Her Forever

Hades’ POV

I gripped Parisa’s hand a bit tighter as I led her close to me, side by side, where she would be on our thrones. Forever we would be equals, and I planned to show her that as soon as the threat had passed. Hypocritical? Maybe. I wasn’t going to take chances and test the fates right now. I’m going to make sure she is safe, as well as her pack that she is so fond of. I internally sighed at the thought of that.

Parisa gripped me tighter as three of my guards ruffed up Lyle. Their massive stature stunned the wolves of the group surrounding us, never seeing such a sight. Maybe some of the unmated wolves would keep the grubby paws and perverted eyes away from my mate. I didn’t care they were looking; I would burn their eyes right from the sockets.

The heaviness in Luna Rosalie’s heart was evident; this wolf, Lyle, had been a part of the pack for a long while, even when Rosalie first joined the pack. From Alpha Jack’s explanation earlier, he was promoted to led tracker not but a few days before Parisa’s disappearance, something that perked my interest. The weapon throwing, which was an awful shot, by the way, and his duty as a lead tracker to find Parisa was almost too much. The evidence stacked against him, if only with his puny throw of a spear, he had a death warrant.

He wouldn’t survive this night.

The spear that had struck me, just a mere six inches from my queen, was constructed of both dogwood and black metal I had never seen. A red inscription was written on the arrow, most likely Latin that I would have Bohdi figure out. Many believe there is but one type of Latin, but there are several dialects that help you summon. Latin was originated in Rome, and as it spread through different countries, its words became branched, creating their own magical language. Latium Malifecia was thus then created. Imagine those who spoke Latin every day calling upon demons and deities in their everyday life. It would be almost comical.

I was not familiar with this Malifecia, this Latium dialect, because I don’t deal with the magic of this kind. Of course, the one person I needed was Hectate, and she was still missing. I rubbed my chin at the thought if she might have any part of this. Not willingly, of course, but that of force.

Hecate doesn’t create the magic; she just handles it justly. If magic deems too strong, she shelters it, conceals it for a better time, but this magic has gotten out of control. With just a fraction of a second of it being pierced into my hide, I felt its power. It was more potent than any power that I had felt previously in all my awaken days.

My power weakened in an instant as I felt the burn in my shoulder. Pulling it out only caused a black sludge to pour from the wound. My power completely regenerated as the rest of the sludge leaked from it. I can heal fairly quickly, but this took me a good ten seconds, which is highly rare for me, a god. I was the strongest yet; could it be possible this was how both Selene, Hectate, and Hermes had been captured?

Gritting my teeth, we all formed a small train to the packhouse; Jack led the caravan as my demons continued to prod their claws into Lyle. I could smell their want to spill his b***d; they never get to torture many of that of the living. I internally smirked, not to offend Rosalie, who was rubbing her hands in worry.

Parisa continued to walk with me, head held high while her brother, Michael, was on her side. His anger towards the tracker was compelling, almost heroic; he was the first to pounce the bastard before I willed the cage around him. He maybe be of some good to this pack after all.

“It’s down this way,” Jack gruffed as he opened the double doors. The stagnant air blew outward, causing the greasy hair of Lyle to flip to its side.

“I’ll stay out here,” Rosalie stuttered. She rubbed her ribcage, no doubt a scar from her tortured days due to my insolence.

“It would be for the best, Luna,” I nodded toward her. “In fact, if you would be so kind, I am summoning Niko as we speak. He will need a room, and Bohdi will need to cast a boundary spell for him. I don’t want him to be able to leave the room. Have her find out the meaning of the words on the spear. Would that be doable?”

Rosalie sighed in relief. “It would be my pleasure, more up to my speed.” She bowed as she nodded to Parisa. My eyes glanced down at my mate, who was already looking up at me with a determined look in her eyes. “I’m coming with you,” she demanded. Opening my mouth to speak, she stomped her foot as if she was a child.

Rosalie sighed in relief. “It would be my pleasure, more up to my speed.” She bowed as she nodded to Parisa. My eyes glanced down at my mate, who was already looking up at me with a determined look in her eyes. “I’m coming with you,” she demanded. Opening my mouth to speak, she stomped her foot as if she was a child.

“I am your mate; I have been made for this. Alpha b***d runs through my veins, and I will come down there.” As hard as she may, her bottom l*p jutted out. I wanted nothing more than to k**s her maliciously, but with her father just beside me, I doubt he would appreciate it.

“I will not be merciful,” I mind linked. “Lyle will be tortured, and he will die.” Parisa relaxed her shoulders as she held firm.

“You are God of the Underworld; would I expect anything less?” Her eyes held playfulness while she folded her arms, raising her breasts. I knew what I would rather be doing right now, but I would have to settle on my second favorite thing to do.

Ares and Vulcan stood by the doorway, both with their ‘mates,’ as Parisa called them. I still had yet to fully believe this notion but would play along with the idea. “Ares, Vulcan, be sure we are not disturbed. Have our warriors work with the wolves, secure the border and be on high alert. This could just be a distraction.” Ares bowed his head as he motioned for Mariah, who was still in her wolf form, to follow. The strongest female warrior and the God of War, I suppose it makes sense.

Jack’s dungeons were utterly bare; not one prisoner, alive, was there. The only thing left was a pile of bones in the first cell. The skull had missing fangs that were now lying beside it. “Derek, Rosalie’s stepfather,” Jack grunted. “A reminder to keep my family safe. Obviously, it wasn’t enough for Parisa,” his head pointed towards Parisa, who was still staring at the empty cells, not paying attention.

