LILY

"Hey? Can you hear me, miss?"

I woke up to a voice talking. My head was sore and my eyes felt sensitive. Hands had griped my underarms to help me get up on my feet.

"What happened?" I said while rubbing my forehead. I was so confused as to what was going on.

I heard this guy sigh, "You must be, Lily?"

I nodded my head, "Yes, I am. And you are?"

"I'm Donny. Zeus told me you need to be guided around the place. Apparently you got lost?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, I didn't get lost, I just fell."

"Oh, Okay." He coughs in his hand and asked, "What are you doing here anyways?"

I remembered I was in this strange room with a strange chest. I shrugged my shoulders, "I just found it, I didn't mean snoop."

The guy put his arm around my shoulder and gently guided me out the room, "Alright, that's okay, but we should leave." He says slightly nervous.

"Why?"

"Because we are not meant to be here."

I nodded my head, feeling guilty for snooping into things I shouldn't, "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go into things I shouldn't be."

I heard Donny chuckle.

I frowned, "Why are you laughing?"

"Because little girl, I never thought that Zeus would bring home a girl like you, you're usually not his type."

I felt a slight bit of jealousy. He's had other women brought here?

"So what is his type then?" I tried to ask nonchalantly

"He's got a thing for brunettes. He usually doesn't like blondes...he actually stays far away from them."

I stuck my head up high and crossed my arms, "Well he has poor taste in females then! Blondes are just as good as brunettes!" I snapped, laughed without humour, "Oh the irony, he prefers brunette's and yet his mate is the one thing he doesn't find attractive."

I heard Donny inhale quickly.

"What?" I asked

"Y-you're his mate?" He said in obvious shock.

"Ummm, yes. I am."

"That means you're..." He trailed off in his sentence.

Suddenly a loud bell rang that seemed to snap Donny out of his trance.

"It's dinner time. We should get to the dining hall before Zeus becomes impatient. Are you sure you're okay? You don't feel funny? If you do not feel well, we can return to your room if you'd like?"

I smiled politely. This guy seemed to be a lot more friendly than the Hellhounds, "Thank you for the offer, Donny, but I'm fine really."

Donny cautiously guided me down countless halls and staircases until I heard two heavy sounding doors creak open. A breeze that held the scent of food made my stomach growl in excitement. I guess I had not thought of food till now. However, I also felt the pull inside of me. Zeus was inside.

Donny gently motioned me inside and sat me down in a chair. I knew I was sitting next to Zeus. My wolf instincts kick in and my wolf becomes excited.

I cough into my hand quietly.

"I hope that you have learned your way around the castle alright. It would be easier if you weren't so helpless." Zeus said without much interest. It was strange to me, mates are usually very affectionate and comfortable with each other straight away. That is not the case with me. He treats me like I am a guest, not a person you will love for the rest of your life.

But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. He was a legend, a legend known for his lack of emotion, his desensitisation toward killing. I shouldn't expect him to have such feelings toward me. After all he is no normal wolf.

Without turning toward him at all, I kept my head down toward my lap as I replied, "I didn't have much time to memorise the castle since I found this-"

"WE were talking for too long." Donny cut through quickly.

I was silent for a moment wondering why Donny didn't let me finish my sentence, but then I remember him saying we weren't meant to be there. Perhaps we would get in trouble if Zeus knew? so I play along. I didn't want to get him in trouble, "Ummm, yes. Donny and I were caught up talking until now."

Everyone stayed quiet as the servants came and served us our food. I sniffed the dish and groaned, it smelled delicious. I dipped my spoon in, it was soup. Hot soup, perfect for this weather. It was freezing.

"Mrs Hughes, can you please toast some of the bread with butter and a slight bit of jam for Miss Lily. She might enjoy it with her soup."

"Yes, sire. Of course."

I was surprised. He was being nice, "How do you know I like bread with my soup?"

"Everybody likes bread with their soup." He says a-matter-of-factly.

"Yea, but not everyone knows I like it toasted and buttered with a hint of jam."

Zeus became quiet for a while before he said roughly, "Lucky guess."

