Page 33 of Bride of Death

What’s left of it, anyway, I think, my fingers threatening to curl into fists.

Because Persephone and her Alpha mother left our kind in ruins.

Destroyed an entire realm.

And all for what?

To hide the Omegas from their Alphas.

The thought of it still infuriates me, perhaps even more so now than it did then. Because I’ve had two thousand years to foster my fury. To consider the aftermath. To realize exactly what happened and how Persephone played me.

No, I will never trust her again. Not even in this form that everyone else feels is innocent.

Oh, she may still be mine to adore and worship. But she’s also mine to punish.

And punish her, I shall.

With reverence and patience.

In a manner only an Alpha and his Omega can understand.

She’s mine to love for always. In happiness and betrayal. And my darling little mate is going to understand exactly what that means.Soon.

“Before you do something I know you’re going to regret, try talking to her,” Orcus says, his tone underlined with a dominance I can almost taste. “Omegas are not meant to be disrespected like this, Hades.”

“Claiming her before the kingdom isn’t a disrespectful act, brother.”

“It is when the Omega bride isn’t willing.”

I wince, not liking the implication in his words. “She’s already consented to being my mate.”

“No, Persephone consented. Sera did not.”

“They’re the same being.”

“They’re not,” my brother stresses. “And if you spent more than a handful of seconds with her, you would know it, too.”

I narrow my gaze, wondering if he knows about the brief meeting we shared over a year ago, during her first night here.

I let her think it was a dream.

It wasn’t.

But I wanted to see how long this game would go on, and it seems my mate is as stubborn as she is clever. Two traits I didn’t realize Persephone possessed until after she turned my world upside down.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot I’ve learned about my cruel little mate since that fated event.

Orcus sighs. “I implore you to at least consider an audience with her before the nuptials. If you force her down that aisle, it’ll be the biggest mistake of your life. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go inform my mate that you’re about to break her heart.”

With those ominous words and a lasting look, my brother vanishes, leaving me to mull over his commentary.

Maliki has voiced similar concerns over the last few weeks, his attachment to my mate seeming to grow with each passing day.

It’s intriguing.

Infuriating.

Arousing.