Artemis Lupine- The Complete Series

by Catherine Banks

  Darius nodded and appraised me. "Does she have magic?" Ares nodded. Darius snarled. "Why do you have purple eyes, pup?"

  I shrugged. "I have no idea. I didn't even know I had purple eyes until a few minutes ago.”

  Ares smiled. "She has, literally, been kept in the dark."

  Darius frowned and seemed like he wanted to say something else to me, but shook his head. "Well, I better get going."

  Ares nodded and bowed to Darius. I looked behind me and found Matt and Koda bowing, too. I curtsied and looked at the ground as Darius walked past us and out the door. Ares stood up and so did I. He turned to me smiling. I dropped his hand and moved away from him. "What?"

  He laughed. "You really are amazing."

  I shook my head. "I don't know what you mean."

  He smiled and moved towards me making me stare at his naked upper body. "I know you don't understand. You will soon though.”

  I turned towards the windows as I felt the sun coming up and sighed. "The sun is here.”

  Koda stared at me. "You can feel when the sun comes up?"

  I nodded. "Since I can remember. I have always loved the moon and it's like an alarm in my head goes off when the switch between moon and sun is about to happen."

  Ares stared at me in shock for a moment and then whispered, "Oh, Goddess, she might be her."

  I turned and looked at him. "Who?"

  Koda shook his head. "She can't be her."

  Matt nodded. "She has the right powers and abilities."

  Koda shook his head. "But she is obviously not full werewolf."

  Ares shook his head. "The prophecy says she’ll be a mixed blood."

  I walked slowly away from them, towards the bedroom. Ares called, "Where are you going?"

  I turned around. "You probably aren't going to explain it anyway and I'm tired. I need to sleep."

  Ares smiled. "Of course." He walked towards me, making my heart speed up again. He smiled wider and when he was close enough whispered, "I hope your heart speeding up isn't because you are frightened of me."

  I shook my head. "No, not frightened in the regular sense."

  He smiled and bent down towards me. I tried to move away, but my body wouldn't let me. He bent over my lips with just a breath between us and whispered, "I know you are fighting your feelings, and I understand, but if you would just let go it would be truly amazing." I went to answer him, but he stopped me by kissing me on the lips. I stayed tense as his lips pressed softly, but warmly against mine. My body wanted to wrap my arms around him and kiss him back, but my brain refused to admit that I could have any feelings for this man I had just met hours before. He pulled away and laughed. "You are a fighter. I admire that. Now go on to sleep. We will be in the rooms beside you if you need anything."

  I turned quickly away from him without another glance and walked as fast as I could without jogging to my room. I slammed the door shut and threw myself onto the bed. My lips burned where he had kissed me as I buried my face in my pillow. I shook my head back and forth.

  I can’t have feelings for this old half man, half wolf. I just met him hours ago. Shit.

  I groaned and rolled on to my side, closing my eyes.

  Things will work out. I can control myself long enough to find an escape plan.

  I pulled the covers over my head and hummed the song my father had always sung to me as I drifted to sleep.

  "Artemis. Artemis, wake up." Koda said softly.

  I opened my eyes and looked up at Koda's smiling face. "Hi, Koda."

  He laughed softly. "Hello. It's time to get up."

  I looked out the window and saw that there was no light coming through. "Is it night-time already?"

  He nodded. "You slept through the day. The only reason I am waking you now is because your stomach has been growling loud enough that we heard it in the other room. Ares thought it would be best if you ate before you fought your change as well."

  I nodded and stood, stretching my arms over my head. I squealed as I finished my stretch and smiled. Koda laughed. "I see you're calmer today."

  I shrugged and smiled. "I figured that being nervous all the time and thinking about things I can't change is stupid. I am just going to relax and learn to enjoy how my new life is." Until I can think of a plan to escape from you.

  Koda frowned. "What was that?"

  I stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

  He sighed. "You flinched as you finished saying that. That usually means that you are lying or thinking something bad."

  I felt my eyes widen and turned away from him.

  Shit. Why the hell is he so perceptive?

