“Punish?” Hades tilted his head to the side, and he moved closer, hips leaning into hips, leaving no space between them. “I am interested to hear how you think I might punish you.”
Those words wound her tight, and despite the heat they inspired, she managed to glare at him.
“I am interested in having my questions answered.”
Hades jaw tightened. “Remind me again of your question.”
She blinked. Was she asking him if he had only chosen her because she was a goddess? Was she asking him if he loved her?
She took a deep breath and peered up at him through her lashes. “If there were no Fates, would you still want me?”
She couldn’t place the look on Hades’ face. His eyes were a laser, melting her chest and her heart and her lungs. She couldn’t breath as she waited for him to speak—and he didn’t. Instead, he reached for her with one hand and clasped her jaw. His body vibrated—she could feel the violence beneath, and for a moment she wondered what the King of the Underworld intended to unleash.
Then his grip softened, and his fingers splayed across her cheek, eyes lowering to her lips.
“Do you know how I knew the Fates made you for me?” His voice was a hoarse whisper, a tone he used in the darkness of their room after they made love. Persephone shook her head slowly, ensnared by his gaze. “I could taste it on your skin and the only thing I regret is that I have lived so long without you.”
His lips trailing along her jaw and across her cheek. She held her breath, leaning into his touch, seeking his mouth, but instead of kissing her, he stepped away.
His sudden distance left her unsteady, and she leaned against the bookshelf for support.
“What was that?” she demanded, glaring at him.
He offered a dark chuckle, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Foreplay.”
The he reached forward, swept her into his arms and over his shoulder. Persephone gave a small yelp of surprise, and demanded, “What are you doing?”
“Proving that I want you.”
He strolled out of the library and into the hall.
“Put me down, Hades!”
“No.”
She had a feeling he was grinning. His hand crept up between her thighs, parting her flesh, and diving inside of her. She gripped the fabric of his jacket so she wouldn’t fall off his shoulder.
“Hades!” she moaned.
He chuckled, and she hated him for it. She released his long locks and yanked on the strands, pulling his head back, seeking his lips. Hades’ was obliging and braced her against the nearest wall offering a vicious kiss before pulling away to growl in her ear.
“I will punish you until you scream, until you come so hard around my cock, you are left in no doubt of my affection.”
His words stole her breath and her magic awakened, warming her skin.
“Make good on your promises, Lord Hades,” she said against his mouth.
Then the wall beneath Persephone gave way and she yelped as Hades stumbled forward. He managed to prevent them both from landing on the floor, and once they were steady, he guided her to her feet. She recognized the way he held her—protectively, an arm wrapped high on her shoulders. She craned her neck and discovered they were in the dining room. The banquet table was crowded with Hades’ staff, including Thanatos, Hecate, and Charon.
The wall they’d been pressed against was a door.
Hades cleared his throat, and Persephone buried her head into Hades’ chest.
“Good evening,” Hades said, she was surprised by how calm he sounded when he spoke. He wasn’t even breathless, though she could feel his heart beating hard against her ear. She thought Hades would excuse himself and vanish, but instead he said, “The Lady Persephone and I are famished, and we wish to be alone.”
She froze and jabbed him in the side.
What was he doing?
All at once, people started to move, clearing away plates, silverware, and huge platters of untouched food.
“Good evening, my lady—my lord.”
They filed out of the dining room with glittering eyes and wide smiles. Persephone kept her gaze lowered, a perpetual blush on her cheeks as Hades’ residents paraded into the hall to dine elsewhere in the palace.
When they were alone, Hades wasted no time leaning into her, guiding her back until her legs hit the table.
“You cannot be serious.”
“As the dead,” he answered.
“The…dining room?”
“I’m quite hungry, aren’t you?”
Yes.
But she had no time to respond. Hades lifted her onto the table, stepped between her legs, and knelt as a servant would kneel to their queen. Her dress rose as his hands trailed up her calves. He teased, lips skimming the inside of her thighs before his mouth found her core.
Persephone arch off the table and her breath hitched as Hades worked, his tongue ruthless in its assault, his short beard creating a delicious friction against her sensitive flesh. She reached for him, tangling her fingers into his hair, writhing beneath this touch.
Hades held her tighter, his fingers digging into her flesh to hold her in place. A guttural sound escaped her when his lips fastening around her cleft and his fingers replaced his thrusting tongue, filling and stretching until pleasure exploded throughout her body.
She was sure she was glowing.
This was rapture, euphoria, ecstasy.
And it was all interrupted by a knock at the door.
Persephone froze and tried to sit up, but Hades held her in place and growled looking up at her from his place between her legs.
“Ignore it.” It was spoken like a command, his eyes ignited like embers.
