Page 89 of Bride of Death

“I don’t think Serapina despises you, Hades. She just doesn’t understand you. Not yet. But she’s trying. And that’s more than I can say about your efforts in learning about her.”

My teeth clench, my gaze narrowing. “I’ve spent the last thirteen months studying her.”

“No, you’ve spent the last thirteen months waiting for her to go into heat so you would have a reasonable excuse to knot her,” he counters.

“I’ve been waiting for this game to cease.”

He nods. “Yes, and your ideal end is between her legs in her nest with your knot buried deep inside her.”

“Stop talking about my mate’s nest.”

He rolls his eyes. “Is she even your mate, Cousin? Her soul might be, but is Serapina?” he stresses. “You asked if you’re being stubborn, and the answer is yes, Hades. Yes, you are. You’re always stubborn. And I’ve tolerated it for far too long. But I’m starting to think I was wrong about our compatibility.”

I snort at that.

While I could say a lot of derogatory things about Morpheus, claiming a lack of compatibility isn’t one of them.

We’re insufferably well matched, a fact I’ve loathed his entire existence.

“Maybe I need to create my own mate-circle,” he goes on. “And you know the first fae I’m recruiting?Maliki.”

“Are you intentionally trying to infuriate me?”

“No, Hades. I’m trying to wake you the fuck up. Because if you don’t figure this out soon, I’m going to be left with no choice but to claim her without you.”

The world shakes around me as he gives me some sort of mental shove, one that knocks me completely off-kilter.

I start to fall, the realm around me going black as my concept of reality tilts.

And I suddenly find myself facedown in my bed.

I blink into the familiar mattress, my head aching like I’ve been buried beneath a pile of a thousand columns.

Maybe I have.

With Morpheus, it’s impossible to know what’s real and what’s not.

Except his words… those were very real. All truths. Threats masked as calmly worded statements.

Grumbling, I push up off my bed and look around.

I have no idea how long I’ve been here or how I even returned. Knowing Morpheus, he knocked me out with some sort of sleep spell.

Groaning, I roll off the mattress. “If you made me miss my date with my wife, I will hunt you down and kill you again, Cousin,” I say.

I swear I hear him chuckle in response.

But it’s probably just in my head.

“Arse,” I mutter.

Then I head to the bathroom. Because late or not, I need to shower the remnants of a ruined realm off my head and shoulders.

Afterward, I’ll go track down my wife.

And consider what Morpheus suggested about kissing her.

Chapter 23