by A Lonergan
“Artemis was supposed to be mine. All mine.” I tried to breath but couldn’t. The man that was holding me close to him now had his fingers wrapped around my neck. “I could kill you. I could take your mind away. Everyone would think it was the poison.”
I reach out and swiped at the darkness, hoping to make contact with something. He released me and I was falling...
Chapter 12
Crawley
I didn’t know how long I had slept; with my bear in charge, it had probably been a day or so. When I looked over at the clock hanging on the wall, I confirmed my suspicion. It was midnight of the next day. I had slept an entire twenty-four hours.
Usually my beast slept longer; I wondered what had disturbed him until I heard her screams. I wasn't that far away, but I heard them as if she were right next to me. I made it through my door slowly and was at Shaskia’s back door within seconds. Speed was something I had mastered a long time ago. Sometimes it just didn't agree with my large bear form and made me a bit clumsy.
Her screams shook the door. I pressed my forehead and snout against the wood and whined. Keenan whipped the door open, his eyes frantic.
He grabbed the skin and fur on my shoulder and started to drag me through the small frame. The top half of my body made it through just fine but my hips struggled. The doorframe groaned under the pressure of my body forcing its way through. I heard it crack and winced.
I didn't care. I would repair it if needed. Jessa was all that mattered. My claws clicked and scratched at the tile as I made my way down the hallway as quickly as I could. I slid and almost missed the room.
I paused at the doorway and sniffed. The stench of rot and death met my snout. I recoiled inside but still pushed the door open. Her shrieks had calmed to small whimpers.
Her body seemed so small and fragile compared to the huge bed she was lying on. I laid my head at her side and her whimpers immediately quieted. Keenan soon found his way back to the room and sat in a small chair in the corner. He didn’t take his eyes off me.
I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her dark hair fanned out like a halo and her cheeks flushed. She was beautiful. She was always beautiful.
My back was starting to cramp but I didn't move. Jessa needed me. My beast wouldn’t have let me move even if I tried.
Keenan scooted his chair closer to her. He picked up her hand and laced her fingers through his.
My Jessa. A growl escaped my throat. Where did that come from?
"She isn't yours." Keenan's words flowed through the air as if he were trying to persuade me otherwise. I didn’t know how he knew what I was thinking but he had probably acquired gifts from the goddess since I had been away.
I let out a huff of air and scooted closer to my Jessa; I didn't care about Keenan. I would tear him apart if I had to. She was mine.
The fingers on her other hand started to twitch. I picked up her tiny hand in my giant bear paw and set it on the top of my head. Her fingers wiggled deeper into my fur.
My beast started to purr.
Really?
This was one of those times that I really wasn't in control. I hardly knew her. I hardly knew anything about her, but somehow she had managed to snag my heart right from under my nose. Her eyelids started to flutter.
Jessa
Afraid. Why am I so afraid? I couldn’t remember. Where am I? Who am I?
I ran. All I knew was that there wasn’t another option. Something was coming for me.
I didn’t stop, afraid of the feelings catching up to me. Branches snagged my clothing and my skin. The only thing leading me was the darkness ahead. My bare feet slapped the hard dirt as I thrashed through the briars and needle-like branches. My eyes stung with unshed tears and my head hurt from all of the arguing I had done with myself. My legs continued to carry me forward even though they felt like jello.
I blinked again and again against the burning in my heart. I didn’t know how I was still going, but I had managed this far. I couldn’t stop now.
My legs faltered and my hands hit the hard earth first.
Numb. Pain didn’t sear through my hands but
through my heart instead. Going, keep going.
I dug my nails into the sold dirt and tried to drag myself away from the mess I had become. I couldn’t see in front of me or behind me. I didn’t care.
Water fell down my cheeks, down my chin, and I knew that if I touched the ground, there would be a spot of mud. I laid my head on the unforgiving ground and felt my tears against my skin. I could breathe again but only a little. I tried to pick my head up but the mud underneath me snagged my hair.
I cried out in pain.
I pulled my hair from the muck and dragged myself into a sitting position, but a rock dug itself into the palm of my hand.
No longer numb, I looked around. Nothing but darkness.
“Jessa...” A whisper caressed my cold body. “Jessa, you need to wake up now. You have so much you need to accomplish. You were always supposed to be the one to stop him, but sometimes the jokes are on us, the gods. Better late than never, right?”
“W-who... Who are you?” My voice sounded jagged and it hurt to speak, but the words came out anyway. I rubbed my palm down my neck.
“I am Artemis, and I will not lose another one of my descendants. I will not lose you like I did all the others.”
“But you didn’t lose all of them. You didn’t lose my grandmother.”
A sigh washed over me and sadness surrounded me. “Shaskia is not one of my line. She adopted your mother when she was very young.”
The floor dropped from under my feet and confusion clouded my judgment. I felt tears prick my eyes once more.
“I don’t understand. I’m the only one left. That must mean that my mother is gone?” I couldn’t fight the tears that fell from my eyes. I had assumed it all this time but the realization hit me hard. I couldn’t control the sob that escaped my throat.
