Scarlett's Letter (Touched by a God #1) (4 page)

He had been lost in his thoughts and hadn’t realized that she was on the verge of losing it again.  The demons had begun what he knew was standard, daily training.  To an outsider it appeared they were about to slaughter one another.  He called his power to him and brought Cerberus in with him.  Hades held tight to her waist as he released four cows into the pen.  He felt his pet’s anticipation.  He could feel the thrill of his pet’s need to be released as his pup let the cows move about.  They were unaware of what was about to happen. 

“Free.”

The one word was all that Cerberus needed to hear.  He’d trained the dog to know that he was free to roam when he heard the word.  He also knew that he was allowed to do as he saw fit with whatever was placed before him.  If Hades wanted to challenge his pet then he would have wolves moving about the pen as well.  It usually gave Hades about an hour of enjoyment.  The wolves always tried to flee the area or get lost in the Desolate Wood that was just beyond the River of Decent.  Cerberus allowed them time enough to believe that they would actually be free before capturing and enjoying tearing into their hides for the meat beneath their fur for the wolves and hides for the cows.

Hades watched as they tore into the cows, one by one.  He felt Rouge still then tense when she realized what was about to happen.  Cerberus’ three heads each ate at three of the four cows.  The fourth cowered in a corner, hidden.  After stripping all of the meat from the bones of those three, the large animal moved toward the cowering meal.  He heard her slight sobs as the heads each grabbed a portion and ripped.  He consumed them with his power then returned them to the house.  He sat her down and her body seemed to just fall to the couch.  Tears silently streamed down her face for a few moments then her face contorted with confusion.  She wiped the tears from her eyes, cheeks and chin.  When she stood, she was visibly angry again.  He looked at her as she stood in front of his looking glass.  The moment she recognized that it was, in fact, her bedroom that was reflected back at her, she began screaming. 

“Who are you? Why am I looking at my bedroom?  Are you some type of creepy, crazy person?  Is this some type of live stream into my bedroom?  How long have you been watching me?  I can’t believe I actually slept with someone that was willing to watch a person without their knowledge or consent.  How pathetic are you that you would watch someone like that? You are one sick, perverted bastard! Do you get off on watching me?  I hope you enjoyed it because this crazy ass nightmare is over.  There is no way in hell that I am going to stay here. I’m leaving right damn now!”

His body locked as she began to disappear from his sight.  He grabbed hold to her and did the only thing he could.  Hades kissed her while grabbing hold to her ass and lifting her off the ground.  He said that he would do whatever it was that he had to in order to keep her.  If it meant fucking her senseless so she wouldn’t attempt what she had before, then he would do that. 

He ripped her pants then panties from her body and drove his fingers inside of her.  She fought him at first.  His Rouge fought with a determination to get away from him, but her body gave in to his stronger determination to have her remain there with him.  When he touched her sopping wet center she moaned in pleasure and he knew he had her.  If for no longer than that moment, then he would take it.  He freed himself and his already throbbing member sought out her heat like a heat seeking missile.  She exploded around him as soon as he entered her.  He drove himself into her relentlessly.  She tore her lips from his as she sought out much needed air.  Her second orgasm had him driving his hand into the nearest wall because her walls clamped down and drew him deeper within her depths.  As he drove into her, he could feel her mind whirling, trying to make sense of what it was that she was feeling and what he’d told her.  Every muscle in his body tightened in anticipation of his own release.  When it hit, she screamed.  Her words had him almost frozen to the spot. 

“How can you love on me like this and be such an evil conniving, dickhead?”

His released had triggered a third then fourth in her.  She breathlessly continued.  She sounded as if she were in a state of semi-consciousness.  Hades could feel their minds lock.  It wasn’t something that could be done unless a deeper connection was made between a god and the one that they loved.  He couldn’t believe that they were there.  There was no way that he felt that way.  It wasn’t possible.  He was incapable of that feeling.  It was part of his punishment.   In his trying to come to terms with his possible feelings, he opened his mind up a little more than what an initial connection would have offered.

