Chapter Text
Puck liked variety. Sometimes, he’d open the portals to his Establishment at random, seeing who showed up. Sometimes he picked out a few favourites for a party. And sometimes … sometimes he’d set up something a little more intricate. Occasionally for himself, and occasionally for the pure joy of giving his little lamb (any version of her) the sort of experiences she couldn’t get anywhere else.
Thus it was that he had taken Sovereign Greece (what sort of a ridiculous name was that, anyway? Maybe he’d ask the man some day) in for a beer and a chat. He wasn’t really Puck’s type, and he most definitely wasn’t Yangzai’s type — and that was exactly why he was perfect for what Puck had in mind.
Well. That, and the part where he could go all Big Bad Wolf.
As it turned out, Greece was happy to oblige, once Puck explained the stakes. Not that he’d been worried. He was a good judge of character, and Greece was a showman, a born entertainer.
Beyond his talk with Greece, there was little enough Puck needed to do in preparation. He closed the interdimensional portals to his little pocket realm to everyone else, making sure the Establishment was empty even of the personnel that would sometimes man the bar in order to make new patrons comfortable. He tweaked some fundamental parameters, allowing Greece a little more leeway to affect his surrounds according to his needs.
And then, the stage was set, and all Puck needed to do was let loose the players … and enjoy the show.
When Greece stepped through the door to his home and instead found himself back at the Establishment, he was only momentarily disoriented. He recognised the place this time, he knew what to expect and was able to enter prepared. As much as one could be, anyhow, considering the impossibility of planning for something you couldn’t remember.
This time, he knew what he was here to do.
Greece had never cucked a guy before, that he was aware of. He’d slept with some dudes’ girlfriends, but that wasn’t really the same. He wasn’t opposed — but he had been mildly alarmed that the girl in question wasn’t in on the conversation. Of course, as Puck would have it, that was the point.
She was already there when he arrived. Pretty little thing, stretched out on a lounger by the pool with a book and a drink. Looked Asian, like their host (in his human form, anyway). She wore a fluttery sundress over a bikini, slippers on her feet. Greece smiled darkly when he saw her.
Cue lights. Intro music, crowd pop; the Champion makes his way to the ring.
He approached.
“You know you’re just gonna have to re-read that chapter when you get back,” he began as he rounded into her line of sight. Introducing that he had been here before and knew roughly how it worked, just to get that part out of the way. “Unless you keep your memories when you leave this place.”
Yangzai didn’t quite startle at the unfamiliar voice, but it was a near thing. The Establishment had been weirdly empty when she arrived. She’d called out to Puck a couple of times, and received no answer. It hadn’t worried her too much; she was reasonably certain she was safe here. (In fact, she’d reflected with a sardonic chuckle, given the usual clientele, she was probably safer alone than with company.) So she’d settled down with a book and a drink and waited for something to happen.
Greece’s voice jolted her out of her reading not just for its unexpectedness but because it sounded like rust and gravel. When she looked up from her book, she was somewhat surprised to discover that it had come from an ordinary human.
Well. Relatively ordinary human, anyway.
This guy was tall, and looked rather more ripped than most ordinary humans she knew. And she’d been hanging around quite a lot of gay gym bros in the past few months, so that was saying something. Unlike gay gym bros, however, he had a distinctly unkempt look about him.
Long auburn hair, short dark beard, light eyes. He was wearing worn out jeans and sandals, and a tank top with a tear at the collar and a print that read ‘DIG BICK’. She suppressed an urge to roll her eyes. The only thing to distinguish him from your average jock was a nasty-looking scar across his throat, but if he was here, and not completely confused by the place … then presumably he had some quality or another to recommend him to Puck, at least.
So she straightened somewhat, cocking an eyebrow at him. “I don’t,” she said levelly. Demonstratively dog-earing the page she was on, she closed the book and waggled it in the air as she spoke. “But I can continue where I left off whenever I return here.”
There. Levelling the playing field. She smiled internally: in her own world, she would probably have played ignorant. Always safest to let guys like this one think they had every advantage. But when she came to this place — at least after the first couple of times — she tended to drop every pretence at being a normal person. It was refreshing, freeing in a way.
Greece didn’t have to fake his surprise at her answer. “You’ve been here often enough to have a book waiting for you? HAH!”
His laughter was rough but genuine. No wonder Puck needed to bring a werewolf in — she must have seen everything else by now. What surprises would be left except for a guy like him? After all, the man did explain that where she came from, people like Greece didn’t actually exist. So this should be quite the shock.
