Page 69
Story: Hades’ Cursed Luna
Hades~
The red dot on the GPS continued to blink. Every muscle in my body was wound like a spring ready to snap. I drummed my fingers on my thigh, blood boiling hotter with each passing second.
"We’re almost there," Kael informed me.
But I already knew we were exactly fifteen minutes from her location. Embedding a tracking chip in her scalp had proven useful, just as I had expected.
As we neared the mansion, its grandeur loomed ahead, casting long shadows against the fading light. The fa?ade was imposing, a blend of elegance and intimidation, with manicured gardens flanking the entrance. But it was the men in suits that caught my attention, watching our approach like hawks.
I could feel Kael’s anticipation beside me, a silent agreement that the time for subtlety had passed. As we pulled up to the entrance, the men immediately straightened, their eyes narrowing as they recognized who had arrived.
"Your Majesty," they murmured in unison, stepping aside to create a path for me. The need to reclaim what was mine overpowered all other thoughts.
I stepped out of the vehicle, the gravel crunching beneath my boots as I scanned the area.
"Let’s go," I instructed Kael, my voice low and steady.
He nodded, a muscle in his jaw tightening as we approached the grand entrance. I reached for the door, and it swung open automatically, revealing a lavish interior that stood in stark contrast to the tension in the air.
Inside, chandeliers hung from the ceiling like jewels, casting a soft glow over the opulent furnishings.
"Where is she?" I demanded, my voice echoing against the marble floors.
The guards exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of fear and compliance. "Follow us, Your Majesty," one of them replied, his tone trembling slightly as he gestured for us to enter deeper into the mansion.
The guard led us down opulent corridors. As we approached a set of double doors, he paused, casting a wary glance my way before pushing them open to reveal an elegant sitting room bathed in soft, golden light.
In the center of the room sat a woman, her posture straight and refined, her every move calculated.
The fragrance of her perfume—a blend of vanilla and dark amber—hung heavily in the air, mingling with the scent of polished mahogany and leather.
She had an undeniable allure, a timeless elegance that only sharpened with age, yet her beauty was like fine crystal, delicate but dangerously sharp.
She looked up, her painted lips curving into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Your Majesty," she greeted, her voice smooth as silk but laced with an edge. She gestured toward a nearby chair, her manicured fingers poised as if she were conducting a symphony. "Please, take a seat."
I didn’t move. My gaze hardened as I took in her demeanor, every part of me railing against the charade of civility. This woman thought she held some kind of power over me, over this situation, and the very idea made my blood simmer hotter because it was true in a way.
"Lucinda," I murmured. "You do know I am not one to be trifled with."
Her smile flickered for a brief moment, a hint of tension surfacing in her perfectly maintained expression. "All in due time," she replied, gesturing to the empty seat once more. "But first, let’s discuss… terms."
My eyes narrowed, but she didn’t flinch; if anything, she seemed amused, as if toying with a predator who thought it was the hunter.
Her eyes lingered on me, assessing, calculating. She wanted a game, wanted me to play along. I didn’t sit at anyone’s table—not for games, and certainly not for negotiations. Yet, I sat down.
"It’s been a while, hasn’t it?" she asked.
"Sure," I replied smoothly. "What do you want to discuss?"
"First, let’s have a drink," she gestured to her servant. "You must be parched."
I said nothing as a bottle of wine and a glass were placed on the table for me. It was served, but my eyes didn’t leave Lucinda’s. The sweetly sanguineous scent of blood wine filled the space, heady, strong, and seductive.
Lucinda cleared her throat. "I’ve been informed of some alarmingly heartbreaking things," she said. "Your mutt of a wife is causing problems already."
"That’s for me to decide," I replied plainly.
She smirked, but it was shaky. "You don’t believe it? That she’s responsible?"
"Nothing is assumed until there’s evidence."
She narrowed her eyes. "The girl is good, it seems. Is it the sex? She must be skilled."
My jaw locked. "I would advise you to choose your words carefully around me."
She blinked at my tone, actually taken aback. Her expression turned somber. "You’ve been alone for years now, since…Danielle. I know we Lycans…our sex drive is like our bloodlust—insatiable." Her mouth curled into a sneer. "But a werewolf?"
"It does not concern you what I choose to do with my wife."
The room filled with a simmering tension as Lucinda’s accusation hung in the air, her poised exterior barely concealing the agitation beneath.
She kept her expression carefully composed, her hands resting on the table, fingers intertwined as if in quiet contemplation.
But I could sense the anger, the slow burn she was trying to mask with a controlled tone.
"Danielle was my daughter," she said, her voice softer but steady, a restrained force in each word. "I am well within my rights to question where your loyalty lies now. You choose to stand by her killer, yet expect me to remain silent?" Her eyes locked onto mine, a calm fury radiating from within.
I met her gaze, my expression impassive. "So you thought taking what’s mine would be the answer?" I asked, my voice carrying an edge, each word a deliberate strike.