He continued ruthlessly, moving deeper, harder, faster. Persephone could barely stay on the table, she could barely breath, feeling as though she were clawing her way to the surface of the Styx again, desperate for air, but content in the knowledge that this death would be a happy one.
But the knock continued, and a hesitant voice called out, “Lord Hades?”
Persephone couldn’t tell who was on the other side of the door, but they sounded nervous and they had reason to be, because the look on Hades face was murderous.
This is how he looks when he faces souls in Tartarus, she thought.
Hades sat back on his heels.
“Go away,” he snapped.
There was a beat of silence. Then the voice said, “It’s important, Hades.”
Even Persephone noted to heightened alarm in the person’s tone. Hades sighed and stood, taking her face between his hands.
“A moment, my darling.”
“You won’t hurt him, will you?”
“Not too terribly.”
He didn’t smile as he stepped into the hallway.
Persephone felt ridiculous sitting on the edge of the table, so she slipped off, adjusted her skirts, and started to pace the extravagant dining room. Her first impression of this room had been that it was over-the-top. The ceiling boasted several unnecessary crystal chandeliers, the walls were adorned in gold, and Hades’ chair looked like a throne at the head of the table. To top it off, he rarely dined in this room, often preferring to take his meals elsewhere in the palace. That was one reason she’d decided to use it during the Solstice Celebration—all this beauty would not go to waste.
Hades returned. He seemed frustrated, his jaw flexed, and his eyes glittered with a different kind of intensity. He stopped a few inches from her, hands in his pockets.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “And no. Ilias has made me aware of a problem better dealt with sooner than later.”
She stared at him, waiting, but he didn’t explain.
“When will you be back?”
“An hour. Maybe two.”
She frowned, and Hades’ touched her chin so that her eyes were level with his. “Trust, my darling, leaving you is the hardest decision I make each day.”
“Then don’t,” she said, placing her hands around his waist. “I’ll go with you.”
“That is not wise.” His voice was gruff, and Persephone’s brows knit together.
“Why not?”
“Persephone—”
“It’s a simple question,” she interrupted.
“It isn’t,” he snapped, and then sighed, running his fingers through his loose hair.
She stared. He had never lost this temper quite like this. What had him so agitated? She thought about pushing for an answer, but knew she would get nowhere, so instead, she relent.
“Fine,” she took a step away, creating distance between them. “I’ll be here when you return.”
Hades frowned. “I will make it up to you.”
She arched a brow and commanded, “Swear it.”
Hades’ eyes simmer beneath the glow of the crystal lights.
“Oh, darling. You don’t need to extract an oath. Nothing will keep me from fucking you.”
CHAPTER II – A TOUCH OF DUPLICITY
Persephone’s body vibrated, warmed from the spark Hades had ignited. Without supervision, the flame had spread, consuming her whole body. She sought a distraction and wandered outside where she walked through the garden, consumed by the smell of damp soil and sweet blossoms. She caressed petals and leaves as she passed until she came to the edge of the plot where a wild field of yellowing grass danced, encouraged by a whispered breezed.
She took off at a run, orange flowers bloomed at her feet as she sailed across the field. She didn’t have to focus on using her magic. It radiated from her, unfiltered and uncontrolled. Hades’ Dobermans joined her, chasing each other until she came to a halt at the edge of Hecate’s meadow. The goddess sat cross-legged outside her cottage with her eyes closed. Persephone wasn’t sure if she was meditating or casting a spell. If Persephone had to guess, she’d say the Goddess of Witchcraft was probably cursing some mortal in the Upperworld for some heinous deed against women.
Cerberus, Typhon, and Orthrus did not follow Persephone as she approached the goddess.
“Sated already?” Hecate asked, her eyes were still closed.
Persephone would never forgive Hades for what had gone down in front of his staff.
“Does it look like it?” she grumbled.
Sexual frustration was making her grumpy. Hecate opened one eye, and then the other.
“Ah,” she said. “Care to train instead?”
“Only if I get to blow something up.”
A small smile tugged at Hecate’s berry lips. “You get to meditate.”
“Meditate?”
The last thing Persephone wanted to do was be alone with her raging thoughts. Hecate patted the ground beside her, and Persephone sighed, taking a seat. Her body felt rigid, her hands warm and sweaty.
“Your first lesson, Goddess. Control your emotions.”
“How is that a lesson?” Persephone asked.
Hecate gave her a knowing look. “Do you want to talk about earlier? Those doors came down because of your magic. They weren’t opened by anyone on the inside.”
Persephone looked away.
“Don’t be embarrassed, my dear. It happens to the best of us.”