  "I'm sorry, it's just that I can't believe I am saying this and feeling so comfortable with you all when I don't even know you."

  "I know how you feel, Artemis. I helped a wolf that wasn't told about being a werewolf until one month before his first change. He was scared and it was in the eighteen hundreds when the werewolf and witch hunts began. At least for you, things are a lot better and will be getting much, much better soon."

  I turned to him and asked, "What do you mean, ‘soon’?"

  He smiled. "The preternaturals or mythological creatures as you like to call them, are taking the world back from the humans."

  I gaped at him as I remembered the London and Las Vegas scenes. "You're killing all of the humans?"

  He shook his head and waved his hands at me. "No. No. No. Okay, we kill some, but we capture most of them."

  I snarled. "So, you can eat them later?"

  Matt walked into the bedroom laughing. "Now that's original. Of course not, Love. We are taking them as slaves. It's the only way for them to live as humans. Either you are a slave or you become one of us."

  I growled and felt my power rising inside me. "That is ridiculous. Who are you to decide how they live?"

  Matt snarled at me. "They decided to kill us centuries ago. To avoid that fate, we were forced to hide in sewers and nearly starve."

  I clenched my teeth and shook my head, my power radiating off of me in waves and slapping against Koda and Matt. Every time a wave would hit them, they would take a step back. "It was not these people, but the people who lived during that time. It would be like the African-Americans forcing Caucasians into slavery because of what happened hundreds of years ago. That's ridiculous, because we live peacefully together, no matter what color the other is. How do you know it wouldn't be the same for you?"

  Koda laughed. "Are you serious? Do you honestly think the humans would live peacefully with a werewolf? They would be too worried that we would hurt them."

  I growled loudly and moved towards the bedroom door. Matt blocked me, making me snarl and growl louder. "Move!" I felt my body starting to shake and stopped growling. I stayed perfectly still and breathed slower, taking big, deep breaths. Matt and Koda stared at me, eyes wide, as I kept my body calm and collected. I sighed and looked up at Matt. "I said move."

  Matt moved to the side, and I hurried past him into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and found lunchmeat and took it out, swallowing the pieces of turkey and ham whole.

  Koda and Matt watched me from the doorway as I finished the two packs of lunchmeat. I opened the freezer and pulled out a block of ground beef. I put it in the sink and turned the water on scalding hot to defrost it as quickly as possible.

  After watching me for a few more seconds, Matt walked away from the kitchen and out of the house.

  I ignored Koda, as I waited anxiously for the meat to defrost. I poked at the meat and smiled as it started to give way. I heard the front door open, but ignored it, continuing to poke at the block of beef. I started dancing from side to side as I grew antsy for the meat to defrost. I snarled and flipped the meat over to allow the water to defrost the other side. I felt someone standing next to me but ignored him.

  Nothing matters but food right now.

  Blood started to run down the sink and I pulled the meat out holding it in my hands. I licked my lips hungrily and looked
around for a plate. Ares, who was standing beside me, handed me a plate. I took the plate quickly and placed the meat on it. I sat on the ground, and started eating the ground beef. I groaned in happiness as I swallowed the beef and blood. Someone's hand reached towards my plate and I snarled and pulled the plate away. The hand disappeared, and I went back to scarfing down the food. When I had finished the ground beef, I stood up and put the plate in the sink. I went back to the fridge and took out the milk. I turned for a glass, but Ares was already handing one to me. I took it and poured a glass of milk, then swallowed it quickly. I put the milk back and put the glass in the sink, before sighing in contentment. I looked around at the three men staring at me, and felt self-conscious. I wiped at my mouth and ran to the bathroom to see if I had food or blood on me. I stared at my face a moment longer than necessary, unused to using a mirror.

  My face was clean, so I walked back out into the living room where they had moved and begun to whisper together. I sat down on the couch and stared at my hands, as they finished talking.

  Ares cleared his throat making me look up at him. "How are you feeling?"

  I shrugged. "Fine. Why?"

  "You don't know what just happened do you?"

  I shrugged. "I started to get shaky and I calmed myself down, but then I was really hungry so I ate."

