Panic laced with acid sat at the back of her throat and threatened to burn straight through her. What did Lowan intend for Hades? Mia imagined the piece of shit who towered over her wanted to take the god down.
“I thought there was some rule or something that said gods were not able to harm each other.” She clearly recalled the explanation given to her by Hades earlier.
A grin curled his mouth into a twisted line of evil. “I don’t need to touch him. You will be his downfall.” He circled the room, a predator who enjoyed toying with his prey.
“Hades tossed me away. You said so yourself. It proves he doesn’t want me, so what makes you think he will come for me?” She wasn’t even sure herself that he would and secretly prayed he didn’t.
Lowan lunged closer and ran a ringlet of her hair between his fingers. She held her breath. Fear prickling her skin as he produced a knife. Before she could blink, he sliced off the curl. “Hades will go mad when he receives this.” He held the piece of hair up and it vanished. Another mystical currier on its way to Hades. Might even be in his hand this very second. Mia held no real understanding of how the paranormal world around her worked, but it was both a wondrous and scary place.
She had hoped after taking a piece of her hair, Lowan would leave her alone, but it was not to be. This time he grabbed a handful of hair, jerked her head to the side, and pain so intense had her crying out as he struck her neck with thick, sharp fangs. Intense burning followed the vein in her neck, down her right arm and to her fingertips where it shot across her stomach and burned her intestines. Mia tried to fight. Wanted to shove him away but found herself paralyzed. As dots of color danced in her vision, something deep inside her burst forth. Black claws sprung from her fingertips and she swiped at his cheek. Lowan snarled and shoved her away. His fangs tearing the flesh on her neck, warm wetness trickled across her skin. She managed to glance down at herself and noticed her skin appeared to glow. What was happening to her? It was nothing like the shift she had made nightly into a spirit. This was different. She was energized, as if plugged into an electrical outlet. There was also no missing the sharp points that stabbed her bottom lip.
She had freaking fangs!
“You’ll pay for that, bitch!” Lowan unleashed a current of power that streaked across the room and wrapped a blanket of pain over her entire body. Every muscle went rigid until she convulsed. When he finally released his magical hold, she collapsed into a trembling mass onto the floor.
“You cannot beat me.” Thankfully, he left the room and she curled into a fetal position on the cold stone floor.
His entire body went rigid when a lock of Mia’s hair appeared in his palm quickly followed by blinding pain. For a moment, Hades was unable to move. Not understanding what was happening until dawning struck like a bolt of lightning.
“Hades? What’s wrong?” Concern etched lines on Lileta’s forehead.
“He’s hurting her. That fucking little prick is making Mia suffer.” Electrical current sizzled in the air and every piece of furniture splintered. The very atmosphere of Hell fractured. As Hades began his shift, Lileta took several steps back, her eyes wide. It was rare that anyone bore witness to his darkest side. The side that was all his father. A creature whose eyes burned with Hell’s fire. Whose skin darkened to black and leathery wings unfurled from his back as his clothing shredded from his body that had grown several inches taller.
“Damn, I think you need to get ahold of yourself, Hades.”
There was no stopping his craze. Denial of what Mia was to him no longer a valid excuse. Her pain tore a hole in his heart that he swore would never heal. With a snarl on his lips, he vanished from the room leaving the dagger behind. Lileta was right, he would do Mia no good if he were dead. He trusted only himself to protect her. The thought of another man touching her, looking at her, fueled him further.
It only took minutes for Hades to locate Lowan’s fortress on the outskirts of New Orleans. The power that surrounded the old plantation held the signature of the demigod. If Lowan thought to keep Hades out with such pitiful magic, his grandson was a disgrace to everything evil. Even the darkness mocked him and his attempts at world domination. Sure, Lowan currently rained terror in the human realm, but any lackey could terrorize mortals. Hell, Hades’ own demons were known to raise havoc on many occasions throughout the centuries.
Within seconds several demons descended. Some from the air, many poured from the structure itself, and several ripped through the earth. Hades’ laughter became maniacal as he slaughtered some and sent many back to Hell with no escape. Those who dared commit treason against him would join the shadow demon he had locked away. The one awaiting centuries of torture Hades would mete out for threatening Mia.
The ground shook and fractured as Hades’ power collided with Lowan’s and his hundreds of demons. Even the sun hid behind black clouds, turning the sky a dismal gray. Fortunately, Lowan’s fortress was in the middle of a swamp and not close to the city’s center. That didn’t mean there would be no repercussions, however. Any in the immediate vicinity would experience the ripple of power. That’s why when the guardians showed up––no doubt feeling the power themselves––Hades dispatched them to keep the wider impact to a minimum. It was the least he could do.
Baal appeared next to him as well as one hundred demons under his command. “Ready to kick some ass, boss.”
Hades grinned. Baal was his right hand and often a cocky rebel, but when things got dirty, the demon was as loyal as any Hades had ever known. “Then let us tear this place to the ground, but keep in mind Mia is my number one priority.” On his last word, Hades let his power rip free and flashed himself inside the fortress.
Once inside, he was immediately met by Lowan. “Grandfather. How kind of you to oblige me and step right into my trap.” It was then Lowan’s Wendigos rushed forward. Hades rolled his eyes. The creatures had never been very bright, following whoever would lead them. Apparently, they had forgotten who they were dealing with.
With a sweep of his arm through the air, Hades took down the first wave of fifty pitiful demons. Dropping them into lifeless clumps of goo. The next round took a step forward and Hades issued his warning.
