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Prometheus is one of the Titans, 

The supreme trickster, 

And a god of fire.

He developed into a master craftsman.

He was associated with fire and the creation of mortals.

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I pressed closer to Duke's monstrous back, trying to avoid the stranger's piercing gaze.

Beloved? That's impossible. Pandora is human. She shouldn't have a beloved.

"You doubt me," Xavier said with an arched eyebrow. His lips curled beneath his white mask.

I clenched my fists, anger already brimming. "The only beloved I have is Liam, no one else."

The man shifted his fedora hat and sighed. He focused his mismatched eyes on me, each holding a promise. "Don't worry, love. After I'm done with you, you'll have a different perspective."

I reared back in disgust. Over my dead body.

Interpreting the threat, the two other Gegenees attacked. They raised their heavy weapons, bulldozing any obstacle in their path. They swung at Xavier, but the force broke through a tree trunk instead. One second he was there and the next he wasn't.

Teleportation.

He appeared on the shoulder of one bouncer snapping his thick neck with one twist. The bouncer crumbled to the ground with a loud thud, spraying dust everywhere. Xavier disappeared when the other bouncer swung a club at his initial position. He appeared a few feet down the path and threw a spear. The sharp tip buried itself directly in the Gegenee's eye. The beast roared as blood spilled.

Duke dislodged me from his back. My bare feet hit dry soil and I looked questionably at him.

"Run," He said and pointed down a path. "Head straight towards the east, you'll see two bouncers and a car. Tell them I directed you there. They'll take you straight to Liam."

There was another painful roar accompanied by the sound of Xavier's mocking laugh. He severed a Gegenees head right off his shoulders with an Axe. I weapon he had conjured out of nothing. He jumped off the giant's back and cracked his neck as the mammoth-like body fell limp to the ground. Xavier's white suit and face were now drenched in blood. His mask had also turned bloody and his fedora hat was gone. He smiled at me.

"Go!" Duke urged towards the directed path.

I hesitated, knowing I was leaving him to his death. But if I stay it'll all be for nothing. Clenching my teeth, I willed my feet to move. I sprinted deep into the forest, leaving the one who sacrificed everything to get me here. A tear slipped down my cheek but I quickly wiped it. I hated myself and the Greek being I carried. As long as I had Pandora, there'll be death wherever I go. I just have to accept it.

Xavier's voice called through the wind. "I've let you have your fun, Penny, especially with that sin! But now your time is up!"

I forged on, stumbling against a tree root but balanced myself before I could hit the ground. My hair spilled down my back as I ran with every ounce of energy I had. Branches scraped against my exposed but I didn't stop. I trudged deeper into the forest until I heard the sound of Hyenas.

Crocottas.

No. No. No. No.

I doubled up, finally seeing a road up ahead. Hope swelled in my chest just before a heavy weight crashed into me. I hit the ground with a cry as my shoulder blade made impact with a rock. A huge crocotta stood over me. Its hooves pressed into my chest, restricting airflow. The crocotta snarled with hackles raised as more of them surrounded us. Their eyes kept switching from one color to another, expressing their rapidly changing emotions.

I fought against the weight as the crocotta began to change shape. Henry grabbed my wrists in one hand and pinned them above my head.

"Get off me!" I thrashed.

"We got a runner." He said to the crocottas that slowly circled us. Their hyena laugh carried throughout the forest. And I knew instantly...there were hundreds of them. I couldn't escape even if I tried. Henry straddled me in his naked form and I twisted away. He pressed his lips against my cheek. "Stay still for me, sweetie."

My body froze, obeying his command. Henry sat up and smiled satisfactorily.

"Don't do this." I breathed, my chest heaving with fear.

Henry tilted his head and wiped a tear from my cheek with a thumb. His gaze went blank as he trailed his fingers down my lips to my chest. "I like your dress. Was it a present for Liam?"

I kept my mouth shut but that didn't seem to bother him. His fingers skimmed through the jewelry on my chest, eyes now fixated.

"If you want to avenge your girlfriend, then just kill me." I snapped through gritted teeth.

He tutted, fingers now fondling the strap of my dress. "I need to make Liam suffer a bit before that, don't you think? And besides, killing you now will only attract Epimetheus' anger. I need to kill him first if I want to kill you."

Epimetheus.

