•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•
Zeus wanted revenge on Prometheus,
So he sent Pandora to his brother, Epimetheus.
The Titan fell crazy in love with her.
He ignored the warnings of his brother,
And made Pandora his wife.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•
I stared at the mangled body on the ground. My heart refused to seize its rapid pace despite the fact that Liam -- I mean Lust -- was here. I clenched my bound hands as I shifted on my folded knees. "This isn't Epimetheus real body. He's still alive...somewhere."
The sin pursed his lips in annoyance. "Then I'll rip out every freaking vessel he jumps into until I kill the original."
I fidgeted at the thought. Until we find his real human vessel, Epimetheus could be anywhere -- even at school. It explains how he knows everything I do and the time I do it. And to top it off, he had that weird freaking eye. I held a breath as Lust made his way towards me.
"Halt right there," Eros' sudden voice made us turn our heads. He stood at the outskirts of the clearing, dusting his button-down shirt. A shirt so neat that the only way I could tell he fought alongside Liam, was the two little blood stains on his chest. His heterochromatic eyes sliced between Liam and me. "You weren't seriously going to touch her with all that gore on you. Not to mention you still need to calm down before doing anything remotely close to her."
Lust snarled. "I'm not angry."
"Exactly. You're far from that, you're enraged, vengeful, a similar personification to your counterpart sin -- wrath. I can test that theory. Did you really think her husband will keep his hands to himself after seeing her in that dress--"
It happened so fast I could barely keep up. Liam nailed Eros to a tree with a clawed hand to his jaw, lifting the god three feet off the ground. The force bent the tree backward; almost in half. "Say 'husband' one more time and I will rip that tongue out. Epimetheus didn't go that far. If he did, I would know. The only person I have to deal with in that category is Henry."
Blood trickled down from where his claws pierced Eros' skin. The god of love smiled. "As I said, It was a test. You're currently blinded by rage and not in the right state of mind. Hence, I cannot leave her alone with you. And with your Sinful and animalistic counterpart in full dominance, you might take it to the next level and claim what you think was stolen. She's would be covered in claw marks and blood by the time you get back to your senses. "
The sin frowned. "It's Penny, why will you think I'd hurt her?"
"You plan on carrying her with that." Eros gestured to his claws. Lust glanced at his hand and was taken aback like he just realized they were there.
Eros remained patient. "Try switching with Liam."
That got the sin twice as mad. "Why will I do that?"
Eros shook his head. "Forget it, that won't do. If Liam comes out he is bound to be in the same emotional state. And that will only bring you back to consciousness at the snap of a finger. I'll handle it from here."
The sin growled like he was two seconds from doing to Eros what he did to Epimetheus. "You're not touching her."
Eros rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to fuck her, so chill out."
He held Lust's wrist, attempting to dislodge it from his jaw. Lust hesitantly withdrew and took a step back. Eros dropped to the floor and massaged his bruised mandible. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
He made his way towards me but froze the moment he got a good view of the white marking covering my body. His lips parted in surprise and his eyes glowed with an emotion I could easily decipher. It nearly matched the ferocity in Liam's eyes. "Epimetheus did this?"
Lust nodded from his position by the distorted tree. "My Hitlist keeps growing by the day."
I swallowed, feeling a little exposed and a tad bit shameful. "He said it was his way of making a 'promise'...to me."
Lust growled at the statement but Eros remained still. His hands fisted and I could see a trickle of blood slip out his palms as his nails bit into his skin.
Why do I get the feeling that it's worse than it looks?
The god turned to his brother. "Call Zion. As Zeus, he needs to know about this. Tell him to meet us at star-crossed inc now."
Lust cocked his head. "You sure about that? He won't like what he sees. And since I was with her at the time, he'll probably try to kill me."
"It doesn't matter," Eros bent down and sliced through my bonds with the tip of a sharp arrow. "Let's just pray he doesn't call a storm in his anger. Or even worse, lose his control over Zeus and end up wrecking the place. The entire building costs more than a billion dollars -- damn it!"
"I'm so sorry," I whispered.
Eros halted and looked questionably at me. "Why will you say that?"
"Hunter was right." The reality of the triplet's words hit me like an iced brick. It hurt so much that I couldn't hold back the tears. "I cause chaos and death wherever I go. That's why he's trying so hard to keep me away from his brothers. I'm the reason Pedro got kidnapped in the first place. And ever since we met, star-crossed inc has faced countless attacks -- so much that you had to relocate it. As a god, you have every right to hate me. Maybe Zeus was right; I'm better off dead than alive."
Silence etched through the entire forest for a second before Eros sighed. "My sweet Poppy." He wiped the tears from my cheeks with a thumb. "The only person to blame is Pandora. It's not your fault that she got trapped within you. We'll fix this, just hold on a little longer. And if you think I'll grow to hate you then you are sadly mistaken. Especially when my brother has fallen head over heels for you."
Lust grumbled incoherent words from behind but the god ignored it. Eros gave me a kind smile. "Let's get you patched up."
He slipped his hands beneath my back and knees before lifting me into his arm. I felt his healing ability trickle throughout my body, healing every wound. It was the first he had done that.
Eros stepped down the platform and glanced at the statue of himself. He smirked satisfactorily. "Damn, I look hot."
"We better get going." Lust spread out his dark wings ready for take off. White feathered wings also jutted out from Eros' back. Their appearance was ethereal and faultless.
"Can't we just teleport to Star-crossed inc?" I offered.
"No. You need your rest." Lust stood with his hands in his pockets. His eyes were now green and cat-like.
Liam.
He kept his distance, his body locked in a hold like he was seconds away from lashing out. His jaw shifted, the only physical thing that indicated the turmoil boiling from within. With one glance at me, he took to the air in a mighty gust of wind. Eros took after him, his white wings expanding as he followed after his brother.