Persephone knew her emotions were tied to her powers. Flowers sprouted when she was angry, and vines curled around Hades in moments of passion without warning. Then there was Minthe, whose insulting words had resulted in her transformation into a mint plant and Adonis who she’d threatened in the Garden of the Gods by turning his limbs into vines. Not to mention the destruction of her mother’s greenhouse.
“Okay, so I have a problem,” Persephone admitted. “How do I control it?”
“With practice,” Hecate said. “And lots of meditation. The more often you do it, the more you—and your magic—will benefit.”
Persephone frowned. “I hate meditating.”
“Have you ever tried it?”
“Yes, and it’s boring. All you do is…sit.”
The corner of Hecate’s mouth lifted.
“Your perspective is wrong. The point of meditation is to gain control—are you not hungry for control, Persephone?”
Hecate’s voice dipped low, tinged with seduction. Persephone couldn’t deny that she was eager for what the goddess was offering. She wanted control over everything—her magic, her life, her future.
“I’m listening,” Persephone said.
Hecate’s smile was impish, and she continued. “Meditation means focusing your attention moment by moment rather than getting caught up in the things that plague you—the things that drown you, the things that cause your magic to create a shield around you.”
Hecate led Persephone through several meditations, guiding her to focus on her breathing. She imagined this might be peaceful if she could keep her mind from wandering to Hades. She swore on two occasions he was behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck, the soft scrape of his beard against her cheek as he whispered words against her skin.
I have thought of you all day.
A thrill shivered through her and her core tightened.
The way you taste, the feel of my cock slipping inside you, the way you moan when I fuck you.
Persephone bit her lip, and heat gushed between her legs.
I want to fuck you so hard your screams reach the ears of the living.
Her breath escaped in a harsh gasp, and she opened her eyes. When she looked at Hecate, the goddess arched a knowing brow.
“On second thought, let’s blow some things up.”
***
“I’m going to be late!” Persephone threw off her covers and jumped from bed.
Hades groaned, stretching his arm across the sheets, reaching for her.
“Come back to bed,” he said, sleepily.
She ignored him, running around his bedroom in search of her things. She found her purse on a chair, her shoes under the bed, and her clothes were wrapped up in the bedsheets. She untangled them, and once they were free, Hades snatched them from her hands.
“Hades—” she growled, lunging for him.
His hands clamped down her on her waist, and he rolled, pinning her beneath him. She laughed, squirming.
“Hades, stop! I’m going to be late and it’s already your fault.”
He had made good on his promise, returning to the Underworld around three in the morning. When he slipped into bed behind her, he’d kissed her goodnight and hadn’t stopped. After, she’d fallen into a deep sleep, hitting the snooze button when her alarm went off to wake her.
“I’ll take you,” he said, bending to kiss her neck. “I can get you there in seconds.”
“Hmm,” she said, pressing her palms against his chest. “Thanks, but I prefer taking the long way.”
He arched a brow and gave her a menacing look before rolling off. She got to her feet again, holding up her wrinkled clothes and frowned.
“Allow me to help,” Hades said and snapped his fingers, manifesting a tailored black dress and heels. She looked down, smoothing her hands over the fabric which had a faint shimmer.
“Black isn’t my usual color choice,” she said.
Hades smirked. “Humor me,” he said.
Once she was ready, he insisted she accept a ride from his driver, which was how she ended up in the back of Hades’ black Lexus. Antoni, a cyclops and a servant to the God of the Dead, was in the driver’s seat whistling a song Persephone recognized from Apollo’s White Raven album. Despite not being a fan of the god’s music, she’d spent Friday night celebrating her best friend, Lexa Sideris’ birthday at the god’s club where his songs were on a constant rotation. She now felt she knew them all by heart, which only made her distaste for them stronger.
She did her best to ignore Apollo’s incessant falsetto and was soon distracted by a series of messages from Lexa. The first one read:
You’re officially famous.
A tidal wave of anxiety gripped her as her best friend sent several links to ‘breaking news’ from outlets all over New Greece, and they were all about her and Hades.
She clicked on the first link, then the next, and the next. Most of the articles rehashed details of her public reunion with Hades, including incriminating photos. She blushed seeing reminders of that day. She hadn’t expected the King of the Dead to appear in the Upperworld, and when she’d seen him, she thought her heart would explode. She ran to him, jumped into his arms and coiled around him like she belonged there. Hades’ hands pressed into her bottom and their lips locked in a kiss she could still feel.
She should have seen the media storm coming, but after Lexa’s birthday party, she’d spent the weekend in the Underworld, sequestered to Hades’ bedchamber, exploring, teasing, submitting. She hadn’t thought twice about the state of the Upperworld once she’d left. With images like these, it was hard to deny speculation about their relationship.
It was the last message she received that scared her the most:
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HADES’ LOVER.
