by C. R. Jane
I smiled gratefully, already envisioning what the bed would feel like.
“We’ll talk later?” he asked hopefully...as if I had a choice in the matter with him as my benefactor at the moment.
“Of course,” I told him, admiring the blinding smile he gave me. He was a mystery, they all were.
Zeus didn’t look twice at Shade before leaving the room and I turned my attention to the mysterious gorgeous male I’d somehow picked up today.
“I feel like you have more to tell me,” I told him, lifting an eyebrow.
“I’ll explain everything soon. But I need to go right now,” he said in a dejected tone. His eyes closed for a second as if he was listening to something, and when his silver eyes opened back up, there was pain in their beautiful depths.
I nodded and we just continued to look at each other, like we couldn’t get enough.
“Before I go, I just wanted to tell you something,” he began nervously.
I gave him a reassuring smile, perversely glad for any extra minute I could get with him.
“The man you end up with won’t fall in love with you,” he whispered in a gravel filled voice that had me picturing silk sheets on my skin and muttered curses as his tongue danced across my body. “He’ll walk into love with you. His eyes will be wide open and he’ll choose to take every step. Hades says he’s guided by fate...by destiny. But that’s why he’ll be better for you, Elena. Because it won’t matter to him what the Fates had to say. He’ll always choose you. In a hundred lifetimes. In a hundred worlds. In any version of any story. He’ll choose you. He’ll find you. Hades could never give you that.”
“Are you describing you? Will you be that man?” I asked softly, something fluttering in my heart, pushing out all the disappointment and self-loathing I’d been feeling.
“If you’ll let me,” he whispered before he faded from view, his form drifting away in the breeze like grains of sand.
I missed him the second he was gone.
14
Shade
“Where have you been, my love,” Aphrodite whined as she approached me from behind. Her voice made me cringe. It was funny how things could change. I’d once thought she was perfect. I’d felt like the most blessed being in existence to have her attention. As the primary consort to her, I’d spent a lot of time getting to know every inch of her body.
And that was why I was in trouble. I wouldn’t ever be able to touch her again, not unless it was against my will. Not now that I’d found her.
My real name wasn’t Shade. Shade came from the fact that I was quite literally dead. I existed in spirit form… a shade of my former self. Aphrodite had been visiting Hades one day on business when she’d seen me, hovering in the hallways, confused and lost as to how I’d gotten there. She’d taken me with her and from that day on I was hers.
I owed Aphrodite everything, but I no longer belonged to her. I belonged heart and soul to Elena.
It had been so many thousands of years since I’d even thought of my real name that I forgot it sometimes. But I craved the moment I could say it out loud to Elena. Since the moment I’d seen her I’d daydreamed what my name would sound like as it fell from her lips, preferably when she was in the midst of an orgasm I was giving her.
Elena was my soul mate. My heart had recognized her from my first look at her perfect face. I didn’t know how it was possible for a spirit to have a fated mate but I knew who she was with every fiber of my being.
And I guess maybe I’d been stretching the truth when I’d told Elena that fate would have nothing to do with the perfect man for her. As my soul mate there was plenty of fate involved. The difference between Hades and I though, was that I would pick her over everything, even if it ruined my life. There was plenty of choosing involved in that.
I flinched when Aphrodite’s hand drifted down my chest and stepped away trying not to make my distaste obvious. If Aphrodite had me sent back to the Underworld, well… I’m sure Hades wouldn’t be very eager to help me out.
“What’s wrong, my beautiful lover?” she purred in a throaty, sensual voice as she slid past me and situated herself on a settee in a way that I know was supposed to be appealing but which did absolutely nothing to me.
If it was possible for me to break out in a cold sweat, I would. Aphrodite was jealous, selfish, and would undoubtedly do everything she could to ruin my existence and Elena’s existence once she found out.
Elena was worth anything terrible Aphrodite would do to me, and I’m sure she would be very creative in her punishment. But I would rather cease to exist than allow anything to happen to Elena.
Aphrodite’s little smirk dropped and I could see determination build in her gaze. She snapped her fingers and music started to play, a song that had played in a particular hard fuck I’d given her. I shifted uneasily, wondering what she was going to do. Her hand went to the strap of her gown and everything inside of me was screaming for me to run.
Fuck. Someone help.
It was right at that moment that Aphrodite’s husband, Hephaestus, stumbled in, drunk off his ass. He was hideous, but didn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body. Aphrodite was terrible to him, flaunting me and the others in his face constantly as a reminder he would never be what she wanted.
Usually I just felt bad for the bastard, but right now, I was ready to worship the ground he walked on.
Aphrodite glared at Hephaestus before waving me away as he flopped down on the settee with her, almost breaking the thing.
I left the room as quickly as I could without arousing any attention, she’d already been wondering where I’d been disappearing to.
But I couldn’t help it. If I didn’t get a glimpse of Elena in a day, it felt like I was dying all over again.