  He laughed and turned to Koda and Matt. "You see? She has no idea what just happened."

  "You want to explain to me what happened?" I said angrily.

  "You just stopped your transformation again. This time you stopped it so fast that the only need you had was food. Usually you are extremely tired when you stop it too, but you stopped it so fast and so early that you aren't tired."

  I stared at him in surprise as I comprehended what he said. I smiled at him and laughed. "So, I stopped the transformation again?"

  He nodded.

  I smiled wider. "I told you I could."

  Koda snorted. "Just because you said so doesn't mean you can. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have told them they were crazy."

  "Oh. Well, can we go see Darren and Bret now?"

  Ares shrugged. "I guess it is safe, since you didn't change."

  I blinked at him. "You thought I was going to lose control and try to eat Bret, didn't you? Is that the main reason you wanted Koda with me?"

  Ares nodded. "You would never forgive yourself if you hurt him."

  I nodded, solemnly. "You're right. So, does this mean I can meet with him alone?"

  He sighed and rubbed his temples. "You are so pushy, but since it’s your birthday, I’ll let you."

  I smiled at him and walked towards the door. "Come on. Let's go. You can decide when we get there." I walked out the door and stopped in my tracks. Bret stood a few feet away from the door frozen in shock. I shook my head and whispered, "Bret? What are you doing here?"

  His surprise turned into a wide-toothed grin as he picked me up spun me around. "Oh, thank God, you're alright. Come on let's get you home." I shook my head as he set me down and started to pull me down the porch. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He stared at me in shock. "Come on, Artemis."

  I shook my head. "Bret, you need to leave, now. It's not safe for you here. How the heck did you even find me? You need to leave."

  "Why? Because of all of the big wolves around? I can handle myself. I need to take you out of here. I just followed the direction you left. It was almost like I knew which way you would go. Now, let’s go," he said fiercely.

  Ares, Matt, and Koda walked on to the porch and glared at Bret with his hand on my arm, and mine on his.

  I placed my body in front of Bret's. "Just listen to me for a second, okay?"

  Ares, Matt and Koda nodded in unison.

  "He thinks you are going to hurt me, and he came to save me. You can't hurt him for that."

  Ares shook his head. "No, but he can't go free."

  I shook my head. "He doesn't know anything. He hasn't figured it out."

  Bret pushed me to the side and asked, "Figured out what? Why do I feel like I am missing some big secret?"

  I smiled and turned to Ares. "See? He doesn't know. Just let me take him home. You want to talk to my dad anyway, right?"

  Matt snarled. "You plan on telling him anyway. Then he will know how to get here. We can't let him go."

  I snarled back at him and put myself in front of Bret again. "You are not going to hurt him."

  Koda smiled. "We never said we were going to hurt him."

  I snapped my teeth at Koda. "You aren't going to kill him either."

  Ares waved his hands in the air. "Calm down, Artemis. We aren't going to kill him. But he can't go free. He is going to have to stay with us."

  I looked from Ares to Koda to Matt and back to Ares. "Why do I feel like I'm missing something now?"

  Ares sighed. "If I tell you, you are going to freak out."

  I shook my head and took a step back pushing Bret back with me. "Then it's definitely no."

  Bret asked, "What is going on, Artemis?"

  I snapped. "I'm trying to save your life, Bret. Just shut up and let me handle this."

  He scowled, but didn't say anything. Ares and Matt took a step towards me while Koda took one to the side.

  I snarled and crouched down. "Please stop. I don't want to fight you."

  Ares glared at me. "You are willing to fight us over him?"

  I nodded. "He has done nothing wrong and you are trying to do something horrible to him."

  Ares smiled. "You don't even know what it is."

  I snarled. "No. You told me that he would be unharmed."

  Ares nodded. "Yes, but that was when he was at your town. Now he knows the way here and will tell the others."

  Bret shrugged. "Why would I tell anyone about this place? Just let me take Artemis back and we'll forget about it."

  Ares shook his head. "She can never go back."

