A little too much jealousy!!…

*And something in my chest pulled so tight I lost my ability to breathe!!...*

**Hades**
"Vlad-the impaler," She said. The moment that cursed name came out of her mouth, every muscle of my body stopped working, including involuntary ones like my heart and lungs. It took almost five seconds for my body to bounce back to normal.
"Are you scared?" She scrutinised my face.
'Am I scared?' I asked myself. 'My ass' was the answer. Cerberus also muttered, 'Well, she doesn't know that we had already kicked the ass of Vlad-the fucking impaler'. And I started laughing at her question.
"It's not a joke." She replied dryly, seeing me laughing.
"If that was a joke, then it's a bad one." My words carried a dangerous tone because Vlad's name was enough to boil my blood and send my temper soaring. I tried to maintain calm by channelling my anger on a nearby rock, smacking it with my left foot. It suddenly moved as if it was some living entity, making me lose my balance. I fell backwards on my ass, with Kora on me. My brain alerted my body of danger and heightened my senses. My hands instinctively secured her, and the muscles stiffened to lock her on me. It seemed as if my whole body was programmed to protect her. I don't understand why I feel so responsible for her. My heart raced in panic for her safety; all she did was laugh at me. I rolled my eyes, whereas Cerberus growled at her. There was just a non-poisonous snake, which slithered down the rocks without even a second glance at us.
"You didn't answer my question. You seemed tense when I took Vlad's name, and I also saw the hint of recognition. Do you know him? Are you scared of Vlad?" She asked. I could see the pain in her eyes. Her questions were simple, but they did hold a lot of expectations. And I didn't like the direction in which our conversation was going. And I would not have tolerated Vlad's questions if someone else had asked them. In the case of Kora, I don't know why I act differently. Her presence was enough to mess up my senses, and I was not joking about the hard-on thing. Her scent and arousal turned my cock into an iron rod. My brainy functions stop working as all the blood flows between my thighs.
"I do know him, and no, I'm not scared, but kind of worried for him." I had to accept that I knew Vlad because my mother always says that if a woman confronts you about something, she may already know the answer.
"Worried!?" She raised her eyebrows. And at that moment, I was thanking Dracula's balls, for she didn't ask me the more relevant question of how I was related to Vlad or how I knew him. Perhaps, she is just interested in getting more information about him, and now I wonder why? Why is she so obsessed with Vlad? Why is she so scared of him? He may be a notorious bastard, but he indeed has more important things to do rather than invade the nightmares of a young girl who is not even a mate. And Kora definitely doesn't seem his type. Fuck! What am I even thinking?
'You are jealous,' Cerberus growled inside me.
'Are you sick? Why should I be?' I rolled my eyes, trying to act calm, but who was I justifying? Cerberus is my other half, a bad half, and he leads in the feelings department, so yes, he was right. I was jealous because of Vlad's name on her lips and her obsession with knowing more about him.
"You were saying...?" She asked again. My hands fisted, and my anger skyrocketed such that all I could think of was the extinction of the vampire race, except for Jericho. I was about to hit the rock again, but the sides of her arm brushed against mine. And all my anger rushed to my cock, making it fucking hard.
"I was saying that I'm worried for him. And I should warn him that he might be better hunting for gold or treasure than hunting a woman, for gold doesn't speak, ask stupid questions and annoy people." I finished my sentence with a smirk.
"Yeah...good for him because besides irritating people, I also have claws and teeth. So, if you are worried about him, you might also want to warn him about that." She replied, and all I could do was nod. Although I was trying to stay calm, my skin crawled with rage.
"Enough of this nonsense. Let's move as it will be a tedious and time-consuming walk," I was on the brink of losing my shit, so I decided to change the topic.
"I would then give serious thoughts about dating someone with wings," she spoke, and I was unsure if she was serious or fucking joking, but her words triggered the dark side of my inner animal.
"Do you mean Vlad, as he is the one with wings? Is that what you want? To date Vlad? Is that why you're so obsessed with him? Is that why you keep on continuously asking questions of him? Is that why you dream about him?" My questions made her tense. She gave me an unbelievable look.
"I didn't mean that. It was just the slip of my tongue. I could never think of..." She tried to explain, but I was not taking any shit. I have had enough of her chants about Vlad.
"Don't bother with the explanation. I don't care." I scowled at her.
"Yes, you are right...How does it matter to you when I'm a woman forced upon you? I'm just a job for you that will get done once you drop me safely to the dark woods." She snapped back. Her tone made me think; she was still not trusting me, or maybe she didn't want to share her nightmares yet. Anyways, I didn't like her response.
"You surely didn't mean that," I scoffed at her.
"And why not? I'm nothing but trouble," She replied. I frowned.
"That's what you are...trouble and nothing more!" I snapped back.
Cerberus was growling at me for being so heartless, almost ready to lash out at me. 'Stop being so arrogant. Do you forget that she's a mate?' He questioned in an astonished way.
'She's fucking not. She is Kora, not Proserpina.' I snapped back.
'Don't you feel the mating bond?' he shouted, making me tense.
'I don't feel a thing for her,' I said, closing my eyes and turning my face away as if that would cut off this conversation, but who was I kidding? Cerberus was in my mind, a part of my body, with sharper senses than mine. If he felt for Kora, then there must be something. But I don't have time for this shit, nor do I care.
'And I fucking do!' Cerberus lashed out in such a way that I felt the vibrations against my spine.
'Fuck off, Cerberus; she's just a fucking job!' I affronted him.
'A job we're falling in love with,' Cerberus spoke, making me suck a startled breath.
'Don't speak for me,' I warned him.
'I can't believe you can be so heartless who is willing to leave her in those dark woods, knowing well enough that she won't survive a fucking day. Those shadows have marked her and will soon swarm up to eat her,' he said.
'And what good will it do if we keep her with us? We can save her a couple of times, but they will keep returning until they are done with her. They can't be killed.' I snapped back at her.
'There is only one way to save her,' he spurted out, and I knew well enough what he was talking about. Running was not an option, and only one card left to play.
*Bargain with Vlad!*
'No way!' I almost shouted, making Kora gasp.
'That's the only way!' Cerberus blurt out the words.
'Then fuck that way!' I hissed at her, shutting him off completely.

*Why do her words hurt so much? Because they punch straight to your heart!!...*