It was the sound of blood dripping onto the floor that woke Lupa. Her left eye was swollen shut, and ichor trickled down her cheek. The wolf goddess tried to move, but a sharp pain shot up through her shoulder. She groaned and resisted the urge to move anymore. Her arm was obviously broken. Out of her one good eye, Lupa could just make out the small room. There was no light, but she hardly needed any to see. The walls were a faded orange color with thick grease stains. In front of her, the bars of her prison were rusted; the metal peeling.

Only a few days earlier, the Twelfth Legion Fulminata had charged the Titan stronghold at Mt. Othrys. Even without two of the strongest demigods in Jason Grace and Mathan Foley, the Romans stood strong. They made quick work of the monsters at the base of the mountain before making their way to the actual fortress. At the top, a single monster was holding up the sky as Atlas stood in front of his army. Reyna had led the Romans in their charge. The battle was bloody. Hundreds of Romans fell to the Titan army, and in particular, to Atlas' spear. Lupa was forced to stand back and watch as her beloved Romans were crushed by the Titans.

When all hope seemed to be lost, Atlas pulled his forces back towards the fortress. Reyna called the Romans back as well in order to regroup, before the Titans lifted up a white flag of surrender. Lupa had been wary about a trap and told Reyna as such, but the praetor was determined to capture Mt. Othrys. The rest of the day passed by as a blur to Lupa. One moment she was headed into the castle behind the Roman centurions and Reyna, and the next she was chained in this hell hole with her body bloody and broken. She had been right, was all she could think. The Titans had hoisted up a false flag of surrender in order to put the Romans under a false sense of security. When the Roman leaders had entered the fortress, they had been ambushed.

Lupa felt a tear run down her cheek. Reyna, the centurions, possibly the rest of Rome was now dead or enslaved. She had failed Rome.

"Lupa, Lupa, Lupa," came a coarse voice. Lupa narrowed her eye but could not move otherwise. "You should have known better than to stand in my way."

Lupa growled deep in her throat, but immediately fell into a coughing fit. Her arm exploded with pain making her slump farther against the wall, eye shut tightly.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," the voice said again. "You could have made this easier on yourself, Lupa. You could have joined us."

Lupa coughed up ichor and took a deep, painful breath. "I would never join you."

The voice laughed. It sent fear shivering down Lupa's spine.

"Soon. You will soon."

"Never. I'll never join you, Gaea."

"Oh I think you will," said Gaea. With a wave of her hand, Lupa was pulled back to a sitting position, and her left eye was healed. Lupa blinked a few times before glaring at the primordial goddess.

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Because I have your precious Rome under my control now."

Lupa tried not to show her emotions, but she felt her stomach clench painfully. Gaea grinned evilly.

"You think that your legionnaires will rescue you? You're sorely mistaken. Isn't she, Reyna?"

Lupa's eyes widened. Reyna stepped into her line of sight, a smirk plain on her face.

"Hello, Lupa," Reyna said. "You've looked better."

"You'll pay for this!" growled Lupa before coughing up some more ichor. Reyna shook her head, still smiling alongside Gaea.

"I doubt that. You see, Rome is supporting Gaea completely."

"How dare you?" Lupa hissed. Reyna shrugged and turned to Gaea.

"Gaea offered us an offer we couldn't refuse and the senate voted unanimously in favor of it." She turned back to the imprisoned goddess. "Now you have a choice. Join us and you'll be promised a seat on the new Olympian council."

"And if I refuse?"

"That will be the last choice you'll ever make."

Lupa eyed them for a moment. Sweat began to bead on her brow, the hairs on her neck rising on end. She literally felt like a cornered animal; something she had never felt before. The very thought of treason was foreign to her. All of her existence had been for one purpose: to serve Rome and the Olympians. Gabriel had given her the important task of looking after Rome after he left. Despite her anger towards her father, Lupa could never willingly defy him. But this was a completely different situation. Reyna was threatening her with her life. Is that even possible? I'm a goddess, thought Lupa to herself. She wasn't sure if she could risk it. Gaea was obviously powerful despite having been in a deep slumber for several millennium. She must be if she could have brainwashed all of Rome; particularly the senate. Lupa grimaced. She had no choice. She wouldn't fail Rome. She would fight till the end to protect it. After a moment she nodded.

"I'll join you. But not because I want a seat on the Olympian council." Gaea smiled, her eyes sparkling with unmasked glee. "My duty is to Rome, and if Rome is supporting you, then I will too."

Gaea waved her hand once more and Lupa felt all of her wounds heal. She hauled herself up to her feet and rubbed her newly healed arm.

"We will make Olympus pay for its crimes, Lupa," she said with a tyrannic grin as she opened the door to Lupa's cell. "Together, we will kill every last one of the gods."

A/N: I am incredibly sorry for taking so long. The last week has been hectic and did not give me any time to write this story. Unfortunately, this short little teaser is all I have been able to get done this past week. Thank you for your patience, and keep your eyes open for the first chapter of Balancing Act: Civil War.

I promise you all the next chapter will be much longer!