“I warned you that if I joined the mate-circle, my focus would be on her. Not you. As for marking her…” He trails off, his gold eyes drifting down to our sleeping female. She hasn’t stirred since her magnificent climax, her body replete from our ministrations.
Fuck, she’s stunning, I think, somehow even more attracted to her now than ever before. Maybe because I watched the Goddess inside her bloom during our bedroom play.
Or perhaps I’m just falling that much more in adoration with her.
“I’m not sorry,” Maliki murmurs, his palm trailing up her arm to pause at the indents his teeth left on her shoulder. It’s not healing, suggesting it is more than just a marking—it’s aclaim.
Which is interesting, as…“I didn’t realize Corpse Fae claimed their mates with a bite.”
He smiles. “I’m more than just a Corpse Fae.”
“Clearly,” I reply, amused.
Hades simply grunts, obviously not as entertained by this development.
“Are you going to punish me, my lord?” Maliki asks conversationally, the formal title one that has Hades’s jaw clenching in response.
It’s an intriguing physical reaction, considering he seemed to like Serapina referring to him as such. But Maliki is obviously doing it now to irritate him.
“I should,” Hades informs his enforcer. “But I told you to ensure my wife’s satisfaction, and, well.” He looks down at the sleeping beauty. “You succeeded.”
“You also instructed her not to come,” Maliki points out. “So you’d better not be planning on punishing her for disobeying your order.”
Hades huffs at that. “I don’t think I could ever punish Serapina. Fuck, I’m not even sure I knew how to properly punish Persephone.”
I arch a brow, surprised he just admitted that aloud. “This labyrinth says otherwise, Hades.”
“I’m trying to fix it,” he mutters.
“I know.” I can feel his magic all over the maze, shifting form and re-creating the walls with more life. Though, it’s not something he can truly manifest. He needs our mate to help him.
However, Serapina is still mostly human.
Mostly, because, well, a human would not have survived what Maliki and I just did to her. But she’s not exactly an Omega yet, either. She’s existing in a strange hybrid state, one I hope will be fixed once she goes into heat.
“When she wakes, she’ll be ready to run,” Hades says, changing the subject slightly. “And I suspect she’s going to want all three of us to chase her.”
I study him. “Are you going to allow that?”
He stares back at me. “I let her fondle your knot.”
“You did.” My gaze drops to where his hands have balled into fists. “Which took significant restraint.”
“Yes,” he agrees, his fingers flexing as he tries to forcefully relax.
Which, naturally, doesn’t work.
“It’s okay to feel possessive,” I tell him, my eyes slowly returning to his smoldering irises. “That’s part of who we are, Hades.”
“Yet you somehow seem to be completely at ease,” he mutters.
“I’ve mastered my instincts over several millennia, Cousin,” I remind him. “Knowing I’m fulfilling my mate’s wishes… helps.”
Hades nods like he understands. Or maybe he’s choosing to see that point of view. Perhaps it’ll help him.
Regardless, his effort is noted.
“I want to finish what I was doing in the maze,” he says, looking down at her again. “I’ll return when she wakes.”
