i f38de1664e17c992 (26 page)

What used to be a three inch by three inch bag was now a ten inch by ten inch bag. I smiled and tossed it to Ares. “I think we have enough for a while.”

He opened the two bags and smiled. “Darren didn’t like banks did he?”

I shook my head. “Not one bit.”

Koda frowned. “What’s in the bags?” Ares tossed him one and Koda’s eyes lit up.

“Damn, that’s a lot of money.”

I stood up then frowned at my hands. A couple of pieces of the boards were sticking out

of my hand and it was bleeding. Ares rushed over to me and tossed the other bag of money to Koda. He picked my hand up gently and sighed. “This is why you don’t punch wood.”

“Thanks for telling me now.” I said through gritted teeth. He started to pull a piece of

wood out of my hand and I groaned. “Ow. Ow. OW.”

He sighed. “You’re going to have to let me pull these out.”

I gritted my teeth. “Fine, but do it fast.”

Koda laughed. “That’s what he’s best at.”

I turned to him and wanted to ask what he meant, but Ares snarled. “Shush. Let’s get this over with so she can eat.” He smiled at me and then kissed my lips softly. Fire exploded on my lips and I stared into his blue eyes.
Maybe being tied down to him wouldn’t be so bad. I mean,
man is he gorgeous
. He kissed my cheek, then dropped my hand. “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”

I frowned and looked down at my hand. All of the pieces of wood were out and the

wounds were already healing. “Wow.”

Koda snorted. “She’s easily impressed.”

I shook my head. “I’ve never really been injured so I never knew we could heal so fast.”

“There are downsides to that.” Koda said.

“Like what?” I asked curiously.

He smiled. “Healing too fast and having to cut out the pieces of wood.”

I cringed. “Ow.”

Koda nodded his head. “Definitely.”

Ares asked, “Are we ready to go eat?”

I looked at him wearing Darren’s jeans and t-shirt and smiled, “Almost. I need to pack

some stuff.” I took the money bags from Koda and walked to my bedroom finding one of my

backpacks. I shoved clothes and hygiene products into it, slung it on my back and then walked out to the porch where the three men were talking quietly. I started to walk down the steps when Ares cleared his throat. I stopped and turned around. “Yes?”

He sighed. “Don’t laugh, but can I hold your hand?”

I stared at him in shock for a second, then looked at Victor’s face. He tilted his head to the side and I smiled at Ares. “Sure.” I held my hand out towards him and he gave me his perfect smile again.

He interlaced our fingers and we walked through town toward the pub. It felt good to be

holding his hand. No it felt, perfect. He picked our hands up and kissed the back of my hand quickly. “Thank you.”

I rubbed my face against his shoulder and sighed in contentment. “No problem.”

The pub was slow as usual so we got a seat right away. I looked around for Darcy, but a

new waitress I had never seen before, walked over to our table. The instant Ares saw her, his entire body tensed. She smiled and spoke with a thick southern drawl. “How y’all doin? What type of drinks can I start ya’ off with?”

I smiled. “You’re new here. I’m Artemis.”

She laughed. “Oh, I know who you are honey. I’m Sally.”

I frowned. “You know who I am?”

She nodded her head and tilted her head towards the bartender. “He talks a lot about you

and yer dad.”

I smiled. “Oh. Well I’ll have a soda.” The men stared in frozen shock at her. I frowned.

“What do you guys want?”

Ares shook his head. “It’s time to leave.”

I frowned. “Why?” I looked more closely at the waitress and didn’t see anything out of

the ordinary except that she was very attractive. I shrugged. “Guess we aren’t eating here.”

I started to stand up and she frowned. “Why her? Why not me?”

I stared at her in shock and Ares sighed. “Sally, she’s my
passt genau
.”

Sally’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “I don’t believe you. You’re just with her

because she’s younger. I’m not that old.” She lowered her voice. “I’m only a hundred. You know that’s young and you know I’m better.”

Ares shook his head. “Sally, it wouldn’t have worked between us even if I didn’t find

Artemis.”

Sally snarled. “Let me kill her and prove I’m better.”

