Ceres stirred awake at the insistent ringing of her phone. One eye still closed, she blindly reached for it and groaned when she saw the caller ID.
"Dee, it's 1 a.m. in the morning," she said without even bothering to greet her best friend.
"Cee, you need to help me," Diana's voice was barely above a whisper, urgent, terrified. That alone made Ceres sit upright in bed.
"Why are you whispering?" she asked, already moving toward her walk-in closet. She was only wearing a pair of lace panties and had to throw on something fast. "And where are you?"
"Remember Paula? She asked us last week to join her rave party. I'm here… with other girls I don't even know. I'm hiding in the restroom right now. I just saw men putting powder into our drinks. I think they're drugging us, Cee. Please… please come," Diana whispered again, her voice laced with panic now.
"I'm on my way. Share your location," Ceres ordered, pulling on jeans and a fitted jacket. "Put your phone on silent. Don't let them find it, okay?"
Without her parents at home tonight, Ceres didn't hesitate. She grabbed her car keys and rushed out. Her mind was racing as fast as her heartbeat.
As she drove toward Diana's pinned location, she did the only smart thing she could think of, call 911.
"I don't know the exact place yet, ma'am," she told the operator, trying to keep calm. "I'm on my way after my friend shared her location. She said some men were putting powder in their drinks, it might be drugs. It could be a setup."
"Understood, ma'am. Please keep this call active. I'll patch you through to our officers and have them trace the location from our end," the female dispatcher replied, her tone professional and reassuring.
Ceres kept the line open, refusing to let go of the phone even as the tension in her chest grew heavier.
"I think this is an old warehouse," she said a few minutes later, voice shaking. "I parked a bit far. There are a lot of cars here. It's isolated, outside city limits, outskirt of New York."
"Please remain inside your vehicle, ma'am," the dispatcher said. "Do not enter the premises. Officers are nearby and en route. This could be a drug den."
"Please hurry," Ceres whispered, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly they were starting to ache.
"Ahhhh!" she screamed when someone knocked hard on her driver's side window.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" came the dispatcher's voice. "The officers have spotted your car. For now, they've turned off their sirens due to the potential drug operation."
Ceres slowly looked out her window. The man outside wore a black tactical vest with USAMPC on the front. His face, though, made her freeze in shock.
"…Sinclair?!"
The man blinked. Then his jaw dropped.
"What the fuck! Ceres?" Caspian Sinclair stared at her, baffled. "You're the one who called 911?"
"Yes," she nodded quickly, eyes wild with urgency. "You can ask me later. Just, please, help my friend Diana. She's inside. She's not safe."
Caspian's expression changed instantly, his usual composed look twisting into something darker. "Diana Ethos?" he echoed sharply, his eyes flicking toward the warehouse.
Ceres didn't know why her name made him react that way, but he didn't give her time to ask.
"You stay here," he ordered firmly. "I promise, we'll bring her out safe."
Ceres stayed in the car, eyes darting in every direction, heart pounding so hard it echoed in her ears. She had no idea what was happening inside, but when more police cars started swarming the warehouse and the sharp crack of gunshots rang out, followed by shouting, that was it.
She wasn't Ceres Evadne Monteverde for nothing.
Which meant she wasn't going to sit still just because some hot officer told her to.
She threw Caspian's warning out the window the moment she saw the chaos unfolding. From her vantage point, she saw people trying to flee, men and women scattering like cockroaches under light, only to be tackled and cuffed by swarming police.
In the confusion, no one even noticed her slip into the warehouse.
Inside, it was a mix of a rave club and a war zone. Flashing strobe lights flickered over the bodies of unconscious girls slumped on lounge chairs, clearly drugged. The air reeked of alcohol, sweat, and something more chemical. Officers moved swiftly, handcuffing suspects and shouting orders.
It was worse than she imagined. This wasn't just a drug party. It was a full-blown crime ring.
Panic surged in her chest as she pushed her way toward the back halls, hoping, praying, Diana was still safe.
She finally found the women's restroom and shoved the door open.
"What the fuck is this?!" she yelled, frozen in the doorway.
Because there, in the middle of the chaos, was Diana, pressed up against Caspian Sinclair, kissing him like her life depended on it.
"Cee, " Diana's eyes widened in horror. She shoved Caspian back so hard he nearly stumbled into the sink.
