Page 38 of Seeking Hades' Ember

"Kitten, Dante was made to be an Alpha. He has also drawn up plans to have our bodyguard and security business include private investigators. We have hired ten new supernatural detectives to find her. There is still hope." Wesley nuzzled into Charlotte's hair while she dried her tears.

"I certainly hope so. I want to apologize for every-"

"No," Wesley growled as he lifted her up. With one hand behind her back and the other under her knees, he took her to their room. Charlotte had decorated it with bright, airy colors, and the large picture of their combined Luna and Mating ceremony hung over the bed.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Wesley towered over her as each elbow flanked her sides. Wesley kissed Charlotte's forehead longingly. "Ember is strong. Do you forget who her mother is? You survived through the worst, and yet here you stand with three sons who adore you. Ember would never blame you; if anything, she would blame the pack warriors." Charlotte took a large, heavy sigh.

Wesley went on a rampage the night Ember was taken. Warriors were beaten to a bloody pulp, that his little princess of the pack was taken out from their own home. It was later found that the use of solid magic had infiltrated the ward that Hades had created.

Wesley fell to the side as Charlotte curled up into Wesley's arms. His thumb continued to draw patterns in her arms as she cried silently for their daughter. Each storm brought new pain to Charlotte, and each spring and summer seem to make it worst.

"I've contacted Sorceress Cyrene and her coven. They plan on coming to visit in the next couple of weeks." Charlotte sniffed while looking up at her mate. "I'm going to try and have her test the wards again to make sure they are still standing strong and maybe contact Hades." Charlotte's eyes widened at the realization that the King of the Underworld may come. "Don't get your hopes up, Kitten. He's a busy god, and I don't think he would want to come to visit a measly pack."

"But we helped him! Trixen could still be running around it if it weren't for us! He has to help." Wesley petted Charlotte's head and pulled her to his neck. "Ember would have loved it," Charlotte whispered as she tickled Wesley's chest. "Ember loved all the stories about the gods, especially Hades."

"I'll have Cyrene bring that up; maybe that will make his head swell and want to visit. Not many find the God of the Underworld that interesting other than just being fearful of him."

Charlotte hummed as they both drifted off to sleep dreaming for their one and only daughter to come home.

Jillian

My eyes fluttered open, and I sprung up to a sitting position. I had immediately started breathing heavily, placing a hand over my chest as my heart began to slow again. The smokey s'mores smell calmed me now that I noticed I was in Hades' bedroom.

Had it all been a dream? The pain in my rear and the large bandage on my leg told me otherwise. It stung as I traced it with my fingertips. The blood had seeped through on the bandages. It was old blood that had turned dark, so I had to be sleeping for a while.

All of this wasn't a dream. The demon ladies, Hades actually being THE HADES. I gasped and slapped my hands to my face. Gods were real; what of Hermes, Loukas, Vulcan, and Ares? They all were too!? The excitement in me wasn't of fear but pure admiration. Hades was not the evil guy everyone thought he was. He was so nice and sweet to me, but he did seem pretty pissed when he came to my rescue.

Hades rescued me, again! I could squeal at how exciting this was. I heard a groan on the floor, only to be met with large yellow eyes. Cerberus purred as he stood up and gave me a quick lick on my cheek as my head leaned over the bed.

"That's my good puppy," I cooed, scratching his ear. "You ate that big 'ole demon, didn't you? Just for me!" Cerberus continued to purr in his throat as I hit his spot on his chest, giggling and leaning a bit too far; I caught myself and sat back on the bed. My leg was still stinging in pain as I groaned while Cerberus put his paws on the bed to look. "Just hurts a little, big boy. Now, where is Hades? I think he has some explaining to do." I gave a pointed look at him as he looked sheepish.

Not ten seconds had passed until Hades was standing at the front of my bed. I yelled loudly and threw the bed sheets over my head. "Don't do that!" I squealed. Hades gave that wonderful low laugh as he sat on the bed and pulled the sheet down. He was no longer with his bright blonde hair and skin but his tan and dark hair that I was so used to.

I folded my arms and tried to act angry while I squinted my eyes at him. "Explain." I held back a smile. At first, Hades looked worried until that devilish smirk came into view. He touched my uninjured leg, and I instantly melted at his touch.

"How much do you remember, my angel?" I tilted my head to the side, licking my lips.

"All of it, from the kiss to those red demon women to that weird house where those things touched me." My lip quivered, remembering that part. I could deal with the scratches and being dragged, but that Incubus House was downright frightening. Hades got up and pulled me to his lap, being careful of the bandages on my leg. There was a low growl in his chest as he held me tight.

"I'm sorry. That will never happen again." I looked up at the towering god and gave a small smile, knowing his words were valid, even though he withheld that he was a god. I mean, I get it. If he had told me that from the very beginning that he was a god, I would have laughed at him and then died of a brain aneurism.

"So, you are THE Hades?" I questioned.

"Unless there is another God of the Underworld that I don't know about, yes I am." I giggled as I held him tight. As I was getting comfortable, my body stiffened. If that was true, then Persephone should be down here. I mean, he stole her, brought her here, and she ate that pomegranate. I sat up straight, startling him as I looked at him in the eye.

"W-what about Persephone?" If he has her somewhere and has me as some side chick, I will walk right out of this room and go find a job. I'm not staying down here to be used; I'm better than that. I'm thankful he and the rest of them saved me, but that doesn't mean I deserved to be second best and a side piece. I felt the anger well up in me as Hades gave an amused look.

"She isn't here; she hasn't lived down here for over a thousand years. She is with some angel now. Malachi?" he questioned himself. "I'm not really sure who she's mated to." Hades’ rubbed his chin with a bit of stubble that started growing. The questioning looks on his face was cute when he thought, but I still had a lot of questions. Like mated? What does that mean?

"Mated? Like animals? Did you mate with her?" I could feel the jealousy rising in my stomach. I didn't like that word; the only thing I could think of was terrible animalistic tendencies between people taking their sexual frustrations out on each other. I've seen it in the club, and it was disgusting.

Hades gave another amused look and that sexy smirk showing his perfect white teeth. "Are you jealous?" I glared at him, huffing while crossing my arms. I was getting mad, dang it, and it was darn frustrating. He's older, of course; he had a life before me and I'm sure lovers. All right, that hurt. That overwhelming feeling of jealousness was fading into sadness until Hades made me straddle his waist.

"Hey, hey, hey, angel," he cooed. His knuckles ran across my cheeks. "I have been an absolute ass before you, but I did not touch Persephone." My heart skipped a bit hearing that; he was supposed to be so in love with her. "I thought it was love; it wasn't. She didn't care about me as I did with her, and I was bitter about it for a long time. Not once did I touch her, force her into anything. Except to live in the Underworld," he whispered that last bit. "I was an angry person because I was alone and no one wanted me, and I had no one to love until you."

My breath hitched as he squeezed my waist. Hades and I just kissed, and he already loved me? It hasn't been that long; we had only known each other for such a small amount of time. How could he have feelings like that? Then again, he was the only one that gave me the wonderful warm fuzzies I get just mentioning his name. My body heats at his touch, and I crave him like a kid wanting an ice cream cone on a sweltering hot day. I sighed into him, holding him tight.

"I think I love you too, Hades," I whispered, barely audible, but he heard it. "I'm scared I don't know what love is though. What if I am wrong?" Hades pulled my head back and looked into my eyes while the pads of his thumbs rubbed over my cheeks.

"I can't know everything of what you are feeling, but I have an idea." My questioning look gave way to his following statement that left me stunned.

"You are my mate, Angel. My soulmate."

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