Page 66 of Queen of the Underworld

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she immediately regretted them, that terrible feeling only growing as Hades stared at her in silence. She kept her gaze away from him, not sure she could bear the hurt or the anger that would be in his eyes.

Pain she had caused again.

Her shoulders deflated, her fight leaving her as despair swept in to cool her rage. She hadn’t meant what she had said, but it didn’t change a thing. She had been cruel to him again. She shifted her gaze to his chest, the closest she could bring herself to looking at him. She was despicable.

She was the monster.

Would he ever forgive her?

She wasn’t sure why she said such terrible things to him. No, she was. It was a foolish need to protect herself that made her lash out at him to drive a wedge between them, and it didn’t only hurt him. It hurt her too. She didn’t want any distance between them.

She just wanted him.

And it scared her.

Hades set her away from him, his fingers trailing off her wrists and sparking a desperate need to make him take hold of her again as cold welled inside her, whispers that he didn’t want her tormenting her.

“Nyx. Carry out your orders.” His deep voice rolled over her, lacking emotion, and Persephone’s gaze leaped up to meet his, but his crimson gaze was fixed on the goddess behind her.

What orders had he given the one called Nyx? Fear jolted her and she looked at the goddess, afraid it involved taking her or hurting her.

“Are you sure?” Nyx said.

Hades nodded, his air sombre and tone cold. “I am.”

Nyx gave him a look as she bowed her head, one that was all sympathy, and then she was gone.

Persephone turned to look at Hades, an apology leaping to the tip of her tongue, forged by the fear he was going to leave her or worse, take her home.

It died as his gaze lowered to her, the intensity of it robbing her of breath as it clashed with hers, and he husked, “Why did you throw the fruit at Nyx?”

Fire flared inside her again and she squared up to him, determined to speak her mind on this subject even if it angered or hurt him, but her nerve failed her and other words came out instead, a lie to cover her true feelings.

“Because I am sick of seeing it in this room,” she snapped. “I wanted it gone.”

His head slowly tilted to his left as he studied her. “Why not throw it out sooner? Why throw it at Nyx?”

His gaze drilled into her and panic bolted through her again, dampening her anger as she floundered, afraid of admitting the reason she had attacked Nyx with a hail of pomegranates, apples and oranges.

Persephone turned to walk away from him, no longer willing to say something that would only make her vulnerable and easy to wound, but she didn’t get far. He seized her right arm and forcefully pulled her back around to face him, and loomed over her.

His voice dropped to a far too sexy rumble.

“Was it because you believe Nyx to be my lover?”

Persephone clammed up.

He towered over her. Dark. Menacing. Radiating fury as shadows danced at his feet. But she didn’t see a monster. She saw a man, one desperate to know the reason behind her outburst, to divine the feelings behind it, as if his very life depended upon the answer.

And she felt drawn to him.

Ached to ease the pain he hid so well behind his stern mask.

“Were you jealous?” he whispered, crimson eyes searching hers, seeking the answer.

She wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t find her voice when he was looking at her like that, as if she could be a source of joy and happiness for him, and not just pain and frustration.

Hades released her wrist and brought both of his hands up, cupping her face with them and holding her gently as he gazed down at her.

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