Andreas P.O.V
“Goddess, he’s a heavy bastard,” I say, straining to get the doctor into the back of the small car.
“I’ll give you a hand,” my best friend, Noah, says as he opens the passenger door on the driver’s side to pull the doctor in from the other side.
After a few moments, we finally get the doctor in the back of Noah’s car, and I double-check the ropes around his wrists and ankles to ensure he’s secure.
Closing the doors, I get into the passenger’s side, and Noah gets behind the wheel.
“So, Blood-Moon territory?” Noah asks as he starts his car. He goes to turn his headlights on, but I put my hand on his arm to stop him.
“No lights yet,” I say. “Yeah, head toward Blood-Moon. They’ll let us know later where they want us to take him.”
Noah pulls onto the road from where I met him on the outskirts of the Moonstone territory, and I stay alert, adrenaline keeping me going as I keep an eye out for anyone who may have followed me.
After half an hour, I’m happy that no one is following us, and I tell Noah he can put his headlights on now.
“Why don’t you get some rest, Andy? You must be exhausted,” Noah suggests.
I respond with a yawn, fold my arms over my chest, relax into the seat, and fall asleep quickly.
#
Three hours later
I’m woken by my head hitting the window with a hard thump. “Ow,” I say, rubbing the side of my head. “I see your driving hasn’t improved,” I tease Noah.
“Funny,” he says, before he yawns. “It’s your turn to drive.”
I sit up straight in a sudden panic. “Shit! What time is it?” I ask, looking for my phone.
“Just after 2:30,” Noah yawns again.
“Oh, I’m a dead man,” I say, finding my phone on the console and dialling Athena’s number.
After a few rings, she answers with a sleepy voice, “Hello?”
“Athena, I’m so sorry. I meant to call earlier, but I fell asleep in the car.”
I hear a groan in the background, and some guy asks, “Who is calling so late?”
I let out a deep growl, making Noah jump. “Athena, who the fuck was that?”
“What? That’s just Ryna. Are you safe? Did you get out okay?” She asks, sounding more awake.
“Why is this Ryna in your bed at 2:30 in the morning?” I growl again.
“Calm down. He’s my best friend and mated,” she says, sounding amused.
“You’re not marked, and I don’t appreciate you having some guy in your bed, mated or not,” I bark and hang up.
Noah pulls off the highway into a rest stop, turns the car off, and turns to face me. “Dude, what the hell was that shit?” He asks.
I rub my hands over my face, exhausted and frustrated. “I heard a guy’s voice in the background,” I groan.
“So? She told you who he was, and you bit her head off!”
“She’s my mate, and I can’t fucking be with her. I panicked when I heard him.”
“You need to trust her. She didn’t reject you, so she’s still your mate. Just because you haven’t marked each other, it doesn’t mean you both aren’t feeling the effects of the mate bond. Trust me. No other female will ever matter to you now that you have found Athena,” he says, rubbing his hand over his chest as if it hurts.
“Shit… Noah, I’m sorry,” I say as I squeeze his shoulder, tears welling up in my eyes as I recall the day his mate died.
“I hope you never have to go through what I did. So do not fuck this up before you’ve even started, Andreas.”
I nod and step out of the car into the fresh air, dialling Athena’s number again.
It’s answered on the first ring. “Listen here, fuck face. Athena is my best friend, and I am not above kicking your ass if you’re going to treat her like shit,” an angry male voice yells at me.
“I assume this is Ryna?” I ask, trying to keep my cool.
“You assume right, asshole,” he snarls back.
“I’m calling back to apologize. Can I please speak to her?” I ask.
I hear muffled talking, and then Athena is back on the phone. “So, does living in a cave make everyone act like a caveman? Or is that just your natural disposition?” She asks, and she sounds like she’s holding back a laugh.
I can’t help but smile. “I’m sorry, Athena. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that,” I say sincerely.
“Damn right. Especially considering we fell asleep waiting for you to call to know you were safe,” she says, her tone changing to anger.
“I’m truly sorry. How can I make it up to you?” I ask. I hear the car door open, and Noah steps out. He leans against the hood of the car and lights a cigarette.
“You can tell me you’re safe,” Athena says.
“We’re safe. We’ve just pulled over so I can take over driving,” I tell her.
“We? Your friend is with you already?” Athena asks.
“He provided the getaway car,” I explain. “We’ll be near your territory by tomorrow night if we drive straight through. Has Alex organized where we’re going to take the cargo?” I ask.
“He will call you when he and Mom land later today. Has the cargo been any trouble?” She asks in a whispered tone.
“None. Noah gave him enough tranquilizers to kill an elephant. So, he should be out for most of the trip,” I tell her. Noah clears his throat to get my attention and taps his watch. “We better get going, Athena. Message me when you’re leaving in the morning,” I say, and I walk to the other side of the car and get in.
“I will. Stay safe,” she says.
“You too,” and we hang up.
#
Athena P.O.V
I hang up the phone and sigh, wishing I was with Andreas.
