A long breathless pause followed her impassioned outburst. Octavius scanned the room, noting the tension in the creatures surrounding them. If not for their fear of Hades, they would have scrambled to get to her.
“Octavius is immune to your powerful allure?” Hades murmured.
“He’s the only one.”
Hades’ glance speared Octavius. “It seems you will have a short reprieve.” His attention returned to Petra. “Perhaps it would be unwise for you to sit beside me.” He tossed a cushion onto the floor beside his couch.
Octavius bristled as Petra knelt on the cushion. There was plenty of room beside him, but she seemed relieved, so he let the slight pass. Maybe she didn’t know that sitting at a god’s feet placed her beneath the salt, marked her as insignificant.
A tray of savory meat was presented to Octavius, and his thoughts turned to his belly. Petra, too, plucked slivers of meat and slices of fresh oranges from a dish set beside her.
“I see you are still in one piece,” a low, sultry voice said beside him. Atropos dropped onto the seat beside him and leaned back on her hands. “Tell me, would it be so terrible to resume your place in the master’s guard?”
Octavius noted the way her gaze swept his body, covetously. In the past, he’d serviced her sexual appetites. He ignored the implied invitation. “This setting is so far removed from the reality of those duties, do you even know what you’re talking about?”
Atropos scooted closer, leaning her cheek on his shoulder and smoothing her hand across his chest. “You’d have command of a small force again, operate autonomously in the dark regions. Have your choice of succulent humans. Why wouldn’t you be pleased?”
“I prefer fresher fare.”
“You’d rather hide in the shadows in the human’s world where you’re considered a freak?”
“Their world is ever-changing. Surprises hide behind every corner.”
“Like your siren?”
“She’s not a siren.”
“She’s…something.”
“She’s half-demon.”
“I noted the eyes,” she said, tracing a fingertip down the center of his abdomen. “You’re sure she has no other powers other than the ability to incite lust?”
“It’s powerful enough,” he ground out, doing his best to keep his unruly cock from responding to her increasingly intimate touches. When her fingers spread to sink beneath the fabric at his waist, he caught her hand and placed it in her own lap.
Her eyes narrowed at his rejection. “She’s frail. Do you think she can withstand his ardor?”
“No. But since it seems he doesn’t mean her harm, we can take precautions.” Octavius gave her a mirthless smile. “You needn’t worry about her.”
“You would restrain Hades?” She threw back her head and laughed. “I would like to see that.”
“So would others, which is why it must be me. I won’t let him harm her, but I also won’t let anyone take advantage of him when his attention strays.”
“Still the loyal guard,” she snorted. “Do you think you can work your way back into his favor?”
“I know he’s set his mind against allowing me to return. I’ve accepted it.”
Atropos wrinkled her nose. “Don’t be so morose. We will have many nights ahead to renew our acquaintance.”
Octavius shuddered. Atropos was the most vicious of the three sisters, and her appetite for blood and sex enormous.
“He stirs.” She lifted her chin toward Hades. “I think he’s tired of waiting. He only allowed her to feed so that she will have strength.”
Octavius pushed off the sofa, leaving Atropos laughing softly behind him. Hades had already signaled to his attendants. More wine was being served; the party would continue and degenerate into a lustful orgy—but without the master’s presence.
Hades had his own plans, which included sampling the sweet enticement of Petra’s human body and otherworldly talent.
Octavius unclenched his fists, schooled his face into an impassive mask, and knelt before his master.
Chapter 6
Petra stiffened as Octavius knelt beside her. She’d already ascertained that he meant to remain aloof. Was it because he wanted to stave off Hades’ attempts to make him jealous, or was it because he was already shedding her?
Then she felt his hand slip over her knee, hidden from Hades’ sight beside his thigh. A quiet reassurance that warmed her.
“Milord, shall I accompany you?” Octavius asked, keeping his head lowered.
Hades’ glance cut from Octavius to Petra.
Petra bit her lip, silently praying.
