Song of The Moon Artemis Lupine

by Banks, Catherine

  Ares smiled. "So you admit that you have feelings for me?"

  I shook my head. "I didn't say that. What I am saying is that I do not love him in that way. And that you would not even let us try, because you believe I am destined to be with you." I rolled my eyes at the thought of destiny.

  Ares frowned. "Why do you roll your eyes?"

  "Destiny is not something I believe in. I believe that we make our own destiny, not that it is pre-set for us."

  Ares shrugged. "Either way, you still answered my call, which means that you are essentially mine. You can call it whatever you want, but you and I are meant to be together. I am sorry that your friend will have a tough time dealing with that, but it is the truth. It is why your father could not stop me from taking you. He could feel the connection between you and me when you came out the door."

  I frowned. "What if I do not love you? What if I never love you?"

  Ares smiled. "Just give it time, and do not strangle your feelings. You will see."

  I looked at the ground. "It's really irritating that I can't be mad at you for very long."

  Ares nodded his head. "I'm sure I will find out how that is soon enough."

  I looked up at his face and asked, "Will you let Bret stay with us, or will you send him away?"

  Ares shrugged. "I'll leave that up to you and him to decide. If he thinks he can handle staying and seeing us together, then he is welcome to join us, but if he wishes to stay with the wolves in this village, then I will let him."

  I nodded my head and started walking back toward the village. I called over my shoulder, "We better get him to your hibernation thingy."

  Koda and Matt picked Bret up and carried him behind me. Ares walked beside me, smiling. I tried my best to ignore him, but couldn't help glancing at him occasionally. He never looked at me, but every time I glanced at him his smile seemed to get bigger. It took us longer to get back because I was walking, but I didn't care. When we made it to the clearing, I stopped moving and tilting my face up to the full moon, closed my eyes. Koda and Matt continued past me with Bret leaving me and Ares alone. I put my arms out to the side and inhaled as deep as I could. I loved the smell of the forest and the night. I opened my eyes and bathed in the warmth of the moon pulling my arms back down to my sides. I turned to Ares and smiled.

  He had his face upturned to the moon and his eyes closed, breathing deeply. He opened his eyes and smiled at me. "You enjoy the moon, too, I see."

  I nodded my head. "The moon makes me feel at peace."

  Ares nodded his head. "Me, too. Of course, I should have assumed someone with the name of the Goddess of the Moon would like the moon."

  I laughed. "Yeah, but I guess my connection to the moon is more because of my werewolf side."

  Ares shrugged his shoulders. "We are the Children of the Moon. Our power to change comes from the moon. I have always liked the moon’s glow. It's much better for your skin to moonbathe than sunbathe."

  I laughed and took a step closer to him feeling a strange pull. I thought about fighting it, but remembered him asking me to not strangle my feelings. He stared at me in shock and nervousness and did not move. I took another step closing the distance so that only one foot of space separated us. I looked up at his uncertain face and smiled. He smiled back at me, but stayed perfectly still, his breathing speeding up slightly. I slowly reached a shaky hand out to him and placed it on his chest. His muscle flexed then relaxed as I stroked down his chest and across his chiseled abdominals. His skin was so hot against my hand that I had to keep moving it, or it was too much. I ran my hand back up his stomach and across his chest and up the side of his neck to rest on his face. I stared a little longer at his sky blue eyes and realized that there was a slight slant to the corners. I wonder if he is part Asian. I started to stand on tiptoe to reach his lips when I heard something moving through the trees. I quickly dropped my hand and turned around towards the sound.

  Ares stepped around me so that he was standing beside me. A small grey wolf cub covered in blood walked from behind a tree to stare at us. Ares squatted down and opened his arms as if inviting the wolf for a hug. I watched in amazement as the wolf's body snapped and popped and twisted to form a small boy. The boy ran to Ares and collapsed into his arms. Ares cradled the boy and whispered to him. "What happened?"

  The boy shivered against Ares and whispered, "The humans figured it out. They. They killed my pack."

