Taming Darkness: Artemis Lupine #4 (13 page)

ARTEMIS

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I switched forms while I slept and when I woke I was still in my wolf form, lying on the grass. Ares and Koda were still fighting which astonished me and angered me at the same time. I wanted to march out there and slap some sense into them, but I knew I could not interfere with the challenge and had to let them finish. One of the Sidhe servants brought me out a plate of meat and set it down a few feet from me.

“Anything else, Princess?” she asked softly.

I shook my head and waited until she was gone before eating every last piece of meat and licking my paws and snout clean to get any pieces left. The baby was making me very hungry and I was having a lot of cravings for sugar and meat, although those cravings were not altogether abnormal for me.

Ares and Koda separated to catch their breaths and Ares finally noticed me. I locked eyes with him a moment and then turned my head away to show my disapproval.

“Artemis,” he whispered, “Are you alright?”

I turned around, flicking my tail at him and let him look at my butt as I
lay down again with my head between my paws.

I can still communicate with you, even if you want to show me your cute butt.

I sighed, really hating werewolf telepathy.
Hurry up and finish your fight. I am going to fight Maurice tomorrow.

“What?!” he asked loudly, out loud
instead of telepathically.

“What’s wrong?” Koda asked.

“She said she is going to fight Maurice tomorrow,” Ares said.

“Then I will stop toying with you and end this,” Koda said angrily. I felt the impact as he slammed into Ares and cringed, thankful that he could not see me
wince at the impact.

I turned around and watched, shocked that their fighting intensified despite this fight having lasted multiple days and without any food.
Was I that strong? Could I handle a fight like that?

Of course you could,
Ares said. He ducked underneath Koda’s punch and caught Koda with a sidekick as he darted away.

I growled.
Focus on your fight.

Our pack had slowly moved closer and closer to me, subconsciously yearning for the nearness of their
Alpha female while their Alpha male was engaged in a fight they could not help him with. I stretched out and pretended to doze in the warmth of the sun and they all moved ten feet closer to me, the fear of Ares’ the only thing keeping them so far from me as it was. Apollo was among them, but he was the furthest from me, which was smart.

“I submit!” Ares yelled.

I sat upright and growled. What had happened? Why did he submit?

Koda stood over Ares, his claws too close to Ares’ throat. “You never could figure out how to counter that attack,” Koda said. He plopped to the ground beside Ares and groaned.

“Sneaky,” Ares said. He stood up and cleared his throat, “By submission I announce the new Alpha of the Werewolves, Koda.”

The pack cheered, everyone except Ares, Koda and me. Ares walked to me and I could see the stiffness in his body and the weariness in his movements. “Let’s go to our room,” he said.

I stood up and touched my nose to his hand and then teleported us into our room. He collapsed on the bed and sighed. “Thank you. I do not think I could have made it to our room if I had had to walk all the way.”

I shifted and
then laughed at him. “Of course you could have. You would not have let the others see such a weakness.”

“Are you upset?” he asked me.

I weighed my answer. “I am not sure how to answer your question. Can you be more specific?”

“Are you upset that I submitted?” he asked.

I shook my head and sat on the bed beside him, resting my hand on my handsome mate’s face. “No. In fact it feels good knowing that we do not have to rule the werewolves and that the pack is in such good hands.”

“
You know I submitted on purpose, right?”

I laughed. “Of course I do. You would not be so easily defeated.”

He smiled. “Let’s not tell Koda, alright? It’s best if he and the rest of the world believe that Koda is the rightful Alpha. I am weary of trying to wrangle you and a thousand werewolves at the same time.”

I kissed his cheek and then wrinkled my nose in disgust. “You need a shower.”

He rolled on his back, grabbed me and pulled me down onto my side with my head on his chest. “All I need is you.”

I put his hand on my stomach and whispered, “He wants out
soon.”

“He?” Ares asked.

I nodded my head and smiled. “I suppose that means we should give him a name.”

“So, what shall we name him?” Ares asked.

“You can think of names
after
you shower,” I said, sitting up and pushing his side.

“Fine,” he said, dashing to the bathroom and returning one minute later smelling like roses. “
Sotare.”

“What?” I asked since I had not been paying attention.

He sat down on the bed beside me and spoke in a soft voice as he ran his fingers through my hair. “I would like to name him Sotare.”

“
Sotare,” I repeated, letting the name roll of my tongue so I could try it out. I nodded my head. “I like it.”

Ares smiled. “That was easier than I
thought.”

“I’m not
always
difficult,” I said defensively.

“O
nly ninety percent of the time,” he teased me and then kissed my temple.

Dizziness overwhelmed me so I gracefully fell onto my side, thankful I was already sitting on the bed. “Artemis?” Ares asked, concerned at the sudden movement.

“Dizzy,” I whispered.

“I’ll call Kod…” Ares stopped and laughed. “I guess I can’t summon Koda anymore. I’ll go get Selene.”

I grabbed his hand before he could stand up. “No, don’t leave. It’ll pass in a moment.” The baby started kicking and I groaned at the fierce kicks. “Nevermind, get her.”

He rested his hand
on my stomach, lowered his face until his lips were pressed against my skin and growled, “Calm down, pup.”

Surprisingly he listened and the kicking stopped. “You’re amazing,” I whispered in awe. 

“Let’s hope this still works when he is a teenager,” Ares said with a laugh.

