AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll just have to show you,” he said solemnly, his voice sounding more pained than I expected.
I didn’t know what to make of his response. Could I trust him? Would he stick around the way he said he would? I had no idea what to do, and as much I told myself to push him away, I couldn’t. Even with the risk he’d break me, I stayed.
“You’ll see,” he added as if he’d read my mind. “Just give me time.”
“Well, time I have,” I said. “It’s all I have left now.”
He leaned near and kissed me, shifting a little closer. “The battle against X isn’t over, you know.”
“It is,” I said. “I can’t fight anymore.”
He ran his hands through my hair. “We’ll figure it out together. You have four of us in your corner now.”
“You’re okay with sharing?” I asked.
“I didn’t think I would be, but I can’t lose you—and they love you, too. They’ll keep you safe as well.”
His response rocked my mind. He’d just admitted he had no issues with the other gods in my life, and he accepted his place alongside them.
He kissed me again. I had no idea how long this would last, or if he was serious. But I’d waited a long time for him to tell me how he felt, and I was ready to accept it for now.
I hoped to God he wouldn’t hurt me again, because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle another rejection. But the way he held me tightly without backing away, it seemed like he’d changed. And maybe change was good.
He held me close, and I let myself believe this was real. That Hades had finally come to his senses and shown me the real him. I’d craved it for so long. Who said a girl couldn’t dream?
After a long pause of tranquility, of him stroking my hair, an explosive boom sounded outside. Car honking and even screams came from outside.
We froze.
The walls rattled around us, the bed trembling.
Hades’s arms tightened around me.
“What the hell was that?” I scrambled out of his embrace.
He reached the window in three long strides. I rushed after him to find smoke billowing upward from several locations around the city in the distance.
“It’s X! He’s going to destroy the whole place.” I felt X’s rage in my bones, his power like claws in my flesh, and Hades nodded, his jawline clenching.
So, I rushed to step into my boots, ready to fight. I had Hades on my side now too.
“You’re staying here,” Hades demanded. “Call my phone if X comes here. I’m going to finish this.” He pulled open the front door, but I rushed after him into the hallway, eager to help, ready to argue.
Only, I found Catina and Oliver emerging from the apartment down the corridor.
“Elyse,” she cried out, her voice strangled. “What’s going on?”
I rushed over to her, noticing the way both my friend and Oliver eyed Hades who remained near my door, but I wasn’t here to explain the tall, gorgeous man who’d just stepped out of my apartment.
“You need to pack a small bag and leave the city now.”
They both looked at me bewildered, like I’d lost my mind, and I grabbed my friend’s elbow, drawing her to her door. “Please Catina, listen to me. This is for your safety. Something big is coming.” Panic crawled up the back of my legs.
She stared at me with huge eyes crammed with concern. “It has something to do with the gods, right?” she whispered.
I nodded and opened the door for her. “Please just head out fast. Get others in the building to do the same.”
“What’s going on,” Oliver asked, and he looked at me like the previous times when I’d brought havoc to his life. Times that felt so long ago.
“It’ll be okay. I’ll fill you in later.”
And as if he understood that whatever it was, it would take too long to explain, he gave me a knowing tight smile and followed Catina inside.
So, I spun on my heels only to find no sign of Hades. And I bet my life he popped out of here, leaving me behind on purpose.