  Ares asked, "Are you hurt?"

  The boy shook his head. "It was my pack's blood. I hid under the bodies so the humans wouldn't kill me."

  Ares stood up with the boy still in his arms and walked towards Gregory's home. Gregory opened the door before we got there and took the boy from Ares' arms. The boy turned to Ares. "Prince, wait."

  Ares stayed still and waited for the boy to speak. The boy cleared his throat. "One of them there is a wolf. He is helping them find us. They have guns and knives with silver. Stay downwind of him."

  Ares nodded his head. "Do you know his name?"

  The boy snarled, "Darren."

  I gasped and shook my head. "It must be someone else."

  Ares asked, "What did he look like?"

  The boy sighed. "I didn't get a good look, but he had her hair."

  The boy pointed to me then gasped. "Is she with them? Is she going to kill us?"

  I shook my head. "No, I'm not with them and won't hurt you."

  Ares smiled at the boy. "It's alright, she's my passt genau."

  The boy nodded his head. "Okay." Gregory took him inside and shut the door. Koda and Matt walked up the porch steps to stand beside us.

  I looked at Ares. "What's pause...gee...now?"

  Ares laughed at my poor attempt to speak the words he had just done. "It's passt genau, German for what you are to me."

  "What does it mean, Ares?" I asked again.

  He smiled. "Perfect match."

  I fought to frown, but my mouth formed a smile. I shook my head and asked, "What are we going to do about the humans and that werewolf?"

  Ares frowned. "You aren't going to do anything. You are still very human. Until you change you aren't doing any fighting."

  I groaned. "Ares, I have to go. What if it's my dad?"

  Ares sighed and rubbed his temples. Koda said, "I think she should stay here. You will be too worried about her to focus on the fight."

  Matt nodded his head. "I agree with Koda."

  I sighed. "Fine. You go off and battle the humans and leave me here alone to worry. I'll just find things to break while you're gone. And fight my change."

  Ares smiled. "You would worry for us?"

  I nodded my head then hissed, "Damn you!"

  Ares laughed and grabbed me, pulling me against him. "Koda is right, I would worry too much about you if you went. You worrying for us will be a lot less of a problem. Please stay here. If it is your father, I will try my hardest to simply restrain him and bring him here. But if it comes down to it, and I must, I will kill him."

  I nodded and relaxed into the warmth of his body, leaning my head against his chest. "I understand. Be careful."

  He pushed me back and kissed my lips softly. I kissed him back and then quickly pulled away, running into the house and shutting the door. My lips burned even hotter than before as I leaned against the front door. Gregory and the boy sat in the middle of the living room. The boy had been given clothes much too big for him, but he sat playing a card game with Gregory, smiling. How can he be smiling after his pack was killed? I would be devastated.

  Gregory saw me and smiled. "You want to play?"

  I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I should. They are leaving me behind."

  Gregory shrugged. "Ares would be too focused on your safety to worry about his. It's better this way."

  I groaned and sat down beside them. I turned to the boy and said, "Hi, I'm Artemis."

  He smiled at me. "Jason."

  I smiled back at him as Gregory passed out cards. I watched as he dealt us each th
irteen cards and asked, "What are we playing?"

  Gregory smiled. "Thirteen."

  I sighed. "I don't know how to play."

  Gregory laughed. "It's alright. We'll teach you."

  I listened intently as Gregory explained the game to me. The game was like war, where you had to put a card down which was higher in either number or suit and the first one out of cards won. I arranged my cards from lowest, three, to the highest, two then started playing. Gregory put down the three of clubs, the lowest card in the game. I put down a three of hearts which was higher in suit so it beat his card. Jason put down a king, making Gregory and I groan. Gregory put down an ace then I put down a two. Jason and Gregory groaned.

  Jason said, "Pass."

  Gregory nodded his head. "Pass."

  I smiled and laid down a six card straight. Both groaned again and said, "Pass" in unison. I put down a pair of fives and Jason laid down a pair of eights. Gregory passed and I put down a pair of tens.

