My Lord Hades

by Beman, Stephannie

  Hades was considerate of her emotions and her innocence since the first moment they truly met. Her actions had been forward and could have been seen as an invitation. Her memories told her that even the most innocent actions could be construed as an invitation and many of the Titans who’d come courting her in the Underworld had attempted to take what she hadn’t

  offered. But unlike them, she could envision a life with Hades.

  She could be his wife and he her husband in truth. She could be his lover and the mother of their children. She could retake her place in this world of death and torment as Queen and accomplish what she set out to do. She could make Hades a King in truth.

  “Persephone? Open your eyes, sweetling.”

  “You’ll only disappear,” she whispered. As if just saying the words would make it true. “I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to be alone.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. You called me and I cannot refuse to answer.”

  “You said that before. What did you mean?”

  “You are the siren’s call to my soul. Where you go, I must follow.”

  She met his midnight blue eyes. He set her on her feet. She stepped out of his embrace and he let her go, his face crestfallen. He thought she was pulling away. He thought he was losing her again, maybe forever, and the pain in his heart was the worst she ever felt.

  In his own way, he desired and loved her. He wasn’t a figment of her imagination, he was

  really here. And he couldn’t stay.

  Untying the cord twisting around her waist, she dropped it to the floor. “I want finish what we started in the garden.” She unfastened the broach on her right shoulder and dropped it to the floor. “I want to feel anything except the pain of betrayal.” The second broach followed the first.

  The connection they now shared jangled with emotions. Desire, need, yearning. Fear, panic, terror. Hope, joy, sorrow.

  “Persephone,” he choked. “Please…”

  The protest died on his lips as the cloth slithered down her body, and pooled around her feet.

  She stepped out of it. The niggling thought that she should be embarrassed by her nakedness before a man and ashamed of her wanton behavior raced through her mind, but the sentiments were not her own, and so she discarded them.

  She wasn’t that Persephone anymore. And she wasn’t the Persephone from her memories

  either.

  Hades swallowed hard, his gaze focused on her face with all his concentration. She could feel his unease and confusion. She wasn’t the Persephone he knew and it was taking all his control not to accept her offer. He thought it a trick, a test, and if he took the bait he would lose her forever. He couldn’t take the chance.

  But she could.

  Here in this place, there were no secrets, no lies. She knew him more completely then she knew herself. She knew about the pain and fear and loneliness of being a Phlegethon daemon-god.

  She knew how hard it was for him to see her and not desire her, not be able to fix the evils done to her, and not be able to claim her as he wanted. Like all daemons named after the

  Phlegethon River in the Underworld, a river that meant ‘fiery,’ Hades power was in his passions.

  His Phlegethon blood sought a mate. A woman who could meet him equally, whose passion

  could match his own, who could sustain his power, and nourish and soothe his soul as he did the same for her. Driving him to find the one individual who could not only be claimed and survive his attention, but awaken his passion for life. As he would do for his chosen mate.

  She should have feared what he wanted of her, but she didn’t. He wanted what every

  Phlegethon daemon wanted, a merging of mind and body and soul, and she wanted it to. She

  wanted her mate as all Phlegethon daemon-gods wanted what was theirs.

  “Hades,” she whispered his name, her power snaking out to embrace him. She glided toward

  him, confident for the first time in her life. “My heart has belonged to you far longer than I ever imagined.”

  She knew the truth now. The truth lost to time and with her memories. She was no different than Hades. She was Phlegethon daemon and an Olympian goddess. Her love, her anger, her

  hate, and her joy burned so brightly it could consume the life force of those around them and leave nothing but ashes behind.

  “Persephone.” His voice held a hint of warning that she ignored. “If you start this, it will not end upon waking. I think you should wait.”

  She pressed her body against his. “I’ve waited long enough.”

  She brought his face down to hers, kissing him with all the passion in her heart. She put her whole body and soul into the kiss. And he was kissing her back.

  Her power, her energy, her spirit, everything that was her twined around him, entered him, showing him the depth of the feelings in her heart, speaking the words to his soul she couldn’t convey. His spirit rose to met hers, twining around her, revealing the hardness of a warrior and the fiery passions of a Phlegethon in need, reviving his dying soul.

  They could do nothing but respond to the firestorm she ignited with her kiss. Their souls merged and channeled pure, unadulterated power into the mix. His hands were roaming over her, touching every part of her, awakening sensations in her body she didn’t even know existed, adding kindling to the fire that threatened to consume them both.

  He kissed her again, lifting her into his arms. Her legs locked around his waist. His cock pressed against her woman’s place, slipping into the slick folds. She tensed. The sensation of being filled and hungry for more was strange.

  He paused, his body trembling with the need to enter her fully, and she could see his concern through the raging desire for more. “Do you want me to stop?”

  If she said yes, he would. If she said no…

  She grinned and flexed her hips. He slipped just a little deeper. He groaned, easing out and in just little more. Fire shot straight to her core, and desire for completion bloomed. She felt alive for the first time in centuries.

  She needed this. He needed this. It was right.

