Ares nodded his head. “She is young and I am giving her time to adjust. And I would still ask your courtesy in not divulging her bloodlines.”
Maurice nodded his head. “Wise of you in these times. She looks like someone…” He gasped, “You are the daughter of Darren?”
I nodded my head and spoke softly, “I am.” The room filled with loud murmurs and Maurice raised his hand to silence them.
He spoke again and his voice filled me with warmth and brought a smile to my face. “What is your father’s view on this?”
Ares spoke with obvious hatred. “Her father is an outlaw, whose punishment when found will be severe.”
Maurice smiled. “I see. How do you feel about this, Artemis?”
I frowned because it didn’t sound like a question the King of the Vampires should ask. “It’s a lot to deal with at first, but I love my pack and am pleased to be the Prince’s match.”
Maurice frowned. “You are not sure though.”
I frowned in response. “As I said, it is a lot to deal with and I have only known this all for a few days.”
Queen Isabella asked, “You did not know what you are?”
I shook my head. “Until Ares found me, I thought I was human.”
The room was filled with shock responses and she asked, “How could you have not known what you are? Your kind changes before eighteen.”
Ares shook his head. “Not all of us, great Queen. A few have been known to fight the change until their eighteenth birthday, but they had at least changed one part and knew. The Princess did not change any part and her father made her believe she was having human’s seizures.”
Isabella gasped. “She was around ’umans while fighting the change?”
Her change in accent was disturbing, but I answered her. “I went to school with humans and some would even hold me, while I fought the changes.”
Isabella raised her hand to stop the others from speaking before she got a chance. “You fought off your change while in the presence of ’umans?” I nodded my head. She asked, “’ow many times?”
I tried to calculate, but math was not my best subject. “About six times a month since I was ten years old.”
The crowd erupted in conversation so loud that I couldn’t hear myself think and yet I couldn’t make out what any of them were saying. The cartoon where all the kids hear is “Wa Wa” suddenly made sense. Maurice raised his hand to quiet the crowd. He spoke in a voice that no longer caressed me, but scared me. “You fought your change surrounded by humans with them touching you and then did not attack them?”
I nodded my head. “I never felt the urge to attack them. Usually I would be angry when I started the seizure…I mean attempt to change. I would calm myself down and it would stop. Then I would eat red meat and be fine.”
Maurice turned to Koda and Matt. “Have you two witnessed this?”
Matt and Koda both nodded their heads. Koda responded, “Her wolf was not present during the times she tried to change around the humans. Her father made sure to keep her away from other wolves and even hid his wolf from her.”
Maurice asked, “Is her wolf present now?”
Ares nodded his head. “Yes. Her wolf exposed herself to Artemis on the day I sent my call.”
Maurice stared at me with an expression that made me want to run. The look of need was not like Ares’ passion-filled gaze, but instead a look of needing power. The look bore into me until I sensed his hostility and realized he would kill me if he could. I stepped back towards Koda and Matt and they pressed their chests to my back. Victor saw my face and our stance and turned towards his father. “Perhaps we could end the discussion for today and allow our guests to sit for food?”
Maurice’s face changed back to his politician’s smile and he nodded his head. “Of course. Please take a seat.”
Ares walked with me pressed against his side, so close that I stepped on his shoes a few times until we were at the table. They sat us beside the King and Queen’s table and faced us towards the center of the room. Koda and Matt didn’t sit beside us, but stood behind to keep guard. Once we were seated, Ares leaned over and whispered, “What happened to make you so nervous?”
I flipped my hair to the other side of my face and pretended to be merely leaning my head on Ares’ shoulder. I whispered as quietly as I could, “The look he gave me was not friendly. I know you probably think I’m full of crap, but I could feel his need and then his hostility.”