I hesitated in the hallway, knowing I should just go to my quarters. But how could I now that she’d met me and somehow actually been able to see me?
I had to see her once again.
I closed my eyes and imagined her room in Zeus’s castle, shivering as I shifted through space. I opened my eyes and there she was, fast asleep in the bed. I’d never seen something so lovely. She let out a soft moan and sighed something that sounded a little bit like Shade.
I couldn’t resist taking her hand, the feel of her skin against mine somehow the most erotic touch I’d ever felt. “Eros. Eros is my name,” I whispered to my sleeping beauty.
I knew then that Elena was going to destroy me.
And somehow, I didn’t care.
15
Elena
It took me a while to fall asleep. It was quiet, too quiet. I guess I’d gotten used to the creepy cracks and moans of Hades’s lair. The fact that the place did that should have given me all the information I needed about Hades. That he chose to live in a haunted mansion when he could have made the place into anything he wanted said a lot about him as a person.
Just saying.
Now that I was alone, the pain I felt over Hades’ betrayal rose to the surface. It beat at my heart and mind. I saw every interaction with him in a new light. He was always looking for me to be someone else. To be her. There was never a time he saw me...he was always just seeing the promise of her.
My heart was broken. But more than that, it felt like my soul was broken. He’d become a part of me last night. He’d sewn a piece of his essence into me and I didn’t know how I was ever going to be able to get him out.
I hated being the broken-hearted girl. I’d spent years trying to convince myself there wasn’t anything wrong with me, that something had been wrong with my father when he’d chosen to leave. All my old demons were crawling to the surface once again, whispering in my head that I would never be enough for anyone. Anyone I ever cared about would eventually tire of me and realize that something was wrong inside of me. I wasn’t anything special. I was just a girl, a plain and simple girl, with nothing to offer anyone. Shade might look at me like I held the world right now. But eventually even he would see the truth.
&
nbsp; At least that was what my demons told me.
Lying there in the dark, I could see how my future would have turned out with Hades.
It would have been cold and lonely.
He would have only ever tolerated me, because no matter our similariates or what that stupid fucking garden said, I would never have been her.
I could see now a life where I did everything to please him. Where I killed myself to try and make him happy. I would have made him my world, while he would have made me nothing but an afterthought.
Ten years down the line, would I have been brave enough to break free, knowing I would be ruined? Would I have been brave enough to remove the dagger that was Persephone and walk away for good?
I didn’t know. Because right now, after just a short amount of time. It felt like I was dying.
I finally fell asleep. And of course, I dreamed.
Zeus and I laid in bed, our bodies intertwined. His kisses turned soft at first as he slowly coaxed my lips open with his tongue. His hand moved up my back and into my hair, positioning me to deepen the kiss. His other hand moved to cup my breast, his thumb teasing me until I couldn’t help but arch into his hand, moaning softly into his mouth.
He abruptly pulled away from the kiss. A sound of protest came out of my mouth until my shirt was pulled over my head. He angled me to the side, laying me back on the bed as he hovered above me.
“I’m going to taste every inch of you, starting with these.” He popped the front clasp of my bra, pulling the cups to the sides, exposing my breasts to him. I could feel my face turning a deep shade of red, my face and chest burning as he stared, lightly tracing my skin.
“Perfect,” he said softly, as if to himself, before he dipped his head, capturing my breast in his mouth and sucking it in deep. My back bowed off the bed, my hands flying into his soft as silk golden hair. The sensation was unlike anything I could describe, making warmth flow to my whole body. He took his time licking, sucking, biting, and caressing every inch of skin above my waist, frequently returning to nip and kiss my lips during his exploration, until I was a writhing, wiggling body of need.
“Please,” I whimpered at one point, begging to be put out of such pleasurable agony. But Zeus either didn’t hear me or chose to ignore me as he continued his devastating ministrations. He returned to my mouth, sucking on my bottom lip. His hands brushed through my hair, his fingers pressing into my scalp. He ground his pelvis into mine, and I instinctively ground back.
He sat up, breathing heavily as he discarded my shorts, pulling them and my thong over my hips and down my legs. Again, he stared, taking in the length of me. I squirmed under his scrutiny, reaching to cover myself with a sheet, but he grabbed my wrist, halting my progress.
“Don’t.” He brought my palm to his lips and kissed it softly. “Don’t ever hide yourself from me. You’re perfect. Every inch of you.” He traced a line of kisses from the center of my chest down the rest of my body. His nostrils flared as he breathed me in. “Your scent is intoxicating. It’s been driving me crazy since I first saw you. If I don’t taste you soon, it will drive me insane.”
