Zeus Point of View
The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air. Machines beeped in a quiet rhythm beside the hospital bed. I sat in the corner chair, motionless, watching the rise and fall of her chest. November. The woman who once smiled with the sun in her eyes now lay pale and broken. Her skin was clammy, lips still tinged with blue from the near-drowning. But she was alive. I had brought her back from the cliff’s edge—literally and figuratively. "Her wolf is slipping," my wolf murmured inside me, pacing restlessly. "If we wait too long, she'll be gone for good." “I know,” I muttered. Just then, her fingers twitched. I bolted upright. "November?" I whispered, stepping toward the bed. Her eyes fluttered open, slow and confused. Red rimmed irises stared blankly at the ceiling before flicking to me. Her breathing hitched. She tried to sit up but winced, her body weak and trembling. “W-Where…” Her voice cracked. “Where am I?” I knelt by her bedside. “You're safe. In the hospital. You… you were drowning. I pulled you out. Her eyes widened slightly, horror slowly seeping into her expression. “You…” she whispered, the pieces falling into place. “Zeus.” The accusation in her voice struck like a slap. “I remembered,” she continued, her voice growing firmer despite the tears swelling in her eyes. “You convinced Knox to reject me.” A silence stretched between us like a blade. I didn't deny it. "Yes," I said quietly. “Why?” Her voice cracked. “Why would you do that to me?” I looked down at my hands. "Because we can’t be together, move on if Knox didn’t do that. It would be easier if he let you go… so you could be with me.” She blinked as if she remembered something. “Pathetic, I know,” I muttered. She turned her head away, the tears spilling freely now. “Thank you,” she said, which made.me blink. I couldn’t breathe under the weight of those words. “I didn’t realize how much it would hurt you. I thought you were strong enough to handle it.” “That’s not an excuse,” she calmly said. “No,” I said. “It’s not. But I didn’t come here for forgiveness.” She flinched when I reached for her hand. I pulled back, ashamed. “I came because your wolf is dying. And if she dies… so do you.” Her lips trembled. “She’s already gone. I can’t feel her anymore.” “She’s not gone,” I said. “She’s just fading. But I can help.” She looked at me warily. “Why would you help me now?” “Because we decided to heal.each other. I said. “And because… my wolf chose you.” Silence again. This one is heavier.” “What?” she whispered. “The moment I met you, I felt it. My wolf wanted you. Not because you were beautiful or strong—though you are—but because something about you called to us. And when I saw Knox treat you like nothing, I lost my mind. I wanted you for myself, even if it meant manipulation. But it was wrong.” She smiled bitterly. “You’re here to claim me now that I’m broken? What good is a she-wolf that is rejected by her mate?” “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I’m here to offer you a choice.” I stepped closer, letting her see the rawness in my eyes. “Be my mate, November. Let me fix what is broken. Not because I want to own you. But because I want to save you. If your wolf dies, there’s no bringing her back. But if you accept me—truly accept me—she might survive.” She looked at me long and hard, eyes red with grief and fury. “You want to fix me like I’m some shattered toy.” “No,” I said. “I want to help you heal. Even if you would never love me.” She closed her eyes, a sob escaping her lips. “I hate you,” she whispered. “I hate that you did this. But I don’t want to die. I don’t want to lose her.” Her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket like it was the only thing tethering her to the world. “I’m not asking you to forgive me,” I said. “I just want to give you the chance to choose. Let me be your anchor. We can go slow. We’ll rebuild—together.” Her voice came out broken. “And if I say yes?” “Then we begin the healing. I’ll help you reconnect to your wolf. We’ll go somewhere far, away from the pain. No one else. Just us.” “And if I say no?” “I’ll walk away,” I said. “And you’ll die.” She didn’t answer. She just stared at the wall, tears falling freely, until her body shook with silent sobs. I wanted to touch her, to offer warmth, but I stayed still. After what felt like an eternity, she whispered: “…Okay.” My heart stopped. “I’ll try,” she said. “But not for you. For her. For the part of me that still wants to live.” That was enough. For now.Just like Zeus promised, after everything was done, I was on my own. He spent the remainder locked up in his office, which I found this morning. Zeus is probably getting back up on all things herd-related and took me to go on my tour of the house. I liked to explore. On my way to the library, I passed by a door that Zeus still needed to show me. I was swept away by my curiosity. After my inner battle about whether I should enter, I decided to see what was there for myself. Zeus hadn't warned away from any areas, so I assume proceeding is fine. When I opened the door, I quickly found a pair of steps behind it that led downward into the basement. I followed it until I reached the bottom. I was surprised to see an infirmary down below. It resembled a local clinic in my town. The infirmary in my old pack was nowhere this large; in fact, it tripled the size of this one. I imagine all the excess beds were for those injured during a battle. They must have had a conflict in the past if th
