by Elisabeth -
“Please grant me one wish and I’ll forever be yours.”
“Hmm...What is it that you wish for?” He inquired.
“Give me a body. I wish to bring my husband to my home.”
“Your home?”
“Yes. here. If he comes here, then he can gather souls for you faster than anyone else. He is stronger than he was. He can do it.”
She heard Hades laugh as he appeared before her. If anyone saw him, they would instantly fall for how handsome he was. Not a hair was out of place nor did he light up in flames. He looked just as beautiful as any other Greek god, was just as tall and powerful too.
Megara looked away from his piercing emerald green eyes as he watched her intently. He ran his fingers through his waist length hair and then snapped his fingers bringing them both to his throne. He sat down in a large throne that was built from blazing flames that never burned him. He sat down as she kneeled on the floor. He was dressed impeccably and expensive as if he had just come back from somewhere. He cocked his thick eyebrow as he watched her. His long fingers drummed on the armrest while he waited. He twirled the rings on his left fingers with his right fingers.
“You know what? Fine. I’ll grant you that.”
“Thank you. Thank you!” She said over and over.
“But!” He roared. “If you can’t bring him over then your entire soul will be devoured and you will never speak of him again.”
“Yes. Yes. Yes.” She quickly answered. She got up to leave but stopped short as soon as Hades called out Cerberus.
“Cerberus!” The three-headed hound ran to his side and he petted one of their heads. “Don’t ever order my hound to do any bidding for you now or ever.”
Megara gasped as she turned around to face Hades who was now absorbed by the flames. He stood up off his throne and walked to her as if she was his prey. Megara looked up when he got closer to her. She was tall almost 6 feet but him… Hades was 7 feet tall in human form and even taller in his godly form. He looked down at her and got closer to her face.
“You do that again. I will kill you just as I did my underling and you’ll cease to exist. Am I understood?”
Megara swallowed almost burned by the flames that grew hotter and hotter by the minute. She nodded not able to respond, and after she nodded, she looked up at his raised hand. Hades gave a sinister smile,
“Tell my nephew to visit dear old uncle sometimes.” He said as he snapped his fingers.
Megara couldn’t forget the sinister smile on his face as if he already knew the results of the request that she asked. He smiled as if he knew she was going to be forever his.
Chapter 9
Alcide smiled at the text from Arabella letting him know that she had finally found another singer to sing with her. He was happy that she had not let Jared stop her from loving what she wanted to do the most. He looked down at the roses in his greenhouse that were growing. He knew that soon enough he could concoct a mixture and help get rid of all the scars on Arabella’s body. He walked out of the greenhouse as he made another call to his private investigator,
“Find him,” was all he said and hung up.
Alcide had made up his mind about Arabella’s father. He was going to punish him. He didn’t care about anything else. That mortal did not deserve to live. He deserved to die in his hands and suffer while doing so. He smiled when he realized that he hadn’t tortured someone in so long. His phone rang, and he looked at it seeing that it was Apollo, he picked up.
“Yes.”
“He didn’t do it.”
“He who?” Alcide asked.
“Hades...He never sent Cerberus after her. It was your wife, and she’s here.”
“Here on earth?”
“Yes, so be careful Herakles,” as soon as Apollo said that, Alcide looked up and there stood his ex-wife was.
“Too late.” He said and hung up. “Megara…” He softly said.
He looked his wife over, and she was much more beautiful than he remembered her. For a moment, he forgot about everything else as he remembered the good times between them. He had truly loved her. He loved that long blonde hair of hers that stopped right above her waist. He loved her long legs that now seemed endless because of her heels. He looked her body over as she sauntered over. He could remember how her soft plush lips tasted and the hazel eyes that were almost green.
He froze because it had been so long that he had seen her, so when she reached up to him and pulled him down by the lapel of his suit. He didn’t even think as she kissed him. When she kissed him, something exited her mouth and entered his. She thought that it would instantly work, but instead, Alcide broke the kiss and took a step back. Alcide was perplexed at the whole idea of her being there, and he needed time to think about all of this.
Alcide walked away from Megara not saying a word to her. He didn’t even hear her as she walked behind him. He walked into the house and headed straight for the liquor. He needed something strong right now. The kind of alcohol concoction he had was not made for mortals, so he made sure Arabella never took a sip. He paused as he was about to pour himself a drink and thought of Arabella. Alcide didn’t even know what he was going to say to her. He poured his drink and gulped it down.
“So, you’re not even going to offer me a drink?” Megara finally spoke. Her sultry voice filled the air.
“Shut up!” He roughly said. He needed some quiet to think.
Megara scoffed,
“You’re different.”
Alcide turned around and narrowed his eyes,
“Why wouldn’t I be different? It’s been centuries. Now shut up and let me think.”
“Think about what? That little mortal of yours?”
Alcide dropped his glass on the counter with such force that Megara jumped and the glass shattered. He walked up to her and leaned in close to her face,
“Don’t Woman!” He said, and without another word, he walked off needing to sink into something. He walked out the door got into the car and told his driver to drive off.