Henry's fingers lined the strap falling over my breast. He tugged just before releasing an agonizing scream. I watched as his fingers snapped at an odd angle one after the other. He jumped off me and gripped his hand, falling on one knee. His control over my body crumbled.

"Stupid sin!" He cursed and then glared like I was the reason behind his pain. "Did he give you that dress?"

I shifted unto my elbows, not having the energy to answer. Henry's eyes glowed as he activated his healing ability. He screamed once more as his broken hand snapped back into place, bones realigning. After a moment, his breaths calmed down.

"Clever." He grunted. "Liam made sure that no one apart from him could get you out of that dress. It makes me want to rip it off just to spite him."

He pulled to his feet and stalked closer, decreasing the distance between us. I grabbed a huge stone and lashed out, aiming for his head. He caught my wrist in time and twisted. I cried out, my fingers automatically released the stone. Henry moved with lightning speed; he pressed my front against a tree bark while securing my hands to my back.

He pressed his naked body against me and snarled into my ear. "If you think Liam is coming, forget it. Epimetheus has him pretty busy." He grabbed my hair and tilted my head back. I tensed when his canines teased against my exposed neck. "A perfect time to leave a mark, don't you think?"

My heart pounded painfully against my ribcage. "Don't."

His chuckle was the only sign indicating he didn't give a hoot about my concerns.

"You heard her. Back off."

At the voice, Henry froze and then growled. It took four whole seconds before he hesitantly stepped back and then turned to Xavier. "Just wanted to Rile Liam up. You do know he can feel her emotions, right?"

"Of course I do." Xavier removed his blood-stained gloves, His mask still on. "Which is why we need to act fast. Never underestimate his sin. Liam will get here sooner than you think and I do not wish to fight him now. He is almost as strong as Pride, making him dangerous."

He doesn't want to fight Liam?

Xavier trudged closer to Henry, his build much stronger. "Honestly Henry, I do not blame you for persistently pushing my buttons. Pandora has been cursed to attract both gods and men." He stared down at Henry with a frozen expression. "But touch her in any unprovocative manner ever again and I will rip your arms off. And this time, I'll make sure they do not grow back, is that understood?"

Henry gritted his teeth, eyes hard.

"Is that understood?"

"Crystal."

Xavier smiled. "Good. Now go put some clothes on."

Henry glared before moving towards a crocotta that had a pair of jeans and a shirt between its jaws. Xavier turned to me. I pressed against the tree, using it to hold myself up.

"You're exhausted," He said.

I tried to swallow. "And you're Epimetheus."

He smirked, hands dipped in his iron-pressed pants. "Did Henry tell you that?"

He hasn't denied it. Which means one thing. "You're a Titan."

"In the flesh." He stepped closer, his brown eye now churned with what looked like pools of fire. His neck, and other parts of his exposed skin, began to glow with lava-like cracks. They stretched over his entire form, looking like he was a fire-like being trapped in human form. "This is not my real body though."

I stared at him. "No kidding, Sherlock."

He closed the distance. "You've misunderstood. Just like how greek gods are suitably contained in one particular vessel, so am I. And this..." He gestured at himself. "...Isn't my destined vessel. But I do know his name is Xavier. I prefer to put on a mask because I don't want you to associate me with many false faces. But don't fret, I'll meet you soon. Only then will you get to see my real face."

I flinched when he brushed a knuckle to my cheek. "For now, I need to hurry. If I stay in this body too long, I'll perish along with it."

He was now a foot away and I dug my back farther into the tree to create more distance. "So what, you're going to kidnap me?"

"Quite the contrary. I want to send Liam a message." He nodded at something behind me and I barely had time to turn before someone grabbed my waist and flipped me over a shoulder.

"No! Put me down!" I screamed, hitting the back of what clearly belonged to one of Henry's men.

They ignored my screams as I tried to dislodge myself. Epimetheus led the way, a direction completely opposite to the one leading straight to freedom.
We kept down the path, occasionally jumping over a stream or climbing down a rough steep.

The crocottas trotted behind us, creating a wide birth of space between them and Epimetheus. Henry stayed with them, his hands deep in his pockets with a frown on his face. Once in a while, he would stare daggers at Epimetheus' head like he couldn't wait to decapitate it.

I was surrounded by enemies on all sides, and the most dangerous one had to be Pandora's beloved. A bad feeling clawed in my chest like it knew something bad was coming. Something that could leave a dangerous scar. But with every struggle, I grew weaker -- humanity finally catching up to me.

