Page 1 of Branded By Shadow
Prologue
The Olympian Houses
Once, humanity lived as one. No hierarchies of scent, no biological imperatives, no bonds that burned beneath the skin. People loved, fought, and died as equals.
Then a Greek bard was struck by tragedy, and refused to accept it. Orpheus descended into the Underworld to reclaim his bride Eurydice from death itself. For the gods, his devotion was both challenge and opportunity. The two tragic lovers turned into pawns in their grand game.
And so, Orpheus became Alpha to the first Omega, Eurydice. And when they emerged, changed forever, the gods granted all humanity the same gift. A blessing and a curse wrapped into one.
Now, Alphas, Betas, and Omegas walk the earth. Most carry the change only in their biology. Heat and rut, bond and claim, the primal pull of chosen mates.
But some bloodlines inherited more. Olympian Houses descended directly from the Greek gods wield powers that transform the gift into something dangerous. They are aristocracy among the transformed. They claim their mates the way gods once claimed mortals. With power, obsession, and patterns written in divine blood.
The world was ordinary once. It will never be ordinary again.
1
The Two Alphas
Cora
In all the time I’d spent presenting research, I’d never walked into an auditorium that smelled like a territorial dispute. The competing Alpha scents drifted backstage through the heavy curtain. My suppressants felt suddenly inadequate against the charged atmosphere. Come to think of it, so did I.
“You look like you’re about to bolt.” Theo appeared beside me, carrying two steaming cups. “Here. Some caffeine might steady your hands.”
I accepted the coffee gratefully, wrapping my fingers around the plastic. “This doesn’t feel like a normal conference. Listen to them.”
Beyond the curtain, harsh laughter erupted, the type that sounded when too many dominant personalities occupied the same space. Chairs scraped against the floor with more force than necessary. Conversations carried an edge that had nothing to do with professional networking.
“You’re right,” Theo said, frowning. “That’s a lot of Alpha energy for a pharmaceutical presentation. What kind of investors did they invite?”
“The kind that make me wish I’d stayed in the lab.” I took a sip of coffee and immediately regretted it. “Gods, this is awful.”
“Better than nothing.” Theo adjusted my blazer collar with the same gentle precision he used on delicate specimens. “But Cora, you didn’t spend four years developing breakthrough research to hide from difficult audiences. You can do this.”
Theo was one hundred percent right. My work was supposed to give Omegas control over their biology. The irony of feeling threatened by Alpha dynamics before presenting it wasn’t lost on me. Still, old doubts and frustrations resurfaced, and I couldn’t help but lean closer to him. “What if they don’t understand what this discovery actually means?”
“Then you make them understand. Like you’ve always wanted.”
I nodded and clenched my jaw. Regular suppressants had almost killed me in graduate school. All the side effects had made me so sick I’d spent more days in bed than I had being productive in the lab.
I’d wondered then, as I’d lain shivering around a pillow, just how many Omegas struggled with the same thing. That question had haunted my every waking moment. How many brilliant minds were stuck planning their careers around unpredictable heat cycles? How many were forced to choose between debilitating side effects and the complete disruption of their lives?
Too many. That was the answer. The pharmaceutical industry treated us like we were all identical parts in some biological machine. No longer.
“You’re right, Theo. I can do this. I have to. Not just for myself. For everyone.”
This wasn’t just another pharmaceutical advancement. It represented freedom for Omegas like me. People for whom the blessings of the ancient gods had become more of a curse.
“I’m proud of you, Cora.” Theo pulled me into a familiar hug, his comforting scent wrapping around me like a protective shield. “Ever since you first walked into my lab, I knew you’d accomplish something great. Even the plants knew it, remember?”
I smiled against his shoulder, drawing strength from his unwavering faith. He’d always spoken of plants like they possessed their own wisdom. After all the answers I'd found in botany, part of me believed him.
“Dr. Ellis? Five minutes,” a staff member called from the curtain entrance.
I broke away from Theo’s embrace and pasted a smile on my lips. “Go change the world,” Theo said, squeezing my hand.
As I stepped onto the stage, the spotlights flared, momentarily blinding me. When I adjusted to the harsh illumination and my vision cleared, my heart stuttered. Several attendees in the front rows carried the distinctive features of Olympian Houses. It was a particular brand of intensity that went beyond what any regular human could grasp. Bad news. But also, perhaps… Potential?
