Page 11 of Underworld

I roll my eyes but do as I’m told. As I walk through the store, I realize that the ones I like are dresses I wouldn’t normally wear. But Persephone? Persephone is the Queen of the Underworld. And she likes to wear things that make her feel sexy. I find another dress that’s black with small flowers all over. But this dress has a high slit up one side, and the lower part is made up of several layers of sheer material. The top is a corset with boning. It has beaded flowers and is completely sheer except for the top half.

I point to it, knowing that Howe is right behind me. He lets out an appreciative hum, and I can’t help but smile. Noticing a more risque section, I head in that direction. I can’t help but squeal when I see the next two dresses. One is a deep red, so dark it’s almost black. It has a sheer, off-the-shoulder top with intricate flowers sewn into it that would cover my cleavage. The bottom looks like a pair of underwear, but two deep-red pieces of fabric are attached. One attaches to the side of the hip and wraps around the back to attach to the other hip. Then there's a bunched piece of fabric in the front, giving the illusion that there are two high slits in the dress.

The second dress is black and has a see-through-lace bodice with intricate straps flowing over the front and onto the back of the dress. The bottom is the same concept as the first, except the fabric is see-through.

Knowing Howe has grabbed the dresses I like, I head to the changing area but stop when I notice Howe at the register paying with a bag in his hand. Heading his way, I say, “I thought I was going to try everything on?”

He shakes his head. “I already know these are going to look great. No need to try them on.”

A grunt behind me has me looking over my shoulder. Alec is walking toward us, holding several shoe boxes. He has them stacked up and is holding them under his chin. I think he’s managing about six boxes. Impressive. “Do you need help?” I ask.

“Nope. I’ve got everything under control.” He slides the boxes onto the counter without dropping a single one. Doubly impressed.

“What are all the shoes for?”

He grins at me and says, “For you, silly.”

“I don’t need that many shoes, Al . . . Charon.” Fuck, I almost slipped up and called him his real name in public.

He lets out a laugh as he pays for the shoes. “Seph, these are only your heels. We still need to get you some normal shoes and some boots.”

My eyes widen. “I really don’t need that many shoes.”

Jace’s dark voice comes from behind me. “Let them spoil you, Princess.”

I growl because I know I’m going to cave. I love shoes. “Fine,” I say with a groan.

“We should also grab her some leathers for when we go out. She can’t wear dresses out in public and be able to fight if she needs to,” Zane adds.

Jace nods. “Agreed. Do you think the guy we get ours from would be able to make a special order for her?”

Zane shrugs. “I can’t see why not.”

“So where are we going?” I ask with a sigh.

Howe and Alec each slide a hand into one of mine and smile as they pull me out of the store. “You’ll see,” Alec teases while laughing. I shrug. I’m just going to go along with whatever they have planned for the day.

We are walking down the sidewalk when a woman stops and stares at Howe and Alec. She just stands there staring. I watch as she looks them up and down before smiling and shifting her upper body to make her breasts look larger.

For the record, I’m not proud of what I do next. The woman looks right at me and smirks as she makes her way over to us. Without thinking, I lift and lick both Howe’s and Alec’s hands. Surprisingly, that doesn’t deter her. So . . . I turn and tug Howe down to kiss him forcefully on the lips. He growls when I turn and does the exact same thing to Alec. When I turn back around, I find the woman staring wide-eyed at me.

I give her a maniacal grin and growl out, “Mine!”

The woman immediately turns and runs in the opposite direction. I can’t help but stand a little taller. Howe and Alec both bust out in laughter.

“Did you seriously just lick us?” Alec asks through his laughter.

Howe snorts and says, “Did you see that chick? She was fucking freaked. She ran so fast.”

With a shrug, I continue walking. “Bitch knew you were with me.”

“Did she now?” Alec teases.

“Yes,” I huff out.

“Seems we have a possessive Queen,” Jace says behind me.

I hum as I reply, “You are the one who said you all are mine.”

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