  Jason sighed. "Pass." Gregory nodded his head and waved his hand for me to go. I put down my final card, an ace and raised my hands in the air. "I'm out.”

  Jason groaned. "I thought you said that you haven't played this?"

  I smiled. "I hadn't played this before. It's a very fun game though. Can we play again?"

  Gregory smiled. "Sure."

  Jason turned and looked at me frowning. "Why are you nervous?"

  I looked down at him and frowned. "Why do you think that I am nervous?"

  His eyes went wide. "Aren’t you a werewolf?"

  I nodded my head. "Yes, but what does that have to do with why you think I am nervous?"

  Gregory smiled. "Jason, she hasn't had her first change yet."

  Jason's eyes went even wider. "What?! How is that possible?!"

  I smiled and shrugged. "I didn't know I was a werewolf until yesterday and apparently I have been fighting the change since I was around your age."

  Jason gasped, "No way! Asena's children were the only ones who were supposed to be able to do that."

  I frowned. "Who's Asena?"

  Jason and Gregory stared at me in shock. Gregory asked, "You don't know who Asena is?"

  "I told you that I didn't know I was a werewolf until yesterday. Your speech last night was the first I have heard about us."

  Gregory sighed. "I thought they were joking and just wanted me to talk. Alright. I'll have to tell you our story then."

  I smiled. "Okay." I adjusted myself so that I was a little more comfortable before he began.

  Gregory cleared his throat. "All of us that are born werewolves are descendents of the Mother of all werewolves, Asena. She herself was not a werewolf, but...I'm getting ahead of myself. A village was raided by soldiers, killing everyone but one infant, who the general took pity on and only gave the infant cuts on his arms and legs. Asena, a great she-wolf with grey fur and sky-blue mane saved the boy and nursed him back to health. The boy eventually impregnated her and she gave birth to ten boys. Those ten boys were half man, half wolf. The very first werewolves. They ruled over the Empire, but many of the boys became bored of their home and left to explore the world. They went to Iceland, Germany, Scotland, England and many other places. The men would mate with women in those countries, thus passing on their half wolf traits to their offspring. That's how we came about. There are some who came from Greece who claim that they are descendants of Lycaon who tried to trick Zeus into eating human flesh and then was turned into a wolf by Zeus, but I don't believe that. They are just descendants of Asena like us."

  I stared in disbelief of the story he had just said, but strangely it made sense. "Why are you killing all the humans now?"

  Gregory frowned. "During the medieval times in Europe, there was a rash of wolf killings. Instead of realizing the reason there were so many more wolf kills was that the wolf population had gotten out of control, they started the search for werewolves. Unfortunately for some of us, we really did exist and lived in Europe at that time. I don't know how the notion of werewolves got into their heads, but they started looking. Soon after that they started searching for witches as well. I had many witch friends who died. It was horrible. We all went into hiding then. Some of us managed to come to America and start over here, but others went into the sewers with the vamp...with the others."

  I shook my head. "What were you going to say?"

  He shook his head back at me. "I can't tell you that part yet. I'm sure soon, but not yet. Anyway, the others decided it had been long enough and we planned our take over. I give it three months before the world is completely taken over by us preternaturals."

  I shook my head. "What's a preternatural?"

  He sighed. "I'm telling you too much already. Preternatural means exceeding what is natural or regular. All races that possess gifts, as you humans call them, are called preternaturals. Basically, anyone that has characteristics that surpass natural human abilities is a preternatural."

  I nodded my head. "Like witches."

  Gregory smiled. "Yes, like witches. Now let's play some more thirteen."

  I smiled and nodded my head. "Alright. How long do you think it will be before Ares is back?"

  Gregory smiled. "I'm not sure, but you don't have to worry about Ares. He is the toughest of us. Did he tell you that's how he became prince?"

  I shook my head. "We haven't really talked much." I felt a blush starting and shook my head.

  Gregory sighed. "Well, I will let Ares tell you about the ways to become powerful." He picked up the cards on the floor and started shuffling them. I turned and saw that Jason was staring at me curiously.

