Taming Darkness: Artemis Lupine #4

by Catherine Banks

  “I’d rather have the trees and animals around me than nightclubs and bars,” she whispered. She inhaled deeply and said, “It hurts my nose every time we go into the city. It always smells like garbage, urine and poop.”

  He laughed. “I think you just imagine that.”

  “Your nose just sucks,” she said defensively.

  Why couldn’t her life have been so happy and peaceful as this moment? I felt eyes on me and turned around to find Darren heading into the forest, sniffing and looking around. He must have caught my scent. I looked one last time at my mother, smiling and leaning against a tree and went back to my current time.

  “How was your trip?” Victor asked.

  I smiled. “It was good. I saw her with Bret before she knew about all this.”

  Victor frowned. “Did you speak to her?”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m not a novice anymore, Victor. I know what to do and what not to do.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “Victor, why was my mother’s life so difficult?” I asked him. Victor was a good vampire, which was hard to believe since Maurice, King of the Vampires was so evil. It was amazing the difference between a person and their parent.

  “We knew the prophesized one would come and we all assumed it was her since she was the first halfbreed in over a century,” he said. He paused a moment and then continued, “Unfortunately we had no way of knowing that you were actually the one who would save us all and that your mother was simply meant to give birth to you.”

  “What will happen once I change it all? Will she still meet father? Will she still meet the dragons?” I asked nervously. I knew my task. I was to go back in time, before Maurice amassed so much power and erase him from the world. It would mean my mother and father would not die and it would mean that I would not be born. What else could it mean though? Would Uncle Matt still die? Would Prince Achilles be alive? How would that all turn out without her being bound to him?

  Victor smiled at me and said, “You do not have to worry about that. What you will do is save your mother and father and the world from being ruled by a tyrant and save the lives of billions of humans and preternaturals. That is more than enough. Your parents will live much happier than in this life, I assure you.”

  One small change could alter the lives of everyone drastically and I was afraid that this change would alter it so much that mother and father would not even end up together. I planned to get rid of Maurice after my parents had already met, but that still did not guarantee anything would work out well for my parents. I knew they were a perfect match, but this change could alter that as well.

  I took a deep breath and hugged Victor. “Thank you for everything that you have done for me.”

  He hugged me against him and I felt his tears falling on my head. “Save my friends,” he whispered.

  Before I went to see my mother I would visit Maurice and advise him of his pending demise. He could do nothing to save himself and I would enjoy seeing his reaction. It was something that I had planned out for months and I was glad to finally be able to enact my plan. I teleported in my current time to Maurice’s castle. He was in his throne room where he was sitting upon a chair looking bored. He looked at me with a bit of curiosity and then his minions leapt at me. I froze them in air, stopping time around them and walked towards Maurice. He leaned forward, interested in me now that I had stopped his minions.

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Sotare, I am the son of Artemis and Ares Lupine,” I said with a bow.

  His eyes widened. “So the rumors were true, you did survive.”

  “I did.”

  “And you have come here to kill me?” he asked with a laugh.

  I shook my head. “Killing you here would do nothing to save my parents’ lives and the lives of the millions you killed along the way. I will let you live here, but I will travel into your past, before you amassed all of your power and your vampires and I will send you to the abyss where you belong.”

  “You cannot change time,” he said with a snarl.

  I smiled. “I will change history and I will save the world from this horrible outcome. No one will fear your name. You will not be King of the world. You will be replaced by your son and none will tremble as they do now at the mention of Maurice.”

  He flew out of his throne, turning into mist and hissing at me as he materialized and dematerialized in an attempt to attack me. I froze him in place and met his eyes. “I am stronger then you are. I am the perfect mixture of vampire, human, werewolf, and sidhe. It was me you should have feared all this time, not my mother. You will sit here throwing your tantrum once I leave, knowing that I have defeated you and that there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it. You have been defeated and I don’t even have to lift a finger. That is utter defeat and you will sit here and wallow in your demise unable to stop it.”

  I stepped back from him and closed my eyes. I could feel the fabric of time, the current of life and the scent of evil all around me. It had taken me fifteen years, but I had finally mastered my abilities and I could now not only go back or forward in time as I wanted, but I could erase evil beings from the world.

  I focused my thoughts on a specific event in my mother’s life and pulled magic around me to protect my body as I traveled. I wanted to see my parents when they first appeared before Maurice in his throne room before I went to attack him. I transported myself back in time and to Maurice’s place and into the room where they would meet the Queen and King of the Vampires. The room I was in was filled with vampires and decorated exquisitely. I stood in the back, hiding myself as I waited for my parents to arrive.

