ZEUSThe piercing scream of a bat shattered the silence between us, snapping me out of the intense stare I was locked in with the Alpha. My head instinctively jerked upward in alarm. The forest around us had grown darker. Evening had already fallen. Wild animals were waking up. Their cries were just creepy in the stillness of night. Suddenly, the Alpha’s hand shifted from my waist to my wrist.. Instinctively, I glanced up at him, but the moment our eyes met, my breath caught. The warmth I’d seen before was gone, replaced by something dark and furious.Without a word, he yanked me forward, his pace insane as if he was flying in the air.“What the hell are you doing?!” I hissed, stumbling as I struggled to keep up..The sharp pain in my wrist made me wince, and I wriggled in protest. “Let go! You’re hurting me!” I yelled, anger and panic boiling over.He didn’t stop. He didn’t even glance in my direction.I stumbled along, cursing him under my breath, fighting against his strong grip. B
ODINStanding by the window, I took a long slow drag of my cigarette as I watched the sunrise bleed colors across the horizon. It was stunning, as usual. It was a reminder that life continued at its own pace, indifferent to my sleepless nights. Since Lynn’s death, sleep had become a distant memory. My eyes drifted, almost against my will, to the clearing where he lay curled up, tied but somehow managing to look absurdly comfortable. Damon. His lean figure was nestled by the chopped woodpile, his expression softened in sleep, though his brows furrowed every so often. His lips seemed soft, plump, and maddeningly inviting, would part to mutter curses at the mosquitoes circling him. For someone so terrified of being devoured by a wild animal, he was surprisingly unguarded. Carefree. And infuriatingly... alluring.I scowled, forcing my gaze away but finding it impossible to fully shake the image. So stupid and irritating, I muttered under my breath. The bastard was human trash—a liar, a m
ZeusI stared at the Alpha in complete disbelief, my brain trying to process his statement. Enemies with benefits? Was this some kind of joke?My mind flickered back to the last time I’d been with someone. A Brazilian beauty during a rare three-day break from work. It had been... fine, but forgettable. Sex had never been a big deal to me, just a minor distraction from my singular focus: money. One-night stands were the extent of my interest, and even then it was few and far between.But this? This was something else entirely. The offer was shocking enough, but coming from him, a self-proclaimed straight werewolf willing to make an exception for me was almost laughable.Then I caught the way he looked at me. I was some kind of filthy, desperate thing. A manwhore in his eyes.My jaw clenched tightly as my pride took a hit. “I’m not gay. And even if I were, you would be the last person I’d ever choose,” I spat, glaring into his cold eyes.He tilted his head lazily, his expression one of
ZEUSBut something about the complexity of it all didn’t sit right with me. The coordination, the precision. It must’ve cost a fortune.I scoffed, my frustration spilling into words. “Is that wild man wealthy?” I muttered under my breath.Cade’s cold voice broke my thoughts. “Follow me,” he instructed, already heading toward the woods.I sighed and quickly laced up my shoes, begrudgingly following him.Our first stop was the river. Cade handed me three large bottles and motioned for me to fill them with fresh water. Carrying them back to the shack nearly broke my arms. I was drenched in sweat by the time we arrived.
