Time slows down and the air around me feels intense, which makes it hard for me to breathe. I stop in my tracks, placing an arm on the boy to pull him behind me. I feel responsible for the boy and I didn't want him to get hurt.
Hades' face bears an angry look, more angrier than the one I'd seen earlier on.
My heart starts thumping wildly as none of us do anything other than stare at each other.
"Why?" Hades finally breaks the silence. "Why did you leave?"
He did not just ask me that.
I look him in the eye and say, "I wasn't in the mood to get raped."
He grits his teeth. "Everything could have been fine if you had just let me kiss you. Alas, you did not comply and I was forced against my will to behave in such a manner."
Uh excuse me?
"Comply?! You wanted me to frigging comply? Do you even hear yourself?" I scream. He really expected me to agree to all that?
A confused expression crosses his face. "But, of course. Did you not find me attractive?"
"Well, of course i did! But that doesn't mean I give you the rights to rape me."
Suddenly, he doesn't seem too scary now.
"Never matter. I will have you, even if I have to work for it," he says.
Okay, what.
"Listen, dude. You can't force me to do anything against my will, okay?" I say, and cross my arms across my chest.
"What if it was with your consent?" he asks, a smug expression on his face.
"Why on earth would I--
"Turn around," he interrupts, gesturing to something behind me.
A spark of realization hits me. The boy!
I turn around just as a massive wall of black fur slams the boy to the ground pinning him with its strong paws. The boy lets out a scream of terror and I long to lunge forward and pry its dirty paws off him.
Instead, I turn back to Hades and say, "This is how you're going to let me agree? Through blackmail?"
"It needn't have to be that way, Sydney. But you did not give me a chance."
I turn back to the boy, who has his eyes shut, chest heaving heavily. The hell-hound lets out a low growl that makes me take an involuntary step back. Its eyes are fixed on me, the red eyes seeming to glow brighter by the second.
I look away.
I don't have to do this. I can let the boy die. Who was he to me anyway?
But I knew that I couldn't. That boy risked his life to get me out of the palace. The least I can do for him is to risk my own. I take a deep breath to respond, but I'm interrupted by ragged breathing.
"Miss, you d-don't have to listen to him. You need to save yourself," the boy pants out just as the hell-hound pins him down further. I let out a gasp and say, "Okay! Okay, I agree, Just let him go. Please."
Hades' face contorts to bear a smirk and I feel revolted at the sight of it.
With a wave of his hand, he orders the dog off the boy. It runs away and I sigh in relief. The boy sits up and coughs.
Lifting a finger, Hades beckons me towards him. I stand rooted to my spot. Shrugging his shoulders, he walks towards me and places his hand on my cheek, thumb tracing circles across it.