  The doors opened and in walked my mother, father, and two uncles behind Victor. Mother looked nervous and I felt a need to protect her from all of the vampires around her, especially Maurice who was staring at her. Victor walked down the center aisle, which was adorned with a dark red rug, and bowed to the King and Queen, his mother and father. Two identical twin vampires knelt beside Victor. I knew they had been his guards, but I also knew that they were traitors and more loyal to the queen than Victor.

  The King held up his hand and the room silenced. He stood up and smiled. “Welcome Prince Victor of the Vampires. It has been too long since you have returned to your home.”

  Victor stood up straight then bowed his head at the neck. “Greetings, King Maurice and Queen Isabella. I am glad to return home.” I could see the pinched eyes of Victor and knew that he was trying his hardest to block out everyone’s thoughts. How hard it must be to hear the thoughts of others!

  Maurice still smiling said, “Stand, faithful guards of the Prince, Jean Pierre and Francois.” As he said each of their names they stood up as though puppets and the King the puppeteer.

  Victor spoke just loud enough for everyone to hear, “May I introduce our allies, Prince Ares of the Werewolves, his mate Artemis and his two guards Koda and Matthew.”

  Father began walking forward and I clenched my fists tightly to keep still. He moved with a grace that very few possessed and with power that even though he kept hidden was so strong it made even me want to bow. Mother stayed glued to his side and curtsied to the vampires. I wanted to tell her never to bow to the evil in front of her, but kept my mouth shut and stayed hidden within the crowd. Maurice spoke and I could feel him using power to talk to Mother, “Greetings Prince Ares and his wolves.” Mother and father stood up. Maurice continued, “I see that you are still convinced that she is your mate.”

  Father spoke loud. “She is my ivraie vivace. My perfect match.”

  The room was filled with gasps and then whispers of shock. Maurice raised his hand and the room silenced. They talked for a while, but I barely listened to what they said. All I could do was look at my parents. How could anyone want to hurt my sweet, innocent mother? She looked frightened and I could see the fierce protectiveness in my father’s eyes. They truly were an amazing couple. The love they felt even now, before the
y had yet sealed their bond was astonishing. If only they had lived to share that love with me.

  Maurice walked down from the throne he was sitting on, to stand in front of mother. I wanted to attack him there and end his life. It would be easy. Maurice smiled. “You have no need to fear me child. I will not harm you.”

  Liar! You piece of trash! I could not wait to remove his evil stain from the world.

  She said nothing and stared at his chin. Maurice inhaled. “Obviously she is not full blood as we discussed previously, but she also does not smell of you Ares.”

  Father 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?”

  Mother nodded her 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?”

  Father 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?”

  Mother frowned and I could see her weighing her answer. “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.”

  “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?”

  Again I lost track of what they were saying as I watched the small touches father and mother made. How could she have fought her feelings for him when it was so obvious? How hard must it have been on father when he had lost her for a hundred years?

  Maurice asked, “Is her wolf present now?”

  Father nodded his head. “Yes. Her wolf exposed herself to Artemis on the day I sent my call.”

  Maurice stared at mother with a look so full of greed and hunger that I actually took a few steps forward as if to intercept him. I knew nothing happened at this point, but it was not okay how he looked at her. Mother stepped back towards Koda and Matt and they pressed their chests to her back to make her feel secure. Victor asked, “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.”

  I needed to leave before I lost control. I wanted to march out into the middle of everyone and show myself to my parents and end Maurice’s life, but that was not the plan. Plus it would cause way more chaos than my parents needed to deal with. I took a few breaths to get myself under control and headed towards the exit. I couldn’t just disappear in the room filled with vampires.

  Maurice rose and 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 father led mother hurriedly out of the room. They were so close that I could have reached out and touched them, but I let my hand drop before I did that.

  I made a decision then to go see my father. I had not planned to do it, but now I realized that I needed to warn him. I went back to before they had started killing humans and exposing the werewolves and vampires to the world, back to when he was still in Lyngvi in his home, preparing to come find my mother.

  Unfortunately I miscalculated and teleported directly into his living room where Matt, Koda and Ares were all sitting.

  They leapt up and father wrapped his hand around my throat with a snarl on his face. “Who are you and why did you teleport into my house?”

  “I mean you no harm. I have time traveling capabilities and I am from the future,” I said softly.

  He inhaled and then his eyes widened in shock. “You’re a halfbreed.”

  “I am your son, Sotare.”

  Koda and Matt took a step back and father dropped his hand from my throat. “You speak the truth.”

  “He does look an awful lot like you,” Matt said as he walked around me, examining me.

  “I don’t have time to explain everything, but I needed to warn you about my mother,” I explained.

  “Your mother?” he asked in shock.

  I nodded my head. “Your passt genau. She knows nothing of us right now and you need to go to her now.”

  “So you do have a match,” Koda said in shock.