Ares anger exploded from his body and his authority as beta beat against me like a wave

of fire. He pushed me gently out of the booth and Koda grabbed me wrapping his arms around my body. The instant Koda touched me Ares’ anger and authority stopped pressing against me.

Ares spoke slowly, “Sally. She is my
passt genau
. You know the rules about that. If you kill her it’s an automatic death sentence. What would you gain?”

She smiled. “It’s not a death sentence if she agrees to the fight.”

Ares arms flexed and she fell to her knees. “You will not speak of fighting or killing

Artemis again. If you do, I will let the King judge you for attempted assassination.”

She whimpered. “I just want to be yours.”

Ares temper faded and the pressure released as he squatted down and looked into her

eyes, “You can find many others that would willingly be with you. I’m sorry, but I’m taken.”

Ares stood up and reached out for me. Koda released his hold on me and I walked quickly to Ares. He led me past the weeping waitress and outside.

We were almost to the SUV’s when she burst out of the pub. “No! No I won’t let her win.

She’s only a pup and not fit to be your mate.”

I stared at the furious woman and could see the bloodlust in her eyes. Ares started to let go of my hand and I grabbed his bicep. “Please. Please don’t kill her.”

Ares frowned. “She wants to kill you.”

I shook my head. “Being shunned for another woman younger than you, is defeat enough.

Let’s just leave. Order her as beta to go to the nearest wolf town and stay there.”

He stared at me in shock. “You want to spare her life, even though she’s admitted that

she wants to kill you?”

I nodded my head. “It’s not worth it. Please Ares.”

He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Alright Artemis.” He kissed my cheek and walked

towards Sally who was staring at me with a look of utter hatred. I turned to face Matt and he put his arm around my shoulders. Ares picked my hand up and whispered, “It’s done.”

I turned to see Sally stand up and give Ares one last pain filled look, and me, a look of contempt before running into the forest. “Thank you.” I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. We started walking again and I couldn’t get the look of pain she had had out of my brain.
How many
women would I have to deal with?
I stopped Ares. “How many women have you been with?”

He frowned. “What?”

I sighed. “How many Ares? How many women am I going to have to deal with that are

like Sally?”

He sighed. “I’m not sure.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and fought the tears away.
How can you not know for
sure?
“More than fifty?” He nodded his head. I asked, “more than a hundred?”

He groaned. “I’m not sure.”

Tears started to leak out and I wiped them quickly. “At least I know.” I walked away

from him as quickly as I could towards the SUV’s. My stomach growled loudly and I scolded it,

“We’ll eat soon enough, just wait.”

Ares spoke from beside me. “I didn’t know I was going to have a match until you were

born.”

“I’m sure that stopped you.” I said angrily.

He grabbed my arms and turned me towards him. I looked to my right avoiding making

eye contact with him. He whispered, “Artemis. Artemis look at me.” I turned my face and looked at him with the best frown I could muster. “I’ve been alive a long time and only when you were born, did I know that you might be my match. It wasn’t even a positive thing then either. Once I felt you, I couldn’t be with another woman again.”

I frowned. “What do you mean felt me?”

He smiled. “The instant you were born my heart no longer looked at women. It was like

they stopped being female and were just another wolf. I didn’t know what was happening, until I talked with Darius.”

I looked at Koda. “Is he telling the truth?”

Koda nodded his head. “He wouldn’t even go to strip clubs with me.”

Matt sighed. “We left Germany for America so he could get away from the females he

had been with.”

I frowned. “So they think you’ve deserted them for eighteen years, but are hoping that

you will come back, and then they can start up with you again?”

Ares nodded his head. “I’m afraid so. If I had been positive about you, I would have told them the reason, but at the time, it was easier to just leave. Women can be very aggressive when they think you’re choosing another over them.”

I shrugged. “I guess I understand.” I walked to one of the SUV’s and climbed into the

middle seat. I kept looking out the side window not wanting to talk to Ares anymore. I knew it wasn’t his fault, but it didn’t hurt any less to know that he had been with so many women. We drove in silence through the smaller towns until we reached a drive thru window.

Ares asked, “What do you want?”

I sighed. “Don’t laugh. Five cheeseburgers extra ketchup and a large chocolate shake.”

