Hades' Cursed Luna - Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Mercy Dies
Hades

I leaned back in my chair, glaring at her in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Her smirk widened, her eyes glinting with something that made her look a bit less dead. “I’m dead serious. Open up, or this train’s about to crash into your face.”

“Red, don’t you dare—”

The fork edged closer. I could feel the tension in the air, a challenge wrapped in her playful mockery. She wasn’t going to back down. And the worst part was I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to.

With a low growl, I grabbed her wrist, halting the fork’s approach. “You think this is funny?”

Her expression didn’t falter. “No, I think it’s necessary. And if humiliating you a little is what it takes to make you eat, then so be it. If the Hand of Death needs to be the spoonfed then so be it.”

I stared at her, trying to summon the anger that usually came so easily. But instead, there was something else—something warmer, more unsettling, curling in my chest. I hated how she managed to disarm me with her sheer stubbornness. Hated it, and yet… couldn’t look away.

Mate

I shook my head. No, no, it was anything but that, the index would show just that. I could not get carried away, it was scientifically improbable. “Fine,” I snapped, releasing her wrist. “Give me that.” I snatched the fork from her hand and shoved the bite of steak into my mouth, chewing aggressively as if I could destroy her resolve with sheer spite.

Her laughter, soft and quiet, slipped through the cracks in my armor. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

I swallowed and glared at her, but the bite lacked venom. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re predictable,” she shot back, reclaiming her seat. She folded her arms again, her gaze never leaving me. “But I’m not going anywhere until you finish.”

“Of course you’re not,” I muttered, stabbing another piece of steak with unnecessary force. Her persistence was maddening, but there was no denying that it worked. The food might taste like ash, and my stomach might churn with every bite, but at least I was eating. For her.

The thought settled uncomfortably in my mind. Why did her opinion matter so much? Why did she matter so much?

The silence stretched between us, but it wasn’t hostile. It was… heavy, charged. I could feel her watching me, feel the weight of her concern pressing against the walls I’d built around myself. She didn’t pry, didn’t push for answers I wasn’t ready to give. She just… stayed. And somehow, that was worse.

When I finally set the fork down, leaving a few stubborn bites untouched, she leaned forward slightly. “That’s all you’ve got?”

“That’s all you’re getting,” I replied, my tone sharp but tired. My body ached in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge, and the Flux gnawed at the edges of my mind like a beast waiting to strike. But knew for a fact that it was over, for now.

Her eyes softened, and for a moment, I thought she might argue. But then she nodded, her lips curving into a faint smile. She picked up the fork and picked up the piece of food. She eat it and picked up another one. She brought it to my mouth. “You are almost there, Hades,”

“Red,” I growled.

She feigned a frown like a mother trying to mimick a child. “Hadey Wadey.”

“What in the goddess’ name was that?” I snarled.

“Your new nickname if you don’t finish this food.” She brought the food closer. “So come on.”

I glared at her, her eyes damn near boring holes into her face but she did not react to my scrutiny. I opened my mouth and she fed me. She did not gloat after I eat it instead, she picked off the rest of the food and fed me until she got what she wanted. Until the plate was empty.

“Now, we are done. You can go and play outside— I mean we can go and train.”

I wanted to smile but I scoffed, pushing the plate away. “Don’t let it go to your head, Red. I didn’t do this for you.”

“Sure you didn’t,” she said, standing up, she picked up the napkin and wiped my face. She was so close again, honey and lavender

Her closeness sent a ripple of something I couldn’t quite name through me. The faint scent of honey and lavender clung to her, intoxicating in a way I didn’t want to admit. My jaw tightened as her fingers brushed my cheek while she wiped away a stray smear of sauce.

I wanted to pull away, to reassert some semblance of control, but instead, I stayed still, frozen under her gaze. She was focused, her brows furrowed slightly as if the act of cleaning my face was a matter of utmost importance.

When she finally stepped back, a triumphant smile tugged at her lips. “There. All better. Now you won’t embarrass yourself in front of Our pack.”

Our

I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Only because I won,” she shot back, crossing her arms as if to remind me that she had, indeed, gotten her way. “And because you actually look a little less like death.”

