Chapter 17 #2
He just said he loves Persephone—present tense. It makes me wonder if he can ever love me, too.
The concern festers in my mind for only a few seconds before I give voice to it, because I just told him that there can be no secrets between us. That we need to discuss everything.
And that includes this—his feelings for Persephone. For my soul.
“I know you’ll always love her,” I say, swallowing again. “I understand and accept that. But I need to know if there’s room in your heart to love me, too.”
His nostrils flare, his expression morphing into something I can’t define. Pain, maybe? Fear? Anger?
He’s suddenly on the bed in front of me, both of us kneeling, his palms on my face. He’s not touching me harshly, but gently. Reverently.
“Serapina, part of me already loves you because our souls are fated,” he says. “But as for there being room for more?”
He presses his forehead to mine, his eyes falling closed, and I’m suddenly terrified to hear more.
Worried he’s going to say that’s all he can give me.
Sad that I… I’ll be forced to accept it.
Because how can I not? Hades—
“I’m afraid,” Hades whispers, his confession jarring me from my thoughts.
“Afraid?” I echo, confused.
He nods slowly, his forehead still against mine. “I asked Maliki the other day if it’s wrong to fall for a woman who is nothing like my mate,” he confides, his voice still soft. “I wondered if I was tarnishing Persephone’s memory or honoring it.”
I blink a little, unsure of how to respond to that. “I… I’m not that different from Persephone. Not really.”
“You are,” he says, pulling back to look at me.
“This conversation is proof of that, Serapina. Persephone and I never spoke like this, yet you and I…” His thumb caresses my cheek, his focus sliding down to my mouth.
“We’re not even fully bonded. However, I’m already telling you more than I would ever have said to her. ”
“Because neither of you had reason to question your connection,” I tell him. “There was no need to have this conversation.”
“Maybe, but it’s not what we’re discussing, Serapina, that makes us different. It’s the fact that we’re sharing our feelings at all.” His gaze meets mine again. “I’m at risk of falling for you in a way I never fell for her. That’s my truth. And it both enthralls and terrifies me.”
A shiver traverses my spine. “Hades, I…”
I don’t know what else to say.
So I don’t say anything at all and just press my lips to his. It’s tentative. Seeking. Full of hope. And a tad fearful.
This relationship between us is complicated.
I can remember Persephone’s love for him, her adoration, her worship.
Yet my feelings are more… intense.
He infuriates me. Bewitches me. Scares me. Seduces me.
All those dreams I’ve had of him were my own, which is so insane to realize. They were born of Persephone’s connection to him, but all my fantasies were crafted by my mind, not from her memories.
Fate, I marvel. Fate is… fascinating.
And so is Hades.
He’s complex. Strong. An Alpha in his prime. A God.
Yet he’s handling me with a softness right now that belies his inner strength. His lips brush mine, his palm remains on my cheek, and his eyes fall closed.
It’s gentle.
Sweet.
So at odds with the power I know this male possesses.
Except this is how he handled Persephone. With the utmost care. Like she could shatter at any second.
I want more than that. I want his beast. His dominance. His virility. “Hades,” I breathe, ready to demand more.
But he ends our embrace instead, his gaze once more capturing mine. “I want to show you something,” he murmurs. “Something I made for you. Not Persephone. But you.”
I blink a few times, startled by the boyishness in his tone. He sounds… excited? “Oh. I… okay.” My brow crinkles. “Here?”
He gives a little nod. “Yes, in the maze.”
“Oh,” I repeat, then glance down at my robe, the fabric of which is hanging off me and not actually covering my nudity at all.
Hades follows my gaze, his focus seeming to sharpen. “You have no idea how alluring you are like this,” he tells me. “Kneeling in the middle of your new nest, mostly naked. But you said you wanted us to talk, and I agree that it’s important for us to know each other.”
He brushes his lips against mine, then slips off the bed.
A pillow tumbles after him, the action making my lips curl down.
Wincing, he picks it up and tries to place it back where it was on the bed.
“Sorry,” he murmurs. “I didn’t mean to disturb your nest. I also should have asked before entering it.” He winces again. “You would think I know nothing about women and Omegas.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying for months,” Maliki drawls as he enters a room with a tray. “Good to hear you acknowledge it.”
My eyes widen at seeing the food approaching me. “Do not put that in here,” I growl, the sharpness in my tone surprising both me and Maliki. But the idea of him placing that tray anywhere near this bed has something savage inside me roaring to life. “Food goes in the dining room, not the bedroom.”
Maliki gapes at me.
And Hades chuckles. “Our Omega has made a nest.” He claps Maliki on the back. “Offending her will ensure you’re never invited into the safe haven.”
“How is me walking in here an offense?” Maliki demands.
“You brought food near her secure space,” Morpheus says from the doorway. “I was in the middle of warning you not to do that when you insisted on checking in on her and Hades.”
“I did not insist.”
“You insisted,” Morpheus repeats. “But they’re fine. So bring the food back out here before the Omega growls again. Because otherwise, I’m going to request she make that sound while I fuck her mouth.”
My eyes widen at his crass words. “Morpheus.”
“Ah, see, my little dreamer is already trying to make the fantasy become a reality,” he all but purrs, and starts toward the bed.
But Hades steps into his path. “No. We agreed she’s mine today.”
“We didn’t actually agree on anything,” Morpheus returns. “You simply stated a demand and expected us to comply.”
“Morpheus,” Hades says, a hint of patience underlying his tone, one that conflicts with his rigid posture.
The two Alphas lock gazes for a long moment, then the God of Dreams inclines his head. “Fine.”
“Thank you,” Hades murmurs, causing Morpheus’s eyebrows to shoot upward.
“Oh, don’t thank me. We’re only giving you sixty minutes.”
“We?” Maliki echoes.
“We,” Morpheus repeats. Then he grabs Maliki, and the pair of them vanish from the room. Fortunately, the food disappears with them.
But I’m left utterly confused by my actions.
And also the word nest is now repeating in my head.
Hades has voiced the term a few times. However, it didn’t permeate the fog in my mind until now. Which has me glancing around the massive bed of fluffy pillows and the comforter I magically manifested earlier. “A nest,” I whisper.
“A nest,” Hades murmurs. “A very pretty one at that.”
I look up at him. “I made a nest.”
His lips twitch. “You did, yes.”
“And you… like it?” I’m not sure why I feel hesitant, or why I suddenly need his approval, but I do. Maybe because it’s his space. His bed. His cabin. His maze. Or… or perhaps I just want to impress him.
“I more than like it, Serapina,” he says, his dark eyes finding mine. “I love it.” He gives me a small smile, then says, “I’ll be waiting for you in the living area. Wear whatever you want.”
He disappears before I can reply.
Not that I have anything to say.
I’m too busy smiling.
Because my Alpha just said he loves my nest.
A nest I hadn’t even meant to create.
Yet it’s mine now. My space. My sanctuary. Mine.