I pulled against his hold, just enough to remind him that I was still here—a living thing with agency. But the gesture only elicited a frustrated growl from deep within him as the estate came back into view.
I stumbled through the door and into the warmth of the house, dazed and trembling. The contrast hit me like a wave—a sudden cocoon of heat that clung to my skin, chasing away the chill that had seeped deep into my bones.
Behind me, Hades slammed the door shut with a force that echoed in the silence. The sound reverberated off the walls, sending a jolt through me as he locked it tight. My heart raced as I leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, feeling every pulse thrumming in my ears.
He turned toward me, his eyes sharp and calculating. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and began checking my limbs—his hands firm but surprisingly gentle as he inspected my arms and legs for any signs of injury. His touch felt possessive, like he was claiming every inch of me while simultaneously ensuring I was unharmed.
Finally finding my voice, I managed to stammer out a question that had been nagging at me since we’d fled from those creatures in the woods. “Why are there wolves outside your house?”
His gaze flickered up to meet mine, calm and cold as steel. “Because I let them be.”
A chill slithered down my spine at his response. How could he be so unfazed? Did he not understand what danger lurked outside these walls? But then again, perhaps it was exactly that lack of fear that made him who he was.
“Freedom doesn’t mean safety, Persephone,” he said softly. “It never did.”
His words settled heavily in the air between us. I stood there in shock, grappling with their meaning as confusion spiraled inside me. He seemed to revel in the chaos—the danger lurking just beyond our reach—and I felt small and exposed under his scrutiny.
Hades took a step back then, assessing me with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. He walked me to my bedroom, his presence a suffocating weight beside me. Each step felt like a countdown, the air thick with unspoken tension. When he opened the door, I felt the world outside dim—a barrier between me and whatever chaos lingered beyond.
His gaze fell on the ring box resting on the table. The velvet black against my nightstand seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat.
“You ran from the only man willing to bleed for you,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
I stared at him, my eyes wide with disbelief. The words hung in the air, thick and heavy, wrapping around me like chains.
“That was your first mistake,” he continued, stepping back as if he were giving me space to breathe—though I knew better.
Just before closing the door behind him, he added with a chilling calmness, “You don’t want to see what the second one costs.”
Click.
The door shut with a finality that echoed through my bones. Locked.
I collapsed onto the bed, Hades’ coat still wrapped around my shoulders like an anchor in a storm. It smelled like cedar and fire and violence—an intoxicating blend that filled my lungs and wrapped around my heart like a vice.
And worst of all?
It smelled safe.
The realization twisted inside me as I lay there, staring up at the ceiling painted with shadows cast by the moonlight filtering through the window. How could something so familiar feel so wrong? My thoughts raced in circles, each one colliding into another until they blurred together in a cacophony of confusion and fear.
I wanted to tear off that coat—rip it from my body and toss it aside like it was poison—but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I pulled it tighter around me as if seeking warmth against an impending chill.
He had walked away so easily after those words; I could still hear his voice echoing in my mind—a reminder of power and control, of what awaited me if I slipped again. Hades didn’t just want me; he wanted every piece of me wrapped around his finger.
A deep breath shook through me as I turned my gaze toward that damned ring box again, sitting innocently on the table—a testament to everything I had lost and everything I would never have.
Chapter 8
Hades
I didn’t knock.
Again.
Because honestly?
Why start pretending now?