Look at who was talking. “Don’t push it,” I warned, though my tone lacked its usual bite. I was more confused than angry.

She tilted her head, studying me with an expression that made my chest tighten. It wasn’t pity, thank the goddess, but something softer.

“Well,” she said after a beat, stepping toward the door, “since you’re fed and watered, we can train now. But don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you finally listened to reason. And I haven’t gotten rusty over the week.”

I got Intel from Kael that despite my absence that she was always up before six to train. “Reason?” I echoed, standing to my full height as I loomed over her. “You call this reason? Forcing me to eat like some stubborn pup?”

“If the shoe fits,” she quipped, smirking up at me.

I growled low in my throat, but it wasn’t the menacing sound I intended. Instead, it came out as something closer to amused. Goddess help me, she was driving me insane. I had so many unanswered questions that should have put me more unedge but here I was biting back a laugh.

As she turned to leave, I reached out on instinct, grabbing her wrist. She froze, her eyes snapping to mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop.

“Red,” I said, my voice rough, quieter than I meant it to be. “Why do you care so much?”

Her lips parted slightly, surprise flashing across her face. But she recovered quickly, her expression softening. “Because someone has to,” she said simply. “And because whether you admit it or not, you need someone to.”

“And not because you want to distract me?” I questioned, my gaze hardening.

The softeness of her featured morphed into confusion. “Distract you?”

I pulled her to me with more force than intended, her body snug against mine. I trapped her, caging her and she was looking up at me, her expression a mix of shock and something I couldn’t quite place.

“What did you mean by you are cursed?” I asked her.

I watched as colour drained from her face, her breath catching. “I—never said—that.”

But the quiver in her voice betrayed her. She tried to take a step back.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, making it impossible for her to escape. My hold was firm, but not harsh. She was trapped, and we both knew it. Her hands instinctively pressed against my chest, a weak attempt to create space, but she didn’t push me away.

“Red,” I said, my voice low, “don’t lie to me. I heard you.” My gaze burned into hers, searching for the truth she was so desperate to hide.

She looked away from me, as if she could not bare my gaze. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” She insisted, but she was shaking and squirming.

My hold turned harsh and bruising. “I think you have forgotten,” I grabbed her jaw, forcing to face me. I tightened my grip on her waist, pulling her flush against me as her gaze darted around, desperate for a way out. My voice dropped to a low, menacing growl, the kind that could shake even the most stubborn of souls.

“Red,” I said, my tone as cold as the grave. “You think you can keep hiding from me? You think I’ll just let this go?”

Her body tensed, her lips parting in a shaky breath. “I—I told you, I can’t—”

“No,” I interrupted, my grip tightening just enough to make her gasp. “You won’t. There’s a difference.” I leaned down, my face inches from hers, my eyes locked on her wide, frightened ones. “But let me make something very clear: if you keep hiding this from me, there will be consequences. And not just for you.”

Her breath hitched, and her hands pressed against my chest as if to push me away. But I didn’t budge.

“Hades—”

“No,” I snapped, cutting her off again. “You don’t get to speak. Not until you understand exactly what’s at stake here. Do you have any idea what I’ve sacrificed to keep this alliance intact? What I’ve done to keep your pack safe? How many of my own people I have disposed of for opposing this deal?” My voice dropped lower, the threat in it unmistakable. “If you keep playing games with me, I will burn it all to the ground.”

Her eyes widened, her lips trembling as my words sank in. “You wouldn’t—”

“Wouldn’t I?” I snarled, the darkness in me surging forward. “You know exactly what I’m capable of. All the blood, all the deaths—civilians, Gammas, children—it will all be on your hands. Every scream, every life lost, every ounce of chaos… all because you decided to keep secrets.”

Her breathing quickened, her eyes filled with tears. “No,” she whispered, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief as if she could not imagine me doing such. It seemed like I had let her forget who I was.

“Yes, Red.” My lips came down to brush her ear. “You may think you can push a wolf and walk away unscathed, Red, but don’t forget—I’m not just any wolf. I don’t growl to warn; I bite to kill. And when I do, mercy is the first thing to die.”