Page 30 of Left Hand of the Divine
And I did. The radiance of his smile warmed me from the inside, and it made me feel wonderful.
His smile faltered a little, almost like he’d caught himself doing something he shouldn’t. “Come on. I should let you get back to the others.”
He started to get up, but I held his face and forced him to look at me. “Hades, wherever your thoughts went just then, it’s okay. I’ll wait for you, and if you ever want to talk, I’m here.”
“I’m fine,” he said softly, but there was a tremor in his voice. “Let’s just figure out what we’re going to do about Zeus.”
I held his gaze a little longer, but his mask slipped back into place, and I lost him.
Guess it was back to business, but we were definitely talking about this again later. I just needed to get this Zeus fiasco handled, and then I was going to work out what was holding Hades back.
That’s if I made it out of Olympus alive… and that was a very bigif.
It was with my head held high that I walked into the room where the others were being held. I was clad only in my underwear and Hades’ shirt, which wasn’t quite long enough to hide the various red handprints on my ass, so everyone got an eyefulwhen I walked in. I didn’t feel ashamed of the marks, but I wasn’t in the mood for the guys’ questioning. I wanted to put a plan together for how we were going to survive tomorrow.
“Well, hot damn, Red,” Magnus said, a wide grin across his handsome face. “You look like you had some fun.”
I sat down gingerly on the sofa next to him, the plush velvet dragging over my sensitive skin.
“She did,” Hades said, smirking and looking deliciously dishevelled. “And then some.”
I mean seriously, how did Hades manage to look sexierafterbeing fucked? It should be against the law to look that hot wearing a plain black tee and grey sweatpants.
“Is it me, or does Hades look good dressed down?” Magnus whispered in my ear, his voice a little breathless, and I felt a telling squirm as he scooted closer to me on the sofa.
“Sorry, Vampire, I don’t swing that way,” Hades said with a smirk as he dropped into a wingback armchair and ran his hand through his black hair. It was all fluffy and fresh from a shower, and he hadn’t gelled it back into his usual slicked-back style. There was a slight wave to the locks as they fell into his eyes, and I liked how they made him seem younger. Add to that the dressed-down look, and Hades was absolutely mouthwatering.
“He’s right, though,” Thane added from his spot by the giant fireplace. You know, I don’t think that guy ever relaxed. He stood with his back ramrod straight, and there was a pinched expression clinging to his fair brows. “You look happier, Hades.”
Hades’ eyes found mine, a knowing gleam glinting in their dark depths. I smiled back at him and tried my hardest to ignore the way the others were flicking their gaze between us.
“So,” Magnus said, drawing out the syllable and breaking the little loving look between Hades and me. “Are we going to address the elephant in the room?”
“Which one?” Atticus snorted. “The Primordial lurking in the corner over there or the summoning from Zeus?”
My stomach dropped. We needed to come up with something that would ensure we would survive tomorrow. I didn’t know what Zeus would do, and I wanted to make sure the others stayed together. If I had to sacrifice myself so the others could live, then I’d take the blame in a heartbeat. At least Erebus was keeping his word and hadn’t taken it upon himself to run away. He must really love Nyx. Either that or he was blinded by obsession. I wasn’t sure which yet, but I could at least put some stock in either of those things keeping him close to me. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Hades scoffed and leant forwards, bracing his elbows on his knees. “It could be anything from a slap on the wrist to an eternal punishment.”
“And the likelihood of it being a slap on the wrists?” Rafe asked. He sat on the floor between Magnus’ legs while Rayne sat on the other side of Magnus. It all seemed very cosy between the three of them, and it was clear that the connection between them was growing stronger with each passing hour. It wouldn’t be longbefore they mated, which made me a little sad. That I’d never get the chance to have that connection with Rafe and Rayne.
“Slim to none,” Hades said, interrupting my trip down woeful lane. There was a frown above his dark eyes as he watched me, and I wondered if my face showed my pining for something I could never experience. What was wrong with me? I had mated with Atticus and recently got a connection with Hades. Why did I want more? Why did I feel this burning need for the twins beyond that of Reaper and Hellhounds?
Urgh, there was definitely something wrong with me.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Asteri.”
I flinched and immediately looked at Erebus. That fucking smirk was plastered across his sharp face, and his head was cocked to the side like some gothic little puppy. What the fuck was he doing in my head?
A dark eyebrow rose over his blood-red eye.“I have always been able to communicate telepathically with Nyx. It seems that some of that connection remains with you.”
Nope. No fucking way. I could not deal with this right now.
I scowled at the man, but he just chuckled and rolled his eyes at me. For some reason, that just pissed me off even more.
Rafe squeezed my calf, no doubt sensing my rising ire and frustration through our bond. I took a deep breath and relaxed into the sofa, momentarily forgetting about the hand-shaped welts covering my ass. I hissed as I moved, and seven pairs of hungry eyes flicked my way. I froze as a surge of heat flushed up the side of my neck, and my skin heated under their gaze.
They were all looking at me.Hungrily.
