Song of The Moon Artemis Lupine

by Banks, Catherine

Ares’ frown evened out and a twinkle of intrigue returned to his eyes. “Can I see it?”

  I shrugged and turned my back to him. He traced his fingertip across the snarling wolf head in the center of my lower back. Ares asked, “When did you get this?”

  “Two years ago.”

  “Did your father see it?”

  I shook my head emphatically. “No, he would have killed me for getting a tattoo.”

  Ares smiled. “It’s actually very nice.”

  I blushed. “Thanks.”

  Koda shook his head. “I can’t believe your father never said anything to you even though you had such a fascination with wolves.”

  I shrugged. “My fascination with wolves was normal compared to other girls’ fascinations with horses or whatever other animal.”

  "I think we should find some clothes before we leave," Ares said quietly. I realized I was staring at Ares’ lower body and blushed looking away from him. He hugged me tightly, "I love that you blush. I hope you always do it."

  "I don't."

  Matt ran back through the trees and frowned. "I couldn't find anyone."

  I sighed. "Great. Well let's get back. I'm still hungry."

  "Sorry about that. Those damn ogres attacked without warning. Lucky that you got scared in time for me to change," Ares said.

  I remembered Maurice and Victor and asked, "Are Victor and Maurice alright?"

  Ares nodded his head. "Maurice managed to get to cover before the sun got him. Both were a big help in defeating the ogres actually. From now on all werewolf posts are going to be assigned two vampires. We're going to be taking a vampire along with our group as well."

  I frowned. "Why?"

  Ares answered instantly, "For better protection of you. Plus he wants to observe our relationship anyway."

  I groaned. "Great. Now I'm an experiment? Why don't you just hand me over to the humans?"

  Ares snarled. "I would never do that. Those monsters would torture you worse than you could imagine."

  I stared at him and wondered if he had been tortured by humans. I almost asked, but knew it would probably just make him angrier. "So what's the vampire's name that is joining us?"

  "Victor."

  My throat felt dry again. "Great. Well let's go."

  I started walking and Ares cleared his throat. "You're going the wrong way." I giggled and followed behind him staring at his muscled back and butt as he walked. I felt proud of myself that I had managed not to stare at his crotch while we were talking. I could hear Koda and Matt whispering behind me, but couldn't understand what they were saying. I tried to ignore them, but curiosity got the better of me.

  I turned around, stopping in front of them. "What? What are you two whispering about?"

  Koda and Matt stopped walking and stared at me for a full minute. Matt finally sighed. "Love, we would appreciate it if you wouldn't make us tell you."

  I growled. "Why? Because Ares is here and would get mad?"

  I felt Ares beside me, but didn't look over at him. Matt groaned. "Alright. We wanted to know why it is that you say you have never been with a man before, but you are so comfortable walking around in your bra and with Ares being naked if that's true?"

  I stared at them in shock for a minute as I added up what they had said. Why am I so comfortable being in my bra around them? And why am I not blushing with Ares walking naked in front of me? I shook my head. "I...I don't know why I'm comfortable. I mean Ares being naked might be because of our weird connection thingy, but I've never even worn a two piece bathing suit in front of anyone before. I...I should be embarrassed, but strangely I'm not."

  Ares smiled. "You're probably just adjusting to being around us. Also, wereanimals generally like to wear as little clothing as possible. You know, the whole shapeshifting thing? We lose a lot of clothes the first year because we end up shifting while dressed and human clothes don't fit very well on large wolves."

  Koda rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. I've shredded more jeans than I can count."

  I wrapped my arms around my stomach. "Well whatever it is now you boys have your answer." I felt the blush rush up my cheeks and I groaned. "And now I'm properly embarrassed. Can we go?"

  Matt smiled. "We didn't want to embarrass you, we were just wondering if you might have been lying to us."

  I shook my head. "I'm only eighteen for crying out loud."

  Koda laughed. "Shit, eighteen was the beginning of my man-whore days."

  Ares groaned. "Don't remind me. You weren't very discreet about it either. I still haven't forgiven you for screwing that girl in my room while I was sleeping in there."

