by Noah Harris
Lucille’s face brightened, and she plucked a flower from the plant. “There we are.”
Apollo looked over the chosen specimen and found nothing special about it. “Satisfied?”
Lucille plucked a thick strand of her hair and began weaving it around the stem. “I am. So, what sparked this newfound sense of creativity in you?”
If she had been closer, he might have been tempted to draw his hand over the page containing his latest drawing. His swim in the river earlier had been soothing, considering he’d done it at the hottest part of the day. It had been the walk back, however, cutting across the training grounds, where he’d found his latest inspiration.
“I saw Kat and Dante training,” Apollo said.
Lucille twisted the stem around, knotting it. “I’m sure the two of them would be pleased to hear that they inspired you.”
Apollo glanced down at the page once more, glad Lucille wasn’t watching him and would hopefully miss the guilty expression pass over his face. While it was true that briefly seeing the two of them duel while he’d passed through the training grounds had sparked a desire to put his pencil to paper again, the end result didn’t show the original inspiration.
What had started as his cousin and friend duking it out in the ring had quickly become a profile of Dante as he prepared to strike. Apollo had managed to sketch out Dante’s general shape, and the loose shorts and tank top he’d been wearing. The lines of his well-developed muscles were still a work in progress, and Apollo knew he still had to sketch in the black hair that formed a thin layer on Dante’s arms and legs. It was the face which had received the most attention from Apollo as he’d sat huddled beneath the tree. The strong lines of Dante’s jaw, the furrow of his brow, and the thin press of his lips as he concentrated, all laid out in the strokes of the pencil. Apollo thought it was a shame that he couldn’t get the brilliant green of Dante’s eyes in the drawing.
Apollo finally shrugged, resting his hand over the drawing as Lucille drew closer. “It’s only a sketch, nothing to be remarked upon.”
Lucille smiled, adjusting her hair. “You have always been so careful about who sees your drawings, though I’ve not known you to hide it from Dante.”
He’d also not shown Dante certain drawings he’d done either. Apollo’s favorite things in the world to draw were other people. While he had sketchbooks full of people from The Grove, as well as the people he’d met while journeying in the human world, there was a folder which sat buried in a chest at his home with nothing but drawings of Dante. If there were anyone he could say he was fond of drawing repeatedly, it would be his best friend.
“He hasn’t seen everything,” Apollo said.
Lucille leaned against the tree, her eyes looking out on the playing children. “No, I suppose he wouldn’t.”
Once more, Apollo found himself wondering what exactly was going on in Lucille’s mind. Her words had an odd gravity to them, as though she were remarking upon something else beyond the topic at hand. It wasn’t the first time either, and Apollo had always believed the strange woman knew far more than she would ever let on.
“He knows enough,” Apollo told her, fighting the urge to watch her face.
Dante had been the only other person in The Grove who could claim to be close to Apollo other than Artemis. Dante had been found when he’d been barely older than five and had been brought to The Grove to become a member of the pack. Most of the other children had avoided the scrawny, sour-faced boy Dante had been, much as they gave the grumpy adult a wide berth. Apollo, however, had grown up beside a twin who had from the start been boisterous, aggressive, and unafraid to speak her mind. It had been all too easy for him to ignore Dante’s sharper qualities, and to enjoy the peace of being around him.
Apollo still wasn’t sure what had drawn Dante to him, but he was eternally thankful for it. Dante had also been one of the few people who hadn’t been wary of Artemis, or of risking what many felt would be an intrusion into the bond between the twins. Both twins had enjoyed having Dante around, though it had been Apollo who had inevitably been closest to the surly man.
Lucille let out a soft laugh, breaking their mutual silence. “What do any of us know about the other?”
Apollo looked up, blinking. “We grew up together, all of us. I would say that counts for something.”
“For bonds of family and trust, yes. But can you say what roams the corridors of my heart and soul? I suspect no more than I could of yours, or that Kat could say of any of ours. Even Dean, as honestly as he lives his life, will forever be a secret to us. Well, those of us who aren’t Mikael that is.”
Apollo thought of the human, who seemed infinitely strong and yet undeniably vulnerable in equal parts. Then there was Mikael, who forever held himself in confidence, even as his eyes sometimes held anxiety that never quite went spoken. Kat, while always true and bold, seemed to hold herself back constantly, as though afraid of what would happen if she allowed herself the freedom.
All of them bore their own secrets, some part of themselves which never saw the light of day completely. The only person Apollo could claim to have known such a side of would have been Artemis. In the same vein, Artemis had known Apollo, his hopes, his dreams, each secret fear and desire which he’d locked away inside himself. Without that mutual understanding with another, Apollo had been left drifting, directionless and afraid.
“Perhaps we might too find someone who understands us,” Apollo said softly.
Lucille pushed away from the tree, adjusting the flower unconsciously. “Perhaps. And perhaps some of us have the answer sitting in front of us, and we need only have the courage to see it.”
Apollo remained where he was, watching Lucille as she made her way back toward the center of The Grove. She never looked back as she finally disappeared out of sight, leaving Apollo to ponder over her words, fingers unconsciously stroking the drawing.
