Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

O ne week later

Helheim

Aria

Hades had been true to his word. Not only had he made the castle feel more like a home than ever, but he'd been involving me in his day-to-day activities as king.

Every corner of the once cold and imposing fortress had been touched by his efforts to make me feel comfortable, safe, and loved. The grand hallways were now filled with warmth—tapestries and lush rugs adorned the floors, and flowers from the garden brightened up even the darkest rooms. It was as if the castle itself had softened.

My home…

But what truly amazed me was how he had seamlessly woven me into his world, into the very fabric of his rule. Hades had made a point of including me in his duties as king, something I had never imagined possible. I was his partner, and that meant more to me than he could ever know.

Today was no different. We had spent the morning together in the council chamber, discussing the needs of the realm with his advisors. Hades listened to my thoughts and opinions with the same seriousness he gave his most trusted councilors, making it clear that my voice mattered, and that I was his true queen in every sense of the word.

After the council session, we made our way to the far reaches of Helheim, where the landscape grew wilder, more untamed, as if the very air pulsed with ancient magic. Hades led me to the edge of a vast, murky river, its dark waters shimmering with an otherworldly light. The banks were lined with jagged rocks, twisted trees, and flickering torches that cast eerie shadows across the water's surface. The air here was thick with the presence of souls, their faint whispers echoing in the wind, a haunting chorus that sent chills down my spine.

A long, sleek boat was moored at the water's edge, its black hull seemingly absorbing the light around it. Hades gestured for me to step inside, his expression unreadable as he took up the oar. He pushed us off the bank, guiding the boat into the river's depths, the current pulling us forward with a slow, inevitable pull.

As we drifted down the river, the voices of the lost souls grew louder, their whispers growing more insistent, more desperate, as if they sensed that their journey was nearing its end. Hades moved with practiced ease, his eyes focused on the path ahead. The river twisted and turned, carrying us deeper into the heart of Helheim, where the shadows seemed to grow darker, more oppressive.

The souls hovered just beneath the surface of the water, their forms barely visible in the murk, but their presence was undeniable. I watched as Hades guided the boat with a calm authority, his power radiating outward as he steered us toward the final destination, a swirling portal of dark energy pulsing with an otherworldly light. It was the gateway to the afterlife.

He turned to me, his expression softening as he took my hand.

"This is where I guide the souls of the departed," he explained, his voice gentle. "It's a responsibility I take very seriously, ensuring they find their way to their final resting place."

One by one, the souls drifted toward the gateway, their forms shimmering like wisps of smoke. Hades guided them with a steady hand, his magic ensuring that each one found its way to the other side. There was a reverence in his movements, a respect for the dead that spoke to the depth of his character.

When the last soul had passed through the portal, Hades turned to me, his eyes soft as he reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face. "Thank you for being here with me," he said quietly, sincerely. "It means more to me than you'll ever know."

I smiled, leaning into his touch. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," I replied, my voice equally soft.

His eyes darkened with emotion, and he pulled me into a gentle embrace, his arms wrapping around me as if he never wanted to let me go. I melted into him, feeling the steady beat of his heart against my cheek, the warmth of his love surrounding me like a protective shield. We stood there for a long time, wrapped up in each other's arms.

I went to bed beside him that night, happy and feeling whole for the first time in a very long time.

I woke with a jolt, a cold, sharp pressure on my throat. My eyes snapped open, my breath hitching as I realized that there was a dagger pressed against me.

Mais stood over me, her face twisted in a sneer of contempt. "Good morning, Aria," she hissed, the blade pressing harder against my throat as I tried to move.

Fear surged through me, but I forced myself to stay still, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Where was Hades? Why wasn't he here? Was he called away on castle business?

It didn't matter now though. At the moment, I needed to worry about the dagger at my throat.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

"What I should have done weeks ago," she spat, her eyes narrowing as she leaned in closer. "The king may have forgotten what's important, but I haven't. You were supposed to be his sacrifice, Aria, the final piece in his rise to power. But instead, he's been playing house, coddling you like some kind of wife. It's pathetic."