“I’m going back to Gino,” Ryna says as he comes over to where I’m sitting on the bed. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” he says as he leans in and kisses me on the cheek.
I watch him leave the room and then lay back down, placing my arm over my forehead. ‘I don’t think I’m going to get much sleep now,’ I think to myself. But, despite feeling wide awake, I fall asleep within a few minutes.
#
I’m woken suddenly by a loud banging on my bedroom door. “MISS ARGOS! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!”
“What the fuck?” I say out loud as I get out of the bed and walk to the door, opening it to find two council members and Alpha Peter standing there with angry faces.
“Can I help you?” I ask them, still bewildered by how I was woken up.
“Where is he?” Alpha Peter asks sternly.
“Where’s who? What’s going on?” I ask, peering out into the hallway to see Uncle Alex, Mom, Ryna, and Gino standing in the hall, surrounded by warriors. “What the hell are you doing with my family?”
“Don’t act dumb with me, young pup. We know you took Doctor Shields,” the older of the two council members says, his face so red he looks like steam could come out of his ears.
“Doctor Shields is gone?” I ask, feigning shock and confusion. “How did he escape the cells?”
“There’s no way he could have escaped,” Alpha Peter says. “He was taken during the night, or someone helped him escape, Athena.”
“And you think I have something to do with it? Come in and look. I have nothing to hide,” I say as I move from in front of the doorway, allowing them room to come in. “Maybe I have him tied up in the bathtub. You should check there first,” I say, mocking them.
“You should really learn to respect your elders,” the older council member says as he approaches me and growls in my face.
I hold my ground, turning my nose up at him. “I’ll show them respect when they earn it,” I growl back.
He grabs me by the throat and tries to force me to kneel to him.
“Elder David, that’s enough!” The other Elder yells at him.
“Let. Me. Go…,” I say so quietly that only Elder David can hear me.
He lets go of my throat quickly as if I’ve burned him, and takes a step back, a surprised look on his face.
I stalk towards him, and he steps backwards and back out into the hallway, and I stand in the doorway again. “I don’t have your doctor. If I did, he’d already be dead,” I tell them calmly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think my family and I should leave before any more accusations are thrown our way. Or are you going to throw us in the cells, Alpha?” I ask him menacingly.
Alpha Peter looks between me and the council members and sighs. “You and your family are free to leave, Athena.” Alpha Peter nods to the warriors guarding my family, and they step away from them.
“What do you think you’re doing, Alpha?!” Elder David yells at Alpha Peter as he walks down the hallway and downstairs. Elder David glares at me and then stomps down the hallway after Alpha Peter.
“Safe travels home, Miss Argos,” the other Elder says to me and then walks away as well.
Mom, Uncle Alex, Ryna, and Gino rush over to me, and I usher them into my room, closing the door behind them.
‘We need to get out of here asap,’ Gino mind-links, panicking.
‘Just stay calm. Andreas is hundreds of miles away from here by now,’ I say, as there’s another knock on the door.
“Who is it?” I call out.
“It’s Nick.”
I open the door and let him in, closing it behind him again.
“Alpha Peter has asked me to leave as well. What the hell happened?” He asks.
“Doctor Shields has apparently disappeared, and the Elders are blaming us for it. Why would he ask you to leave, too, though?”
“He seemed pretty defeated when I spoke to him. Maybe everything that’s happened has taken its toll on him?”
“Maybe. But the Elders aren’t happy, and I don’t plan on sticking around long enough for them to throw me in a cell. I suggest you do the same, Nick.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right. Safe travels,” he says, and gives me a quick hug before leaving the room.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Enyo says when he’s gone.
Hey everyone. I would like to thank you all for making it this far with me and adding my story to your collection. I am really enjoying how Athena and Enyos story is unfolding, and I hope you do too. We're in for a bumpy ride in the next couple of chapters, with events that I think are going to help Athena grow as a character. I would love to hear what you all think, so don't forget to leave a comment or review, or a vote if you feel so inclined :) I hope you all enjoy your weekends! Skye.
