“Mario is dead!” the Gamma announced breathlessly, his voice cracking under the weight of their dire circumstances.
Cade didn’t spare a glance at Mario’s charred, lifeless body sprawled amidst the ashes. His entire focus was locked on the roaring waterfall below, where his Alpha and the human’s tracks had vanished. Fury burned in his veins, his jaw clenching hard enough to crack teeth.
He was late. Too late.
The hunter’s gun lying near Mario’s corpse told the story loud and clear. A shot had been fired. But who had been hit? The human? Or his Alpha?
The implications sent a chill down Cade’s spine. Either way, this was a disaster.
“They definitely fell over the waterfall,&r
ZEUSEvery nonsense I said to him when he was in wolf form and even calling him cute resurfaced in my mind.Fuck. It was so embarrassing! He had understood me the whole time and he was just playing dumb.Suddenly, a sharp sound behind us broke through the tense silence of the forest. My body stilled as I turned, heart pounding, to find a man emerging from the shadows, a gun trained directly on me.“One wrong move, and I’ll put one in your brain,” he growled, his voice low and menacing.Panic gripped me. My eyes darted to the weapon in his hand. It was the same kind of gun Mario had used. My breath hitched. Who was he?Before I could react, a strong arm wrapped around
ZEUSBottom?Top?The boldness of those words wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as Odin’s intense, unrelenting gaze. His brown eyes bore into me, steady and piercing, making my chest constrict with panic. I tore my gaze away, unable to hold it.“We… we’re not like that,” I stammered, desperate to clarify before their assumptions spiraled further out of control.“Really?” Scott arched an eyebrow, his expression laced with amusement and doubt.“Yeah!” I slammed the half empty can onto the side table, the sound sharp in the heavy silence. I shot to my feet, eager to escape the stifling tension. “So stop making absurd assumptions—”“I love him,” Odin interrupted, his voice firm yet uncharacteristically vulnerable.I froze mid-step, my breath caught in my throat. Did he just—?The room fell into a suffocating silence.Slowly, I glanced back at him. He lay there, battered and pale, yet his hand was still curled around mine with surprising strength. His eyes never wavered as he spoke again.“And
ZEUSWithout thinking, I got up and ran inside. The house was eerily quiet. The delicious lunch was still waiting in the dining room but Jay and Scott were nowhere in sight. My pulse quickened as I made my way to Odin’s room, only to find the bed empty.Panic flared in my chest until my eyes darted to the bathroom door. It was slightly ajar, and a faint rustling sound came from within.I rushed in without a second thought and froze.Odin stood there, shirtless, his movements slow and unsteady as he struggled to toss his shirt in the dustbin. Blood had seeped through the gauze on his back, and his pale complexion made my chest tighten.“What are you doing?” I hurried to his side, grabbing his arm to steady him. “Why are you out of bed? What if your wound rips open again?”He looked down at me, his expression unreadable, before murmuring, “I want to take a bath.”I blinked, caught off guard by his stubborn declaration.
ODINThose Hazel eyes were the eyes of a liar. But at that moment they were telling the truth. He also had feelings for me.Damon’s lips moved softly against mine, tentative and hesitant, yet undeniable in their response. He kissed me back. It was almost maddening how close I came to losing my self-control. His hesitation lingered, the faint tremor of fear still present, but he no longer pulled away. Instead, he opened his mouth, surrendering to me, giving me access to explore the warmth and sweetness within.Excitement coursed through me like wildfire, igniting thrill and impatience in equal measure. I deepened the kiss, pulling him closer, wanting more of him, needing all of him. My wolf howled in satisfaction, a dark and primalpart of me demanding to consume him completely.Then the sound of someone clearing their throat shattered the moment.Damon flinched, abruptly breaking the kiss. His wide
ODINJay was the first to finish his meal, followed by Damon a few moments later.“Let me help you with the dishes,” Damon offered. I could not help but eye his ass as I took a bit of my food.Jay chuckled, waving him off. “You don’t need to.”But Damon had already started, rolling up his sleeves and running water over the plates. “You’ve fed us and treated us so kindly. I want to do something in return before we leave.” His voice was warm, his smile genuine.My hand froze mid-motion, gripping the spoon. The word “leave” echoed in my mind like a distant thunderclap. Scott noticed immediately, his sharp eyes flicking to me.“Oh… yo
ODINThe delicious aroma of barbeque filled the backyard, mingling with the cool evening breeze. Damon stood by the grill with Jay, carefully turning the skewers of meat over the glowing coals. His gaze flickered to me every few moments, a subtle but persistent check to make sure I wasn’t moving unnecessarily.I hadn’t realized how much the staged skit in the spare bedroom and the sight of my bleeding wound had made him so protective of me.Kin growled in my mind, satisfaction dripping from his tone. “Pretending to be weak isn’t so bad, is it?”A sly smile tugged at my lips that I hid behind the rim of my water glass. Across the table, Scott began plating the freshly grilled meat.
