Taylor’s scowl deepened. She supposed she should be grateful that he was no longer growling.
***
Hades fought to get his temper in check as she showed Taylor around the Keep. When he'd seen her standing next to Perseus and Kon, talking her way past them, something inside of him snapped. Not only did he want to destroy the two males for drooling over her, which was utterly out of character, but part of him was outraged that she'd attempted to escape
him
. No one tried to escape him. No one would dare....except Taylor.
He'd known better than to accept Linx's proposal. Something had told him that the Earth woman would be trouble, but Hades had ignored his instincts because he hated owing anyone, and now he was acting like a cat high on space blossoms.
The images of her dancing flashed through her mind. He hadn't been trying to read her thoughts, but they'd been impossible to ignore. Now Hades couldn't stop picturing her naked.
He was relieved that she wasn't a sex companion. More relieved than he should be. If she had been, Hades would have hired her instantly, even though part of him would've found the end of the chase unsatisfying. He wasn't sure where that left him.
"Why did you run?" he asked, to keep his mind from replaying the naked image.
Taylor's perfect brow flickered. She looked at him like he'd lost his faculties. "You told me to," she said. "Remember?"
Hades' grip on her hand tightened. He forced himself to loosen it. Earthlings were weak. He didn't want to bruise her, or worse, break her bones. "It was a temporary loss of control. It will not happen again." He sighed. What had he intended? He wasn't sure, but he knew he had to stop whatever it was. "I didn't mean to drive you away from the safety of the Keep."
She stopped walking, making him halt, too. "How was I supposed to know that? When someone tells me to run, then turns into a Monster Kitty, I don't pause and ask for clarification."
Hades couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from her full lips. The woman had a mouth made for kissing, among other things. He felt his cock rise as he wondered what she'd taste like. She was still talking, but he'd missed part of what she'd said.
What had she called him
?
Taylor flushed under his regard and cleared her throat. "I thought you planned to take me to my room."
His mouth clamped shut. "Of course, this way." Hades led her down the stone corridor toward his chambers. He'd ordered her put here before he'd even met her. Now he was questioning the wisdom of that decision.
Several rooms branched off as they neared the end of the hall. He stopped before a door on the right. "You should have everything you need. I'll be by in a few hours to escort you to the Pit."
"About that," Taylor said.
"Be ready. I do not like to be kept waiting." Hades strode down the hall without a backward glance. He knew if he stayed that she'd have to be worried about more than a Monster Kitty.
Hades didn't know what had come over him. He
never
acted that way around a female. He'd nearly growled aloud when Perseus approached Taylor. He shook his head and shoved the doors to his chambers open.
The gray stone walls were punctuated by shafts of light. He'd made sure that his chamber would open to the outside. It had taken months of excavation, but it had been worth it. Emerald green fabrics draped his bed and thick furs lined his floor. He strode across them into his bathing area, which consisted of a waste disposal, a modest sink, and a deep bath. With a flick of a switch, water would cascade from a hole in the ceiling and fill the tub or he could simply stand under it to bathe.
Hades walked over to the copper basin to splash water on his face and gazed into the image reflector. Water dripped from his permanently broken nose to his chin, down the side of his scarred jaw. His blue eyes seemed to glow with a red ring surrounding them, despite the fact that he'd shackled his beast. He gripped the side of the basin and sneered. The action twisted the scar, making him appear even more menacing.
He grinned at his reflection and noticed that his teeth seemed sharper than normal. Hades ran his tongue over his incisors, nicking it on the deadly tips. Blood filled his mouth. He spit it out and shoved away from the basin in disgust.
Despite the temptation Taylor presented, he didn't have time for distractions. If Opal was correct, and he had no doubt that she was, Perseus wouldn't wait much longer to make his move. Hades snarled in frustration. He hadn't had many challenges for his throne, but the number seemed to be growing lately even though he was a fair ruler and took good care of his people.
