Chapter 43

His mouth formed a smile and for a moment I embraced it. But I wanted to be dramatic with it. So, I gave him a show. I pulled my shirt down and walked away.

“My love, why is this bad? We are going to be a family with a baby.”

He tried to walk over and grab me, but I walked away.

“Because we are in hell Hades! This is no place to raise a baby. You have me imprisoned here. I need food for the baby, prenatal care, a damn doctor. What about all the things a baby needs? I am not raising a baby here, but you won’t set your pride to the side to let me out. You won’t trust me enough, so you’d rather I rot here. So, it’s best if we terminate and just go back to normal.”

I was bluffing. I know I am supposed to trust him, but I also think that I needed to figure something out beforehand. Sometimes I wish I was the Ryleigh in the vision. She was strong and independent. This one doesn’t know how to get her shit together.

“No, we are raising our child here. I will get everything that is needed.”

Such a frustrating man so it was time to step it up. I had to keep bluffing because I’d never hurt my baby.

“And keep us both hostage? No! You won’t listen to my commands, so I want to end this. I either do this the easy way or the hard way because this child will never have a normal life. I’ll be damned if you think I will stand for it. You have a decision to make, and I hope you can compromise. I am a wolf, and we are better as a pack rather than alone.”

I walked to my bedroom door and opened it.

“Get out, until you come up with a decision. You have a chance to be a father all the time, but I am not allowing you to dismiss me knowing I’ve been loyal and loving for years. I have been everything you wanted and have not requested to go home because I love you. Hades this is where I draw the line, and I hope you can get on board. Our child deserves the world. Both our first.”

His face softened a bit and he let out a sigh.

“I am going to take a walk and think for a bit. We are getting too heated, and I don’t want to stress you out even more.”

He kissed my cheek and walked out the door. I slammed the door closed on him.

“Fucking fool,” I muttered out.

Sometimes you have to play 'em like a Ken doll in order to get what you want. I was tired of sitting in the background and relying on a man to do the job for me. But what was striking is that a short walk turned into days. Hades hadn’t seen me in days, and I knew he was up to something. I hadn’t felt well in days. I was nauseous all the time. I was even starting to become hungry and survived on the snacks he had brought me months ago. I was alive, so of course, I would start eating while pregnant. I built a damn bed in my bathroom because of how sick I was. Suddenly, the door opened. It was Hades but I couldn’t get up from the floor.

“Ryleigh, are you ok?”

He came over rushing to my side. He felt the top of my head and who knows what he was doing at this point. But he was trying.

“I am sick all the time. This is now my bedroom.”

He reached for my arms to stand me up which caused me to become very dizzy. Maybe it was the effect of crossbreeding with a God.

“I just want to lay down and wither away. Can you make it quick so I can get back to my prison bed?”

Hades just wrapped his arms around me and held me for a bit. I just wanted to throw up on him.

“I’ve taken more time to think of things. You have been amazing for the past 3 years and I think I could trust you now. So, I have a compromise.”

Now my upset stomach was the least of my worries. This had to be good. Hades had walked me over to the bed so I could sit down.

“I’ve been with my father trying to compromise with him. I will honor your wishes; however, I’d be with you. My father allowed me to run hell from above ground so that I could be there for the baby. My second compromise. I won’t keep you hostage as you say, but my father has agreed to burn my marriage with Persephone. Be my Queen, once and for all and we can be the family we were always meant to be.”

Now I was the one that got played. I don’t want to marry him, god I want to kill him! I know how his mind works and I know that he is expecting some ancient times. But what choice did I have?

“So, you will live above ground with me and give me my freedom if I marry you?”

It was almost like fear was coming out. There was a knot in my stomach that said, “You do not want this.”

But here I was just going through the motions of having something. I do this for my child.

“Okay, but I have one more request.”

I stayed quiet for a minute just to let him sweat it out. It was like a dark side was coming out of me now.

“You need to let Persephone go. I want her to be close to me.”