My Crown

Chapter 41

Hades' POV

I watch as Helena walks out of the lounge room shortly after her friends leave in the car she came in.
There is a familiarity in her steps, as though she has walked these walls a thousand times. She very well may have.
If Lorenzo indeed was the Italian fiancé, she must have spent quite a bit of time here. But how would Luciano not have recognised her?

Swatting that line of thought away, I make my way down to the lounge. The sound of my mother's laughter reassures me that it went as expected.

"Hades, sweety, it seems you have inherited your father's impeccable taste." Mom starts with a beaming smile, "That girl is one of a kind." I am very well aware.

"She's perfect for you. You won't break that one." Is that a challenge? "Spine of steel." Mom adds. I canno.t disagree with that.

My eyes turn to Andy. I knew my parents would love her, but Andy is more paranoid and her opinion means more to me.

"She does not even realise it yet but she likes you."
"I can tolerate her."
The smile that overtakes my face is genuine.

Nothing would keep me from Helena, but not having to fight my family on it is relieving. What is it she says; big risk, big reward. She now has my family's protection.

Of course she does not need it though. I am certain she would be insulted at the concept.
But it will help me sleep easier knowing it is there should she ever need it.

Not that I am telling her.

"She's more than a little annoyed at you though. You should go fix it." Mom tells me.
Oh, I am expecting her to give me hell.

Surveillance feed shows her going into the servants' quarters.
Odd.

I follow to find her in an empty room.

She is standing in the middle of the room staring at the wall. Her back is to me and my eyes inadvertently roam over her figure lingering on her perfect ass and long lithe legs.

"I take it I passed your ridiculous test."
She says still looking in the opposite direction of the door.
Does she feel my presence the same way I feel hers?

"I must admit, you exceeded my expectations." I do not know how she does it.

"You shouldn't have involved my friends."

"I needed allies. Same way you won over Demi." Both girls now love me. I am sure that will come in handy in future.
She turns around and pierces me with those eyes of hers. I do notice the amusement swirling in their depths.

"And Susanna?"
"She is a leak we had to take care of." Standing here, so close to her, her sweet scent filling the room, the beast inside of me is awakened.

I want to hurt her, I want to ruin her, I want to claim her.

It is excruciating.

"Why am I here, Hades? Why me?" Her question takes me by surprise.

"There is an ancient belief that human were originally created with four arms and legs. Fearing their power, the gods cut them in half and each human alive has a soulmate out there."

"Are you saying we're soulmates?" She is clearly amused.

"Is it not a besoothing thought? That there is someone in this world who belongs to you?"

"I am not a half. I am a whole person with my own mind, my own soul, my own being. And I certainly do not belong to anyone. I am not some property you can claim ownership over." There is a ferocity to her words...
She is holding her necklace.

Wait?
She didn't lose someone to human trafficking; she was one of those girls.

The thought of my Helena as a sex slave... the ticking is back.

Shit.

"It's different, isn't it?" Her voice brings me back from the scarlet cloud enveloping my mind.

"It's one thing when you hear about it on the news, or see a few soulless girls; it's another entirely when it happens to someone you know, someone you care about."
I am reminded of the conversation we had. What was it she said, "More people need to be bothered."
How did I miss the clues?

Who did it? I will introduce them to pain and misery beyond anything they have ever known.

"But no, whatever you're thinking, that isn't my story."
I look back at her more confused than ever. The rage has subsided, but the ticking has not. The need to spill blood is as strong as ever.

"What is your story?" The words are out before I can think of them.
Whatever it is she has been through, it still haunts her.

"You are not entitled to my story, and you have not earned my trust." Her response feels automatic.

"You trust me more than you think."

"Do I?" That smirk. It brings back memories I need to bury if I have any chance of focusing.

"How many times have you been naked, completely under my control and not given a crap? How many times have I wrapped my hand around your pretty little throat, and not once where you scared?
You trusted me enough to relax and enjoy a spa day before coming for your friends. You trust me enough to let me see the raw, unfiltered you. You trust me, Helena. You just hate that you do."

Her breathing hitches and her eyes darken. She is turned on?
This is going to be harder than I expected.

"It's not me. I am not a submissive. I'm not some weak girl who takes orders from a man." Who is she trying to fool?

"You know as well as I do that it takes strength to be a submissive. You have complete control of your boundaries. And I would not call you a submissive." Even when she submits to me she fights me; her fire is unquenchable.
I am painfully hard just thinking about it.

Does she not see the power she has over me?

"What would you call me then?"

"Perfect."

She smiles before chuckling and I feel myself becoming harder than I thought was possible.
Okay, maybe just a quick fuck on one of the beds here. It has been over a month. Far too long.

"Are you running game on me?" Her tone is now playful and I am reminded of our conversations in bed.
She has an almost childlike, blissful aura when she is happy. Makes me feel like a paedophile.

I walk over until I am directly in front of her and smell the apple scent emanating from her hair.
"I am not a dominant and you are not a submissive. You are perfectly fucked up enough for me."

"You are way too fucked up for me." She jokes smiling up at me.
There is nothing in the world more beautiful than her smile.

Fuck, I take that back. Her face as she orgasms is absolutely breathtaking, but her smile is a close second.

Unable to hold back any longer, I kiss her.

Everything stops for a second before my body ignites.
God, I have missed this.

I kiss her with everything that I am pouring every emotion words cannot express into it.

I am not at all ready when she pulls back. The growl that escapes me causes her to giggle.

Did she just giggle?

I am never going to let her forget this.

But then, her face turns somber in an instant and she backs away.
What now?

"Take me to Susanna."