He scrubbed a hand through his tawny hair. Phantoms were different from the genteel Atlanteans. Their beasts rode them hard to establish supremacy. They were alpha by nature, but there could be only one ruler. His father had ruled for years over the Phantom people. He was well respected and had established a treaty bond with the previous Atlantean King. That bond had kept peace within their kingdoms and remained until both rulers were killed during the last war.
Hades hadn't bothered to establish a treaty with the old King's son in New Atlantis. Forging a new treaty bond was on a very long list of things he needed to get done. If he were honest with himself, Hades might acknowledge that he'd put the treaty off. Not because he intended to start a war with the Atlanteans, far from it, but because he didn't like how the Atlantean people treated him when he began his reign.
His mixed blood had caused more than a few whispers among the royal lines. None attributed directly to King Eros, but dissension was dissension. Whether the Atlanteans and the Phantoms liked it or not, he was his parents' only child, only heir. That meant Half-being or not, sooner or later everyone had to deal with the Dark King.
The severed bond with the Atlanteans was the main reason Hades was having so much trouble now, but it wasn't the only reason. There was the little matter of him having no mate. Phantoms didn't trust mateless leaders. He understood that better than most, but he wasn't going to change his mind. Taylor was right about that, too. He was stubborn.
Hades was determined to remain unattached. He didn't want any child to have to go through what he'd gone through growing up. The constant ridicule and fights had nearly destroyed him. Any child of his would be subjected to the same things or worse. He would not, could not in good conscience do that to his heir, to his child.
Despite his perceived 'handicaps', Hades was a capable Phantom Warrior. Only two things betrayed him from passing for anything other than a Phantom: The fact that he didn't heal as quickly and his mother's blue eyes. That same Atlantean blue stared back at him every time he looked into the image reflector.
Hades walked back into his chamber and pressed a button on the wall. His wardrobe shot opened. He gazed at his clothing, trying to decide what to wear. Normally on Pit nights, he dressed for combat, but for some reason tonight was different.
His mind wandered to Taylor. Had she bathed yet? The thought of her naked body, splashing in the water caused him to tense. Had she danced that way? Dripping, gliding through the water like a Zaronian Goddess. Or had she always performed on dry land? Both would be stunning to see.
He'd had a very special wardrobe put in her room after they'd been introduced. Would she wear the revealing outfit tonight? Or would she balk at the Phantom attire? Given what she did for a living, he hoped she would think nothing of the choice of clothing.
Hades could almost picture Taylor's soft curves filling out the layers of silk to overflowing.
She's
under
your
protection
.
You
told
her
that
you
took
your
vow
seriously
. Hades swallowed hard and grabbed the nearest outfit to him. He tossed the clothes onto the bed, then undressed. His claws ripped through his uniform as he tore it off his body. His hard shaft sprung free from the confines. Hades stroked it once, then released his cock. Tonight he'd either fight in the Pit or he'd find someone willing to fuck.
***
Taylor couldn't get over the outfit that Hades had picked out for her. The dark green gauze material barely covered her large breasts and the slits in the skirt stretched all the way up to her hipbone.
She looked as if she'd stepped out of the Arabian Nights' stories. Not that she had anything morally against the clothing. Compared to what she used to wear onstage, the dress was positively demure. But it did seem a
little
revealing for attending a royal function.
She'd decided that must be what Hades meant by the Pit. It was probably another dining hall of some kind or a gathering place. The name was off-putting, but Taylor knew names could be deceiving.
She stared at her reflection and readjusted the material over her breasts, when she noticed that her nipples were clearly visible through the sheer fabric. She'd pulled her long hair back in a loose braid to avoid accidentally sitting on it.
The swept back style made her normal features appear almost exotic, but now she was second-guessing her choice. If she let her long hair hang loose, she’d be able to maintain a modicum of modesty. The King already thought she was a whore. She didn't want to arrive dressed like one.
Taylor glanced longingly at her jeans and T-shirt lying on the bed, then at her reflection. She barely recognized herself in the gorgeous gown.
