Page 76 of Seduced

But that was before Hades’ revelation.

‘Your brother lost you to me in a game of cards.’

The answer to her question was evident now: There wasn’t.

There was no God for someone like her.

What little faith she had left was shattered.

“Someone help me!” Hades was screaming.

Liquid dropped into her lips and she choked, gasping wetly for breath.

Hade’s fingers were on her face, cupping her cheek, holding up her neck.

“Tilt your head up, love,” his voice was saying, his voice tight, etched with fear. “Look at me, please, come on.”

But that was the whole point, wasn’t it? She couldn’t.

Alexei

There was blood pouring down her face.

Alexei did not think. He moved.

He had been brooding in a corner, still shuddering from the cold and asking himself, quite brutally, what on earth had been going through his thick skull to let Poppy lie down on the snow next to him. They could both have died. Well, he himself was there with just that intention, but she…

You could have killed her, he screamed at himself.You absolute fool. You absolute bloody—

And then, before he could think up more abuse for himself, Poppy had entered the great hall.

What the hell is she doing here? Where’s Dante?

It was the small hours before dawn, and half of the ton was crowded in the Underworld, pretending that they did not recognize each other, as they indulged themselves in watching beautiful women perform exotic dances, partook of copious amounts of drink, and competed in all kinds of debauchery in the club’s private rooms and gaming tables.

It was the worst place in the whole of London for a girl like her to be in.

But Alexei took one look at her drawn features, chalk-like cheeks and bleary eyes, and kept his mouth shut. It took more self-restraint than he had thought himself capable of, not to rush over to her, snatch her to him and hold her until all her hurt was healed.

Or, at least, until that haunted, dead look was wiped from her lovely eyes.

But the urge was futile.

First of all, he had never voluntarily, outside of a good round of pugilism, held anyone. And secondly, he was the last person who should be comforting Miss Wyatt right now. On the contrary, he should stay as far away from her as he possibly could. He clutched a glass of port until his knuckles turned white and watched the dancers through unseeing eyes. His hair was still wet and dripping, and he had not bothered to change out of his wet shirt, even though Wilder had practically forced a coat on his shoulders.

It was myself I meant to destroy.

Instead, I almost killed her.

It would serve me right if I got an inflammation of the lungs.

I should not be allowed to breathe after what I did to her.

He looked around the room idly. Everything around him disgusted him. Everything—

His eyes met Rania’s across the room and he froze.

She suddenly looked scared, frantic. He followed her gaze, and his lips parted in a silent scream. He was running before he knew what he was doing; he did not think. He moved.

---