Chapter 17 Hades
Hades
Welcome to our little nest of lies, I think as I pass through the threshold of the cabin. Fuck, how many times have I thought about voicing those exact words aloud?
It was the greeting I intended for Persephone.
But a different version of her joins me now.
A stronger version.
One still holding the fire lily I manifested for her.
The embers flicker and glow, illuminating her fair skin and providing her with a healthy blush.
It’s beautiful.
Fuck, she is beautiful.
This Omega masquerading as a human. Though, I suppose masquerading isn’t the right term, as it implies nefarious intentions. Yet nothing about Serapina Everheart appears to be conniving in nature.
Of course, the same could have been said about Persephone, too.
Only Persephone exuded a childlike innocence, one I used to adore. However, I can’t help but be intrigued by Serapina’s boldness. She’s still innocent in a way, but there’s nothing childlike about her.
She’s determined.
Strives for independence.
And isn’t afraid to speak her mind. It’s… refreshing.
It also kind of reminds me of Maliki. He’s always been fearless where I’m concerned, a trait I find exceptionally rare.
Serapina isn’t exactly fearless so much as assertive. She doesn’t shy away from voicing her wants and needs.
Unless she thinks I’m going to “hold it against her.”
My jaw clenches at the reminder of her question. It wasn’t voiced in a sarcastic tone but in an honest one. Because she actually thinks I’m capable of cruelty.
Which makes sense, given everything she’s seen from me.
And now she’s here—in the heart of the underworld that I built for Persephone.
It exists beneath the Netherworld Kingdom. A secret labyrinth of passages meant to entertain and punish my mate.
Now it feels like a prison.
Because I’m trapped here with the darkness of my decisions. Forced to face my sins in the most unanticipated of ways.
“It’s freezing in here,” Serapina says as she enters.
“Yes. It’s as cold as death,” I reply. “This is what happens when life ceases to exist.” I glance at her. “As I said, everything I built here is layered with pain and bitterness.” Perhaps I didn’t explain it quite like that, but the point was clear.
Something flickers in Serapina’s blue eyes, and for a moment, a twisted part of me hopes Persephone can hear me.
But I regret that desire in the next second.
Because I… I don’t know how I would feel about her replacing Serapina.
It’s a jarring realization.
For two thousand years, I’ve searched for my mate. Not to save her, necessarily, but to simply find her. And I was willing to do whatever it took to locate her.
I love her. I do. But the desire to hunt her is intrinsic. It’s part of who I am as an Alpha.
Yet there’s something about Serapina that I… I don’t want to see disappear.
She’s—
“There’s beauty in stillness,” she says, distracting me from my thoughts. “Like this…” She walks up to the wall and traces a design etched into the icelike glass. “This crystallized snowflake is forever frozen in perfect lines.”
Serapina sounds awed as she admires the unnoteworthy pattern while clutching the fire lily with her opposite hand.
She’s not like Persephone at all. Persephone hated the cold. Despised snow. “Everything is dead,” she would whisper sadly. It would break my heart and make me wish I could control the seasons.
Alas, I couldn’t.
So we would venture to warmer climates instead.
Oftentimes to visit her mother, Demeter.
“And this,” Serapina whispers, her attention going to a nearby vase holding a frozen bouquet of petalless stems. “It’s like you crystallized life right before death.”
She looks at me, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Is that meant to be a dark concept?” she asks. “Torturing a flower in its final moments? Or maybe it signifies rebirth?”
I stare at her, fascinated by how her mind has crafted such intriguing spins on what was meant to be a simple display of lifeless flowers.
“Everything here is frigid… like death,” I reply. “That’s the purpose.”
She frowns. “But even ice is alive.” She looks down at her lily.
“Flowers and plants are not the only symbols of vitality. Sometimes it’s in an artistic depiction.
Or simply in an activity you enjoy.” She shrugs.
“However, I will say I hope the bedroom has a warm comforter, or I’m going to freeze in this igloo. ”
A startled laugh escapes me. “I’ll manifest you a chest of the finest blankets. Whatever you want.”
Which effectively kills the moment for me.
Because there’s only one want she’s voiced. Well, two wants. Maliki and Morpheus.
Fuck.
I can’t fault her desire. I’m the monster in her tale.
But I can turn this around. I have to.
She’s still my mate. Just… just reincarnated.
It makes me wonder if all the other Omegas are in different forms now, too. If Demeter somehow stole their souls and put them in new forms.
Human and otherwise.
It’s a mystery I long to solve. No, I don’t long to solve it; I need to solve it. Because I have no idea what’s going to happen when Serapina goes into heat. Will her Omega soul truly take over? Will Persephone wake up?
Or is this Persephone’s permanent existence?
A true rebirth.
The notion stirs a myriad of emotions inside me, ones I don’t want to identify. Because some of them feel like a betrayal to my mate.
However, a hypothetical question whispers through my mind. I try to push it away, not wanting to hear it, but it’s too loud to ignore. Is it cheating to fall for a new version of my mate, especially when she’s nothing like the Omega I’ve loved for so long?
It’s… it’s a conundrum.
Except it’s becoming my reality.
Because I can’t help but observe as Serapina wanders through the cabin, admiring my creation with an expression of interest.