24 hours later I gaze out the window, taking in the sight of snow covering everything as far as the eye can see. I never thought I’d miss the snow, but it’s a welcome sight after a month in the desert, and I’m relieved to be home. “Athena?” Ryna says, trying to get my attention. “Hmmm?” I say absently, turning away from the window. “Your phone is ringing,” Ry tells me. “Oh!” I say, quickly grabbing it from the seat. “Hello?” I answer it, not recognizing the number. “Hey, it’s Noah. Can you put me on speaker?” He asks. I put the phone on speaker and lean forward between Ryna and Gino in the front. “Go ahead,” I say to him. “Have you noticed the black sedan behind you?” he asks. We all say “no” at the same time. “I’ve been following you for about an hour, and this sedan has been following you the entire time,” he says. “Why are you following us? Where’s Andreas?” I ask. “He’s at the warehouse with Gamma Alex. He wanted me to make sure you were okay,” Noah explains. I smile a
Andreas P.O.V I walk into the small room where Gamma Alex has Doctor Shields tied to a chair. “Has he said anything?” I ask as I look at the dishevelled doctor. “Nothing. He just sits there smiling like a madman,” Gamma Alex says. I grab the other chair in the room, place it in front of the doctor, and sit facing him. “You may as well talk to us, Doctor. Your silence won’t save your life,” I say to him. “Who are you?” Doctor Shields asks, a curious look on his face. “I’m a man who wants answers, Doctor. Why don’t you tell me who you’re working for?” I ask. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? One of the abominations?” Gamma Alex stomps over from the corner of the room and punches him in the jaw. “The only abomination in this room is you,” Gamma Alex spits out. “Now talk, you filth.” Doctor Shields spits blood on the floor, then laughs maniacally. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he says, then he spits more blood on the floor. “You have no idea the reach the people I work for have. So,
“Athena? Athena!” I hear my mom yelling at me and softly tapping my face. “Mmmm,” I mutter. “What happened?” I ask. “You fainted and fell off the stool,” she says, her voice filled with worry. I sit straight up, panicking. “Where’s my phone?” I ask, looking around the room, finding the warriors I ran with now filling the kitchen. “It’s here,” Ryna says, handing it to me. “What the hell happened, Athena?” I snatch the phone from his grasp and quickly search for the video, but the message has vanished. “They killed him!” I yell hysterically. “Who?” my mom asks, shock filling her voice. I open my call log to find the number the video came from, but the call log has been wiped. I shake uncontrollably, “ANDREAS!” I yell, tears streaming down my face again. “WHERE THE FUCK IS THE VIDEO?! WHO DELETED IT?” I cry, searching around the room for the culprit. “No one deleted anything, Athena.” Ryna crouches down in front of me and places his hands on my shoulders. “Athena, focus. What vid
I arrive at the old warehouse and park behind Noah’s car. As I step out of my truck, I feel the sun shining down on me, but there is no warmth in its rays. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to warm up, but the coldness comes from deep within. I approach Noah’s car, where Noah, Ryna, and Uncle Alex are talking. “Did you see what direction he was headed in?” Noah asks Uncle Alex. “No. But I picked up his trail heading north in that direction,” he points towards the tree line. “Where were you holding the doctor?” Ryna asks. “Come on, I’ll show you,” Uncle Alex says as he walks towards the warehouse doors, followed by Noah and Ryna. I stay back, holding my nose in the air and breathing deeply, trying to pick up any scents. I can faintly smell Andreas and follow his scent towards a small building to the right of the warehouse doors. When I walk into the small room, I find his clothes folded up on a dusty shelf, with his phone on top. My heart aches as I pick up his shirt and hold
Hey guys! Just a little note from me. From now on, when I post chapters, anything said through mind-link (the telepathic way wolves can communicate with their pack) will now be in italics. I will be going back and editing previous chapters to show these changes. I hope this will make things easier to read when there's a lot of dialogue and swapping between mind-link and normal speech. Thanks guys, for the continued support, and I hope you are enjoying Athena and Enyos' story. Please leave a like, comment, or vote if you are really enjoying it. Regards, Skye.
“YOU HAD ME WORKING WITH A FUCKING HUNTER?!” I scream at Uncle Alex. “I’m just as surprised as you are, Athena! Do you really believe I would intentionally put you in that kind of danger?” He asks. The sincerity in his voice breaks my heart and makes me feel instantly guilty. I take a deep breath and try to remain calm and rational. “I’m sorry, Uncle Alex,” I say, hugging him tightly. “There’s no way our pack has been working with a hunter for the last couple of years and no one knew,” I say, pulling away from him. “Do you remember who hired him to work with our pack?” I ask. “Alpha Damon,” he says, his eyebrows creased. “He hired him about a year before the attack on our pack,” he trails off. “You’re kidding,” Ryna says, stunned. “Who told everyone he was a private investigator?” I ask. “Alpha Damon did. He told Alpha Niko that Derek knew about our kind and that he could help us with human matters…” Uncle Alex explains. “Damon was Beta at the time so no one even thought to quest
Just as I’m pulling up to the pack house, we receive a mind-link from Beta Michael informing us of a pack meeting with Alpha Damon tonight that everyone is to attend, and I can’t help rolling my eyes. “Seems you were right, Uncle Alex. Today isn’t over yet.” “All I really wanted to do tonight was take a hot bath and then go to bed,” Ryna grumbles. “I think that’s what we all wanted to do,” Uncle Alex says with a yawn. We get out of the truck, and Uncle Alex and Ryna follow me inside and upstairs to my old room, and when I open the door, I’m happy to see my room is just how I left it. “I wouldn’t let them touch anything,” Ryna says, as I look around. After dad died, I moved into the pack house because I couldn’t bear the thought of living in our home without him. I head over to my desk and pick up the photo of me and Dad that was taken a week before he died, and I hug it to my chest. “Thanks, Ry,” I say with a small smile. “I’m going to head over to the house and get ready for th