Ares spoke from outside the bathroom. “What’s wrong Artemis? Why are you so frightened?”
“It’s a strange…I know I’m going to sound stupid when I say this, but there is this powerful darkness I’ve been feeling since we came here. It got really strong just now, when the sun set.”
Koda smiled. “It’s alright dahlin’ it’s just the vampire King.”
Ares spoke from farther away in the room. “I’m almost done—just finishing my hair.”
I turned and looked at the mirror in the bathroom and stared at the woman looking back at me. I still couldn’t believe it was really me. I raised my hand up to my face and pushed on my cheeks. Koda smiled at me, but stayed quiet as I stared at the purple eyes my mother had given me. Ares spoke from near Koda, “Are you ready?”
I scoffed. “I’ve been ready.” I turned around and instantly felt self-conscious. What if he thinks I look horrible? What if he decides I’m not good enough for him to be with? He’s got so many attractive women vying to be with him and I’m just…
Ares interrupted my thoughts by stepping into the bathroom and staring at me with wide eyes. He looked perfect. His suit looked like it had been stitched to him and his black hair gleamed with the gel in it and looked spiked, but still natural somehow. His blue eyes sparkled and I wanted him to want me, to approve of me.
He smiled and walked forward slowly. “Artemis, you look…”
I blushed and looked down at my hands. “Don’t…”
Ares wrapped his arms around me and kissed me on the lips, hard, squeezing me against his muscular body. He smelled like wolf, Ares and cinnamon. He pulled back from me and whispered, “Perfect. Beautiful. Delicious.”
The worry fluttered away, and I smiled. “You look great, Ares.”
He shook his head. “Nothing can compare to your beauty.” I blushed even hotter and he smiled. “I got you something.” I stared at him in shock as he pulled out a white box. He opened the lid to reveal a beautiful diamond heart necklace. Ares took the necklace out and whispered, “So that you will know that my heart is yours alone.”
I shook my head as I stared at the shining diamonds on the necklace. “That’s too expensive. I couldn’t…”
Ares raised his hand, and I stopped talking. He walked to stand behind me and put the necklace on. “Nothing is too expensive for you. Besides, I have quite a bit of money saved up, and I can spend it however I like.”
I touched the heart lying on my upper chest and smiled at Ares. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”
He kissed the side of my neck, sending chills down my spine. “You’re welcome. Are you ready to meet the vampires?”
I curtsied to Ares and spoke with a deep voice trying to sound seductive, “Is my lord ready?”
Ares bowed at the neck and smiled. “Always for you, m’lady.” He extended his bent elbow to me and I put my hand on the inside of his arm. He asked, “How do you know what to say?”
I shrugged. “I watched a lot of renaissance movies.”
He kissed the back of my hand. “You’re the most beautiful Princess in the lands.”
I frowned. “Wait. In order to be Princess wouldn’t I have to fight the others?”
Ares shook his head. “As my mate, you become my equal in power.”
I frowned harder. “So, since you’re Prince then I am Princess? What if someone else wants my position?”
Ares sighed. “That’s something we’ll discuss much later. For now, let’s focus on the task at hand.”
I curtsied again. “Of course, my lord.”
“You really are perfect,” he said as he squeezed my hand and led the way out of the bedroom. Koda walked in front of us while Matt walked behind us silently. There were a lot of people walking down the hallways and all stopped to stare or moved aside to let us pass, while others whispered. Koda led us downstairs and into a well-lit underground portion of the mansion. Koda maneuvered around the confusing hallways, going in what seemed to be circles. Ares squeezed my hand reassuringly, as we stopped in front of two large ornate doors.
Victor walked up to us with two identical looking male vampires. “You all ready?”
Ares nodded. “As ready as I ever am to walk into a room filled with vampires.”
Victor winked. “We’ve already eaten for the night.”
I asked, “What are they celebrating tonight anyway?”
Victor smiled. “They are celebrating the return of the Prince of the Vampires and the continued alliance with the werewolves.”
I nodded. “That’s right. You’re a Prince, too.”
Ares scoffed. “It’s more impressive when you have to get it for being the strongest, but Victor is one of the most powerful vampires.”
Victor sighed. “Yes, you are truly a powerful wolf, Prince Ares.”
I shook my head smiling. “This is all so strange.”
Koda rolled his eyes. “Tell me about it.”
Two werewolf guards opened the doors and we walked inside behind Victor. The room was, by far, the largest room I had ever seen. Twelve long tables with bench seating filled up most of the room. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings and gave a soft reflective light from the hundreds of candles that hung on the walls and sat on the tables in elegant holders. In the center of the room sat a thick wooden table with three thrones in the center. The vampire King looked like Victor’s twin, but unlike Victor, he was wearing a puffy pirate shirt that was open to the middle of his hairy chest. His pants were black and looked like a replica of pirate’s pants too. A beautiful woman, wearing a blood red dress, sat beside him on his right side. Victor walked down the center aisle, which was adorned with a dark red rug, and bowed to the king and queen. The twin vampires dropped to one knee beside 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.”
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 they were 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.”
Ares began walking forward, and I stayed beside him as we walked. He moved his arm to the side so he could bow and I curtsied as low as I could, staring at the ground. Maurice spoke with a voice that caressed around my body like a warm hand. “Greetings Prince Ares and his wolves.” Ares stood up and I stood with him, all the while keeping my hand on his arm. Maurice continued, “I see that you are still convinced that she is your mate.”
Ares spoke loudly. “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. Maurice stared down at me and for a moment I returned his gaze. I felt his power and quickly averted my eyes to his chin. He spoke in a soothing voice, “I had not thought it was true. Could you tell us how you found her?”
Ares spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, with a voice of power, and yet it was soft at the same time. “I felt her presence when she was born and all other women paled before me. None held my interest any longer and I craved no woman’s caress. I searched for a long time, all over the world, until I had my first dream of her and her of me. By chance, we met and the dreams continued. I sent out my call shortly after meeting her and she answered in half transformation, and then subdued her wolf.”
The crowd began whispering loudly again. Isabella raised her hand and the crowd silenced, but more slowly than they had for Maurice. She smiled and asked, “Are you to tell me that for the past eighteen years, you, the Prince of Wolves, have restrained from the temptations of a woman’s bosom?”
She continued as if he had not spoken, “You, the most powerful bachelor, have not so much as craved a woman’s touch or the sweet words of a female for eighteen years?”
Ares turned his head to me and smiled. “Not until I found her.”
Maurice walked down from the throne he was sitting on, to stand in front of me. My wolf’s fear spiked through me, making my heart beat faster. I forced myself not to step back and instead squeezed Ares’ hand. Maurice smiled. “You have no need to fear me child. I will not harm you.”
I said nothing and stared at his chin. I wasn’t sure if the movies were right, about the vampires being about to take control of you with a look in their eyes or not. It wasn’t a chance I was willing to take. Maurice inhaled. “Obviously she is not full-blood as we discussed previously, but she also does not smell of you Ares.”
Ares nodded. “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. “Wise of you in these times. She looks like someone…” He gasped, “You are the daughter of Darren?”
I nodded 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 shocked 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 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. 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. “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. 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. “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 the meal?”
Maurice’s face changed back to his politician’s smile and he nodded. “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 before 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. Everyone in the room including Ares stood with them, 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 it?”
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, 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 it 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. 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, “Artemis.” 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 haunches. 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 narrowed his eyes at them as they protected me from my own pack.
Artemis Lupine- The Complete Series Page 24
