3. Chapter 3
three
A s promised, Ethan returns to the room after I’ve showered and towel-dried my hair.
“Ready to eat?” Ethan asks as he stands in the doorway of the guest room.
I smooth down my new shift dress and nod, my damp hair falling down my back in faint waves. With all the craziness that’s been going on, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now. My stomach growls and aches with hunger as I follow him away from the guest rooms.
Ethan leads me toward the great hall of the clan’s estate where the long tables are lined with platters full of delicious food. Carefully cleaned glasses are filled with wine or water. The smells of freshly cooked meat and baked bread float out of the great hall into the corridor we walk down .
“I can’t eat in there,” I remind him. “Netherlings aren’t allowed inside unless we’re told to serve the ones allowed to eat in there.”
Ethan pauses with a sheepish grin on his face.
“Then, I’ll bring the feast to you,” he says before leading me out a side door and around the back where a beautiful courtyard with a cobbled path, stone benches, and a blooming garden resides. He guides me down on one of the benches. “Stay here.”
I watch him walk off, my hands resting on the cold stone table as I wonder why he’s so different, why he acts like we’re friends. I quickly shake my head, reminding myself that I’m nothing more than a simple Netherling.
So many questions swirl around in my head as I sit in the quiet courtyard, a gentle breeze blowing through my hair. Will tonight be the night the Aetherion does as he pleases?
It doesn’t take long for Ethan to return with two plates full of grilled chicken, sauteed vegetables, a fresh roll, and mashed potatoes. He sits beside me and hands me one of the plates.
“Eat up,” he tells me.
“Thank you… Warden Ethan,” I say, my face softening. He’s being so kind to me, and somehow, it confuses me even more.
“Ethan,” he says with a smile as my brows pinch.
I slowly nod and dig my fork into my food, shoveling in mouthfuls to sate the hunger aching in my stomach.
“Slow down, Rodi. If you want more, I’ll get you more.” Ethan chuckles as he rests a hand on my back.
My throat tightens as I look over at him, confusion and awe hitting me like two punches with his kind words, his touch.
I’m not used to someone taking care of me like this. What’s his motive ?
“You seem nervous,” Ethan murmurs as he eyes me. “Is it about your mate? I’ve heard a lot of the other riders worrying about that since we’ve arrived.”
I shake my head. The thought of going through my heat makes me nervous, but the whole thing about finding my mate doesn’t tie my stomach in knots like the others.
If it happens, it happens. But I still want to remain true to myself. Whoever I am.
“I don’t need a mate to feel complete. I’m still trying to figure out what I want outside of that,” I say.
I chew on my bottom lip for a moment, my curiosity getting the best of me. “Have you found your mate?”
Ethan sighs and shakes his head as he pokes at his grilled chicken. “I haven’t. Neither has Ares.”
I lift an eyebrow at him, my food going to the back of my mind. “Ares?”
Ethan chuckles a little. “Of course, he didn’t introduce himself. Ares is the Dragon King. The King Dominion. The Aetherion.” An eyeroll follows his words as the name carries meaning.
“God of war.” My words are more to myself as I recognize that name.
Ethan grins, an impressed look gracing his handsome face. “Someone knows their Greek mythology,” he says before biting into his bread roll.
I swallow the lump in the back of my throat. “I don’t know much about my birth parents,” I start, not knowing whether I should even say this, “but I do remember the story of the god of war, Ares, and his redemption. Cursed to walk this earth alone.”
He snorts. “Ares does just fine and keeps as much company as he likes.” His words cause a foul taste to move over my tongue, destroying my appetite .
But why? I don’t care about this dragon or his company or this sad story that clings to his name. All I care about is figuring out what in the world he wants with me.
Ethan glances at the setting sun and grimaces.
“We need to get back,” he says before getting to his feet and offering his free hand to me.
“To Ares’ room? Why?” I ask as I stand.
Ethan takes my hand and walks me back inside. He points to the stairs that lead up to the guest rooms.
“Go back to the room. Please, Rodi,” he says before hurrying back into the great hall to return our plates.
I can run. I can go down to the basement and hide, but for how long? The headmistress will find me, cane me, and drag me back to Ares, who will just be pissed.
But who knows what he will do to me?
I’d rather not find out the hard way. My steps are slow as I wander up the stairs.
“Not very timely, I see.”
I freeze at the top of the stairs, seeing Ares looming ten feet down the hallway from me.
“We lost track of time,” I say as I edge toward him. “I didn’t realize I had to abide by a schedule.”
My lips slam shut as I hear my own words back. Shit. I shouldn’t have said that.
He says nothing as he puts his arm around me, anchoring me to his side as he leads me back to his room. “The only way to regulate so much power is with order.”
My blood runs cold as he nudges me into his room and shuts the door behind us. The thought of messing things up for him, angering him, pumps fear through me.
“I’m… sorry?” I offer, not knowing what to say or do.
Ares sighs as he sits down in an armchair next to the window. He gestures to his lap.
“Sit down,” he orders.
I’m too nervous to disobey, so I walk over and sit on his thigh, draping my legs over his other one as his arm wraps around my back. I look at him, my breath hitching when I realize how close we are. The black spots in his brown eyes lure me closer. His full lips are slightly parted as his tanned skin radiates this pleasant warmth.
When his eyes glance over my lips, my heart skips.
Why’s he looking at me like that?
“What do you want with me? No one will answer that question,” I ask.
Ares sighs as his other hand rests on my ankle.
“It may freak you out to hear that I don’t know,” he says, making my eyes narrow in confusion. “What I do know is that I want you to stay here. With me. I can assure you that you’re in better hands with me than with any other Dominion here.”
Does he want to keep me around like some pet? Or is he… drawn to me?
Heat churns and twists in my lower stomach as I revel in the feeling of his strong hands on me, in his scent and warmth.
“Feels like you want to stay,” Ares murmurs as he inches close, his nose brushing my neck.
His lips tease my neck in the softest touch, nearly making me writhe in his lap as the heat fires up.
“Ares,” I breathe out, feeling his grip on me tighten as he holds me closer like he doesn’t want to ever let go. It’s intoxicating, my eyes fluttering shut as I focus on his lips and his touch, how the warmth from his body flares and seeps into mine, awakening my simmering heat.
Ares breathes in deeply, digging his fingertips into my leg and side. A low rumble sounds from his chest that borders on a growl, sending a chill through me. He presses me against him, an ache spiking through me from the force.
“Ow, Aetherion… You’re hurting me,” I gasp out. I try to break away, my chest feeling tight as his arms wind around me in a dire need to bring me closer. “Stop!”
Ares suddenly freezes and releases me, letting me stumble to my feet. He stands up with an uneven inhale, seeming to come out of a daze.
He blinks a few times. “Get some rest… Rodi,” is all he says before turning and leaving me alone in his room.
Once again, I’m all alone, but I can’t shake the worry lingering in the back of my mind. Did I do the wrong thing? In a situation as crazy as mine, does a right thing even exist?
With the questions lingering in my mind, I crawl into the bed, ready for sleep to take me.