Aaren couldn’t help the huge smile that exploded across his face. It felt as though a higher power had jizzed into his heart and filled it with sunshine and rainbows.
He made a large pot of chicken soup, and fried some chicken anyway in case Ballus was an ass when he woke up. Then he stuck a note about the freshly prepared food on Ballus’ face, and hurried out of the house before the alpha could wake up.
For the first time in a long while, Aaren feltfree.
He didn’t have to face Ballus’ assholery this morning. He had woken up with Hades’ scent and taste in his body. And now he was going to see Hades again.
Aaren
I escaped!!!!!
ESC
Good boy. Be there soon.
Like before, Hades picked him up on Violet Lane. Aaren climbed into the car and leaned over the center console, his heart skipping when Hades met him halfway and kissed him on the mouth. Hades rumbled, sliding his tongue between Aaren’s lips.
“Beautiful,” Hades growled.
“We should vary the pickup points,” Aaren said breathlessly when he finally pulled away. “In case the neighbors talk.”
“Sure.” Before Hades began driving, he pressed a small plastic card into Aaren’s hand. It was still warm with his own body heat. “Here. In case you need some extra spending money. There’s a $500 monthly limit on that card. Treat yourself, buy something nice.”
Aaren stared. He turned the card around in his hands, rubbing his thumb over his name printed in silver ink. “Fivehundred?Amonth?”
“Yes.”
“H-How did you even get this so quickly? Don’t they take forever in the mail?”
“I went to the bank yesterday.”
“To... to get me a card so I can spend $500 of your money every month?”
“Yes.” Hades’ smile was wry as he reached over, squeezing Aaren’s thigh. “I want you to have more financial freedom. Tell me if it isn’t enough.”
“Holy crap,” Aaren whispered dazedly. “Is this payment for sleeping with you?”
Hades shook his head. “No. I just wanted you to have something good in your life.”
“Wow,” Aaren mumbled, his heart beating too fast. “Y-You’re already the best thing in my life, even without this.”
Then he squeaked, embarrassed that he had admitted to it.
Hades paused at a four-way stop sign and gave him a warm, toe-curling smile.
As they made their way through Meadowfall, Aaren thought about the special ingredients he had glimpsed in stores, that he wanted to experiment with. Maybe some nicer pots and pans, maybe some pretty marbled olivewood spoons.
But he didn’t want to bring those new, expensive things into Ballus’ house, only for Ballus to treat them like trash and throw them away. “Can I... If I buy things with your card, can I store them at your house instead?”
Hades grinned. “Of course. You can even have them delivered to me, and open them when you visit.”
“Wow. Um, okay.” Aaren clutched the credit card to his chest, then tucked it carefully into his wallet. It was going into his pile of hidden things so Ballus would never find it.
A few months ago, Ballus had found Aaren’s debit card lying around. He used it to buy clothes for himself. When Aaren discovered the charges on it, he had confronted Ballus, only for Ballus to say it was fair game. The bank had refused to reverse the charges because it was Aaren’s alpha who had used it, and Ballus refused to return the clothes he had bought. The policemen at the station had sneered and said it was Ballus’ right as Aaren’s alpha, and they had done nothing about the unauthorized charges.
Emmy had told Aaren later thathispoliceman alpha said it was wrong. He also said Varrick would straighten out the officers at his station.
Aaren never ended up pressing charges; he didn’t want his stay with Ballus to turn unpleasant. His priority was getting the year over with so he could fulfill the terms of his inheritance contract. But he had taken great care to hide his things from that point forward.
