Page 18 of Seeking Hades' Ember

“Close, Cerberus. I’ve found my mate.” I smiled.

“Damn, is your face broken? I haven’t seen your teeth in ages,” he snorted. I pushed him playfully away as I get up from my chair and walked to the window. I had to will the sky to be blue and the grass to be green. It isn’t always dark down here, just deeper shades of the colors of the Earth. The sky remains a red due to the flames of fire lakes and Tartarus. That took quite a bit of my power to block all of it out, but it was worth it.

“I’m guessing that’s why it looks extra cheery down here then?” Cerberus nudged my leg for a pet.

“Yes, she is human, and she’s been through a lot. I don’t want to burden her with who I really am until I find her healthy.” Cerberus sat on his hind legs while one of his three heads continued to nuzzle my leg. “That is why I need to ask you a favor…” I started but was quickly cut off to Cerberus cracking his bones and two of his heads instantly retracted into his body.

“Yeah, I got it. Just for her though.”

“Thank you, my friend.” Walking back to the desk and pouring a glass of whisky, I tell Cerberus her story. How she was abused, beaten, and broken and about to be sold into sex trafficking until I came along. Repeatedly, Cerberus growled and often bared his teeth. Even the small bit of information about Jillian and he was already protective. It might be best to have him as her permanent guardian until she has been shown the truth around her.

“You need to work on counting to ten, make sure you don’t blow up around her. You have to show her the soft side to the Dark Lord of the Underworld.” I rolled my eyes as I took another sip from my glass. Cerberus was known for giving his ‘life’ advice, and he was the only one I would take it from.

“Thanks, I think I know that.” In retrospect, I wasn’t throwing things like I normally do. Anything could set me off, a sound, a wrinkle in my clothes, hell even Cerberus snoring would piss me off. Now I was calm and sated, for now. If someone touches her or upsets her, I cannot guarantee I can reign it in.

When she made breakfast this morning, I thought one of my friends asked her too. I was livid and that was putting it lightly. She had worked every day for so many years and here she was making breakfast to ‘be nice.’ I sighed heavily again, thinking how scared she must have been. I didn’t think. I just acted. A terrible pattern that I will need to break quickly. Think first, you damn fool.

“My King.” One of the maids knocked on the door. “Dinner is served.” With a curt nod from me and an impatient Cerberus trotted to the door, we walked out to pick up my beautiful mate from her room.

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