Strange. The kindness he had done was small, to most it would be meaningless, but for Zeus...it was a big action. A hope had sparked in me. Maybe he isn't all bad? Maybe if I really tried...I could make him feel again? A

Everyone fell silent once again. I heard the clanks of spoons against the plate. Picking up cups for a drink then putting it down.

My heart was pounding in my ears, I didn't want to get on Zeus's bad side, "Zeus? I was wondering what my purpose is here. I feel like you are not very pleased with my being in your home."

"To a degree you are correct, but-"

I cut him off as I lean forward, "If I am of no use then let me go back."

"Your pack leader and I made a bargain. You are payment."

I frown. I didn't like the sound of that, "I am no an object. I am a person! I'm not just a thing you can bargain with!"

Zeus growls lowly. I was set back slightly. His growl was scary. "You are to stay here and that's final." He said immediately with a hard and cold voice that made me flinch, "You have a purpose here. And it is here you will stay. The life you had in your pack is gone. So forget them."

"Well what am I then?" I started to raise my voice slightly, "Am I only a means to breaking your curse? Then what? You are going to kill me?" Yeah...screw trying to avoid his bad side. I'm already on it, anyway.

Zeus was silent, but I could hear him breathing heavily. I had made him angry. This fact had sobered my anger up completely as I was pulled back to reality. Crap. I made a hellhound angry. I bowed my head in submission, hoping that he would see.

Zeus spoke dangerously low as if trying to control himself...and it scared me, "Lily. You are my mate. You belong at my side. End of story. I will do with you what I wish...and yes. You will break this bloody curse even if it kills you."

No one cared for me here. It's hard coming from such a loving and supportive home, to this place. Where I am alone.

I abruptly stand from my chair and leave. I couldn't bare being in the same room as that evil man.

ZEUS

"Well played Zeus. I'm sure she will fall in love with you in no time," Sozin said with a voice dripping in sarcasm.

I scowled at him, "Shut up."

" If this is the last cycle then maybe you should try quickening the process." Advised Ozai.

I shook my head, "No. I need to confirm the outcome of breaking the curse. If the desired outcome is secured then I'll go ahead with the ritual. But for the time being, As long as the witch is gone. I have time."

"So you don't miss me?" The most irritating voice echoed from the entrance of the dining hall.

I growled as soon as I heard that voice. The sound of heels walking, echoed throughout the dining hall until I saw her red hair in front of my face.

"I am very disappointed, Zeus because I missed you quite a bit." She says as she sits down where Lily was.

I scowled at her as I said through my teeth, "You weren't supposed to be back for a couple more months."

She sits up and then sits on the table and crossed her thighs, flicking her hair over her shoulder, "I was, until I heard you found yourself a mate."

"You cannot interfere, Demora. This is apart of your spell. You cannot break it." Sozin said firmly

She smiles mischeviously, "You're very right my darling. Why not just do the ritual and be done with the curse? It would be easy would it not?"

I Scoff, "What I do with my mate, is none of your business, witch."

"It seems she believes the rumours of the curse. That you two need to fall in love, won't you tell her the truth, Zeus?" Ozai asks.

"No. The less she knows the more time I have. Let her believe what she wants. When the time is right I'll tell her."

She rolls her eyes and stands up, "I found my magic by the way...however, there might be a little bit of a problem regarding the curse."

"What do you mean?" Ozai asked worriedly.

"You see, if I die...the curse would be broken, so I hid the curse. On my way home, I went to check on it, to make sure it was still there...but it isn't. someone has stolen it," She starts to chuckle, but there was nothing happy about it at all, "And if we cannot find it, we cannot perform the ritual to break the curse."

My anger got the better of me, I stood up from chair, making it slide back and smash into the wall. I slam my fist on the table and shouted, "Why are you only telling us this now! Why do we not know these details concerning our FREEDOM!"

But the witch stayed calm and collected as she answered, "Because I never thought it would ever be stolen. The ritual is where the blood of a mate and a hellhound are mixed together as one, and the curse dissolves in it. But we cannot do that if the curse is not here."