Ares kissed the top of my head. “I don’t think you’re full of crap, but let’s not discuss this until later, when there aren’t so many ears to hear.” I kissed his cheek and sat up straight. Victor was now sitting beside his father and speaking very quietly to him. Was Victor a bad guy? Servants brought out bottles of wine and then plates of meat. The servants looked scared more than pleasant. I sniffed one as he passed by and realized he was human. I turned to Ares and he shook his head. I ate my food in silence until the King and Queen stood up. Everyone in the room including Ares stood up, so I did too.
Maurice smiled at everyone. “Thank you for coming my friends, but I must bid you adieu, the sun is rising soon and I need my beauty sleep.” He took Isabella’s hand and together they walked out of the room through the door we had come through. After they had disappeared through the doorway, Victor and Ares led me hurriedly back to our bedroom.
I jumped on to the bed and sighed. Ares laid down beside me on his side facing me and smiled. “That was fun, right?”
I scoffed. “About as fun as cleaning poop out of fifty horse stalls in the middle of a hot day in summer.”
He ran his hand up and down my arm slowly with just his fingertips touching me. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that, but being my mate means that you will be forced to do that many more times with many different races. Can you handle that?”
I smiled. “I don’t know. What’s in it for me?” He leaned over and gave me a very chaste kiss. I frowned. “Definitely not worth it.”
He smiled. “Really? Then how about this?” He rolled on top of me and kissed my lips with the need I had seen in his eyes from the tub. I kissed him back and power exploded inside me and ran into him. He grunted, but didn’t stop our kiss as warmth built between us. He rolled us over so that I was lying on top of him and ran his hands down my back and over my rump. He squeezed lightly and the power in me slammed into him, making him grunt in pain and grip me harder. I moaned in pain and he deepened the kiss. The kiss grew and I felt increasingly woozy. He slid his hands father down until they were at the bottom of my dress and pushed it up so he could put his hands on my bare butt. Thongs are good for not showing lines in your dress, but they do expose many things when your dress isn’t on. He snarled and bit my lower lip. I gasped and kissed him with my own bites and nibbles of his lower lip. We were so busy with each other that we didn’t pay attention to anything else. Cold water splashed over us and made me gasp. I spun around in a crouching attack position and snarled at the water throwers. Koda and Matt stood smiling together, holding two empty buckets. Ares stood up beside me and frowned. “What was that for?”
Koda said, “You told us not to let you get too carried away with her until she was ready.”
I snarled at him. “I wasn’t pushing him away, was I?”
Matt shook his head. “No, but you aren’t ready either.”
I took a step towards them growling and felt my wolf ready to come out. Koda squatted down and growled back at me. I snapped my teeth at him. “You aren’t alpha!” I yelled.
Koda snarled at me. “Neither are you, but I am beta.”
I shook my head. “No I am.”
Matt squatted down and growled at both of us. “Knock if off you two.”
I snapped my teeth at him and saw his wolf’s anger. He dropped his left hand in a crouching stance mimicking both Koda and me and snarled at me. Ares stared at us frowning. I felt my wolf wake up and smiled. I pulled my dress off over my head and took my shoes off. Ares sighed, “Ar
temis.” I unhooked my bra and pulled my underwear down while keeping eye contact with the two others and then let her come. My body stretched and my bones cracked as she rose from my body in four quick steps. When I was finished changing, I felt the soreness that would be present when I returned to human shape, but I didn’t care. Matt and Koda stood before me in their wolf forms and I suddenly realized how much smaller I was. They were both at least one and a half times my size whereas Ares was twice my size. Koda took a step towards me and I ran forward slamming into him. He skidded backwards, but did not fall. I bit into his side, pulling a piece of flesh off, and jumped away as Matt ran at me. They turned to face me and I realized they were fighting together.