"I met Emerald when I was at my mom's old pack. I was just a kid then. She was not exactly a pack member back then but her father and her half-sister were," Zeus told me while walking. "She was the product of a one-night stand if you can call it that. Their mother, an omega from another pack decided to raise her and sometimes, she would visit her father and stay in the pack for a few weeks, but later on, Emerald stopped coming over and stayed with her mom's pack for good," he said.I watch him closely, studying every reaction his face shows."Emerald and I were friends when we were kids. She's smart, strong-headed, and mischievous. She changed, maybe because of her mother's strict rule. And when I saw her visiting her father one time after many years, and I was probably around 18 and was in expected to move out due to my dragon part being stronger than the wolf side, I knew Emerald was my mate, but she was already with Knox and madly in love.To summarize, she rejected me even if sh
November’s Point of View"I heard you weren’t still ready to retake the Alpha position?" I asked Zeus as he was going through some paper. I heard he has been pushing his herd to be officially registered to the Shifter Authority. His herd was not all Dragon kin, it was mixed. He basically accepts every homeless shifter though most of them are halfbreeds or hybrids. I immediately felt welcome here, unlike my old pack which I felt unappreciated. "Very soon," Erix nodded. " I need to get in touch with the herd first. And reorganized everything like before."“Before,” I said. It was not a question. "Well, I messed up before, couple of years ago. I was selling Wolfnip," he stated. “Uhm, why are you asking? Do you want to offer help?” He said smiling. "Yeah."“Sure,” Zeus said. “Help me sort these papers first.”As we worked, I noticed that the Zeus that sold Wolfnip was far different from the Zeus handling his herd. He was a serious type yet still playful sometimes, a carefree Alpha.Aft
Knox’s Point of view (The day November set to leave with Zeus)I stood at the top of the grand staircase, the polished wood cool beneath my fingers as I gripped the banister. Below, my pack was gathered, murmuring, laughing, drinking, all part of the illusion I spun. We have a celebration, a late party from my wedding with Emerald. She was late as always. Maybe from doing her make or her hair. Five years together and she still ran on her own clock. I used to find it charming, the way she defied the world’s rhythm with her own quiet rebellion. Now, I found myself counting seconds with the precision of a man about to rewrite his life, about erasing completely the thing I should have. I heaved a sigh. My hand slipped into my pocket and closed around the velvet box inside. Cool. Weighty. Alive with promise and dread. I had checked it a dozen times already, but I needed to feel it again, to anchor myself, to remember what this night was meant to be. It was my family heirloom, a ring. I
The first place I want to see is the kitchen. For me, the best part of a house is the kitchen. Why? Because magic happens in the kitchen. And since Zeus is nowhere to be found, I'll tour myself.Coming to the bottom of the stairs, I tried to remember which way the kitchen was in this enormous house. It was last night when Zeus showed me the way, but now, even in my more conscious state, I couldn't remember. I was too tired last night to even keep the kitchen's location in my mind.Looking to my left and then right, I decided to go to my right, the exact opposite way we went last night to meet the pack. The kitchen would be on the other side of the house and needed a bigger space than any other room, especially in this kind of house.I knew I was right when I passed by a few familiar doors. I remember passing Zeus spacious office on the way to it. I took a moment to stop and look in now that I could study it better.The dark wood interior gave it a look of importance and elegance. A fe
"Sorry if I startled you," Zenia said, smiling. "I came here to check if you are already awake." I giggled. "It's fine. I was surprised to see you still here. Don't you have school today?" She shrugged. "I went to school, but classes are suspended. So I went home and decided to come and see you. You know, for catching up," she replied before making herself comfortable on Zeus' bed. "Oh, alright. Wait for a sec and let me freshen up," I answered before walking back to the bathroom and doing my business. It took me half an hour before I finally exited the bathroom, ready to talk with Zenia. "Shall I take you to my room? I made some breakfast there when I returned from school," she invited me. "Okay, lead the way," I smiled at her. Zeus won't mind if I leave without telling him, right? Zenia must have guessed what was in my mind. "I told Ace to tell Zeus that I'll kidnap you and return to him when I feel like I want to," she said, grinning at me. I laughed at what sh