Page 25 of Bride of Death (Netherworld Fae #1)

Hades

My mate’s words are so unexpected that I simply stare for a moment.

Then I say the first response that comes to mind. “I don’t want you by my side, pet. I want you kneeling at my feet.” Preferably with my knot in your fucking throat , I nearly add aloud, but manage to stop myself from continuing when Maliki slams down a pot in the sink.

“I respect you. I do,” Maliki says in a slow, measured tone. “But speak to Sera like that again and I will fucking deck you.”

One of my eyebrows wings upward. “First of all, how very human of you to use that ridiculous phrase. Perhaps you should consider cutting back on the assassin flicks; they’re not meant to be educational. Secondly, how I speak to my mate isn’t your concern.”

“It is when you put me in charge of protecting her,” he counters, grabbing a rag to dry his hands. “It’s also my concern because you tasked me with convincing her to marry you. And you’re making my job that much fucking harder.”

He stalks toward me, his height rivaling my own.

But my gaze is on my wife.

Her eyes widened with the latter half of Maliki’s commentary. “You’re trying to convince me to marry him?” she asks, sounding… well, I’m not quite sure. She sounds surprised, but also a bit upset. “I don’t…” She trails off, her shoulders falling. “Oh.”

She looks defeated somehow, and I have no idea why.

This meek side of her—which I first witnessed upon her return from our home realm and again now—is much more like the Persephone I know. Except I don’t remember her ever being this sad.

I don’t care for it.

“Why are you upset?” I demand, needing to fix it.

She simply huffs in response.

“That’s not an answer, Persephone. Tell me what’s troubling you so I can solve it.”

The look she gives me is equal parts confused and annoyed. “What?”

Maliki steps between us, cutting off my view and irritating me greatly.

But his expression is dark as he says, “I know I suggested that you talk to Sera, but I didn’t mean like this.

You should knock and let her invite you in, not just show up unannounced.

And do not spout that bullshit again about having free access to her space because she’s yours.

That is not going to fly with me in my current mood. ”

“But she is my mate.”

“Her soul mated yours over two thousand years ago, yes. However, Sera, the human, is not yours.”

I take a step back, mostly because his words are delivered like a blow to the chest. “They are the same.”

“Yeah?” He folds his arms across his chest. “Then why is Sera asking me about how to access her memories? Oh, and would you like to know why she asked me how to do that?” He doesn’t even give me a second to reply before saying, “Because she wants to help .”

“I can speak for myself,” my mate says quietly.

“Oh, I’m aware that you can,” Maliki replies. “I’m just trying to help Hades keep his foot out of his mouth this time.”

“He put his foot in his mouth?” she asks, sounding confused.

Despite the irritation pouring off Maliki, his lips twitch in amusement. “It’s a saying, trouble.”

“I don’t understand it,” she tells him.

“It means he’s trying to prevent me from saying things I shouldn’t,” I explain, still looking at Maliki. “You’ve completely fallen for her game, haven’t you?” My question is obviously for my enforcer.

He sighs and runs his hand over his face. “If she’s playing a game, then why is she asking about how to awaken her memories?”

“To trick you into a false state of comfort.” That’s exactly what she did to me with her innocence and soft coos of affection. None of it was real. Yet she snagged my heart for eternity and still owns it today. “She’s very clever.”

“I wish I could take that as a compliment,” my mate mutters.

“However, I’m not nearly as clever as you want to believe.

I don’t know what Persephone did in a past life outside of what Morpheus and Maliki explained yesterday.

But I’m willing to do whatever you need me to do to unlock the memories inside me. If you really think that’s possible.”

She’s standing now, her blonde head barely reaching Maliki’s shoulder as she steps around him and into view.

The resignation in her features sends a pang through my chest. I’m not fond of this side of my mate. It’s new. And so very different from the feisty emotions I saw yesterday. While that was arousing, this is… upsetting.

“Maliki says I need to embrace my inner Omega. So. How do I do that?” Her direct stare is at odds with her defeated posture.

It’s an interesting disparity, one I contemplate for a moment too long.

Or maybe it’s her eyes that render me silent.

So incredibly blue. So beautiful.

I used to think Persephone’s brown eyes were the most beautiful color in all the realms. Yet I find myself conflicted now. Because these new irises of hers are simply exquisite.

“I know you think I remember everything and I’m tricking you,” she goes on with a sigh.

“Given what little I’ve learned about my soul, you’re justified in that feeling.

I won’t fault you for it. But I need guidance, my…

my lord. Alina seems to have naturally turned into an Omega.

I have not. Can you tell me what I have to do? ”

Her stammering over my title pulls me under her spell even more.

Persephone has never referred to me as my lord . Always my love . Or simply, Hades .

“Please?” she adds. “I understand you hate me… or my soul… or…” She clears her throat.

“It doesn’t matter. But if all this is true, then I need someone to help me figure out how to activate my inner Omega.

Can you see past the hatred enough to help me do that?

So I can try to access the memories of what really happened? ”

I… I’m so astounded by everything she’s saying that all I can do is blink before looking at Maliki. “What exactly has she been told?”

“That my soul is responsible for what happened to your realm,” she says before Maliki can reply.

“And while I understand now why you haven’t wanted to talk to me at all over the last thirteen months, I would appreciate not being treated as invisible.