I swallowed hard, my pulse racing as I felt the cold metal of the dagger bite into my skin a little bit deeper.

"He won't let you do this," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear clawing at me.

Mais let out a harsh, bitter laugh. "Won't let me? You don't understand, do you? This isn't just about him. There are others who want to see the prophecy fulfilled, others who have been preparing for this moment for centuries. The Cult of the Everlasting Darkness has been waiting for this day, for the blood that will grant him ultimate power."

My heart pounded in my chest as her words sank in. "The Cult of the Everlasting Darkness?" I repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"Yes," Mais sneered, her eyes gleaming with a fanatical light. "A sect of followers who believes in the Dark King's ascent to power, who has been preparing for this sacrifice for years. Three vials of blood have already been collected—the blood of three women touched by dragon magic. But there's one more vial left to fill, and it's yours."

"You're mad," I breathed, trying to find a way out of this nightmare.

Mais' smile was cold, cruel. "The prophecy is clear. With your blood, the king will ascend, and he will reign supreme over all five realms."

I tried to push her away, but she was too strong, the dagger unyielding against my throat.

"Hades won't allow this," I said desperately. "He'll stop you."

"He's been weakened by his foolish love for you, blinded by his own sentimentality. But it doesn't matter. The ceremony has already been set in motion, and you will be the final sacrifice," she spat, her eyes narrowing into slits.

Before I could respond, Mais grabbed me by the arm, yanking me out of bed with a force that made me stumble. The dagger stayed pressed to my throat as she dragged me across the room. I struggled against her, trying to break free, but she was too strong.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, trembling with fear.

"To the chamber where the ceremony will take place. The cult has been preparing it for years, and now, it is time," Mais replied, her voice cold and detached.

She dragged me through the twisting corridors of the castle. The walls grew darker, the air colder, as we descended into the depths of the massive underground labyrinth.

Finally, we reached an iron door at the end of a long, dark corridor. Mais pushed it open with a grunt, the heavy door creaking on its hinges as it revealed a vast, cavernous chamber beyond. The room was lit by the eerie glow of torches set into the walls, their flickering flames casting long, dancing shadows across the stone floor. In the center was a steaming pool swarming with light violet, glowing lights that swam by in flashes. The power was so strong here that I could feel the floor vibrating with it beneath my feet.

It was magic.

A series of steps led to a platform in the middle of the pool where a massive stone altar stood, surrounded by dark, hooded figures who murmured in a low, chanting tone. The air was thick with the scent of incense and the oppressive weight of dark magic. My blood ran cold as I took in the sight before me, the realization of what was about to happen sinking in like a stone in my chest.

Mais shoved me forward, the dagger still at my throat as she forced me toward the altar. The hooded figures parted as we approached, their chants growing louder, more intense, as if they could feel the moment of the prophecy's fulfillment drawing near.

We see you, Dark King.

We bow in the shadow of your darkness.

We are your disciples, Dark King.

It is our mission to free you from your cage.

We will unite the realms in your honor.

And you will finally take the one true throne.

"Please, don't do this," I begged, my voice breaking as Mais dragged me to the center of the room. "This isn't what Hades wants. He doesn't want this power."

Mais ignored my pleas, her expression set in stone as she forced me to my knees in front of the altar. With swift, practiced movements, she tied my hands to the altar, the rough rope biting into my skin as I struggled against it.

"This is your fate, Aria," Mais said, her voice cold and final. "You are the final sacrifice, and tonight, the prophecy will be fulfilled."

The hooded figures closed in around me, their chanting reaching a fever pitch as they prepared for the ceremony. I looked up at Mais in fear and desperation, but there was no mercy in her eyes, only the fanatical belief that she was doing what was necessary.