Chapter 3 – Dante
~~*~~
Stepping up into the cool shadows of the Main House, Dante let out a low breath of relief. The day was proving to be even hotter than the previous one, and he was privately a little glad that his potential sparring session with Kat had been called off. He could only imagine how much he would have been suffering if he’d had to go another round or two with her as the afternoon sun bore down on them.
It didn’t mean he wasn’t curious why Samuel had decided to call for him, however. The last few times he’d been summoned by The Grove’s alpha, it had been because of something tied to Dean and Mikael, or more specifically, just Dean. Yet those two were still stowed away on Dean’s farm, living in happily mated bliss without so much as the slightest care in the world.
Despite the damage done to the Main House during the brief war with Damien, the building had been rebuilt with amazing speed. While at face value, the Main House was a place meant for official meetings with the alpha and the home of both Samuel and Matalina, it represented something far greater to the pack. The Main House had always been the center of The Grove, where the leaders had always lived, and where the most important decisions had been made. It was the closest they had to a landmark, and it was a show of strength and tradition to the pack in The Grove.
Absently, Dante ran a hand over one of the four large pillars placed equidistant at the corners of the lower portion of the room. Only the original pillars of the old Main House had survived without too much damage, and Samuel had made sure they were placed back in their original positions. Rather than the expected wolves etched into them, there were instead the far gentler creatures of the forests, cavorting rabbits, nimble deer, and graceful birds above them.
A soft sound drew Dante around, and his heart lurched as he caught sight of Apollo leaning against the pillar opposite him. His friend’s face was still, though the shadows of the small torches placed into sconces at the edges of the room danced across it, giving the illusion of expression. It wasn’t until Apollo tilted his head, eyes crinkling slightly at the corners that Dant
e unfroze from his surprise.
“You scared the shit out of me,” Dante admitted.
Apollo smiled softly. “I wasn’t trying to.”
“No, you never try to but it sure as hell doesn’t mean you’re not good at it,” Dante grumbled, embarrassed that he’d been startled so easily.
“You disappeared yesterday,” Apollo noted.
Dante winced. “Kat kicked my ass, so I decided to take me and my wounded pride somewhere else for bit.”
“You slept outside again.”
It wasn’t a question and Dante didn’t bother to deny it. “It’s comfy out there, especially at night.”
“You know my home is always open to you.”
Dante knew, as Apollo was dutiful in making sure to remind him of that every now and then. His welcome didn’t make things less awkward for Dante, however. Once, Dante might have found it a degree easier to sleep only a room away from Apollo. It might have been uncomfortable, knowing he could easily take the dozen steps into the room and curl up next to Apollo, but he could have dealt with it. Yet it was always the knowledge that Artemis was in the other room, a light sleeper at the best of times, which had proven to be a handy supplement to Dante’s willpower. Things were a little different now Apollo was alone, and all Dante had was his self-control to keep him at bay.
“Yeah, I know, just didn’t want to show my face,” Dante said, hating the awkwardness he could hear in his voice.
Apollo peered at him carefully. “Since when has losing to Kat ever been something to be embarrassed over?”
Guilt squirmed its way through his gut as he realized Apollo was still hurting from the loss of his twin, and probably wanted company as much as he didn’t want Dante to sleep outside when it wasn’t necessary. Losing to Kat hadn’t been the embarrassing part, it had been the reason he’d lost so badly which had sent Dante skittering out of sight for the rest of the day and night. There would have been no way for Apollo to know what had happened in Dante’s mind, but Dante had, and that had been more than enough.
“Since she managed to get a hit in on me so damn hard that it about knocked me out. A hit I should have avoided,” Dante admitted, shrugging.
Apollo raised a brow. “Not like you to let your guard down.”
Feeling like a shitty friend, Dante nodded. “Just kind of happened, you know?”
Apollo looked him over. “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”
Dante grunted. “You know, Kat kept trying to figure out what’s wrong, and she wouldn’t believe me when I told her everything was fine. Is this your turn?”
Apollo chuckled. “Maybe. But unlike Kat, I know better than to try and bully it out of you. If you want to tell me you will.”
It was exactly that sort of understanding which both warmed Dante and sent another pang of guilt through him. Sometimes he was left to wonder what exactly it was about him that made Apollo so utterly forgiving and understanding. Sure, they had been companions for years, and Dante considered Apollo the oldest and best of the friends he had, but he couldn't help but wonder what it was he brought to the table to make Apollo stay so close to him.
“It’s not a big deal,” Dante mumbled, looking away.
Apollo said nothing, but Dante could feel his eyes on him as Dante busied himself looking anywhere but at his friend. He knew all too well what he would see if he were to look at Apollo. There would be the seemingly placid and stoic expression on Apollo’s handsome features, but his dark eyes would be twinkling with an implacable warmth and amusement. Apollo knew he was full of shit, but Dante took comfort in the knowledge that his friend didn’t know the exact contents of his thoughts.
“Why is it every time we’re called to see Father, he keeps us waiting. But when he wants to see Dean and Mikael, he’s always here waiting for them?” Dante asked.
“That may have something to do with the fact that I call them only when things have gone to hell.”