“I think it wise,” Hades said, his voice gruff. He rose, turning without another word to the room.
Petra followed the men two paces behind, feeling like a dog following her masters home.
They didn’t have far to travel. Just beyond the hall was another long corridor with guards at every doorway and cross corridor who snapped to attention, spears slapping metal breastplates as they passed.
These were Hades’ guards? She stared avidly as she passed them, having overheard Octavius’s conversation with the Fate. Was that what he’d looked like when he lived here? The short, blood-red skirt, silver armor, and helmet would suit his powerful frame. He’d look completely at home. Completely, outrageously masculine.
Her body hummed even knowing she was being forced to serve another. Octavius would be there. He’d would watch over her. The thought should have sickened her, but all those years of abstinence had built a powerful sexual curiosity and hunger. Modesty was abandoned. Octavius had given her the freedom to discover what brought her pleasure, even to the point of protecting her when she consorted with others. He didn’t seem an unselfish person, not particularly kind, but when his gaze landed on her, his expression softened, betraying the same yearning she tried her best to suppress.
Was he sharing her in order to distance himself from her emotionally? It wasn’t working that way for her. The more freedom he gave her, the more tightly bound she felt. He was the only person who’d ever cared to nurture her pleasure. And yet, she couldn’t be sorry that she was here—following her lover and another man to his chambers.
Maybe she was just the littlest bit enthralled by the idea of having sex with the dark lord. Hades was a god. A darkly handsome being with a body that would satisfy the cravings of any woman, and who could have anyone he wanted. Yet he wanted her—tall, plain, small-breasted Petra.
Her new wantonness was a gift. Her attention might be drawn, temporarily by Hades, or Charon, or a bevy of female attendants, but Octavius attracted more than just her sexual hunger. He pulled at her heart. Completed her in ways she wasn’t ready to define and didn’t really want to acknowledge because she was going to lose him.
Pulling back from thoughts too painful to think about now, she drew a deep breath and studied her surroundings, anything to keep herself from obsessing over her problems. The corridor was furnished with evidence of the master’s craft, or perhaps that of his nephew, Hephaestus—elaborately crafted swords, fantastical suits of armor and mechanical devices that she thought might be implements of torture. Hades was an artist, an inventor. Did he ply his craft when his wife was home?
Petra thought that, maybe, he threw himself into his work to quell the loneliness.
Or was she only hoping he felt emotions like any human male because then he wouldn’t be quite so frightening? Soon enough she’d have to bare her body to him, accept the thrust of his cock inside her body. Anything to make this feel less impersonal would help her retain what pride and self-respect she had left.
Large double doors opened at the end of the corridor as they approached, and they entered a spacious chamber. The air inside was warm. A fire burned in the hearth opposite the very large bed. The bed itself showed signs of his work. Metal bars enclosed the wood just above mattress height. Rings were attached to the bars. Above the bed, a pulley was attached to the ceiling.
Her imagination
ran wild staring at the hardware.
Hades walked to a cupboard and opened it. He drew on gloves and turned, his eyebrows arching wickedly. “Come to me. And don’t look to your companion for permission first.”
Petra swallowed hard and walked slowly toward him. Very little clothing covered either of their bodies. She felt the weight of the gold pressing on her head and breasts. It jingled loudly in the silence as she stopped in front of him.
Hades gently lifted the headdress from her and set it inside the cabinet. Then he thrust his gloved fingers into her hair and combed it. “It’s soft as silk, isn’t it?” he said, shooting a glance at Octavius, who didn’t react.
Next, he unhooked the coin bra and slid it off her skin. Her nipples appreciated their freedom, tightening into hard points. His fingers scraped over them; his palms cupped her breasts. “You’re small. But lovely.”
When his hands reached for the fastening at her hip, she drew in a sharp breath. The chains fell away, and she stood naked while his gaze hungrily swept over her. His hands smoothed over the sides of her hips, reached around and cupped her buttocks.