It was her worst nightmare.
She scanned the article, relieved to discover there wasn’t any information that would reveal her as the daughter of Demeter or a goddess, but it was still creepy. It said that she was from Olympia, that she had started attending New Athens University four years ago, began with a major in botany and ended with a major in journalism. There were a few quotes from students who claimed to her ‘know her’—gems like, “You could tell she was really smart” and “She was always really quiet” and “She read a lot.”
The article also detailed a timeline of her life that included her internship at New Athens News, her articles about Hades, and their reconciliation outside The Coffee House.
“Onlookers say they weren’t sure of Hades’ motives when he materialized in the Upperworld, but it appeared he was there to make amends with the journalist, Persephone Rosi, which begs the question: when did their romance begin?”
Persephone recognized the irony of her situation—she was an investigative journalist. She loved research. She loved getting to the bottom of an issue, exposing facts, and saving mortals from the wrath of gods, demi-gods, and themselves.
But this was different.
This was her personal life.
She knew how the media worked—she was now a mystery to be solved, and those who investigated her background were a threat to everything she’d worked so hard for.
A threat to her freedom.
I know you’re freaking out right now, Lexa texted. Don’t.
That’s easy for you to say. Your name isn’t plastered across headlines.
She responded with: Technically, it isn’t your name—it’s Hades’.
She rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to be someone’s possession. She wanted her own identity, to be credited for her hard work, but dating a god took that away.
Another thought occurred to her—what would her boss say?
Demetri Aetos was a great supervisor. He believed in the truth and reporting on it no matter the consequences. He’d fired Adonis for calling Persephone a bitch and stealing her work. He’d recognized the stress she was under when it came to writing about Hades, and he’d told her she didn’t have to keep writing about him if she didn’t want to…but that was before he knew she was dating the God of the Dead.
Would there be consequences?
Gods, she had to stop thinking about this.
She focused on her phone and texted Lexa back.
Stop trying to avoid the BEST news of the day. Congrats on your first day!
Lexa had been hired to plan events for The Cypress Foundation, Hades non-profit organization. She’d learned about it shortly after the announcement of the Halcyon Project.
Lexa had been offered the job on her birthday.
“She would have gotten the job anyway,” Hades had said when Persephone asked if he’d made it happen. “She is a great fit.”
Thanks, my love! I’m so excited! Lexa texted.
“We’re here, my lady.”
Antoni’s words drew her attention to the Acropolis.
Persephone’s eyes widened and her stomach knotted when she looked out the window.
A crowd had gathered outside of the one-hundred-and-one story building. Security had stepped in to control them, erecting barriers. Several confused employees made their way inside amidst a screaming crowd. Persephone knew they were there for her, and she was glad the windows of Hades’ car were virtually black, making it impossible for anyone to see inside. Still, she slid lower in her seat, groaning.
“Oh no.”
Antoni raised a brow at her in the rearview mirror.
“Is something wrong, my lady?”
She met his gaze, almost confused by the question.
Of course, something is wrong!
The media, that crowd, they were threatening everything she’d worked so hard for.
“Can you drop me off around the block?” Persephone asked.
Antoni frowned. “Lord Hades instructed you were to be dropped off at the Acropolis.”
“Lord Hades isn’t here and, as you can see, that is not ideal,” she said, grinding her teeth. Then she took a breath to calm herself. “Please?”
The cyclops relented and did as she instructed. In the time it took them to get there, Persephone glamoured-up a pair of sunglasses and pulled her hair into a bun. It wasn’t much of a disguise, but it would get her farther than flashing her face to passerby’s.
Antoni glanced at her again and offered, “I can walk you to the door.”
“No, that’s okay, Antoni, thank you.”
The monster shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. “Hades won’t like this.”
She met Antoni’s gaze in the mirror. “You won’t tell him, will you?”
“It would be best, my lady. Lord Hades would provide you with a driver to take you to work and pick you up, and an Aegeus for protection.”
She didn’t need a driver and she didn’t need a guard.
“Please?” she begged Antoni. “Don’t tell Hades.”
She needed him to understand. She would only feel like a prisoner, something she’d been trying to escape for over eighteen years.
It took the cyclops some time to cave, but eventually, he nodded. “If you wish, my lady, but the first time something goes wrong, I’m calling the boss.”
Fine. She could work with that. She patted Antoni on the shoulder. “Thank you, Antoni.”
She left the safety of the car and kept her head down as she walked in the direction of the Acropolis. The roar of the crowd amplified as she neared, and she paused when she was within view—it had grown.
“Gods,” she moaned.
“You really got yourself into a pickle,” a voice said from over her shoulder. She spun and found a handsome, blue-eyed god standing behind her.
Hermes.