  “I told you,” father said smugly.

  “May I sit?” I asked him.

  Father nodded his head and took a seat on the couch, leaving the chair open for me. I sat down and said, “In my future, you are all dead. Maurice takes over the world and not even a combined force of Sidhe, werewolves, halfbreeds and dragons can defeat him.”

  “Dragons?” father asked, “Dragons live?”

  I waved my hand, “Not important. Mother, Artemis, survived long enough to give birth to me, but died during childbirth because Victor was forced to bite her to turn me into the perfect mixture of all of the races.” I paused for a moment and said, “Victor is by far your strongest ally, father, do not forsake your friendship with him.”

  Father nodded his head and then stilled again to listen to me.

  “I am going to get rid of Maurice in the past so that you will not have to deal with him or the other overly evil people in this world, but you are still going to have some issues to deal with regarding mother. She will be alone when you find her and she will be very confused and ignorant to what she is. Darren hid it from her so she has no idea what she is.”

  “She doesn’t know she is a werewolf?” Matt asked, “That’s terrible.”

  How much should I tell him? What was useful? “She’s a halfbreed,” I told father, “Her mother is Sidhe.”

  “That explains why she is your match,” Koda whispered.

  “It is possible for you to unlock your sidhe powers,” I explained to father, “She is the key to helping you unlock them in the Sidhe realm.”

  “Why would I ever go back there?” he asked.

  “You must reconcile your differences with your brother, Achilles,” I said adamantly, “The beginning will be rough because he believes he has a claim to mother, but you must not let that deter you from reconciling with him. You must also visit your father and reconcile with him.”

  Father frowned angrily and asked, “What happens to Achilles in the future?”

  “He dies protecting mother during a battle,” I said honestly, but left out the part about that killing her because of the binding between them. “You must also rescue a halfbreed named Apollo from Maurice. Ask Victor to procure him. It will take time to teach him the good side of the world, but he is mother’s twin brother and they are tied together.”

  “Oy, should I be taking notes?” Koda asked.

  “Yes, Uncle Koda, you should.”

  “Uncle?” Koda asked and then a slow smile spread across his face, “I like that.”

  “What happens to you after you change the past?” father asked.

  I looked down at my hands and said, “I disappear.”

  “No,” father said adamantly, standing up and clenching his fists.

  “If I do not then you will all be dead! Maurice kills you in front of mother and then makes Victor live on the run with me. Do not let their sacrifice be in vain! I will fix things and you must do as I have told you. You must find mother, teach her our ways, unite the races and then peacefully expose our presence to the humans. Mother is the key to this. She befriended the dragons, united everyone together and I know she will be able to it in this new timeline, once she comes into grips with her existence.”

  “Unite the races?” father aske
d, “How?”

  “Just visit them with mother. She has a way of making everyone love her.”

  “Wait, why does Achilles think he has a claim to her?” father asked, growing angry.

  “Not important,” I said. “Just talk to him and don’t blow up. And take over being alpha.”

  “What?” they all three asked at the same time.

  I rolled my eyes. “Everyone knows you should be alpha anyways, father, so after I fix things you need to take over being alpha.”

  “Where is your mother?” father asked.

  “On the west coast of America. You will sense her as you get closer. I will give you two days to head that way and then I will get rid of the evil beings and you must find mother. You will feel my disappearance as a death so you will need to help her cope.”

  “Is this the only way?” Father asked.

  I nodded my head and stood up. “It is.”

  He hugged me and ruffled my hair. “You should have said hi to me at the arena.”

  “What?” I asked in shock.

  He smiled. “I remember you being in the stands. Who else could look so much like me, except my child? You could have talked to me then.”

  “I couldn’t risk changing history that much.”

  “We will always remember your sacrifice,” father said as he gripped the back of my head and stared into my eyes with such compassion and love that I felt tears pricking my eyes. “You are a great man and I am proud that you are my son.”

  I would not cry in front of my father. I dug my nails into my hand and said, “Be patient with mother but do not keep her in the dark, be open and honest with her.” I turned to Koda and said, “And try not to fall in love with her this time.” His face was priceless and I hoped he remembered those words.

  I looked at Matt and said, “Your pack is the most important thing, do not forget that.” I stepped back and smiled at them. “You better hurry. Achilles is moving closer to her.”

  I had one last stop to make and then I would see Maurice. I teleported to the day I was born, just after my birth, but when my mother was still alive, breathing her final breaths. Victor looked up at me in shock, but I ignored him, my crying self in a strange werewolf female’s arms and only looked at my mother. She was so beautiful and even in these final moments she was so strong. I picked one of her hands up and she looked at me in shock, her nostrils flaring as she took in my scent. “You can rest easy, mother. I have fixed the past. Everything is alright now.”