"Are you two together?!" Ceres demanded, her voice going dangerously high-pitched. She marched in, glaring at her best friend like she was ready to slap the truth out of her. "Are you seriously keeping this from me? After everything?!"
"No!" Diana stammered, refusing to meet her gaze.
"No?!" Ceres scoffed. "Then why were you eating his face off, huh?"
"I was not!" Diana squeaked, red-faced.
"Yeah, right." Ceres rolled her eyes so hard they nearly fell out of her head. "I saw tongue, bitch. Don't lie to me."
Diana glared daggers at Caspian, silently begging him to help.
He just smiled.
"Okay, this is not the time for that kind of interrogation," Caspian said, finally stepping between them. "And weren't you supposed to stay in the car, Ceres?"
"Do you know me?" she retorted, crossing her arms. "I don't even listen to my parents. What made you think you stood a chance?"
"And don't think we're done with this conversation," she added, pointing a finger at Diana. "How dare you keep this from me? After I held your hand when you got that tattoo on your…"
"Oh my gosh, Cee!" Diana looked mortified. "Can you not?! I'm still traumatized!"
"You don't look traumatized," Ceres shot back. "You looked like a zombie eating an officer's face two seconds ago."
Caspian chuckled under his breath, despite everything. A few minutes ago, this girl had been on the verge of danger, and now here she was, bickering like it was just another Friday night.
"Alright, enough. Let's go," he said, switching back to serious mode. "You both have to come to the station."
"What?" they said at the same time.
"Why?!" Ceres added, clearly offended.
"What do you mean why?" Caspian said, deadpan. "One of you called 911. The other is a direct victim in an illegal den. You both need to give statements. We need this to hold in court."
"Why me?!" Ceres complained. "I already told the dispatcher everything I know! I'm not involved!"
"I can't go," Diana whispered, panic dawning on her face. "If I go to the police station, my parents will find out. I told them I was sleeping over at Cee's."
"Bitch!!!" Ceres gaped at her best friend like she just committed high treason. "I am so throwing you under the bus when you get grounded. Don't drag me down with you! You know Daddy's gonna cut off my black cards again, and I have a spa appointment this week!"
"Are you seriously putting your spa over me right now?" Diana asked, aghast.
"Bitch, did you see my nails?" Ceres held up her hands dramatically. "I murdered them. I was chewing on them in the car, worried sick about you. And what do I find when I barge in here? You chewing Caspian's face off like some lip-hungry cannibal?! The audacity. After what you told me last week, 'I really really hate his guts,' remember that?!"
Diana froze, eyes widening, completely caught. She glanced at Caspian, who was trying, failing, to suppress a grin.
"Traitor," Diana muttered under her breath and turned away from Ceres with a pout. She walked over to Caspian and threw her arms around his waist, like she'd done it a hundred times before.
"Casey," she began in a soft, coaxing voice.
"Casey?! Ewww!" Ceres gagged. "Did you just give him a pet name? Gross. I'm literally going to throw up in this drug den."
"Shhhh, I'm trying to negotiate here," Diana whispered sharply before shifting her puppy-eyed gaze back to Caspian. "Just pretend we're not here, okay? I mean, I'm fine. If you need statements, there are other girls here who had it worse. I saw some of them drugged and even… touched. Please."
"Babe…" Caspian started gently.
"Babe?!" Ceres interrupted again, eyes wide in disbelief. "Oh my God, are you two seriously dating behind my back?!"
"This is a big syndicate," Caspian said, ignoring her. "You've been seen by local police, and I'm with the USAMPC task force. If anyone links you to this scene and we don't take a statement, it could raise suspicions. But I'll file it carefully. No names will be leaked."
"Big syndicate?" Ceres repeated, frowning.
"Yes. Not just human trafficking and drugs. There's organ smuggling, illegal weapons, and even underground dog fighting." Caspian's voice darkened.
Both girls paled.
"Bitch! You almost became a true crime episode!" Ceres shouted, turning to Diana. "You and your party-hopping bullshit. I told you Paula was shady! Her perfume alone smelled like expired alcohol pretending to be Chanel!"
"But if Mommy and Daddy find out about this," Diana whined, her tone instantly switching to pure sugar, "they'll ship me off to Canada! Do you want that to happen to me?"
