Jason lived in a loft above a small gym, which suited him just fine. It was a short walk from Tank’s place, and when Tank knocked on the door, Jason answered with a half-eaten protein bar in one hand and a raised eyebrow.
“You look like you had a night,” Jason said, stepping aside to let him in.
Tank smirked, rolling his shoulders as he walked in. “Something like that.”
Jason flopped onto the couch, stretching his arms behind his head. “So, you gonna tell me about this mystery man or what? Last I heard, you went home with the biggest bear in existence, and now you’re out here looking like…” He trailed off, frowning.
Tank raised a brow. “Like what?”
Jason studied him for a moment, chewing on his protein bar. “I dunno,” he muttered. “Like more.”
Tank blinked.
Jason waved him off. “Maybe I’m just being weird. You just… feel different.”
Tank hesitated for a second before pulling the pendant out from under his shirt. “That might be why.”
Jason sat up. “Oh, we’re doing artifacts now?”
Tank chuckled. “Atlas left it for me. Said to wear it.”
Jason reached out to touch it, but the moment his fingers brushed the metal, he jerked back like it had burned him.
“Fuck!” Jason hissed, shaking his hand. “Dude, that thing is hot.”
Tank frowned, glancing down. It felt warm, sure, but not burning.
Jason narrowed his eyes. “Okay. That’s weird. What else happened?”
Tank exhaled, running a hand through his beard. “It’s… hard to explain. Since this morning, people have been reacting to me. Gay guys can’t stop staring. Straight guys can’t even look at me.”
Jason’s frown deepened. “Like some kind of hypnotic sex god shit?”
Tank shrugged. “Not complaining.”
Jason gave him a look. “Dude, this is not normal. You sure this Atlas guy didn’t, like, mark you or some shit?”
Tank opened his mouth to respond—
And then the elevator dinged down the hall.
Jason’s loft door was cracked open, giving them a perfect view of the hallway. A figure stepped out of the elevator, moving in slow, measured steps.
Heath.
But not the Heath they knew.
6 – The New Heath
Heath had always been the guy bringing good vibes. The witchy pagan cub with bright eyes and an easy smile, always talking about moon cycles and energy cleansing.
But the man who stepped out of the elevator?
Different.
His clothes were darker, tighter—black jeans, a fitted button-down open just enough to show off a new silver chain. His once soft, inviting expression was now sharper, his jaw clenched, eyes flickering with something hard.
Something hungry.
He walked past Jason’s door without even glancing in.
Tank and Jason both turned to watch him go, silent as the air shifted around them.
Jason’s forehead creased. “Was that—”
“Heath,” Tank muttered.
Jason exhaled. “What the fuck happened to him?”
Tank’s fingers curled around the pendant.
Heath disappeared down the hall, and neither of them called out to him.
A few seconds passed before Jason sat back, shaking his head. “Man, first you start putting off some kind of sex magnet energy, and now Heath looks like he’s about to join a cult.”
Tank let out a slow breath.
And deep inside, something stirred.
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