She rocked on her heels, but righted herself instantly, maintaining a couple of inches distance between their naked chests.
“You have to be so careful, don’t you?” he murmured. “What a relief it must have been to find Octavius.”
“Yes,” she admitted, breathless now because her body was beginning to react to his touch, to his clean masculine scent.
His height and the width of his massive body made her feel vulnerable and so feminine she felt her body melting…from the inside.
He stepped back and stripped off a glove then handed it to her. “Undress me.” He held out his arms, and she reached hesitantly with the gloved hand for the brooch at his hip. The clasp opened easily, and she slid the pin from the linen. The fabric floated to the floor, and his body was as naked as hers.
His cock was large, every bit as long and thick as her gargoyle’s. A shiver racked her body, quivering her breasts, and he laughed. “I think you will need no special aid to inspire your passion.”
“Do you have to use them often?”
“Not as often as you’d think. Most women fear me. But fear is its own aphrodisiac.”
Petra wet her lips with her tongue. A quick furtive stroke, but his gaze narrowed on her mouth.
“I’d love to feel your mouth consume me. But we really should see to the safeguards.” His head turned to Octavius. “You know what I’ll need.” His gaze returned. “This will be new for me. I’m usually the one free to take my pleasure. Would you like a glass of wine while we wait?”
She nodded quickly and breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped away to open another cabinet and withdraw a decanter of red wine.
A loud jangling sounded from the bed, drawing her attention. Octavius stood on the mattress, feeding a chain through the pulley. Beneath the pulley, the chain split in two, each end threaded through a ring high up the bedposts at the head of the bed. Twin manacles lay against the silk bedding.
A silver goblet was pressed into her hand. “Drink. From the look on your face, you’re going to need it.”
“Where will Octavius be?” she asked, growing nervous.
“Where do you want him to be?”
Octavius’s head swiveled their way, a deep scowl bisecting his brows.
Hades laughed, a deep, delicious sound that lifted goose bumps on her skin. Already she knew the true test wouldn’t be to survive his brutality, but to keep her own passions leashed.
Hades, the lord of the Underworld, was a darkly seductive god. Not that she would ever prefer him to her gargoyle, but together, she thought she might combust. Sandwiched between them, which was the image that came instantly to her mind, she thought she might never want to leave this bed.
“Your choice,” Hades said. “I’m feeling magnanimous. I’ve missed Tav and would see him sent off with a special memory to cherish.”
Petra met his gaze, unflinching. “Somehow, I think that’s the last reason you would want this.”
“Then why do you think?”
“Because you’re curious—about the strength of my curse and about how far I’ll let my own curiosity take me. You know I haven’t much experience, don’t you?”
“Of course. You’re nearly virginal, and yet you aren’t afraid. Not of me. Not of the safeguards your lover has installed. I see the excitement warming your cheeks, the trembling in your hands.” He leaned close and inhaled. “I smell your arousal and find that I’m willing to be led…wherever you would take me, little one.”
Petra’s breaths quickened. “I take it that hasn’t happened in a while—you willing to be led.”
“Not since Persephone first graced this chamber.”
Since he’d mentioned her, Petra grasped for a topic to put a damper on their growing awareness. “Your wife… What would she think?”
“My wife deserts me six months of every year. And she knows my appetites. If she minded so much, she’d never leave. So, we have an understanding.”
“How modern of you both,” she muttered.
“We aren’t human, Petra. It would be wise to remember that. Our passions are deeper. Our appetites stronger. Our emotions fierce beyond your comprehension.”
“Are you speaking as a god?”
“God, demon, whatever name your people give us. But enough talk.” He lifted the glass from her hand and set it aside. “I’m already deeply aroused and eager to begin.”
So was she. Petra tossed back her hair, an arrogant gesture, but one that made her feel a little more in control. She strode toward the bed.
Octavius stood at the foot, now, his hand poised above a mechanism he’d attached to the footboard—a crank with a handle. The end of the long chain was already wound around it.
