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Addie

What is happening?

As I sit on the basin, the mist from the warm bath engulfs me, along with the scent of lavender from the bath salts sprinkled into the bath liberally.

My stomach aches with its fullness and the introduction of foods it has never had before. At Silas' castle, we ate only bland food: potatoes and rice, occasionally some vegetables, but no meat and definitely no eggs, something I absolutely adore. I look toward the door Hades has just parted through. Such tenderness from a man who could just crush me. Why he does it is beyond me. All this effort for what?

The overwhelming sadness accompanying that thought envelopes me. I belong nowhere, and I am utterly alone.

I place my bag next to me and then unwrap the blanket covering my lower half, avoiding looking at the mirror directly behind me. Next, I open the white robe and let it fall from my shoulders.

I am naked underneath, and I cringe, thinking how Hades must have seen all of this. Though admittedly, when I examine my body, I am surprised it looks so good. Nearly every fang mark has healed. With a respite of four weeks, my body has never gone this long without being fed on. The difference is remarkable. As weak as I feel, I still feel better than I have in ages, which says a lot.

My skin looks less pasty, and when I touch it, it even feels softer. Which I didn't think was possible with all the scarring. As I run a hand over my arm, I cannot help but think about how Hades' touch against my skin feels. There is a literal spark between us. It appears one-sided, as he seems unaffected.

It lingers in my body as if my body is creating it rather than it being an external force. It flows through me and makes me feel delicious, calm, and protected.

Perhaps it was some sort of werewolf mojo, magic that made me feel safe until they pounced, like the predators they were—like Silas.

That thought sends a fresh shiver down my spine and firms my resolve to regain my strength and leave. He would be looking for me. And with vampires in this area and the story of Silas siring The Black Witch, the last thing I need is to be near any of that.

The thought of leaving here, though, creates a hollow pit in my stomach, and I know why. It is the flesh-and-bone man who has always existed just as a dream. Over the last year, an intimacy developed in that dreamscape I wished was real. Being near him now is somewhat intoxicating—like being under a spell. Is it witchcraft?

It must be as I saw the picture above his fireplace. There is another woman, obviously, and she is stunning. I shouldn't be surprised that a man like him is taken. I wonder what she thinks of this situation. Thoughts of me waking up on his chest make me want to leave immediately, the embarrassment too much to bear.

I rub the ache in my chest, knowing that the jealousy and hurt sharing space with the mortification are unwarranted emotions. He is not mine, and I have no right to these feelings. I shake my head, trying to clear these thoughts.

While my mind is swarmed with all these thoughts, I don't think whether I am strong enough to stand. When I hop off the basin, my legs hold me for only two seconds before giving way. With a painful thud, I am on the bathroom floor, a small yelp leaving my mouth.

"Are you okay?" I jump in fright, pulling my legs towards me as I wrap my arms around them, shielding all the essential bits from Hades' gaze.

"I'm fine." His grey eyes remain locked on my face, and he tilts his head to the side.

"You're on the bathroom floor." His gravelly voice grates against my exposed skin, and I blush and nod, looking away.

"Let me help you." I consider my options. I could crawl to the tub, but getting in would be difficult, and my rib muscles were aching. Besides, he has seen everything anyway.

With a slight nod, he approaches and hunches down beside me. His eyes remain only on my face before he picks me up, hooking his arm under my legs and his other one cradling my back. With one hand, I shield my breasts while the other shields my nether region.

The intensity of our energy makes me bite my lip as I stifle a moan. When I look up at him, he is not looking at me but instead focused on a point behind the bathtub. His jaw is clenched tightly, and his eyes are back to being black.

"Your eyes," I whisper, not realizing I am speaking out loud.

"It's my Lycan." He says that as though it explains everything. I don't know what a Lycan is, but I know what werewolves are. Then suddenly, a memory surfaces—one from the forest of a massive beast on two legs. That was his wolf. He had saved me from the one-armed vampire.

He places me gently in the water, bubbles effectively hiding my body from view. Only then does he look at me again.

"I'll be right outside. Just call me if you need me." He turns to leave, but before he can, I blurt out words.

"Won't this situation be strange for your girlfriend?" He stops dead in his tracks, not turning to face me.

"She was my mate. It won't be strange as she is dead." And then he is gone, leaving me with a gaping mouth and a wave of sorrow, as I can hear the pain in his voice as he said those words.

My heart breaks for him, and suddenly, I feel foolish for feeling jealous. I wonder when she died. I wonder what she was like. I envy her to have been loved by a man like Hades. I even start wondering if he might ever love again. Shaking my head at that thought, I resolve not to think anything about the man who makes me feel more than I care to admit.

With a deep sigh, I unfurl, my feet not touching the other side of the tub it is so big.

There are various products on the side, even shampoo and conditioner. I can't remember when I last used either of those. I usually just used soap. After cleaning my hair, I move on to the rest of my body, the smell of the body wash making me think of Hades. Which is bad. Thinking of Hades while I am butt naked, rubbing myself up, creates a strange sensation in my lower belly. It's one I am unfamiliar with, but it feels really nice.

Blushing, I put everything back where I found it and then looked at the basin. I want to brush my teeth. My toothbrush and toothpaste are shoved in my bag. It was the only personal care products Silas bought for the pets.

If I can just make it there on my own, I can avoid the embarrassment of having Hades carry me. Something that evokes a similarly strange feeling in the base of my stomach. Like flutters.

Using the edge of the bath, I steady myself, and then once I am confident I can stand, I swing one leg over the side, followed by the other. On unsteady legs, I make my way to the basin, huffing and puffing when I get there. Dammit, I was so unfit now. There is no way I would be able to leave in this state.