  "Ew," I said wrinkling up my nose. "This is why I tried to hide from everyone. Girls are catty and cynical and guys are gross and only think about one thing."

  Matt said, "Food."

  Ares said, "Hunting."

  Koda said, "Fighting."

  My mouth gaped open at them for a moment. "Seriously? Sex! All men think about is sex. And obviously Koda is a prime example," I said, pointing towards him.

  Koda rolled his eyes. "Don't ask about Ares then."

  I looked sideways at Ares and wondered how many women he had slept with. He is really old. Probably best not to ask. I shook my head. "Let's go guys. I'm hungry."

  Ares smiled. "If you would change, we could take you on a real hunt."

  I shook my head. "I'm not going to change."

  Ares groaned. "You'll have to change eventually Artemis. Just because you don't change doesn't mean you aren't a werewolf."

  "Whatever. I'm not changing yet."

  Ares snarled. "You know, I could force you to change."

  I snarled. "Don't even try it."

  Matt stepped between us. "Calm down. Everyone calm down. Let's get home and find some food."

  Ares stopped snarling and shook his head. "Whoever is messing with us is very powerful. I'll need to speak to Victor right away." I squatted down in an attack stance as Ares took a step towards me. He sighed. "Artemis, I promise I am not going to try to change you right now. I just wanted to carry you so that we could get back to the village faster."

  I shook my head. "Let Matt carry me if you are telling the truth."

  Ares snarled. "Would you rather Matt or Koda carry you than me touch you? If I hadn't come when I had, would I have found you and Koda doing other things?"

  I stopped snarling and stared at him, seeing the hurt in his eyes. I stood up and shook my head with my hands on top of my head. "I'm sorry. This isn't like me. You're right, we need to get back soon because this person is screwing with me really bad."

  Ares picked me up in his arms and ran without another word. He ran through the thick forest dodging trees and jumping over fallen logs like it was a flat surface. I enjoyed the feel of his hot naked flesh against my arm and face. I rubbed my face in the crook of his neck as he ran. He shivered and slowed down. I kissed the point where his neck and shoulder met and kissed my way up his neck to his ear. He moaned and grabbed my face with the hand that had been holding my legs. I dropped to the ground and he snarled at me making me lie flat on the ground, waiting for my punishment. He growled into my ear. "Do not tease me. I understand it is hard to control these emotions, especially since you have not had them before. My control is waning though and I do not want to try to finish what you are starting if that is not what you want. So stop teasing me and sit still until we get back."

  I glanced down his body and saw what he meant about his waning control. I swallowed hard and looked back up at him. "I'm sorry." I leaned up and licked his cheek short and quick. I gasped and lay back down, shocked by what I had just done.

  Ares smiled. "Don't worry, that's a submissive apology that wolves do to each other. It's natural that you would do that to me in this situation." He licked my cheek back and said, "You're forgiven." He stood up and turned to Matt. "You need to carry her. I fear that my control has been extremely diminished."

  Matt laughed. "I can see that." Matt walked over and held
out his hand to me. "Come on, Love. I'll carry you the rest of the way."

  I took his hand and let him help me stand up. He picked me up in his arms and ran faster than any of them had carried me before. The wind whipping my hair and face excited me and I suddenly had the urge to run. I tore his arms away and fell to the ground on my feet. I started running as fast as I could, blowing past Ares and Koda. I yelled in joy and felt a burst of energy and began running even faster.

  I could hear Ares, Koda and Matt behind me, but I didn't care about anything except running. It was the freest feeling I had ever experienced. I dodged around the trees, which I could see surprisingly well for how fast I was going. It was more like I could sense them. The night air spilled around me and I could suddenly smell everything. The birds and small animals in the trees, the three men/wolves behind me and the larger animals a few miles away. I had no idea how I knew everything, but I did.

