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THE HAND OF TRUST

T he second my HellBeast King appeared, it was like the whole world stopped and not just for me… All the HellHounds snapped their heads towards the gates, now lowering their bodies as if they sensed the danger. The presence of something greater, more powerful than what they could ever dream to fight against.

“Cerberus,” Garmr seethed as the dust from the broken stone gates started to settle, giving us all the first sight of the mighty and true Guardian of the Underworld. The three huge heads were what my eyes were drawn to first, their jaws big enough to swallow a person whole. The spiked fur was just like Jared’s HellBeast I had seen in the mortal realm, it looked like clumps of harden stone, creating protective scales.

The deadly snarl echoed around the square, even making the pool of water ripple in the fountain. But then the second Garmr ordered,

“The girl, get her!” Those growls morphed into something truly terrifying. A roar so loud, that I had no choice but to protect myself. My hands covered my ears as the bellowing thundered around us, and the true form of Jared Cerberus fully emerged. Three heads all focused first on me, and then on the one he wanted to see dead. Drool dripping down from snarling lips, showcasing rows of deadly teeth that could have taken a chunk out of a building.

His paws crushed the stone slabs underneath, creating destruction with every step he took. But the second I felt myself being grabbed, I turned back to the threat, only to be left screaming as HellHounds were there, once again in humanoid form. Suddenly I saw a shadow overhead, like the clouds had swiftly overtaken the sun, veiling me in darkness. Then it started to fall, and I screamed as the one who had hold of me suddenly was dragged backward. I fell to the floor and into the shadows that seemed to be all around me until I realized what was happening.

The great beast, Cerberus, was now standing over me, keeping me protected. And the one that had tried to take me was now in pieces on the ground.

Another one tried to get closer, only to end up being knocked back again before being pinned against the fountain. Its body crushed against the stone sculpture from being locked in the jaws of Cerberus’s far right head. That was until it twisted its neck, violently crushing both HellHound and stone as its jaws came together.

Garmr must have realized he had lost this battle, and he shouted his finally command.

“Retreat! Fall back!”

Of course, most of them had already started to do this anyway, they could see they were no match for the powerhouse of a beast that could crush them under his paws. But then as Cerberus’ middle head opened its jaws, I felt heat begin to rise above me. I looked up to see the fire in his belly rise beneath the lighter fur. Like lava running through the cracks of its scales, and when it became too much, I cowered down into a ball and covered my head. From my position, I still managed to watch the stream of flames that shot from his open mouth, like he had swallowed a volcano, and this was the fiery eruption.

This took out a line of about forty HellHounds, causing the ones out of range to run even faster to escape. They leapt into the portal, desperate to survive the attack. Meanwhile, Garmr sneered at the sight, before rising his cloak and promising,

“Next time, not even you can fight the army I have planned, for next time, I brING THE END… FOR RAGNAROK IS COMING, HELLBEAST, AND YOU CAN’T STOP IT!” Garmr’s vow of vengeance was heard even after he stepped inside the portal, the echo of his hatred filling the square until Cerberus’s roar drowned it out.

“Ella!” The sound of my name being shouted made me look to see my sister, causing me to shout out,

“Lerna!”

Oh, thank God that she was safe, even if she was being held back by someone I couldn’t quite make out. Whoever it was had their back to me. But there were others, and I suddenly shouted,

“Orthrus, Marcus!”

However, my shout was ignored because with the last of the threats gone and the portal now closed, Cerberus had something else to focus on.

All three heads swung around to growl at those behind him. I watched as he started to move, having no choice but to move with him so I didn’t get crushed. But then I realized he was fully aware of me, as his movements kind of herded me through his front paws.

“Easy, brother, it’s only me,” Orthrus said, holding up his hands in surrender, but it was no use. Jared was too far gone. I knew that when a demonic voice spoke.

“THE GIRL IS MINE!”

I heard Lerna’s gasp match that of my own as he refused to let anyone get near me. His heads snapped out at anyone who even tried. But then Tyr rolled his axe around in his hand and said,

“Enough of this!” Which meant I knew this would only end badly if I didn’t do something.

“NO!” I shouted, with my hand snapping up to tell Tyr not to try and get to me because either outcome would only result in bloodshed… or maybe worse for the God. His axe was powerful, yes, but even I didn’t see it being any good against Cerberus. Which meant if I had any chance at bringing my Jared back to me, I knew what I must do.

I had to tame the beast.

Just like last time.

So, I stepped further from under his body to face him fully.

“Gods,” I uttered in fright and shock when I finally saw him in his entirety. Even my vision hadn’t prepared me for real life. He was a monster but, deep down, I also knew that…

He was my monster.

So being braver than ever before, I spoke his name.

“Cerberus, look at me,” I said, making him stop his growling before his heads all came back toward me. I stumbled back a few steps, scrambling over the debris of what was left of the fountain.

“I KNOW YOUR FACE,” he said, making me gasp in a breath.

“Ye… Yes, you do,” I stammered.

“I KNOW YOUR VOICE,” he said again, and tears started to form before becoming too heavy and falling down my cheeks.

“AND I KNOW YOUR SCENT.”

I nodded, my breaths heavy, making my chest rapidly rise and fall.

“Yes,” I agreed, forcing my voice to sound more even.

“FATED ONE,” he said in a slightly softer tone and finally, I lifted up my hand and held it out to his head. Just like in my visions, the same as past Ella had done, showing that I had been brave enough the first time and that I was brave enough now. And my reward was to feel his nose push against my hand, making me suck in a quick breath as he submitted to me. But then the second he rumbled,

“MY WILD ONE.”

