Hades' Cursed Luna novel Chapter 182

Hades

Ellen settled onto my lap as if she had always belonged there, her body fitting against mine with a familiarity that sent a sharp jolt through me. She was light, yet I could feel the tension coiled within her, the weight of her every breath as she squared her shoulders and faced her family.

Darius stiffened, his composure cracking for the first time. Lyra’s lips parted, eyes widening with unguarded shock before she masked it. Even James, ever the unreadable shadow at Darius’ side, tilted his head slightly as if reassessing the woman before him.

I, however, did not react.

Not outwardly.

Pride swelled in my chest, sharp and hot, but I kept my expression neutral, my arms shifting to accommodate her, to hold her without making it obvious that I could feel the slight tremble in her limbs. She was still fragile, still teetering on the edge—but she was standing. Fighting.

And that, more than anything, made the Flux churn.

Dark, possessive satisfaction unfurled within me, pressing against my ribs, against my skin. Mine, it whispered. Strong. Still mine.

How could anyone not love you?

Ellen’s fingers curled against my chest for the briefest moment before she lifted one delicate hand and cupped my face. It was meant to be a show—an assertion of her stance, a declaration of where she stood—but her thumb brushed over my cheekbone in a touch so fleeting, so gentle, that it nearly shattered my restraint.

I swallowed back the flicker of shock that threatened to rise, my gaze never leaving hers.

Her fingers were cold.

Her lips were chapped.

The dark circles beneath her eyes were deeper than I remembered.

She was still unsteady.

But only I knew it.

Only I could feel the way her pulse thrummed too quickly beneath my touch, how she leaned against me just slightly, as if grounding herself.

So I played my part.

I caught her trembling fingers in mine, intertwining them, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss against her knuckles. A show of dominance. Of ownership.

Of devotion.

She did not flinch.

Her gaze remained locked onto her father’s, her voice smooth and edged with something that cut deep. "Who is this unstable daughter you speak of, Father?"

Darius’ expression was unreadable, but his fingers flexed against the table.

Lyra let out a slow breath. "Ellen—"

"You speak as if I am not sitting right before you," Ellen cut in, her tone cool, measured. "And yet, I am here. Whole. Standing. Breathing." She tilted her head, eyes sharp. "Or does your definition of sanity only apply to the pieces of me that were broken enough to obey you?"

Lyra paled.

Darius, however, smiled.

It was not a kind smile.

It was a knowing one.

"You misunderstand," he said smoothly, regaining his composure. "We do not wish to strip you of your will, my daughter. We simply wish to protect you."

Ellen let out a quiet, humorless chuckle. "Protect me?" Her eyes gleamed in the dim light. "Is that what you call what you did to me?"

Darius did not flinch, did not blink. "We gave you freedom."

"You gave me a cage," Ellen countered. "A gilded one, perhaps. But a cage nonetheless."

I exhaled slowly, watching her, the way she wielded her words like a blade. This was no frantic outburst. No desperate attempt to gain footing.

This was a test and challenge wrapped in one.

Not just for them.

But for me.

Would I let her fight?

Would I let her stand, even knowing how fragile she still was?

The answer came easily.

Yes.

Because I had already seen the fire in her.

And so I sat, silent, watching as she met her father’s gaze head-on, rocking her gently against me.

"If you were so concerned about my mental state," Ellen continued, "you should have considered it before carving me hollow by filling me with wolfbane. Before sending me here without so much as a word of warning." Her fingers tightened slightly in mine, but her voice remained steady. "Or is it only now, when you fear losing your leverage, that I suddenly matter. You believe that I might fully join tht other side?"

A slow, cold silence filled the room.

Darius exhaled, shaking his head. "We are allies, there are no sides here."

Ellen arched a brow. "It’s far more complex than that, dad. You are too calculated to truly believe that."