As I brush my teeth, I formulate a plan.

I would stay for a month max, long enough to get well and back into shape. While here, I would try to find the secret coven's location. Then I would be on my way, all of this a distant memory.

With a plan firmly in place, the next issue was where I would stay. There is no way I could stay here. Being around Hades was dangerous. A girl who has never been treated nicely could get used to meals being made for her and baths being run, not to mention warm chests and muscular arms. Just thinking about them brings a blush to my cheeks and sends a delicious feeling of warmth through me.

Definitely not feelings I could afford to nurture.

Shoving those feelings aside, I get dressed in black leggings and a black long-sleeve top that I hate to wear because it is Silas' favorite color, but it is all I have that looks half decent. He bought it for me a couple of months ago after telling me how horrible I looked in the dress Mrs. Johnson had made for me. A pretty one with little blue flowers that he tore off me in seconds, the ruined fabric discarded on his dirty floor, bringing tears to my eyes. It was the last bit of lovely fabric she had, and making the dress had taken ages. I mourned the effort and the loss. That had made him laugh.

The gentle knock on the door tears me from the horrible memory, and I quickly shove all my items back into my bag before answering.

Hades enters, his eyes meeting mine before dipping and scanning my body.

"Are you ready?" He approaches me and then holds his arm out. "Hold onto me for support."

The thought of touching his bare skin again is both exciting and scary. I don't want to like the feelings they evoke. But I do. Using my weakened state as an excuse, I shamelessly take the arm he offers, looking away when the now familiar sparks shoot through my body at the contact.

The walk to the sitting area on the other side of the kitchen is long. By the time I get there, I am tired, and Hades looks at me with concern.

"The doctors will be here shortly to check on you. Here, drink this," Hades says as he sips the glass of water he has poured from a jug nearby before handing it to me. The action is so natural that I cannot help the small smile that appears.

"You're smiling." His eyes are glued to my mouth, suddenly making me feel self-conscious.

"You tasted my water for me." That's all I can say as the energy in the room changes and Hades steps towards me.

"I want you to feel safe here, Addie. No one is going to hurt you while I am around." His eyes rake my face, and I gulp. My mouth suddenly dry, and not just from my little walking exercise.

He seems sincere, but the question remains. Why is he helping me? Why is he in my dreams? Why is there this invisible pull towards him? No one has been this nice to me in ages. It is making me nervous, and while I don't want to question his motives, I do.

"Why are you doing this?" I search his face for the answers to my question, but all I see is understanding.

"I know you don't trust easily. But I want you to try and trust me. It's hard to explain. You're...you and I are—" Before he can say anything further, a loud knock on the front door interrupts the moment. I can see his frustration as his hand runs through his unruly black hair. With a last sweep of my face, he grunts in frustration before turning around and heading to the front door.

I don't hear what they say, but the next moment, two men in white doctor's coats walk toward me, each carrying a bag.

They introduce themselves as Dr. Mendes and Dr. Shawn, their voices familiar. I heard them talking while I was unconscious.

They prod and poke me for the next hour, taking readings with various devices, all under Hades' watchful gaze. When he can see I am uncomfortable, he steps forward and tells them to explain what they are doing or going to do. My eyes cannot help but drift over to him, his presence overpowering.

He is wearing a simple black shirt and jeans. While his outfit might be plain, the man himself is anything but. He is the most good-looking man I have ever seen. While the vampires are always dressed in suits and evening dresses to the nines, even when it isn't evening, Hades' look is even more sophisticated. However, I think the fact that Hades is built like a model I once saw in one of Adrianna's magazines might be the reason this causal look is so damn good. And then there is his face. His strong jaw is covered in stubble. I love that. Silas' face had no hair. Seeing Hades, I now know I have a preference, and that is definitely with a five o'clock shadow sprinkled along that jaw that even now twitches as he clenches his teeth.

My eyes drag down towards the bulging muscles of his arms, which are folded over his chest as he stands guard beside me. His skin is tanned from the time he spends outside—a stark contrast to mine, which is milky white due to limited UV exposure. I like the tanned color of his skin. It goes well with his black hair, which is messy from his earlier attack on it. But even messy, he manages to pull it off. I wonder if it will feel silky between my fingers. Somehow, I think it will. It did in my dreams.

Hades' gaze snaps to mine, and I blush before looking away. It is a good thing he cannot read my mind.

As the checkup ends, Dr. Mendes hauls out three small empty vials.

Shit.

"Are you taking blood?" This is the first thing I have said since they arrived, shocking both of them.

"Yes, we need to run a couple of tests." If they take my blood, will they see I am a witch? If they do, I will be killed.

"No. I don't want to." I wrap my arms around myself, wishing the words came out more confident.

"We have to compare it and see if your iron levels are up along with other standard blood panels." Shit. They took my blood before while I was unconscious.

"You took my blood already," I say out loud, mulling over this information. They would have found out by now, so it must be okay.

"Blood results are strictly confidential. If I find out confidentiality was breached, there will be trouble. Right doctors." My eyes fly to Hades at the threatening tone of his voice, and once again, I am surprised that he can read my needs with such ease. He is always saying and doing something to allay my fears. Does he know what I am? Was that what he was trying to tell me earlier?

"Of course, your Majesty." My eyes widen at the chorus of scared affirmations, and I realize something I have forgotten—something I heard in the forest and my unconscious state. The vampires were talking about him when they said he would come to the forest, relayed by The Black Witch, meaning they intended to kill him. That means...

"You're the King." 

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