  We ran into the clearing of the village and I gaped. Houses were burned to the ground and the warehouse had a gigantic hole in the side of it big enough to fit a whale in. I ran to what was left of Gregory's house. The living room was now nothing more than a covered patio and the kitchen was completely gone. I screamed, "No!" And ran to where the kitchen used to be. I found the fridge on its back a few feet away and pulled it open. Meat and various other groceries lie on the back of the fridge defrosting. I reached in and grabbed as much meat as possible and pulled it out. I looked around for the microwave and found it under what used to be the kitchen sink. I looked at Matt. "Can you grab that?"

  Matt picked up the microwave and followed me into the house. I walked to the bathroom and pointed at the plug. "Plug it in there please." He did as I asked and opened the door to the microwave. I pushed the meat inside and shut the door and turned on the microwave for twenty seconds to heat up the meat. I waited anxiously shifting from one foot to another as the meat twirled inside the microwave. The "ding" of the microwave made me jump and I hurried to grab the meat out, shoving an entire steak in my mouth and chewing. I moaned in pleasure and talked around my full mouth of food, "This is so good."

  Ares walked into the bathroom and stared at my pile of meat in my arms. "Hungry?"

  I snarled as much as was possible with a full mouth. "Don't make fun of me."

  His lip twitched slightly as he tried to hide a smile. "Sorry. Can I have a piece?"

  I grumbled, but handed him one of the smaller steaks. Matt laughed. "At least she is generous."

  I snarled and swallowed the piece of meat that was in my mouth. "You shut up." I plopped down on the closed lid of the toilet and ate my meat quickly. Matt and Ares walked away sharing the piece of meat I had given them.

  Victor walked in and smiled at me. "Hey." I frowned and continued to eat my meat without saying anything. He laughed. "I can see that you are eating, but I just wanted to formally introduce myself now that I am going to be joining your little faction."

  I nodded my head and pushed the food in my mouth to the side. "Nice to meet you. I'm usually not this rude, but I'm really hungry."

  Victor nodded his head. "I understand completely. It must take a lot out of you to stop your changes."

  I shrugged. "Don't know. Just always do it."

  Ares came back in. “You need to rest.”

  I nodded my head and kissed Ares cheek as I walked to my bedroom and laid down on the bed, rolling on my side to face away from the door. I heard the door open and someone come in and assumed it was Ares. I ignored him closing my eyes. I started to fall asleep when someone grabbed my arms and forced me on my back with my arms stretched and held above my head on the bed. I opened my eyes and saw Gregory standing over me with a knife in his hand. I swallowed hard. "What's going on?"

  Gregory snarled, "I'm doing what should have been done the night you were born, but your father was too much of a coward to do."

  I stared at the knife in his hand and asked, "Are you going to kill me?"

  He nodded his head smiling. "Yes, and I’ll love every second of it. If that boy hadn't been here before, you would already be dead."

  I looked backwards and saw a man I had never seen before holding my arms. "You both know that Ares will kill you when he finds out, right?"

  Gregory laughed quietly. "He won't know who did it because we are going to take your body out in the woods and make it look like suicide."

  I rolled my eyes. "I would never kill myself. He won't believe it."

  Gregory smiled. "Oh I think he will." He raised the knife and started to plunge downwards towards my chest and I rolled to the side of the bed tearing my arms out of the other man's hold. Gregory snarled, "Grab her!"

  I ran around the bed and towards the door, but Gregory grabbed me. I screamed, "ARES!!!!" as Gregory threw me back on to the bed and picked up the knife he had dropped. I kicked as hard as I could at Gregory, but he moved out of the way. The other man grabbed on to my arms again and I screamed as loud as I could.

  The wall beside me burst into pieces as Bret ran through it. He grabbed the other man and threw him out of the room and against the house across the street. Ares ran through the bedroom door and tackled Gregory, pulling the knife from his hand and stabbing it into Gregory's stomach. I jumped off the bed and ran to Matt who had come into the room behind Ares. He held me against him, his muscles strained as he fought to control himself. Ares grabbed Gregory's throat and squeezed then pulled backwards ripping his throat out. Blood sprayed over Ares and the bedroom. Ares tossed the piece of Gregory’s throat outside the bedroom and into the street then grabbed Gregory’s head and twisted and pulled ripping his head off his body. Ares threw Gregory's body and head out of the bedroom and into the street next to his piece of throat.

