Hades' Cursed Luna novel Chapter 477

Chapter 477: 72 Hours in

Hades

Fuck.

I tried to school my features into neutrality, to summon that cold, unreadable mask I’d worn for decades.

Her eyes narrowed.

"You’re not that man anymore, Hades. You’re not the cold, unfeeling, carved-out statue you once were." Her voice was steel wrapped in silk. "Like everyone else, you have tells now. You have emotions that leak through the cracks. And who better to read them than your mate?"

She pressed her hand against my chest, right over my heart.

"Not to mention Fenrir’s Chain between us, filtering your thoughts no matter how jumbled or wrecked they are. I can feel your dread. Your fear. Your guilt for keeping something from me."

The bond. Of course. The fucking bond that tied us together, that let emotions bleed across the connection even when I tried to lock them down.

I’d gotten so used to it during normal circumstances that I’d forgotten it would betray me when I most needed control.

"Eve—"

"Tell me." Her voice cracked slightly. "Whatever it is, tell me. Don’t make me torture it out of you."

I looked at her—at this woman who’d seen through every defense I’d ever built, who’d stripped away my masks and forced me to be human again. Who was now holding my face with hands that had given blood for hours to save thousands, demanding the truth with eyes that promised violence if I didn’t give it.

She deserved the truth.

But the truth would terrify her.

"The squad we sent through the tunnels," I said quietly. "They went dark."

Her hands went still. "What?"

"Six hours ago. They were entering the Underspine cavern when we lost contact. There was... gas. An ambush. The line went dead."

I watched the color drain from her already pale face.

"How many?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Twenty Gammas. Plus whatever Eclipse Rebellion members they’d made contact with. Plus—"

"Ellen." She said it like a death sentence. "If they captured Ellen—"

"We’re monitoring the Blood Moon. If she’s being forced to pull it closer, we’ll know within hours."

"And if she is?"

"Then we strike the Cauterium immediately."

Eve released my face, her hands dropping to her lap. She stared at nothing, processing.

"That’s why you’ve been..." She trailed off. "That’s why you didn’t want to tell me. You thought I was too weak from the donation to handle it."

"You are weak from the donation."

"I’m strong enough to handle the truth!" Her voice rose, anger flashing in her eyes. "I’m strong enough to stand beside you, Hades. I’m strong enough to—"

She swayed suddenly, the burst of emotion draining what little energy she had left.

I caught her before she could fall, pulling her against my chest. "You’re strong enough for anything," I murmured into her hair. "That’s not the question. The question is whether I’m strong enough to watch you carry this burden when you’re already carrying so much."

She was quiet for a moment, her breathing evening out against me. Then, quietly: "We carry it together. That’s what mates do."

"I know."

"So no more hiding things from me. Even when you think it’s for my own good."

"I’ll try."

"You’ll succeed." Her voice was muffled against my chest. "Or I really will snap your neck."

Despite everything, I almost smiled. "Noted."

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