She should just change back into her own clothes. She'd be more comfortable that way, but Taylor didn't want to offend her host or his people. The tension between she and Hades was already thicker than it needed to be. One of them had to be the bigger person and given Hades' behavior thus far, Taylor knew it had to be her.
She stared wistfully at her jeans. She'd feel so much better if she had them on. Taylor had taken one step toward the bed, when a knock sounded on the door. Too late to change now. She took a deep breath and studied her appearance one last time, then answered the door.
***
Hades' hand hung in mid-air as the door opened. The breath seemed to rush from his lungs as his gaze landed on the vision in green standing before him. He'd thought Taylor was appealing before, but now she was extraordinary.
The soft fabric cupped her full breasts, before gently curving in at her trim waist. The slits in the skirt played peek-a-boo with her long legs, leaving his mouth dry. She'd put on the matching slippers and pulled her long red hair back, twisting the length into a stylish knot. Hades forgot to move, forgot to breathe—forgot to think.
"I can change." Taylor crossed her arms over her chest, her fingers fluttering nervously over her skin, but not before he caught a glance of her luscious nipples brushing the front of the silky gauze.
Hades swallowed hard. The beast inside of him perked its head up to get a look at her. When he inhaled, Taylor's sweet scent filled his lungs, leaving him winded. A growl rumbled from his chest. Hades clamped down on the noise, wrestling his beast into a stranglehold. He didn't trust it or himself enough to let it go. He was afraid of what might happen if he did.
You're supposed to protect her, remember?
He chastised.
"I think I should change clothes." Taylor shifted under his regard and glanced back at the clothing she'd brought from Earth.
"That won't be necessary." Hades' voice croaked as he spoke. "You look stunning."
She gave him a small smile for the compliment, then swallowed hard as her nerves returned.
Drums pounded. The thick base beat vibrated his chest as he stepped aside, so she could leave her room.
"You didn't tell me there would be music." Joy filled her face. Taylor's hips swayed as she shut the door behind her.
Did she even realize what she was doing? Hades didn't think so. He followed the sensual side-to-side movement, mesmerized by the gentle swoosh of fabric and the slight jiggle of the round globes.
Taylor cleared her throat.
Hades tore his gaze away from her lush ass to find her staring at him. "We'd better hurry." It was either that or push her back into her room and ravish her. "We don't want to be late." In truth, the Pit wouldn't start its festivities until he got there. One of the many perks of being King. And at the moment, also one of the disadvantages.
***
He'd bathed since he had left her. Moisture still clung to his damp hair, making it appear darker. Hades had also changed clothes. He was still in black, but his pants were tighter and the collar of his shirt hung loose, giving her tantalizing glimpses of his impressive chest. Taylor hated that every time she looked at him, she had the overwhelming urge to lick him from head to shaft. He was like candy and she'd always had a sweet tooth.
Hades tripped beside her and a slash of red shadowed his cheeks.
Taylor automatically moved to steady him, but he stepped easily out of her reach. She shrugged the odd behavior off as a 'guy thing'. If he was too proud to accept her help, then so be it. Hades might act aloof, but he wasn't totally immune to her charms. She'd busted him staring at her ass. He didn't try to cover what he'd been doing, but he had quickly changed the subject.
The sound of the drums grew louder. The steady boom, boom vibrated her chest and made her want to dance. Not strip, but dance. How long had it been since she'd gone out dancing for fun? Taylor couldn't remember and that made her sad. She loved music. Loved to dance.
"I didn't realize that there'd be a band," she said. "How long will they play?"
"Not a band." Hades shook his head. "It's the call that summons everyone to the Pit."
"Oh." She heard the disappointment in her voice, but she hoped that Hades hadn't.
A different set of stone doors rose before them. Red gems twinkled from the door handles. Rubies, maybe? Taylor wasn't sure. The only real jewels she'd ever had were diamond earrings and she'd left them when she had fled Sergei. She tried to get a better look at the gems, but the doors swung open, revealing a regiment of towering Phantom guards.