Page 9 of Hades

“Is that swill Skull Wine out yet, or do I need to return at night when the clientele is less… human?” I ask only loud enough for him to hear.

He glances up to one of the many balconies overlooking the main floor, and I notice Asher and Cain standing at the rail. Asher nods to the bartender, and I give him a wave of thanks.

“And whatever the lady with the dog at the end wants,” I add when he places my drink down.

Sipping the revolting concoction this side considers Ambrosia, I nearly gag. I watch as the bartender talks with Aradia. They have a few words before he points in my direction. Her gaze follows his gesture, and when our eyes meet, I know I’m hopeless and lost to our curse.

With a deep sigh and knowledge of the inevitable, I smile and bow my head before making my way to her side. The only one paying attention to my movement is her dog, who comes to stand between us, its nose scenting the air as I approach.

The beast gives me a tentative growl of warning, which draws Aradia’s attention. “Hades, stop.”

The moment she speaks my name, I’m shocked and can’t help but obey her wishes.

“I’m sorry, he’s not used to being around so many people. He’s very friendly, aren’t you Hades?” Aradia adds, giving the dog a scratch behind the ears.

“Your dog’s name is… Hades?” I question it because that is something new and unusual. She’s had many pets in the past, yet never once has she ever named anything Hades.

“Yes,” she answers with a nod and a smile. “And we thank you for the soda and bowl of water.”

“You’re quite welcome.” I smile, and in that moment, Hades,the dog,decides to nudge my leg with his head, throwing me off balance. I wobble for a moment before gripping the side of the bar. Aradia giggles, and the sound is music to my ears.

“Sorry. He doesn’t usually take to strangers, but he seems to like you.”

Crouching down onto my haunches, I come to eye level with the furry beast that bears my name. “Aren’t you a handsome devil,” I compliment the dog while letting him sniff my hands. When he’s satisfied with his inspection of me, he nudges my face, and I give him a few scratches.

My interest is piqued as to where she got this dog. Because while he may appear to be some mix of Akita and Shepard, he is one-hundred percent Hellhound, and I can’t imagine that he came to be in her possession by accident.

Standing, I notice Aradia staring at me with a perplexed look, one I’ve seen too many times to count. “Have we met before?”

Many times, my love, many times.

I keep those words to myself. But it does something to my heart to know that some small part of her must remember me. Is there a memory of us buried so deep in her subconscious that perhaps some small part of her remembers me… remembers us?

“I, for one, would most definitely remember meeting someone like you.” I smile as I sit beside her. “You look like the kind of woman that would haunt a man’s dreams for all eternity.”

ARADIA

“Haunt a man’s dreams,”I repeat, trying not to be captivated by his devilish smile or anything else about him. “I seriously doubt that,” I say before I can think better of it. “I mean, thank you?” My appreciation comes out more as a question than a statement of fact. From the moment I sat at the bar, I spotted him. He’s not the type of guy you miss.

He’s also not the typical guy who offers to buy me a drink or even speak to me. But here he is, making small talk.

“So what brings you to Las Vegas? Dog show?” he asks as Hades stands on his hind legs to get more attention from this handsome stranger. The out-of-character behavior from my dog makes me laugh.

“I can’t believe he’s taken to you. He usually doesn’t like men, especially strangers,” I confess as I watch Hades practically maul the man seated beside me. For a moment, I’m a bit jealous that Hades gets to put his paws all over the man.

“I’m sorry, where are my manners? Hades,” he says as he holds out his hand. “And you are?”

I can’t help the laugh that comes from me. “I’m sorry,” I breathe as I cover my mouth. “Did you say your name was Hades? Is that like a stage name, or something? Or are you just pulling my leg?”

I watch as he retracts his hand, and his vibrant smile fades momentarily before returning. “No, it’s not a stage name. Unfortunately, it’s the only one I’ve got.”

“Ohh, umm… I didn’t mean…” I stumble over my words as I try to apologize for my rude behavior. “Anyway, I’m Aradia,” I add, holding my hand out.

The anticipation I experience waiting for him to grasp my hand is silly. I’ve never once wanted to feel someone’s touch so badly. When his fingers finally clasp around mine, I am unprepared for the surge of energy that courses through me. I tighten my grip, and it’s like electricity arcing at our point of contact. I look down at our joined hands to make sure there aren’t sparks flying from us.

It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

He must feel it too, because he glances down at our hands before loosening his grip and sliding his fingers along my palm as he slowly lets go. When his hand is gone from mine, I want to reach out and grab it back.

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