I roar in anger and storm towards the witch. I shove my hand into her chest, grip around her heart and ripped it out of her disgusting body. She drops to the ground. I throw her heart into the fire. I stand there watching it burn and sizzle into ash. I growl as I march away.

"You know she won't be happy you did that? What'd you gonna say when she wakes up?" Said Donny.

"That it felt bloody good ripping her heart out of her fucking chest."

LILY

I stand over the balcony in my room. I cannot see anything, but I imagine the view is beautiful. A garden covered in snow. My skin raised in goosebumps as I felt the chilling wind.

I breathed in deeply, filling up my lungs to the fullest. And then I release everything, but it doesn't make me feel any better.

I am trapped here with a murderer, three murderers at that. Men who have killed without remorse. I was scared of them. A man who kills without remorse is a man that should be feared. But then I have these dreams. These strange dreams where my head makes Zeus to be a good man and it was toying with my judgement. It was clouding my mind.

I didn't know what to think. But I do know that I didn't want to be around any of them. They might look good and possibly even polite on the outside, but their pasts are too dark, too wicked to forget. I have heard so many stories, horrible stories of their deeds. The things they did were disgusting.

"Are you not cold?"

My heart stopped at his deep voice, echoing out of the darkness. I did not know what to do. I did not say anything. I stayed where I was. A heat crept up my back. Hands gripped my arms from behind. I felt his breath on the back of my neck. I gulped, but stayed still. I hated that my body responded to him. I wanted him, I desired him...but I hated that I desired a man that I was always taught to hate and fear. He was the bad man in the stories I heard...and yet...I still wanted him. Does that make me a bad person? Does that make me as bad as him?

"Are you afraid?" He whispered.

A memory flashed into my mind. Green eyes, "You've asked me this before, haven't you." It was not a question. I knew the answer, "And I once said No."

"Once? Has that changed?" He asks in a low and dark voice.

I answered honestly, "I was an innocent girl, I could not recognise wickedness. As a child, you try see the good in people."

"But you do now?" He assumes.

"Yes."

His grip on my arm tightened as he whispered firmly, "Good."

Then I hear his feet turn and walk away.

"Who is Lillian?" I unexpectedly ask.

His steps stop and he did not say a word for a while before he finally said, "How do you know that name?" He did not sound pleased.

I turned around and walked inside from the balcony, "I dream of her."

"Dream? Are you sure you are not just hallucinating from your fainting?" He says mockingly.

"No." I said firmly, "She is real. And I want to know what she is to you."

"She is not real. She is a woman you've made up in your little head." He says in his darkly amused tone.

He turns and continues to walk away, until I say, "Then why is there a room that has a chest with the name Lillian carved into it?"

The steps becomes louder and louder as they come near me fast. His hands grip my shoulders painfully, I whimpered as his grip tightened. I feel his face near my own when he growls, "Have you been meddling in things you should not, Little Lilly?"

I won't let him bully me into fear, "Why do you not answer my question?" I asked breathlessly

Zeus's grip did not loosen a bit while he was silent. He snarls before saying, "She was my wife."

I gulped. I did not expect that. Now I am the one with no words.

"She died." He explained in a hard voice.

"Did you love her?" I asked.

"With all of my black heart and cold Soul." He said with a soft voice. I could tell he was fond of her. I felt a pang of hurt and jealousy in my heart. Why could this woman, who isn't even his mate, somehow soften his callous heart?

"Has there been other women?" I asked.

Zeus let's go of me and laughs, "What do you want, Lily? The whole damn record of my bloody love life? I am hundreds of years old. I have been in love many many times. I have been married 4 times. But every time I have fallen in love, they die. Not of old age, or of natural causes. I murdered all of them."

I didn't know what to say. His heart has been broken by his own hand. How could he be that cruel? That crazy?

I pulled out of his grip, but he let go, causing me to fall to the ground, "You're a monster."

Zeus scoffs, "I don't give a shit about what you think of me. You should be more worried about yourself. With my track record of love...don't expect to be living for much longer."

And then he stomps off and slams the door hard behind him. I flinch from the loud noise. He has made it clear that I am no one special. He's fallen in love many times. Been married four times? How would a mate be any different to him?