Hades was anxious to return home, which surprised him greatly. After centuries of being confined, he thought having freedom would be the most important thing. However, it appeared Mia intrigued him more than he had anticipated. He found he enjoyed spending time with her and wanted to share his world. It was likely his brother wouldn’t be back for some time. It was also just as likely there would soon be chaos in Hell when Lucan went to rescue Sabin. Oh sure, the vampire was in complete denial that she was his mate, or he would be claiming her at this very moment. They’d all seen this scene play out before with Marcus, Seth, and even Caleb. All three men had tried with great difficulty to keep from claiming their mates.
All had failed miserably.
“I must return home.” He also hadn’t forgotten he was still under his eldest brother’s keep. Unable to travel to the human realm unless summoned.
Zarek strode to him. “Before you go, I will have a word.”
Hades didn’t stop from rolling his eyes. “Must we do this now?”
“I command it as your king.”
“Fucking king card. I suppose next you’ll want me to kneel and kiss your boots?” he growled. Before he was able to take in another breath, he was transported against his will only to find himself suddenly seated at a table. He looked around and recognized the room to be in Zarek’s own palace. A stunning redhead came running at him.
“Hades!”
Hades rose and pulled his sister-in-law into an embrace. “Qadira, love. Has my brother been good to you?”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I manage to keep him in line.” She laughed, and they broke free when Zarek cleared his throat.
“My wife manages to keep me on my toes,” Zarek said.
Hades winked. “Good girl.”
“I will leave you two to whatever business you have.” She touched Hades on the arm. “I’ve missed you, please don’t be a stranger.”
Hades gave a nod. He remembered when his brother had fallen for the goddess of fire and creator of dragons. It had been a whirlwind affair with Zarek being smitten to the core. The goddess was good for all of them, but Hades would freely admit to being jealous of what Zarek had. He’d also seen the other side of what could happen when Argathos had fallen apart when his own wife had been murdered. It was what had started the war that had caused them all to flee their home world and start again. It was why Hades had been condemned to be the punisher of evil.
“So, what is it you want from me now?” Hades didn’t bother to hide his sarcasm.
“You know, you only had to ask me, and I would have allowed you your freedom.”
The snarl started as a small quiver of his lower lip, and his nostrils flared before he curled his lip to reveal his fangs. “You arrogant fuck.” He jumped out of his chair so fast it flew backward and splintered into several pieces. He would have to remember to make his apologies to Qadira after he kicked his brother’s ass.
In seconds, he had fistfuls of Zarek’s shirt and the bastard brother within inches of him. “I do not beg. Ever!”
Zarek’s power flared around him and sent bolts through Hades until he was no longer able to hold on. With a growl, he let go and stepped back. Prepared to unleash his own fury.
“I never asked you to beg. Simply ask like any decent being, but I forgot you have no decency. It’s why I condemned you and your dark fucking soul.”
Every muscle went taut and in that twinkle of time, he wanted nothing more than to bring his brother to his knees. Make him beg for mercy so Hades could refuse to give it. He had the power to do it. Hades had harnessed all the power of Hell, and his big brother the king was unaware that his shitty little brother could indeed rip apart the universe. Blast every living being into oblivion. For a brief moment the darkness swelled inside him. Threatened to spill like a thick, inky sludge until it drowned everything in its stickiness of evil. He must have allowed a glimpse of power to flare beneath the surface because for a second, Zarek’s eyes widened before the god regained his composure.
“I never should have given you dominion over evil,” Zarek said.
Hades fought to remain in control. Visions of Mia filled his head and soothed him until he was able to pull himself from the darkness. He took a deep breath. “Unlike Father, I have control of myself.”
Zarek gave a nod. “That is a good thing because the reason I called you here was to tell you that I have removed all barriers between you and the human realm as well as here. You may come and go at your will. Your home here among us awaits you should you choose to accept it.”
