Page 63 of Tempted By Hades

“I love you, Persephone.” He placed a finger on her lips. “You don’t have to say it back. Not right now.” Despite the ache in his chest, he didn’t want to hear it unless she really meant it.

“Silly,” she sighed. “Of course I love you. I wouldn’t have made love to you if I didn’t.”

Relief and joy poured through him. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.” He’d never quite felt like this, not in thousands of years he’d been alive.

“I want to be with you forever, Hades,” she confessed. “When the effects of the pomegranate seeds are over in a few weeks, will you give me more? So I can keep staying here?”

“You want to stay in the Underworld? And give up your life in the Upperworld, with your mother?—”

“I don’t want to talk about her now,” she whispered, gazing at him with her soft doe-eyes. “But does that mean I have to keep eating the seeds forever? What happens if I forget to eat them or if they run out.”

“I…I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” she asked, incredulous. “Didn’t you make them?”

“No, the pomegranate tree was already here when I took over.”

“Tree? As in one single tree?” She sat up, dragging the sheet over her breasts. “So, if anything did happen to it, I wouldn’t be able to stay.”

“I…suppose.” The pang in his chest hit hard at the thought they would be parted.

“What if someone found a way to destroy the tree? I don’t want that to happen.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Please, there has to be some way for me to stay forever.”

“There is one way.”

She glanced up at him. “How?”

“You could stay forever if you were my queen.”

Those deep brown eyes regarded him, full of innocence and love and hope. “D-do you want that?”

This was the right moment to act honorably. To tell her of everything he had done from the beginning, all the machinations he had done so they would meet, and what he had planned for her.

Or at least it would have been, except he was too afraid to lose her now that he had her.

“I want that.” Bending down, he pressed his lips to hers. Perhaps this was fate—or fate working with him. He was meant to be the ruler of Olympus, meant to find Persephone and have her as his queen and mate. If it weren’t, they wouldn’t be here now, right? Besides, he truly did fall in love with her. His emotions were genuine, even if his pursuit of her had been unethical in the beginning. He would love her, cherish her, protect her forever, and she would rule Olympus by his side. What woman wouldn’t want to be queen of all the heavens? “I want you to stay forever. Persephone, will you marry me?”

A myriad of emotions passed over her before her smile lit up her face with a brightness that could have rivaled all the stars in the universe. “Oh yes!” She grabbed the sides of his head and kissed him. “Yes, Hades, I will marry you.”

What have you done? That voice inside him sounded ominous this time.

“Persephone…” He kissed her back with all the passion he could muster, blocking out that negative voice from his thoughts. He had almost everything now—Persephone, the love of his life, would be by his side forever, and revenge was just within his reach.

Nothing could possibly stop him now.

Chapter 12

Persephone

Persephone’s life in the Underworld settled into a rhythm, a comforting routine that helped her navigate the peculiarities of her new life. The ethereal glow of dawn marked the beginning of her day. The moment she awoke, Hades would welcome her back from the dreaming world with kisses—sometimes soft, butterfly-wing-like traces of his lips on her skin, and other times they would be urgent and eager as if he’d been away from her for years and he was getting his first taste of her. But no matter which one she awoke to, they would always end up making love as soon as they were both fully awake. Despite her inexperience, she was eager to learn how to please him, while he was more than happy to teach her.

Most mornings were busy for him, and he didn’t have time to have breakfast with her, but when he did, they often lingered in bed, their tray of food and coffee cold after they’d spent another round in each other’s arms. He never left without making sure she was satisfied, nor without at least sitting down to a cup of coffee, where they discussed each other’s plans for the day.

Once he left, and the first rays of the Underworld’s filtered light spilled over the garden, Persephone found herself among the blooms, tending to the lush array of flowers and plants that she had carefully chosen. Each morning, she reveled in the tranquility of the garden, where the beauty of the Upperworld intertwined with the shadows of the Underworld. The souls, drawn to the fragrant blossoms and lively greenery, would sometimes linger, their spectral forms taking on a gentle luminescence in the subdued light.

As the midday sun rose, Persephone’s focus shifted from the natural splendor of the garden to the realm of fabrics and threads. Lunchtime marked the appointment she eagerly anticipated—her wedding dress fittings with Elena, a skilled seamstress who had volunteered to bring Persephone’s vision to life.

Her dressing room became a makeshift sewing room, surrounded by bolts of luxurious fabrics and cascades of delicate lace. Persephone and Elena collaborated on creating the gown that would symbolize her union with Hades. With nimble fingers and an artistic eye, Elena worked tirelessly to transform Persephone’s ideas into a tangible masterpiece.

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