But I’m not trying to be funny. “I mean it, Hades.No denim.”
“I hear you, darling,” he murmurs, the endearment one I think he’s only used once before. Or maybe not at all. I’m not sure. But I… I kind of like it. And Ireallylike it when he says, “No more jeans.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
He holds out a hand, and I accept it without thinking.
Then sigh as he helps me into the giant bathtub. “This is far too big for me.”
“It’s meant for a party of two or more,” he replies.
I glance at him. “I’m not inviting you into my bath.”
He smiles. “I know.” He waves a hand, causing a few candles to appear, their colors reminding me of the fire lily. “If you need me, just say my name. Otherwise, I’ll be in the other room waiting for you to finish.”
“Okay,” I say, leaning back against the marble andclosing my eyes. “Thank you.” The two words slip from my mouth, and I’m not quite sure what I’m expressing gratitude for. Maybe the bath. Or perhaps… perhaps other things.
Right now, I feel a little too dazed to focus on meanings.
I just want to exist in the warmth, surround myself with these scents…and rest.
Chapter 20
Hades
I only taketwo steps before Serapina starts to slip beneath the water.
Her exhaustion came on fast, leaving her a bit delirious in the end.
That’s not surprising. She’s an Omega who is about to go into heat, and while not all Omegas experience this level of extreme tiredness, I’m not at all shocked that it’s impacting her in this way.
She’s an extraordinary case.
And with that come extraordinary reactions.
I bend to lift Serapina from the bath, her petite form instantly curling into me as I begin to purr. She’s soaking through my suit, but I don’t care. She can’t sleep in the bath, or she’ll drown. So I carry her to the bed, where I manifest a warm towel to lay her on.
I create a second one to run over her damp limbs tothoroughly dry her, then conjure up a sleep gown for her to wear. It’s golden silk, reminding me of her hair.
She doesn’t stir as I pull the sleepwear on, though her nipples harden beneath the fabric as I tug it down to her hips. I try to ignore the view, but it’s difficult. She’s just so fucking beautiful.
And so different from Persephone,I think, an uneasy feeling stirring in my gut.
I’ve spent two thousand years being devoted to one Omega. The only time I deviated was when I watched Maliki fuck. But I never touched or indulged in the experience. Just watched.
It fed a foreign part of my soul, one I chose not to acknowledge until recently.When I asked Maliki to kiss my wife…
I swallow, my gaze running over Serapina once more.
She looks so soft. So beautiful. So deceptively fragile.
Oh, she’s absolutely breakable in her human form. But she possesses a warrior’s spirit. Which is utterly bizarre because Persephone wasn’t a fighter.
Which again has me wondering if my mate was truly reincarnated.
Thus, her soul is mine.
But this version of her is not.
