7. A SHORTCUT

ZEUS 

“Who are you?”  

He didn’t flinch, didn’t even glance in my direction. His entire focus stayed fixed on the fire. The silence he directed towards me felt suffocating, a dismissal so deliberate it made my skin crawl, as though I wasn’t even worthy of a response because I was his captive. My jaw tightened, but I refused to back down.  

“What’s your name?” I pressed, my voice sharper now.  

Finally, he looked at me. His voice was cold, detached. “It’s Alpha to you.”  

“That doesn’t sound like a name,” I muttered under my breath, frustration lacing my words. It was clear he had no intention of revealing anything about himself. But I was desperate. Knowing even a shred of information about him might help me understand the kind of person or creature holding me hostage. Only then could I plan my escape.  

Suddenly, the sharp cry of a vulture echoed through the quiet, making me jump. My eyes darted upward, and there was a massive bird circling ominously above us. My breath caught. “What the hell? Why are they so big? And why are they here?” My alarm betrayed me, and without thinking, I slid closer to him, seeking instinctive protection from the unknown.  

I didn’t realize just how close I’d moved until our arms brushed.  

He noticed immediately. His gaze flicked down to where our arms touched, then back to my face, his expression unreadable. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I suddenly became all too aware of the dangerous proximity between us.  

“Scared?” he asked, his voice low and taunting, setting my pulse racing and my face burning in embarrassment.  

“Why would I be scared of them?” I shot back, glaring as I quickly pulled away. Even if I was terrified, I wasn’t about to admit it to him.

“Good,” he said with a wicked smirk. “They’re man-eating vultures. Drawn to liars, traitors, bastards, and…” He paused, his smirk widening. “…man-whores.”  

My jaw clenched. “Who the hell are you calling a man-whore?” I snapped, fury surging through my veins. 

“That cunning pretty face of yours says everything,” He looked me up and down, his eyes brimming with disdain, “Seriously, I  can’t believe Lynn liked something like this.” 

“You!” I choked on my retort, biting back a string of curses. 

Damon was a playboy, known for having a different woman in his bed every night but I was different. But according to this Alpha I was Damon. Still there was a fine line between playboy and manwhore! 

My frustration was a storm inside me, but I swallowed it. As much as I wanted to lash out, the rippling muscles in his arms and the veins bulging beneath his skin were a sharp reminder of his inhuman strength. He could kill me with ease, and both of us knew it.  

And yet, the way he looked at me, as if he could read every dark, fleeting thought in my mind…made me feel even more vulnerable. Anxiety clawed at me. What the hell was he?  

I ran a hand through my hair in aggravation, only to wince as my fingers brushed against the wound on my forehead. My anger flared anew. “Did you hit me while I was unconscious?” I demanded, glaring at him.  

He scoffed, his tone cool and mocking. “Ever heard of a mouse trying to act brave, only to end up hurting itself?”  

The memory of struggling against him earlier flashed through my mind, making my ears burn with shame. I’d fought back, thrashing wildly, only to slam my own head against something in the process.  

“If I’d hit you,” he continued, his voice flat and emotionless, “you wouldn’t still be breathing, not with that fragile human body of yours.” He fixed me with a deadpan stare. “So don’t try to be clever, and don’t test my patience. Escaping won’t end well. Especially for your body.”  

I turned away, biting the inside of my cheek in frustration.  

Did he just call me human? The way he spoke, as though he were something more than that. Something beyond human, made my stomach churn. Did he really think of himself as a god? Or a monster?   

Just then, a delicious smell wafted through the air, earthy and rich, drawing my gaze to the bonfire. A large fish roasted over the flames, its skin crisping, juices sizzling. My stomach growled, a quiet but shameful betrayal. I swallowed, feeling my mouth water despite myself.

“Hungry?” Alpha’s voice was casual, his hand moving as he slid the cooked fish onto a broad leaf.

My face heated, and I glared at him, swallowing down the embarrassment. “I’d rather starve than eat anything you’re offering.”

“Oh, a pitiful death,” he murmured, unbothered, tearing into the fish with a satisfied bite. “This will be the last time I offer, anyway.”

His tone was dismissive, and my fists clenched at his indifference. The last time? He wasn’t planning to kill me outright, but he certainly wasn’t planning to make things easy for me, either. “Don’t tell me you expect me to survive out here on my own in this… godforsaken forest.”

“Of course,” he said, his gaze hardening as it met mine. “Do you think this is a vacation where you’ll be waited on? Drop the ‘young master’ attitude. Here, you’re not a pampered guest; you’re my prisoner. Expect nothing more than that, otherwise you’ll only make it worse for yourself.”

My glare intensified. “How am I supposed to just survive out here? I know nothing about wilderness survival. And there’s… there’s nothing out here.”

“You have more than you deserve,” he replied coolly, ticking off each point with an unhurried precision. “The ground’s your bed, the sky’s your roof, and the forest, your shelter. There are edible plants, a river five hundred meters away for water and scavenging. You’ve got more than enough to survive.”

I frowned bitterly, “Am I not your captive? Are you not my kidnapper?” I bit out, feeling the heat rise to my face as I struggled to keep my voice steady. “Isn’t it your job to provide? You don’t know the basic standards of kidnapping?”

Alpha’s deep chuckle grated on my nerves. His voice slid over me like dark silk, unsettling and smooth. He leaned down, close enough that I could feel his breath, his fingers lifting my chin. His lips curled in a smile that sent a strange jolt through me. “Watched too many movies, have you?” he asked, his voice almost amused. “But I think you’ve missed an important point.” 

I scowled, my face flushing despite myself. “I’ve seen plenty of movies,” I shot back. “But you clearly haven’t.”

His smirk widened. “Maybe. Or maybe we’ve just seen very… different kinds of movies.” He took another slow bite, his eyes narrowing, almost challenging me. “How about I show you the one I know? The real one.”

My stomach growled again, defying every ounce of pride I had left. “What… what do you mean?” The words slipped out, unwillingly, and his gaze sharpened with that victorious glint I hated.

“The one where you earn your food,” he replied, his voice darkening, “but… there’s always a shortcut.”

My eyes filled with surprise. “Shortcut? What kind of…” With this condition I could not let go of any shortcuts. I was hungry!

He leaned in close, his voice dropping low, as he murmured against my lips. “Spread your legs for me.”