Chapter 8
Hades POV
I slammed the door of my packhouse personal lounge behind me, the echo ringing in the silence. My jacket, soaked in the day’s tension, was the first casualty as I ripped it off and flung it over the back of a chair. My chest heaved with frustration, my jaw tight, as I tried to ignore the voices of my passing pack members offering their greetings. Their voices barely registered over the roar of my thoughts.
“What’s wrong, Hades?” Quinta’s voice broke through my haze. She moved toward me, her soft steps carrying a maternal concern I had never fully appreciated. Quinta wasn’t just the head woman of the house; she was the closest thing to a mother I’d had since my parents passed.
“Everything is wrong. Quinta,” I grumbled, not sparing her a glance. “Nothing ever seems to go right with me.”
She followed me as I stormed down the hall to my room, her agile strides keeping up effortlessly.
“You seem tense,” she observed, her tone probing but gentle.
“Hell yes, I am,” I snapped, my voice cutting through the air like a whip.
The moment I reached my room, I made a beeline for my desk. My hands, unsteady but determined, grabbed the bourbon bottle. Before Quinta could utter a word of protest, I poured a generous amount into a glass and downed it in one shot. The burn barely registered, but it was the distraction I needed.
Her disapproving frown was almost palpable. “I needed that, Quinta,” I excused, my voice low. “I need it in general.”
“What’s wrong with you, boy?” she scolded, her arms crossing as she stood in front of me like a wall I couldn’t bypass. “Why are you acting like this?”
I sank into the couch, burying my head in my hands as I ran my fingers through my hair. “I found my mate.”
Her gasp was immediate, her entire demeanor shifting. “You found your mate?” she repeated, her voice filled with excitement. “Oh, Hades, this is wonderful news! The goddess has finally blessed you after all these years!” She clasped her hands together, practically beaming. “I’m going to give offerings to the goddess for sending her to you. Oh, Hades-”
Her joy grated on me, and I let it pass without acknowledgment. When she realized my silence, she moved closer, crouching slightly to meet my eye level.
“Why do you look like this, then?” she asked, her tone soft yet insistent.
I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. “I sniffed no wolf from her, Quinta. My mate is probably wolfless.”
Her brows furrowed as she frowned deeply. “That’s nonsense, Hades. Maybe her wolf hasn’t awakened yet. You should be happy you’ve finally found your fated mate after waiting all these years.”
“Happy?” I snapped, sitting upright and glaring at her. “I waited all these years anticipating a strong mate-someone capable of being my Luna. And instead, the goddess sends me… a ship without a rudder?”
The slap of her words was instant. “Don’t you dare talk about your mate like that,” she scolded, her eyes flashing with disapproval. “You should be thankful the goddess connected you with your mate at all.”
“I don’t need such a mate,” I replied coldly, leaning back against the couch. My fingers drummed against my knee, my mind racing. “I’ve built this pack to withstand anything. I can’t have a weakling beside me.”
Her face softened for a moment, a flicker of sadness crossing her features. “Your parents would’ve been happy to know you finally found your mate,” she
said, her voice quieter now.
“Stop it, Quinta,” I growled, my voice rising. “Don’t mix sentiments into this. I hate it. I don’t need a weakling.”
Her mouth opened to respond, but it wasn’t her voice that pierced the air-it was Blue’s, my wolf. “You don’t mean that,” he growled within me, his voice resonating through my mind with a sharpness that made me wince. “Stop it, Hades.”
1/2
Chapter 8
“Stop what, Blue?” I snarled aloud, earning a startled look from Quinta.
“Stop rejecting what’s ours. She’s our mate. The goddess gave her to us for a reason.”
“She’s weak,” I hissed under my breath, clutching the armrest as my nails dug into the leather.
“She’s ours,” Blue snapped back, his voice a low rumble in my mind. “And you will regret pushing her away.”
