Free Hades' Return by N.J. Walters Page A

anyone around them until the door opened. Instinctually, he shifted. His dragon burst from inside him. His head changed shape, flattening and elongating. His body lengthened and thick, protective scales took the place of skin. Tough, leathery wings burst from his back. Long, vicious claws sprang from the tips of his fingers. The room was too small to contain him and he was forced to curve his twenty-foot long body. But that wasn’t a bad thing. His large form provided a shield for Jessica.
    He knocked Jessica back with his tail, being as gentle as possible. She gasped and cried out, but it was quickly lost in his battle roar as he faced the intruder.
    Arand stood outlined in the doorway, his mate shoved behind him. “What in the name of the Lady are you doing?” his friend yelled.
    Mordecai calmed his racing heart. It was only Arand. It wasn’t Hades come to attack Jessica. He huffed and a billow of smoke was released from his nostrils. At least he’d remembered not to breathe fire.
    “Jessica,” Sabrina yelled from behind her mate. “Are you okay?”
    Had he scared her? Mordecai didn’t know if he could live with himself if he had.
    “I’m fine,” Jessica called back. “Isn’t he cool?”
    Mordecai gave a chuff of laughter. Only Jessica found him cool and not ugly. His body was a combination of browns and greens. Earth tones that easily blended with the wild forests of the world.
    “You can stand down now, big guy,” Arand told him. Smug bastard was laughing at him, but Mordecai didn’t care. Jessica thought his serpent was cool.
    He morphed, taking his human form once again. His chest was still bare, but he conjured pants so as not to embarrass either woman. Sabrina peeked around Arand’s shoulder and grinned at him. Then she looked at Jessica and gave her a thumbs up.
    Mordecai shook his head. Would he ever understand these modern women?
    “How are you feeling, sweetie?” Sabrina rushed over to the bed, the bangles on her arm jangling.
    “Okay,” Jessica replied, but he could hear the fatigue she tried to hide.
    He returned to her side and inserted his body between her and Sabrina, practically muscling the other woman out of his way. He picked Jessica up and shifted her to the head of the bed, propping her against the pillows. She smiled her thanks. But he wasn’t done. He tucked the covers around her and smoothed them once again. Then he snagged the juice and held it to her lips until she had several more sips. Once he’d done everything in his power to make her more comfortable, he turned to her visitors.
    “Any news?” he asked, dreading the answer. He could see the answer in the bleakness in Sabrina’s eyes.
    “No. Stavros hasn’t been in contact and neither has Phoenix. Roric and the others have joined the hunt to find the Lady, but this is a big world. Without the connection to her, she’s going to be difficult to find.” Sabrina tried to offer them hope. “While their men are gone, the women are researching possible ways of breaking the curse.”
    It was such a blessing for the warriors to have their powers back, to be able to jump from place to place with only a thought. But Sabrina was right. The world was a large place. As for fighting the curse, Mordecai wasn’t sure that was even possible. Hades, even at his weakest, was a formidable opponent.
    Jessica started to speak but grabbed her throat and began to wheeze. Heart pounding in his chest, he caught her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. “Breathe. Look at me, Jessica.” He waited until her blue eyes met his black ones. “You can do this. Breathe with me.” He inhaled and exhaled slowly, willing her to follow his example.
    He heard Sabrina and Arand behind them but had no idea what they were saying. Only Jessica mattered. Her eyes bulged slightly. She grabbed his wrists and squeezed tight. He could feel and see her panic. Her skin began to take on a bluish cast.
    He was losing her.
    “No. He can’t have you.