Zeus was not happy that he could not find his son Nathan anywhere. He had been looking for him for hours and no one seemed to know where he had gone. His Beta Chipper was in charge of the pack and that was all the information he would give to Zeus. His son's second in command did not like the way Zeus introduced his parentage to him and was letting Zeus know with his defiant attitude. When Zeus stated he would go to Moon touched and ask the Alpha what was going on and where Nathan was he was sure Mark would tell him. Imagine his surprise when he was told by one of the warrior wolves he would have to come back after sundown. Zeus had raised his eyebrow and exclaimed, "Excuse me?"
The young wolf looked him in the eye and snorted, "Come back after sundown. The acting Alpha will see you then. He is busy at the moment taking care of pack issues."
Zeus hesitated before asking, " Did you say acting Alpha? Who would that be?"
The youngster rolled his eyes saying, "Bob. He is the acting Alpha. Now come back after sundown."
Taking a deep breath Zeus shimmered out of sight but before he heard the disrespectful wolf mutter, "Goddess these gods are stupid."
Hera greeted him as he reappeared in his den. "By the look on your face, I can tell you did not find Nathan," she said walking towards him and in for a kiss.
Hera, love, something strange is going on. Not only could I not locate Nathan but there is an acting Alpha, named Bob, overseeing Moon Touched Pack." Zeus huffed.
"Bob? Who is Bob?" his wife had asked confused.
"I don't know and I was told he would see me after sundown when he was finished taking care of pack business." he recounted.
"Well, dear, I do not mean to add to your problems but others are missing also," Hera informed him.
"Who else is missing and for how long?" Zeus bellowed.
"Don't you raise your voice to me, if you men would learn to get along and behave, then maybe we would not have watched them two girls suffer for years." Hera chided him and then continued, "No one has heard from Cronos, Kane, Lucifer, Theia, Hyperion, or Selene, for at least half a day if not longer."
Zeus paused in the pacing and stared at Hera questioning, "Where could they all be? Did they all disappear at the same time?"
"The only thing I have been able to find out is that most of them were gathered on the earth realm, as was their habit lately." Hera was telling him. Sitting down on the couch, she stated further, "You know they had been trying to find a way to get to Katia. Maybe they did."
Zeus sat next to her on the couch and put his arm around Hera's shoulders. He sat like that for a long while thinking about what Hera had said. He was already pretty sure he knew where Uranus had been keeping Katia. He did not say anything because he figured the girl had a plan and would contact him if she needed to. Especially if she was where he thought she was. That island was nothing but magic and would do the girl good. It would help her and her wolf to heal and mature. The question was how much could they be healed. There was the problem of as her mind healed, how would she respond to all of the abuse. Would she remain a sweet girl and continue with the zest for life she had found or would she be consumed by revenge like her grandfather? Had Uranus been influencing her all this time? Was it something he planned from the beginning? Katia had always been the weaker of the two girls. She had been the one to try more often for the life Zeus had offered them. She had experienced the broken minds of wolves and humans alike more than Selene had.
The more Zeus thought about it the more sure he became that Katia had something to do with all of this. He knew that the island would restore her powers too. Which meant she would be able to figure out ways to outsmart Uranus. Zeus needed to find out who else was missing. He knew in his gut more were gone from the earth realm too.
"Hera, my one, have you heard from Crius?" Zeus asked his wife.
"Yes, he was the one to bring it to my attention the others were missing." She explained to him.
Kissing her cheek, Zeus said, "Thank you, my one. I think I will speak with Crius. If I what I think is happening, I need you to stay alert and be ready if I call for you."
Kissing him back she whispered, "Always my dear."
Zeus left to go in search of Crius. Crius had learned to avoid most of his family. They were nothing but trouble as far as the man was concerned. the only ones he spoke to were Cronos and Hyperion. He wanted nothing to do with their mother after she had gone mad and swore to kill any of them who did not side with her. The problem was the boy and his two brothers did side with her and carried out her plan of attack. It was not their fault as their father's manhood was removed his blood dripped into the ocean creating their sister Aphrodite. Shaking his head Zeus thought to himself how complicated and entwined they all were. Human and other supernatural blood mixing in with the god's blood was a good thing. Maybe some of the jealousies could be bread out.
Zeus came across Crius working in one of the stables on the south side of MT. Olympus. He stopped pitching hay when Zeus walked in and patted Pegasus. Zeus crooned to the creature, "Hi there girl, I see we still await your little one."
The winged horse neighed and rubbed her nose on his hand. Crius stood watching them interact and wondered what brought Zeus here. Most likely the missing gods and goddesses he thought to himself. Crius was a bit concerned himself, especially about who it was that was missing. He just knew that his father had something to do with it. He could feel it. Crius worried that the time of the prophecy was at hand.
Crius ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair. Taking a leather thong he tied it back at the nape of his neck. His dark blue eyes found Zeus' brown ones and he asked, "It is time, isn't it?"
Zeus sighed as he kept stroking the animal's nose, "I believe it may be. Not only are certain gods and goddesses missing but so are certain supernatural species."
Crius shuddered, "What supernatural?"
"My second-born half-human son, the moon goddesses, Kane and his mate who is one of the twin mystic white wolves, The twin and her mate Alpha to the newly formed Moon Touched pack, My half-human son's sister and her mate, and a group of witches." Zeus accounted.
"Does this group of witches include a male child?" Crius inquired curiously.
Zeus nodded, "Yes he is half god."
Crius blew his breath out his nose, making the creature pegasus do the same, "It is time then. Uranus cannot stop what is about to happen." Walking over and stroking the horse's belly he whispered to her, "I will be back before you birth your foal, I promise. Eurybia will be here with you while I am away. You girls will have fun together." He assured the horse his wife would take good care of her.
He and Zeus headed out of the barn and into the cottage he lived in with his wife. "Eurybia" Crius called out to her.
"In here" he heard from the kitchen.
The two men entered the kitchen as Eurybia was setting a cup of steaming cider on the counter for each, "It is time?" She asked.
Crius answered, "Yes, and Pegasus has not had her foal yet. She is close and scared." He watched as his very tall, gangly, but gorgeous wife pursed her lips together in thought. He loved her awkwardness and the fact that she did not care about it all.
She walked around the counter and greeted Zeus. Eurybia then kissed Crius and told him, "Don't worry my love, I will take care of her. I will let you know as soon as the foal is born."
"If I do not return you know what to do," Crius told her.
"It will be as you will me," She returned.
Zeus sat his mug on the counter and let Crius know, "I believe they are on the island Uranus created years ago to imprison his children."
"Of course, he would put Katia there. No one would expect he did not destroy it after you set us free." Crius guessed.
"I don't know why I did not think of it right away. I guess it was because I did think it had been destroyed." Zeus defended his lapse of memory.
Crius busied himself with gathering his weapons and declared, "Well good thing you figured out years ago how to get there and we can infiltrate without Uranus' knowing."
Zeus nodded absently as he was communicating with Hera about what was about to happen. He needed her to ready all the other titans, gods, demigods, and supernatural monsters, for the war that was about to happen when they confronted Uranus. Hera simply said, "It is already done. I knew when you left what was going to happen. Be safe my heart."
"You also, my one." Zeus purred back.
"Crius, are you ready?" Zeus finally asked.
Crius shook his head in the positive and the two shimmered out of sight.