

“Details,” he said, flashing her a cheeky grin.

“Speaking of details, how’d you get into the app? The magic infused in it was impressive.”

“Not to mention the coding,” Hephaestus added.

“Oh, that,” Eros said, nonchalantly brushing some imaginary dust off his shirt. “I built the app with Matt. When I saw that he wanted to make a dating app, I thought it would be the perfect way to make matches for mortals.”

“Ah, to be relevant,” she quipped, arching a delicate brow.

“Something like that,” Eros replied with a grin that was equal parts smug and mischievous. “But when I saw the two of you in Alaska, I knew I had to step things up a notch. You two have been avoiding the inevitable for centuries now. It was painful to watch.”

“You mean meddling, ” Hephaestus said flatly, though the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement.

Eros shrugged. “Meddling, matchmaking—semantics.”

She crossed her arms. “And you decided that manipulating an app and adding love magic was the best way to do that? So, you’re telling me this whole thing was a glorified matchmaking scheme?”

Eros sighed, throwing his hands up dramatically. “Look, you’re both so stubborn. If I didn’t intervene, you’d still be stuck in this ‘we’re fine just as we are’ limbo. Watching you pretend not to care for each other was like watching paint dry. Painful and unnecessary. And don’t even act like it didn’t work. You’re kissing now, aren’t you?”

“That’s not the point,” she snapped, her voice sharp enough to make Eros wince.

“Fine, fine. But seriously, the app malfunctioning wasn’t part of the plan. That was…collateral damage.”

“Collateral damage?” Hephaestus groaned.

“Okay, poor phrasing,” Eros quickly backtracked, a sheepish grin plastered across his face. “But come on, admit it—this was long overdue.”

“We’re going to have to fix this mess, Eros. The council is looking for a scapegoat.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eros said, waving it off. “You’ll figure it out. You’re Aphrodite and Hephaestus, the power couple everyone’s secretly rooting for.”

She glared at Eros, watching him fidget under her scrutiny. “And what about Thessaly? How were you able to enchant the house like that? That kind of magic is way beyond your capabilities.”

Eros glanced up, his boyish smirk slipping into something more guarded. “Called in a couple of favors,” he said with a shrug.

“From whom?” she pressed.

“People,” he replied evasively, avoiding her piercing stare. “You know how it is, Mama. You scratch their back, and they scratch yours. No big deal.”

“No big deal? Eros, that house practically breathed magic. It felt ancient.”

Eros held up a hand. “Relax, okay? It’s handled. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Hephaestus, who had been quietly observing, leaned forward. “Handled or not, it would be nice to know who you dragged into this mess.”

Eros rolled his eyes dramatically. “Would you believe me if I said it was harmless?” When neither of them responded, he sighed and held out his hand where a familiar leather-bound book appeared.

“Here,” he said, handing it to his mom. “You two should have this.”

She took the book, her fingers brushing over the warm cover. It was the one where they’d written their truths. She flipped it open, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of her elegant handwriting next to Hephaestus’s precise script.

She sighed again, glancing at Hephaestus, who was watching her with a quiet intensity. Despite her frustration, she couldn’t deny Eros’s meddling was successful. Still, she pointed a finger at her son.

“You’re lucky I love you,” she said.

“And you’re lucky I’m a genius,” Eros shot back with a wink.

Hephaestus groaned. “I don’t know how you deal with him.”

“Practice,” she muttered, though her lips quirked up despite herself.

As Eros turned to leave, Aphrodite flicked her fingers, her power weaving through the air like a shimmering net. Suddenly, golden vines, glowing faintly with her signature energy, coiled around Eros’s ankles and wrists, rooting him in place. He stumbled slightly, his balance thrown, and looked down in disbelief.

“Really, Mama?” he complained, craning his neck to glare at her.

“You’re not going anywhere,” she said coolly, tilting her head with a stubborn set to her jaw. “We need to plan what to do about the council.”

Hephaestus let out a rich, rumbling laugh. “That’s one way to keep him in check.”

Eros rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine! I promise I’ll stay so we can talk, okay? Can you let me go now?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but the faint glow of her power dimmed, and the golden vines unraveled and disappeared into the air. Eros rubbed his wrists, as though he’d been shackled for days, and shot her an exaggerated pout.

“You’re so dramatic,” she muttered.

Eros flopped down onto the couch and threw an arm over the backrest. “Okay, Mama and Pops, what’s the game plan?”

She exchanged a glance with Hephaestus, who shrugged. “I think we start by figuring out who on the council we can sway to our side,” he suggested.

“Always thinking like a smith,” Eros teased. “Forging alliances and all that.”

“Better than relying on luck and charm,” Hephaestus smirked.

She sighed, settling onto the couch beside Hephaestus. “We’ll need to move carefully. The council’s patience is wearing thin.”

Eros nodded, his playful demeanor fading slightly. “Fine. I’ll help figure this out. But you owe me for staying here instead of doing something fun.”

“You’re annoying but cute, ángele mou,” she said, reaching out to ruffle his hair affectionately, earning a squawk of protest.

Hermes appeared in a flash of golden light, his winged sandals brushing the floor as he surveyed the room. His gaze flickered to Aphrodite and Hephaestus, a faint smirk curling his lips. “Not surprised to find you two together,” he said smoothly.

But when his eyes landed on Eros, he froze. “Eros?” Hermes gawked. “You’re involved in this? I thought you’d be too busy being an asshole somewhere.”

“Surprise. I’ve got layers,” he said dryly, shooting Hermes a cheeky grin.

“Kourástika,” Hephaestus groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “You again? Why do they keep summoning us like this?”

“In case you didn’t realize it, your time is almost up,” Hermes replied, rolling his eyes. “Zeus might be gone, but bureaucracy never dies.”

Eros snorted. “Right, because nothing says divine efficiency like dragging everyone to Olympus for no reason. Tell me, Hermes, do you even know what the meeting’s about, or are you just the messenger boy?”

Hermes bristled, his smirk turning sharp. “Watch it, love god. I might be the messenger, but I can still knock that smug look off your face.”

“Boys,” Aphrodite interrupted, her voice cutting through their bickering. She gave them both a pointed glare. “We’ve got bigger things to worry about than your petty squabbling.”

With that, the group prepared to leave. Hermes opened a shimmering portal to Olympus, the familiar golden hues of the divine realm spilling into the room.

Hephaestus glanced at Aphrodite and muttered under his breath, “This better not take all day.”

“Don’t worry, Heph,” Eros flashed a grin as they stepped through. “I’ll keep things entertaining.”

“Not helping,” Hephaestus grumbled as they all disappeared into the portal, Olympus awaiting them.