Chapter 1

Hades

Stalking gets a bad name.

That thought came to me as I stood on the balcony directly across from Persephone’s apartment. Most would accuse me of stalking her, which sounded bad. In my opinion, the word was the problem, not my actions. If I were to say I was admiring Persephone from afar, it wouldn’t sound nearly as bad. There was something poetic about admiring a beautiful woman from afar.

That was it!

If accused of stalking Persephone, I’d simply argue that I was admiring her from afar. Call it rebranding. It had worked when we’d started using the term demon realm instead of Hell. The tourist business had picked up with the new name. By rebranding stalking, I could make it sound much more acceptable.

“What are you doing here?” Rainer demanded as he approached from the courtyard of the apartment complex.

“Care to join me?” I asked. “Or should I shout my response?”

With an exasperated sigh, he climbed up to the balcony to join me. It was an impressive climb in his fitted black suit. His brown hair was slicked back, bringing attention to his harsh features. Rainer always looked in need of a shave. There was a glint of silver in his brown eyes, letting me know his fallen angel power was close to the surface.

“Well?” he prompted.

Since he’d asked, I decided to test out my rebranding theory. “I’m admiring Persephone from afar.” It definitely sounded better than stalking. Poetic. Romantic. It didn’t sound at all crazy or obsessive.

Based on Rainer’s exasperated sigh, he wasn’t nearly as impressed. “It’s called stalking.”

I shook my head. “I’ve rebranded the activity. Now, it’s romantic.”

A bark of laughter escaped Rainer’s lips before he could stop himself. “There’s nothing romantic about lurking in the shadows and trying to catch a glimpse of a woman through her window. What you’re doing is stalking, my friend.”

I frowned because it always caught me off-guard when Rainer referred to me as his friend. My own siblings rarely associated with me, feeling they were superior. Very few fallen angels accepted me as one of them.

“Fine,” I relented. “It’s stalking. You should try it with your witch.”

“You might be right,” he muttered. “So, why are you standing on the balcony of someone’s apartment, watching Persephone’s window? I expected you to kidnap her as soon as you were released from your promise to Lucifer. Actually, I’m shocked you didn’t break your promise to Lucifer and abduct her before.”

When I’d first met Persephone, that had been my intention. Like every other woman by that name, I’d wanted nothing more than to drag her off to Hell. I’m not proud of my past actions, but I’d be lying if I said I felt any guilt about them. My curse hadn’t made me crazy in the beginning, but it doesn’t take a man long to lose his mind when he can’t find sexual release. The curse didn’t prevent me from getting it up. I’ve often wished that was my problem. I could get an erection, but I couldn’t come until I found the Persephone I was destined to fall in love with. No man can remain sane when he’s had blue balls for centuries.

“Some days, it’s a struggle,” I admitted.

He nodded his understanding. “I admire you, Hades.”

“Admire me?” I scoffed. “I’m the last person anyone should admire. When I suggested you start stalking your witch, I was joking.” Not really, but it was a bad idea for Rainer to take my advice on relationships. “You don’t want to end up crazy like me.”

Rainer opened his mouth to respond before shaking his head and laughing. “I was about to tell you that you aren’t crazy, but that’s not quite true. While I think you’re saner than you were six months ago, you’re still more than a little crazy. No sane person stands on a balcony, staring at an empty apartment.”

“What makes you think it’s empty?” I asked. “I could have watched Persephone undress through the window before you got here.”

“You’ve been too much of a gentleman lately for that,” Rainer teased, only he wasn’t joking.

“A gentleman? No one has ever called me that.”

“I’ve never seen you exercise this much restraint around a woman named Persephone,” Rainer told me.

My eyes moved to her window. “She’s different from the others. Hell, she’s different from anyone I’ve ever known.”

“I’ve never met anyone quite like Persephone,” Rainer agreed.

“I didn’t watch her undress,” I admitted. “She’s not home yet. I generally watch to make sure she gets into her apartment safely. I can see her kitchen through that window, so some nights, I watch her eat dinner. Sometimes, I leave a bag of zellafruit on the front porch. She loves those.”

I frowned when I realized how bad that sounded.

Rainer placed a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. “This isn’t healthy. You need to spend some time with her. Find out if she’s the one for you. Watching her eat dinner through her window won’t help you. It’s also more than a little creepy.”

“What are you doing up there?” Persephone demanded.

Damn Rainer! He’d distracted me so I hadn’t noticed Persephone’s arrival. Usually, I slipped further into the shadows before she saw me. She stood below us, her beautiful red hair covered by the hood of her long blue jacket. Her green eyes were narrowed as she waited for a response.

“Hades is making sure you’re safe,” Rainer answered for me with a smile. It was a good answer, better than anything I could have come up with.

Persephone blew out a frustrated breath and muttered something about fallen angels being morons before she continued. “I wasn’t asking what Hades is doing here. He’s often here when I get home from work. What are you doing here, Rainer? It’s bad enough I have one fallen angel lurking on my neighbor’s balcony. I don’t need two of you up there. I’m sure the reason no one has complained yet is that Hades is quiet. Now, I have you up there chatting away. There will be no stalking parties. Am I making myself clear?”

I didn’t smile often—I never had—but around Persephone, I was a different man. My face split into a wide grin. She amazed me, aroused me, and made me feel young.

“I have no control over what Rainer does,” I insisted. “He’s stalking me.”