Hades climbed onto the mattress, his hot gaze holding hers captive. He lay atop the silk and lifted the manacles one at a time and locked them around his thick wrists.
Petra turned to Octavius. “Strip.” She knew she sounded imperious, but she really couldn’t force more from her tight throat. Excitement gripped her. A powerful, sensual heat thickened her folds and sent a rush of wet arousal sliding down her thighs.
Octavius grunted, but untied the knot at his hips.
She speared him with a look, and then satisfied she had his complete attention, she crawled onto the bed. Her knee bumped against Hades’ hip, and his eyes widened. His hands fisted, and he reached toward her, but Octavius turned the crank, pulling his arms upward.
Hades closed his eyes, and his lips drew away from his teeth as he hissed. “I see now. And you have much to fear.” His eyes shot open. Tension tightened his features; lust burned in his dark eyes.
But Petra wasn’t afraid. She was fascinated. Everywhere she looked, from his powerful shoulders and arms, crafted by millennia of battles and working at his forge, to the deep indentations laddering his abdomen, to the insistent thrust of his cock, set fire to her own arousal.
And this powerful god was bound, awaiting her touch, demanding it, if his fierce expression was anything to go by.
But where to start? “Octavius?” she said, unsure what she asked.
“I’m here. Watching. Ready to serve.” His words gave her permission to explore, but his tone was tight, furious.
Her heartbeats raced faster. Settling on her knees beside Hades, she made sure she didn’t block Octavius’s view. How far could she go before he was forced to act?
She bent, letting her long hair fall against Hades’ belly. The slabs of heavy muscle rippled, almost trembling. She glided her hands along his straining arms and shoulders, caressing him, testing the hardness of his frame. Satin skin cloaked hard steel.
Her hands cupped the mounded hardness of his chest, traced the deep indentions bracketing the muscles. Then she paused to rub the pads of her fingertips over the small brown ovals of his masculine nipples.
The chain rattled, and his hips flexed, his cock s
pearing upward, commanding her attention.
Petra bent closer and stuck out her tongue, tasting the salt on his flesh, circling on the ovals then gliding downward. She pressed kisses against his taut belly, raked her fingers through the crisp hair surrounding his sex. “Spread your legs, milord.”
A deep groan pushed through his lips, but he widened his legs, and she scooped her hands between them to cup his balls.
They were weighty and pulled tight against his groin. A rough curse from Octavius tugged a smile across her lips. Leaning deeper, she stroked Hades’ balls with her tongue, opened her lips, and sucked one into her mouth, rasping her tongue over the curve.
Shivers racked his powerful thighs, but she didn’t want this over too soon. Not that she didn’t believe he’d demand more. But this first time, she wanted to feel the bite of his powerful cock stretching her.
She climbed over his body backwards, facing Octavius, then reached for Hades’ cock and placed it at her entrance.
His hips rocked beneath her, seeking her pussy, nudging between her folds then pressing upward.
Petra reached above her and grasped the chain leading from the pulley to the crank and lifted herself, adjusting her position so that the tip of his cock was centered, then she sank, sliding her sex over him, consuming it in gentle, downward pulses.
Hades raised his knees, but she pressed down on them and pulled up. “If you move, I’ll come off you.”
“Witch,” he complained, his tone desperate. His legs shuddered, but he held them still as she began to rise and fall, taking him deeper and deeper inside her in small incremental “bites”. Her gaze lifted to Octavius, whose fingers whitened around the handle of the crank. His face was drawn in harsh lines that drew the skin tightly over his cheekbones and flexed muscles along his jaw.
“I would please you, too,” she whispered.
“I don’t like sharing you,” he rasped.
“Liar, I saw how aroused you were when I blew Charon.”
“Petra…” His voice trailed off in an agonized warning. But his hand caressed his shaft, and his gaze dropped to where she stroked Hades’ cock with her pussy.
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