ZEUS“Join me…” he whispered, his voice calm but laced with something I couldn’t place.I blinked, confusion thick in my voice. “Join you for what?”Next, I found myself on the rooftop of the wooden house. The Alpha carried a pile of flat boards in one hand, the other casually balanced a toolbox like it weighed nothing. Meanwhile, I was struggling just to keep my knees from giving out. Fuck my curiosity from earlier. Why had I come here instead of resting in the shack? If only I had known he was going to be fixing the roof and I would have to follow him around like a servant. Even at this height. A cold sweat broke out across my forehead when I glanced down. The height. The nauseating height.My breath hitched, and memories I’d buried clawed their way back into my mind. The sharp pain, the sickening crunch, the blood pooling around me...My legs wobbled like they had forgotten how to stand. Panic crept in, tightening my chest. Without thinking, my hand shot out, gripping the Alpha’s
Huffing, I stomped my feet and climbed down to gather the tools. Wasn’t this an overreaction over an old toolbox?Thankfully, nothing was broken. I glanced up at the Alpha. “What do I do now?”“Take it all inside,” he ordered curtly.Reluctantly, I turned and entered the house. It was a beautiful place, filled with antique furniture, but coated in layers of dirt and cobwebs. It seemed abandoned. Placing the toolbox down, I was about to leave when a small photo frame caught my attention. I reached out to grab it.“What are you doing?” the Alpha’s voice boomed through the room.Startled, I quickly pulled my hand back without even looking at the photo. “I was just looking around. This seems like a very old house,” I said, turnin
ZEUSAt 14, I sat before the mirror, dressed in high-end clothes, doused in branded perfume, a luxury watch gleaming on my wrist, and sporting a haircut identical to the boy staring back at me. A reflection of someone I no longer recognized. As I stepped into the world of the elite, masquerading as the heir to one of the most powerful men in the country, I realized something irrevocable: my existence had vanished.Zeus was gone.In his place, Damon was born.“Remember…” A large hand covered half my face, and I glimpsed him through the gaps of his fingers as he whispered in my ear, “From now on, you are me.”I jolted awake with a gasp. Thunder roared and lightning flashed, illuminating the dark confines of the rickety shack where I lay. The storm outside was relentless, shaking the very walls of my fragile refuge. My chest heaved as the memories I’d buried clawed their way back to the surface.After a moment of catching my breath, I sat up on the makeshift hay bed and turned to the sma
ODINStanding on the other side of the glass door, I watched him.His shivering figure huddled outside in the storm, barely holding himself upright. The doors and windows of this house were all glass. One-way glass. So I could see everything outside, yet he couldn’t see me within. I'd been watching him the entire time since the storm began, since the rain turned intense and the fragile roof of his shack gave in.As I had expected, he came to me for shelter.The wealthy human trash, Damon Darcy, reduced to nothing but a trembling figure. A man who would manipulate and ruin innocent life when he gets tired of them but now kneel in order to save his own pitiful life.His fist hit the door weakly. "Are you asleep?" he called out, his
DAMONI hated the rain.But on that day, in the middle of a downpour, a boy running barefoot across the street caught my eye.My car had broken down in an area of the slums, and while the driver worked on fixing it, I sat in the backseat, watching him. He was filthy, soaked to the bone, and clearly poor. Yet, he looked as casual as if it was another normal day.Standing under a makeshift shelter, he unwrapped a cheap piece of candy and popped it into his mouth. After gathering two bamboo sticks and a few bricks, he waded into a large, filthy puddle in the middle of the road. The water was thick with mud and waste, but he didn’t hesitate. He placed the bricks down, using them as stepping stones, and created a makeshift bridge.
ZEUSThe ground beneath me felt unsteady. My worst fear had been confirmed.“You knew,” I choked out, my fists clenching at my sides. “You knew about Odin…”A slow, cruel smirk curled his lips. “Of course, I did. And so did you.” His voice lowered, venom lacing every word. “Tell me, how could you let him touch you? Didn’t your skin crawl? Didn't you feel repulsed? You were forced, right? That beast forced you into those dirty acts, right?”“Once again you call them beasts?”Rage burned hot beneath my skin. My fingers trembled as I forced myself to meet his gaze. “If you hate werewolves so much—why did you make her fall for you? Why
ZEUS"Don't tell me he saw the love bites."I ran my hand over the back of my neck with one hand, feeling the faint sting where Odin's lips had been last night, as I sped down the road.Damon’s reaction haunted me. It wasn’t just his touch on my neck, it was the way he looked at me. Something in his eyes sent a chill crawling up my spine. My heart twisted with an emotion that I couldn’t place… and I hated it.Clenching the steering wheel tighter, I forced myself to focus and press down on the accelerator harder. The city blurred past as I made my way to Lucas’ office building. Entering the parking lot, I pulled into my usual spot, my pulse drumming in my ears.“Zeus!”
