Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

H elheim

Hades

Aria was absolutely stunning in the moonlight.

My eyes roamed over her sleeping form, the light shining across her creamy skin so beautifully that I couldn't help but be held captive by it. She was so delicate and fragile, but there was a strength within her that rivaled even my own and that touched me more than I cared to admit.

I don't know why I'd opened up to her. Perhaps it was the mate bond between us or maybe it was simply a temporary obsession, or this was something more than that. I wasn't certain, but in any case, it felt right.

There was something about her that drew me in, something I couldn't resist no matter how hard I tried. The connection between us was undeniable, and the more I fought it, the more it consumed me. It was maddening—this incessant need to be near her, to touch her, to protect her.

I shouldn't want any of it, shouldn't need any of it.

But the truth was that every time I left her side, I felt a sharp pang in my chest, a hollow ache that gnawed at me until I returned. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. It was as if my heart, cold and hardened from centuries of darkness, had begun to thaw by simply being in her presence.

And the thought of that terrified me.

My heart wasn't meant to feel, wasn't meant to be swayed by emotions or desires. Yet, when I was with Aria, all of that seemed to fade away, leaving me vulnerable in a way I hadn't been in ages and that only stoked my fear that much higher.

She had become more than just a distraction. She was a light in the darkness that surrounded me, a beacon that called to a part of me I thought had been lost forever. And though I fought against it, though I tried to maintain the distance that had kept me safe for so long, I could feel myself slipping deeper and deeper into whatever this was with every passing day.

I didn't know where this would lead, or if I could survive the pain that would surely come from it. But for now, as I watched her sleep, peaceful and unaware of the storm raging within me, I allowed myself to feel something I hadn't felt in centuries—hope.

We would have to face the challenges ahead of us soon enough, but for now, we had this moment, and that was enough.

I reached out and trailed my fingers along her spine, marveling at the softness of her skin. She stirred awake and opened those beautiful golden eyes of hers, taking me captive under her power once again.

I was getting too close. I had to find a way to stop this and fast.

My heart clenched as I pulled my hand away, the warmth of her skin lingering on my fingertips. This was dangerous—more dangerous than I had ever anticipated. I couldn't afford to let these feelings take root, not when the fate of my realm rested on what must be done.

Her sacrifice was the key, the final piece of the prophecy that would grant me the ultimate power I needed to rule over all five kingdoms. With that power, I could erase the barriers between the realms, unite them under my control, and finally bring the world to heel under my reign.

I couldn't let emotions cloud my judgment, not when so much was at stake.

She was simply a means to an end and that was that.