The air in Ares' fortress still smelled of ozone and scorched flesh, but I could barely look away from Eron. He was no longer just the man I loved; he was a force of nature, a colossus of electricity and death who had just devoured a god. The way he breathed, the way Ares' power pulsed beneath his bronzed skin, awakened a hunger in me that the laws of Themyscira never dared to name.
I wiped the blood from my face, feeling every muscle in my body vibrate. The fight against Ares had shown me my limitations. I was strong, yes, but Eron... Eron was now on a level where even the stars seemed small.
I approached him, feeling the magnetism of his aura pull at the metal of my armor, drawing me toward his center like a planet to the sun.
— Eron — my voice came out raspier than I intended, heavy with a new urgency. — You took what was his. You are now the lord of war, of iron, and of lightning. But I... I feel like I am missing something.
He turned to me, his eyes still glowing with that blinding white—a raw and absolute divinity. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and the shock that surged through my body was not one of pain, but of a possessiveness that made me arch my back.
— What do you want, my queen? — he growled, his breath hot against my neck. — The world is yours. Name it, and I will reduce it to ashes for you.
— I don't want the world — I whispered, digging my nails into his chest, feeling the firm skin that now carried the weight of two gods. — I want Aphrodite.
I felt Eron tense, a spark jumping between us.
— Aphrodite? The goddess of beauty and desire? Why would you want that frivolous creature, Diana?
I looked deep into his eyes. I wanted more than just to be a warrior. I saw how mortal women looked at him, how the lust of Zeus within him demanded a constant feast. I didn't want to be just the first; I wanted to be the only one capable of sating him. I wanted my beauty to be a weapon as lethal as Eron's sword, a magnetism that would bind him to me for all eternity.
— I want to be absolute perfection — I confessed, my breath hitching. — I want my skin, my body, every curve of mine to exude a desire that even the blood of Zeus cannot resist. I want the power of Aphrodite to be the most beautiful and desired woman to ever walk this existence. I want to handle your lust, Eron. I want you to feel, when you possess me, that you have all of Olympus in your arms.
Eron let out a dark laugh, a sound that vibrated inside my chest. He squeezed my waist so hard I felt my bones protest, and the glint in his eyes became predatory. He liked the idea. He wanted a goddess of love who was also a goddess of war.
— You want to steal the essence of love to feed our bed? — he asked, a lopsided smile cutting across his face. — A plan worthy of a queen who knows no limits.
He lifted my chin, forcing me to look at the devastation around us.
— Then we shall go after her, Diana. If you want the divinity of beauty, I will rip it from Aphrodite's chest and hand it to you on a golden platter. You will be the most magnificent creature in the universe, and I will be the only god strong enough to tame you.
I smiled, feeling the heat of anticipation. The idea of possessing Aphrodite's essence, of transforming my body into the pinnacle of pleasure and divine aesthetics, made my blood boil. I wouldn't just be the Queen of the Amazons; I would be desire incarnate, the only one capable of facing the storm that was Eron and asking for more.
— Let's go, my king — I said, pulling him into a kiss that tasted of blood and promise. — Olympus hasn't seen anything yet.