Eve
The flicker of pain in his eyes was undeniable this ti, but it was fleeting. He masked it quickly, his grip on my chin tightening ever so slightly. His breath was warm and ragged against my skin, the air between us thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension.
"So you that's why?" he said, his voice quieter now, but no less intense. "You think I don't know what you're capable of?" He leaned closer, his face re inches from mine. "I see it, Ellen. I see it every ti you stand against , every ti you defy . But don't mistake my need to protect you for a lack of respect. The world is cruel, and if you get hurt—" His voice broke for a fraction of a second before he recovered. "Da--- Red, don't you see? I can't lose you."
His words sent a jolt through , anger and confusion mixing with sothing I didn't want to na. "You're not protecting , Hades. You're suffocating ," I said, my voice trembling but resolute. "What's the point of being strong if I can't use it? If you keep holding back, what are you saving for?"
His jaw clenched, the muscles ticking as he fought for control. "You don't understand—"
"Then make understand!" I snapped, cutting him off. "Stop hiding behind your power and your pride. Stop treating like a child who can't handle the truth. Tell why you're so afraid to let fight my own battles."
For a long mont, he didn't speak. The weight of his silence pressed against my chest, threatening to crush . But then, he released my chin and took a step back, his hands curling into fists at his sides. His wolf was still there, barely contained, but sothing else had taken its place—a vulnerability I'd never seen before.
"Because if I let you fight," he said finally, his voice low and rough, "and sothing happens to you... I wouldn't survive it." He looked and a lump ford in my throat. In a grey swirls of his eyes, I saw the glint of grief. He was not seeing . He was seeing Danielle. The realization hit like an anvil. My heart shriveled and ached. It was no wonder. If he truly saw , and not as surrogate of Danielle, he would not care in the slightest. But it was deserved, my father had taken his love and their child, who was I to raise my hackles?
"Hades..." I began, my tone softening despite myself.
But he shook his head, the vulnerability slipping away as quickly as it had co. "This isn't up for debate, Ellen. I won't let you risk your life for so misguided sense of independence."
My temper flared again, the brief mont of understanding overshadowed by his stubbornness. "It's not misguided," I said, stepping closer to him. "It's my life, Hades. My choice. And if you can't see that, then maybe you don't know as well as you think you do."
He stared at , his crimson eyes burning with an intensity that made my pulse race. But this ti, I didn't back down. I t his gaze head-on, refusing to be intimidated.
"You're infuriating," he muttered finally, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Stubborn. Reckless."
"And you're controlling," I shot back. "Arrogant. Overbearing."
His lips twitched, the ghost of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "We're quite the pair, aren't we?"
I snorted despite myself, the tension between us easing just enough to let a sliver of levity through. "A disaster, more like."
He exhaled slowly, the anger in his posture softening just a fraction. "I guess you're not wrong," he admitted. "But don't think this ans I'm letting you off the hook. We're not finished here."
I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. "I never said we were."
For the first ti since he'd stord into the training ring, his lips curved into a real smile—a small, rare thing that caught off guard. His hidden dimple made an appearance and my treatherous heart stuttered "You never make anything easy, do you?"
"Would you be so possessive if I did?" The words were out before I could stop them, and for a mont, the world seed to hold its breath.
His smile faded, replaced by a look I couldn't quite decipher. "You'd be surprised," he said quietly, the weight of his gaze making my heart skip a beat. "Red," his was voice husky.
His eyes was locked onto mine with renewed intensity. There was sothing different now, sothing almost predatory in his gaze. His shoulders relaxed slightly, but the tension in the room only thickened.
He easily swallowed up the distance between us and though every instinct scread at to step back, I held my ground. His expression softened, just barely, but the power of his presence still dominated the room.
"I won't hurt Kael," he said finally, his voice a low rumble that made my stomach twist with unease—and sothing else I didn't want to acknowledge. "But there are conditions."
I narrowed my eyes, unsure if I trusted the sudden shift in his tone. "Conditions?"
