Page 13 of The Hellbeast's Betrayal

“After all, you are the one true daughter of Hades, a true princess of darkness, not like that other offspring of his born from that mad wife,” he told me, making me frown.

“Ah but I see, you have not heard of your half-sister, Melinoë the Goddess of Nightmares and Madness,” he told me, and despite wondering why Lerna hadn’t told me, I didn’t give him the satisfaction of reacting.

“She sounds like a right catch and right up your alley, why not just take her out on a date and leave me the hell alone!” I snapped, finding even more of my backbone. Something he laughed at, his eyes growing larger a second before the crimson glow simmered down.

“I have no interest in someone who would slit my throat as I slept,” he told me and it was strange, as this was the most we had ever said to each other. Making me wonder why? Why now? Was he hoping that I would come to him of my own free will?

“No? Then you won’t like me then,” I pointed out, but then shrieked when he came so close, his hand collared my throat as he lifted me to my toes.

“Ah but I have already had you in my bed at night, little mortal, and in it, the last thing on your mind was cutting my throat.”

I sucked in a quick breath at this before hissing,

“You lie!”

At this he let me go, making me nearly fall when landing, saving myself from stumbling.

“I have no reason to lie, and soon you will remember our time together, for like I have told you once before, we are bound, you and I. Destined to rule together, only this time, I finally found what we were missing.”

“And what’s that, a couple’s councilor?” I muttered dryly, surprisingly making him laugh.

“Ah, but all in good time, my dear, for soon you will see and I…I will finally get my queen back!”he said, and this time he rushed at me, knocking me to the ground so he was lying on top of me. And for the first time ever…

I got my first glimpse of his true face.

I gasped, not at the horror of it, but in surprise at how human he looked. I didn’t know why but I had always expected something monstrous behind the veil of his hood. Something truly horrifying. But what I got was the face of a man.

Of course, what set him apart were the deep scars that ran down from his forehead, traveling along his face and branching out like rivulets of a red lightening stream. The scars glowed, matching that of his eyes that were deep set and clouded by darkness. His white hair was a stark contrast to his marred skin, and his narrow lips curled up into a knowing grin, making me shriek back as if he was going to bite me as he snapped out at me.

“And I have a feeling, my dear niece, you will like it…just like last time!”He pressed himself into me, his size consuming me.

I could do nothing but scream out as he turned into an overpowering black smoke that was impossible to get away from.

“AAAAHHH!” I screamed again, only this time another entity started to take over the smoke. A glowing golden light infiltrating the suffocating darkness that felt as if it was trying to swallow me whole. Like the sunrays were beaming down, one becoming two and then three, and then so many that the storm above me gave way to the light.

“Come back from the darkness, little one,”a gentle, tender voice spoke, and any other mortal would have believed it was the voice of God. Ironic that it turned out to be just that, just not the one I would have thought. As it was a soothing timber I soon recognized.

“Tyr?” I asked the light.

“It is I, little Bál Ásynja, now open those pretty green eyes for me,” he commanded softly, and instantly I did as he asked, unsure as to why I hadn’t already.

The fluttering of my vision cleared, awarding me the godly sight of icy blue eyes, along with golden tanned skin, and the intricate weaving of straw-blonde hair braided back, with the sides shaved to the skin. A Viking God who was now holding me in his huge, bear arms, his skin painted in a complex series of dark blue tattoos.

“I am in your arms,” I commented quietly and shamefully, stating the obvious and making him grin. A devastatingly handsome feature that transformed the face of a warrior into something breathtaking.

“So, you are,” he teased, his tone only of gentle mocking.

“Why?” I asked, unable to stop myself from staring at his face, as if this was part of his Godly power. A face that looked chiseled by some heavenly sculpture, making sure to emphasize his high cheekbones, straight nose, and strong jawline.

“You were lost to your nightmares, you started thrashing and I didn’t wish for you to hurt yourself in your fight to return.”

“Oh… that… that was nice of you,” I said nervously, fidgeting in his hold, feeling strange. The emotions of being caught in Garmr’s grasp, only to be rescued by this Viking God, were messing with my head.

This feeling of protection…

Was one I wanted to cling to because it felt as if it had been so long since I had been in my HellBeast’s arms. But at the same time, it felt different. The feeling of longing was like an infinite road I still faced. Before I could speak a word, Asher cleared his throat behind us. The shock of knowing someone was watching, despite how innocent it was from my side, still ended up feeling as if I had been caught doing something wrong. My hand was stuck in the preverbal cookie jar.

I scrambled from his hold and unless he wanted to fight me on it, he had no choice but to uncurl his arms from around me. That easy knowing grin of his was now gone as his lips straightened, and a frown darkened the blue in his eyes.

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