I would also really like an answer to my question, please. ”

There are a thousand inquiries boiling in my head, starting with Who made you think I hate you? But rather than voice them, I focus on the need my mate just mentioned. “Which question?” I ask her, unsure of what she’s referring to.

“Why do you want to marry me? My soul is responsible for a sin I can barely even understand. Your hatred is justified. But I don’t understand the point of the nuptials. Is it to inspire my Omega to come out?”

I search her features, the sincerity doing something to me.

Is it possible…?

No. No, it can’t be possible. She’s playing me.

But then why ask me such innocent questions?

And she keeps telling me I hate her. I… I do. But I love her as well. As my wife, she should understand that.

She blows out a breath when I don’t reply, her gaze finally leaving mine. “Never mind. I’ll do whatever you want, my lord. Just… I only ask that you guide me. Please. I want to remember… to… to help.”

Maliki wraps his arm around her, the move startling me. “It’s not your responsibility, Sera.”

“Maybe not,” she replies, giving him her gaze—something that makes me narrow my own. “But if I can access the memories like you all seem to think I can, then it’s worth taking on that responsibility, don’t you agree?”

“Actually, no, I don’t. I prefer delivering justice to those who deserve it, not to innocent parties. I’ve also never been into the martyr role. Executioner, assassin, enforcer, all fine. Martyr? No, thank you.”

She just shakes her head, though I catch the hint of a smile on her lips.

Because of Maliki.

My gaze narrows even more.

I told him to convince her to marry me, and it seems he’s done too good a job. Not only does she seem ready to do whatever I ask, but she also appears to be falling for my best friend.

Hmm .

This game no longer makes any sense.

I thought Persephone might try to use me again, perhaps to free her mother from Pandora’s Box. Maliki can’t help with that. Morpheus could, though. Yet her adoring focus is on Maliki.

So what’s your goal, darling mate? I wonder. What will you use Maliki for? His protection?

That’s almost laughable.

Persephone would know that very few can fight me and win.

And while Maliki may have gotten between us today, as well as last night, he didn’t exactly challenge me.

Which brings me back to pondering Persephone’s desires.

“I’m not a martyr,” she tells Maliki. “Or I don’t mean to be. But knowing my soul is evil has me… conflicted about right and wrong.”

“Your soul is not evil,” I interject, disliking that term in relation to my mate. “Troubled, perhaps. But certainly not evil.”

I refuse to believe that.

Persephone betrayed me. Hurt me and countless others. But she… she never possessed evil tendencies.

Hence the reason I’ve been so at odds over her intentions these last two thousand years.

It didn’t make sense then, and it certainly doesn’t now.

Is it because I took you from Demeter? I long to ask.

Her mother always did favor Persephone. Though, my mate often said she felt stifled by her mother’s influence. She wanted to be free.

That’s why we mated.

So I could take her to my palace and give her a new life.

Only, my world is shrouded in death, thus making it hard for her to thrive—a fact Demeter always blamed me for.

That’s why we struck a deal, one whereby Persephone left every spring to help prepare the fields for future harvest.

She was always so relieved to return to me.

Truth or a lie? I wonder, still staring at the embodiment of my mate. She looks nothing like my Persephone. Nor does she act like her.

My lord.

Calling her soul evil.

Looking at Maliki with hearts in her beautiful eyes.

My jaw clenches. “If you mean what you say about being willing to do whatever it takes, then I need you to return to my palace and take over the accommodations I’ve created for you.

” Okay, none of that is actually required to free her Omega.

But it may help. Close proximity to an Alpha should inspire her estrus.

Except, she spent a year near me, and nothing.

Perhaps being in my quarters will help.

The magic in the walls guards my privacy. Maybe that enchantment worked a little too well and shadowed her from my Alpha influence.

“Further, we will wed again to try to re-create the bond,” I go on. This should awaken her inner Omega.

It will also, at the very least, confirm my suspicions that Persephone has been lying since she arrived.

Or prove she’s been telling the truth and doesn’t remember anything at all, a small voice whispers in my head as I watch her slender throat bob on a swallow.

I don’t like that voice, so I ignore the mental whisper.

“We will also have dinner,” I add. “Tonight.” I glance at Maliki, then back at her. “ Alone .”

Maybe being around just me will allow the real Persephone to come out and play. She won’t have to put on an act for anyone else. And then we can have a real conversation.

“Okay,” she says, her voice soft. She swallows again. “Anything else, my lord?”

I narrow my gaze again. “Yes. You can stop calling me my lord .”

With that, I disappear and leave Maliki to handle her move.

It’s the least he can do after seducing my female.

I may have taunted him with that concept, but I didn’t anticipate him rolling all over her and drenching the female in his scent.

My chest rumbles with a mixture of disapproval and need.

Because part of me likes their combined scents. Like a bouquet of fire lilies tied up in a leathery ribbon.

Ridiculous.

Insane.

Fucking hot.

I shake my head. If Maliki were here, I would seek him out for a sparring match, as I’m suddenly in the mood to hit something. Or someone.

The problem is he’s the one I want to hurt.

Energy swarms around me as soon as I enter my office, the signature one I recognize instantly.

I turn to face my cousin as he says, “You’re welcome.”

I have no idea what Morpheus is talking about.

And I don’t fucking care.

I simply reply, “Yeah, you’ll do.” And introduce my fist to his face.