There would be no escape. The prophecy had been set in motion, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

The chanting echoed off the cold stone walls and filled the cavernous chamber with an ominous, pulsing energy. My heart pounded in my chest, the sound of it drowning out almost everything else.

"This is your destiny, Aria," she hissed, her voice barely audible over the chanting.

Before I could say anything at all, she grabbed my wrist with a viselike grip. I struggled, panic surging through me, but I was bound too tightly to break free. Her cold, cruel smile was the last thing I saw before she pressed the dagger against my palm.

I gasped as the blade bit into my skin, the sharp pain shooting up my arm like fire. I clenched my teeth, trying not to cry out, but the pain was unbearable.

Blood welled up from the wound almost instantly. The warmth of it ran down my wrist, soaking into the rope that bound me, dripping onto the cold stone floor with a sickening patter. I could feel the energy in the room shift, the hooded figures chanting louder, their voices taking on a frenzied tone as they sensed the blood in the air.

Mais held out a goblet, its surface studded with shimmering purple stones that caught the flickering torchlight. Without a word, she positioned it beneath my hand, catching the steady stream of blood as it flowed from the wound. My vision blurred with pain and fear as I watched the goblet slowly fill, the dark liquid staining the stones like a twisted, macabre crown.

The pain in my palm throbbed in time with the chanting, the pulse of dark magic swirling around us, growing stronger with every drop of blood that spilled into the goblet.

Mais' eyes gleamed with triumph as she pulled the dagger away, releasing my wrist and stepping back, the goblet cradled carefully in her hands. She took three vials from around her neck and uncapped them, pouring what looked like blood into the mix with my own.

Then she held it up in the air and a clap of thunder boomed and lightning crackled violently across the ceiling, centering in the middle of the room until it all cascaded down into the goblet.

The lightning's fierce energy illuminated the chamber in bursts of blinding white. Each flash cast Mais' face in sharp, jagged relief—her eyes wide with maniacal glee, lips curled into a twisted smile that bordered on madness. The goblet in her hands seemed to pulse with the energy, the mixture inside swirling with an unnatural light, as if it held the very essence of a terrible storm within it.

The lightning storm faded, leaving behind the flickering light of the torches and silence in its wake.

"It is done," she whispered reverently, almost in awe as she gazed down at the blood-filled goblet. "The final sacrifice has begun."

The air in the chamber grew thick, charged with an energy that felt like the calm before a storm. The chanting grew louder, more frenzied, as Mais held the goblet aloft, her eyes gleaming with triumph. My vision swam, the pain from my wound making it hard to focus, but I could still see her cruel smile as she prepared to complete the ritual.

Then suddenly, the chamber doors burst open with a deafening crash.

Hades swept into the room like a force of nature. His eyes blazed with an unholy light, violet and fierce, as he took in the scene before him. The hooded figures scattered to the edges of the room, their chants faltering in the face of his wrath. Liora prowled at his side in her hellhound form, her eyes blazing with the same fury.

"Mais!" Hades' voice boomed, echoing off the stone walls, filled with a rage so intense it seemed to shake the very foundations of the castle. He advanced on her, his gaze locked on the goblet she held aloft. "What have you done?"

"I've done what you were too weak to do, my king," she sneered with disdain. "I've ensured that the prophecy will be fulfilled, that you will gain the power you were always meant to wield."

Hades' eyes narrowed, his fury reaching a boiling point. "You've betrayed me," he growled, his voice low and dangerous, every word laced with deadly intent. The air around him crackled with dark energy, the room itself seeming to tremble in response to his anger.

"You betrayed yourself," Mais retorted defiantly even as the tension in the room thickened. "You let this girl cloud your judgment, made you forget who you are, what you're meant to be. But it doesn't matter anymore. With this final sacrifice, you will ascend to the throne of all five realms. Whether you want it or not."