“You realize that manifesting all of this is another version of creating life, right?” she asks when she reaches the kitchen. “You keep calling it dead, but it’s alive with energy. Your energy. And while you may be the God of Death, you’re not exactly dead.”
“Why do you sound disappointed by that?” I ask, somewhat teasing.
She stills. “I… I didn’t mean to… I… I’m just trying to make conversation since you’re being all broody.”
“Broody?” I repeat, amusement flirting with my lips despite everything. “I think you mean thoughtful.”
“Maybe,” she replies, clearly missing my attempt at lightening the air between us.
I sigh, aware that I have a lot to answer for here. “How about a tour?” I offer. “It’s not much, but I can… show you around.”
“The igloo or the maze?”
“The cabin,” I say, correcting her term. Though, I suppose it is reminiscent of an igloo with the icelike walls. “I can’t show you much of the maze. It’ll ruin your fun later.”
She looks at me. “You mean… during my heat.”
I nod. “You’ll want the space to play, and if I show you around the labyrinth, it’ll defeat the purpose. You need to learn the area yourself and decide how you want to play.”
“I don’t… I don’t think I’ll want to play in the maze you made to punish Persephone.”
“The punishment is about the cold surroundings, which don’t seem to bother you,” I tell her. “The maze itself is harmless.” I would never hurt Persephone in that way. “You’re very safe here.”
“Yeah, until I go into heat… and you make me run through your maze.”
All hints of my previous amusement die in a breath. “I’m not going to make you do anything, Serapina. Your inner Omega will be the one in control, as it should be.”
She stares at me. “And you think my Omega is going to want to play in the labyrinth?”
“Yes. Your inner Omega will want to use it as a way to test your potential mates. It’s how Alphas and Omegas bond. And given that this will be your first heat, the setting is quite important.”
The way she’s looking at me right now tells me this is all news to her.
Another failure for my list, I think.
I run my fingers through my hair and debate how to handle this. “When was the last time you ate?” I blurt out.
She gives me a startled look, likely because I just abruptly changed the topic. But I did it with a purpose in mind. “Breakfast,” she says slowly. “I don’t know when that was. Hours ago, though.”
I dip my chin. “All right. How about I make some food, and then we’ll… talk?”
“Talk,” she echoes. “Like we’re doing now?”
I smile. “No, like really talk. I’ll tell you more about Omega heats, how the mating hunt works, and we’ll go from there.”
Her nose crinkles. “I…” She trails off as her stomach grumbles, maybe in outward disagreement with the refusal she may have been about to voice.
Or perhaps she was going to accept and the hunger pang distracted her.
Either way, her belly just agreed to my plan.
My lips twitch. “Go get comfortable on the couch. And I’ll conjure up something for us to eat.”
“Couch,” she repeats. “What—”
The appearance of a leather sofa in the middle of the otherwise stark room causes her mouth to snap shut. I add a fireplace in the wall next, then manifest a table in the middle of the wraparound sofa, and create a vase for her flower—since she’s still holding it.
And lastly, I fashion a remote that will allow her to turn on a screen, if she wants to try to watch something. Though, I suspect she doesn’t typically enjoy television.
Unless Maliki has introduced her to some of his dreadful mortal movies.
I nearly groan at the thought but distract myself by adding another creation—a warm, fuzzy blanket, the color of which matches Serapina’s eyes—and head toward the kitchen.
Except when I get there, I realize I have no idea what kind of food she might like to eat.
If Maliki were here, I would ask him.
And he would probably tell me to go to Styx instead.
Rightfully so.
Fuck. Talking to him later is going to be… a chore. But I deserve his wrath. And probably a few good stabs.
I’ll deal with him after I settle Serapina’s nerves. She has to come first. If he’s the fae I think he is, he’ll understand.
Because he, too, will put her first.
As the Omega in the center of my… I frown, the thought rephrasing in my head. As the Omega in the center of our circle.
He’s my best friend for a reason. The one I let taste Serapina first. The fae I’ve trusted for eons.
Maliki pushes my limits daily, which is exactly what I need in a partner. Because he’ll force me to be a better Alpha.
Fuck, he’s been trying to demand that of me for thirteen months. I’ve only just recently realized why. Because he saw what I refused to see—Serapina’s truth. Her worth. Her sincerity. Her greatness.
I should have listened to him.
I should have listened to Morpheus, too.
Damn it.
They’ve both been trying to force me to open my eyes, and unfortunately, my stubbornness prevented me from listening.
And I may have lost my soulmate in the process.
No. I refuse to think that way. I can fix this. I will fix this.
Alas, time isn’t on my side.
Serapina’s heat will begin soon. Maybe in a few days. Definitely within the next week or two.
It’ll be intense.
Overwhelming.
Maybe even terrifying.
Which is why I’m going to prepare her. That includes a lesson on consent.
Because if she refuses me, I won’t touch her. Even when she’s out of her mind with lust and begging, I’ll uphold the choice she made while coherent.
That’s what a good Alpha does, and while I’ve not been a prime example of greatness lately, I will not let her down now or ever again.
I’m going to be the mate she should have known from the moment I first sensed her.
No more anger or grudges.
Just an Alpha who misses his Omega.
And loves her… in all her forms.