  Ares turned to me and his eyes were amber wolf eyes. I felt no fear though he was covered in blood and I had just watched him rip Gregory’s head off. I pulled away from Matt and walked towards Ares. Ares took a step back from me and shook his head speaking in a voice which was more of a growl than natural. "If you touch me you'll change. I have no control over my power right now."

  I shook my head and continued to walk towards him. "I won't change." I reached out and touched his face and felt my body twitch hard once. I groaned and fought to control myself.

  I stared into Ares' eyes and felt lust, admiration and...love. My body cooled and released its tension. Ares eyes cleared as I felt power flow into my body. He stared in awe at my face and whispered, "I knew you were perfect, but this is remarkable. Even I do not have this power." I stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips softly. He kissed me back and whispered, "I will protect you at all costs."

  I smiled and nodded my head. "I know you will."

  Bret growled. "I saved you too! Why does he get all of the attention?" He squatted down and I saw his body beginning to change. I walked to him and he snarled at me.

  Ares started to come towards us, but I held up my hand walking towards Bret. "You are not my alpha, Bret. You cannot snarl or growl or try to show dominance that you do not have. If you try to attack me I will hurt you. Friend or not, I am your alpha."

  Bret snapped his teeth at me and started to change. I reached into him with my power and felt the power of the moon and wolf in him. I pulled those powers into me absorbing them. Bret fell to the ground completely human and asleep.

  Matt whistled. "Wow. I've never seen anyone but Ares do that."

  I smiled then felt exhausted. I put my hand out for the bed, but missed and started to fall. Ares caught me and picked me up in his arms. He whispered, "You have to learn to pace yourself. Using too much magic too quickly will drain you."

  I shrugged. "I'm a newb what can I say?"

  He tilted his head to the side in confusion reminding me of a canine once again. "A newb? What is that?"

  "It means I'm a newbie. Some of Bret's nerdy friends used to say it when talking about video games." I said quietly.

  Ares shook his head. "The humans have used a lot of different slang over the years. Most of it I th
ink is ridiculous. Like groovy. What is groovy? Stupid, that's what it is."

  I giggled and asked, "Where am I going to sleep now?"

  He winked. "How about my room?"

  I blushed and Ares smiled. "I was just teasing. We'll put you in Koda's room and make him sleep on the couch."

  Koda groaned. "Why me?"

  Ares snarled. "You kissed her, remember?"

  Koda groaned. "Fine, if that's my punishment, then alright."

  Ares shook his head. "That's only the beginning of your punishment. You still have lots of punishing left."

  I sighed. "It wasn't his fault Ares."

  Ares shook his head again. "Spells like that can't put thoughts in people's heads. They can only intensify what they are thinking."

  I looked at Koda and blushed. I turned my face into Ares' neck and said, "Okay take me to his room."

  Ares walked quickly to Koda's room and laid me down on the bed. "I know this must be hard for you, but I assure you that I will do all that I can to make you happy." He bent down and kissed my cheek then hurried out, shutting the door behind him.

  I groaned and rolled on to my side closing my eyes. Great, I am falling in love with him at a ridiculously rapid pace. Of course my life would be complicated like this.

  ~~~~

  Chapter Seven

  Two knocks on the bedroom door woke me from my peaceful sleep. I groaned and stood up from the bed walking clumsily towards the door. I reached for the light, but couldn't find the switch. The person knocked again, louder this time. "Hold on, I'm trying." I groaned. I finally opened the door no longer trying to find the light. The light from the hallway blinded me for a second and I had to wait for my eyes to adjust. I blinked three times then finally saw who was there. "Bret? What's wrong?"

  Bret walked into the bedroom flipping on the light switch and closing the door. I stared at the light switch, angry at not being able to find it. Bret turned to me and demanded, "Why did you humiliate me yesterday?"

  I stared at his face as I tried to remember what he was talking about. It was odd to see his face, the one I had seen for years and thought handsome and now I thought was only average. I smiled. I guess when you are dating the God of War that it's hard to compare anyone else to that.