Lucinda’s lips twitched, her usual arrogance tempered but still present.
"It wasn’t entirely my decision to take her," she replied, her voice smooth yet laced with thinly veiled reproach.
"But she doesn’t belong in this world. A werewolf among Lycans?
" Her tone was measured, almost pitying.
"How long, Hades, before she turns on you?
Or becomes a liability rather than an asset? "
I leaned forward slightly, my eyes narrowing. "It seems to me you’re the one pressing a blade, Lucinda, not her."
She blinked, her calm exterior wavering for a fraction of a second before her composure returned. Her gaze held, unyielding, calculating, yet a hint of frustration flickered there—a reminder that she was used to being in control.
"You should’ve never brought her into our world," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking aloud might shatter the careful control she’d imposed on herself.
"She doesn’t understand our loyalty, our way of life.
You’re inviting a storm into your domain, Hades, and expecting it not to rain. "
"Enough," I said, my voice low, the weight of my authority unmistakable. "I’ve let you say your piece, but understand this: she’s under my protection now. If any harm befalls her, the consequences will be far beyond anything you’re prepared for."
Lucinda’s expression remained calm, but her hands tightened slightly on the armrests. She inclined her head in acknowledgment, her voice a touch softer, though the bitterness lingered. "For your sake, I hope she’s worth it."
She would be, but I could not afford to show how desperate I was to have Ellen back.
I first had to calm myself, so I brought the glass to my lips, the rich, dark liquid slipping onto my tongue with a taste that caught me off guard, making me pause.
The wine was heady and intense, a luxurious blend of flavors that unfurled in layers—notes of dark cherries and spiced plum, woven with a hint of smoke and something deeper, more elusive.
It was smooth yet complex, a seductive, almost forbidden sweetness tinged with the faintest metallic bite.
There was an unmistakable allure to it, a flavor so rich and tempting that, for a moment, I almost lost myself in it.
The wine’s taste lingered on my tongue, each layer drawing me further in as if it held a power of its own.
It wasn’t like anything I’d had before, yet it felt dangerously familiar, as though I had tasted its essence somewhere in the depths of my own nature.
I took a second sip, slower this time, savoring the complexity of it.
Lucinda’s eyes flickered as she watched me, a slight curve to her lips. She looked pleased, as though the wine had delivered precisely the reaction she’d intended. "It suits you," she murmured, her voice as smooth as the wine itself. "A rare vintage… one crafted with immense care."
I set the glass down, meeting her gaze, aware of the subtle challenge within her words. "It has a certain charm," I replied, the edge in my tone not quite masking my intrigue.
Her gaze lingered on me, sharp but with a hint of satisfaction. "I knew it would. The taste—intoxicating, isn’t it? Each drop is made from the purest essence, aged in a way that brings out something… primal. Something one can’t fight. It was prepared not too long ago."
My eyes narrowed. "Where is the princess, Lucinda?"
"The werewolves are right about one thing," Lucinda said, ignoring my question. "Our hybrid nature can be frightening. Our lust for blood is a major contributing factor. You know the myth: the blood of our mate tastes the best. It’s ambrosia to our kind."
I glanced at the wine.
"Don’t you want to know whose blood was harvested to make that?" She leaned forward. "It’s the princess’s blood."
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69 (Reading here)
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235
- Page 236
- Page 237
- Page 238
- Page 239
- Page 240
- Page 241
- Page 242
- Page 243
- Page 244
- Page 245
- Page 246
- Page 247
- Page 248
- Page 249
- Page 250
- Page 251
- Page 252
- Page 253
- Page 254
- Page 255
- Page 256
- Page 257
- Page 258
- Page 259
- Page 260
- Page 261
- Page 262
- Page 263
- Page 264
- Page 265
- Page 266
- Page 267
- Page 268
- Page 269
- Page 270
- Page 271
- Page 272
- Page 273
- Page 274
- Page 275
- Page 276
- Page 277
- Page 278
- Page 279
- Page 280
- Page 281
- Page 282
- Page 283
- Page 284
- Page 285
- Page 286
- Page 287
- Page 288
- Page 289
- Page 290
- Page 291
- Page 292
- Page 293
- Page 294
- Page 295
- Page 296
- Page 297
- Page 298
- Page 299
- Page 300
- Page 301
- Page 302
- Page 303
- Page 304
- Page 305
- Page 306
- Page 307
- Page 308
- Page 309
- Page 310
- Page 311
- Page 312
- Page 313
- Page 314
- Page 315
- Page 316
- Page 317
- Page 318
- Page 319
- Page 320
- Page 321
- Page 322
- Page 323
- Page 324
- Page 325
- Page 326
- Page 327
- Page 328
- Page 329
- Page 330
- Page 331
- Page 332
- Page 333
- Page 334
- Page 335
- Page 336