Hades was momentarily shocked. Had he heard his brother correctly? “What is the catch?” There was always a string attached to anything his older brother––the king––did. Not that Hades blamed him. It was also how he operated.
“No catch. It is time for you to come home. You have proven your ability to control your power.”
“What about Hell? I should simply leave it?”
Zarek summoned two glasses of wine and offered one to Hades. “It is your realm and will always remain so. You have a powerful army. Baal is most competent to keep the place civil when you are not there. Live between the two as you see fit.”
For once in his life Hades was speechless. Wasn’t this what he had always wanted? Now that it was offered to him, he wasn’t so sure. He had grown used to the darkness, but he imagined Mia gracing the rooms of his palace here among the gods. He shook the image free. Hades would have Mia, and then she would become a distant memory like all the others.
Zarek raised his glass. “To my brother finally coming home.”
Hades raised his as well and gave a nod. “To coming home.”
Mia had been in Hell for exactly one week. She and Aster had gone riding twice and she enjoyed it thoroughly. Part of her daily routine now consisted of paying a visit to the stables and spending time with Phantom. She was growing quite fond of the horse and the beast seemed to reciprocate.
Hades spent most of his days busy with whatever an evil god did but was always there for breakfast and dinner. She should be grateful he was otherwise occupied. It helped keep her hormones in check. Today however, he was taking her on her first trip outside his compound. She was careful to dress in jeans and a tee as well as tennis shoes. Comfort as well as staying covered up was important.
As she made her way down the stairs, she contemplated how to approach a question that had been nagging at her since she’d arrived. When she reached the last step, Hades was there to greet her. It was totally unfair that he looked just as sexy in jeans as he did in a suit.
“Shall we?” He offered his arm.
“Okay.” She wrapped her fingers around his bicep and nearly groaned on contact with the thick, hard muscle. Mia couldn’t escape Hell fast enough with her promise to not cave into sex with the god.
He led her out of the palace and along a stone path. They walked several minutes in silence, which was unusual for Hades.
“You are quiet today,” she said.
“I’m sorry. Please excuse my bad manners.”
Now she knew something was wrong. Even though she hadn’t been around the god much, she had been enough to read his moods. “Care to talk about it?”
He glanced at her. “My shoulders are big. There is no need for you to carry my burdens.”
His comment had her wanting to help him carry that weight. “Hades, no one should go it alone. Not even the god of the Underworld.”
He stopped several yards from a wrought-iron gate and faced her. It was then she noticed his eyes matched Hell’s sky. Both were so intense she gasped.
“What?” He looked around as if to locate a threat.
“Your eyes have changed color again. They are the same blue as the sky.”
“Seems since I have met you many things about me have changed.”
“Is that what’s bothering you?”
He shook his head. “No, but it looks as if my eldest brother has lifted my curse. The one that has kept me locked away here unless summoned.”
“But that’s wonderful!” Wasn’t it?
“He has also given me back my home.”
“Your home?” Now she was utterly confused.
He started to walk again. “Yes. All of the gods have a home in a place called the Temple of the Gods. I haven’t seen mine since I was condemned to the Underworld.”
This time she stopped and forced him to look at her. “How long have you been here?”
He gave a half-hearted smile. “It has been so long I hardly remember. Since I was a young god.” There was no mistaking the pain in his eyes that flashed away seconds later.
“Can I ask how old you are now?” She hoped it wasn’t impolite to pose the question.
He ignored her by turning away and started walking again. They finished the journey through an iron gate that––to her surprise––was only guarded by two men she assumed to be demons. Once they were on the other side, she was met by an endless sea of nothing. The ground under her was covered by crushed rocks as black as a crow’s wing. The sun bore down on them with such intensity she swore her skin would melt away from her bones at any moment. Sweat beaded and made its way into places that had her shifting her stance.
“This, Mia, is true Hell. An ocean of nothing. No shade. No water. No life. It’s simply void of anything more than rock and heat.”