Ares snarled from behind them and dropped his clothes. I stared at his naked perfection and waited anxiously for him to be wolf too. He changed in one fluid motion like in my dreams and walked forward to snarl at me. I stared at him in shock as he stood between Koda and Matt. I took a step back from him and then shook my head. I snarled and snapped my teeth against the three who were against me. The door opened, but I didn’t want to risk looking away so I stayed staring at the other three. Koda turned towards the door and I saw my opening. I threw myself forward and bit into his neck, but he shook me off. I jumped back and tried to hit him with my paw, but Ares blocked me snarling. I backed away from him and sat on my butt. Why was he attacking me? Ares took a step towards me and Francois and Jean Pierre appeared in front of me. Their faces looked terrifying as they hissed flashing their fangs with their fingers elongated into claws. Ares stared at them in shock as they protected me from my own pack.
One of the twins, I couldn’t distinguish between them, spoke with a deep voice, “Why are you attacking your mate?” Ares barked and the vampire shook his head. “Dominance battles are between them, you know this. How dare you interfere?”
Ares moved forward and I did too. The vampire twins and werewolf twins began fighting each other and I stared at Ares in shock. He snapped his teeth at me and snarled. I knew he was alpha, but he had no reason to be interfering in my dominance with the others as the vampire had said. I decided to do the only thing I could, submit. I dropped to my side and rolled on my back, exposing my neck and stomach to Ares. He continued to snarl and growl as he walked forward and stood over my body. His teeth were inches from my neck and he opened his jaw, when Victor ran in and flung Ares aside.
Victor stood between Ares and me and then raised his hands. “Silence.” The wolves stopped growling and stared at him. Victor said, “You are under a spell. Please listen. Change back.”
Ares changed back quickly and frowned. “What is going on?”
Victor smiled. “You owe me now, friend. You were about to take her life.”
I changed back and stared at Ares in shock. Ares shook his head. “I wouldn’t have killed her.”
Victor shrugged. “Perhaps not, but I did not wish to take that chance.”
I stood up and ran to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me and locking it. I shivered with the cold tile touching my feet and turned to the tub. I turned it on and heard Ares knock. “Artemis, please let me in.” I stared at the water as it filled up the giant tub. “This door isn’t very hard to break down. I’ll do it if you don’t let me in.”
I sighed and walked over to the door unlocking it, then ran and hopped into the halfway filled tub. I turned on the jets and stared at the bubbling water. My sore body began to relax and I asked, “Were you going to kill me?”
Ares sighed and knelt beside the tub to look at me. I kept my gaze on the water waiting for his reply. “Of course not. I wouldn’t kill you no matter what spell I was under.”
I asked, “Why did you interfere? I have to prove my dominance in order to have a place in the pack.”
Ares shook his head. “No, you get your place in the pack from your mate.”
I looked up at him and frowned. “So, I could be the weakest wolf in the pack and become the alpha’s mate and be alpha female?”
Ares nodded his head. “Yes.”
I scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”
Ares shrugged. “Sort of, most alphas only choose strong mates anyway. We wouldn’t choose the weakest, because she may not give us strong offspring.”
I stared at him in shock. “Offspring?”
He looked down obviously embarrassed. “Some do have offspring.”
I rolled the idea over in my head of having children and scoffed. “No thank you.”
He looked up at me and frowned. “You don’t want kids?”
I laughed. “Werewolves having kids? That’s crazy. What if you go all insane one day and kill one?”
He smiled. “You wouldn’t kill your offspring.”
I frowned. “No, but someone else might.”
His smile faded and he nodded his head. “Rival alpha’s have been known to kill other’s offspring, but not very often, and definitely not mine.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
He nodded his head and reached towards me. I moved away and he sighed. “I told you I wasn’t going to kill you.”
I blushed. “I’m naked.”
He looked down at the water, then himself and frowned. “So am I.”
I looked at his face and saw the need there again. I shook my head. “I’m not ready for that. Not yet.”
He sighed and nodded his head. “I understand. I’ll leave you to your bath.” He walked slowly from the room and I couldn’t help but stare at his muscular glutes. He looked back and winked, then walked out of the bathroom and shut the door. I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding and groaned. I couldn’t be this caught up in him already? How can he have such an effect on me? I groaned again and dunked my head under the water. Had I imagined Maurice’s reaction to me? I pictured his face and shook my head. No, I was right. I climbed out of the tub and pulled on clothes out of my bag. I frowned at a wet pair of jeans lying on the floor and reluctantly pulled them on, then pulled on a blue t-shirt over my head. Wet jeans suck to walk in.
