Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Alaric

Iwake up in Ursa’s arms. She’s relaxed in sleep, her body pressed against mine. This soft moment, quiet but for the steady sound of our mingled breathing, is something I’ve wanted for a very long time. To share her bed. To share her life.

I didn’t anticipate having a half-broken heart while doing it.

Pushing away the hurt Zuri’s departure caused doesn’t work. It’s still there, lingering beneath the surface, all teeth and claws that strike every time my mind veers back to her. To the memory of what we all shared. To the future she threw away without a second glance.

And that’s just what I’m feeling. I’m a selfish bastard, but my walls don’t have anything on Ursa’s. It took me years to get close enough to bring her heart into play. It took Zuri three days.

The strongest woman I know, the most dangerous, cried in my arms last night. As much as I am appreciative of the sign of her trust in me, as happy as I am to be a rock to her for once instead of the other way around, I can’t stop the slow ignition of anger in my chest.

Ursa shifts against me, and her breathing changes. “Good morning, Alaric.”

“We should go after her.”

She lifts her head. “What?”

“Zuri. If she wants to leave us, she can damn well tell us like the adult she wants to be instead of running like a coward.” Another thought below that, one more insidious. “And if she didn’t leave by choice like Hercules claimed, then we left her in the hands of her father overnight because we were too hurt to think clearly.”

“Hades wouldn’t lie about something like this. His entire reputation rests on everyone in the Underworld being safe at all times.”

I run my hand down her arm. “Exactly. His entire reputation. Hades would lie to protect that. Zuri is nothing to him, and Hercules is one half of everything.” The more I think about it, the more foolish I feel for not realizing it last night. “Do you know that when Jafar first staged a coup of the territory Jasmine eventually took over, the security of the Underworld was breached? Ali made it into the private rooms and threatened her.”

At that Ursa lifted her head. “You never told me.”

“I heard about it later, and it was downplayed. Similar to how Hades downplayed things last night.” I huff out a breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think of it. I—”

“Neither one of us was thinking clearly.” She sits up. “But you’re right. She’s more than capable of telling us she’s finished with us to our faces.”

My pulse kicks up. “So we’ll go after her?”

“Yes, we’ll go after her.” She rises, and it strikes me that I’ve never seen Ursa in the morning light. Not like this. She catches me watching her and raises a brow. “Yes?”

“Nothing. Just that you’re beautiful and I love you.”

Her lips quirk, though it’s obvious her thoughts are on the next steps. “I love you, too. Now get dressed.”

It doesn’t take long to pad to my room and pull on some clothes. I take a few extra minutes to fix my hair, but I don’t bother to shave. Even as quick as I am, she beats me to the door, looking as perfectly put together as if she’s had several hours to get ready instead of fifteen minutes. She’s twisted her locs up into a crown of sorts and is wearing one of my favorite dresses of hers, a black wrap that fades to a deep purple at the hem. She looks me over. “You’ll do.”

“Thanks,” I say drily.

A knock on the door freezes us both. She frowns but moves to it. I hold up a hand. “Wait, shouldn’t we—”

“I pay for the best security money can buy, lover. It’s one of my people.” She opens the door and, sure enough, it’s her head of security, Monica. Ursa frowns. “What’s going on?”

“I found something of yours on the sidewalk outside.” She steps aside to reveal Zuri. “Thought you might want her returned to you.”

“Thank you, Monica,” Ursa says faintly.

Monica nods at her, and then at me, and then eases out of the room and shuts the door softly behind her. Then there’s nothing to look at but Zuri. She’s changed since we saw her last, which is to be expected. The slacks and green blouse are almost too severe for her, especially with her hair slicked back. It makes her look like a different person, like she’s someone I’m not sure I know.

She smooths her hands down her pants. “I’m sorry.”

Ursa hasn’t moved since she appeared. “So he didn’t take you after all.”

“No. He didn’t take me.” Zuri takes a deep breath, her gaze jumping from me to Ursa. “My father was going to level an attack on you. I took care of it.”

“You…took care of it.” Ursa exhales a rough laugh. “What in the gods’ names made you think such a reckless act would work out?”

“I had no choice.” Zuri lifts her chin, a sure sign that she’s not going to back down. “I have his word that he won’t move against you or anyone in Carver City.”

“What makes you believe his word?” I blurt.

