JAXON POVI’ve been trying to reach Art for a while now via mind link, but she has blocked me out. I know what happened between her and Ale was really upsetting, and it caught all of us off guard, but I get why she did it. I just want to show her that I’m here for her and that I understand her.‘That’s not what you said in there dumb nut,’ says Ares.“She caught me off guard with her confession, what d o you want me to say. I’m trying to apologize to her.’‘Next time, let me handle things, let me be the one that talks to her. You seem to be messing things up,’ he scoffs and walks away.Damn stubborn wolf.I decide to go to the bar out back and grab a drink and wait till she is ready to talk, I’m sure she wants to be alone right now. When I step out the air is brisk and chilly, I don’t mind it, it feels like home. The fire pit in the lounging couches near the bar is on and on it is Aidan having a drink.“Hey,” I say and pat his shoulder as I passed him on my way to the bar. “What’s wit
ARTEMIS POVToday everyone is heading out, earlier I met with my father, brother, and my team minus one Ale, to decide the order in which my pack visits will occur in. Since we are closest to the east coast of the country, it makes the most sense if we start there from south to North. First stop is Miami, to visit with alpha Velasquez from the Sun’s peak Pack. I am really interested in the guy; no, but I think its only fair I give him a real chance since Jaxon kind of ruined my date with him. After I will be going to New Orleans to visit Gunner and the Moonshine Pack, followed by Donovan in New York, now this one I’m really looking forward to. After that, I will be going to Chicago to Draken’s dark forest pack. I will then make my way west where I will be visiting Set at the Crimson’s pack in Arizona, Ares at the Ocean’s Howl pack, followed by Jaxon at the Shadow Moon Pack, and then finally Ethan back home at the island.We will then reconvene, and I will have to decide. Terrifying! T
ARTEMIS POV Ale’s eyes grew big with my simple reply. “What do you mean you know?” she asks. “Well other than the fact that your scents have merged, I also felt when it snapped into place last night.” She looked at me horrified. I grab hold of her hands, “I happy for you Ale. You deserve him and all the love he feels for you. Your future is bright and full of happiness.” Her eye rimmed with unshed tears, “I haven’t spoken to you in 24 hours, and you can now see the future? What the fuck!” Everyone started laughing. “You felt everything we did?” she asks, her face red like a tomato. “Serves you right for keeping secrets,” she says and looks away. “If you mut know, no I did not feel everything, thank the Gods. But I did feel the euphoria, clarity, and serenity that came when the bond was sealed. And it will be the same for everyone going forward. A little gift that comes with being the moon goddess’s daughter.” “Fuck!” Claimed Roger. “Shit.” Liam. “That sucks,” says Cass. “I
ARTEMIS POVJax and I were on the phone till late last night, we talked about anything and everything, and I felt my bond to him growing. Today, I have a huge project to present to a client for my company and then I’m excited at the prosper of seeing Donovan. He texted early morning sending me the location for our dinner. I got to New York early this morning, Kane and Liam are with me, I need them to help me dig into all the alphas. I need to be ready prior to entering their territory, I don’t want to be caught off guard, and I know if here is anything out there these guys will find it. The rest of the week will be intense, I have to pack, ensure that the island will be taken cared of while I’m gone, and in order for me to do that I will have to enlist the help of Aunt Hecate. She’s been helping me learn protection spells, but she says I can also learn to weave them. I need to make sure the island is protected from Hades, the people that live in the island are my responsibility, and I
ARTEMIS POV“I don’t blame you,” he replies. “My parents told me they were warned in a dream that I would be a special wolf, and that I would recognize my purpose when the time was right. So, we hid my powers from the council, and from everyone that posed a threat. My parents taught me from an early age how to hide my inkling for the sun. And I have kept true to their wishes. Well, that was until I saw you last week and I felt my pull towards you and the way my power swelled just by being in your proximity. I knew then, Donnie wasn’t mad, and that you were the person and the sign I have been waiting for all along.”We were so immersed in our conversation that when the chef announced the menu for the night, we were both startled. “In tonight’s menu we have tuna tartar in a miso soy glaze, followed by a fennel Frise salad, and filet mignon with roasted potatoes and creamed spinach.”Neither of us paid much attention to what he said, we were lost in each other’s eyes. Donovan was giving
ARTEMIS POVThe next few days flew by. With so much to get done prior to our departure my focus was solemnly on getting ready for what’s to come and ensuring the island would continue to run smoothly without most of my team. I had texted with both Jax and Donovan, but just briefly. Tonight, I’m supposed to join him for dinner and bring Ale back with me.“Ahem, no you won’t be going there.”“Mom? Why not?”“Because you are showing preference, and the fates are not liking it. Darling you can have your preferences, but you cannot make them so obvious. Your aunts a quite tricky, and you can tilt the scales in a manner that you won’t like. With them is act first consequences be damned, you have to be the opposite. Think first, plan, educate yourself, then act.”“Crap, I did something similar with Donovan.”“That was different.”“How so? I was in his territory, in his space, in his home.”“Donovan had essential information that you needed to know, Jaxon doesn’t have that for you, not yet.”
ARTEMIS POV I kept trying to reach out to him, but the darkness emanating out of his aura was dense, and it prevented me from reaching him. ‘Try Ares,’ suggest Selena. ‘If we can’t reach Jaxon then perhaps, we can reach out to Ares.’ She’s right, it won’t hurt to try. And so, we concentrated on Ares on our connection, on my memories with him and everything good that we have with him. The more we focused on the wood the more progress we made through the fog, the darkness becoming less and less dense our path for the first time in what felt like hours was finally clearing. What was once a wall of darkness was now a mist, with a very tiny flame at the end; and there he was Ares. Lost in his own consciousness his eyes black like this place, a place that lives in his own mind. “Ares? Ares can you hear me? I asked. I went to reach out and touch him, when I feel resistance from Selena, ‘no art, I don’t think that’s Ares.’ ‘I know its him. We have to snap him out of this trance. Gods kn
ARTEMIS POV“What brings about your Lycan form?”“I don’t know how to explain it, when the darkness pulls on my essence, I go into a place that I’m forced to be my truest, strongest self.”“That place where I found you earlier?” He nods.“The shadow realm. I was tasked by your mother to keep the doors sealed shut, to prevent Hades from releasing his hell on our world sooner than the Gods have planned for it.”“Does he know? “He shakes his gigantic head. “No Jaxon isn’t aware of what happens when I go there. I hid it from him. I lock him away, I’m protecting him.”“I don’t think you are.” He turned, looking at me with worry on his face. “I wouldn’t have survived that place without Selena by my side.” I sense her nodding in my head in agreement. “You need Jaxon when you go back there Ares. Your human is your anchor. As my wolf is mine.”He is pensive and quiet for a moment, then nods, “perhaps.”“Where is he now? Still locked away?”“Yes, once I get off the mountain and away from the de