Zeus [Book One] - Rewriting

Six

a/n: huge thanks to littleelfin/happy_itsmoi for the new cover! I love it!!
Zeus
| six |

Dinner had been tense. And as Anya sat beside her mate, she couldn't help but worry as he stared angrily at his plate, his food untouched. Several times, Hercules had nudged his brother, flashing a look towards the frail girl, and each time, Zeus refused to acknowledge the fact that she was sat right beside him. He was not angry at her. He was disappointed. She had kept her illness a secret, the thought of her being unable to trust him made his chest tighten painfully.

Towards the end of dinner, Athena and Artemis, both oblivious to the conflict that raged inside their Alpha's mind, both stood from the table and turned to Anya. "Would you like to join us on a walk?" The smaller girl opened her mouth to speak, when a loud bang caused her, along with everyone else sat at the dinner table to jump. Large doe-like eyes looked up to meet the cold glare of the forest green ones that stared back at her. Hercules tilted his head, motioning the other wolves to leave the room, the sound of chairs scraping the floor echoed throughout the large room as everyone left in silence, Athena reaching out to squeeze Anya's shoulder gently before she too left, Hercules giving his brother a warning look before closing the large oak doors behind him.

Zeus rose from his seat, and began to pace back and forth as he rubbed his forehead, figuring out what to say. Anya remained silent; she already knew what was coming.

A soft groan left his dry mouth, Anya watching as his tongue poked between his cracked lips to wet them. Her stomach stirred, the movement causing bad thoughts to race through her mind. She squirmed, crossing one leg over the other, putting her hands together. It took all of Zeus' self control to not take her right there and then. He bit his lip, his hormones raging, a soft growl escaping from the back of his throat. Anya shivered, frowning as Zeus turned to look at her, the green completely washed over with black. He panted slowly, letting out a frustrated groan as he sat back down, hands flat against the table.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His deep voice sent shivers down her spine, as she struggled to keep her composure.

"I didn't-" Her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling to stop them from falling. Zeus waited for her to talk, watching as she sighed before finally looking at him again. "I didn't want you to hate me," She finally whispered.

Zeus stared at her incredulously. He closed his eyes for a few moments, watching as she looked away from him. "Anya," He murmured. "Look at me." Her eyes looked up to meet his, his large hand reaching out for her to take. The familiar sense of warmth spread throughout her body as their skin came in to contact. Zeus squeezed her hand, taking a deep breath before speaking, "I could never hate you. You are mine, and I am yours. Hate is an emotion I will never feel towards you." Anya slowly nodded her head. Zeus cleared his throat, "How long have you been suffering...?"

Anya was silent, her mate growing more impatient as she finally answered, "I was ten years old when I was first diagnosed with leukaemia." Feeling his stomach flip, Zeus looked away from her. Nervously, Anya continued, "I was introduced to a series of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. And I survived. I beat it the the first time." She blinked back the tears as she shared a watery smile with her mate who remained mute. "Then just after I turned seventeen, it came back. Except this time-" She choked back a sob, Zeus shuffling his chair closer to her so that he could pull her in for a hug. Anya rubbed at her eyes, sniffling as she leaned against Zeus' shoulder, his chin resting on her head. She sighed, taking a few deep breaths as she finished, "This time the doctors said I wouldn't make it. They said it had progressed too far for them to stop it. I'm dying."

Anya shivered, Zeus tugging her until she was curled up on his lap. They remained silent, Zeus gently rocking her until she fell asleep, her cheeks stained with fresh tears that reminded him of her pain. All anger had been washed away, yet he felt as if he wanted to be sick. She was dying. And he couldn't change it.