Lyle started growling, trying to escape the demons. Forcing a shift with demons would be suicide. My warriors were equipped to deal with supernaturals. Their bones in their hands were partly made of silver and metal, while the b***d that flows through them held hints of dogwood oil. Enough to maim a wolf and kill a vampire.

Lyle was thrown into the last cell. It was large enough for both Jack and me to stand in. My guards picked him back up to set him on the table that kept Lyle at a 45-degree angle. I brushed my hands together as the excitement flowed through my veins. This was it; this was my time to shine. Show just how powerful I really am to this pathetic wolf that eyed my mate.

Unfortunately, I needed answers, and the answers I sought he would have to remain alive a bit longer.

Jack tightened the restraints; the silver hardly burned his skin as he latched the fourth one around Lyle’s angle. The burned Lyle’s unranked skin of blisters and burning flesh. Parisa and her brother stood just outside of the cell, both stoic as they held onto each other.

“This will be a good lesson,” Jack spoke to no one in particular. “To show my children how cruel the world can be, and those evils will be caught and punished.” I hummed in agreement as I let one giant claw extend from my index finger. Quickly ripping his Slip Knot shirt in half, his white skin was sickly, especially for a wolf. Does he track anything with skin so pale? Not once has his skin seen the sun. Jack must have been thinking the same thing as he growled within his chest.

“I want everything,” I bent down to whisper in his ear. The darkness of the cell began to loom with a dark haze. Parisa and Michael faded far into the background; no one was here but Jack, Lyle, and I. I could not let my feelings for my mate get in the way. Her life was in danger, and I wasn’t about to lose my mate.

My claw scraped across his chest, deep enough for the b***d to pebble around the wound. “And I mean, everything.” The fire burned bright in my eyes, and the cocky attitude that was once fierce in his spirit died right then. Did he not think the Dark Lord would do nothing?

“I,… I’m sorry!” Lyle stuttered. “I thought I was helping!” My eyebrow raised as I pulled a bit of my blonde hair. Jack’s wolf came to the surface as his own eyes turned a bright amber.

“Pray tell, what do you even mean?” I growled lowly. “That I would want you to spear me in my damn chest!” I yelled in his face. Small bits of lightning came from the smoke surrounding us. My fury had been held back, and I was losing every bit of myself.

“She told me you didn’t want her anyway. That you refused her when she was born! She said you would appreciate it if I concealed it, and you would reward me handsomely by making me one of your own guards.” My jaw ticked.

“What?” I whispered. My hand reached for his neck as I clutched it tightly. “Who spoke this to you? Whose lips and tongue will I cut out with a dull blade and put on the hot plate of desolation?” Lyle shivered as my hot breath bathed over his face.

“She came to me,…in the woods.” Jack gripped onto the table. My guards wanted to restrain him, but this was his wolf. A wolf that betrayed his own pack, over what? To try and be one of my guards? Pathetic.

“Name,” I growled again as my grip loosened. Lyle shook his head quickly, and my hand gripped his wrist, breaking it instantly. His scream filled the cell while Jack grabbed the other, and the same snap echoed through the hallway. Hmm, I might like this game.

“Demeter!” he cried. “Demeter!”

Ahh, and the name comes up again. “Were you trying to hit Parisa or me?” My hand gripped his upper arm and squeezed; another crack ripped through the cell as Jack did the same to the other arm.

“PARISA!” He yelled out again; his chest was heaving. Four broken bones, rather significant, and he couldn’t even heal himself with the silver.

Pity.

“I took you in as a pup, and this is how you repay your alpha?!” Jack’s wolf let out a roar as his claws gripped Lyle’s neck. The grip tightened, nails puncturing the back of Lyle’s neck as b***d dripped down the back of the table.

“Enough, Sampson,” I hissed. “We still need more information, then you can have some fun with your traitor.” As much as I wanted to torture this pup, Jack needed his time. I would get Lyle in the underworld, and I had much more range of torture down there than up here. Jack looked like he needed a good release.

“You tell me everything. Start to finish. Leave one thing out, and well, you know what will happen.” Parisa could tell a lie when she heard one; she would let me know if he was or not. Lyle nodded his head frantically as Sampson raised a brow. I waved my hand for him to calm down. Sampson would have his revenge.

The tears left Lyle’s face, and his black eyeliner pooled on his collarbone. The chains that he hung with pride around his pants now pooled at the bottom of his ankles. My guards took no chances; they ripped him of anything that he could use as a weapon or a means of escape.

“Alpha made me tracker a few days before,” he breathed. “The night Parisa was taken, Demeter came to me. I didn’t know who she was at first, but she wore a lot of green, blonde hair, brown eyes, but I knew she was a god, she glowed. She had this dominating aura that had me on my knees.” Jack paced around Lyle like a predator to prey.

“She told me her name, that Parisa was Hades’ mate. Demeter said Hades didn’t want Parisa. You found out early who your mate was because Selene was being gracious. You flat out refused your mate, so Demeter wanted to eliminate any signs of Parisa finding out and searching for you. Demeter wanted to be a ‘good friend’ to you, which meant she would take her away. If I made sure that our pack didn’t find her that I would be rewarded. I would become one of Hades’ guards. I just had to lead everyone the opposite way.” Lyle panted again.

Sampson ground his teeth and glared at me. “Did you try to reject my pup?”

Well, this turned around into something shitty.