Page 214

HADES' POV

The moment I saw Darius's smug fucking face, the last thread of my restraint snapped.

My body moved before thought could catch up, pure instinct surging like a tidal wave. I yanked Eve behind me, shielding her with my body as the flux surged, twisting through my bones like liquid fire.

"To hell with this alliance," I growled, my voice no longer fully my own—deep, guttural, a thing that did not belong to man. A promise of carnage. "I am wiping you out today."

Darius's smirk faltered for the first time, his gaze flicking to my shifting form, to the way the flux lashed out around me like living shadows. The room trembled with the sheer force of it.

I launched forward, murder in my veins—

And then Eve was suddenly there, her body a barrier between me and my kill.

"Don't do this," she whispered, her voice tight, desperate. "Remember the plan. They are not worth it. I am alright."

Her hands pressed against my chest, small against the storm raging inside me.

The abyss of my rage wavered.

I faltered.

Her face—gods, her face. Eyes searching mine, wide and pleading. Not for herself. For me. To stop. To stay.

I had never hated anything more than the pain I saw in her expression at that moment.

The flux recoiled, slamming back into me like a whip. My body jerked, trembling under the force of it. My claws curled inward, the edges digging into my palms as I forced myself to step back.

Not because of them.

Because of her.

Because I would tear through heaven and hell alike—but not if it meant losing the one person who could still reach me.

A shuddering breath left me as I shifted back, bones grinding as they reformed. The flux coiled and simmered, no longer screaming for blood but still writhing beneath my skin, restless.

I caught her before she could step away, pulling her close, my arms locking around her.

She let out a soft gasp, but she didn't pull away.

My hands cupped her face, my thumbs brushing over the delicate skin of her cheeks, searching. Searching for injuries, for proof that they had dared to touch what was mine.

"Eve," I breathed her name, my voice breaking under the weight of everything I felt—relief, rage, longing.

I pressed my forehead against hers, closing my eyes as I fought to steady myself.

Then, unable to stop myself, I kissed her.

Not on her lips—because if I kissed her there, I wouldn't stop. And I wasn't ready for that yet. Not while she still had one foot out the door.

So I kissed her on her head, long and lingering, my lips pressed against her temple as I breathed her in.

She was safe.

She was here.

And I was trembling from the weight of what I felt for her.

I could feel Darius watching. I could feel James, caught off guard. I didn't bother glancing at the Luna. I could feel Kael lingering, waiting for my next move.

But in this moment, none of them existed.

Only her.

And the desperate, unyielding truth that I would never let her go.

"Please, tell me," I whispered, afraid, my voice quivering from equal parts dread and hope. "What is your decision?"

She still had a say, even if that bastard had breached the terms we had laid out. I wanted to hope... Goddess, I needed her to choose—to choose me, to choose us.

"I am going nowhere," she replied immediately, even though her voice was shaky, her eyes still blown wide.

Relief washed over me like cool water, dampening the flames of my rage but not fully extinguishing them. The flux still snarled beneath my skin, coiling and shifting, but Eve's words were an anchor, a tether pulling me back from the edge of destruction.

I let out a shuddering breath, pressing my lips against her temple once more, lingering there as if, by sheer force of will, I could imprint my soul onto her skin despite the marks we had inflicted on each other.

Then I turned to them.

"I had thirty fucking minutes. I am giving you only thirty seconds to tell me what exactly you just fucking did."

Darius stepped forward, his face a mask of feigned contrition.

"Just extra measures we put in place that went a little haywire," he said smoothly.

"We didn't think you'd actually hold your side of the bargain and not storm in.

" His gaze flicked to the twisted wreckage of the door, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"You're not exactly known for your self-control. "

The bastard was baiting me.

A muscle in my jaw ticked, my fingers curling instinctively. My body vibrated with the need to tear that smug expression off his face, to sink my claws into his throat and remind him exactly why they feared me.

But before I could take a step, a soft, steadying pressure landed on my wrist.

Eve.

Her touch was barely there, a whisper of warmth against my skin, but it was enough. Enough to tether me when the flux threatened to consume everything in its path.

Darius watched with sharp, amused eyes, like he knew exactly what was going through my head.

"It was just a kinetic displacement field," he continued, voice lazy, like this wasn't a direct provocation.

"A simple repulsion system designed to absorb and redirect force.

Harmless, really. But, of course, nothing is a match for the Hand of Death.

" He gestured lazily to the remains of the door.

"You just reminded me why this alliance is in place.

I can't afford to have you as an enemy."

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached. My vision pulsed red, but I forced myself to breathe, to keep my focus sharp.

The moment my flux had cracked the shield, I had felt it—something beneath the surface, something deliberate. That wasn't just a security measure. That was a test.

And I would find out what.

A movement at the edge of my vision had me snapping my head toward the corridor.

My Gammas had filled the space, weapons drawn.

Kael let out a slow, deliberate breath beside me, his fingers flexing like he was resisting the urge to give the order. His gaze flickered to me in silent question—What now?

I turned back to James, the bastard who had started all this. "The camera audio," I bit out, voice like a blade.

James had the audacity to shrug. "No idea what you mean, Your Majesty."

Liar.

My teeth ground together. This was the second time I had seen their systems pull this exact trick. That wasn't a coincidence.

Silverpine was dabbling.

My gut twisted with the knowledge. They had something—something powerful enough to suppress audio surveillance selectively. A technology designed to rewrite evidence in real time.

Even if it wasn't a perfect system yet, they were getting close.

They were trying to kill two birds with one stone. The first bird was this bloody chaos, and the second was a display of their own power—a warning that they had their own weapons if things between our packs ever soured.

They had some heat. But I was already watching. They didn't know that yet.

James spoke again, his voice oozing false sincerity.

"We breached the terms, and therefore, we will be sticking to the arrangement.

We will leave, and no matter what happens," he paused for dramatic effect, "we will not be back.

No matter what." His gaze shifted to Eve. "Unless Eve decides otherwise."

"That will not be happening." Her voice had a tremor.

"Never say never, dear. Things change in a blink."

She stiffened.

"Enough babbling. Leave."

"Much obliged," James replied, his voice oily. His gaze lingered on Eve as they began to exit. "I will wait for your call, Scarlet."

The growl that escaped me made him move faster, the Beta almost falling over his feet.

Next was Darius and his wife, whom he was suddenly holding close.

He stopped in front of me, his smirk unwavering. "And one last thing—help me thank Felicia. Her second time assisting me, but I will always be grateful."

My blood turned to ice.

Felicia.

Second time?

Before I could process what I had just heard, a grip latched onto my arm.

My eyes flickered to Lyra. Her pupils were black pinpricks in the pool of moss green, a message in their eerie depths. As suddenly as she grabbed me, she let go, following her husband, her slightly hunched as though she wanted to disappear.