ZEUS
“I…I just came to clean the room,” I blurted, stepping back from the desk. “I swear I didn’t touch…”
Before I could finish, Odin moved. He charged toward me. I braced myself for his anger. For an accusation. For a punishment.
Instead, he pulled me into his arms.
Tightly.
Like he was afraid to let go.
I froze. My heart pounded against my ribs and my breath caught in my throat.
“O-Odin…” I murmured, confused. “What happened?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he held me tighter. Then, out of nowhere he asked.
ZEUSIt had been three days, and still no message from Gary. I stood under the shower, lost in thought. Where had things gone wrong? Uncertainty gnawed at me, making it impossible to stay calm. I had to find a way to contact him.Wearing a bathrobe, I stepped out of the bathroom, only to find Cade entering the bedroom at the same time.“Alpha…” he started but trailed off when he realized Odin wasn’t here.What caught my attention, though, was the envelope in his hand, the one he quickly shoved into his pocket, almost as if he were hiding it. What was that about?“It seems the Alpha isn’t here,” he said awkwardly.I nodded, noticing how he struggled to ad
ZEUSBy late morning, we had driven out of Romano territory. The journey was long, yet thrilling, especially when Odin stopped by a cave he had discovered while hunting with his father at the age of nine. He even taught me how to catch a fish with my bare hands! It required a special skill and technique, and I could tell this man could survive in the wild without any modern facilities.Before we left home, I had packed some sandwiches. We ate them inside the cave, laughing and chatting about random things before continuing our journey.As we drove, curiosity got the better of me. “By the way, why are you taking me with you? Am I even allowed to be there?”Odin glanced at me with a smirk. “I was afraid you’d get homesick, so I thought about bringing you al
ZEUSBefore I could react, the werewolf grabbed my collar, yanking me closer. “Don’t be cocky just because you’re with Alpha Romano! Meddling in our business will get you killed.”Jay was about to intervene, but before he could, I slammed my forehead into the man’s nose with all my strength. He howled in pain, stumbling back with blood pouring from his nose.I smirked. “You know who I’m with, yet you still dare to underestimate me?”The werewolf’s fury turned into hesitation.I turned to the woman, helping her to her feet. “Whatever twisted business you’re involved in, I won’t let you kill this baby,” I declared.
ODINAfter settling matters with the Council, I left with Damon and the baby.They had acted on their own accord and killed the baby’s mother, so I made sure they took care of her last rites. The child’s identity was erased from all records. officially, she was already dead. This way, she could have a new future, a new name… a new life.The entire ride back, I couldn’t help but watch Damon’s face. He was smiling…a rare, genuine smile as he held the baby in his arms. I had never seen him this happy.“Do you like babies?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.Damon glanced at me. “Actually, this is the first baby I’ve ever held, so I don’t know if I like babies in general&hell
ZEUS"You would not like the old Odin."Odin’s words echoed in my mind all night, refusing to let me rest. The next day as I stood in the kitchen, stirring the pot, I barely noticed when the heat came close to searing me until the sting snapped me back to reality. I yelped, jerking my hand away just in time before I got burned.With a shaky breath, I turned off the stove and gripped the edge of the counter. What the hell had last night been about? Odin had looked at me like he was certain I was hiding something. Dead serious.He wasn’t wrong.When I returned to Odin that day, I had a plan. First, to prove to him
*Zeus*Pain.That’s all I felt as I came to, my head pounding like it had been split open. A dull ache throbbed, warm and cold all at once, and I realized blood—both dry and fresh—was smeared across my forehead. I shifted, wincing as my eyes fought to open, each blink a struggle against the sticky darkness. For a moment, all I could see was black, blinding black, then a sickly blur that forced my eyes shut again.After a second, I braced myself, sucking in a shallow breath as I tried again. This time, my vision cleared just enough to show a haze of shadows, and I got the sense that I wasn’t alone. But it wasn’t because anyone else was here; no, it was more the way the darkness closed in around me. Pressing down. Suffocating.A chill spread through me as I felt the hard surface under my back. Cold and hard. Stone? Maybe hard packed dirt. I couldn’t tell. My whole body screamed as I pushed myself upright, every muscle in me stiff and aching, like I’d been crushed under something heavy.