As she spoke, she lifted the goblet even higher, her eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction. The hooded figures began to chant again, their voices rising in a crescendo that filled the room, adding to the pressure building around us.

Hades' expression darkened, a cold, deadly calm settling over him as he raised a hand, his fingers crackling with violet energy.

"Enough," he said, his voice cutting through the chanting like a blade. And then, with a single motion, he unleashed a strike of violet lightning that shot across the room, faster than any of us could react.

The bolt of lightning struck the goblet with a blinding flash, sending it flying from Mais' hands. The goblet shattered in midair, the dark liquid it held vaporizing into nothingness as the power of Hades' attack obliterated the vessel. The chamber was filled with a deafening crackle of energy, the strike reverberating through the air like the roar of a thunderstorm.

Mais let out a scream of rage and shock, stumbling back as the goblet's remains clattered to the floor in a shower of purple sparks. The chanting ceased instantly, the hooded figures retreating even further into the shadows, cowed by the sheer force of Hades' power.

"No!" Mais shrieked, her voice filled with desperation as she stared at the shattered remains of the goblet, the ritual now in ruins. "You fool! You've destroyed everything!"

Hades strode forward, his eyes blazing with cold fury as he approached her. "No, Mais," he said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "You destroyed everything the moment you betrayed me."

Liora snarled beside him, her eyes locked on Mais with a murderous intent.

Mais backed away, her defiance crumbling in the face of Hades' unrelenting wrath. But as she moved, she caught sight of me still on the altar, my blood seeping from the wound she had inflicted. A twisted smile crossed her lips as she made one final, desperate attempt to salvage the ritual.

"You may have destroyed the goblet, but the blood has already been spilled!" she cried, her eyes wild as she pointed at me. "The sacrifice is still in play! All it takes is one final?—"

But before she could finish, Hades was upon her, his hand closing around her throat with a speed that defied belief. "You will not touch her," he snarled, his voice filled with a dark promise that sent a shiver down my spine.

Mais struggled in his grip, her eyes wide with fear as she realized the true depth of his anger. "Please… I only wanted to help you ascend…" she gasped, choking as Hades' grip tightened.

"You have done enough," Hades hissed, his face inches from hers, his fury palpable. "Now, you will pay for your treachery."

With a savage motion, he hurled Mais across the room. She crashed into the wall with a bone-cracking thud, her body crumpling to the floor in a heap, but she was far from done. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"You think you can just throw me aside?" she spat, staggering to her feet.

"You've already lost, Mais," he said, his voice filled with finality.

Mais lunged at him with a scream, her hands curled into claws, aiming for his throat. But Hades was quicker, his hand shooting out to grip her by the neck. He lifted her off the floor with ease, her feet kicking uselessly as she choked and gasped for air.

"Pathetic," he hissed, his eyes blazing with a deadly fire. "You were never more than a nuisance. And now, you're nothing."

With a surge of dark energy, Hades slammed her against the wall, the impact shaking the chamber. Her eyes widened in terror as she realized she had no escape. Hades' grip tightened, the pressure crushing her windpipe, cutting off her desperate attempts to breathe.

"No… please…" she croaked, her voice barely a whisper, her strength fading.

Hades' face was a mask of cold fury as he leaned in close, his voice a deadly whisper. "You will never threaten her again."

With a final, brutal squeeze, he crushed her throat, the snap of her neck reverberating through the room. Mais' body went limp in his grasp, her eyes wide and lifeless. He tossed her aside like a broken doll, her body hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

But he wasn't done. It didn't end with her.

In a flash, he unleashed his power, his eyes blazing with violet fire as dark tendrils of shadow surged from his body, sweeping through the chamber like a wrathful storm. The cultists barely had time to react before the darkness engulfed them. The tendrils coiled around their bodies, tightening with a bone-crushing force, and in an instant, they were lifted off their feet, their screams silenced as the shadows squeezed the life out of them. One by one, their bodies went limp, their forms crumpling to the floor.

