Guardian Angel

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

It was strange that, despite all the sleeping I did, I was always tired.

Almost like I wasn't getting enough sleep when I did sleep.

And most of the time, there weren't any dreams. Occasionally a memory would resurface and play over and over again in my head, but that wasn't the same as a dream. A dream was a play on reality, but wasn't real. It went on inside your head.

So how did I end up with a hickey in real life?

How did I end up waking up feeling like I'd been fucked into oblivion, then put through a blender on high?

I always woke up feeling that way, especially when I was dating Aric. He'd always offer to give me massages and cuddles whenever I was feeling off like that, and I couldn't help, melting into his arms to find some kind of relief.

"You are so unbelievably fucking stupid."

Hades didn't mince words. He didn't play nice to spare someone's feelings. He gave you the cold hard brutal truth, even when he knew it would hurt. He didn't care. He was thinking logically, and Hades was smart. He was absolutely right, almost all of the time, and especially in this instance.

"I'm not going to stand here and listen to your bullshit," I said, turning away from Hades, "I have a patient who requires my care right now and I don't have time to pump the brakes to listen to you chastise me. And for the record, stop thinking what you're thinking. Everything Aric and I do is consensual. I know you're obviously not used to hearing that in our world, but it is a thing." I was just trying to hurt him back at that point. A deep buried part of me knew he was right. I was a complete fucking idiot, but if I dropped everything now, I knew something bad was going to happen. I couldn't explain it. The very idea of not going home to Aric scared me, and I would be damned if I let Hades take Aric too.

"What the fuck is that?" I ignored Hades and went for the door, but one second I was on my feet and in the next Hades was hauling me back and throwing me into the sofa across the room. I gasped, surprised as I landed and bounced on the cushions, but immediately shot to my feet as anger surged through me.

"Who the fuck do you think you--"

"What is that," Hades repeated, approaching me and getting up into my face, making me curse and try to lean away from him as I remained on my feet.

"I don't know what you're talking about--"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you were dumb and blind--"

"Fuck you--"

"Shut up!" Hades snarled and I froze. Hades didn't yell at me. We argued on and off and it usually just simmered. It was usual sibling disagreements and fights. We usually didn't get too physical, but once in a while, Hades would grab me and violently ruffle my hair or shove me into chairs, nothing hurtful. But he was yelling right in my face now and for a brief moment, I was taken aback. I froze out of instinct, because I was used to Aric screaming at me and whenever I went quiet, he'd back off, so I found myself holding my breath for a second, waiting for Hades to back off.

Except I wasn't used to Hades being angry with me.

I wasn't used to dealing with Hades's anger, and his anger was on a different level from Aric's.

"What the hell is wrong with you," Hades sneered, grabbing the front of my shirt and giving me a rough shake, revealing more of the climbing bruise on my back onto my shoulder and along the side of my neck, and I watched Hades's blue eyes flare with rage, "Jesus fuck, when I get my fucking hands on that little weasel I'm going to wring his neck--"