Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

Athena laughed. "Of course we do, love. Wouldn't be nearly as much fun if you couldn't."

"Styxx!" Acheron barked. "Get over here. Now!"

Ignoring the goddesses, Styxx ran to Bethany with the ice. "I'm right here, Beth."

Lying on their bed in her temple, she took his hand and squeezed it as she screamed out in pain. Styxx was shaking in fear while Simi held a catcher's mitt in expectation of their son's birth.

Artemis rolled her eyes at Simi as she motioned for Ma'at to take over the birthing process. "He's almost here. I'm sure you want to deliver this one."

Tory wiped at Bethany's brow. "Breathe, sweetie. Just a few minutes more."

Acheron tsked. "I'm so jealous, Styxx. This is usually when Tory starts calling out for the wrath of the Furies to geld me."

Tory passed a look to her husband that said he'd be spending the night on the couch.

Bethany laughed then groaned.

"One more push, child," Ma'at said.

Closing her eyes, she obeyed.

Happy and terrified beyond belief, Styxx held his breath as his son entered the world. He didn't breathe again until he heard the boy's healthy cry. Shaking as much as Bethany, he pressed his cheek to hers. They were both laughing through their tears.

Finally, they'd done it....

Before she even cleaned the baby, Ma'at wragged him in a light blue blanket and handed him to his mother. "I know better than to make you two wait a minute longer to hold your baby son."

He was the most beautiful thing Styxx had ever seen. Perfect and adorable, he had a mop of black hair like his mother and a set of golden eyes. Styxx placed a nervous hand on his son while he kissed Bethany's cheek. "What are we going to call him?"

Because of what had happened with Urian, they'd been too superstitious this time to name the baby before he arrived.

She laid her gentle hand over Styxx's jaw. "Aricles Galen?"

He hesitated as a wave of fear went through him. "Is that bad luck?"

Athena tsked at them. "Not this time, sweetie. He will do his namesakes proud."

A loud knock sounded on the door. "Is that my newest grandson I hear?"

They laughed at Set's impatient voice. He'd become so distraught during Bethany's labor that Ma'at had banned him, Maahes and Urian from the room.

Opening the door, Athena let Set in. He flashed across the room to make sure Bethany and child were healthy.

Set kissed Bethany's cheek then cooed at his grandson. "There's a room full of beings who want to meet this little guy. Including his other aunt and uncle, and cousins, and older brother."

Ma'at laughed. "Let me get little Ari cleaned up and dressed then the extreme spoiling can commence."

Neither of them wanted to let go of their son, but they knew Ma'at was right. Sooner or later, they would have to let someone else hold him. Styxx stepped back so that Ma'at could reclaim Ari.

Styxx covered Bethany with a blanket. "What can I get for you?"

Her smile dazzled him. "Nothing. Just don't let Ari out of your sight."

He laughed. "Don't worry." He inclined his head to Simi who was micromanaging every step of the bathing process and driving Ma'at crazy. "This time he has his own demon mother hen who will eat anyone or anything that comes near him."

Soteria kissed her on the cheek, too. "We'll leave you to rest, but if you need anything, let us know."

Acheron gave a light squeeze to Bethany's hand then hugged Styxx. "Congratulations, brother. I can't wait to watch Theron and Bas play with him."

Neither could Styxx. Acheron's son Theron had been born this past May. Barely four months apart, their boys would be more like twins than cousins.

And their sons would all have the spoiled-rotten childhoods that he and Acheron should have had.

Once Ari was cleaned and dressed in a white cotton jumper, Ma'at returned him to them.

Her heart bursting with emotions she couldn't name, Bethany choked. And her gaze swam at the sight of her perfect, healthy baby as he stared up at his parents. "We finally get to raise our son."

Styxx returned her smile. "Poor thing. We're both going to smother him."

She laughed. "Absolutely. We'll make Acheron and Tory look neglectful." She kissed the top of their son's head then held him out to Styxx. "You better go make the rounds with him."

More petrified than he'd ever been before, Styxx hesitated. "I don't know about this. He's awful tiny."

She tsked at his fear. "You've got to learn to hold him at some point."

"I'd rather face an army of gods with nothing more than a knife and my bare hands." But she was right and he knew it. Taking a deep breath for courage, Styxx allowed her to place their son in his arms.

"See, you didn't break him."

Awed and amazed, Styxx stared down at his tiny, precious son. Never in all his long life had he seen a more incredible sight than his boy in his own arms. "Wish me luck."

Bethany kissed him then allowed Ma'at to pull him out of the room to show off his boy. The instant they opened the door, Skylos barked happily and ran past Styxx to jump on the bed and take his usual place beside Bethany. Laughing, she patted his head. He licked her twice then settled down to sleep.

Athena stayed behind to be with her. "How are you doing?"

"I've never been happier ... or more frightened."

She laughed. "That's called life."

No, Bethany thought as she watched her husband through the open door smiling proudly with both of their sons. It was called love. The hardest thing in the world to find and keep, but the one thing that made the worst imaginable hell tolerable. More than hope, it was truly the light that guided the lost to safety and kept them sane in the midst of utter chaos.

And never again would she choose any obligation over her sons and husband. They were her family, and for them alone, she would kill or die. The things in this world didn't matter. Only the people did. And that was the way life should always be.

Forever.