“Are you that fucking daft? If you wish to die, then I will end you all now. I’ve no time to waste.” In seconds, the battlefield cleared of all Lowan’s henchmen. Apparently, they weren’t as dumb as Hades thought. With Baal and his army behind him, Hades issued his last warning as he faced Lowan.
“Step aside. Allow me to take Mia from here and you can continue your terror on humanity.”
“If I don’t?” Lowan puffed out his chest and straightened but was still shorter than Hades’ beast.
“You silly fool. What you do in this world is of little concern to me. However, when you fuck with what is mine. Dare to even look at or speak her name, then you have crossed a line.” Without hesitation, Hades flicked his wrist and sent a thousand Brones demons coursing through Lowan’s bloodstream. Tiny creatures of Hades’ own creation that would bore into every cell in his grandson’s body. The demigod’s intestines would feel like they were being drilled by shards of glass in… One. Two… and down Lowan went. Into a fetal position, he writhed in pain as he looked up at Hades.
“You…” He couldn’t speak as the demons shredded his voice box.
“You will not die but will beg for death. Eventually, you will figure out how to rid yourself of them. In the meantime, they will consume your insides and every time you regenerate the torture will start anew.” He stepped closer, glared down at his own flesh and blood. “I am Hades, god of the Underworld and you can never best me. If you ever touch Mia again, I will kill you and damn the consequences.” Then he stormed off to collect his mate.
Mia woke to the floor under her shaking and the bed frame screeching across the stones. She quickly pushed herself up, her head still filled with a fog from whatever Lowan had done to her. Thankfully, he was nowhere to be found. She managed to get to her feet and noticed her skin still held the same glow it had before. Renewed energy filled her with determination. She was going to get out of here and whatever was going on outside her room would make a good distraction. As she crossed to the door, she spotted her reflection in a mirror and came to an abrupt halt. Stepping closer, she was hardly able to comprehend what stared back at her.
Small horns protruded from the top of her head. Her ears now had pointed tips and her skin was a luminescent bronze. Even her eyes appeared brighter than she’d ever seen. She curled her lips to reveal the small set of fangs she had felt pressed against her tongue.
What the hell had Hades done to her?
As soon as her mind posed the question, the door to her prison blew off the hinges and seven feet of pissed off demon stormed through. The beast stopped short and stared at her and there wasn’t any doubt in her mind that it was Hades. Anger fueled her next move as she instinctively raised her hand and launched a burst of power at him. He deflected and right before her eyes transformed from the dark beast back to the sexy man she knew. Seeing the handsome god made her heart ache even more. He had abandoned her but not before he turned her into whatever that was that had stared back at her in the mirror.
“Mia––”
“How could you?” she shouted, cutting him off. “I trusted you to keep your word.” She curled claw-tipped fingers into her palms, drawing blood. His nostrils flared as he looked down at her bleeding hands.
He stormed toward her. She took a step back as a loud blast rocked the ground and caused her to stumble. Hades was there to catch her. Press her against his hard body and she hated him even more for the desire that bloomed deep in her soul. A desire that was only for him.
“I am truly sorry, but I must get you to safety and then we will talk.”
She beat her fist against his chest. “Look what you did to me!”
He only squeezed her tighter to him. “I swear I did not do this to you. At least not intentionally, but I will get to the bottom of it.” Another explosion. “We must leave. My army is busy destroying this place.”
Before she was able to respond, the room went black and she knew they were sucked into a vortex. Well, fine with her. Mia could hardly wait to give Hades a piece of her mind and maybe even her fist across his damn kissable lips.
Mia was like heaven against Hades’ body and he had never been more relieved. The first thing he was going to do was get her back into his bed and finish what had been started. He was such an idiot for ever letting her go in the first place. He also would be finding out how his female had suddenly become an Arkoth demon. He would ask Lileta to research the vast library, but he was positive he knew the answer.
Flashing into his suite, he reluctantly set Mia on her feet. Hating to let her go but knowing she would need some distance and an explanation. He would never be able to apologize enough.
She shoved away from him. “Well, I suppose I should thank you for saving me, but if not for you I probably wouldn’t have been in that predicament,” she spat.
“You are correct. I should have never let you go, and I don’t intend to make that same mistake again.” He stepped closer, unable to keep his distance.
She backed up. “Stay away from me.” Her skin glowed the closer he got, and her musky arousal filled the air.
“I am sorry, Mia.” Hades did something he had only ever done once in his entire existence and that was when he had pledged his allegiance to his brother, Zarek. He dropped to one knee, took her hand in his, and stared into her stormy eyes. “I vow to never turn you away again. I vow to be your protector, provider, and lover for eternity. I, Hades, god of the Underworld, have finally found my other half. I love you, Mia, and want you to become mine.”
She gasped.
He held his breath and waited for her rejection. Lord knew he deserved it as he was an absolute beast.
“I should be furious with you, yet I understand what you did.” She knelt in front of him and touched his face. “You only meant to protect me from your darker side. Promise me you’ll never fear that side of yourself again.”
He did not deserve this kind, loving female. “I will do anything for you. Even if it means leashing the beast that lives inside me.”
She shook her head. “No. Never hide who you really are from me. I love all of you, Hades.”
Relief swept over him. She loved him as well. Everything would be right in his world now.
“Now, are we going to finish what we started?” Her brow arched as she glanced at the bed.