Page 100 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
‘Yes, my flower, but it doesn’t matter; we have plenty of time to catch up. The Court of Delos is stunning. You will adore it there.’ Her eyes sparkled as she cupped my cheek. ‘I’m so happy to have you back, flower.’
‘Demeter.’ Hades gave the goddess a slight bow as he took my other hand.
Demeter’s gaze turned to him, her look as cold as an icy winter morning. ‘Hades,’ she hissed in a tone so chilling that I snapped to attention and drew in a sharp breath.
Frustration marked Hades’ face. ‘Persephone is her own woman, and as such, she will decide her fate. And her fate is to be my consort again.’ His tone was deadly cold, anger tightening his lips as he spoke.
‘You cannot keep her this time. I forbid it! I forbid this… this mark!’ She gestured emphatically in front of me. ‘And I forbid this union.’ A small smile of contempt twitched on her lips. Naturally, the entire place was silent, all eyes on us.
‘Whoa… Hold up there!’ I dropped both their hands, taking a step back. ‘I amnota commodity to be bargained over… by either of you.’ Demeter’s eyes widened, a hand pressed against her heart, and Hades’ smile was as sharp as a blade. The honeyed rasp of his chuckle caused the icy trickling in my gut thaw a little.
‘Mother.’ My gaze met Demeter’s again. ‘Hades will be my husband. I love him more than I ever thought possible. I have chosen him again and accepted our soul bond. He patiently waited for me to recognise our connection, never forcing anything upon me.’
I lifted my chin, gazing into her eyes. ‘I chose him the first time too; he didn’t keep me against my will then either.’ Demeter began to speak, but I silenced her with a raised hand. ‘He rescued me. I asked him to take me to the Underworld to escape your control. So, if you want me in your life, you must make an effort with him. We will both visit you inDelosoccasionally, and, of course, you can visit us in the Underworld and the mortal realm, too.’ The courtyard echoed with murmurs as Demeter, at a loss for words, stared blankly at me.
‘Demeter.’ Hades’ voice shattered Demeter’s spell as her gaze turned to meet his. ‘I am over my head, drowning in love for your daughter. I have always been.’
We heard lots of oohs and aahs while Zeus and Poseidon blinked owlishly at his bold declaration. Hades, however, seemed as if he wanted to vanish into the aether, struggling beneath the weight of the guests’ attention.
‘Stars cannot shine without darkness. We complete each other, Demeter.’ His voice was steady, his face devoid of emotion, and I smiled at him as my heart did a little trippy dance. I felt dizzy with a rising tide of emotions.
He stepped towards me, lifting his hand and cupping my cheek. He kissed me—a deep, languid, bruising kiss.Every person in the courtyard whooped and clapped, and Demeter regarded us with a fragile smile.
I turned back to the woman, who was once my mother, and took her hand again. ‘Please come to my coronation, Mother.’ Her eyes shimmered with tears at my words. ‘And once I’ve settled into the Underworld as queen, I will come to Delos alone and spend a week with you. Okay?’ She nodded and embraced me again.
Hades arched a brow at me, but I gave him a no-nonsense look, causing him to huff and clench his jaw. As I hugged her, I smiled sweetly at him over Demeter’s shoulder, and he narrowedhis eyes at me—a promise of payback. I couldn’t wait—maybe he’d spank me again. Getting horny with my ‘mother’ in my arms felt wrong, but I gave him a sultry smirk, causing his nostrils to flare.
No one is going to control me in this life.
Not even the man I love.
CHAPTER 40
HADES
Fates, the way Persephone handled Demeter was awe-inspiring.
She was stronger than anyone I knew—the goddess of my heart. When I declared my undying love for her in front of everyone, something I had never done before, the smile she gave me was like a thousand suns. I was a lucky fucker.
We’d split up again, but I kept a watchful eye on her from a distance, never wanting her too far away. As she chatted with the other gods, I felt a sense of ease within me this time, even as she laughed and smiled with Apollo. She was mine, and they all knew it. They also understood that I would tear them to pieces and bury them in Tartarus if any of them touched her in a way only I could. This time, the deceit would not go unpunished.
I knew that Eros had beguiled Persephone the last time. Adonis was not beguiled—but I couldn't prove it. When Aphrodite finally revealed this to me in an effort to ease my pain over Persephone's loss, I lost my shit.The bastard Eros hadslipped from my grasp, but the gods forbade me from killing either him or Adonis. We never discovered who was behind the duplicity, and as the war raged on, time passed, but I’d never forgotten.
‘Hello, my love.’ Persephone’s arms snaked around my waist from behind, and I smiled. Poseidon quirked a brow, shaking his head.
‘Fucking whipped,’ he grumbled, and I smirked at the grumpy bastard as I pulled Persephone around to face me. When she burrowed into my chest, my cock twitched, and she sighed.
‘Get a room, you two,’ Hecate grunted, nudging Persephone while handing her another glass of fizzy wine.
My queen accepted it with a smile, slipping an arm around my waist as we chatted.
‘I’ll be back shortly. I need the powder room.’ I began to walk with her, but she shook her head. ‘I donotneed an escort, Hades.’
‘Quit being overbearing,’ Hecate whispered. ‘She’s fine and probably more powerful than most gods here.’ None were aware her shadow magic had already returned and she could wield it flawlessly.
I chatted with Poseidon and Zeus, but my eyes kept scanning the area for her. I couldn’t lose her again. Panic gnawed in my gut at the thought. After ten minutes, Hecate frowned and wandered off, causing the panic within me to simmer like an almost boiling pot.
‘Stop fretting, Brother,’ Poseidon muttered. ‘She’s probably chatting with someone inside.’ I exhaled deeply and nodded, but that unease wouldn’t abate. The bond was still pulsing in my chest, so I knew she was still somewhere in Olympus. Most probably in Zeus’s palace.