ZEUSI dragged Damon to the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind us. The sound echoed in the small room, making him gasp as he instinctively stepped back.“What’s wrong with you? Why are you so angry?” he asked, his voice laced with confusion.“What happened between you and Scott?” I demanded, advancing toward him.“What? Nothing happened!” he denied, his response a little too quick and defensive.A vein throbbed in my temple. “Then why the fuck were you two looking at each other like that?” I growled, closing the gap between us. “You went with him alone, and now you won’t look me in the eye!”Damon’s back hit the wall, a
ZEUSShare a bed with Odin? The thought alone made my heart race. I froze in place, the blanket slipping from my grasp. If it had been anyone else, I might have been fine. But the man behind me was a completely different case. I had kissed, hugged, and even seen him naked! Most importantly he had confessed his feelings for me! He was no longer a normal guy, he was a man with clear intentions towards me that I did not want to put a name to even though I could possibly reciprocate them. Sharing a bed with him was going to be sleeping with a lion!“J…Jay!” I called, quickly squeezing out of Odin's arms and rushing towards Jay. “Didn’t you say… you had a game night planned?” My voice was a little too loud, betraying my nerves.Jay blinked,
ZEUSThe doctor stepped out of the emergency room. His voice was steady, but the weight of his words pressed my chest like a vice.“We managed to save the patient, but his legs were completely crushed. At this moment, we can't say whether he’ll recover or not. We need to wait for him to regain consciousness and run further tests…”His voice faded into a distant hum as I walked past him, my legs moving on their own. My gaze locked onto the small window overlooking the room where Gary lay.He’s alive.The words echoed in my mind, drowning out everything else. Gary wasn’t dead. He had survived.If he hadn’t&h
ZEUSBarbecue? Don’t tell me…My grip tightened around my phone as Odin’s words from that day echoed in my mind—the day he had asked if I was hiding something."If I find something unsavory, I will erase its very existence from this world. But you wouldn’t like the old Odin."A wave of panic surged through me. It turned out that Gary was the "unsavory thing" Odin had been referring to. And this barbecue—it wasn’t just a casual gathering. It was Gary.My pulse thundered in terror. Gary was in danger. I had to save him. I had to act fast.I glanced at the door, then o
ODINSitting on the cold floor of my bedroom, I gripped the disconnected phone in my hand, my gaze locked onto the documents Cade had placed before me.“Alpha,” he began hesitantly, “this is the police report from twelve years ago.”My eyes flickered to the file as he continued.“The man named Harris and his gang were convicted of kidnapping, child abuse, and pedophilia. That man, Harris… he was Zeus’ father.” Cade pointed at the grainy photo stapled to the document.I studied the image, my pulse drumming in my ears. The man looked nothing like Zeus—except for the eyes. Those damn eyes.Rage burned through my veins. My fingers curled, claws scrapin
ZEUS“The wound is completely healed,” the doctor announced, his voice carrying a note of relief.It wasn’t surprising. Every time he came to change my bandage over the past week, Victor loomed over him like a silent executioner, making it painfully clear that any mistake would not be tolerated. The poor man had been under so much pressure that today, when he turned to Victor, his smile was more nervous than pleased.“There will be no scar,” he assured, quickly adding, “but please continue applying this gel until its gone.”Victor accepted the tube without a word, and the doctor wasted no time in making his exit—ignoring the fresh coffee the maid had just served him.I picked up my own cup and glance
ZEUS“Mr. Damon, we’re here,” Victor announced as he opened the car door for me.I remained motionless in the back seat, just as I had been the entire ride. More like a corpse than a living man.“Was it Susan who called you?” I asked without looking at him.Victor was silent for a moment before responding, “Yes.”Of course, it had to be Susan. She would do anything to save herself—even sell her soul. She kicked Gary out, knowing I would come back for him, and then called Victor to cover her tracks.Without another word, I stepped out of the car and back into the world I was accustomed to. The penthouse.I stoo
ZEUSI just wanted to help him. I just wanted to give him food and shelter. I just…But when I rolled over in my sleep, I woke up to a nightmare.I froze. My body frozen, my mind refusing to process the horror unfolding before me. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.For a long, paralyzing moment, all I could do was stare.Then something snapped inside me.I lunged forward, shoving my father away from Gary with all the strength I had.Gary had already passed out, his small body limp and motionless on the floor.I reached for him,
ZEUSMy fingers trembled at my sides. "Shut your mouth, Gary."He glanced at my shaking hand before his cold stare met mine once more. Then, his lips parted into a slow, wicked grin."So you really have found someone, huh? Someone that you think is more important than me?"Before I could react, he grabbed a brick from the ground and hurled it at me. "HOW DARE YOU!!!"I didn’t move.The brick struck my head, splitting my skin. Warm blood oozed down the side of my face, fast and thick. But the pain barely registered.Gary’s fury exploded as he screamed at me. "YOU FUCKING CRIMINAL! YOU MONSTER!
ZEUSThe day I came home from school and found my mother lying lifeless on the kitchen floor was still etched into my memory like a scar that never fades. My father, a drunk even then, barely acknowledged her death. From the funeral to the burial, he remained the same. A man drowning in alcohol and indifference. He already had a mistress outside our home, along with a daughter, so my mother’s death meant nothing to him. But for me, it changed everything. That was the day I became the new target of his abuse.By the age of thirteen, I had already grown accustomed to a life of servitude. Every day, I woke up early to cook, clean, and take care of the house before and after school. Every night, I braced myself for the beating that followed my father’s drunken return.That night was no different. I left the
ZEUSAfter Odin left, I spent some time playing with the baby until she drifted off to sleep again. Once she was settled under the caretaker’s watchful eye, I hurried straight to the kitchen.Hidden beneath a pile of neatly stacked dish towels was the smartphone I had stashed away. Jay’s phone.I couldn’t thank him enough for this favor. He never questioned why I needed it, simply handing it over and telling me I could return it whenever I wanted.Now was my chance.With Odin around, I hadn’t dared take the chance to use it. But now? Now I had to.I switched on the phone and immediately dialed a number, but not Gary’s.Hi