I had an idea of what he planned to do, but the reality was more than I could have imagined. His tongue felt wicked as it licked me deftly. I raised my hips and ground against his mouth, trying to get closer. His mouth latched on, sucking, as he touched the right spot perfectly. I didn’t last long. My orgasm erupted from my body and out my mouth in a long moan. The sound must have excited Zeus, because he growled against me, prolonging the climax and sending more aftershocks coursing through me. Spent, my limbs like jelly, I wasn’t sure if I could move. I raised my head. Zeus was still between my legs, nuzzling against me while lightly kissing the insides of my thighs. I plopped my head back down, and he made his way up my body, stopping to bury his face in my neck, breathing me in. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I brought my arms around him as well, my hands like a magnet, digging into his hair, my fingers playing with the silken strands.
I woke with a gasp, an ache between my legs that I was desperate to relieve.
I squeaked when I noticed that Hades was standing a few feet away from me, staring at me like I’d ruined his life somehow when the opposite was definitely true.
“I knew he was just waiting for the right opportunity,” Hades growled, his dark gaze caressing my skin. I pulled the covers up, unable to take it.
What the hell had happened to Zeus running interference for me? And what the hell had that dream been about.
There was a burning in my chest as I stared at him. I loved him, so freaking much. Why had he done this to me?
Zeus appeared on the other side of my bed just then, appearing out of nowhere with a loud pop that I suspected was more for a dramatic effect than anything else.
“I thought I made it clear you weren’t welcome here?” he said calmly, the tension in his body belaying how he really felt.
Hades didn’t even bother to look at him, keeping his midnight gaze on me.
“Come back with me,” he whispered almost tenderly. “This has all been a misunderstanding. You’ll see.”
“You’re in love with a ghost,” I said, my whole body trembling. “That’s never going to change.”
“Elena-”
I held up my hand, cutting him off. “There’s nothing else to say. You ruined your chance at happiness today. Over someone who doesn’t even deserve an ounce of the devotion you continue to give her.”
Hades’s cheek twitched, a sure sign he was feeling out of control.
“It’s ironic, Elena, that you would run into the arms of someone just as sick as I am,” he murmured.
He brushed his hand through his hair and let out a sigh that held a thousand unsaid words. “I don’t have to own you to love you, Elena. Remember that when you’re lying in his bed tonight,” Hades told me softly before he turned away.
It took all I had to not run after him as he walked out of the room.
I stared into the empty hallway for a long moment before turning to Zeus whose face was suspiciously blank.
“What was he talking about?” I asked slowly, dread curling in my gut.
He didn’t say anything for what felt like an hour. And when he did finally open his mouth, I wanted to scream at his revelation.
“Persephone was my lover as well,” he said softly.
My heart somehow broke a little bit more, jealousy and hate over a dead girl filling every inch of my body. I looked away, staring at the window and wishing there was a place I could go to escape them...to escape her. And I swore as I looked in the window, there in the reflection of the glass, I saw Persephone’s face.
Continue Elena’s Story in Taken By the Darkness
Author’s Note
I’ve been obsessed with greek mythology since I was a little girl, checking out every book in the school library to read the myths over and over again. Hades always enthralled me. I’d always wondered what the true relationship of Hades and Persephone was. Did she really love him? Was he really as obsessed and devoted as the stories made him to be?
Once I started my career as a writer, he began knocking around in my head, and I wondered...what if Hades’ true love wasn’t Persephone? What if Persephone was actually the villain in his story?
And that’s when Elena came into the picture.
I’m sure some of you wanted this to be an M/F book, and it actually started that way. Until Hades was a huge idiot.
It felt more natural that Elena’s heart would have been splintered after that. The human heart is a fragile thing after all, especially when it comes to the big, life changing love she had for him.
Let’s just hope for Hades’ sake that he can redeem himself.
A special thanks to my dear friends Summer and Mila for supporting me, reading through my nonsense, and being my constant cheerleaders. I love you both so freaking much!
Another thank you to Caitlin, my P.A., who is just an overall badass and inspires me every day.
And last, but certainly not least...thank you to you for reading my stories and ultimately bringing them to life when you step into the worlds I’ve created. It’s kind of the age old question...does a book exist if no one reads it? Or maybe I just made that question up, lol. Look at me being all philosophical.
Love you Fates, thanks for bringing my books to life...as well as me.
First Impressions by C. R. Jane
Copyright © 2018 by C. R. Jane
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review, and except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Blurb
Eva Taylor has been locked in an attic for 4 years.
Failed by the foster system, and left in the hands of a woman who hates her, and a man who wants her, Eva has given up hope of ever having a life.
When she finds a mysterious letter from Rothmore College addressed to her in the trash, Eva's future suddenly comes alive. Now all she has to do is figure out a way to escape her attic prison, make her way across the country to New York City, and figure out all the things that point to the fact that she isn't exactly normal...
Along the way Eva meets new friends, explores new places, and stumbles across three beautiful, charismatic, and alarmingly otherworldly men. Do they hold the key to Eva discovering who she really is, or are they just good at first impressions?