**Zeus**For the first time in my life, I felt chills at being called Damon. Every face, name, and power play in Damon’s world was etched into my memory like a ghost. I hadn’t just studied Damon’s life, I’d absorbed it, drilled into me by Victor over the years. His enemies, allies, friends, even obscure acquaintances… I knew them all. Their faces, their sins, their individual stakes in Damon’s empire, each piece embedded as deeply as my own childhood memories. I could call up the name of a distant cousin Damon hadn’t spoken to in years or the backstory of a mistress hidden away for “family honor.” These people existed like ghosts, ready to come to life in my mind whenever the role demanded it.But this man… this man with those intense brown eyes and that presence sharp as steel… he wasn’t among them. No name, no whispers, no power that I could link back to Damon’s world. His face held a confidence that matched Damon’s, yet I couldn’t place him anywhere in the network of people Damon
ZEUSThe last thing I wanted to hear after threatening my kidnapper was a casual, “Sounds good.” Those two words sent a chill through me, a clear hint that things were only going to get worse. I could feel the warmth of his chest retreating as he pulled me from the tree. My twisted arm was released, but before I could even lower it to my side, he was dragging me forward again. I was caught off guard. “Where are you taking me?!” I demanded, struggling to keep up as the feeling slowly returned to my legs. “Stop dragging me! Let me go!” I twisted, using every ounce of strength I had to break free from his iron gasp, but it was like he was deaf, or just didn’t care. He’d already declared me his prisoner, his “slave,” and my protests seemed to mean nothing to him.“Let go!” I snarled through my teeth, looking around frantically. The trees were dense and twisted, looming over us like silent giants. The air smelled foreign, damp and earthy, and the distant calls of strange birds echoed in th
ZEUS"You would not like the old Odin."Odin’s words echoed in my mind all night, refusing to let me rest. The next day as I stood in the kitchen, stirring the pot, I barely noticed when the heat came close to searing me until the sting snapped me back to reality. I yelped, jerking my hand away just in time before I got burned.With a shaky breath, I turned off the stove and gripped the edge of the counter. What the hell had last night been about? Odin had looked at me like he was certain I was hiding something. Dead serious.He wasn’t wrong.When I returned to Odin that day, I had a plan. First, to prove to him
ODINAfter settling matters with the Council, I left with Damon and the baby.They had acted on their own accord and killed the baby’s mother, so I made sure they took care of her last rites. The child’s identity was erased from all records. officially, she was already dead. This way, she could have a new future, a new name… a new life.The entire ride back, I couldn’t help but watch Damon’s face. He was smiling…a rare, genuine smile as he held the baby in his arms. I had never seen him this happy.“Do you like babies?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.Damon glanced at me. “Actually, this is the first baby I’ve ever held, so I don’t know if I like babies in general&hell
ZEUSBefore I could react, the werewolf grabbed my collar, yanking me closer. “Don’t be cocky just because you’re with Alpha Romano! Meddling in our business will get you killed.”Jay was about to intervene, but before he could, I slammed my forehead into the man’s nose with all my strength. He howled in pain, stumbling back with blood pouring from his nose.I smirked. “You know who I’m with, yet you still dare to underestimate me?”The werewolf’s fury turned into hesitation.I turned to the woman, helping her to her feet. “Whatever twisted business you’re involved in, I won’t let you kill this baby,” I declared.
ZEUSBy late morning, we had driven out of Romano territory. The journey was long, yet thrilling, especially when Odin stopped by a cave he had discovered while hunting with his father at the age of nine. He even taught me how to catch a fish with my bare hands! It required a special skill and technique, and I could tell this man could survive in the wild without any modern facilities.Before we left home, I had packed some sandwiches. We ate them inside the cave, laughing and chatting about random things before continuing our journey.As we drove, curiosity got the better of me. “By the way, why are you taking me with you? Am I even allowed to be there?”Odin glanced at me with a smirk. “I was afraid you’d get homesick, so I thought about bringing you al
ZEUSIt had been three days, and still no message from Gary. I stood under the shower, lost in thought. Where had things gone wrong? Uncertainty gnawed at me, making it impossible to stay calm. I had to find a way to contact him.Wearing a bathrobe, I stepped out of the bathroom, only to find Cade entering the bedroom at the same time.“Alpha…” he started but trailed off when he realized Odin wasn’t here.What caught my attention, though, was the envelope in his hand, the one he quickly shoved into his pocket, almost as if he were hiding it. What was that about?“It seems the Alpha isn’t here,” he said awkwardly.I nodded, noticing how he struggled to ad
ZEUS“I…I just came to clean the room,” I blurted, stepping back from the desk. “I swear I didn’t touch…”Before I could finish, Odin moved. He charged toward me. I braced myself for his anger. For an accusation. For a punishment.Instead, he pulled me into his arms.Tightly.Like he was afraid to let go.I froze. My heart pounded against my ribs and my breath caught in my throat.“O-Odin…” I murmured, confused. “What happened?”He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he held me tighter. Then, out of nowhere he asked.
ODINLoosening my tie, I stretched my neck as I stepped into my office. The entire day had been spent outside the territory at an important Alpha meeting. I had intended to return earlier, but the endless reminiscing of old wolves, my father’s friends had kept me longer than planned. Their talk of the past only grated on my nerves. I hated recalling those old days.Sinking into my chair, I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing the quiet to settle.Then, a familiar and intoxicating scent filled the air.Damon’s cooking.Opening my eyes, I spotted a tiffin on my desk. My mood instantly lifted as I flipped it open, revealing warm, perfectly prepared fri
ZEUSThe next morning, the first thing I did upon waking was check my phone. Still no message.Odin had been caught up in urgent matters last night and hadn’t returned after dealing with Lex. But this… this was something else entirely. The speed post should have reached Gary by now. So why hadn’t he messaged me after reading the letter?It was already the first day of the new month. Had he not received the money? A gnawing sense of unease curled in my chest, spreading like wildfire.What exactly was going on?A bad feeling settled deep in my gut.Unbeknownst to me, Susan was making her way down a narrow alley, humming to herself as she approached the house. A cigarette dangled
ZEUSI followed Odin out.Stepping outside, my gaze instinctively went to Cade, standing at the stairs with a composed expression. But it was Lex and Ekim, standing farther away, who immediately drew my attention. Their faces were pale with fear as Odin charged toward them, radiating a deadly fury.“What is going on here?” I demanded, glancing at Cade. He averted his eyes, refusing to meet my gaze."Alpha… I can explain!” Lex’s desperate pleas echoed through the tense air. “Please!" He stumbled backward, terror etched into every movement.Something was wrong. Danger thrummed in the atmosphere. My instincts screamed at me to stop this before it escalated."Odin