CHAPTER 188: BITE ME

The moment their lips met, it was as though everything around them melted away. Hades kissed her with desperate hunger, as though he was afraid she would vanish if he let her go. His hand cupped the back of her head, holding her in place as his lips claimed hers over and over. His lips moved against hers with such desire it made her knees weak, as though he wanted to make up for every moment they had spent apart.

His other hand slipped around her waist, pressing her body flush against his as he deepened the kiss. One of her hands clung to his shoulder while the other tangled in his hair.

Lilith’s body arched into him, completely swept away by the overwhelming storm of his affection and the depth of his passionate kiss. She felt weightless in his arms, as though nothing else in the world mattered but the two of them, right here, in this moment.

Dear gods, how badly she had missed him.

When Hades finally pulled away, their breaths were ragged, their foreheads resting against each other.

"Are you alright?" His voice was low, but the concern was evident. His thumb gently brushed her cheek, sending shivers cascading through her body.

Lilith nodded, her breathing still uneven. "Yes. I...I’m alright."

Hades studied her for a moment longer, then with a gentle tug on her hand, he guided her toward the wooden bench where he had been sitting. He didn’t release her hand as they sat side by side, their bodies close enough for their shoulders to touch. His fingers intertwined with hers, and Lilith’s heart fluttered at the sight of their joined hands resting on his thigh.

A comfortable silence settled between them before the prince finally broke it.

"How was Eryndor?" Hades asked softly, his gaze lingering on their hands, his thumb absentmindedly tracing slow circles on the back of hers. "How is your family? Your mother?"

Lilith’s chest tightened at the mention of her family. "They are all well," she began, letting out a soft sigh. "My stepfather and sisters still dislike me." She added a little chuckle, trying to brush it off.

Hades turned to her, his expression darkening. "Did they hurt you?"

Lilith quickly shook her head. "No, not at all. They didn’t. What I meant to say is, their behavior towards me hasn’t changed."

She paused before continuing, "One of them got engaged. To a Duke. It was a lovely ball and he looks like a gentleman, I wish her well."

Hades gave a small nod, though his thumb never stopped its soothing movements. "I can’t say I wish her well, because that would be a lie. I honestly don’t care about her affairs."

Lilith chuckled faintly. "Prudence isn’t completely horrible. She can be quite mean sometimes, well, most times but deep down, I know she isn’t a terrible person."

"You are too kind, darling," Hades said with a smile before turning his gaze forward.

Lilith’s eyes caught the black veins spreading along his jaw and behind his ear. Her chest tightened again.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. "Is the...demon still trying to take over your mind?"

His smile widened, though it was tinged with something heavier. "Every minute of every day. I hear it in my head and it never stops. The voice only gets louder... and more bitter."

Her heart clenched at his confession. "I’m sorry... that you’re going through this."

"Don’t be," he said quickly. "I will be fine. And now that you’re here with me, everything feels much better."

They sat in silence, the breeze playing with strands of Lilith’s hair. Hades’s gaze lingered on her, his eyes soft, as though he was memorizing every detail of her face all over again.

Lilith noticed his intense staring and turned to look at him, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You are incredibly beautiful. You are beyond perfection. I would give anything to keep you with me for eternity."

Her face flushed red, her heart skipping at his sweet words. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

Before she could reply, Hades beat her to it. "Tell me about your training," he said as his eyes flicked briefly to their intertwined fingers. "You’ve changed. I can feel it. Your power... it’s different, stronger now."

Lilith blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his words. "You can feel it?"

"Yes," he murmured, lifting their joined hands slightly. "It pulses beneath your skin. Even now, I can sense it radiating from you. It’s... incredible."

Her cheeks warmed under his gaze. "Oh... I didn’t know that."

She cleared her throat. "Training was tough. Salistra pushed me harder than I ever thought possible. There were moments I thought I wouldn’t make it. But I did. I had to make it. I had to succeed in the end."

