Love's Forge Read Online Free PDF

it.”
    Alala, who had only been with two partners, looked at them both uncomfortably before glancing away. Zeus didn’t feel like discussing his and Hera’s sexual history with Aphrodite. It was part of the past. He’d fucked her many times, sometimes with Hera watching and occasionally with her participating. The present was what mattered.
    Hera didn’t answer. She walked away from both of them.
    “Alala, will you go home and wait for us?” Zeus asked.
    She nodded and turned away from the door. She walked down the hall very slowly.
    Zeus turned back to Hera. “You do realize that if this is true Ares is as much to blame as Aphrodite. Either way, Hephaestus’ behavior is not acceptable. All I ask is that you calm down until we find out the truth of what is happening.”
    “How can one woman cause so much strife?” she asked.
    “It’s not always her, not entirely. Let’s find out what has actually happened. Hephaestus obviously believes Ares and Aphrodite are still having an affair.”
    “Married? They’re married?”
    Zeus remembered Hephaestus coming to talk to Hera weeks before. He’d said he was in love, but that he wanted their blessing without knowing who the girl was. He said they could meet her on their wedding day.
    “It seems they are. Perhaps it would be better if they didn’t stay that way. It doesn’t seem like it has made Hephaestus happy.”
    “I don’t believe he did that to her. The way Alala described? I can’t imagine him doing that.”
    “Maybe he loves her that much. He refused to take no for an answer.”
    Hera sighed. “I wish he’d told me he was in love with her.”
    “We can’t change that now. It all happened so long ago. I don’t blame him for wanting to settle it once and for all. Let’s go see him.”
    Hera nodded and walked to her closet. Zeus went through a side door to his own bedroom while she dressed. He didn’t understand what Hephaestus had done. As good as she was in bed, Aphrodite didn’t seem like wife material. Of course, most would say he and Hera were far from ideal as spouses as well. Aphrodite had never managed to drive him mad because his heart had always belonged to Hera, but he knew she could drive men wild with every emotion. She’d certainly made Ares’ life hell for a long time. Was she still doing that? Was she the one to blame? Like Hera, Zeus believed Ares truly loved Alala. He was starting to worry another one of Aphrodite’s spells had somehow backfired.
    As scary as that thought was, anything was better than believing his son Ares had really betrayed Alala in such a cruel way.

Chapter Two
     
    Aphrodite woke up when she felt water hit her skin. She opened her eyes and found herself in a large bathtub. It was completely encircled by a small ledge, and the bathroom was more extensive than she’d remembered. Hephaestus had obviously redecorated. Had he done that for her? The enormous mirror and long countertop covering an entire wall seemed designed to please her. The tiles were a soft, dusty pink. Very feminine. She began to move, but her arms were secured to the sides. The thin silver chains weighed nothing yet felt incredibly strong. She knew she’d be unable to break them. Anything made by Hephaestus was unbreakable. The tub was filling with warm water quickly, and it did feel good. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been stretched out on Hephaestus’ bed. She turned to look around, but she didn’t see him.
    “Hello?” she called. He had to be close by. Or could one of his servants have been told to do this? He had two servants, a man and a woman, both living statues of iron who didn’t talk and always did what they were told. He’d never been fond of having real servants, so he’d made the living statues years ago. At least, that’s what he’d told her. She’d many times joked he could make himself the perfect woman, but he’d always said he didn’t need to because he had her.
    Had he meant it? Had he meant all those