The chamber fell into a heavy silence. Hades stood tall, his chest heaving with the intensity of his anger. He was every inch the Dark King—ruthless, powerful, and utterly unforgiving.

But then he turned toward me, and his face softened.

"Aria," he breathed, his voice filled with relief and regret, his eyes searching mine as if to reassure himself that I was still there, still safe. He crossed the distance between us in an instant, his hands trembling as they cradled my face with a tenderness that belied the violence he had just unleashed.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I should have been here. I should have protected you."

Tears welled in my eyes as I looked up at him, the terror of the last few moments slowly melting away in the warmth of his touch. "You're here now," I whispered, trembling with emotion. "That's all that matters."

With a tenderness that made my heart ache, Hades carefully untied the ropes that bound me, his fingers brushing against the raw skin of my wrists. The moment I was free, he pulled me into his arms, holding me close as if he never wanted to let me go.

"It's over," he said, his lips pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.

Hades gently pulled back, his gaze dropping to my wounded palm. The deep cut from Mais' dagger was still fresh, the blood drying on my skin, but it didn't escape his notice. With a tender expression, he took my hand in his, his thumb brushing softly over the injury.

"Let me take care of this," he murmured, his tone thick with both concern and guilt.

He held my hand between his own, and I felt a familiar warmth spread from his magic. The pain ebbed away as the gash slowly knitted itself together. Within moments, my palm was whole again, the only trace of what had happened a faint line that would soon fade entirely.

My breath hitched as I looked up at him, my heart swelling with emotion. He had come for me, saved me, and now he was here, holding me as if I was the most precious thing in the world. The fear and desperation that had gripped me moments ago melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief.

Without thinking, I reached up and pressed my lips to his. He responded instantly, his arms wrapping around me as he pulled me close.

I clung to him, my hands tangling in his hair as I pressed myself against him. Hades groaned against my lips, his hands moving to cup my face as he kissed me with an intensity that took my breath away. There was a desperation in the way he held me, as if he was afraid that I might slip away at any given moment.

As the kiss deepened, I felt the last remnants of my fear drain away, replaced by a fiery need that burned through me, igniting every nerve simmering in my body.

"I need you, Hades," I whispered against his lips, trembling with both desire and the lingering fear of how close I had come to losing him. "I need you more than ever."

He responded by pulling me even tighter against him, his lips moving with a hunger that matched my own.

I tugged at his clothes, my fingers shaking with urgency as I tried to get closer, to feel his skin against mine. Hades growled low in his throat, his own hands just as frantic as he tore away the barriers between us. His lips never left mine, the kiss deepening, growing hungrier, as if we could devour each other all at once.

"I'm here, my sweet Aria," Hades whispered against my mouth, his voice rough with emotion, his hands gripping my hips as if he was afraid that I might disappear.

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I pressed myself closer to him. There was no space between us, no hesitation, just pure, raw need that had been building for far too long.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to me, our bodies sinking to the altar in a tangle of limbs and desperation. The stone beneath us was cold, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the way he made me feel—alive, cherished, and completely consumed by the force of his love.

"Hades," I breathed, trembling with the sheer intensity of the moment. "I'm yours."

I meant every word. I was his. I belonged to him, body, mind, heart, and soul.

His grip tightened around me, his hands possessive as they moved over my skin, as if he couldn't get enough of me, couldn't pull me close enough. His mouth was relentless, trailing hot kisses down my neck, across my collarbone and my shoulder and the gentle curve of my breast. I arched into him, my body responding instinctively to his every touch, the heat between us rising to a fever pitch.

"I need every part of you, Aria. I need to feel you, taste you, make you mine in every possible way," he murmured against my skin, his voice rough, filled with a raw intensity that sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine.

"Take me. I'm yours, completely," I whispered, shivering with the weight of the moment.