“What age do you consider a preternatural a teenager?” I asked him curiously. “Humans consider thirteen to nineteen a teenager, but that’s not really a teenager for a preternatural.”

Ares said, “Trust me you will know when he is in the teenage years. When he starts rebelling it will be obvious.”

“Let’s hope he does not tear down an entire civilization during his teenage years like his father,” Zeus said as he entered the room.

Ares sighed. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

Zeus frowned at him. “You obliterated an entire civilization. That is not something to easily forget.”

“Who are you talking about?” I asked curiously.

Zeus threw his hands up into the air and said, “That’s the point! No one even remembers them.”

“I was young and angry and stupid,” Ares said, “And I will not let my son get so out of control.”

“Good luck,” Zeus said.

Selene entered the room and asked, “Are you ready, Ares? We should begin the spell to remove Death’s sickness as soon as possible.”

“I need meat and about an hour of sleep and then I will be ready,” Ares said.

One of Zeus’ servants walked in with a tray piled high with steaks and set it on the table before quickly leaving. It always interested me how Zeus’ servants were so frightened of Ares. Had they seen him at his worst and that was why they were so frightened?

Ares sat at the table and ate his food in silence. I
closed my eyes and then smelled and heard Selene walk over to me. “Are you feeling alright?” she asked.

“I got dizzy for a minute and then
Sotare began kicking and hurting me, but Ares made him calm down.”

“
Sotare? Him?” Selene asked. “How do you know?”

“I sort of let it slip,” Victor said, materializing beside Ares.
He looked down at Ares and said, “So, you passed the reins on to your brother?”

“He beat me,” Ares said with a shrug. Victor was silent a moment so I knew Ares was telling him about keeping the fact that he had let him win a secret. Ares resumed eating his steaks and I closed my eyes to rest.

Selene whispered a spell so softly even I could not hear it and then the baby kicked. “Ow,” I said, “Don’t get him riled up again.”

She smiled and said, “I will try to keep him calm while I check him out.”  She resumed running her hands along my stomach and then said, “Well he or she, is in good health, but strangely has grown exponentially. You are right that you could go into labor any time now.”

“Okay, everyone out so I can take a nap,” Ares said, “If I don’t get some sleep no one is going to like being around me.” I started to get up and he shook his head at me. “Not you. You are staying right here with me.”

Zeus and Victor left whispering conspiratorially to each other and Selene stopped at the door. “I’ll be back in two hours to get you for the spell.”

Ares nodded his head and laid down on the bed beside me. He scooted over and draped his arm across my waist, below my bulging belly. “I’m surprised that he grew so quickly without hurting you, but I’m glad too.”

“Let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth,” I said. “Honestly I don’t even know when it happened. I know that while I was searching for Blu with Victor I felt heavier, but I thought it had something to do with the sickness Death gave you.”

“I can’t wait to hold him,” Ares whispered.

“Will he come out in
human form?” I asked.

He nodded his head and kissed my cheek. “You know we don’t change until after we hit puberty.”

“Yes, but you and I aren’t exactly normal werewolves. Stranger things have happened.”

He kissed my cheek again and whispered, “Let’s sleep.
Soon we will not have time for naps like this.”

* * *

The nap was interrupted before I wanted it to end. Ares left with Selene to perform the spell and I was ordered to stay in bed and as far from the place of the spell as possible. Victor was left to guard me and I stayed lying on the bed despite knowing how rude it was of me. I wanted to pace and to run out to watch everything, but I could not. I hated being helpless. Food was brought to me and I sat at the little table in the room and ate it while Victor watched me with a strange expression on his face.

“What?” I finally asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m listening to Sotare,” he whispered, “I’ve never listened to a baby’s thoughts before. It’s intriguing.”

“What’s he thinking?” I asked.

“Well children in general think less with words and more with feelings, especially Sotare since he has not been outside of your womb to see anything yet. He wants to stretch but it’s too tight in your stomach.”

“He’
ll be out soon enough,” I said.

“Are you going to talk to Koda?” Victor asked me.

I grit my teeth and sat up slowly, my belly even larger now. “Eventually.”

“He challenged Ares because he injured you. He felt he was defending your honor.”

“He is an idiot. Hurting Ares only angers me.”

“He wouldn’t have hurt…”

“He was going to fight him to the death!” I screamed, interrupting him.

“He would have stopped before that,” Victor said knowingly.

“Only after I told him that I would kill him if he killed Ares,” I said adamantly. I had meant it too. Even now the thought made my blood boil.

“You shocked him when you said that,” said Victor with a shake of his head. “You broke his heart.”

“Hopefully he will go find a mate now.” It would be good for him to be on his own.

“You’ll miss him,” Victor said softly.

“Of course I will, but it’s time that Ares and I go off on our own.”

“Your mother in law is coming,” Victor whispered.

I heard her approaching footsteps and then she knocked twice on the door, not waiting for permission, she entered the room and closed the door behind her. She hurried to me and rested her hand on my round belly. “I hadn’t believed the rumors, but they are true! How could you have progressed so much so quickly? How are you?”

I smiled at her and patted her hand. “We are fine. I thought you would be with Ares.”

“He and Selene can handle the spell. Are you ready for labor?”

I dipped my head and admitted, “I’m frightened of the labor.”

She patted my hand reassuringly. “It will hurt, but you are strong and you will do fine.”

“Have you heard news about the baby’s gender and name?” I asked her. I had wanted to tell her, Zeus and Hera right away, but we had not had the time.