9. SHOW OFF

ZEUS

Without a word, he turned and started walking deeper into the woods, his broad shoulders cutting a path through the greenery.

“Hey, where are you going?” I called after him, frowning. My voice sounded more uncertain than I liked. 

He didn’t answer. Instead, his stride remained steady, and for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, I found myself following him. My feet moved almost on their own, driven by a mix of curiosity, defiance, and a strange feeling that I could not explain. He glanced back at me once as I followed him. 

As we emerged from the dense woods, my jaw dropped at the sight before me. A sprawling river stretched out ahead, its waters shimmering under the sunlight. It was so clear that I could see the smooth pebbles beneath the surface, their colors muted yet beautiful through the gentle ripples.  

“Wow!” I blurted out, unable to contain my excitement. My feet moved before my brain could catch up, carrying me past the Alpha as I sprinted toward the riverbank.  

The cool breeze danced on my face as I knelt by the edge of the water. Leaning in, I touched the surface, marveling at the cold, refreshing feel. It was flowing water, crisp and pure, and I could tell just by looking that it was safe to drink. But that could wait. I had a more pressing need… washing off the grime and sweat that had clung to me since this nightmare began.  Thankfully there was a toilet in that shack so I had taken care of that business already. 

Fumbling with the buttons of my shirt, I started undoing them quickly, eager to jump into the water and let it cleanse every bit of dirt from my skin. Just as I reached the last button, though, a shiver ran down my spine.  

I froze, feeling the weight of a gaze. Slowly, I turned around, and sure enough, there he was. The Alpha. His piercing brown eyes were locked on me, unreadable yet unwavering.  

My hand clenched at the fabric of my shirt, holding it closed. “Are you just going to stand there and watch me?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended, fueled by both embarrassment and irritation.  

The corner of his mouth twitched upward, his smirk infuriatingly smug. “Do you think I’m like Lynn, someone who’d be lured by your body. A body clearly forced into shape to trap innocent women?”  

I stiffened, my cheeks burning. “I never did any such thing!” I snapped back, though his words stung more than I cared to admit. It wasn’t like I spent hours in the gym for anyone’s benefit… okay, maybe to keep up with Damon’s annoyingly perfect abs, but that was more rivalry than vanity. Still, how could he possibly know that maintaining this build hadn’t exactly been my passion project?  

“You have ten minutes,” he declared, cutting through my thoughts like a blade.  

“Ten? That’s not enough!” I protested.  

“Nine,” he said flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument.  

I scowled, my lips twitching with disbelief. He was impossible. Turning away, I quickly resumed unbuttoning my shirt. But as I slipped it off my shoulders, my movements slowed. I could still feel his gaze, heavy and sharp, like he was studying me. It wasn’t like I’d never stripped in front of anyone before, but something about him watching made my heart pound harder than it should.  Especially when I felt his every gaze grazed my skin.

Why am I so self conscious about this? I wondered, biting the inside of my cheek as I glanced over my shoulder. Our eyes met briefly, and the intensity in his stare sent an unexplainable feeling to my heart. I looked away, shaking it off. He was just a man like me. There was no reason for my chest to tighten like this.  We both were men. 

Unaware of my inner turmoil, the Alpha stood behind me, his eyes trailing over the curve of my back and the smooth expanse of my skin as my shirt slipped further down. His gaze darkened when the hem of my pants slid lower, revealing long legs and hips that he wouldn’t have expected from someone so annoyingly defiant.  

The Alpha held his breath. Something inside him stirred… a strange pull that made his wolf pace restlessly.  

But when I finally turned to look again, he was gone.  

I blinked in surprise, scanning the area. “Where did he go?” I muttered under my breath, half-relieved, half-restless, though I refused to examine the latter feeling too closely.  

Shaking off the odd mix of emotions, I focused back on the river. Without a change of clothes, I couldn’t afford to get my current ones wet, which meant...  

My gaze darted around once more, ensuring I was alone. When I was certain no one was watching, I hooked my fingers under the elastic of my waistband. My breath hitched as I began sliding it down.  

“You wanna show off that much?”  

The deep voice whispered directly into my ear, and I froze. A rush of heat washed over me as I felt the Alpha’s breath against my skin, his hand suddenly resting lightly over mine.  

He was right behind me. 

“I… I didn’t mean to…” my voice barely above a whisper.  

“It’s okay even if you did,” he murmured, his voice low and strangely soothing. His fingers slid over mine, pressing something cool and crinkly into my hand. A plastic bag.  “As long as you don’t do it in front of other men,” he added.