We reached a crumbled pavilion with a statue right at its center. It almost look like a miniature temple, except its roof had been torn down with four broken pillars on the verge of collapse. We climbed the small staircase leading to the statue and I had to strain a glance off my shoulder to take it all in. The cemented sculpture was a man with a bow and arrow pointing toward the skies. Two wings stretched from his sides, twice as large.

Eros.

The crocotta unceremoniously dropped me at its feet, barely allowing time for a reprieve before hauling me against the statue.

"I'll take it from here." Epimetheus replaced the crocotta and stood before me. His hands held a piece of coiled rope. I stepped back when he stretched out a free hand, indicating I take it.

I stared incredulously at him. "You're going to tie me to a statue?"

"I'm trying to be gentle, so don't force my hand. Try my patience and there will be consequences."

I shook my head. "Consequences? What are you going to do? Kill me?"

"Never. But I could kill your father."
At that moment everything came to a sudden halt. Something I had feared ever since I was sucked into the greek world. I didn't want him to get involved with this, he has been through enough.

Epimetheus continued. "Believe it or not, I visited your father two days ago, but not for the reasons you're thinking. I went with the sole purpose to heal him. He is sick, is he not?"

"You're lying--"

"He'll call in a few days and even you will see the lightness in a voice. Accept it as a token from me, but do not test my patience."

I hesitated, staring at his outstretched hand. After a few seconds, I took it. He tugged me straight to his chest. Our noses bumped and I tried to pull away but his arms were like iron steel. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

I struggled a bit, hissing at him. "Get your hands off me."

"Now, now. That's not how you talk to your dear husband."

"Last time a checked, I don't have a wedding ring, asshole."

"After I'm done here, you will be."

The realization hit me like a cold bucket of water. He took advantage of my stupor and moved with heightened speed. I was pushed against the statue. My back dug into the solid stone as his hands deftly secured my wrists to the monument's neck. It happened within seconds. I pulled against the ropes, feeling it dig into my skin as he tightened the knot. My pulse quickened, panic settling in.

"Ssh," He cooed, hands stroking my cheek. "This will only take a few minutes. Liam has already killed approximately two hundred of my men. Sad but a necessary sacrifice. One I'm willing to pay if I get to have you again."

My fear grew by the minute. Exhaustion crept through my body and I tried to keep myself from trembling. "You don't get to say who I belong to."

"No, I don't." His hands slipped down the curve of my waist. "But the fates do. And It's already set in stone that you belong with me. Soon, you'll understand. But until then, I'll gladly take the lead."

He tilted his head. "Did you know you were never going to transform into a crocotta?" When I didn't say anything, he continued. "Henry did bit you, but his venom never imbued itself into your bloodstream. He never intended to turn you, only to hold leverage good enough to have you walking straight to him like a lamb to the slaughter."

My eyes searched the surrounding crocottas, expecting to see Henry but he was nowhere in sight. I didn't know whether I could believe Epithemeus. He had been stalking me for weeks and decided to show up now. But I must say, Henry's words after he left the gruesome mark finally made sense.

You'll thank me later.

Epimetheus redirected my line of sight with a finger to my chin, honing all my attention on him. "I hope it gives you rest, knowing you won't die anytime soon."

I'll hardly call it 'rest', especially after everything that has happened.

Xavier's mismatched eyes took in the statue behind me, gaze wandering. "Ever wondered why ancient Greece was so obsessed with making sculptures of greek gods? They believed they could draw power from the being the statue imitates. They weren't wrong, I have seen it work on multiple occasions -- Eros most of all. Love has always been the driving force between two beloveds, don't you think?"

I pulled against the rope, uncertainty creeping in. "So what? Instead of just giving a ring, you've decided to steal Eros' power to bind us together."

Epimetheus laughed. "Oh no, not at all. It's more than just praying to the god of love. You'll see for yourself soon enough. It gets more complicated when it comes to Titans."

His lips brushed my earlobe. "You're a price I'm willing to pay. A gift I'm willing to possess. The perfect sacrifice. And I'll gladly burn down anyone who gets between me and what I want."

This question might seem odd, but I need the feedback😭😭

Can anyone understand Epimetheus to some level or do ya'll think he's gone completely crazy?