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Bret appeared in front of us out of nowhere and stared at my face. "What happened?"

I tried to frown, but suddenly couldn't move. I gasped for air and stared at Bret's worried face. Koda looked down and growled, "Shit!" He set me down on the floor on my back and ripped open my shirt.

I tried to protest, but couldn't do anything. Bret held down my arms, although

unnecessarily, and whispered, "This is going to hurt."

I tried to look down at what was happening, but my entire body was numb. Koda inhaled

then I felt something rip out of my chest. I screamed in pain and then couldn't breathe again. I gasped for air and started to flail, but a short man with glasses squatted down beside me and spoke in a soothing tone. I stopped flailing and sat still as I felt him poking below my chest. He pushed down on one spot and I cringed, but still couldn't get any air. A sharp snap startled me, then I inhaled and air rushed down my throat and filled up my lungs. I breathed in deep and held the air in for a second as my throat burned from the oxygen it finally received.

Bret stroked the side of my face as I relearned how to breathe. Koda's face appeared

above mine. He asked, "Are you doing alright?"

I whispered, "Better now. What happened?"

His face was guarded as he tried to hide his true emotions from me. "A piece of wood pierced your lung."

I stared at him in shock. "How am I breathing then?"

He smiled. "You aren't human, Artemis. We heal a lot faster than humans.”

"Well I guess it's a good thing I'm not human then. Ares would be really mad at you."

Koda groaned. "Don't remind me. He's already going to be pissed that I let you get hurt at all."

I sat up and saw the children huddled in the back corner with two large wolves standing

in front of them. I looked up at Koda. "What's going on?"

His lips twitched as he snarled. "Ogres are attacking the village. That's why you got scared, because you could smell them. Stupid creatures. Come on, we have to get you out of the village."

Large explosions and screams sounded outside of the warehouse. I stared at the children

and shook my head. "Not if the children are staying here."

Koda groaned and bent down so that our cheeks were touching as he whispered in my

ear, "They are not as important as you. We can make more children, but we cannot replace you."

I gasped and pulled away from him. "That's horrible! I won't leave."

Koda snarled and reached down to grab me, but Bret pulled me backwards and crouched

down in front of me in an attack stance. Koda shook his head. "Back off Bret. I'm not going to hurt her. I just want to take her to safety."

"She doesn't want to leave," Bret said with clenched fists.

Koda growled, his eyes turning solid black. "Do you want her to die Bret?"

Bret slowly stood up and sighed. "No."

Koda nodded his head. "Neither do I. Now come on and help me protect her while we

leave the village." The sounds of fighting continued outside as they talked.

Bret turned towards me and I jumped up and backwards out of his reach. "No. I'm staying here. Someone has to protect these children."

Koda motioned at the wolves and children. "There are two guards in front of them

already."

I shook my head fiercely. "What if that's not enough? If I leave and then find out later that these kids were killed I won't ever be able to forgive myself."

Koda smiled, his eyes back to his natural blue. "You said you wouldn't forgive Ares for turning Bret, but you seem to be getting along just fine."

I snarled. "Only because Bret is okay with being a werewolf."

Bret laughed. "Okay? I'm ecstatic! These new abilities are wonderful!"

"Anyway, it's not fair to compare that to the current situation. It's almost impossible for me to harbor hard feelings for Ares. It's so frustrating!"

Koda nodded his head and I realized that he and Bret had moved closer to me while I was

ranting. I started to jump backwards, but Koda grabbed my arm and held me against him. I

struggled as hard as I could, but he held on to me. He picked me up in his arms and looked back over his shoulder. "You coming Bret?"

"No, I'm going to stay here to help guard the kids," Bret answered.

I leaned over the top of Koda's shoulder to look at Bret. He smiled at me and I shook my

head. "Bret, you don't have to. You can come with us." A loud explosion made me jump in Koda's arms.

He shook his head. "Koda can protect you. I'll help the kids."

"Thanks Bret."

He nodded his head and pushed Koda. "No problem Chicky. I'll see you soon."

