Page 188 of Their Lethal Pet

“If I die, my soul will remain in this dimension,” she continues, her voice eerily even. “And you know what that means.”

The brawl ends as Demeter breaks free from Orcus, her bright eyes going to my sister. “Persephone…”

“He’ll know I’m here, Mother. He’ll come for me. He always does. He alwayswill.”

“Persephone,” Demeter says again, her tone placating as she stretches out her arms and holds up her hands. “Don’t.”

“Why not?” my sister asks, the knife drawing blood against her delicate throat. “Maybe I’m ready to finally go home.”

“You don’t mean that,” Demeter says, her face stricken. “You… you know what he’ll do…”

“Do I?” Serapina arches a brow, her confidence in full force now. I’ve seen this side of my little sister a few times before. She’s not the damsel many mistake her for. She might be tiny, but she’s fierce underneath.

Just like me,I think.

“Maybe I want him to do those things,” my sister goes on.

“Persephone,no,” Demeter says as Orcus silently positions himself behind her. “He’ll hurt you. That’s what Alphas do. They take, take, andtake. You can’t want that. Youdon’twant that.”

“From what I can tell, Mother, you’re the one whocontinues totake. You kidnapped me. Brought me here. Force me to live and die on repeat, and for what? To stay with you for eternity? To hide from him?My soul’s mate?”

I blink, not sure what she’s talking about. But I can see the anger in my sister’s expression, the inferno practically glowing in her liquid blue eyes.

All while Orcus works behind Demeter, his hand moving as he quietly creates one of his portal doors.

Demeter doesn’t see it at all.

Her focus is entirely on my sister, her expression stricken.

“I’ve given up everything for you,” she whispers. “Everything. Don’t you see that?”

My sister tilts her head. “What I see is a selfish Goddess who doesn’t trust her daughter to make her own decisions.”

Demeter’s lips part. “Persephone.”

“Serapina,” my sister corrects, taking a step forward, that blade still poised at her own throat. “YourPersephonedied long ago. Just because her soul might be inside me does not make me her. I’m my own person. I make my own decisions. And right now? I choosethis.”

I nearly start to run, worried my sister might actually slice her own throat.

But instead the knife whispers through the air.

And she stabs the Goddess in the chest.

Demeter gasps, her steps stumbling backward as a scythe appears out of thin air and lodges itself in her abdomen.

Then Flame pounces forward with his claws to shove the woman through Orcus’s portal door.

My Alpha follows her, the mirror shattering in his wake.

I lift my hand to my mouth, my eyes blinking.

Reaper appears just as my sister’s knees give out, his strong arm catching her before she hits the ground. And suddenly they’re beside me, his shadowing ability having brought them to my side.

Sera collapses into me on a sob, her terror and confusion instantly washing over me. She was so strong, sofierce. But now… now her emotions are catching up to her.

“What did I just do?” she whispers to me. “What the hell did I just do?”

“Returned an insane Goddess to her box,” Reaper replies.