I walked slowly out of the bathroom and sat down between Jean Pierre and Francois and whispered, “Thank you.” They both nodded their heads. The one on the right patted my shoulder in response, but they were both staring at Victor who was speaking to Ares. Koda and Matt stood in front of the bed staring at me. I frowned at them then stood up. “What?”
They both looked down then back up at the same time. Twins are freaky. Koda said, “I’m sorry.” I stared at him in shock not believing what I just heard. He smiled. “I’m sorry for trying to fight you.”
Matt nodded his head. “And I’m sorry for ganging up on you.”
I frowned. “Yeah that was odd. I didn’t even want to fight you, but you had to jump in.”
Matt smiled. “Koda is my twin and we always fight together, so it was really mere instinct.”
I continued to frown as my emotions built. “So it was instinct for you two and Ares to try to fight your newest pack member? Nice. Now I know whose side you’re on and that I need to watch my own ass!” I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at the ground. Koda groaned and moved to sit in front of me, but one of the vampire twins hissed at him making him stop. “Leave her alone, wolf. She needs time to adjust.”
Koda snarled. “I agree Francois but she also has to know that we aren’t her enemies and that we are sorry.”
Francois, the one on the right, shook his head. “Later. Leave her be.” He put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned against him resting my head on his chest. It was odd to be so comfortable around him so quickly and yet still have the urge to run and the hair on the nape of my neck standing up. It became easier to ignore the urge to run around vampires though.
Koda growled and took a step towards us, but Ares shook his head at him. “Leave it alone.” Koda groaned and stormed off to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Ares walked towards me and for the first time, I felt nothing for him. He squatted down in front of m
e and sighed. “Artemis. Please forgive us. I would not have hurt you and the others didn’t mean it personally.”
I stared at him and sniffed the air and listened to his heartbeat. Dammit, he was telling the truth. “You can’t expect me to be fine with it, when you may have hurt me if Victor hadn’t come.”
Ares smiled. “I understand how you feel and do not expect you to be over it immediately, but quickly would be best. We have to decide our next move.” He looked at Francois then sighed. “And also, it would probably be best if you did not appear so friendly with vampires. It’s not natural for our kind to be so cozy with theirs.”
I smiled. “I am not cozy, but I just feel comfortable with Francois and Jean Pierre.”
Francois nodded his head. “I would never harm the little goddess.”
I groaned and stood up. “I need to go for a walk.” Jean Pierre and Francois stood up and smiled at me. I sighed. “Dammit, can’t we go somewhere that I won’t need babysitters?”
Ares smiled. “You will always have guards Artemis. You are too valuable not to be protected.”
I whispered, “Valuable to whom?”
Ares frowned and grabbed my arm and pulled me against him. Fire burned where his hand touched against my skin as he stared into my eyes. “You are valuable to me and your pack. Don’t you understand yet?”
I sighed. “I did not mean it that way. I simply meant that it seems that I am valuable to more people than I should be and that my value to them is probably not what you would approve of.”
Ares fury settled and the fire vanished. “Who are you talking about?”
I shook my head. “You said I shouldn’t speak of it until there weren’t ‘ears to hear’.”
Ares face lifted in shock. “Can you be so perceptive to have seen an expression on his face that I did not?”
“It was more than that. I could see his need and its nothing like the look of need you have towards me.” I blushed as I finished saying it and looked down.
Ares kissed my cheek softly. “My needs can wait, but we must speak with Victor regarding this new problem.” He turned around with his hand on my arm, but I stayed still. Ares sighed and turned back to face me. “You have to describe what you saw to Victor.”
Song of The Moon Artemis Lupine Page 24