Ceres gave her a deadpan look. Diana tilted her head adorably at Caspian, eyes wide and lips pouting, her hands still resting gently on his chest.
The cringe on Ceres's face was impossible to miss.
"Bitch! Your face has subtitles!" Diana hissed at her.
Ceres smirked. "And they're saying 'this bitch is faking innocence harder than a Netflix true crime documentary.'"
Caspian cleared his throat and gently moved Diana's hair behind her ear.
"As much as I'd love to say yes, you're not off the hook," he said, voice low. "You'll still need to be questioned. I'll make it fast, and I'll personally handle it. But no escaping it."
"Wait," Ceres interrupted, brows furrowing as a thought struck her. "Did you say there was dog fighting here too?"
"Yes," Caspian replied. "There's an underground arena in the lower levels. We're clearing it out next."
"What's going to happen to the dogs?" Ceres asked, suddenly serious.
"Cee? Are you seriously worrying about the dogs now?" Diana asked, jaw dropping. "First it was your nails, now the dogs? Where am I on your list of priorities, huh?"
"You come after my shoes and bags," Ceres replied flatly.
"That's like… hundreds of them!"
"Obviously." Ceres scoffed. "Shush. I'm trying to save your party-thirsty ass here." She turned to Caspian, eyes sharp. "So?"
Caspian exhaled through his nose, shaking his head as he watched the two of them. Their personalities flipped faster than a switch. He'd always known these two were chaotic when together, but seeing it live, complete with petty insults and sincere worry, was baffling.
"We already called Animal Control," he said. "They'll assess the dogs. But most are trained for aggression, fighting dogs. They've been abused their whole life. If they're deemed too dangerous to rehabilitate… they'll have no choice but to put them down."
Ceres's jaw tightened. "I know an animal shelter. A private one. I think it would be better to coordinate with them and ask them to come here directly. We can say we're part of the shelter team."
She knew she was bending things. But between protecting Diana and saving those dogs, this was the only loophole she could see. It wasn't like the shelter would be put in danger. It was a technical stretch, not a lie.
"That's right, Casey," Diana chimed in suddenly, her voice perky. "Cee sponsors a shelter!"
"Dee?!" Ceres snapped.
"Oops, sorry! Forget I said that." Diana waved dramatically. "She doesn't want people to know she's secretly an angel."
Caspian shook his head again, lips twitching despite the seriousness of the situation. After a moment of thought, he looked at Ceres.
"Okay. If you can contact the shelter rep and have them coordinate with Animal Control, I'll take care of the rest. I'll make sure, to the best of my ability," he added with a glance at Diana, "that your parents don't find out you were at an illegal rave instead of asleep at the Monteverde estate."
"You're an angel," Diana grinned, pulling him in and planting a kiss on his cheek.
Caspian gave her a brief look of warning but said nothing. He led them to the basement stairs, where the underground dog-fighting ring had been found. It was quieter now, secured, and awaiting the shelter contact that Ceres had just called.
Left alone, Ceres leaned on the wall, arms crossed. "So if Caspian is your angel… what does that make me, huh?"
Diana blinked, then gave a cheeky grin. "Of course you're my angel too, Cee. Don't forget, Lucifer was an angel."
Ceres narrowed her eyes. "Really?" she deadpanned.
Diana nodded innocently.
Without a word, Ceres pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.
"Hey!" Diana yelped, reaching for the phone.
"This," Ceres said smugly, turning the screen so her friend could see, "is what you look like doing your puppy eyes at Casey."
The photo was a masterpiece of chaos, Diana's lipstick was smudged, her mascara stained beneath her eyes, and her long black hair was sticking out in all directions like she'd been electrocuted.
"Oh my gosh! I look like a witch! A wet, panicking witch!" Diana gasped.
"Exactly. That's your I-just-made-out-in-a-crime-scene aesthetic."
Despite the teasing, both girls stood side by side, hands intertwined, watching silently as officers moved in and out of the warehouse. Minutes later, the shelter team arrived just as Animal Control returned with crates, equipment, and sedation kits.
Together, the shelter and animal control teams began securing the dogs. Most were still hostile, some growling, others trying to bite, but they managed to sedate and extract them one by one.
Caspian remained near the entrance, discussing procedures with the police and members of his USAMPC team, though his gaze kept drifting back to the two girls, especially Diana.