~E~
Arabella got a text from Alcide that told her he was outside. She was over at Bernice’s apartment, so she excused herself for a moment,
“I’ll be right back Bee.”
“Okay.”
Arabella spotted Alcide’s car across the street. She smiled and walked over when she got into the car, Alcide told his driver to take a walk. She looked over at Alcide who looked ready to kill someone.
“Uh hey?” She said.
“Hey.” He replied as he sat there not looking at her but staring out the window.
“What’s wrong?” She softly asked moving closer to him.
When she touched him, he turned and she saw the dangerous glint in his eyes that she mentioned before. He didn’t respond as he pulled her into his lap. He kissed her roughly not giving her a moment to think about what was going on. She melted into his kiss although it was rough. He didn’t care to remove her shirt as he tugged at her yoga pants. He broke off the kiss and tugged at her yoga pants until Arabella lifted herself off him and he pulled it off one leg. He unbuckled his belt and pants, not entirely pulling them off along with his boxer briefs. He didn’t waste another minute as he slammed Arabella down on his member.
Arabella threw her head back and yelled at the impact. The position and the way it made him sink deeper into her, drove her mad. He sucked on her neck as she held on to his hair. Alcide groaned and muttered words that she couldn’t understand as it sounded as if it was another language.
Mine, you’re all mine, and no one will take you from me. He was saying it over and over as he drove himself deeper and deeper inside of her. Arabella had never seen him act like this with such ferocity and urgency. He wrapped his fingers at the nape of her neck and made her look him in the eye,
“You understand, don’t you baby?”
“What?” She panted.
“You’re mine, and no one will take you from me!” He said roughly.
“Yes!�
� Arabella yelled out her release as he pulled her in for a kiss that spoke volumes and he groaned his release as he didn’t bother breaking away from her lips.
~E~
The rest of Arabella’s day went by in a blur as she practiced with the new girl who was singing with her. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she got out of her car and walked into the house. She shook her head knowing she was getting to use to doing this. She noticed that the house was darker than usual. She shrugged her shoulders knowing that Alcide was probably out working or with his brother that she never really got a chance to thank for what he did.
Arabella’s mind went back to that exact moment at the coffee shop. She knew she wasn’t seeing things when she saw the three-headed hound, but when Arabella asked Bernice, she didn’t seem to know what she was talking about, it was as if Bernice wiped it out of her memory. Arabella sighed and walked to the kitchen; she knew that this was the maid’s week off before Alcide’s annual party in his grand room next week, so she got to work.
Arabella dropped her stuff on the counter and turned her music on. She connected her phone to the Bluetooth and the song My girl by the temptations started to play. She got right to it as she removed things from the cupboards, pantry, and the fridge. Arabella didn’t pay attention as she usually did to how much more she ate than before. The song blasted to the house’s speaker system, and she lost herself in her playlist. She sang to it as she made chicken alfredo and not missing the steps. Prince’s soulful voice filled the kitchen as Purple Rain came on.
Arabella sang soulfully to it loving how the song brought out a bit more raspiness in her voice. The song seemed to trigger something in her that she didn’t know was there. She thought of Alcide and the many times he made her smile. She decided at that moment that she needed to know more about him. All this time she had spent here, and yet she was never curious about him.
~E~
Arabella looked at the time, and it read midnight on the dot. She looked down at her phone and Alcide still didn’t reply to her message nor call her back. She sighed and drank her wine but as soon as she finished the glass, it all was coming back up including her dinner. Arabella ran to the bathroom and puked it out. She sighed and flushed not really understanding what that was about. She brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth with mouthwash. She inspected her face in the mirror looking at how much healthier she looked. Even her scar didn’t sting or bring any excess pain when she slept.
She looked at her hair that she had cut earlier. When curly, it was a bit past shoulder length, but now, she had it straightened reaching down the middle of her back. As she continued looking herself over, her phone rang, and she ran to her night table to get it. She was excited thinking it was Alcide but it was just Bernice.
“Oh hey, what’s up?” Arabella answered.
“Oh hey?... who were you expecting?” Bernice inquired.
“No one in particular.”
“Mmhmm,” Bernice answered not convinced. “But I called because you told me to call you now so we could practice for tomorrow.”
“Oh yes! Okay, I’m walking towards the studio. So, you sure you want me to play the acoustic version of Chasing cars by snow patrol?”
Bernice chuckled,
“I just miss the way you sing it. Can you just perform it for me, please? You know how much it reminds me of my mom and dad. I was thinking of them this whole week.”
Arabella smiled,
“Of course, I can! I know you miss them. It’s been a while now that they’ve been gone.”
“Yeah 4 years in two months,” Bernice said in a hushed tone.
Arabella sighed as she got into the studio and hooked everything up including the acoustic guitar.
“Okay, are you ready to listen?”
“Wait...I’m calling you back on facetime so I can watch the incredible Ari get to work.”
Arabella smiled as her friend hung up and called her right back on facetime video.
~E~
Arabella didn’t wait as she tuned her guitar and then started strumming her guitar. She played her own rendition and mash-up starting with Unchained melody by the Righteous brothers and then blending into Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. She was so lost in the way that she was playing that she hadn’t noticed Bernice shedding tears or Alcide, who came in and followed the music.
