I sat down quickly and pulled my legs up, wrapping my arms around them. A cell phone video popped up on the screen. Two men were fighting in front of a bar with people forming a circle around them. Suddenly a black shape jumped on top of the fighters, clawing and biting them. The men screamed and all of the people started to run away. Mist moved towards two people that had started to run away and stopped them.
I stared at the black figure, as the phone focused on it. The men who had been fighting were no longer moving, and blood gathered in a massive pool around their bodies. The black figure tore a chunk of meat from one of the men’s sides and tilted its head back swallowing. The video panned out and you could see the rest of the massive black figure.
I shook my head as I realized what it was. “A wolf? No way. Wolves don’t get that big.”
Well except for the three that have been around here.
Darren said nothing as the video continued playing. The wolf dropped its head and looked at the person recording it. I stared in awe at the wolf with its black fur and perfect amber eyes. I gasped, “Ares!”
Darren turned to me and frowned. “What?”
I shrugged. “Nothing.”
I stared back at the wolf as it stalked towards the person recording him. The wolf walked with such pride, such power. I shivered as it stared directly into the camera and howled loud and long. I gasped for breath, and my body started to convulse. Darren growled. “Fuck. That piece of shit.”
I fell off the couch and continued to convulse, unable to get air. My bones began aching and felt like they were trying to separate. I closed my eyes and could see a white wolf with a blue mane and purple eyes. I stared into the wolf’s eyes and realized it was me. Impossible, I don’t have purple eyes. The wolf-me nodded, tilted her head back, and howled loudly, shaking my entire body. I felt Darren’s hands on my body seconds before cold water covered me. I gasped for air and stood up, staring at Darren’s infuriated face. I shivered and stared at up him. “How did we get to the creek at the edge of our property?”
He smiled. “I had to stop you. It’s not time yet.”
I growled, and the sound vibrated my chest, sounding like a wolf. I pictured the wolf with purple eyes and felt my body warming up. Darren grabbed me and snarled in my face. “You aren’t allowed to change yet.”
My body cooled and the vision of the wolf disappeared. I collapsed into his arms and asked, “What’s happening to me?”
Darren stroked my hair and whispered, “It’s alright. Just sleep. You’ll understand when you wake up.”
I nodded and relaxed, as he picked me up and carried me to the house, and to my room. I started to get up to change my contacts, but he just rolled me over, so I could take them out. He whispered, “You won’t be needing those.”
I curled up under the covers, not having the energy to ask any more questions, and fell asleep. I dreamt of Ares and pictured his gorgeous face. I could see him in front of me running through the forest. I ran after him as fast as I could, but my human legs wouldn’t keep up with him. He turned to me and howled, summoning me. I tried to reach him, but he was too far away. Another howl broke through my dream, waking me up. I sat up on my bed with sweat running down my face. The windows were dark, so it was still night. I inhaled and smelled wolves.
I ran from my room to Darren’s, but he wasn’t there. I ran to the gun safe and unlocked it, taking out a gun and loading it. I grabbed a handful of shells and put them in my jeans pockets. I walked quickly to the back door and stopped moving.
Darren stood on the porch with his hands to his sides with no weapons. On the ground twenty feet away from him stood three giant wolves. I instantly recognized the middle wolf.
“Ares,” I whispered quietly. I pushed open the door and walked out, setting the gun on the porch and taking the shells out of my pockets. I started to walk past Darren to Ares, but Darren grabbed me, pulling me against him.
Ares snarled at us, but I felt no fear.
Darren snarled back sounding just like Ares. “She’s my pup. You can’t take her like this. She hasn’t changed yet.”
I felt anxious at Darren’s words and wanted to go to Ares. I pulled away from Darren, but he grabbed me, holding me tighter.
Ares walked forward and sat on his haunches, tilting his head to the side.
Darren shook his head. “No, Ares. She can’t be yours. I don’t care if she is the one who answered your call. She’s not ready. She doesn’t even know yet.”
I looked up at Darren and smiled. “They said that was your fault.”
He frowned. “You’ve talked to them?”
I shrugged. “I’ve had dreams about Ares and he’s had them about me. I had to talk to them.”
Darren sighed and looked at Ares. “If you want to see her reaction, then go ahead.”
Ares stood up and shook his body. I held my breath as his body rippled like water and turned human just like in my dreams.
Darren ran into the house and returned quickly with a pair of pants which he tossed to Ares.
Ares put the pants on then smiled at me. His blue eyes sparkled like crystals. He took a step towards me, and I looked at Darren. “We’re werewolves, aren’t we?
Ares frowned. “Why haven’t you told her? The full moon is tomorrow.”
Darren sighed. “I didn’t want to scare her. She has no idea what she is. She thinks she is human.”
Ares snarled. “You would rather her be scared shitless when she changes for the first time? That is the worst way to find out.”
Darren snarled. “She is my pup to do with as I please.”
Ares shook his head. “I am alpha to you and she is my passt genau. I am taking her. I will teach her the ways of our kind.”
Darren pushed me behind him and squatted down in an attack stance. “You will not touch her. She will not become like you.”
Ares snarled. “And what am I?”