"Stay here," Ceres said firmly to Diana, rising from the worn leather sofa where they had been sitting. She made her way toward the basement door, where Jenny and the head of Animal Control were engaged in a tense conversation.
"What's wrong, Ms. Jenny?" Ceres asked as she approached.
Jenny looked up, her face drawn with concern. "We've secured all the dogs except one, a pit bull. It's far too hostile. No one can get close."
"We already tried tranquilizing it," added the Animal Control leader. "But nothing worked. The sedative isn't taking effect."
"Can't you increase the dosage?" Ceres asked, brows furrowing.
"We already used the maximum allowable dose," the man replied with a shake of his head. "Another injection could kill it. As it stands, that may be our only option. My team is already discussing a put-down."
"Can you not do that, at least not yet?" Ceres pressed, her voice low but firm. "Give it a little time. Let's try everything before we resort to that."
"We have tried everything," the man said with an edge of frustration. "I wish it were different. But we cannot endanger our people over one dog."
"Then let me try," Ceres said quietly.
The silence that followed was heavy.
"Miss Ceres," Jenny said gently, "this isn't like the rescue dogs you usually help. This is a trained fighting dog. It's been abused and weaponized. We want to save it too, but… sometimes, we just can't."
"I understand that," Ceres said, unwavering. "But if there's even a small chance, please, let me try."
Jenny and the Animal Control leader exchanged a glance.
"Alright," he finally said. "You have five minutes. If anything happens, we will put it down without hesitation."
Ceres nodded.
She turned and started walking toward the basement.
It didn't take long for Diana and Caspian to notice.
"Cee, where are you going?" Diana called, hurrying after her, heels clicking urgently across the concrete. She caught Ceres's arm, walking beside her. "What's going on?"
"There's a dog they couldn't sedate. Too hostile. They're planning to put it down," Ceres replied without looking back.
"And you're going in there?" Diana looked horrified. "Are you crazy?"
Ceres raised an eyebrow at her.
"Right. Dumb question. Of course you are," Diana muttered under her breath. "But this is dangerous!"
"I'll be fine. You don't need to come. You're scared of dogs, remember?" Ceres said calmly.
"What? You think I'll let you go in there alone?" Diana snapped.
Ceres snorted. "Please. You'd be the first to run if it so much as growled. And don't forget, you're wearing stilettos. You'd die before me."
"Excuse me, I run faster than you in stilettos," Diana shot back with a toss of her hair.
That actually made Ceres pause. "You know what? That might be true."
Caspian appeared behind them, falling into step with long strides. "You're both insane," he muttered, adjusting his earpiece. "And for the record, if either of you gets bitten, I'm filing the paperwork as 'voluntary recklessness.'"
"Then put it under 'Saint Ceres, Patron Saint of Stray Dogs and Reckless Friends,'" Ceres said as they approached the basement door.
Caspian exhaled through his nose. "Of course your name would come with a title."
Despite the sarcasm, he stepped forward, reaching for the door and giving her one last look.
"You're sure about this?"
Ceres nodded.
The moment they stepped inside the basement-turned-dogfighting arena, a low, guttural sound filled the air, something between a snarl and a growl, deep enough to vibrate through the concrete floor.
"Is that a dog snarling or a bear growling?" Diana blurted, eyes wide.
Ceres didn't even dignify that with a response. She just shook her head.
They turned a corner and saw the far end of the arena, where a series of makeshift cages lined the wall. Most were empty now, but at the very end, four members of the Animal Control team stood hesitantly in front of a large steel-barred enclosure.
Even from where they stood, the dog inside was massive, easily the largest one in the facility. A giant pit bull with a thick, scarred body and rage carved into every muscle.
"Please step away," Ceres said to the officers.
The four exchanged looks before reluctantly backing off. Once the space was clear, she started walking forward.
"Stay here," she instructed calmly.
"Wait, that wasn't our deal. We agreed to give you a chance, not let you walk into danger while we stand back," the leader argued.
"You said five minutes," Ceres reminded him coldly, her tone making it clear she wasn't asking.
"Cee, this is not a good idea," Diana said, clearly panicking now.
Ceres didn't respond. She simply raised one hand in a silencing gesture and moved closer to the cage.
Behind her, Caspian tensed. His hand slid to his sidearm, drawing his gun, not to scare the dog, but to be ready. Just in case.
Ceres stopped just a few feet from the bars.