Alcide watched her as she strummed the guitar and her voice filled the whole house. Arabella was a gift. A gift from which God? He wasn’t too sure but all he knew was that everything she touched or sang sounded heavenly. He watched as her body swayed and then her guitar started to play another melody that he didn’t recognize but when her mouth opened to sing, he lost his very soul to her.
“Oooo Baaaaby, I’m hot just like an oven, I need some lovin’... Baaaby, I can’t hold it much longer. It’s getting much stronger and stronger, when I get that feelin, I want sexual healin’.” She didn’t stop as she switched songs again. “L is for the way you look at me, O is for the only one I see, V is very ...extraordinary, E is even more than anyone that you adore and Love is all that I can give to you. Love is more than just a game for two… Two in love can’t make it. Sing it, Bee!” She shouted.
“Take my heart but please don’t break it,” Bernice shouted laughing because she knew she couldn’t sing.
Then Arabella finished it off, “Love was made for you and me… I said love was made for me and youuuu.” She ended it there exaggerating with the way she strummed her guitar at the end.
Chapter 10
Arabella knew that her friend was tearing up when she played Chasing cars and she wanted to change the mood. She laughed hard when her friend sang/shouted that part. She opened her eyes and smiled at Bernice,
“How was that Bee?”
“Freakin amazing! Thanks, friend.” Bernice said with a big smile, on her face.
“I have a request now.” A voice from behind Bernice came in.
Arabella smiled knowing that it was Jace, Bernice’s boyfriend who was visiting her.
“Sure Jace. What would you like to hear?”
“All I ask by Adele, baby.” He appeared in the camera and smiled hard knowing that he was being charming and that she loved his British accent.
Arabella rolled her eyes and smiled,
“You know I can’t say no... Okay here we go.” Arabella said and began to sing her acoustic version of the song.
She completely got lost in her own version of the song that she didn’t hear Alcide’s footsteps as he got closer. It was if those words sung by her made his anger, frustrations and all his problems disappear. Nothing else mattered but her in this moment. She was cut off by Alcide as he came right in front of her and kissed her hard. She gasped allowing him to snake his tongue in her mouth. She heard as Jace whistled and Bernice chuckled then hung up.
She forgot about the guitar not really knowing if it ended up on the floor intact or not. Alcide broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes. Arabella looked him over and immediately knew something was wrong.
“What is it Alci?” She asked.
He cleared his throat.
“There’s something I have to tell you. Something that even I can’t hide from you any longer.”
“Okay…” Arabella said not sure what he was going to say to her.
“I’m a god.” He said with a serious look on her face.
~E~
Arabella laughed harder than she meant to laugh. After a moment, her laughter started to die down when she realized that Alcide wasn’t laughing or smiling. If anything, his face grew even more serious than it had been when she met him.
“You can’t be serious Alci. There’s no such thing.” She said.
“Are you sure about that?” He inquired with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Uh yeah.” She said then walked out of the studio forgetting her phone behind.
Alcide kissed his teeth and took it with him, He followed her to his room as she got ready for bed. He sighed knowing that t
he only way for her to believe him was if he transformed into his true self. She would have no choice but to believe him. With a snap of his fingers, they were transported somewhere else. Somewhere in the mountains that he knew she had never been to.
He heard as Arabella quickly turned around and gasped as she was about to fall over. Alcide quickly grasped her by her waist and pulled her into him. He turned her to face him as she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs tightly around his waist.
“Be careful.” He said to her.
“Whe-, wher-, where are we? How did we get here?” Arabella asked scared out of her mind.
“Mount Everest. I need you to believe, so I’ll show you.” He said.
“No, no, no. I believe you now. You don’t have to show me.” She insisted.
“No. I know you don’t. I need you to believe me. Do you trust me Ari?” He asked.
“Wh-, Why?” She asked.
Without another warning, Alcide jumped down causing Arabella to scream out giving all those in horror films a run for their money. He held on to her wanting her to know he wouldn’t drop her. Arabella didn’t stop screaming even when Alcide’s feet hit the ground with a loud thud that left a large dent in the ground.
“Baby… Baby? You can stop screaming now.” Arabella stopped screaming but couldn’t stop trembling. She refused to open her eyes. “Ari, open your eyes. I want you to see me. To really look at me.”
Arabella whimpered not wanting to open her eyes and see that she was still at the top of the mountain. She never knew she was afraid of heights until now. Alcide turned his head a bit and kissed her cheek. He saw that she was crying and he smiled. He wanted to laugh at how much his baby was afraid. He tried his best not to laugh or else he knew she would never open her eyes. He continued to kiss the side of her face until she opened one eye and then the other. She moved a little out of the tight embrace that was choking the hell out of Alcide but he knew better than to complain.
He was silent as she took him in. He now appeared to her as the god that he was. He was no longer wearing his suit but now he had on his true attire. He wore the lion skin over his upper body. The head of the lion covered his head and the lion’s body which was longer than Ari continued to cover his back until it stopped. Alcide put her down so she could get a good look at him. When she looked up at him, her eyes grew bigger than saucers.