Darren spit. “A monster.”
The two wolves behind Ares growled and took a step forward. Ares held up his hand and they stopped moving. Ares sighed. “I understand you don’t agree with what is being done. Neither do I, but I am following my alpha’s orders. If I could, I would stop it.”
Darren sighed. “What do you want with her, Ares?”
He smiled at me as I looked around Darren. “She is mine. She answered my call.”
“What call?” I asked.
Ares took a step towards the porch and Darren growled. Ares sighed. “I’ll stay here, but not because you are dominant to me. Keep pushing it, and I’ll remind you who is dominant.”
Darren sighed and walked to one of the chairs on the porch a few feet away from me.
Ares cleared his throat. “I sent out a call through the video that only my true match could answer. You answered me. I was still in Nevada when I heard you.”
I shook my head. "I don't understand. What are we? I mean, are you really a werewolf?"
Ares smiled. "I'm a lycanthrope, also known as a werewolf."
I gasped and turned to Darren. "Your papers in your room. They were talking about lycanthropy."
Darren sighed. "Yes, because I am a lycanthrope as well, and you, being my child, have had the disease passed on to you."
I stared at Ares and asked because I had to be certain, "I'm a werewolf? How is that possible? I thought werewolves were myths?"
Ares snarled. "There are many myths that are true, but the humans forced us into hiding a few centuries ago. We have just been waiting for the right time to come out and take over."
I stared at him and shook my head. "You are killing all of these innocent humans because of what other humans did centuries ago? How can you do that? They had nothing to do with it."
Ares frowned. "You think these would be any different? You think that if I were to show myself to the humans of this century that they would not hunt us down? You are very naïve, and it is your father's fault for not teaching you our history."
Darren sighed. "I just wante
d her to have a normal life. I had no idea when you would be returning. I had hoped that she could live out her life until she was an adult without changing, but when she saw the news, she started showing the signs. And then you had to call her and speed up her process. I had to force her change back once."
Ares bowed his head. "My apologies for that. But I had to know if she was my match or not."
I took a step down the porch towards Ares. He smiled at me, but Darren growled making me stop moving. Ares ran up the porch in a blur of tan skin, grabbed Darren by the throat, held him up with one hand, and choked him. "I warned you already. I am the alpha here, not you. Do not hinder her again."
I ran to them and pleaded, "Please don't kill him."
Ares dropped Darren back into the chair and smiled. "I would not kill him. He is your father and just needed a small reminder."
I stared at his handsome face and couldn't help but look over his muscular body. His light tan skin was the color of caramel and his perfect blue eyes were like a June sky. I reached out toward him, and almost touched him, when I heard the wolves behind us snarl. I turned around and saw Bret standing on the side of the house with his rifle aimed at the wolves.
Ares snarled and the two wolves moved towards Bret.
I screamed, "No!" and ran as fast as I could to Bret, standing in front of him.
He lowered the gun. "Artemis, what the hell are you doing? Don't you see the wolves? They are the same as the ones that have been killing people."
I looked back at the wolves, still moving forward and Ares close behind me. I turned to Ares. "Tell them to stop moving. He won't shoot them. Please."
Ares sighed and held his hand up. The two wolves stopped moving, sitting on their haunches, narrowing their eyes at Bret.
I reached for Bret's gun, but he backed up. I shook my head. "Bret, give me the gun or they will kill you."
Bret reached towards my face and asked, "Why are your eyes purple?"
I heard Darren speaking to Ares. "I made her wear contacts because they changed when she hit puberty."
I ignored Darren, and turned to Bret. "Look Bret, there is a lot of shit I can't explain right now, but if you don't give me the gun, they are going to kill you."
Bret stared at Ares and the two wolves and shook his head. "They are going to kill me anyway. I can see it in his eyes."
I turned to Ares and snarled. "You won't touch him."
Ares snarled back at me. "You are not dominant enough to make such demands."
I shook my head. "I don't care about dominance. If you try to hurt him, I will die protecting him."
Ares shook his head. "Do not threaten me, pup."
Clearly this was not the way to end this. I needed to think wolf-like. "Please, Ares. I am asking you as a submissive. I am pleading with you as the one who answered your call."
Ares smiled. "Only if you promise to leave with me."
I looked up at Bret's shocked face and turned back to Ares. "Only if you and all of your people leave this town unharmed." Good thing he doesn't know that I was already planning on leaving with him.
Ares sighed and rubbed his temples. "I should have known you would be smart. Very well, if you leave with me, we will leave this town unharmed including this boy."
I reached down and grabbed Bret's gun out of his hand before he could react. I ran over to the gun case, and locked it inside before Bret could reach me.
He spun me around and shook me. "What have they done to you? Have they brainwashed you?"
I felt the tears falling down my face and shook my head. "I'm sorry, Bret. I had no idea about any of this. I have to go, though."
Bret stormed towards Ares and glared at the shorter man. "Who the fuck is he that you would leave me for him?"
Ares smiled up at Bret. "She's my one and only, destined since she was born to be mine."
Bret spit on the ground beside Ares. "That's a bunch of shit. We've been together since we could walk. She is mine, not yours."