"Two," he clarified, holding up his fingers. "First, you will no longer train with him. If you want to learn, you'll train with . No one else."
My heart sank and leapt at the sa ti. Training with Hades ant he wouldn't hold back—he wouldn't go easy on . But it also ant I'd be tethered to him even more than I already was. "And the second?" I asked cautiously.
His lips curved into a slow, wicked smile, and the look in his eyes shifted to sothing darker—sothing far more dangerous. "I get to erase his scent from my wife's body."
The words were low, laced with a possessive hunger that sent a shiver down my spine. My breath caught, heat rushing to my cheeks as his aning sunk in.
"I—" My voice faltered, and I hated myself for the way my body betrayed , warmth pooling in my core as he stepped even closer, invading my space with the sheer force of his presence.
Hades tilted his head, his crimson eyes gleaming with unrestrained desire. "Do you understand what I an, Red?" His voice was a velvet whisper, brushing against my skin like a caress.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to et his gaze. "You're impossible," I said, but my voice lacked the venom I'd intended.
"And yet, you can't seem to walk away," he countered, his smirk growing. His hand reached out, fingers brushing against the curve of my jaw with a gentleness that caught off guard. "I can sll him on you, Ellen," he murmured, leaning in until his lips were just a breath away from mine. "And it drives insane."
My knees threatened to give out, but I clenched my fists, refusing to let him see how much his proximity affected . "Maybe you should work on controlling yourself," I managed to say, though my voice trembled.
His grin widened, the sharp edge of his teeth flashing. "I don't want to control myself when it cos to you." His other hand ca up, settling on my waist as he pulled closer, the heat of his body radiating through the thin fabric of my clothes. "You drive mad, Red. And I won't stop until you're mine in every way."
I gasped, my hands instinctively rising to push against his chest, though the movent lacked any real force. His touch was fire, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to escape it—or be consud by it.
"Hades—" I started, but he silenced with a look, his thumb brushing across my lower lip.
"Say yes," he said softly, his voice a command wrapped in a plea. "Agree to my terms, and I promise you'll never doubt your strength again. Train with . Fight with . Let be the one to see your potential, not him." His eyes darkened further, his wolf stirring just beneath the surface. "And let remind you who you belong to."
My heart thundered in my chest, torn between defiance and the undeniable pull of him. I wanted to argue, to tell him he had no right to make such demands—but the fire in his gaze, the raw need in his voice, made the words catch in my throat.
"I'm not agreeing to anything," I whispered, though even I could hear the uncertainty in my tone.
Hades's smirk returned, knowing and triumphant. "We'll see about that." And then, before I could respond, his lips descended on mine, claiming with a kiss that left no room for argunt—only surrender.
His lips were relentless, a storm of heat and possession that stole the air from my lungs. His hand slid from my jaw to the back of my neck, pulling closer, while his other hand remained firm on my waist, anchoring in place. My fists clenched against his chest, but instead of pushing him away, I found myself gripping the fabric of his shirt, caught in the whirlwind of his touch.
He kissed like he was trying to imprint himself on my very soul, a desperate, demanding need that sent my senses spiraling. I hated how easily my body responded, how my heart betrayed with every wild beat, every shiver that coursed through as his tongue traced the seam of my lips, seeking entry. Against my better judgnt, I opened for him, and he claid fully, his wolf's presence brushing against like an inferno.
I didn't want to give in, but Hades wasn't giving a choice—not when he kissed like this, like I was his air, his lifeline. My resistance crumbled piece by piece, my anger lting into sothing just as fierce but far more dangerous. Heat pooled low in my belly as his fangs grazed my lower lip, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest.
I let out a whimper and grabbed him harder by his shirt before I pushed him away, panting and flushed. Our gazes clashed and I, without avail tried to regain a semblance of calm.
But his eyes grazed my body and I fought a shiver. His hair tousled and lips slightly swollen. I did not need to look down to know that he was hard. I had felt the hot, throbbing flesh against my abdon when he was kissing . "I have conditions too."
Reviews
All reviews (0)