She turned and looked around. “Where is the gate?” Everything was gone.
“It’s still there, but you can no longer see it. This is true purgatory.”
She swallowed. “I thought Hell was full of screaming souls being tortured.” She shook her head in disbelief at what lay before her compared to the vision her mind had always held.
“Can you imagine roaming this for eternity? Your soul forever stuck here?”
She shivered despite the overbearing heat. “No.”
He faced her. “I was sent here when I was one hundred. To a human that would equal a teenager. I am now two hundred thousand years old.”
She tried to swallow the gasp, but it escaped anyway.
“Yes, that is a long time. Time to learn how to control my power and turn this place into something more. Time to be forever alone.” With that he waved his hand and the transformation in front of her was monumental.
The air cooled to a more comfortable temperature. Green covered the ground in the form of thick, lush grass. She noted houses also dotted the landscape and people seemed to be out socializing like any small neighborhood might.
“What just happened?” She hadn’t forgotten the last comment he’d made about being alone. There was no way to fathom how long he had actually been alive and forced to live in this purgatory.
“That, my dear Mia, is the power of a god. For those deserving, I can change the landscape to something more fitting. Something more tolerable.”
“Damn.” That was some power indeed.
“I can transform Hell at a whim to whatever I wish. Some areas are as you would expect with the screaming, tortured souls.”
She dug for the courage to ask the burning question. “What did you mean by being alone? There seems to be plenty of people…ummm, demons around you.”
“When you are the most powerful being in a world, enemies pretend to be your friend. Everyone has a motive, and no one is to be trusted.”
It suddenly hit her like a load of bricks. She was able to clearly see how Hades might be treated by those around him. It would be like suddenly winning the lottery. You would have no idea who to trust. She squared her shoulders. “Hades, you can trust me.”
His gaze narrowed. “Is that so? Even you want something from me. To free you from your curse so you may live a normal life.”
“I did, but we made a deal. In return for your favor, I agreed to come here. You can read me, this I know, so you can see my intentions.”
He studied her for a moment. “Yes. Your intentions are clear. It is what attracts me to you. You are the only being who has no ulterior motive against me. You don’t wish for my kingdom or my power. Nor do you want to be lavished in riches. You are truly unique. I am humbled that you allow me to share my world with you.”
“No, Hades. It is I who am humbled.”
Hades became a man obsessed. Fading everything around them into the background, he hid them from any prying eyes as he bent down, cupped Mia’s cheeks, and leaned in to kiss her. He was positive when he lay claim to her mouth, she would recoil even though deep down she desired him. However, to his surprise, she softened into him. Parted her lips, her tongue darting out to meet his. The intimate contact sent heated blood coursing through his veins and straight to his now thickening shaft. He should break away, yet he was unable. Truth be told, he didn’t want to.
A sexy mewl came from the female in his embrace, and her kiss deepened as she slipped her arms around his waist. Vanilla consumed all of his senses and nearly sent him to his knees. Finally, he pulled himself from the lust he was drowning in and broke the kiss. Mia looked at him, eyes filled with desire and breaths coming in heavy pants.
“I would apologize, but I am not sorry. You do something to me that no other ever has. I don’t pretend to understand it, but I made a vow to you and intend to keep it.” He stepped back and scrubbed his palm down his face. “In order for me to remain a man of my word, I must send you home.”
Her eyes widened. “But––”
He held up a hand. “I will break your curse, Mia, and you can go home at the end of the week. If you stay any longer, I will forget my vow and I will have you in my bed.”
“Oh.” Her voice so soft had he not been an immortal with perfect hearing he may have missed it. There was also no denying the disappointment in her eyes. If Mia really wanted him, she would come to him. She had until the end of the week. Five long agonizing days to say she wanted him in her bed.
“We should head back. I have things to do.” Namely remove himself from the presence of the female in front of him.