ODINThe baby's sharp, heart-wrenching cries pierced through the thick walls of the meeting room, pulling my focus away from the tedious discussion with the pack’s Elders. I had been handling critical decisions—territorial expansions, rogue incursions, and strengthening our defenses—but nothing held my attention the way her cries did.Without another word, I pushed back my chair and strode toward the baby’s room. The pack members fell silent, exchanging wary glances but knowing better than to question me.The sight that met me tightened something in my chest. My little princess—face flushed, tiny fists balled up—was wailing uncontrollably in the caretaker’s arms.“What’s wrong?” My voice came out harsher than I intended.
DAMONI stepped out of the car, my polished shoes striking against the marble floor as I strode toward the penthouse. My grip on the Warpath Technologies contract tightened, the smooth paper crinkling under my fingers. My mood? Foul.“So, the President of Warpath Technologies just… sent the signed contract instead of attending the meeting?” My voice was sharp as I flicked my gaze toward Victor, who scrambled to keep pace beside me.“Yes, Mr. Damon,” he confirmed, slightly lowering his head. “His secretary delivered it personally. She mentioned the President had to leave the country due to an urgent matter, so he won’t be attending.”A bitter scowl crossed my face. This contract, the one I’d fought tooth and nail for—was finally in m
ZEUSThe next day, I woke up earlier than usual. My nerves were already on edge, a mix of excitement and thrill twisting in my stomach. As I worked out, my eyes kept darting toward the clock.Odin was coming.After he left last night, Victor got a call from Warpath Technologies saying they wanted to sign the deal with Darcy Group. Which meant today… Odin and I were supposed to meet again.The thought alone sent a rush of energy through my veins, and I finished my morning routine in record time. But as I stepped out of the shower, something felt… off.Victor wasn’t here.He was always on time, never late, never absent. Yet, today of all days, there was no sign of him. I reached for m
ODIN“I love you,” I murmured, pressing my lips softly against Zeus’.“I love you too,” he whispered back, his kiss lingering, as if neither of us wanted to pull away.I gazed down at him, memorizing every inch of his face—the curve of his lips, the warmth in his hazel eyes. Mine. He was mine, and leaving him here, alone in Damon Darcy’s grasp, felt like carving off a piece out of my soul.A sharp knock on the door shattered the fragile moment.“Mr. Damon,” Victor’s voice came from the other side.Zeus lifted his head, meeting my gaze with a small, reassuring smile. “Go,” he mouthed, gently releasing my hand.
ZEUSNo wonder I hadn’t connected the dots. Warpath’s president—the elusive, shadowy figure no one seemed to have seen in person—was him.Odin must’ve caught the flicker of realization on my face because he stepped closer, his voice softening as he reached for my collar. “You look thinner,” he murmured, adjusting it with gentle fingers.I laughed under my breath, trying to shake off the tension. “Really?”“Zeus…”His voice sent a shiver through me. I still wasn’t used to him saying my real name, not like that.“Hm?” I couldn’t meet his gaze. If I did, I might lose what little resolve I had left.His hand slid down to mine, gripping it firmly. “Let’s go home
DAMONWith a cigarette balanced between my fingers, I leaned back in my chair, my gaze fixed on Victor standing rigidly before me.“The plan went exactly as you wished, Mr. Damon,” he reported, his voice steady but cautious. “My men recklessly tailed that Jay guy as you instructed. Zeus discovered it and he was furious.”I exhaled a thin stream of smoke, letting the silence stretch before I spoke. “Furious… or afraid?” Afraid that I would find out something by linking all the clues? The corner of my lips curled into a cold, knowing smile when my eyes landed on the dossier spread across my desk.Jay Williamson. Twenty-nine. Unemployed.But that wasn’t what caught my attention.“A hunter, “ my voice drop