“How can you feel the way you do and still desire to do what you do? The Leader of the Underworld can’t possibly have any love, even as slight as yours is, for a human.  You can’t.  It’s not possible.  It’s especially not possible if I am one that is from a line of women whom were been foretold to kill your kind.”

Hades listened as her words began to slur from exhaustion.  He knew that she’ spent the day in the little area he’d created for her.  He’d watched her as moved about with such peace, contentment and grace radiating from her very spirit.  She appeared to be happy in that space.  His chest puffed out a little as he thought about the time that he’d put into creating that space for her.  His Rouge had barely slept.  He’d felt like somewhat of a voyeur as he watched her explore, discover and rediscover different areas of the gardens.  It was supposed to be her haven, her place that was all her own.  The dance studio was to serve that purpose as well.  Little did he know that she would use it to escape him.  He’d almost uprooted every inch of those two thousand square feet and growing.  As he’d watched the calm settle over her, he found his indignation melted away as well. 

Hades looked down at her beautiful face and saw that she’d fallen asleep.  He replayed in his mind what she’d said.  What did she mean? Her line was not supposed to be set up to kill gods.  Her line was predestined to be there to bring about more of his kind, even if it meant that they were going to be the equivalent of only half of the beings that he’d grown up with, nowhere near as powerful as. He needed some clarification.  Did she see something in his memories that he hadn’t thought on for such a time that it was actually lost to him?  He needed to know just what she meant.  More importantly, he knew for certain he needed to get the rest of the story through to her, even if it was while she rested.

The next few days with her were nothing but tense moments and accusatory glances as her mind fought what was truth and tried to hash out what was reality.  He couldn’t lose her.  He needed to try and convince her that she was supposed to be with him.  When she’d awakened that night after her meeting with Carnus, she’d told him that she would not be held prisoner and she wanted to spend the rest of her time in another room.  She wanted to be away from him. Hades didn’t like the thought of not having her share his bed.  All that he had here was created for her.  He swore to himself that he would do things differently this time around and he was going to hold true to that.  His eyes had searched hers as she stood sentinel at the door.  She looked as if she might just attempt to bolt out the door the instant that it was opened for her. 

The thought was one that was so asinine that he couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips.  He rocked back on his heels and told her that she had free reign to travel anywhere on the grounds that she pleased but their time wasn’t over.  He still had quite a few things he wanted to impart to her.  She stepped tentatively across the threshold of the bedroom they’d shared every day of her previous visits, not as much as he would’ve liked this visit.  He did have his fill of her that morning.  He’d watched her move away from him, down the hall.  The feeling that watching her take those slight steps away from him initiated in him had him wanting to move his body to a place where he could keep step with her.   Most of the times that she’d ventured out of the bedroom he’d been there to guide her so that she wouldn’t get lost. Hades knew he was going to have to fight all of his natural impulses and allow her to move about the house without him. It didn’t mean that he had to like it.

He’d created the palatial home where they were in anticipation of her remaining there with him and their coming brood.  The house had six bedrooms, two full baths with a whirlpool and two half baths. Hades figured he could create more as they determined what was needed, if it was necessary.  There were two walk in closets in the master suite that connected to the master bathroom which held the whirlpool.  The bathroom had two entrances, one on either side of the wall where his god sized bed was.  There was a mural that doubled as the headboard behind his bed frame and mattresses.  The sheets and covers were black with grey stripes.  The king sized pillows were large enough that her body could fit on the length of one. 

His master suite was created with an open floor plan except for the wall that separated the bathroom.  To the right of his bed was a full “living area” set up including a reclining chair that housed a full massage function and interior cooler.  In the focal wall of the room a retractable movie screen and a 60 inch television could be found.  The television was mounted on the wall.  The screen dropped from the ceiling.  The minions that traveled to the human realm regularly kept his shelves stocked with the latest movies.  The old school L-shaped couch was the only major color that was in the room.  He’d created it because he’d overheard her telling a friend of hers that she’d always wanted a bright cherry red couch.  She was shocked that first day that she’d come to him, but had accepted it to be part of the dream, along with everything else. 