My throat was dry and it was becoming difficult to get words out. "Alright."

Koda whispered, "Now tuck into as small a ball as possible against me and hold on." I wrapped my arms around his neck and did as he asked. He wrapped his arms around me and ran out of the warehouse through the door Bret held open.

I gasped at what I saw as we came out. All of the houses were on fire and bodies littered the ground. Most were thankfully ogres, but there were some werewolves. Koda pushed my face down and started running as fast as he could. I felt the air whipping around us and knew we were going much faster than humanly possible. The sound of fighting and screams slowly died away until the only sound I heard was the beating of Koda's heart. His heartbeat did not speed up as he ran, but stayed a constant steady thrum. I felt my eyes beginning to close and shook my head, but it wasn't enough. Slowly sleep won and I slept without dreaming.

~~~~

I opened my eyes slowly and found myself lying on top of Koda in a parallel line with him, with my head on his chest and the rest of our body parts lining up. I lifted my head up slowly and looked around. We were lying in the middle of a forest in the dark of night. The forest was too dense to be able to see any stars as I looked up. Koda whispered, "The ground is really hard and this was the only way I could think to keep you comfortable."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, but you really didn't have to do that. It's not fair that you are uncomfortable."

He shrugged. "I'm fine. I'm used to sleeping on the hard ground. Although it would have been better in wolf form, but I didn't want to scare you."

I laughed at the image. "That would have been interesting. Would you like me to get off you now?"

He smiled at me seductively. "Only if you want. I'm pretty happy." I smiled back at him, unsure what he meant until I felt him flexing under my lower body.

I hopped up off of him and turned away as the blush spread over my entire face. Koda

laughed. "Wow. I didn't expect that reaction out of you. Hasn't that ever happened with Bret before?"

I groaned and stayed facing away from him. "Yes it has, but you aren't Bret. You're Koda and I barely know you."

Koda sighed. "Well you better get to know me fast because we are going to be spending the rest of our lives together."

I turned around and stared at him. "What do you mean by that? Did something happen to Ares?"

He smiled. "Calm down. Nothing happened to him. I just mean that I am Ares' pack and guard and I'm guessing yours too and that I will be alive hopefully as long as you, which is going to be hundreds of years."

I stared into his blue eyes and whispered, "Are you only protecting me because you are afraid of Ares' discipline?"

He stared back into my eyes and whispered, "No. I'm protecting you because I can see what you will become' and I have spent time with you and I couldn't bear the thought of you being hurt or...or dying. I fear it would tear me apart as much as it would Ares."

He sat up, pulled me down so that I was now sifting in his lap with my legs around his

sides and stroked the side of my face softly. "I promise to protect you from whatever tries to cause you harm, whether it be another person or even Ares."

I nodded my head unable to speak. He leaned forward and kissed my lips. I felt a spark

flare up in the core of my body, but ignored it, suddenly overwhelmed with a strange sensation. I kissed Koda back, forcing his mouth open with my teeth. He groaned in pleasure and wrapped his arms around me, pressing us together as he kissed me back. He leaned forward making me lie backwards on to the ground and pressed himself against me. I moaned and bit his lip playfully. I pulled back from him and lay on the ground catching my breath. He smiled back for a second and then turned his head to the side. He started to stand up, but was suddenly flying through the air with a wolf on his back. I started to go after them, but Matt grabbed my arm. "Love, you better just wait here."

I shook my head as I realized Ares had tackled Koda. "No, Ares might hurt him and it wasn't his fault. Someone is messing with our emotions, I can feel it." I pulled away from him and ran through the forest after them. I yelled, "ARES ! ! ! Please stop. It's not his fault.

Someone is messing with our emotions!"

I heard snarling and ran toward the sound and found Ares snarling over Koda who was

lying in human form on his back with his hands to his sides. I ran up and reached toward Ares, but he turned to me and snapped his teeth. I stopped walking and stared at him. "Would you really hurt me, Ares?"

