June woke up to the sound of knocks on her door. For some insane reason, she could tell the person behind the door. It seemed like her senses sharpened every morning.
June dragged herself out of bed. she walked towards the door, forgetting she was putting on a transparent nightdress.
“What do you want?” Her voice was groggy and tired. “It’s still early.”
Zeus smirked. “I changed the routines. You will be working out with me starting at five.”
All traces of sleep vanished from her eyes. “No fair! The others get up at six!” She protested. “I need some rest. I can’t-”
Before the words were out of her mouth, Zeus entered the room at a blinding speed and backed her to a wall. His fangs elongated in one second, and he grazed her neck. June felt her eyes close in pleasure.
Her body burst with tingles, and her wolf purred within her. The entire situation was confusing. Zeus stepped back as though he were burned by her skin. He shook from the shock of what he had almost done.
Of how he had lost control when he was supposed to be making a point to her. June opened her eyes, feeling embarrassed. Augusta’s wolf on the other hand felt an intense amount of joy – one so strong that it pushed into her bloodstream.
“It takes one move.” Zeus gritted. “One more move and you are dead, Augusta.”
June blinked in confusion, only realizing the meaning of his words a moment later. “Were you trying to kill me?” She asked after a beat.
“I was trying to show you how easily you could be killed if you don’t become stronger.” Zeus didn’t mince words. “You could have been killed if I were out to do that.”
“Well,” June sat on her bed. “Thank goodness you didn’t kill me. It would have sucked.” She joked, finding his presence relaxing and familiar.
Zeus rolled his eyes. “Get up. We leave in five minutes.”
“I just got out of the hospital.” June pouted, “You should go easy on me.” She joked, but Zeus didn’t spare her. Instead, he walked out of the room, subtly commanding her to follow him.
Soon enough, they were settled in the training grounds, and June was close to giving up. “Again!” Zeus ordered, leaving her no breathing space.
They were sparring, and every round, June ended up on her butt or face flat on the ground. The morning dew made the ground damp and the feeling made her skin crawl.
It was still so early and it felt like any more training would leave her limp and lifeless on the floor.
“Get up.” Zeus spoke calmly when she fell for the hundredth time.
“I can’t…” June responded Breathlessly. Her limbs, lungs, and bones were all sore. She couldn’t continue. She wouldn’t.
Zeus stared at June and fire burned his heart at her weak state. He intended to push her to her limits and hoped it would bring up the needed results but so far she has been an epic waste of time.
With every spar, she became weaker and the thought of something extraordinary living inside her became far fetched. With that realization, Zeus became disappointed and angry.
He hated to admit it but he had hoped… nursed the simple possibility that she was something more. “Pathetic.” Zeus lashed with reddened eyes.
“Is this the best you can do? Is this how you intend to defend yourself? Do you plan to be weak all your life?!”
June felt like she’s been slapped. “What?”
“Get up.” He ordered, “Get up and fight!”
She remained on the ground, unmoving. “I can’t.”
Unknown to them, the other members of the pack were awake and headed to the training ground for their morning run. They soon watched their Alpha and the weak dormant wolf engage in a heated argument.
“I won’t stop.” Zeus stated. “Fight me. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I can’t!” June yelled frustratedly. “My legs and arms are-”
A chilly aura grew around the training ground. So much so that June felt her wolf stir in concern. She looked around and found the presence of others, once again seeing her in an ungraceful situation.
When she saw Tara in the midst of them with a mocking smile, she lost it. June stood up with a limp, ready to call it a day when she heard Zeus words.
“Transform.” His command came with a force that weakened her knee and made her fall to the ground, as well as the other wolves.
The sounds of bones cracking soon filled the air and June felt an inexplicable level of pain in her joints. It felt like something was tearing her apart from within. Like something begged to be unleashed but just couldn’t.
By now, Zeus was overtaken by his wolf who hijacked control from his hands and pushed him to the back of his mind. “You will obey me!” A deeper version of Zeus’ voice spoke through him. “Transform!”
It was an absolute command. An alpha command.
The entire pack were slain by the sheer power that exuded from Zeus whose gaze was focused on June. They all remained on the floor, dominated by the magnified alpha aura.
June felt her body paralyse. She couldn’t stand the force of his power. She couldn’t force herself to obey him. But her entire being worked against itself to perform that one goal.
Zeus watched her as she struggled to get a hold of her body. He was in a half transformed state as his wolf shared equal parts of control with him.
“You’ll kill her!” A voice said from within. “Please, let her live! It’ll kill her!” Zeus felt his anger increase at the sound of the voice which was locked within him.
Ever since someone tried to poison him a few weeks ago, he woke up with a being living inside him. One that messed with his head a couple of times and gave him an identity crisis until he was able to oppressively banish him to the ends of his mind.
Unknown to Zeus, his body was split into three parts by the moon goddess. His human side, which represented his fire elemental abilities, his Alpha wolf, and a mystery man who joined the circus following a near-death experience.
The same mystery man who influenced his decision to take the young lady away from his silly younger brother. It was a side of him that had a weird connection and affection for the young enigmatic lady before him.
A side of him that claimed to have an identity of its own. Rafael Ambrose.
Rafael Ambrose was assigned one task by the Second Chance system. To save Augusta Moore from being killed by the Alpha of the NightShade Pack, or to continue his journey beyond.
“Stop talking.” Zeus spoke within him, but Rafael persisted.
“You cannot do that! You will ruin everything!”
“The only thing I need to ruin is your unsolicited presence and voice.” Zeus hisses back, evidently irritated.
Rafael watched painfully as Augusta shook on the ground, her bones twisting in odd places.
The entire pack was transformed into their wolf form and laid on the ground with their head bowed.
Rafael watched from within, attempting to influence Zeus and his ferocious alpha wolf’s decision. That was his method because they were too powerful and coordinated to be dominated by him.
However, when he considered never returning to his body or seeing Luis and June again, he realized he had to stop Zeus before he made a terrible mistake.
Rafael pushed against the barrier, attempting to exert equal control over the other quarters.
Zeus and his wolf pushed back, refusing him access. Just then, June’s fingers grew to claws and Zeus smiled at the sight.
Just a little more. He thought. Just a little more and he’ll find out what surprises hid beneath her frail body.
Unknown to him, forcing a transformation was akin to a death sentence.