Samuel’s voice brought Dante around with a wince. The alpha walked from the shrouded doorway leading to the living quarters, eyes locked on his place on the dais. Rather than take his customary position, sitting atop one of the two pillows, Samuel simply stood nearby.
Dante cleared his throat. “Not to question your judgment, but wouldn’t it make more sense to call them when things aren’t ready to fall apart?”
Samuel snorted. “You won’t question my judgment, but then immediately proceed to question it. Some things can’t be helped Dante, and I deal with what I have with the best I can provide.”
It wasn’t exactly an answer to his question, but Dante kept his mouth shut. Mikael had always been treated differently by Samuel over the years. In some ways, Dante envied it, as Mikael was allowed latitude that many others in The Grove weren’t, such as not needing a specific role within the pack in order to interact with the outside world. Yet, there was a great deal of expectation and responsibility placed upon Mikael’s shoulders as the future alpha of the pack, a weight Dante wouldn’t trust himself to shoulder.
“It doesn’t help that every time I call upon them, Dean inevitably ends up encountering…difficulties. My son has chosen him to be his mate, and I won’t be the one who pushes Dean beyond his limits and risks disaster. It’s better Dean is given some manner of rest and peace,” Samuel continued, staring down at the pillows below the dais meant for a guest.
It was a mild way of summarizing the life and times of one Dean Matthews. Dante had met very few humans who had his tendency toward disaster. If it wasn’t a corrupted shaman who’d become obsessed with Dean to the point of nearly killing him, it was an egomaniacal alpha who had kidnapped and tortured Dean in an attempt at domination. When Dante thought about it, Dean had barely had a moment to breathe before he was thrown headlong into a series of events which had led to the human losing a friend in tragic circumstances, only to have to leave another friend behind in the jungle of South America months later.
“I guess he has been through a lot,” Dante admitted.
“It will only get worse,” Apollo said.
Dante cocked a brow at him. “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine?”
Apollo shrugged. “No one here is blind to the fact that events either focus around him or pull him in. Now he knows there are dark crystals somewhere out in the world, and he’s not going to stop until he solves the mystery. Whether through choice, circumstance, or fate, Dean is going to be involved in what’s to come, and it all seems to be building. Whatever is coming next, it’s going to be even bigger than the last.”
Samuel turned, raising a brow. “One might think you were capable of reading my thoughts.”
Dante was also a little impressed that Apollo had strung together so many words in front of Samuel. While Apollo never gave Dante the impression he was scared or unnerved by Samuel, the alpha was one of the few people who inspired an even greater amount of silence on Apollo’s part. That could have changed, but Dante suspected it had more to do with Apollo’s bond with and desire to protect Dean.
Dante shrugged. “Alright, the guy deserves a bit of break between shitshows. You won’t hear me argue with that. But you still called us here for a reason, and not just to talk about Dean.”
Samuel nodded. “I need you to return to the mountain.”
Dante blinked, looking at Apollo in confusion. “The…the mountain?”
“I should hope I wouldn’t need to explain which mountain to you, Dante. You were, after all, right there along with the rest during the ordeal,” Samuel said.
He had been there, but he couldn’t understand why Samuel would want him to be the one to return. The once home base of the coalition of alphas and packs that former attempted warlord Damien had taken for himself had been quiet by all accounts. Dante himself had looked over the written reports of friendly pack scouts, and heard the verbal ones of others. Everything had checked out, and he had found no issue with their methods.
“It’s been quiet for months now,” Dante said slowly.
Samuel nodded. “And I want to make sure it’s staying that way.”
“Even after all the reports?”
“Old reports. Reports done weeks ago. Now that everyone has marked Damien and his attempt to take over the packs in his ignorant grab for power as both dead and gone, there have been no reports. Everyone else has moved on with their lives and business and see no reason to give the mountain more than a glance.”
Dante blinked. “But you do.”
“While I have no doubt Damien is gone, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a chance that there is still something left over from these…crystals. I need eyes and ears there that I can trust, to make sure everything Damien worked for in those tunnels, is buried and gone,” Samuel continued.
As much as he was curious about the reason, Dante wasn’t one to question a direct order from his alpha. While he may not always like the way Samuel did things, he was ultimately both alpha, and the closest Dante had to a father figure. If Samuel needed something of him, Dante would do his absolute best to see it through.
“When do you want me to leave?” Dante asked, knowing the answer.
“Immediately.”
Dante nodded. “I’ll prepare and head out within the hour.”
Apollo turned, facing Samuel. “I’m going.”
Samuel turned to him, brow furrowing. “This is a simple search and scout assignment. As capable in battle and working with a group as you may be, your skills lie in dealing with and knowing about the human world. Dante won’t need those skills in the mountain.”
Apollo nodded, face unchanging. “I’m going.”
“I brought you here as well because I have something in mind for you,” Samuel continued.
“I’m going with Dante.”
For his part, Dante was barely managing to keep from gaping at Apollo. There was no question in Dante’s mind that his friend had a stubborn streak wider than the mountain he was being sent to look at, but he’d never seen it flash at Samuel. From the look of poorly concealed confusion on Samuel’s face, Dante realized he wasn’t the only one.