On that first day after she’d left his bedroom expecting it to be a permanent change, she looked at everything as if with new, judgmental eyes.  Those eyes that had previously looked upon his features with such adoration then looked upon him with accusation.  He watched her every moment to see if she was ready to accept what was before her.  The only form of acceptance she seemed to have had been found in the knowledge that she had no intention of remaining with him.  Her eyes seemed to assess everything.  When he called her to him, she only came because there was nowhere else for her to sleep. He’d removed all of the beds and possible sleeping areas from all of the other rooms.  The floors would begin to quake causing her to be unable to find comfort there.  So, he knew the only reason she complied was because she had no other choice.  Every evening, he attempted to coax her to relax next to him to no avail.  He was always met with resistance.  The amount of hatred that radiated off of her could melt the sheets.  

The strong arm tactic he’d tried got him locked out of the bathroom.  He allowed it that day, but that night he went in and got her.  She’d fallen asleep curled up under one of his old Olympian robes lying on one of the round midnight blue ottomans that sat in the room.  The pearl white fabric had been tucked close to her nose as if she couldn’t fall asleep without his scent near her.  He knew the feeling.  Her peach scented perfume had him hungering for his favorite snack of peaches and cream.  Her personal cream was being missed as well. 

They hadn’t been together since that day which was three days prior.  They were now in the month of October and their time would soon be concluding.  His physician would be coming to examine her in the morning.  He would only have five more days after that.  Hades was always given one month’s time with each of these marked women.  It was the same with his Rouge.  It was never enough.  Now, he only had a few more days to get her to understand the words that he’d whispered to her that night.  He’d waited long enough for her to wrap her brain around what she’d already seen and observed for herself.  He needed to deliver the last piece of the whammy.

“You have been chosen Scarlett Grace, my Rouge.  You were chosen to be the one that gives me my son.  You are the one that will end the torment of these days of solitude. I will not have you away from me.  I know you are the one that will give me what it is that I have desired for far too long.  You will birth my first born, daughter or not, does not matter.  In birthing my first, you will be prepared to birth the rest.  Your womb will carry my legacy.  Your heart and mind carry what I am willing to give.  There has been none like you, none that have even come close. They will not take you away from me this time. I will fucking string every one of them up by their balls then feed them to Cerberus.”

She shuddered in her sleep then as she was doing now.  Most nights, he just watched her sleep.  She would lay stiffly practically lying on the edge of the bed until she was in a deep sleep.  When she fell into that deep sleep, she would allow him to pull her body near his own.  Her subconscious must’ve enjoyed his nearness because she always burrowed closer to his body when he could finally pull her near to him.  Hades enjoyed those moments.  When her body was preparing to wake, he came to predict it.  Her body would become one big pulsing nerve.  The pulsating would increase if he didn’t move her away from him.  The progression would move from pulsating to tremors if she did remain near his body.  He learned that the second morning.  If he moved her or just released her from his hold, then she completely relaxed until she was fully awake.  After fully awakening, she would avoid him like the plague, if she could. 

The morning before the physician was to visit he had tried to talk to her.  One of his brethren was always spouting some nonsense about that, talking things out first.  Hades went to Rouge and tried to get her to react.  Her only words to him were for him to “die infinite deaths” and something about allowing her to finally leave.  To the unobservant eye, her response would only have been natural considering his misleading antics.  He knew better.  The beauty of his godhood was that it came with the ability to sense life.  He didn’t need the physician to confirm anything for him.  Hades knew it.  Her body was preparing to bring forth his first born.  Her hatred toward him was perfectly acceptable.  Given his proclivity to react first and investigate later and her frustratingly mule headed ways, his child’s personality would come with a healthy dose of extra heated emotion.  With that in mind, he forgave her brash responses and coldness.  He didn’t know how she was going to take the news that the good doctor was going to share with her.  Just as he was going to approach her again, the main bell of the house sounded.  It announced that their, his, expected guest had arrived.