Ares' wolf face softened and he walked backwards off of Koda. I whispered, "Someone is manipulating our emotions Ares. I can feel it."

He changed back to human and stood perfect and naked in front of me. I licked my lips

and fought to keep my eyes above his chest. He snarled. "Why were you kissing him?"

"I just told you that someone is manipulating our emotions and I'm not lying. I swear Ares that I would not have kissed him under my own mind."

"Thanks. I guess I'm just chop liver," Koda said playfully.

Ares growled. "Don't push me Koda!"

I laid my hand on Ares' arm and whispered, "I'm sorry I kissed him. I promise it won't happen again."

Ares turned to me and for the first time I saw the pain in his eyes. "Don't promise

something you can't keep."

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his upper body. "I promise Ares. I am

sorry that I lost control."

He sighed and hugged me back. "It's alright. I know you're telling the truth. Matt, go find who has been manipulating them."

Matt ran off into the woods without a word. Koda stood up and walked toward Ares. He

dropped to his knees and said, "Please forgive me Prince Ares. I did not know what I was doing and I swear it will not happen again. I will work to gain more control over myself."

Ares spoke in a stern voice, "You are forgiven. Stand."

Koda stood up and smiled. "Thank you."

Ares looked down at me and smiled. "And of course I wouldn't hurt you. I was just upset at finding you eating each others mouths."

I cringed. "I already apologized and you don't have to rub it in."

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

"Of course I am. I mean we had a little issue, but..."

Ares interrupted me. "What issue?"

Koda groaned. "You couldn't have waited Artemis? I mean shit, I just got his forgiveness and now you are throwing me under the bus again."

"Sorry," I said sympathetically.

Ares spoke through gritted teeth, "Someone better tell me what happened."

Koda dropped to the ground on his hands and knees in front of Ares and said, "I failed you my Prince. When the ogre smashed through the wall I was not fast enough to turn away. A piece of wood pierced her lung, collapsing it."

Ares looked down at my body just below my bra and traced the scar with his fingertip

making me shiver. I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I didn't have a shirt on. "It's alright Koda. You got her out of the village as quick as you could and that was the best thing to do."

I gasped. "Oh my God. Bret and the children are they okay?"

Ares nodded his head. "Bret was actually very helpful in protecting the children. They are all calling him their protector. I don't think he is going to be leaving with us."

I smiled, but felt a twinge of sadness at the news. "That's great." I turned away from Ares and started walking through the trees.

He grabbed my arm and stopped me. "I'm sorry he won't be coming with us."

I shrugged. "'S alright. It's better for him this way."

Koda stood beside us. “When did you get that tattoo?”

Ares glared at Koda. “How have you seen it when I haven’t yet? Is that something else

you did before I came?”

I could see the anger building in Ares and sighed. “You just didn’t pay attention to where it was or you would have seen it already too.”

Ares’ frown evened out and a twinkle of intrigue returned to his eyes. “Can I see it?”

I shrugged and turned my back to him. He traced his fingertip across the snarling wolf

head in the center of my lower back. Ares asked, “When did you get this?”

“Two years ago.”

“Did your father see it?”

I shook my head emphatically. “No, he would have killed me for getting a tattoo.”

Ares smiled. “It’s actually very nice.”

I blushed. “Thanks.”

Koda shook his head. “I can’t believe your father never said anything to you even though

you had such a fascination with wolves.”

I shrugged. “My fascination with wolves was normal compared to other girls’

fascinations with horses or whatever other animal.”

"I think we should find some clothes before we leave," Ares said quietly. I realized I was staring at Ares’ lower body and blushed looking away from him. He hugged me tightly, "I love that you blush. I hope you always do it."

"I don't."

Matt ran back through the trees and frowned. "I couldn't find anyone."

I sighed. "Great. Well let's get back. I'm still hungry."

"Sorry about that. Those damn ogres attacked without warning. Lucky that you got scared in time for me to change," Ares said.

I remembered Maurice and Victor and asked, "Are Victor and Maurice alright?"

Ares nodded his head. "Maurice managed to get to cover before the sun got him. Both