Page 121 of Hateful Prince

I cast a frantic glance over my shoulder, spotting the slithering tail only a few couples away.

Tick

Tick

Tick

It was coming. I had to leave.

Tick

Tick

Tick

“Anywhere but here, mate.”

“You can’t leave Dahlia. You’re here with her. We all are.”

“Tell that to the Viking. He fucked off with that little snack of a witch.”

“He what?” Hades asked, sparks shooting out of his fingers.

“Take it up with him. I’ve got to go.” I shook my head, frustrated as hell that this useless god couldn’t understand I needed to leave. “It’s almost here.”

“What are you talking about? Where are you going?”

“Danger. It’s coming.” Shaking him off, I resumed my hasty retreat.

“What danger? Hook! Get back here, damn you. Hook!”

But I was done wasting time with this blithering idiot. I had to leave. It was a matter of life and death.

Tick

Tick

Tick

Shoving through the doors, I raced for the safety of my room, not looking back once, even as the ticking followed hot on my heels.

Chapter

Thirty-Seven

HADES

Iwatched Hook flee like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. What danger was he so afraid of? I swept my gaze over the room, finding nothing out of order. My eyes instantly went to Dahlia, like a magnet drawn to its mate. Gods, my heart fucking fluttered as she flashed me a smile while Kai spun her around on the dance floor.

If Asshole was here, he’d tell me to go get my girl. Fuck, I missed him. Not that I’d ever admit it, even upon pain of death. I was taking that one to the grave.

I took a step in that direction, thinking perhaps I’d do just that, but then Hook’s expression and his frantic admission had me rooted in place.

He’d looked genuinely terrified. But was the danger he sensed real, or was it a symptom of his madness? It was so hard to tell with him these days. And every passing hour only made it worse. It was obvious to all of us.

But could you live with yourself if he’s right and you didn’t take it seriously?

The short answer was no. That niggling worm in my stomach wouldn’t let me discount his claim offhand. If it was just in his mind, well, there was no harm in checking it out. And if it wasn’t, perhaps I’d be able to stop something before it unfolded. I couldn’t risk putting my mate in danger. Not when she finally seemed happy.