THIRTEEN

She froze and she might have forgotten to breathe too. The woman was moaning in ecstasy and she wanted to run. She wanted to close her eyes and shut her senses down just so she could stop seeing and hearing what was happening right in front of her.

Cold hands touched her shoulders and she jolted. Before she could turn to see who it was, he heard Cerberus’ voice in her right ear. His voice was cold as death, as still and calm as the deep waters.

“Watch carefully,” Cerberus said and she hitched her breath when she felt his hands squeeze her shoulders a bit. “Watch how Lord Hades’ face contorts with pleasure. Observe and take note for you shall be doing that to him when the time comes.”

She let out a gasp and it must have been too loud because Hades opened his eyes and found her. His face was still contorted with pleasure as the woman continued to ride him. And then she saw how his lips curved with a smirk and his hands went to the woman’s hips. This time, he was the one moving his hips to meet the woman’s movements. The woman’s moans were getting louder with every thrust and gods, she was staring at Hades’ face as he stared at her too.

The woman let out a throaty moan and Hades was breathing hard as he slammed himself into the woman, deeper and harder.

“Would you be able to do that, hmm?” asked Cerberus behind her. It was when she heard his voice that she came back to reality. She shook her head and when she looked at Hades on the bed, she furrowed her brows when no one was there. The bed was neat and she couldn’t see the woman or Hades anywhere.

Then she heard Cerberus let out a throaty laugh and that’s when she realized what happened. He was making her watch an illusion. It was something Hades did to her before. Her cheeks burned. The illusion felt too real. She heard and see it vividly. She looked at Cerberus and glared at him.

“What do you want from me?”

He raised a brow as he walked towards the window. He leaned to the wall and crossed his arms.

“I wanted to eat you alive. That’s what I want from you.” His eyes darkened and she wanted to curse herself for allowing this man to take her to an isolated room. Although, she knew she wouldn’t be safe from him even in a room full of people.

“But then Hades would be against it and you’re probably our last chance.”

This time, she looked at Cerberus with genuine curiosity. “What do you mean last chance? Last chance of what?”

She doesn’t like it when she’s left in the dark and she certainly knows that right now would be best for her to be left in the dark but she couldn’t help it. Not when Cerberus said she’s their last chance. Why does it involve her?

Cerberus tilted his head to the side and a little smirk played on his lips. “His Majesty did not tell you, then?”

He told her a lot of things—about her parents, about the deal they made 18 years ago, and the ownership he has over her even before she was born. But Hades never told her something about last chance.

She shook her head and she saw the genuine amusement on the man’s face.

“That’s new,” he said. “Usually, he tells them right away to know if they’re the one.”

Swallowing hard, she dared herself to ask more. She needed to ask more. “What is this all about?”

“If he hasn’t told you then maybe he has his reason. Ask him yourself and good luck.”

“If I’ll be able to help him with whatever that is, will he be able to consider granting me something in exchange?”

“Let me guess, you’re going to ask him your freedom?”

She bit her lip and nodded. Cerberus laughed.

“If you happen to be the one we need, you will not want your freedom, sweetie. You’d want to stay here.”

“I don’t want to stay here.”

His face darkened before he said, “Then you can’t just declare a possibility that you may be able to help him if that is the case.”

“Why is he not doing what he used to do to the others? Why is he not taking any measures to know if I am the one he needs?” God, there are others. There were others before me!

“Like I said, he has his reasons and if you really want to know, ask him yourself.”

“He’s not here and you’re here. Why can’t you tell me?”

“I liked you better when you looked like a scared kitten. Stop asking questions you don’t want to hear the answers.”

“I wouldn’t be asking questions if I am not prepared for the answers.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Try me.”

Cerberus let out a sigh and that’s when she knew she was about to hear what he was about to say.

“This place is crumbling. Hades is dying. It’s because he is cursed and the only way to reverse the curse is for a mortal woman to love him.”

She blinked a few times as she tried to digest what Cerberus said. The words made sense but somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to comprehend them.

