Chapter 7 #2
Instinct took over. I swung the stick with all my strength, connecting with the wolf’s side just as it leapt at me.
It yelped in surprise and fell back, but before I could breathe a sigh of relief, another wolf shot out from behind me.
I felt the sharp tug of its teeth snagging the hem of my jacket.
Panic surged through me as I turned to strike at it, but its grip was relentless. The fabric stretched painfully against my back as I twisted, trying to free myself from its hold.
Then came a roar that shattered the tension in the air—deep and primal. It was't the wolves; it was Hades’ voice echoing through the trees like thunder.
The wolves hesitated, their ears twitching as they recognized him. Some retreated into the shadows, instinctively aware that their dominance had been challenged. But one wolf remained undeterred, lunging at me again with a snarl that sent shivers down my spine.
Hades burst through the underbrush like fire given form—wild and fierce. He barreled toward us with an intensity that made the ground tremble beneath his feet. The wolf lunged for him just as he reached me.
With an effortless grace, he grabbed the creature mid-air, muscles coiling under his skin like steel cables as he threw it down onto the ground with such force that it yelped in pain.
His teeth were bared in a snarl—predatory and feral—as he stood between me and whatever threat still lurked in the darkness.
I stood frozen, my breath hitching in my throat as Hades charged forward like a tempest, fury radiating off him in waves.
He wasn’t just a man; he was something primal, something fierce that thrived in the chaos of the night.
Blood smeared across his shirt glistened under the moonlight—not his blood. The sight made my stomach twist.
The remaining wolf hesitated, sensing the danger he posed. With a low growl rumbling from deep within Hades’ chest, it backed away, eyes wide with fear before it turned and fled into the darkness. In seconds, silence enveloped us, heavy and suffocating.
Hades turned to me then, chest heaving as if he had just run a marathon.
His eyes glowed like embers in the night—intense and predatory—and I felt an involuntary shiver race down my spine.
For the first time, I wasn't sure whether I was afraid of him or for him.
The raw power emanating from him both thrilled and terrified me.
I opened my mouth to speak, to ask what on earth had just happened, but before I could utter a single word, he crossed the space between us in two long strides. My heart raced as he grabbed my chin with firm fingers, tilting my face up to inspect me closely.
“She touched you,” he said, his voice low and dangerous as if each word carried weight.
My breath caught again at the intensity of his gaze. There was something fierce in those glowing eyes—a wildness that made me question everything I thought I knew about him.
“That one had blood on her teeth,” he continued, his tone laced with something darkly protective that sent a shudder through me.
The world around us faded away—the woods vanished; it was just him and me now.
The raw emotion etched into his features made my heart pound harder.
He was furious; there was no mistaking that—but it also felt like there was something else beneath that fury.
A primal instinct to protect what was his? Or perhaps...something deeper?
I flinched at his touch, a jolt of fear sparking through me as he tilted my chin up.
The intensity in his eyes held me captive, but I could see the storm brewing beneath the surface.
Hades exhaled through his nose, a low, rumbling sound that seemed to vibrate in the air between us, as if he were trying not to lose control.
Before I could process what was happening, he yanked off his coat and threw it over my shoulders. The fabric enveloped me—heavy and warm—but it felt like a shackle instead of a comfort.
“Let’s go,” he said, grabbing my arm with a grip that was firm but not cruel. It was possessive, a clear declaration that I was under his control.
He started dragging me back toward the house. My heart pounded against my ribs as we walked in silence, each step crunching on fallen leaves beneath our feet. The cold night air bit at my skin, but I barely noticed; all my focus remained on him—his presence loomed large and suffocating.
I glanced up at him occasionally, but he kept his gaze forward, jaw clenched tight. I wondered what thoughts churned behind those dark eyes. Did he think I would run again? Did he feel justified in dragging me back like this?
With every stride we took, anger simmered beneath the surface of my fear. He hadn’t saved me; he’d intervened for his own reasons—his own twisted sense of ownership.
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.