“This girl has an absolutely enormous sexual appetite, and the one thing that gets her going more than anything else is fear,” Puck had told him. “I know she looks innocent, but she is anything but. She’s seen some shit, at this point. And been through some shit, too. Now, her version of me — a man called Pagan Min — he is the scariest thing she knows, and she loves him to death. But their world is mundane, which means there are limits to what he can do to her. Limits that don’t exist here.”
He had paused, then, as if to let this sink in. Greece, who had begun to see where this was going, nodded for him to continue.
“Her Pagan could never, for instance, let someone he barely knows have his way with her, because he could never be completely sure she’s safe. That’s not an issue in this place. Which brings me to you…”
Greece held the wolf in check for now. No elongated fangs or pointed ears, though there was little he could do to hide the yellow of his eyes. Where he was from, most people knew what he was practically at first glance; it was rare that he got to play this card.
Dropping all of his weight to relax into a chair beside her, he kept his body language casual for now. “I’ve only been here the once. That was a wild time, though,” he said, grinning vaguely at the memory that had returned to him the moment he found himself back in this place. Last time, he’d arrived at the pool to find a cute little cat girl, and Puck encouraging them both to put on a bit of a show for him. They had obliged. “What have your experiences been like?”
Yangzai shrugged. “Varied,” she said coolly, taking a sip of her drink. Or rather, pretending to. She had a feeling she needed to stay sober for now.
Greece peered at her with fixed interest. Puck had shown him some rather graphic photos of her to indicate what sort of things she was into — though of course, those could be faked. She did look innocent. According to Puck, she was 27, but she looked younger. She was petite and cute, yet there was confidence in the way she spoke, the way she held herself. Her black hair was braided over one shoulder, exposing a sidecut and a prominent scar on the left side of her head. It gave her a rough edge that he liked. He appreciated a girl with a little fire in her belly.
Nice and slow… The bell ain’t rung yet…
“I go by Greece, by the way. Sovereign Greece. It’s a stage name.” He did not explain for what.
She could practically feel his eyes on her. Not for the first time she wondered if there was something about this place that made things like that real. Whatever the case, it made it difficult to look away from him — made it feel like she needed to keep her eyes on him much like one would a large and potentially dangerous animal.
Speaking of, she finally noticed his eyes. They were a very unsettling shade of yellow, and she was 99% certain that he was not the type to wear coloured contacts. Possibly not an ordinary human, then. Her skin prickled with faint unease and she carefully set the book and her drink aside.
“Stage name, huh?” she said, the lightness of her voice belying the way she was now staring as fixedly as he was. “In that case, I’m Yangzai.” Belatedly, she found herself hoping that the stranger didn’t know Cantonese. Somehow, she thought he might get a kick out of knowing the name Pagan had given her meant ‘little lamb’.
“Yangzai.” Greece said it like he’d never heard it before; like he was testing it out, making sure he wouldn’t mispronounce it. As a matter of fact, Puck had told him no less than three names she was most likely to introduce herself by, Yangzai being one of them. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
He leaned forward on his knees then, slowly invading her space. She stiffened — almost imperceptibly to the human eye, but he was more than that. He saw every little twitch of movement, every subtle tension of her body. He could smell her, too: a sweet, beachy scent, like tropical flowers. Greece committed her smell to memory. He might need to use it to track her.
He hoped so.
“Seems to me like this place was designed for a good time.” He gave her a sly smile, and this time when he looked her over, he made sure she could see his eyes taking in her figure with obvious interest. There would be no misunderstanding what he was after. “You like to have a good time, Yangzai? Or should we keep playing this ‘small talk’ game? I don’t mind waiting if you need to get to know me before you loosen up.”
Yangzai found that staying reasonably collected was getting … difficult. The look he was giving her was lascivious but it was also calculating. Like he was sizing her up. How receptive would she be; how much did she weigh; how fast could she run.
As for Greece himself … he wasn’t her usual fare. She tended to like her men a little more groomed, a little less macho. He was undeniably good-looking, though, and she probably wouldn’t have passed, if she were feeling hungry for a new ride. But — she didn’t sleep or play with others without Pagan’s permission. Which in this realm meant Puck’s permission. And Puck was still nowhere in evidence, which was making her feel increasingly nervous. Greece had been here before, and had clearly gotten the idea that this was a free-for-all sex buffet. A notion she couldn’t exactly blame him for, given her own experiences, but still a dangerous one. For her.