Ares smiled wider, but it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Would you put it to a test?"
Darren stood and walked quickly to Ares. He dropped to his knees and begged, "Please don't do this to him. He does not know anything about us. Please, Ares."
Bret stared at Darren in shock. "Why are you groveling to him? He's just another man."
Ares laughed. "Just another man! How funny."
I grabbed Bret's hand and pulled him to me. "Just leave, Bret. You have to move on. I'm sorry, but I won't be here. It's for the good of the town."
Bret shook his head. "You're not making any sense. Why would your leaving benefit the town?"
Ares smiled and motioned at the two wolves. "Because your town is just another one to be destroyed. She has bargained for your lives; can't you see that?"
"I won't let you leave with him," Bret said in a harsh tone.
I should have been pissed about him forcing that kiss on me. About him holding me when I didn’t want him to, but knowing I was leaving, I smiled and hugged him. "I have always known you were my best friend, but this is bigger than us. I have to protect everyone, including you," I whispered and then pulled away and backed towards Ares.
Bret shook his head. "No, don't leave me. I am the one who is supposed to protect you, remember?"
I smiled. "We always knew it would end with me protecting you, Bret. You just never wanted to admit it."
Ares extended his hand to me, smiling, "Come, little Moon Goddess. Let me take you away and show you your true nature."
I smiled back at him and took his hand. The instant our skin touched an electric shock went through our bodies. I collapsed forward, falling into his arms.
He picked me up and held me against his bare chest. "I'll treat you like a queen."
I looked one last time at Bret's distraught face, and then relaxed as Ares began running as he held me. I heard the two wolves following closely behind us. I expected his running to be bouncy, but it was smooth. It was like we were standing still, with the air whizzing past us. They ran for a few hours, taking us into a thick forest. When they finally stopped, Ares set me down on the ground. I wrapped my arms around myself and sighed. Tears escaped from my eyes before I could stop them. Ares sat down beside me and wiped the tears away with his thumb while he rested his palm against my cheek. I leaned into his hand, enjoying the warmth. He whispered, "You will be happy again soon. I promise."
I nodded and turned away from him. The two wolves stared at me with curious expressions on their faces. I turned to Ares and asked, "Why are they looking at me like that?"
He smiled. "They want to know how it's possible that you do not know what you are. And why you have not changed."
I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. My father never changed in front of me, so until you changed, I had no idea."
One of the wolves shook its head, I heard popping and snapping. It sounded like bones breaking. I cringed as I watched his head reform into a human head. His green Mohawk was a dead giveaway.
I smiled. "Koda!"
He smiled at me as I stared at his human head on the giant wolf body. "Hey, Artemis."
I smiled. "I should have known you would be here. Why aren't you changing back all of the way?"
Ares rolled his eyes. "He is trying to save you from embarrassment. If he changes completely, he will be naked and we have no clothes with us for him to change into."
I blushed. "Oh."
The other wolf shook his head and changed it to human. He looked exactly like Koda, but had a blue Mohawk and spoke with a British accent. I recognized him as the other man from the hotel. "She's blushing. That is very cute, Love."
I turned away from them and walked a few steps away.
Ares snarled. "Nice job, Matt."
"What? You can't tell me that it's not cute that she blushes like a human," Matt said.
I turned around and snarled at them. "I am a human!" I clamped my hands over my mouth and turned away again.
Ho
ly shit. What is happening to me?
Ares whispered, "It's okay that you are scared."
I shook my head. "I'm not scared. I just want to know what's happening." Okay, I was scared, but I didn’t want to admit it.
Ares spoke softly to me. "You are going to change for the first time when the full moon rises tomorrow night. Your body is going through your transition phase and during that phase you can be a little bit temperamental."
"Great! So, it's like getting your period all over again."
Ares smiled. "Sort of. How old are you, Artemis?"
I looked at his face and gauged him at about twenty-three. "Seventeen. Well, I’ll be eighteen tomorrow."
Ares smile fell slightly at the corners. "You're turning eighteen?"
I nodded. "Yep. I'm hoping to make it a couple more years, too."
Koda and Matt laughed, but Ares just regained his full smile. "It would be a truly amazing feat for you to hold off your change on your eighteenth birthday, but I do not think it will be possible. You’re getting a double whammy of full moon and eighteenth birthday."
I shrugged. "Can't hurt to try."
Matt laughed again. "I like her. She has a much older soul than her human years."
Ares nodded. "It has to do with the fact that she is my match."
I sighed. "I don't understand this whole match thing. I mean, I don't even remember answering your call or whatever. I started having convulsions after I saw you on TV and my dad stopped them by throwing me in the creek. I went to sleep, and when I woke up, I could smell wolves. When I went outside, you were there."
"You must have answered before your dad threw you in the creek."
The memory of my wolf self howling played in my mind and my eyes widened. I asked, "So, what happens now?"
Ares stood and held out his hand for me. I stood without his hand, brushing off my pants. Ares smiled and walked towards Koda and Matt. "Now, we continue moving towards our destination. Once there, we will take you to a special place to wait for your first change."
Artemis Lupine- The Complete Series Page 9