He growled low in his throat, the sound vibrating through me, sending a shockwave of desire straight to my core. In an instant, he had me beneath him, his body pressing down on mine, every inch of him warm and solid against me. His eyes, dark and filled with a hunger that mirrored my own, locked onto mine, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist.

With a slow, deliberate movement, he captured my lips in a kiss that was both tender and possessive, his tongue teasing mine, coaxing me into a rhythm that left me breathless.

"Hades," I breathed as I felt him press against me, the heat of him sending a thrill of anticipation through my entire being. "I love you."

His eyes softened for just a moment, the darkness in them replaced by a warmth that made my heart swell. "I love you too, Aria," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "More than you'll ever know."

And then he was kissing me again, his lips capturing mine with a desperate, consuming need that made everything else fall away. Soon enough, the tender connection between us transformed into something wilder, more primal. The raw intensity between us took over, the need for each other becoming all that existed in that moment.

"Turn over. On your belly, little thief," he demanded, and my breath caught in my throat.

He couldn't mean to… to fuck me there, could he?

"But—" I began.

His dark chuckle cut me off, the sound rumbling through me as if he could read my thoughts. He pressed a finger to my lips, his touch gentle, but his eyes were filled with a wicked intent.

Without a word, he rolled me onto my stomach, his hands sliding over the curves of my body with a possessive reverence.

"Last time, I claimed that tight little pussy with my cock. This time, I'm going to take this perfect little ass," he growled.

I shivered at the thought, anticipation and a hint of fear twisting in my belly. He kissed the nape of my neck, his lips soft, his breath warm against my skin. His hands continued their exploration, caressing the curve of my hips, the dip of my spine, the softness of my inner thighs.

Then they trailed all the way down to my ass and my breath hitched in the back of my throat. I was suddenly acutely aware of his body pressed against mine, the heat of his skin searing into me, the hard length of him nudging my pussy. With one brutal thrust, he sank into me and drove in several times, coating his cock with my wetness before he pulled out of me.

Using one hand, he spread my cheeks apart and then the head was pressing against my bottom hole. I keened, but it didn't stop him from pushing against my tight rim. I fought him, clenching my muscles to try to keep him out, but he was so much stronger, and before I knew what was happening, his cock had breached my asshole.

I cried out, a mix of pain and pleasure shooting through me. He groaned, his fingers digging into my flesh as he eased into me, inch by achingly slow inch. The burning stretch was too much at first and I whimpered, trying to take it.

His cock was so much thicker than the tip of his tail.

"Relax," he crooned, his voice rough yet tender, the combination making my heart thump a bit faster. "Let me in, little thief."

I panted, trying to adjust to the feeling of him inside me, but the searing hot pain that lanced through me wouldn't relent. My body trembled, every nerve ending alight, and the sensation was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

Slowly, so slowly, the pain started to ease. The agony was still there, but the sharp edges had blunted, leaving behind something raw and powerful.

Desire.

He sank in a bit deeper until his pelvis pressed against my ass. I drew in a ragged breath, the feeling of his cock all the way inside me making the pain reignite for several long moments until at long last it began to fade.

"Gods, you feel so fucking good," he said raggedly. "I've wanted this for so long."

"Hades," I breathed. "It hurts. You're too big."

"You were made to take my cock in this pretty little hole. I may be big, but you're going to take it like a good girl, aren't you?"

"Yes, my king," I whined.

I clenched my asshole around him, and he growled, the sound rumbling through me like a clap of thunder on a cool summer's night.

With a grunt, he began to thrust in and out of my ass, and my body yielded to him, my muscles relaxing, the tension melting away. Each time he thrust forward, I felt myself stretching around him, accommodating him, taking him deeper until I didn't know where I ended and he began.

The pain and pleasure blended into one, the feeling so intense that I felt like I was on the edge of consciousness, like I could black out at any moment. My skin was flushed, sweat beading on my brow as he worked himself in and out of me, over and over again as my desire billowed through me like a hurricane.