  "What is it Jason?" I asked.

  He looked down. "Nothing."

  I laughed. "You can ask me whatever you want. I promise I won't get mad."

  Jason looked up and smiled. "I was just trying to remember where I saw purple eyes before."

  Gregory frowned. "Enough Jason."

  Jason sighed. "Alright."

  I frowned at Gregory. "What? Why can't he tell me where he has seen purple eyes before? It might help me find my mom."

  Gregory shook his head. "Sorry. We can't tell you that. When Ares wants to he will."

  "Whatever. Let's play." I said to change the subject.

  We played for a few more hours, but the sunlight started to peek through the curtains and I couldn't stay awake anymore. Jason fell asleep on the floor snoring softly. I stood up and started to walk back to my room when I felt Ares. I threw the front door open and ran out on to the front porch. I looked around, but couldn't see him anywhere. I inhaled and could smell him. How the hell do I know it's him? Is this one of those weird things about being tied to him? I know he is here. Where is he? I continued to scan the yard and turned as Gregory came out.

  "What is it Artemis?" He asked me looking around too.

  "Ares is here, I can feel him and smell him, but I can't see him."

  Gregory inhaled then nodded his head. "You're right. He must be close for me to be able to smell him too. Come on, let's go look for him." I followed Gregory down the porch steps still frantically searching for Ares. Gregory led us towards a large white warehouse and stopped me at the black metal door, "You can't come in here. I'll be right back."

  I inhaled deeply and jumped up and down. "He's in there. Hurry."

  Gregory stared at me strangely, but walked in the large warehouse shutting the door tightly behind him. I paced back and forth in front of the door as I waited. People passed me with odd expressions on their faces, but I ignored them pacing back and forth and back and forth. Ten minutes passed and I started to get worried as I reached for the door handle, the door swung open nearly hitting me in the face. Koda looked around and finally saw me standing next to him. He frowned. "What are you doing here?"

  I sighed. "I can feel Ares and smell him. What's wrong? Is he hurt?"

  Koda laughed and grabbed my shoulders stopping me from jumping around. "He's fine Artemis. Calm down. I'll go get him for you."

  "Why
can't I come in? Gregory went to get him for me ten minutes ago."

  Koda sighed. "Just stay here and I'll get him."

  I snarled and crossed my arms over my chest. "Fine, but you better hurry."

  Koda shut the door behind him as he went back inside. I picked up my pacing route again as I wanted yet again for Ares to come out. I walked a few feet away from the door then spun around as I heard it open. Ares stared at me in shock then smiled and walked quickly towards me. I walked as fast as I could without running to him wrapping my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist. "Are you okay?" I asked frantically.

  Ares nodded his head inhaling my hair. "I am now."

  I sighed in happiness and pulled back to kiss him on the lips softly. He kissed me back pressing harder. I pulled away and asked, "What's going on? Why didn't you come see me?"

  He frowned. "I was talking to our prisoner."

  I gasped, "Is it my dad? Was it him that was taking the humans to find the wolves?"

  Ares pulled away from me and nodded his head. "Yes, but your dad is not the prisoner I have. Darren got away before we could catch him."

  I sighed. "Does that mean you are going to go after him?"

  Ares shook his head. "I ran into Darius again and he said he will take care of it." I started to say something, but he held up his hand. "He promised not to kill him until you and I spoke with Darren."

  "Thanks." I realized that I still had my arms wrapped around his neck and pulled away from him blushing.

  Ares laughed. "I wondered how long it would take you to pull away from me. I don't understand why you won't just enjoy it?"

  "Because I shouldn't have such strong feelings for you so soon. It's not normal."

  Ares smiled. "We aren't normal anyway. And by the way, Bret is doing well. We should be able to let him out tomorrow, to spend time with you."

  I smiled. "That's great. Thank you." I sighed and looked back up at Ares. "Is it true that you are one of the strongest of the werewolves?"

  Ares frowned. "Has Gregory been telling you stories?"