The Unwanted Love Life

Chapter 1

Of all the things they've done to us, all the pain and suffering they've put us through, this has got to be the worst of them all combined.

I stood in front of a metal gate, connected to light-gray brick walls. The inside held a massive, 4-story manor surrounded by a beautiful, exotic garden straight from a Japanese garden for monks; cherry blossom trees, a small pond with a small waterfall trickling into it.

Black-suited security guards stood at the entrance of the walls, on either side of the stone pathway leading from the asphalt road to the marbled fountain in front of the manor. Their skin was gray, and slightly transparent, indicating that they were ghouls; Spartoi.

The gated garden and manor took up a neighborhood block in Manhattan, with only one entrance in; where I stood before. "You gonna just...stay standing there? Or are you going to explore your new home?" A male voice questioned quizzically, their arm leaning on my shoulder.

"I'd rather not. The conditions aren't at all pleasant," I replied, an expression of disgust. "Oh, come on. It's not that bad, Perce. It was a very high honor to receive such a thing back in the day," the god replied, snapping his fingers.

The guards saluted, and the gates creaked open. His arm whipped around to grab my opposite shoulder before he pulled me along inside, the gates creaking to a close behind us.

Once we crossed the threshold of the property, many things faded into existence. Dryads, wood nymphs, appeared around the garden, trimming bushes, raking leaves, and cutting the grass. Wind spirits riding venti patrolled the skyline, cautiously watching for intruders. Naiads, fresh-water nymphs, lounged in the ponds and rivers. Unlike the other spirits, who wore staff clothing or armor, the naiads were dressed in very revealing cloth coverings, and they had chains on their arms and a cuff around their neck.

I noticed many nervous glances in my direction from the staff and...the slaves. The guards mostly ignored me, with few wary glances sent to my escort; Hermes. Given that he was the God of Thieves, it was warranted.

The doors opened automatically, revealing a grand entry hall. Polished abalone floors, aquamarine-embedded marble pillars, a circling staircase, framing the icy-crystal chandelier in the center.

At the base of the stairs, directly across from the doorway, was a marble bust of my dad; Poseidon. A golden plaque read: Father, King of the Seas, in glossy black text.

Lounging on one side of the stairs, 3 girls were talking in hushed tones. One was a black girl, with long curly black hair and hazel-gold eyes, and wore a form-fitting black dress and a lot of multicolored jewelry.

Another was a native American girl with long, wavy brown hair and kaleidoscopic eyes. She wore a pristine white dress, that was quite revealing where it shouldn't be. The last girl was tanned, like someone from the West Coast. She had honey-blonde princess curls, and strikingly beautiful, but intimidating gray eyes. She wore formal white robes and bronze armor that was quite sexualized, fitted to fit with her form.

"Ah, looks like some are already waiting for you. I'll leave you to explore on your own," Hermes said, patting my back, before flashing away. Instinctively, I shut my eyes, despite knowing I don't need to now.

The girls still haven't noticed me, so I began walking over to them with extreme caution. "Percy! About gods damn time!" Annabeth was the first to spot me, and she ran towards me. I was hoping for a hug, or if I was lucky, a kiss, but as expected, I got kicked in the groin, punched in the gut, and slapped on the cheek.

"Saw it coming...should've prepared...better," I wheeze out, clutching my screaming balls in pain, before falling to the ground. I then heard pained screams, and I looked up to see golden cuffs on her wrists and they were magically tightening.