She cuts a look to me, her eyes going soft. “Because if he doesn’t, I’ll inform Poseidon that he’s about to bring war between the two cities. The Thirteen won’t allow it.”

“They might kill him if you do that.” I drag my hand through my hair. “He has to know you’re bluffing.”

“I’m not bluffing.” She turns back to Ursa. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like that, and I know it hurt both of you. I knew you would assume I’d made my choice and left, but I still went through with it because I’d rather you were alive to hate me than the alternative.”

“You have such faith in your father. He’s been trying to kill me for years.” Ursa still hasn’t moved, every bit of her expression locked down.

“It’s only recently that I know what he’s been doing outside the house, but I know what his people are capable of. I am less sure of yours. I couldn’t risk it.” Zuri clenches her hands, her expression resolute. “It may be too soon, but I love you, and I refuse to lose you. So I took care of it. He’s not going to welcome us back into the family home anytime soon, but he won’t move against you. If making that choice is unforgivable, then I understand and I’ll leave. But I’m not sorry I moved to protect you; I’m only sorry that my actions hurt you.”

I can barely believe that she’s here. Safe. Returned to us. Last night hurt, but fuck. I can be angry about her choices and still be grateful that she’s come back. That she didn’t actually choose to leave in a permanent way.

But I’m not the only one in this relationship.

I look at Ursa, waiting for her response. Finally she exhales shakily. “Am I to take this to mean you’ve made your choice, little Zurielle?”

“Yes.” Zuri takes a step forward and then another. “I choose you, Ursa. And I choose you, Alaric.” She gives me a quick smile. “I choose this life and the future we build together.”

I take the last step to close the distance between the three of us and press my hand against Ursa’s back. It’s like that touch unfreezes her. Ursa pulls her into her arms and buries her face in Zuri’s hair. “I was so worried about you.”

“I’m sorry.”

Ursa grabs me with her other hand and pulls me into the embrace. “Don’t you ever do that again, Zuri. Do you hear me? Ever again. If there’s a problem, you come to us and we figure it out together.” She meets my gaze. “That goes for you, too, Alaric.”

“Understood,” I say faintly. I hug them both tightly, something inside me finally realizing that Zuri is here, that we’re all safe. That we are actually going to have the thing I want more than anything—the three of us together.

I kiss Ursa. Or maybe she kisses me. I’m not sure how it starts, but one moment we’re hugging and the next the three of us are stumbling down the hallway, shedding clothing in our wake. We end up in Ursa’s room on her bed, Ursa on my cock and Zuri between our thighs, her mouth on Ursa’s clit. It’s hard and fast and messy, Ursa riding me to orgasm as I fight to hold my own at bay. It’s no use. It’s never any use, not when I have the two women I love in bed with me.

Ursa tumbles Zuri back onto the bed and then she’s fingering her, kissing her like she’ll never get another chance to again. I go down on Ursa, needing this connection, needing everything.

I never really believed in happily ever after. Not for people like me.

I believe in it now.

I’m living it.

* * *

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The Wicked Villainsseries reaches its smoking hot conclusion in QUEEN TAKES ROSE! Aurora and Malone have been circling each other for nearly a decade and it’s finally time for them to get each other out of their system… Or that’s what Malone thinks. Aurora? She’s got darker plans for this queen.

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It takesme three minutes to get to Hades’s office. I pause outside his door and take several deep breaths that do absolutely nothing to calm me. It’s enough to get my public face in place, though, and I’m smiling as I walk through the door.

A quick glance around the office shows that it’s the exact same as it’s always been. Hades has a private office, but this is the room where he prefers to handle any club business that arises. The room is done in shades of gray, and careful lighting that always leave the man behind the desk bathed in shadow. It’s very dramatic, but I’d never be fool enough to say as much to Hades.

He’s the only one in the room.

I almost drop the smile, but I still don’t know what this is about. It could be something as simple as planning a surprise scene for Meg, but if that’s the case, there’s no reason for Malone to be involved. Those two don’t play together. Malone is Dominant, and while Meg is a switch, she only submits to Hades.

I clear my throat. “You called for me?”

“Sit.”

As I make the short trip across the office to sink into a chair across the desk from him, it strikes me that this might have nothing at all to do with Malone…and everything to do with the pending deadline of my bargain coming up. I clasp my hands in my lap and try to keep my voice even. “Are you going to kick me out the same way you kicked out Tink?”