  He repeated the motion again and again, each time a little deeper, until her hips rose to meet him in a rhythm as old as time Himself. The next thrust went deeper, sending an even greater shock of pleasure through them.

  HADES WARRIOR control snapped at the vibrations strumming through their link. He

  couldn’t thrust deep enough or fast enough. His hands on her waist drove harder and harder down upon his cock, delving deeper and deeper into the soft heat. Her pleasure rose, her fingers clenching his shoulders.

  His carefully won discipline faltered as she moaned and her pussy tightened around his hard length, drawing him deeper, striving to merge their bodies as she had their souls. He pressed deeper, all of his strength melting into the wild desperation to join their bodies with every stroke until she accepted all of him. Her heat tightened around him, sending her over the edge.

  She screamed her pleasure into the darkness, her body shuddering in his arms, thrust them deeper into the firestorm of passion. Her breasts rose and fell faster and faster, their hardened tips brushing his chest as he plunged into her and her pleasure vibrated through their connection. His body went wild in response as wave after wave of her orgasm washed over him. His entire body quivered and his passion blazed through him shattering his universe, propelling him into his own peak of ecstasy. Their minds and bodies and souls merged into one as the magic of the

  Phlegethon swirled around them, sealing their fates, binding them together for eternity.

  They made wild love several more times, but the last time was a coupling so exquisitely slow that Persephone cried with joy. She experienced every touch, enjoyed every taste, and treasured every moment.

  They drank fully, savoring every last drop of pleasure, until their souls, entwined for eternity, soared.

  He was a warrior defeated, undone by the pleasure that could only be found a woman’s arms.
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  And in her arms was where he remained, nestled deep inside her.

  Chapter 24

  “YOU HAVE to leave,” Persephone murmured against his hair.

  Hades blinked, the steady beat of her heart beneath his ear changing. He rose from the cradle of her arms and looked down into her sad eyes. “Come with me, Persephone.”

  She caressed his face. “There are things I must see, and it’s a journey I must travel alone.

  You’ve given me strength and hope, my Lord Hades.”

  She kissed him and then pushed him away. Hades lunged through the darkness surrounding

  him, reaching for her. “Persephone!” He was caught in the darkness, struggling to be free of the force holding him still. “Persephone!”

  “She’s beside you, Hades,” Thanatos shouted. “Calm down!”

  Hades closed his eyes and stilled. The bands loosened and he opened his eyes. He was back in her rooms with Thanatos standing over them, a look of tenderness on his face as he watched Persephone sleep. A spark of jealous rage flashed through Hades, only to realize it wasn’t the look of a man desiring a woman, but a friend worried for their friend, or a parent for their child.

  SHE WAS thrown back into the nightmare. She stood in a room, one that seemed vaguely

  familiar and yet she couldn’t ever remember being in it. There were four small beds against the far wall, and two cribs across from them. Toys were scattered across the floor.

  She could hear frantic voices outside the door and snippets of words: baby, turned my back, Persephone’s gone, Demeter, and find her.

  She glanced around the room again and started. A man with spiky auburn hair and a youthful face stood in the nursery with her. Despite the change in his appearance she knew him instantly.

  Thanatos. He glanced around the room, before kneeling on the floor beside one of the beds.

  “I know you’re here, Persephone. I have a treat for you.”

  A chubby baby with a head of soft auburn curls crawled out from under the bed and held out her hand. He gave her the treat and lifted her into his arms. He sat in a chair, cradling her to his chest.

  The baby held out her hand. “More, Than,” she demanded.

  He chuckled and handed her another treat. She gobbled it down, drooling all over the front of his tunic. He didn’t seem to mind. He wiped her face and pressed her head to his chest, kissing the top of her curly hair as he rocked her. Persephone could hear the faint echo of his heart beat as he rocked her gently and cooed words of love. The baby snuggled into his arms and was soon sleeping.

  They might have sat that way for an eternity with him tenderly stroking her back, but then he spoke, “Persephone, I know your mother, and I know she will never tell you the truth of where you came from. She thinks to protect you, but the lie only endangers you further.” She felt his magic, gentle as the evening breeze wrap around them. “I love Demeter, but she won’t have such as me. My work, my life…” He shook his head. “Demeter is life and light and beauty, while I am death and darkness.”

  He glanced down at the baby in his arms, yet continued to speak, “Kora and you are my

  daughters, born of the love we shared, but Kora is like your mother. Her power in based in life, and while the Titans may seek her out she doesn’t have your strength or your curse. Because you are my daughter, Persephone, there is some of me in you, and you must be more careful than any goddess, for you are daemon-goddess of awesome power, and the power of your passions will destroy anyone less than your equal. Be strong, my daughter, and fight for what you want in this life.”

  Persephone reached out to touch Thanatos. Her hand sunk inches into his cheek. Her father?

  Could he truly be? But then she had no reason to doubt him. Thanatos had never played her false.

  “Thank you, Thanatos.”

  Without even knowing, he’d given her the answer to escaping this place. Thanatos stood and laid the baby on the bed. “I love you, my Persephone.” He kissed her forehead, pulled the sheet over her, and disappeared.

