I suspected as much—she’d have to have come through the public playroom to get through this door—but it bears asking all the same. I take a deep breath, trying to smother the flutter of panic in my stomach. “I seem to have misplaced my submissive.”
She pushes off the wall, the slouch disappearing from her posture. “Give me two minutes.”
It’s two minutes longer than I’d like, but I nod. This isn’t my territory. I have to take my lead from Hades’s people.
Alaric is practically vibrating at my side as we watch Allecto pull out her phone and type out something. He turns to me. “Something’s wrong.”
Something is definitely wrong, but I can’t help trying to comfort him. To comfort myself. “We don’t know that.”
“Yes, we fucking do.”
Allecto looks up. “Hades will meet you in his office. You know the way.”
“Thank you.” I turn and stride through the lounge, not caring that I am moving too fast, that I’m giving myself away. Alaric’s right. Something is wrong.
I have to stop outside Hades’s office and collect myself. No matter how rattled I am right now, I cannot let my emotions get the better of me. He is another territory leader and appearances are everything. I take a slow breath, all too aware of Alaric’s impatience. “Okay.”
He opens the door and moves aside to let me precede him into the room. Hades leans against his desk instead of occupying his customary position behind it, which might be enough to give me pause if I hadn’t already muscled all my messy feelings down deep. “Where is Zurielle?”
Hades crosses his arms over his chest and waits for Alaric to close the door. “I am formally apologizing.”
Oh no. No, no, no, no. I keep my spine straight through sheer force of will. “You’re going to have to explain what you’re apologizing for first.”
He motions at the chairs in front of him. “Sit.”
“I don’t think I will.”
Hades sighs. “Zurielle is gone.”
For one horrific moment, I think he means she’s dead. “What?” I’ve never seen Hades look so uncomfortable, but I can’t bring myself to enjoy the experience; not when he’s dragging this out. I clench my fists. “Where the hell is she, Hades?”
At last he shakes his head. “Her sisters came for her. I was not informed of this fact, and Hercules took it upon himself to spirit her out of the building before anyone knew it was happening.” He lifts his head and stares me straight in the eyes. “I promise you that punishment will be delivered accordingly, but under no circumstances will I hand him over.”
The words are all in the correct order, but they barely penetrate. “I…” Alaric moves up and takes my hand. He’s still behind me, offering silent support even though I can feel him shaking. I clear my throat. “She still had several days left on her contract.”
“I am aware.” Another sigh. “Of course, all the money will be returned to you.” He flicks a glance at Alaric. “I’m willing to lift the prohibition for a Carver City resident paying the balance of his debt since Zurielle obviously intended for a portion of the money to be paid there.”
“I don’t want it. Pay off Alaric’s debt and ensure she gets the rest.” The words are out before I can think them through, but thinking is something that’s incredibly difficult right now. Zuri left. She wasn’t taken. Hercules might have “spirited her out” but he’s too much a puppy dog to abduct her. No, she chose this.
She chose to leave us.
Every breath feels like knives in my lungs, but my voice is remarkably normal when I find it. “She pleased me well. See that she gets her money.”
Hades lifts his brows, but finally nods. “As for Hercules—”
“I trust you to take care of it.” I have to get out of here. I can feel my composure cracking. I can’t be in the Underworld when I lose control. I manage a smile. “If that’s all?”
He’s watching me so closely, I know I’m not convincing him, but Hades finally nods. “As I said, you have my utmost apologies. This happened under my watch and it shouldn’t have.”
“You’re right. It shouldn’t have. I expect recompense beyond you playing with your boyfriend.” I turn and stalk out the door, every step making the pain in my chest spike higher.
I don’t remember what happens next. I should remember. I am the one in control, the one that my people lean on. I can’t afford to buckle, no matter how much it hurts to know that someone I care about deeply left me.
It seems like one moment we’re in the entranceway to the Underworld and the next we’re back at my apartment. Alaric leads me through the door, keeping a firm hold on my hand. I stare down at our interlaced fingers. “You should go, too.”
He stops short and looks at me. “What?”
I try to stifle the words, try to keep control, but I can’t seem to stop myself. “You love her. She’ll have you without me in the picture. You should go. Be happy. Have babies and the white picket fence you won’t admit you want.”
Alaric takes my shoulder, gripping me nearly hard enough to hurt. “Ursa.”
“What?”
“Shut the fuck up.”
I blink at him. “What did you just say to me?”
“You heard me.” He glares down at me. “You don’t think that I’m hurting because she left? I fucking am. But Zuri made her choice, and I made mine the second I fell in love with you. This is the life I want, and hell yes, I want her in it, but I want you. Full stop. With or without her in it, I want a life with you.”
To my horror, my lower lip quivers. “I wanted her with us.”
His expression softens. “I know. I did, too.” Slowly, as if he’s expecting me to reject him, Alaric pulls me to his chest and wraps his arms around me. “But we don’t know for sure that she left of her own will. We could—”
“No.” I speak against his chest. I can’t quite bring myself to lift my head. “No. If she was taken, Hades wouldn’t apologize like he did. He would have mobilized his people to get her back in order to preserve his reputation.”
Alaric is so tense, he might as well be made of stone. “You’re right. I fucking hate that you’re right.”
“She left.” It hurts to say the words. I fight to be so hard, so untouchable, and this slip of a girl knocked me astray in the course of a few days. I’ve seen it happen to others, of course, but I never thought I’d be struck down by something as mundane as love. “We will respect her choice.”
“But—”
“No.” I finally lift my head. “No, Alaric. She made her choice, and we will respect it.”
He holds me tighter. “What about your revenge?”
Funny, but I hadn’t even thought about my revenge until now. I wanted to make Triton twist and squirm and feel even a portion of the agony he put me through. It all feels so fucking hollow right now. “I don’t know.” I reach up and cup his face. “I’m sorry. I should be strong for you and—”
“No.” He pulls me closer yet, holding me as if he’s afraid I might shatter into a million pieces if he lets go. I’m not sure he’s wrong. “No,” Alaric repeats. “You’ve been my rock for as long as I’ve known you. You don’t have to be strong right now. I can be strong for both of us.”