Page 78 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
‘She’s fine,’ he muttered.
‘Oh, hi.’ I sat up, still wrapped in post-orgasmic bliss.
‘Whoops, it seems your dress tore.’ Hecate picked up the shredded garment and glared at Hades. ‘Come on.’ She beckoned to me with her index finger.
I rolled my eyes, caught Hades’ gaze, and smiled at him, but his expression remained impassive. ‘I’ll see you later,’ I muttered, then followed Tee back to my room, where she closed the doors.
‘What in the Fates is going on?’ She glowered at me.
‘Food!’ I shrieked as I stared at the plate on my table and rushed to sit down, picking up the fork and gobbling down the masterpiece of jasmine rice and delicious-tasting chicken. After devouring half the feast without pausing for breath and sipping yet another glass of nectar, my eyes lifted to Tee.
‘Sephy, babe. You’re in your underwear. You’ve been with Hades. Tell me what in Olympus is going on. Are you having post-sex munchies?’
I bit my bottom lip, staring down at my hands. Bah. ‘Not penis sex.’ I looked up at her.
‘Oral sex.’ She raised an eyebrow, and I nodded, avoiding her gaze. ‘He’s marked you,’ she growl-hissed.
‘What?’ I wandered over to the mirror and spotted the bite mark just above my shoulder. Two tiny holes were surrounded by a small purple bruise, and I frowned. ‘Is that…?’
‘Yes. He’s claimed you. The jackass,’ she growled again.
‘Claimed me?’ I suddenly sobered up. ‘What does that even mean?’
‘Any god who desires you will have to challenge him.’
‘Oh,’ I murmured.
‘So no more hanky-panky with him, Sephy. He had no right to claim you without your consent.’
‘Argh, but Tee, he’s so good at it. So freaking good. I think I’m like a crack addict. I’m addicted to him. And I discovered that Hedone’s right! Oral sex each way is good.’
‘Sephy, how many glasses of nectar have you had?’ I shrugged in response. ‘So, you’ve given him head?’
‘A blowjob? Yeah.’ I paused. ‘Tee… do you think I love him?’ Well, that came out of the blue.
‘I know you do, Sephy.’
‘But how do you know if it’s love and not just attraction?’
‘You just know, Sephy. You feel like a complete individual when they’re in your life. It’s the sense that the link you share with them transcends everything. Could you live without them? Want to live without them? From my perspective, the answer is no. I’d be a miserable bitch without Hedone in my life.’
I giggled. Could I live without Hades? My mind was fuddled, so I shut that thought down. ‘That sounds… nice. Anyway, I’ve sworn off love.’
‘Why?’
I sobered for another moment. ‘Everyone I love leaves me,’ I whispered, my lips trembling.
Tee gently stroked my face. ‘Come on, let’s get you to bed. How many glasses of nectarhaveyou had?’
‘Hm, about four. Maybe eight.’ Tee tutted at my words and cursed under her breath about something or another.
That night, my dream was of Hades. And it was filthy.
CHAPTER 28
HADES
Icalled Tee to come and fetch Persephone because my restraint was on a hairpin. I was about to lose control and claim her.