Even in the shadows, I can see his surprise. “You and Tink are hardly the same, Aurora.”

A sentiment I’ve heard more times than I can count, especially since I took over her position. If Tink wasn’t one of my closest friends, it might make me hate her. As it is, she gave me large shoes to fill when she left. I try to still my sudden shaking. “With respect, that’s not an answer.”

He gives a nearly soundless sigh and leans forward to prop his elbows on his desk. It brings his features into the light. Hades is an attractive older white guy with salt and pepper hair and black square glasses that frame his dark eyes. He’s handsome in a scary kind of way, but he’s never been anything but kind to me.

Not that he’d label it as such. The man has a reputation to uphold, after all, and if I ever pointed out that he got the raw end of our bargain, he’d deny it. Hades doesn’t do charity, but in my case, there’s no other way to describe it. What other man would give an astronomical amount to a seventeen-year-old girl and then refuse to let her even inside the club until she’s twenty-one? Even then, he resisted letting me work as a submissive until I practically begged him.

I clasp my hands in my lap. “Then what is this about?”

“You’re more than welcome to stay in the Underworld once your bargain with me expires. This is your home as long as you choose to stay, and once your time is officially up, the negotiated percentage that I take out of your wages will be halved.” His lips quirk. “But I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that half of Carver City would happily welcome you into their homes, too.”

Into their homes, and into their beds.

But not in a permanent way. I’ve been here long enough to watch them find their true loves, one by one. They might enjoy scening with me from time to time, but I’ll always be on the outside looking into those relationships. No invitation to their homes would be permanent. I’m not naive enough to believe otherwise. “Is that what you called me in here to say?”

“No.” He sits back, once again bathed in shadows. “Malone would like to contract you out for two weeks.”

“What?”

“Yes, it surprised me, too.” I can’t see his eyes, but I can feel him watching me closely. “I’m inclined to say no, but Malone doesn’t demand much and it runs the risk of alienating her. However, considering your history with her, it’s a terrible idea.”

Hades is the only one who knows who my mother really is. I don’t think he’s even told Meg or Hercules. Which means he’s the only one who can understand why I need to do this. “I accept.”

“Aurora.”

“Hades.” I can’t quite soften my tone into playfulness. I never talk back to Hades. Never. Partly because I owe him so much, and mostly because of the sheer dominance he exhibits without seeming to try. He’s got himself bottled up right now, but the man can send me to my knees with a single look. “This is why I came to you in the first place.”

“No, you came to me in the first place because you couldn’t stand the thought of pulling the plug on your mother.” His quiet words are merciless. “Your need for vengeance rose later.”

He’s not exactly wrong, but it stings all the same. “Then let me have my vengeance.”

“Malone will eat you up and spit you out. She will harm you.”

I shove to my feet. “There is nothing she’ll do that hasn’t already been done to me a hundred times over during my time here.” I like everything. Pain and humiliation and degradation. Soft words and gentle touches and kindness. It all gets me off.

It wasn’t like that the single time with Malone.

I shove the thought away. I was younger then. Greener. Still new enough to the BDSM scene that I didn’t know my limits as well as I do now. I didn’t know how to keep my emotions separate from the physical actions. I know better now.

Hades stands slowly. I don’t know how he manages it, but it feels like his power unfurls through the room.“I would have thought all these years would make you less reckless.”

The desire to apologize bubbles up inside me, but I shove it down. I am not weak, and I am not a fool. All those years ago, I came to the Underworld with two goals: to keep my mother alive and to get revenge. I’ve managed the first. Now it’s time for the second. “I’m not reckless.”

“You are the very definition of reckless.” He sighs. “But you’re an adult who knows her own mind. I can keep you from Malone now, but the moment the bargain is done, I suspect you’ll be taking that contract.”

I will. Now that she’s finally made a move on me, I refuse to miss this opportunity. “Better to let me do this while I’m still yours.”

He takes off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I dislike you attempting to manipulate me, but you do have a point.”

I press my lips together. Pushing him now won’t guarantee victory, and it might just backfire. So I force myself still and wait while he thinks about it.

Finally, Hades shakes his head. “I’ll allow it.”

Relief makes me a little dizzy. There’s no guarantee that Malone’s offer would stand in another few weeks once I’m free of Hades’s bargain. I need this, and I need it now. “When do I start?”

“Tonight.”

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