Goddess Of The Underworld (Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Envy

My arms still ached from holding Elliot, from feeling his magic surge through me, from watching him do the impossible. My son. My miracle. But I knew, looking at the blood, the bruises, the pale

faces around me, we couldn’t stay here any longer.

“We should probably get Elliot back home to his other family first,” I said, my voice steady, though my chest clenched at the thought of letting him go.

Malachi stepped forward, his Lycan still rumbling under his skin, his eyes sharp but soft when they landed on Elliot. “We’ll take him,” he said. “Julius, Arztec, and I will go back with him so you can get the pup checked. That’s where you need to be now.”

Arztec made a face, somewhere between a grimace and a joke. “Not exactly keen on traveling by a hell portal, but… alright. I’ll do it. Someone’s got to keep this kid in line anyway.”

Elliot grinned, wide and mischievous, even with exhaustion stamped across his face. “Good luck.”

I swallowed a laugh, leaning down to kiss his forehead. He smelled like smoke and magic, like my baby and not–my–baby all at once. He held out the crystal then, small fingers wrapped tight around its glow.

“Maybe you should take this with you,” he said, his voice wobbly but earnest. “In case you need it

again.”

I curled his fingers back over it. “No,” I whispered. “It’s clearly in the right hands with you. You keep it safe. That’s your piece of me, always.”

His chin trembled as he nodded, and I pressed one more kiss to his temple before watching Malachi gather him close. Julius and Arztec flanked them, three towers of strength around the boy who had just saved us all. My heart splintered as they walked toward the portal Xavier opened, but I forced myself to stay still. Letting go was more complicated than any battle.

Zion’s voice cut across the quiet. “We’ll take Felix back to our pack.” He and Theo were already bracing the man between them, his face lined and ashen, his body shaking.

Felix looked at me once, that same soft smile that had raised me, hidden me, lied for me, and loved me all the same. I nodded back because there were no words left.

“Quick travel,” Xavier said, his voice sharp as he ripped open another dark seam in the air.

I turned to my mates, my hand instinctively finding the swell of my stomach. “If anyone is touching my baby with one of those wand things, with all that technology,” I said firmly, “then it’s going to be Sharlene. We’re going to Tolaris too.”

The four of them nodded without hesitation, stepping in close, ready to move with me. Because that was what we did. We fought. We bled. And then we picked each other up and went where we needed to go.

Aleisha’s voice rang out behind us, hoarse but steady. “I’m coming too. I’m not missing out on seeing my little niece or nephew!”

I let out a breath, shaky but sure. “We survived. Now you’re going to make sure my baby did too.”

Sharlene set her noodles down like they were suddenly offensive. “Right. Okay. Triage, then scan.

Let’s move.”

The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and something sweeter, lavender maybe, a trick Sharlene always used to soften the sharp edges of the clinic. Machines hummed low, steady, the kind of sound that reminded you of hospitals but somehow felt safer here. My people filled the space, my mates close at my sides, and even Felix propped up in the bed, pale but refusing to be anywhere else.

The nurses moved quickly, efficient hands checking vitals, swabbing blood, stitching cuts. They got Felix settled despite his grumbling protests, then checked over Theo with Zion still glued to his side. Bandages wrapped. Needles pressed. The quiet hum of care filled the air. But then Sharlene turned, gloves already on, eyes flicking to my belly. The rest of the room hushed in an instant.

“Alright,” she said, voice calm but firm. “Let’s check how this little pup is doing.”

I lay back, heart hammering harder than it had ever in battle. Xavier slid his hand into mine, grounding me. Noah hovered close, his thumb rubbing circles against the back of my other hand. Haiden’s jaw was tight, like he was ready to break the machine if it didn’t say what we wanted. Levi kept his eyes on Sharlene, cataloguing every move she made like he could read the outcome before it came. The cold gel made me flinch, but it was nothing compared to the storm inside me. Sharlene pressed the wand to my skin, moving with practised ease, her eyes scanning the monitor. The silence was unbearable. Every second stretched, every shadow on the screen could have been something.

“Come on, little one,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Show us you’re still here.”