  Persephone focused her mind on the picture of Thanatos as she remembered him. Staring at

  her palm, she took a deep breath, and willed the flesh to open beneath her nails. For a moment she didn’t think it would work, but then the pain came and the skin split. Bright blood dripped from her hand.

  She winced, focusing on the blood as the scene shifted once more, and stated her desire to the cosmos. “Flesh to flesh, blood to blood, I call upon the bond of father to daughter. Return me to my home! Return me to my love!”

  White heat exploded, singeing her entire body. Shoved into the darkness, she spiraled into the black void of nothingness. She screamed and screamed and screamed. And then the pain stopped.

  ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

  PERSEPHONE SHIFT on the bed and Hades knew the second everything changed. Hope

  flaring to life as he watched her eyelids fluttered.

  “Father…” she groaned.

  A great wave of joy flowed through him. Relief followed. Then sorrow.

  Hades eased away, his skin tingling with the power, fighting his own energy that wanted to reach out to his mate. Her gentle magic flowed outward, growing stronger with each breath. Its questing tendrils brushed his skin, tasting his magic.

  Her eyes opened and she turned her head in his direction. Her usually bright indigo eyes

  seemed dull and weary. “You said you wouldn’t come into my bedroom.” Her voice was flat, as if she was merely stating a fact, not accusing him of breaking his promise.

  He blinked. “You called me to you—”

  “And you couldn’t refuse,’ she finished for him.

  “My mother did something to you. You’ve been unconscious for weeks and I’ve been caring

  for you.”

  She nodded, sitting up and folding her hands in her lap. “I remember.”

  The urge to hold her was intense. If he thought the pull to be with her strong before, it had only increased tenfold with the awakening of her power. She was very powerful, and capable of so much. Demeter might be her mother, but Zeus definitely wasn’t her father. She was too strong.

  “According to our agreement I am free, yes?”

  He winced. He wanted to say no and keep her with him. As long as he had her, the

  Underworld wouldn’t be a punishment and he wouldn’t be its prisoner. But he’d given her his word. “You have your magic. You are free to do as you wish.”

  She nodded and swung her feet to the floor and stood. “Thank you, Hades.”

  She was going to leave him. After everything, she was going to return to her mother. The

  urge to fall to his knees before her and beg her to dispel the loneliness plaguing his every waking hour or end the piercing emptiness of his life was nearly overwhelming.

  She took a step forward and stumbled, Hades caught her. The touch of flesh on flesh instantly connected them. He could taste her energy, and knew instantly that despite having full access to her power, something was still missing. She seemed somehow incomplete. In some ways, she

  was better. Her birthright was restored to her, yet something vital was absent.

  “Easy, sweetling. You’ve been abed for nearly a month.”

  Hades frowned. Her mind was vibrant and rich with memories, thoughts, images, and energy, but he sensed no emotion from her. Had his mother brought to life one part of her, only to suppress the other part that made up her core and completed her, that made her his equal and his mate?

  His soul cried out in protest. Years of oppression had caused considerable damage, making it near impossible to probe any deeper and locate her hidden emotions. Unless his mother had inadvertently destroyed them, in which case there was nothing he could do for her.

  A spark of anger rippled through her energy, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Zana scuttled for the door, fleeing before either of them could stop her.

  Supporting her weight, he steadied her weak legs, endeavored to ignore h
is body’s response to her lush curves pressed against him or the images of her naked body. This wasn’t the time.

  “Would you like something to eat or drink?” Penelope asked from her seat.

  “No. I would like a bath.”

  He hardened instantly, groaning inwardly at the images of Persephone bathing. Persephone’s eyes jerked up, a flicker of some unnamed emotion in her eyes, and then it was gone.

  Penelope bowed her head. “My Queen,” she said, leaving them alone.

  “Do you want help?”

  A ghost of a smile curled the corners of her lips, and then was gone. She shook her head. “I need some time to think.”

  “As you wish. You may remain here as long as you want. It is, after all, your kingdom.”

  He bowed and walked out of the room, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She was staying

  for the moment and what did it mean? Her emotions weren’t gone as he feared, just suppressed.

  Was it a side effect of what had been done to her? Or was she purposely doing it?

  Did she regret their time spend together in her mind? Was she rethinking her actions? Or did she not realize that he had really been there and it hadn’t been a figment of her imagination? He hoped for the best, for he would not survive long past her rejection.

  ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

  STEPPING INTO the doorway of the bathing area, Persephone disrobed and sunk into the

  warm water. This room, like most places in the palace, was the red, black, and white motif, and she still didn’t like it.

  Waving her hand, magic rippled across the floor, changing the detailed tiled mosaic. The

  design covering the back wall became a variegated blue, showcase the water gently streaming down the wall and into the large black pool below. Twenty people could easily fit in the

  monstrosity she now relaxed in, though she only wanted to see one person in the water.

  Naked, wet Hades. She could almost imagine them in this bath, washing each other, licking the water from his body, groaning as they took their pleasure here. She closed her eyes enjoying the naked images of Hades.