Rose

I gasped the moment the words left Asher’s mouth.

“Her boyfriend.”

The air shifted. Every muscle in Hades’ body went rigid, his breathing harsh and uneven.

From the instant Asher walked into the room, I knew Hades had been fighting to contain his anger. He had never welcomed Asher’s presence, and the moment I threw myself into Asher’s arms, his simmering dislike had sharpened into something far darker.

Hades had always been possessive, easily jealous, but this… this was different. The second Asher uttered those words, it was as if a dam burst inside him. His eyes ignited—not with passion, but with pure, consuming rage.

Before I could react, Hades slammed Asher against the wall, his hand clamping hard around Asher’s throat.

“How dare you say that?” Hades growled, his voice a snarl of fury. “She is mine. No one can take her from me. I dare you to touch her again.”

A chill ran down my spine. The venom in his words shook me, but it was the sight of his hand tightening mercilessly around Asher’s throat that sent me spiraling. Asher’s face was already turning an awful shade of purple as he clawed helplessly at Hades’ grip.

And suddenly—everything shifted.

The room blurred. The present bled into the past.

In my mind, I was no longer watching Asher. I was there, in his place, once again trapped beneath the monsters from my nightmares.

I could feel it—the crushing pressure on my neck.

“Please… leave me,” I whispered, choking on invisible hands as the memory replayed.

“Then why were you trying to run, whore?” one of the monsters had spat in my face, his grip like iron around my throat.

“I—I’m sorry,” I had croaked, my voice shredded by the lack of air.

“Xander, leave her! She’ll die like this,” another hissed.

The first monster eased his grip but never released me. My lungs burned as I sucked in air like a starved animal.

“But she tried to run, boss,” the one called Xander muttered like a scolded child.

“Don’t worry. She’ll be punished… but in a better way,” the other sneered, licking his lips with sick anticipation. “Let the guests come first. Then we’ll all have our fun.”

“Give her another sedative.”

Xander shoved me to the ground with a thud.

“No—please, not that!” I had begged, terror spiking at the sight of the syringe.

“It won’t hurt much, baby,” he cooed, his voice dripping with cruelty.

The sting in my arm, the rush of numbness… then only darkness.

My breath hitched as the memory consumed me. My chest tightened, panic tearing through me like wildfire. I wasn’t in the room anymore—I was back there. Back with them.

Without thinking, I screamed and shoved Hades away with all the strength I had.

He stumbled backward, and Asher collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

I fell to my knees beside him, clutching at him, though tears blurred my vision and my body trembled violently. Panic seized me in a brutal wave, stealing my breath.

Asher, still struggling to breathe, placed a shaky hand on my arm, grounding me, whispering something low to steady me. At the same time, another hand brushed against my back.

I flinched violently.

It’s them. They’re back. They’re touching me.

“Leave me alone, you monster!” I screamed, twisting around in terror.

And then—I froze.

It wasn’t them.

It was Hades.

The hurt in his eyes cut deeper than any blade.

Guilt clawed at me, but the panic was stronger, twisting reality, drowning me in flashes of the past. His face blurred with theirs, and I couldn’t stop shaking.

“She’s having a panic attack because of you,” Asher’s voice snapped, sharp and furious. “Leave, if you have even a shred of shame.”

A door slammed somewhere. The world tilted. My thoughts unraveled into fragments of memories and whispers.

Then—darkness claimed me.

“Wakie, wakie, honey.”

Warm breath ghosted over my skin. A soft kiss landed on my nose.

“Time to wake up, Mrs. Knight.”

A smile tugged at my lips despite the heaviness in my chest. I loved it when he called me that.

“Five more minutes,” I murmured sleepily.

A sigh. “Fine. I’m going down to make breakfast.”

The sound of the door closing nudged me awake. Slowly, I dragged myself out of bed, following the scent of food.

There he was—my husband—in the kitchen, moving with the precision of a professional chef. For a fleeting moment, everything felt normal. Safe.

Then the screams returned. Shattering glass.

The kitchen blurred.

And suddenly I was back in the basement. The monsters circled me again. My pulse raced, but then I saw him—Hades.

Relief surged. He’s here. He’ll save me.

“Hades!” I cried, desperation breaking through.

But he didn’t move.

Even as one of them touched me, he only smirked.

“Hades—help me!”

He tilted his head, his voice venomous. “I don’t help sluts like you.”

I jolted awake, my body trembling, drenched in cold sweat.

It was a dream. A nightmare. But the sting of it clung to me like poison.