Chapter 25 Hades
Hades
A Few Minutes Earlier
My blood simmers, the sounds of Serapina’s ecstasy making me so fucking hard that I nearly reveal my presence.
But I can’t join them.
Not this time.
It’ll ruin the moment. And I don’t want to intrude.
Fuck, I shouldn’t even be here.
Except, no. That’s not true. This is my maze. And that’s my bed. The one I created for Persephone to nest in.
Only, this isn’t Persephone.
Watching Serapina come undone against Maliki’s cock, and again with his mouth, just further drives that point home.
However, the Goddess on the bed holds me captive. This reincarnation of my mate is… stunning.
I always loved watching Persephone fall apart, but Serapina is a whole new experience. She’s innocent, yet bold. Curious, yet confident. And the way she submitted to Maliki was nothing short of extraordinary.
Because she didn’t just succumb to his desires. She joined him. She allowed him to lead, all while playing an equal part.
This woman is a fucking queen.
And I want to bury my knot so far inside her that she tastes my claim for years.
It’s a visceral need that has me struggling to remain in the in-between.
I can feel her pleasure, the beacon of it riding my soul and causing my inner beast to growl in response. It’s a feral reaction, one driven by the desire to mate.
She’s mine.
My soul’s other half.
My Omega.
Yet, she hasn’t chosen me. Her spirit may be linked to mine, but the physical entity—Serapina—isn’t truly mine.
And that knowledge undoes something inside me. Something painful. Something that nearly brings me to my fucking knees.
I’ve never felt this sort of agony before, this notion of separation. My heart is practically torn in two. And my soul feels lost.
My mate is right in front of me, but she’s not mine to claim.
Because I haven’t earned her desire.
Which is my own fucking fault.
Serapina screams again, her euphoria washing over me in a blissful caress that ends in a blistering burn.
A burn that heightens when I watch her seeking comfort from Maliki.
Not me. Not an Alpha. Not her mate.
And I realize I can sense all of it. The pleasure she’s experiencing, the satisfaction, and the renewing need deep inside her.
She’s my Omega. We’re linked, even if only on a soul level, and my inner beast is aware of every second.
Her heat is going to kill me, I think.
If she doesn’t choose me, or accept me, I’ll have to lock myself away, or I’ll end up in a rut.
Because all I want to do is go to her now, worship her between her thighs, and give her the knot she craves.
And that intrinsic need will only worsen when she’s in a full-blown estrus.
Fuck, how did Morpheus stand this? I wonder, my hands curling into fists at my sides. He had to have felt this every time I was with Persephone.
Yet he never interfered, despite their obvious link—a link I’ve only just begun to acknowledge. But he’s proved it existed then, just as it does now.
Which means he went through unthinkable agony every time he couldn’t answer Persephone’s mating needs.
Serapina nuzzles into Maliki, the tenderness tugging at my heart.
It should be my chest she’s nuzzling into right now, her inner Omega seeking my purr.
However, it’s Maliki she’s talking to now.
Maliki that she’s falling asleep on.
Maliki with the taste of my mate’s cunt on his tongue.
I want to know her this way, too. Lick her deep. Feel her clit throb against my lips. Make her clench around my knot. Kiss her while I fuck her.
Everything about this craving feels new.
Mostly because I want to do those things… while Maliki helps please her.
Have him inside her ass while I take her pussy.
Or maybe watch her suck his cock while I take her from behind.
This notion of group play is foreign, yet it provokes a yearning deep inside me, one I refuse to ignore.
I’ve never wanted to share.
But Maliki has changed everything.
Serapina, too.
And maybe even Morpheus.
I clear my throat, aware that Serapina is sleeping now.
Maliki has his eyes closed as well, but I know he’s awake. He won’t leave our mate undefended. Not that this labyrinth can be penetrated.
We’re all safe here.
Which Serapina just proved with her multiple orgasms. No Alphas came running. No one intruded.
Only me.
As I watched from the shadows.
Shadows I step out of now as I materialize in the room.
“Did you enjoy watching me play with your wife?” Maliki asks, obviously sensing my presence. Though, he doesn’t look at me, his body still utterly relaxed despite the sensuality of his question.
Did I enjoy watching him play with my wife? I think. “Yes. And also no.” Because it hurt. A lot.
I don’t get a chance to elaborate on that since Maliki’s next question is about punishment. It confuses me. I invited him to join my mate-circle. Why would I punish him?
It makes me wonder if perhaps that’s why he didn’t try to fuck Serapina—something I half expected him to do, given their aroused states. Though, I’m somewhat relieved he didn’t. I don’t think I could have stayed at that point; I would have needed to see more. To be part of the moment.
Maliki, however, surprises me by saying he held back because he’s still getting to know Serapina. It’s not like him to go slow, something I point out.
And he states the obvious back to me: “Sera is more than just a lover.”
I smile. “I know. She’s our mate.” The wording is intentional, a way to remind him that she is ours because we’re a mate-circle now. But in case he needs more elaboration, I also clarify that I have no intention of punishing him for pleasing Serapina.
Keeping her happy is our priority.
And I’ve failed that priority.
Which is why I’m the one who has earned damnation. I accept that.
“You want me to punish you?” Maliki asks, after I infer as much aloud.
“You already are,” I tell him. “Watching you play together brings me great pleasure, and significant pain.” I wince as my words remind me of something I need to do. “Which is why I need to talk to Morpheus.” Because if anyone will understand this agony, it’s him.
And knowing I caused him some of this torment has left me feeling a bit… uneasy.
“Keep her happy, Maliki,” I say. “I’m going to try to do the same.” By talking to Morpheus, I think. Though, I don’t add that out loud, just return to the in-between.
“The mandate was unnecessary,” I hear Maliki say, even though he knows I’ve disappeared. “Sera’s pleasure is my main priority now. Which makes her my boss, not you.”
I snort in response, amused by his commentary.
I’ve never been your boss, Maliki, I think at him.
Then truly vanish and go in search of my cousin for a long-overdue conversation.