Yes. Difficult to keep her expression in check, but not impossible. She had a lot of practice.
“Well, that’s very tempting, but I think I do need to loosen up before I entertain the idea.” She gave Greece a sweet smile, sliding her feet off her lounger on the opposite side from him. Standing up, she said, “I’m sure you don’t mind waiting while I go down to the lounge to get myself a drink?”
She started off towards the lounge at a casual pace.
Placate, defuse. Don’t run. Don’t show fear.
She’d just have to hope he didn’t know drinks could be summoned at will.
Puck had explained that Yangzai needed the uncertainty, needed for it to feel real for it to work. He’d also reassured (or perhaps warned) Greece that he would be watching. If she truly wasn’t enjoying herself … he would know, and he would intervene.
“She’ll reject you,” was another thing Puck had told him. “But don’t take no for an answer. Remember, she likes to struggle. She likes being scared. She likes to feel like prey.”
There had been a gleam in Greece’s eyes at that, and Puck had given him that calculating, satisfied smirk he had clearly cultivated to perfection.
It wouldn’t be the first time he had hunted someone for mutual pleasure. But it was the first time the prey herself wasn’t involved in setting it up. She would have no idea what was coming, and everything she felt, all her reactions … it would all be real. The idea both unsettled and intrigued him. If it worked — if Puck was telling him the truth — then this would be some next level shit.
“What if something goes wrong?” he’d asked.
“She won’t remember a thing.” Somehow, the fact that Puck wasn’t smiling as he said this was more reassuring than anything else. “Usually I let patrons keep their memories between visits, if not in their own world. But if something goes truly wrong — I’m not interested in traumatising her.”
Once he’d decided he wanted in, Greece had advised Puck that, for best results, it should be staged a night or two before the full moon in his world. That’s when his most primal instincts were heightened. Enough rejection and Greece the man would quit.
Enough rejection and Greece the wolf would stop asking.
The girl was so nervous; she was radiating it. Her voice, her expression, the way she moved — she was a decent actress, but Greece could practically smell her anxiety. He made her nervous. The hunter in him liked that. She knew that she was prey.
And now she was trying to walk away from him with some flimsy excuse.
Like he hadn’t noticed she had been sipping a drink when he arrived.
Like he wasn’t aware she could just summon whatever she wanted at will.
Greece stood too, and followed her, drawing closer with each step. He barely even had to lengthen his stride to catch up with her. “How fun. Count me in,” he drawled with a predatory smile. Once at her side, he snaked an arm around her back to pull her into him with a casually possessive hand around her shoulder. (He would’ve gone for her hip, but she was so tiny.) “What are we drinkin’?”
A flare of anger — no, fury ignited within her.
He was touching her. Fucking touching her! He put his grubby fucking paws on her without permission, not from her and not from those who had a recognised claim on her, and Yangzai was done playing the good girl.
She couldn’t fight him. Putting up a struggle would be pointless once he had a good hold on her. She’d have one chance at this, one chance at surprising him enough that she could get away. Her hand had already moved to the pocket hidden along a seam in her sundress. She slipped out her switchblade, flicked the blade out as she twisted away from his hold on her and swung at him.
She had no time to work out an angle, to think of a good place to hit him. With a little luck she’d hit something important, and otherwise hopefully the pain and shock would be enough to stagger him so she could get out.
Luck was not on her side.
Greece flinched and pulled away when the blade sank into his side and tore into his gut. He grunted with surprise and pain, but otherwise didn’t react — no fear, no anger, no regret. He simply lifted his shirt enough to look at the wound, bleeding messily down his body, and then he looked up at Yangzai and blinked. When his eyes opened, the sclera had turned black, pupils blown wide and the yellow irises practically glowing in the dim light.
He hadn’t anticipated a knife. Rejection sure, maybe even a slap, but not a full-on weapon. He’d underestimated her, and paid for it … but so had she. Because now he knew she had a little fight in her.
And that excited him.
“Oh, baby. You’re gonna have to try much harder than that!”
When he grinned at her this time, his mouth was full of terrible pointed fangs. Greece lifted the ruined top off his body and threw it aside, revealing the hard, sculpted muscles of his torso — and a wound which probably should have been bleeding a little more than it currently was. His hands had changed, the nails now sharpened black claws, and his ears were pointed.