Ares smiled. “Why would I laugh?”

Victor ordered food for everyone and Ares handed him money from my bag. Koda poked

my arm from the back seat. I turned around and he smiled. “How are you doing?”

I looked from Ares to him and shrugged. “Fine.”

Koda sighed. “Come on. We’re pack now.”

I frowned. “Pack?”

Ares nodded his head. “Koda, Matt and I are a pack. And now that you are my mate you

are part of our pack.”

I stared at them in shock. “You only have one female in your pack and that’s only

because it’s me?”

Ares shrugged. “Matt and Koda haven’t found mates yet.”

Matt snorted. “Not looking either.”

I frowned. “Isn’t it like a natural instinct to find a mate?”

Matt shrugged. “You can fight your natural instincts. I don’t feel like being with a crazy female just because my
instinct
says I should.”

Victor tossed back the bags of food then handed Ares the drinks. I grabbed my burgers

and shake and dug in no longer wanting to engage in conversation. Victor continued driving and after I was done eating, my eyelids started to droop. Ares put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him pushing my head against his shoulder, “You need to rest.”

I shook my head. “All I do is sleep or eat.”

He kissed my forehead. “Your body is adjusting. It needs time to rest and recuperate.”

I looked down at the wolf burn on my hand. “How come this hasn’t gone away?”

Ares rubbed the small burn on my palm, then picked it up and kissed it, making the spot

tingle. “Silver permanently scars us.”

I groaned. “Great.” I closed my eyes as I leaned against Ares. He hugged my shoulders

and rubbed his chin against my forehead.

We drove with the radio on for a few hours and then Victor groaned, “Traffic.”

I looked up and saw the line winding into the airport. “Where are we going?”

Victor turned around and smiled. “France.”

I gasped and turned to Ares. “France?! Do we get to visit the Eiffel Tower?”

Ares laughed. “Sure.” My wolf seemed to wake inside me and stretched. I gasped and

Ares inhaled loudly. “She wants to hunt.”

I stared at him in shock. “How’d you know?”

He smiled. “I could feel her and smell her.”

I frowned. “But I can’t even tell what she wants. She just woke up and stretched.”

Matt laughed. “They never wake up unless they want something.”

I looked at Ares. “Is she another personality?”

He shook his head. “No, she is you with some different instincts. She’s a more primitive

version of you. Of course you still think, but sometimes her instincts will take over. Which is why you need a strong alpha nearby to help you.”

I smiled. “Which is why it’s good to have you?”

He kissed my cheek. “Yes.”

Victor finally pulled up to the front of the airport and we all climbed out. Koda took my bag from me and we walked toward the counter. Ares held my hand and, even in the crowd of people I felt completely safe. The woman at the counter asked for our ID’s. Victor handed her ID’s and then waved his fingers. Her face went slack then she smiled and handed him our tickets.

Ares pulled me towards the gate and when we were far enough away whispered, “Vampire

powers come in handy with humans quite often.”

Victor handed me my ID and plane ticket. I stared at my ID in shock. “Artemis Lupine?

Lupine isn’t my last name.” I said.

Ares smiled. “Lupine is my last name.”

“Oh.” I said in shock. He was already making changes that married couples make. I

couldn’t say my name with his last name though. It didn’t seem right yet.

I looked at the plane tickets and my hands started to sweat. Ares frowned. “What’s

wrong?”

I licked my lips nervously. “I…I’ve never been on a plane and well…”

Koda laughed loudly. “She’s scared!”

I growled at him and my wolf snarled inside me. Koda’s eyes flicked with golden specks

and he growled back. Ares grabbed both of our arms and his power hit me like a tidal wave of hot water. “Enough.”

I kept my gaze even with Koda’s ignoring Ares as best as I could. Ares snapped his teeth

at me and my wolf disappeared, leaving me weak. I started to fall forward and Ares put his arm around my waist holding me up. I whimpered, “I…”

Ares shook his head and I looked up to see the golden tint to his eyes. “Be quiet.”

Ares handed our tickets to the stewardess who smiled at me. “First flight?” I nodded my

head and she waved. “Have fun.”