She hesitated, her throat tightening as she remembered the figure from her final lesson, the familiar presence and the warning about paying a price for her powers.

Hades noticed her pause, his brows knitting together in concern. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, forcing a nervous chuckle. "I just... remembered my training days. The morning I received my powers, I was unconscious for two days."

His grip on her hand tightened slightly. "Did the witch do anything about that?"

"Viktor told me she gave me a tonic that helped me relax and allowed my body the time it needed to absorb and accept the powers I received."

"Have you spoken to her since you woke up?" Hades questioned.

"No, I haven’t. I plan to call for her tomorrow, there are a few questions I must ask. Perhaps after that, we can begin working on breaking the curse."

"That sounds like a good idea, love." He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to her knuckles. "But I think you should be well rested before taking on such a strenuous task. How about we begin in two days? You’ll be fully rested by then."

She blinked. "I... well, that sounds reasonable, but wouldn’t you like me to start as soon as possible?"

His gaze softened. "What I would like is for you to be safe, Lilith. I’m fully aware this will not be an easy task for you. You should be as prepared as you can for the worst to come."

"I guess you are right," she admitted with a small sigh.

"We’ll begin in two days. I promise."

Lilith smiled. "Very well, Your Highness."

Hades reached out, cupping her jaw as he gently drew her closer, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. This time, the kiss was short and less intense.

"Thank you, Lilith," he whispered against her lips.

The butterflies in her stomach fluttered wildly at their closeness, the look in his eyes, the way his thumb continued caressing the back of her hand, the soft warmth of his breath brushing her skin, it all made her pulse race.

A clash of thunder rumbled in the distance, breaking the tension. Lilith pulled back, glancing up at the sky, which was now much darker.

"It’s going to rain soon. We should head back to the castle," she said.

"You’re right. We should," Hades agreed as they both rose from the bench.

Before Lilith could take a step, a surprised yelp escaped her lips as she was suddenly swept off her feet and into the prince’s arms.

"What... what are you doing?!" she stammered, her eyes wide as she wriggled in his grasp, attempting to climb down, but his arms only tightened around her.

"Carrying you back to the castle," Hades replied simply, already making his way toward the gates.

"No, put me down. I can walk on my own," Lilith protested, her voice sharp with disbelief.

"We just agreed you needed proper rest," he reminded her calmly.

Lilith narrowed her eyes at him, a playful glare forming. "I can assure you I’m far from feeling rested right now. You are about to give me a heart attack, and walking on my own isn’t tiring in the slightest. Please, put me down."

"No. I prefer to carry you," Hades said.

"I don’t want you carrying me! Everyone will see, the servants, the guards. Dear gods, I’m going to pass out from embarrassment." Lilith cried out, reaching up to grab Hades’ jaw, turning his face toward her. "I don’t want them to see me like this."

"You are funny," Hades teased, clear amusement flickering in his eyes. "You can always cover your eyes if you don’t want to see anyone."

"I don’t care about seeing them, it’s them seeing me like this that I’m worried about!" she huffed, her cheeks burning. "Why do you insist on making me flustered, Your Highness?"

"I like seeing you flustered, that’s why," he admitted, his smirk widening. "You look delightfully adorable when your face turns red, and I enjoy it. So, no, I’m not putting you down."

Lilith groaned in frustration. "I swear, I’m going to bite your ear off if you don’t put me down immediately."

That made Hades laugh out loud. "That’s quite interesting. I’ve never had anyone bite me before. I’m curious to know what that feels like." He leaned in, his gaze sparkling with mischief. "Please, bite me, darling."

Lilith stared at him, utterly speechless. "You... you...you are a madman, Hades," she muttered under her breath.

Just then, a group of servants passed by, bowing politely to the prince as they continued on their way.

Without warning, Hades’s arm tightened around her waist, his lips brushing her ear. "I’m still looking forward to that bite, love. And I will be waiting for it."