The pit bull was monstrous up close. Brown fur matted with dried blood, its body was covered in thick scars. Jagged wounds crisscrossed its back. A massive slash cut diagonally across its face, one ear completely missing. Its eyes burned with fury and fear, and it snarled violently the moment it sensed her presence.
But Ceres didn't flinch.
Despite its massive build and the deadly fury in its eyes, something inside her whispered that it wasn't truly dangerous. Not now. Not to her.
That was impossible, irrational, but she felt it with every cell in her body.
"It's okay, big guy," she said gently, crouching down a little so she wasn't towering over him. "I'm not going to hurt you. We're going to take you away from here."
Her voice cracked.
"You must have been fighting so hard... haven't you?"
She slowly raised one hand, open and steady, letting him sniff from a distance.
"Cee..."
"Ceres..."
Both Diana and Caspian's voices overlapped, low, fearful, and urgent. Caspian took a single step forward.
"No. Stay there. I'm fine," Ceres said without taking her eyes off the pit bull, whose growl had softened, but not vanished.
Then, it happened.
A sound, a faint, trembling whimper, escaped from behind the dog.
Ceres leaned slightly to the side and caught a glimpse of something.
"Ms. Jenny," she called, never raising her voice, "I need clean and open baskets. Now."
Jenny's brow furrowed. "What, "
"He's protecting his litter," Ceres said, eyes still locked on the dog.
The pit bull's posture hadn't changed, but its trembling form, its stiff stance, made perfect sense now.
Ceres didn't wait for anyone else to react.
She slowly, inch by inch, moved toward the cage and knelt down. The dog barked once, warning, but when she held out her hand again, low and non-threatening, it sniffed it.
"I promise you," she whispered, her voice now shaky with restrained emotion, "we'll get you out of here. You won't be hurt again. And your pups... they won't suffer like you did."
For a moment, no one breathed.
Then the dog moved, slowly, hesitantly, and revealed what it had been hiding behind its body.
A lifeless dog lay crumpled on the cold floor.
And next to her, nestled close for warmth, were nine tiny puppies.
The basement fell into stunned silence.
Even the Animal Control leader, who had prepared to authorize a kill shot, was speechless.
As the shelter staff arrived with baskets, Ceres carefully lifted each puppy, tender and shaking in her hands, and placed them into safety. The mother's body remained untouched, but she brushed her fingers gently over its head as she passed.
Caspian watched her. Every movement. Every word. Every breath she took in that blood-soaked place.
He wasn't sure what shocked him more, that the pit bull hadn't ripped her throat out...
Or that he finally understood why Zeus Falcon, the most ruthless bastard he knew, had fallen so impossibly in love with this woman.
And when all the pups were safely placed into the baskets, nestled in warm blankets and soft towels, Ceres sat back for a moment, wiping a tear from her cheek. Her hands trembled, but her voice remained steady.
She reached for the leash Jenny had handed her earlier.
It wasn't a chain.
She wouldn't need one.
She knew that now.
Ceres held it gently, like a promise in her palm, then looked up at the massive pit bull still standing protectively near the lifeless body of its mate.
"What do I call you, big guy?" she asked softly. The dog met her gaze, unmoving, as if waiting for her to speak again. "You know what… I think my crazy best friend might actually be right. You're a bear."
She smiled faintly, her voice cracking with quiet affection.
"Because bears never abandon their cubs. They fight, no matter how broken they are. So… how about we call you Bear for now?"
Bear blinked once.
It was enough.
Ceres gently clipped the leash to the makeshift collar Animal Control had managed to slip on earlier. She stood, nodding toward Jenny and the others.
"Take the baskets," she said. "But leave this one behind."
The officers quickly obeyed, quietly carrying the puppies to safety. One basket remained, filled with three of the smallest pups. The tiniest ones. The ones too fragile to be carried far.
And once everyone was at a safe distance, watching from behind the divider wall, Ceres turned to Bear.
She bent slightly, picking up the remaining basket with one hand and gripping the leash with the other.
"Let's go, Bear," she whispered, giving the leash the softest tug. "We'll get your pups cleaned up… and we'll say goodbye to your mate properly, after."
Bear didn't growl this time.
Didn't resist.
He just followed her.
Not as a fighter.
But as a soul that, for the first time, felt the weight of something other than pain.
Hope.