Huntress

Chapter 33

I was trapped prey, nothing more. I had no weapons, no escape, no plans. I could only watch as the massive man – even larger than Ajax – came into the cell. The hair on my arms rose, my body prickling with discomfort, like even my organs knew I was somewhere I wasn't supposed to be, too close to something that was too strong.

But I had seen this man before. And I remembered feeling similarly then. He had come into the café and I had been stunned by how large he was. No amount of smiling could cover whatever it was about him that made me uncomfortable then. But I knew now. It was power.

Power that gleamed in his eyes, the irises the colour of blood. When he had come into the café, he must've been wearing contacts. And if his eyes were red, unlike anything I had ever seen, he must've been the creature that chased me out of the royal lands. Hades.

Hades was calm, seeming almost apologetic as he approached me. I don't know what I expected, but this man wearing a tee shirt and basketball shorts with hair wet from a recent shower was not it. He certainly felt the part of an old god, ready to slice life away. It just seemed like he didn't want to look it beyond the features that nature already gave him.

And, while he was the picture of calm, Ryder was losing it more and more.

"Get the fuck away from her!" he snarled. I could have imagined his teeth bared and eyes wild. I could hear his shoes squeaking on the floor as he failed to pull away from Ajax's silver cuffs and tight grip.

But I didn't pull my eyes away from Hades for a second.

"I saw you," I whispered, the words barely leaving my lips as I stepped backwards. "I saw you in the woods that day. You could have killed me." I had thought about the encounter hundreds of times, confused about how the animal seemed to always stay the perfect distance away. Now, seeing how fast wolves could really run when threatened or hunting, I knew that he had been toying with me.

The corner of Hades' mouth quirked up in the feeblest smile. "I chased you away. I wanted you to leave and be frightened enough that you didn't come back. Trespassers are often bad news and usually not treated kindly. It was a warning. I didn't want to hurt you." The words were kind, but the steps he was taking towards me were purely predatory.

There was a grunt from behind him. "Hades!" Ryder barked. "I swear to fucking god, I will kill you if you touch her!"

"Ryder, please," Ajax begged. "For the love of all that is holy, Hades! Hurry up!"

It was then that I realized that Hades had so perfectly guided me into a corner. I was pinned without him even having to put his hands on me. trapped ever so perfectly for him.

"We don't even know if this is going to work. I've only tried it a couple of times before—"

"Just do it!" Ajax ordered.

"Right," Hades turned back to me, offering that apologetic smile. "Sorry, let's just get this over with."

For how gentle and smooth his words were, his movements were sudden and sharp. I only managed to suck in a small breath before he grabbed both of my wrists in one of his hands, pulling my arms to one side of my chest and pinning them against my collarbone. A knee was pressed between my thighs, forcing my legs apart and unbalancing me. As sympathetic as he was, he knew how to fight and he certainly knew how to restrict. I could not kick or knee him. I couldn't claw at his face or swing out a solid punch. I couldn't even thrash about. Short of biting him, I had nothing to use against him.

"I'm going to kill you, Hades!" Ryder bellowed, so loud I wondered if the floor shook.

"You won't be the first to try," Hades sighed, not nearly loud enough for anyone else to hear.