“A mortal woman? Love him?” she asked and Cerberus narrowed his eyes in her direction. “Is that the reason why he’s taking mortal women? To have them fall in love with him?”

“The goddess who cursed him was wicked like that. The cure to the curse was close to impossible and he’d been trying to reverse the curse for centuries. Nothing worked.”

This time, she let out a scoff. And then a chuckle. And then a short laugh. But when she looked at Cerberus, the man looked like he was moments away from fulfilling his threats to her. She cleared her throat.

“Sorry to say this but it’s not me he’s looking for,” she said.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I love someone else and I…even if I don’t love someone else, I will never fall for him. He tried for centuries and you never figured out why it never worked?”

Cerberus was just looking at her, waiting for her to say something more. “Hades is doing it wrong. You’re all doing it wrong. The fact that he’s a…a god is already too much for a mortal woman to take—“

“You took it pretty well. I heard you’ve been quite stupidly brave too.”

“—and to make a mortal woman fall in love with him would take not fear but trust.”

His forehead knotted as though he just told him the most complicated thing.

“Trust?” He let out a scoff. “In this world, Guinevere, there is no trust.”

“Then there will never be love.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I will never fall in love with a man who scares me. I will never fall in love with a man who’s not even human. I will tell him that I am not who he’s looking for.”

“You don’t want to do that?”

“And why not?”

“Because even if you’re not the one I’m looking for, nothing will change. You will stay in this world because you are tied to me, Guinevere. The bargain your parents made you one of my subjects. If I die, you die with me.”

She whirled to see Hades leaning on the wall behind her. When did he arrive? Why didn’t she notice him? But then it was a stupid question to ask as she has seen they’re capable of appearing and disappearing out of nowhere.

When she looked at him, she saw his hair ruffled. As though the wind got took its time to mess his hair and at the same time make him look good on it. He was wearing his all-black clothes and she staggered just because of his mere presence.

And what did he say? If he dies, she dies too?

“What—“

“Just looking at your face, I can already see the plans you have in mind. You will tell me that you are not the one I am looking for and then you will ask me to let you go.” Hades chuckled before he pushed himself off the wall. “Let me tell you something, Guinevere, you are my property. And I prefer my properties close. You are not leaving this place.”

“You do not own me, Hades.”

“But I do,” he said as he walked near the bed and started removing his coat. Suddenly, she felt like she shouldn’t be there, but her feet are glued to the floor. And even if she walks out, what guarantee does she have that they will let her?

Hades looked at Cerberus. “You told her?”

“She’s annoyingly curious.”

Hades did not say another word and faced her. She saw his black shirt unbuttoned.

“Let’s make this clear, Guinevere. The moment you turned eighteen was the moment you were made to be officially my subject.”

“And what do you want from me? Why do you need to take me? I am useless. I am not who you need to break this curse—“

“Because you’re in love with someone else, is that right? What’s his name again? He pretended to think and then his face lit up, not because of happiness but grim promise. “Reid Mason, isn’t it?”

Her insides went cold. She looked at Cerberus and he was smirking at her. From the look on their faces, she could tell what they are planning to do.

“Don’t,” she rasped. “Don’t you dare touch him!”

Hades’ eyes narrowed in her direction. “I didn’t intend to but now that you said you’re in love with him—“

“Don’t touch him!”

She shouldn’t be shouting. Especially not to the god of the underworld. But she couldn’t care less. She can’t let them touch Reid.

“If you ever touch him, you'll regret it,” she said. Her voice was trembling but she went on. “I promise you that if you touch him, I will kill myself and you will blow your last chance of curing this curse. Mark my words, Hades.” 

Hades was silent for a while and Cerberus did not say anything too. Then she heard him let out a breath before he sat on the bed. He tapped the space beside him and he looked at her.

"Come, sit." 

She swallowed hard. "Why?" 

Hades let out a smirk that sent shivers down her spine. "Have you forgotten why you're here in the first place, Guinevere?"