“We must hurry... I don’t have much time...” Her voice was getting quieter and quieter. She was fading. “Apollo is coming for you. The valley won’t protect you any longer... Not sure why... Must speak with the Elders...”
“Wait, why is Apollo after me?”
There were so many questions left unanswered, but I had more hope. Where I had once been hopeless, I now felt a fight swelling inside of me. I didn’t know why I believed it but I knew that she needed me. Artemis needed me and I was going to find out why. I wasn’t going to disappoint her.
Chapter 13
Crawley
Her eyes fluttered a little bit. But it was enough. I could feel my heart beating faster at the thought of her sensual voice caressing my skin, err, fur again.
It had been days. We had been here for too many days. I had stayed by her side throughout it all. Keenan left periodically but would always return to watch over us. I knew he had connections with the Elders but I didn’t care to know how he had gotten them. There were things I didn’t need to know about my brother.
“Crawley?”
My whole body went ridged with how emotional her voice made me feel. It wasn’t the Jessa I knew. Her voice was tinged with pain and something else. I sniffed the air in desperation and felt hopelessness. I bumped my snout against her fingers. I could feel my beast trying to let out a whine but no sound was heard. My Jessa. My Jessa was back and I was still a creature. I couldn’t hold her in this form. I don’t know why, but I needed to hold her, to comfort her, and make it all better.
Her fingers toyed with the fur on my snout and her bright eyes opened once more. I almost collapsed from her intense stare. Her eyes widened but only slightly. She ran her hand down the back of my neck and then up again. “Crawley.”
She knew? She actually believed? My heart skipped a beat. Maybe being a bear wasn’t so bad.
My head jerked to Kennan still sitting in the corner. He shook his head. I could smell sweat coming out of the pores on his back. He was nervous. I could sense a little fear but didn’t understand
it.
“Keenan.” He was at her side in a second. She gazed up at him with so much affection that I felt my hackles rise. The fear quickly left Keenan.
That bastard.
My bear growled. My relationship with Jessa had threatened him. He had known her for how long? I looked up to find Keenan staring at me; his pupils had taken over his eyes. He blinked slowly and his eyes went back to normal.
What the hell?
He winked at me over Jessa’s head and I got a disgusting feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something sinister wrapped itself around my head. The room started to spin. Keenan smirked at me as he kissed Jessa’s forehead.
Something wasn’t right. My bear let out a roar as my head hit the ground.
Chapter 14
Jessa
A very naked Crawley appeared on the floor next to the bed where the giant bear had once been. His thick chest rose and fell gently. My eyes dipped lower to his abs. Sweat glistened there, and I had to rip my eyes away before I went any lower. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. I knew Keenan was watching me. My body felt like jello as I tried to push myself up into a sitting position. My muscles practically screamed in protest.
"Is he alright?" I asked. Silence answered. I looked up at Keenan to find him gone. In his place was a very attractive older man. His blond hair was buzzed on the sides and the top of it was brushed up and back. His eyes ran down my body and changed colors: green to blue, blue to violet, then back to green.
"Hello, Love." His voice was soft like a melody. It tugged at something inside me. "Aww, I'm hurt, you don't remember me." His perfectly manicured eyebrow rose. "Jessa, Atremis' sweet descendant."
Apollo. The voice in my head. The voice from my nightmares. I could feel my heart starting to gallop in my chest. "Don't panic, Love, I can't actually touch you like this." He rolled his eyes. "There is no possible, physical, way I could get here, even if I wanted to.
Artemis created this valley just for that reason, but I do have my tricks." His eyes got big and he winked at me. He pulled at his sleeves and gave me a once over.
I reached my hand out, and sure enough, it passed right through him. It was my turn to smirk. Wherever Keenan had gone, I doubted he was coming back anytime soon. I sat up in the large bed, finally, and went to Crawley. I slung a pillow at his nether regions and touched either side of his face. His breathing was shallow.
"His body is fighting the effects of my curse. His bear is probably frustrated that I forced him to change without warning. Oh, how I love my curses; you haven’t seen anything yet." I ignored Apollo’s malicious laugh.
My body knew what to do; my left hand flew up at Apollo and the words escaped my lips before I realized what was happening. "Be gone."
Keenan was on his knees in Apollo’s place. He gave me a sad look and got to his feet slowly. Something wasn’t right with him, but I didn’t have time to decipher what had happened or how Apollo had gotten ahold of his body.
My right hand went to Crawley's chest. "Heal." His breathing went back to normal and I could feel the weight of the two spells pressing against me.
It had just happened. No hidden memories, no explanation.
How could I do this? Could all demi-gods do this? Am I special? How? How? How?
My ears rang with the power I had let out. It was so loud that I didn't hear the ax crash through the bedroom door.
My vision swam as my grandmother barreled through the busted door. Blood was smeared on her face and down her arms. Her hair was wild and her eyes were worse. I scrambled to her and fell at her feet. She helped me up and hugged me. I heard screams in the distance.
"Someone got into the valley." She closed her eyes. "Something; a monster." Her voice trembled. I wrapped my arms around her strong, muscular shoulders.