  I felt a tear fall down my face and shook my head. "Shut up. All of you, just shut up!"

  I heard someone behind us and spun around to see Koda coming towards us. I growled loudly and jumped in front of Bret as Koda ran towards him. Koda smashed into me, sending me flying through the air. I felt my body hit the wall and shook my head to clear my daze. I jumped up and saw Matt and Ares holding Bret. I snarled loudly and snapped my teeth at them as I moved towards them. I felt my body begin to shake and sighed. I breathed slowly and stopped the shaking. I looked up at Bret's face and stopped moving. He stared at me with a mixture of horror and fear on his face.

  Bret asked, "What's wrong with you?"

  I shook my head. "Nothing Bret."

  He shook his head at me. "You aren't human, are you?"

  I looked at Ares and snarled. "Let him go. Please."

  Ares dropped Bret's arm and moved towards me. "Artemis. I didn't want this to happen."

  I shook my head and moved away from him. "Bret, you need to leave."

  Bret shook his head. "Whatever you are, I…I can deal with it. Come home with me."

  I laughed bitterly and shook my head. "It's never been my home, Bret. I can't go back there again. You're right, I'm not human. That's why I never fit in."

  Bret asked, "If you aren't human, then what are you?"

  I looked up at Ares' worried face and sighed. "I'm a werewolf."

  Bret laughed loudly and said, "Yeah, right. So, really though. What's going on with you?"

  I looked Bret in the eyes. "I'm a werewolf, Bret. So are the three men around you."

  Bret looked at three men holding him who were all shorter, but more muscled. He shook his head in disbelief. "No way."

  "Bret. You remember Ares was there at my house, right?"

  Bret nodded.

  I went on, "So were Koda and Matt, just not in human form."

  I watched as Bret comprehended what I said. "The wolves? The giant wolves?" His face grew more worried as he looked at the men holding him.

  I nodded. "Yes. And I'm one of them, but I haven't chan
ged shape yet."

  Bret shook his head. "Then how do you know that you are one of them?"

  I looked at Ares who nodded. I groaned. "Because my dad is one."

  Bret's face fell, and he stopped talking. He stared at me for a full minute before shaking his head. I walked towards him, but he backed up as much as Matt and Koda would allow.

  I stopped walking and looked at the ground. "I would never hurt you." I looked back up at him and smiled.

  Bret shook his head. "You can't be a werewolf I can't be in lov..." He stopped talking and looked up at me. I let the pain and shock show on my face. "I won't believe you are a werewolf until you change."

  I groaned. "I'm not going to change. I refuse."

  Bret smiled. "Then it's alright. We can go on with our lives like normal."

  I groaned again. "Don't you see, Bret? I'm not normal. I don't belong with you and your friends. I belong here with other wolves. Eventually, I'll change and I know that. I won't be able to hold it off forever. When that happens, I don't want to be near you. I could kill you."

  "I don't believe you. If you don't love me or don't want to be with me, then just tell me. Don't make up these crazy lies." Bret’s eyes were pinched, like he was in pain.

  Ares laughed. "Damn, you are persistent. Would you rather I changed and showed you?"

  I snarled at Ares. "Don't even think about it."

  Ares snarled back. "Do not threaten me. I have the power to force you to change if I want."

  I snapped my teeth at him. "Let Bret go, and you and I can finish this."

  Ares shook his head. "I already told you that we can't let him go. He knows too much."

  I shook my head. "No way. You are going to make him a slave or something and I won't let you."

  Ares growled. "You wouldn't be able to stop me, even if that was what I was going to do."

  Koda cleared his throat, "Prince." Ares looked at Koda and stopped snarling. Koda smiled. "Perhaps I should just get this over with so we don't have to stand here and talk all day?"

  Ares nodded, smiling. "Okay." I took a step forward as I saw Koda open his mouth. I watched in amazement as fangs extended. I finally knew what they were going to do and ran forward. I dodged around Ares as he tried to grab me and lunged at Koda. Koda grabbed Bret around his arms and bit into his shoulder. Bret yelled in pain as Koda bit down harder, drawing blood.