I shivered against the cold night breeze as we ascended past the tree canopies and into the dark skies. At this height, the stars felt closer than before. Eros kept a tight grip around me as he veered to a bearable altitude before taking off at an unbelievable speed. Liam took the lead. His hand held a phone in his ear. I could easily guess who he was calling.
It wasn't long till I gave in to exhaustion. My body after, holding out for so long, finally gave up. I succumbed to the sweet embrace of darkness.
~~•~~
There's something about sleep that keeps you away from all your problems. You're stuck in limbo -- trapped in a cacoon with the outside world lost in a haze. It's the only sense of peace you can obtain until life calls you back to wakefulness.
At a point...I dreaded it.
My consciousness slowly returned and the first thing I sensed was the smell of a familiar rosey gas. A sign I was back in star-crossed inc. My cheek was pressed against the warmth of a pillow and a warm body was pressed against my front, holding me in a soft hug.
I shifted closer, seeking Liam's warmth. But his scent was different; instead of a rosy aroma, he smelled like smoke and grilled fish. His arms were slimmer than normal. I jerked out of the bed, tripping over the edge and slamming my behind to the cold floor. I shuffled away as I took in the sin before me.
He rose to his elbows, his bare chest was completely covered in tattoos along with a chain dangling from his neck. Raph's black mohawk was ruffled as he pouted at the empty spot beside him. His sleepy eyes tracked my movements. "That's a horrible way to wake up from bed."
"She thinks we're her enemies, what more do you expect?" At the deep voice, I turned to Pride who sat on the window ledge. One knee was held to his chest while the other swung before him. His braid fell over his shoulder and bare front, ending between his jean-clad thighs. The sin smirked at me.
I tried to breathe. "What are you both doing here?"
"Liam invited us," Raph said as he grabbed the pillow I recently slept on and sniffed it. He sighed, breathing in my scent then hugged it like a teddy bear.
Pride/Pharoah rolled his cat eyes. "Don't say it like that, she'll think Liam is on our side."
Raph bit into the pillow. "Isn't that the point? That way she will soften up to us."
Pride sent a sinister smile my way. "That moment will come. I'm bidding my time."
I quirked an eyebrow at the statement. He was already planning something in that thick head of his. "Why will Liam call both of you out of everyone? And does Eros know you're in his building?"
Pride ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, much to the god of Love's discomfort. I bet his hatred towards us almost rivals Zeus. Unfortunately, Liam doesn't trust anyone to protect you apart from us. It's the one thing we can all agree on. And if you're wondering where Eros and the others are, they're downstairs discussing who knows what. At least they are smart enough to leave us out of it."
If they are having a discussion, then Zion is here.
I eyed the sin of pride. "So you're not going to steal the bond?"
"Our current goal is to make sure you're alright. It's what Liam and I agreed on...for now. I promised to not do anything in my selfish interests. But as soon as that's done, make no mistake, I will take the bond."
Of course, he's still an enemy.
"How about we thaw this freaking tension? It's depressing." Raph stepped out of the bed, his ripped jeans on display as he made his way to me. "Time to get back to bed."
I shook my head, attempting a 'no,' but he grabbed by the waist and hauled me into his chest before walking back to the soft comforter. He carefully laid me on the bed before lining up behind me. For once, I was glad Liam had dressed me in a t-shirt and sweatpants.
Raph pulled me into his warm embrace, the golden bracelets on his wrists jingled with the movement. He sighed satisfactorily and nuzzled my hair. "You smell so good. It makes me wonder what it feels like to feed on you. I bet you'll taste just as magnificent as Hunter's blood."
I tensed, anxiety slowly crept up my throat.
"Don't worry, he won't do anything. We promised not to act in our selfish interests." Pride watched me closely. "However, it becomes void if you consent to it."
I didn't fail to read the double meaning behind his words; they want to feed. And if not for the promise, they would've done it without hesitation. Pride was tactful, sneaky, and smart, and it wasn't surprising he found a loophole around the binding contract. I shook my head, declining the offer. Allowing them to feed on me will seem like a betrayal to Liam.
I squeaked when Raph pulled me in closer, the action totally uncalled for. I froze when the realization hit. "Greed."
At the words, the two tensed. The entire place fell completely still. Steeling courage, I shifted unto my back and stared into Raph's cat-like eyes. "You're the sin of Greed, aren't you?"
After a few seconds, Raph's lips slowly stretched into a wide smile, displaying his two pairs of canines. He shoot a fist in the air and hooted in excitement. "Yes! She got my sin's name right!"
He knelt up and hugged me to him. The sudden action left me in a stupor. A dark canopy fell over us and I squeaked at his sprouted batwings.
They were on fire.
Pride grumbled. "Calm yourself, Raph, before you burn the whole place down like last time."
Is his name even Raph?
Every Greek person I encounter always seems to have a problem with disclosing their true name. A similar thing happened with Eros, Pride, and Epimetheus. I wouldn't be surprised if Raph was walking down that road.
"Sorry." The sin fell back to the bed with me clutched tightly to him. He nuzzled me even further. "You're the best."
Somehow, the words caused something warm to trickle through my chest. The last time I had that feeling was when I pet his drakon. I could still feel the rough scaly skin against my palm.
A shadowed figure appeared in the corner. And judging from the fact that Greed and Pride didn't react to it meant it was visible to me alone. Pandora stood with a black cloak drawn over her head. Her face was impassive as she stared between the sins and me.
But instead of a scowl...she actually looked pleased.
That's it for now.
A big thank you to everyone who kept reading every weekly update. You're the reason I keep writing and I am grateful.💜💜💜🥰
I hope you all enjoy the holidays to the fullest💜💜💜