"It's my fault it's here,” I said. “It will follow me if I leave."
As if I summoned him, Crawley's eyes shot open.
"Is there something I need to know?" My grandmother’s light eyebrow rose; I had almost forgotten that Crawley was very naked on the floor. How I had forgotten, I was still unsure myself. Blood rushed to my face and I tried not to make eye contact with either of them. My mind was still swarming with what had just happened.
Crawley ran one hand down his chest and the other through his hair. "I missed my body." He licked his lips as his eyes made their way down my body.
I gulped. Not the time.
"We have no time for your raging hormones." My grandmother looked down at him in disgust. I didn’t even know if Grandmother was the appropriate term for her now. “There is a safe house nearby but you’ll need Crawley to get in.,” She said to me. “I would go with you, but I need to be here with my people. They need my help and knowledge. The Elders are great, but they can’t do it all.”
There was that term again: The Elders. A question was about to escape my lips, but Keenan let out a cough behind me. I had almost forgotten about him too.
"My home is closer than yours Crawley; you'll need clothes unless you want to fight nude." Keenan glanced at me shyly before he left the room.
No problem in him staying naked.
I almost slapped myself for the thought. Crawley inhaled sharply from the floor and gripped the pillow closer to him.
Yep, time to go!
Shaskia pushed me out the door as Keenan came back in with a large duffle bag. I almost protested. Almost.
I pulled on some thick jeans, low top combat boots, and a tight tank top after Crawley exited the bedroom. Looking at him instead of his beast felt good, great even. I wanted to hug him but restrained myself.
Since when I had I become so wanton?
I shivered and tried to hold my raging hormones in, knowing good and well that Crawley could smell them on me. When I opened the bedroom door I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him.
He looked way too good in a black V-neck and dark wash jeans. In the short amount of time that we had known each other, I hadn't seen him wear boots before, but damn, they looked extra sexy.
I groaned. What the hell was wrong with me?
I needed to tone it down a notch or I was going to screw something up, and by something, I meant Crawley.
"We managed to put up more protection wards but had to destroy part of the cliff’s footholds to be safe. Crawley will know what to do." Shaskia kissed my forehead. "You'll remember soon enough." She waved her hand over my head and whispered. "Don't be frightened; let the visions come."
Crawley hugged her and she whispered aggressively in his ear. He nodded once, and when he pulled away, his expression was serious and calculating. It was a sexy look on him.
Oh, Goddess, have mercy on me.
As sexy as he was, I still didn’t know much about him, and I still didn’t know what he was. I took a deep breath and tried to remember anything that would give me a clue to where he had come from or what he was. I wanted to get to know him better. The parts of him I had witnessed left more to my imagination and I wanted them to be reality.
I wished I had had the time to ask Artemis.
Chapter 15
Crawley
The way Jessa was looking at me was starting to make me hot and uncomfortable at the same time. Who was this woman? It was almost as if she was ready to devour me. I knew her grandmother was a serious woman and that she would know if I touched her while she was going through this.
It was hard for Shaskia to explain, but Jessa couldn't control it; it was something Artemis blessed her with so she could become pregnant and push back the Games – if she even survived long enough to conceive a child
It was unnerving me. The smell of her was going to make me lose control. I had to remember what Shaskia said or she would punish me worse than death. I was not to let another child enter into this circumstance, especially not my own child. Shaskia would know as soon as things got heated, and I feared for my manhood. Hades, I feared for my soul when it came to that woman.
I inhaled deeply and almost had to run out of
the room. Jessa smelled like maple and cinnamon and her desire was coating the entire room. I picked up the large duffle bag full of necessities and clothes for Jessa.
"Time. To. Go." My voice was clipped but I couldn't help it. I couldn't breathe or I might do something I’d regret. I didn't trust myself, especially when I knew that the Goddess would sabotage any protection I could think of using. Jessa looked at me confused; she tried to hide the hurt but I saw it. We walked to the edge of the village and I hugged my mother. She smoothed my hair down like she always had when I was a child.
I kissed her forehead and pulled her close while Jessa said her goodbyes. Keenan was nowhere to be seen. I let out the huff of air I had been holding in.
Because part of the mountain had been destroyed to keep people out, I knew I would have to shift.
It was instantaneous; there was no pain this time but it took a few minutes to right myself. I now weighed over 1000 lbs. The transition was sometimes strange. I heard Shaskia inform Jessa that she would have to ride on my back. Her pupils dilated and I almost dragged her up the mountain to do bad, bad things, but I kept it in check while my beast helped put the duffle bag over her shoulders. I got down on all fours and she mounted me. Her long fingers moved through my fur until she had a good grip. I couldn't hold my breath to keep out the smell of her desire now. It was hard to stand.
Something stung my butt and I looked up to see Shaskia holding a slingshot and pointy rocks.
My bear grunted at her and started the climb up the mountain. The jagged rock was nothing for my long, thick talons. I had never broken one before. I wondered what my beast was actually made of.
Jessa wiggled up against me. Her breathing hitched and a soft moan escaped her.
