Reading her son's troubled look, Kaelith sighed. "Honey, I know you don't want to hurt your mates… but you must take another bride for the sake of your core awakening."
Hades let out a shaky breath. He and his mates already understood why it had to happen.
The problem was the aftermath. "Once they wake, they'll need me… and when they see another woman, I'll hurt them again."
He rubbed the back of his head and pleaded, "Can't you delay this meeting a little?" If he stayed with his mates longer and eased them into the idea, they might accept it better.
Kaelith's expression hardened. "That's the issue, child. We never invited Averis. She's coming on her own… and her intentions don't look good."
Hades frowned. "Is she being forced into this relationship?"
Hades could sense there was political weight behind this marriage. That meant Averis's feelings likely hadn't been considered at all.