He groaned, his fingers digging into my hips as he picked up his pace, fucking into me with a brutal, relentless intensity that sent waves of pleasure coursing through my veins.

The sounds coming from him were feral, animalistic, as he lost himself in that moment, in me. I did the same. The air was thick with the scent of sex, with the raw, primal need between us.

"Oh, gods," I gasped, my body quivering with a need so intense that it threatened to consume me, to tear me apart from the inside out.

"I don't think you're full enough, little thief," he murmured, and I stilled, arching my back as he drove himself in and out of my ass with fervent intensity.

"Hades?" I asked, my voice trembling with desire.

"That sweet little pussy needs to be filled too," he continued, and I gasped just as his tail brushed against my clit. My hips jerked, the pleasure too much to bear. I cried out, the feeling of his cock inside me and his tail teasing my clit sending me careening over the edge, into a sea of pure bliss.

Then his tail swept downward and teased my entrance for the briefest second before it thrust inside me too. The pressure was intense, both his cock and tail filling me so full that I didn't think I could take any more.

And then, the electricity at the tip of his cock brushed against a spot deep inside me. I cried out, my body convulsing, the pleasure threatening to split me open, to send me careening off the edge of the world.

By the time he started pounding into me with both his cock and his tail, one after another, I couldn't fight it anymore.

I came. I came so hard I screamed his name.

My climax ripped through me, every nerve in my body firing with wild abandon. Raw sensation spiraled through me, hot and heavy.

My inner walls fluttered as my head soared straight up into the clouds and then I was falling into the abyss of pleasure so powerful that it felt like there was no end in sight. It was so intense, so overwhelming, that I felt like I was being torn apart from the inside out, shattered into a million pieces, only to be put back together again, stronger, more whole, more loved.

I didn't come just once.

I came over and over again.

The room was spinning around me, and I could barely catch my breath. White-hot bliss seared through me, sizzling up and down my limbs. My nails scratched at the stone beneath me as I rocked my hips back and forth, losing myself in the throes of one orgasm and then the next.

Hades growled, his grip on my hips tightening, his own movements becoming more erratic, more frenzied. My release burned into another, and I could no longer tell up from down, left from right. I lost myself, screaming as I shattered beneath him.

Then he stiffened, his entire body tensing, and a roar ripped from his throat as his own climax crashed into him. He leaned over me and dragged his teeth along my shoulder and then without any warning at all, he bit into my flesh.

Pain and pleasure twisted into one whirling sensation, and I lost myself in every bit of it.

A radiant violet light enveloped me as his teeth sank into my shoulder, sending a surge of magic through my veins. The sensation was overwhelming, like being lifted into the air, weightless and free. It was as if our hearts beat in perfect synchrony, tying us together as one. All at once, his emotions flooded into me, unrestrained and intense.

I could feel his happiness, his sadness, his everything, and I could sense that he felt mine. Instinctually, I knew it was the magic of the mate bond coming to life.

"My little thief. My perfect mate." His words echoed in my mind.

I wasn't sure if he had spoken aloud, but it didn't matter. I didn't need to hear the words; I could feel them resonating through every part of me, through every fiber of my being, and I sighed with utter bliss.

"I love you," I murmured, and he responded by pulling me even closer, his arms a protective cage around me.

He lifted me effortlessly, pressing me against his chest with a fierce, possessive embrace. The heat of his body and the depth of his emotions poured into me, stealing my breath away and making my heart race.

"I love you too, my sweet, beautiful mate," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

It was as if the entire universe had aligned in this moment, and I was exactly where I was meant to be. Every doubt, every fear, seemed to dissolve into the violet light that still pulsed around us, leaving only the certainty that this was where I belonged.

I was his, and he was mine, and in this moment, nothing else mattered. The world outside could fade away, and I would still be content, knowing that I was exactly where I was supposed to be—wrapped in his love, and bound to him forever.