The girl stared. She had backed away from him and was about to turn and run, but his lack of reaction had made her falter in confusion. Stupid mistake. Her mouth no longer twisted into a furious snarl; it simply hung open.
“A for effort, though,” he drawled. “I like a girl with a little bite.”
“Oh … shit,” Yangzai whispered. Her voice was very weak and sounded distant to her own ears. Her own heartbeat was louder. She should’ve listened to her instincts telling her that this man was a predator. Not just some pushy jock but an actual goddamn predator. (She had instincts for such things, because she was pretty much actual goddamn prey.)
She stood like a deer caught in headlights, her knife slipping out of her bloody fingers to clatter onto the paved floor. Her one weapon not just exposed but fucking literally slipped out of her hands because she had not been prepared for— for whatever the fuck this man was. Stupid. Stupid!
And then she was staggering backwards and turning and bolting for the door to the indoor portion of the Establishment. On open ground she was done for. Maybe if she could get inside—
It was impossible to outrun him. In a flash Greece had circled her and put himself between her and the door, blocking her path with his body. And there was so much of him.
“Here’s whats gonna happen,” he began, and kicked off his sandals. “I’m gonna give you a head start. Maybe … two minutes.” He unbuckled his belt, pulled it through the loops and tossed it aside. “That’s how much time you have to either figure out how to escape, or how to kill me. But if you cant do it … if I catch you…”
He unbuttoned his jeans and let them drop, stepping out of them. Underneath, he wore nothing. Greece was now unabashedly nude before her. His side, his hip and his thigh were smeared with blood; his cock already semi erect from the thrill of anticipation. But Yangzai only had eyes for that awful grin on his face.
“… you’re mine.”
It was time to show her what she was dealing with. With a snarl, Greece’s body began to change. He grew bigger, much bigger. Red fur covered his skin. His jaws elongated into a muzzle full of sharp teeth and a tail grew from his back. He was still somewhat humanoid in shape; limbs elongated, front paws shaped like hands, and his hair remained as an auburn mane. But his face was that of a wolf.
Fuckohfuckohgodsfuckimdeadimactuallygonnadie—
A massive werewolf levelled his intense, terrifying gaze at Yangzai. Lowering himself onto all fours, Greece stalked around her, taking her in. She definitely could feel his eyes on her as he moved around her. Black and yellow and hot as coals, raking over her body like the claws on his … hands? Paws? would undoubtedly do if—
In a voice liked barbed wire, he commanded: “RUN.”
Somehow her body still worked, even though her mind was a complete mess. She once again made for the door, her breath already wheezing what with her throat constricted by fear. She had no idea where she was going but she threw open a door at random and found herself in a stairwell. Down. Down was fast, fast was good. She hurtled down the steps, lost her slippers on the way. Found herself in a corridor. Bare feet slapped against smooth tiled floor. She turned a corner and another, picked another door at random. Crates and boxes, an old couch, some other furniture. (A storage room? Why would this place even have storage?!)
She paced the dimly lit room, fretfully straightening her bikini top. She understood the — the wolf — werewolf?! The fucking werewolf was toying with her and she was just delaying the inevitable in trying to run and hide from him, but she needed time to think. Something was off about all this. Puck had never not been around when she was brought here. Sometimes he took a while to materialise, but he’d never left her in the clutches of a stranger like this. Was something wrong? Or—
“Puck?” she called in a soft hiss. “Are you there? Are you watching this?”
No answer. Dread crawled up her spine, spreading like a chill over her skin, making her aware of a couple of hot tears trickling down her cheeks. She swallowed against the lump in her throat. When next she spoke she sounded very small.
“Please. I just want to know what’s expected— What I’m supposed to do. Was I supposed to sleep with this guy? If so I’m sorry I stabbed him! Puck..?”
The silence was deafening.
She was fairly certain she couldn’t actually die permanently here, and that her mind and body would have forgotten all that had happened when she returned to her world. But she didn’t particularly want to learn what it was like to get eaten alive.
And yet, at the same time, there was a terrible excitement brewing underneath it all. The addictive rush of true terror. Greece had looked at her with something like bloodthirst, yes, but more than anything there had been lust—
A faint noise made her choke down a yelp. The sound of his gravelly voice raised in song, echoing down a corridor. In a panic, she dove behind a stack of crates, cramming herself into a dark corner. Stupid place to hide, she was completely stuck here. But she had run out of time to think of something.
The wolf was coming. He was coming for her.