Claimed by the dark

Chapter 9

"Wha....?" I yelp startled when I feel someone beginning to lift me off the floor in strong muscular arms

"Put me down " I scream.

Hades 's face remains expressionless as he carries me bridal style, The grip not loosening at all.

I try to wriggle out and start kicking the air like a crazy woman "What do you want with me ?" I scream, my eyes widen as my mind starts racing with all kinds of terrible thoughts, especially when I remember that their is a huge bed in this room "P-put me down " I scream louder and with renewed frantic energy increase my thrashing.

I hate to admit it . But I feel helpless.

He is too strong , I feel hard muscles under the fabric of his clothing as he carries me and it fills me with dread.

I'm screaming my lungs out.

"Put me d...." I abruptly stop when I get hit by a tantalizing warm smell.

My stomach growls in response but I forget about feeling embarrassed as he sets me down on a high cushioned chair and my eyes hungrily take in the delicious sight of several dishes in front of me.

Food.

So much of tasty looking food.

He takes a similar royal looking chair at the head of the long table .

"Eat "

I don't need to be told twice. I dig in.

The food is nothing like I have seen before, all unique yet mouth-watering with its amazing aroma.

The thing which sort of looks like bread has a grayish texture and tastes divine, Like a dry mix of almonds and resin.

I try out small potions of all the dishes.

Seems unfair to leave any of this exotic looking food untasted.

I sniff in the tangy -sweet smell of the deep red liquid a wraith has filled for me

"Nectar, " Hades says " Try not to finish it in one gulp, it will burn your stomach "

I cautiously take a sip, It tastes amazing and I feel pleasant, bubbly warmth course through my body .

I want to drown the entire liquid in one go since it tastes too got to part it from my lips but I don't forget Hades's warning and I resist the urge. Drinking it sip by sip.

Warm and yummy.

As I continue eating a small part of my brain reminds me of my plan of not eating here, to use my self-induced starvation ass a ticket to get him to take me back to the world ofthe living.

But one sight at this table loaded with food, my resolution bid me bye-bye.

I know I should be upset , but currently, I'm anything but that as I enjoy this delicious food.

'I'll think of something or the other 'I tell myself.

Wraiths appear out of thin air whenever I want something and then vanish.

I'm still trying to decide if I find their ability to do that whole 'appear-and -vanish thing' creepy or cool.

When I'm done eating they appear again to clean up the long table and vanish.

Now that my stomach is content and happy , I remember the way he got me her , which was so not cool.

"You could have said to me to come here rather than manhandle me, you know " I frown at Hades

He arches his eye brow at me with a knowing look on his gorgeous face " Would you have come If I had asked you politely ?"

No. He knows it as well as I do that I wouldn't have come.

"But....but still" I press on " Your social skills suck " I grumble

Ok , Maybe the last part was a bit childish

I see a fleeting ghost of smile touch his lips but it vanishes as soon as it has come, before turning into anything more and leaving me wondering how nice would it be to see a smile on his handsome face.

" Is there a going to be a feast or something ? I ask making a sweeping gesture towards the numerous empty chairs on either sides of the long table.

"No " He replies

" Then why are there so many chairs here ?" I question . If they aren't for guests then who are they for ?

"It has always been that way " He states " Nobody comes to the Underworld to feast , this place makes the other Gods too nervous so they tend to stay away from my realm "

I sense no bitterness in his voice or remorse when he speaks but just a matter of fact tone

"It must get lonely down here " I say

"One gets used to being lonely "

His words make something in my chest ache .

Hades , The Lord of the Underworld, Seated high, Proud as he is handsome.

The king of darkness and shadows , Mater of death. Fierce and Regal .

Darkness for companion , And souls to rule.

He is nothing less than perfect in his own way but , It saddens me .

Saddens me to to hear how simply he states that no one ever feasts in these halls and how he had accepted loneliness , like it was an unchangeable fact.

It is not fair .

He is a picture of cold handsomeness and danger.

I should be scared of him , but I'm not.

His dark eyes flicker to me, making me temporarily breathless " You are thinking of something " He says in a low and certain voice

I shake my head " Nothing much " and for some reason I feel my face go warm under his gaze.

Hades is a pretty nice guy .It is not that I'm not angry at him for getting me to Underworld without my permission, Trust me I am very angry.

But it is hard to stay angry at him because ever since I have come here he has been treating me like a gentle man would ( well , Except the way he got me to the dining table but I think I can let that slip because of the great food).

I can't help but think that him thinking me to be his queen must be a huge misunderstanding.

I'm not queen material.

I'm an 18 year old average looking girl who has to look for jobs to pay for her school or to have a roof over her head. There is no way I can be his queen. This tall , royal and handsome hunk of a man.......errr God . yup , another thing one of the many things that sets us apart.

He is a God. Me , Your regular boring human.

To hear him say that I'm to rule his realm - Underworld, Is something I can't even wrap my mind around .It must be a mistake , A major mistake.

I silently move my eyes to look at him only find him looking at me and my eyes skitter away from him again.

I mull over the words , trying to frame the question in my head so it won't sound rude to him or anything. When I'm pretty satisfied I look at him and he is looking at me just like before , he hadn't taken his eyes off me all this while...

I swallow , moving my eyes away form him quickly . again

Damn those dark eyes, they always wreck a havock on my thoughts.

"You want to say something " He says in that low, certain voice of his.