Waking Up in Hell

My head felt like a bomb had just gone off inside it.

I gasped, my eyes flying open as I stared up at a white ceiling. The light hurt, everything hurt. Images that did not belong to me flashed behind my eyelids. I saw boardrooms, expensive cars, and a face I instantly hated—a man with sharp eyes and a cruel smile named Ares Sterling.

Who the hell is Julian Vane? I thought, my mind racing. And why do I have his life inside my head?

I had no idea what was this mess in my head right now, I remember dying in war and suddenly plunged into darkness.

I tried to sit up, but my arms shook. I was an elite military captain. I had led men through war zones. My body was supposed to be pure muscle and iron, but right now, I felt entirely hollow. 

A sudden, terrifying wave of heat rolled through my veins, it was far from a normal fever. It felt like my blood was turning into boiling water, making my skin flush and my breath hitch in a way that deeply disgusted me.

Before I could even drag myself out of the bed, the doors of the room slammed open.

A tall man walked in. He wore a black suit, his dark eyes instantly locking onto me with absolute dominance. Thanks to the messy memories flooding my brain, I recognized him instantly. Ares Sterling. The biggest corporate enemy of the body I was currently occupying.

My body shivered the moment he stepped closer, reacting to some strange, thick scent in the air that smelled like trees after a rainstorm. The strange pull made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Julian," Ares said, his voice deep and completely calm. "You look terrible."

"Get back," I rasped. My voice sounded too light, too soft. It wasn't my voice.

Driven by a survival instincts and the disgust of how my body was reacting to another man, I forced myself out of the sheets. I threw a straight punch aimed directly at his jaw, intending to drop him instantly.

But this new frame was pathetic. My movement was slow, lacking any real power.

Ares didn't even blink. He caught my fist mid-air with one large hand, twisted my arm gently but firmly, and flipped me face-down onto the mattress. The weight of his body pinned me down instantly, knocking the breath out of my lungs. I struggled wildly, cursing at the top of my lungs, but I couldn't move an inch.

Suddenly, Ares gripped my chin, forcing my face up. He leaned down, his eyes dark and intense. Before I could shout another insult, his mouth slammed against mine.

My mind screamed in horror. I was a straight man! I tried to bite him, tried to fight, but the moment his lips pressed into mine, something inside this new body completely broke.

 A wave of intense, dizzying pleasure shot straight down to my spine. My muscles turned to water. My hands, which were supposed to be pushing him away, weakly clutched at his shoulders. For a terrifying second, my body completely lost itself, melting into the kiss and craving more of his scent.

Realizing what I was doing, a burst of panic gave me a sudden surge of strength. I violently shoved his chest, breaking the kiss, and scrambled backward until my back hit the headboard.

"Stay away from me!" I gasped, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, my chest heaving. "Get the hell away from me!"

Ares didn't look angry. Instead, a slow, mocking smirk spread across his face as he looked at my shaking frame. He stepped closer, sliding a large, warm hand underneath my shirt, pressing his palm flat against my lower stomach.

"Listen to me, Julian," Ares whispered, his voice full of dark satisfaction. "I am not a big fan of you either, and I never will be. We have fought each other for years. But that is our baby in your womb. My baby. So sit still before I lock you up."

My brain completely went blank for a second . What the hell was he talking about?

"A baby?" I choked out, staring at him like he had grown two heads. Wtf? When did men start getting pregnant? No, no, no! This is impossible!

"The doctor is on his way," Ares said coldly, completely ignoring my breakdown. He reached into his pocket with one hand to pull out his phone, slightly loosening his grip on my shoulder as he started to dial a number.

That tiny mistake was all I needed.

I didn't think about the confusion or the heat burning my skin. I reached out, grabbed a heavy lamp from the bedside table, and swung it backward with everything I had. It struck his shoulder with a sharp crack.

Ares grunted, his grip slipping just enough for me to scramble out from under him.

I didn't waste a single second. I bolted across the room, tore the door open, and ran down the carpeted hallway of the luxury hotel. 

My legs felt like jelly, and my vision blurred, but the panic of what he had just said kept me moving. I burst through the emergency exit stairs, hit the ground floor, and ran out into the cool, dark night air of the city streets.

The cold air hit my face, but it did nothing to stop the fire inside my blood or the looping thoughts in my head. Men can't get pregnant. This is a sick dream. No, no, no!

Two blocks later, my chest felt like it was going to explode. A sudden, violent cramp twisted my stomach, and I fell to my knees on the damp ground. I couldn't breathe. 

“Ahhh.. fucking hell.” I screamed out, the pain was too much, more than anything I’ve ever faced in military training. 

My body completely gave out, dry-heaving violently as I gripped my stomach in total horror.

The sound of footsteps echoed behind me.

I looked up through blurry eyes to see three large men in dark security uniforms surrounding the alley. Ares walked up behind them, his face completely expressionless, though his eyes were dark with anger.

"Secure him," Ares ordered quietly.

"Don't touch me," I gasped, trying to claw my way away from them, but my fingers just scraped the ground. Two guards grabbed my arms, lifting me easily. 

I couldn't even fight them off, I felt too weak in this body, I tried to raise my voice but it felt like I was suddenly under water, everything started fading into nothing, the last thing I saw was the worried expression on Ares face before everything turned dark.