I burst out crying even harder, throwing myself into the softer fur at the side of his head, holding on as I shuddered against him.

“Yes, always,” I told him, and after this was when I finally felt something happen.

A bright light forced me to close my eyes, and despite not wanting to let go, my fists lost his fur as it slipped through my fingers. But still I remained against him, now feeling a rippling sensation against my body as he started to change. Which meant I had no choice but to step away.

I squinted against the light as shadows at the center changed, growing smaller and smaller until finally the last time I blinked, it revealed my dreams.

It revealed the only man I had ever loved.

My HellBeast, the way I knew him best.

“Jared!”

“Ella!” he shouted as we ran toward each other, him getting to me first after first leaping over the debris in his way. Then I was in his arms as they wrapped around me, picking me up so my feet were off the floor. My head was cradled to his neck as I breathed in deep. The scent of him like a soothing antidot to this whole ordeal.

“Oh, Ella… my Ella, baby… I’m here, I’m here now, it’s okay… never going to lose you… never again, baby.” He spoke these sweet words to me, smoothing back my hair and making me realize I was sobbing into his neck. Now barely able to believe we were finally together again.

“I missed you so much! I tried to get back to you, I wanted to but I…”

“Ssshh now, it’s okay, it’s alright… calm for me, baby, for it no longer matters, not now we are together.”

I nodded into his neck before pulling back to finally look at his face. My hands needing to touch him, to prove to myself he was real, asking him again,

“You’re really here… this isn’t a dream?”

“No ,Ella, it’s not dream, for if it was, then it can take us both, for I never wish to wake from having you back safely in my arms.” More tears fell at that but then he said, “But just in case, lets prove it.”

Just as I was opening my mouth to ask how, he put me on my feet so he could frame my face and kiss me. My entire being came alive instantly as the emotions flowed from me in a whoosh of air. I moaned in his mouth as he deepened the kiss and I finally felt whole once again. As if a piece of me that had been missing was back, making my soul complete. The rest of this world just faded away and, with it, the reminder of how close I had come to giving myself up just so others could live.

“Fuck, I was so worried about you, baby,” Jared said fervently, as soon as the kiss was over, and he could once again hold me in his arms. I nodded as the emotions churning inside of me wouldn’t let me speak.

“Are you alright?” he pulled back enough to ask, framing my face again and looking at me as if scanning for any injuries.

“I’m okay, you got here just in time,” I told him, making him shake his head.

“No, not soon enough, for you never should have spent even a single minute here without me by your side.”

“Jared, I know you’re most likely angry that I…”

He was quick to interrupt. “I am furious, Ella.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but he got there first.

“But I know why, baby, I know that you didn’t have a choice.”

I released my breath with a whoosh, nodding and so relieved that he understood. Because I knew he would have woken from the fight hurt and angry and worried. The guilt I felt at what I was putting him through had been a constant regret eating away at me. But to know that he understood I did the right thing regardless, then it made it all go away. Like a dark cloud lifting.

“Now let’s get you out of here,” Jared said as he picked me up into his arms, carrying me over the rubble toward where I could now see the rest of them waiting. However, the second he put me down, Lerna came running and I, in turn, went running to her. Although at first, I thought that Jared may not let me, as his hand tightened on my arm before letting me go.

“Lerna!”

“Ella!” we both shouted before embracing. Her crying at my shoulder told me of her relief and as for me, I too had tears in my eyes.

“Did you get away?” I asked, making her shake her head.

“No, but I was rescued,” she said, looking back at the others, making me remember that Jared hadn’t come alone. So, when she let me go, I ran the rest of the way over to Jared’s brother, shouting his name.

“Orth!”

His smile was a heartwarming sight as he opened his arms ready for my hug and, this time, instead of my nickname, he muttered down at me in an emotional way,

“Sister.”

I melted into him, hugging him tightly, or at least trying to due to his size. But then I looked to my left and saw Marcus, who said,

“Hey Cookie.”

I reached out and grabbed him too, pulling him into my hug, so I was left half hugging them both.

“Whoa! Okay, jeez, we missed you too, little dancing girl,” he teased, making me smile. But then this was when Jared obviously hit his limit, framing my waist and pulling me from them both, complaining,

“Alright, Casanovas, that’s enough of that.” Then he tucked me right next to him, with his arm around me. As if not prepared to let me out of arm’s reach for long. However, this was also the point that the man that had faced my sister turned around and I gasped when I saw him.

“You!” I scowled at the man I knew as Koro and before anyone could stop me, I wrenched myself out of Jared’s arms. Then I started storming toward him, stopping long enough to pick up a piece of metal bar that must have come off the gate when Jared’s beast had burst through it. His eyes widened as he saw me coming at him, when suddenly Lerna shouted,

“Ella, no!” Then she launched herself in front of him, with her arms out trying to protect him. As for Jared, he was quick to hold me back, with his arms wrapped around me from behind.

“Don’t you know who he is?! He is the one that tried to drag me to Hell the first time!” I shouted, making Lerna lower her head before telling me,

“No, he wasn’t. It was me. He was just doing as I asked.”

I shook my head as if trying to make sense of it all. When suddenly, it finally it hit me.

“You have been working together all this time?”

“Not just working together, but we are…” She couldn’t finish that sentence, so Jared did, telling me softly…

“They are married.”