6. WHO ARE YOU?

ZEUS

A pair of brown, animal-like eyes, hairy hands that looked almost like claws…

I rubbed my eyes and blinked away the images, muttering, “What kind of shitty dream was that?” My head was still foggy, my senses playing tricks. Admittedly, the guy who’d kidnapped me had an intimidating presence. Strong, silent, with a piercing look that unnerved me. But to think that he was something more than human? A monster or… worse? Ridiculous.

“What the hell am I even thinking?” I scolded myself. It hadn’t been twenty-four hours since he’d dragged me into this nightmare, and already I was losing my grip on reality. But as the hazy memories settled, one came into focus, as clear as if it were happening again: “Call me Alpha.” His voice had been low, commanding, with an underlying edge that felt… powerful. Like he owned not just the moment, but everything within reach. Including me.

“Alpha?” I muttered, the name feeling strange on my tongue. There was something unnervingly fitting about it. He wasn’t just strong; he had this aura, a pull that made me feel like he was something more than a man, something larger. Both human and animal? 

I shook my head, rejecting the notion. This was all in my mind. I wasn’t about to let myself fall into whatever fantasy he seemed to think he could spin around me. I was sure that he played with my mind, making me think and see strange things, so that he could scare me!

Then my surroundings came into sharper focus. A rough wooden ceiling, cracked and stained, with beams that looked like they’d give way if I so much as sneezed. The walls were just as vulnerable, damp and warped. Cold ground pressed against me, gritty and hard. I groaned as I sat up, brushing dirt off my clothes, and finally took a good look around. The grimy, abandoned shack. If he meant to scare me, this place was doing half the job already.

I shot a glance at the doorway, or what passed for one. Just a crude, splintered slab. I stumbled to my feet, still shaking off the dizzy weight in my head, and glared at the door. 

“Did he really just dump me in here while I was out?” I muttered, scraping dirt off my shirt with an annoyed huff. “Alpha, right? Who does he think he is?” I scoffed, repeating the name to myself, the memory of his voice creeping back in. ]

I wanted to scoff more, but the truth was, his arrogance lingered. The way he’d said it, like a declaration, as if he didn’t just want control but fully intended to seize it.

Ignoring the pain in my head, I forced myself to stand. I took a shaky step toward the door, then another, my heart racing as I realized it wasn’t locked. No guard, no chains. A way out. Without a second thought, I pushed the door open and bolted outside.

The world outside was dim under thick tree cover, and the moment I started running, a wave of realization hit me. I had no idea where I was. Trees surrounded me, dense and tall, with twisted branches clawing toward each other. The woods offered no clear path, but I didn’t care. Anywhere was better than here.

I’d barely taken a few steps when I heard his voice, calm and infuriatingly close. “Running into the woods? A great way to become python food.”

I stopped in my tracks, my stomach lurching. I whirled around, spotting him sitting near a small bonfire. Alpha, watched me like I was the entertainment he’d been waiting for. His eyes, dark and still, found mine, and I felt a chill creep down my spine. He’d been here all along, just waiting for me to try to make a move. 

Not giving him the satisfaction, I turned and took off in the opposite direction, ‘There has to be a way out.’

“You love the swamp so much?” Alpha’s voice slid through the air, taunting me. My heart pounded when I realized he was right. That path led straight into the swamp forest. My options were terrible, but I only had one more shot. With a quick breath, I pivoted to the right.

His deep chuckle floated over. “Don’t forget to pack a swimsuit if you want to join the crocodiles.”

My frustration boiled over, and I glared back at him, hissing, “I don’t believe you. You really think you can scare me with your sick, false jungle traps?”

Alpha just stared at me, unfazed. “Go and see for yourself. You’re free to look around.”

His casual tone, his complete lack of concern, rattled me more than I wanted to admit. I’d already glimpsed the swamp, and the dense woods looked just as unforgiving. Whether it was python or crocodile, both ways led to a nightmare that I'd be lucky to survive.

“If you’re done playing, come here,” Alpha ordered, his voice flat, no patience left.

I grimaced, my every muscle tense. I finally understood why I hadn’t been tied up or under guard; it was because every path out was a death trap, carefully left open just for me.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” he growled, his eyes sharpening. “You won’t like it if I have to come get you.”

My jaw clenched, but I forced myself to walk toward him. It didn’t matter in which of the three directions I tried to run, danger lay ahead. So I could not take a risk. It also wasn’t smart to push his patience any further. Far more treacherous than the pythons, the swamp, or the crocodiles, I realized this man that called himself Alpha was the real danger here. I’d underestimated him once; I couldn’t afford that again.

When I reached him, I saw satisfaction flicker in his eyes, “You made the right choice. Smart boy.” 

I couldn’t stand the smug look in his eyes that screamed I was his pet or something. 

“You think that I’m giving up?” I spat, my words laced with defiance. “I don’t care if you’ve set this entire forest against me. I’ll find a way out, and escape!”

His gaze instantly hardened. He reached out to grab my arm and pulled me down roughly. I lost my balance and fell close to his thighs. He leaned forward, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “I’d like to see you try. Just make sure to make it fun. I get bored easily and when things can’t keep me interested, I ruin them.”

A twisted rush of emotions surged through me as Alpha’s smug gaze met mine, his eyes glinting with that taunting threat. He wanted to see me weak, desperate, maybe even scared. And the worst part? A sliver of me believed he’d make good on every single thing he threatened. Still, I refused to flinch, forced my spine to straighten as I sat up properly, and turned my face away, letting frustration flicker across my expression instead. 

Everything fell silent between us, the stillness broken only by the fluttering of birds in the early evening sky and the crackle of firewood he tossed into the flames. Sitting by the bonfire, with my kidnapper just two arm's lengths away, was an experience so surreal it defied description. Beyond the warmth of the fire, I felt something far more unnerving. His eyes were on me. 

To confirm my suspicion, I stole a quick glance at him, and my gut twisted in recognition. He was staring at me, his gaze piercing and predatory, as though I were prey that he was about to pounce on. My heart raced. His eyes weren’t the wild, animalistic ones I had imagined earlier, but the intensity in them was just as feral. He shifted his attention briefly, feeding another log to the fire.  

A tumult of emotions churned in my chest, and before I could stop myself, the question slipped out. “Who are you?”