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Five more minutes passed and then I heard footsteps up the stairs. I frowned because they were heavier than the vampires had been originally. Could they only float when using magic? I waited tensely as someone stopped in front of my door and inhaled. I suddenly wished I was in my wolf form, but she was too scared to move. There were soft whispers, then a knock on the door. I frowned. Why would they knock on the door? A familiar male voice asked, “Artemis?

Are you in there?”

I jumped off the bed and ran for the door, throwing it open. “Victor!” I ran into his arms and hugged him. “Oh Victor you’re here.” Victor patted my back, then pushed me away. I felt something hot and wet on my face and put my hand up to feel blood. I looked at Victor and gasped. “Are you hurt?”

He shook his head. “It’s not my blood.”

I looked around. “Where is Ares?”

He smiled at me. “He is not as fast as me, but he should be here in a moment. He wanted

me to come ahead and to ensure your safety.”

I nodded my head then turned to my left to see Jean Pierre’s sad face. I reached my hand

out to him and he took it pulling me against him in a hug. “I am sorry for the pain my brother caused you
mon ami.”

I shook my head. “It is not your fault. You came to save me.”

He pulled back and I saw the tears running down his face. “I had feared the dark mistress had taken control of him, but I had not dreamed he would do something so despicable.”

I shook my head. “He did not hurt me. He was probably the only reason Andre did not

hurt me.” I frowned then. “Are they…”

Victor nodded his head. “They are dead.”

I exhaled in relief and began to shiver, thinking of what Andre had wanted to do. I heard someone come in the house and pressed myself against Victor, praying it wasn’t Isabella. Soft bone popping sounds traveled up the stairway and then loud footsteps followed. I inhaled and smiled wide. I ran from Victor’s arms towards the man I loved. I frowned at the realization and then quickly smiled again. Ares held his arms out to me, a look of relief on his face as I jumped up on him. He held me against his body and I kissed his lips. I felt his tense body and

remembered what I had done. I pushed away from him and knelt on the ground in front of him, with my head turned to the side offering my neck. I whispered, “Please forgive me. I did not go with them to betray you.”

Ares squatted down and lifted my chin up. “There is nothing to forgive. What you did

was stupid, but I did not think you betrayed me.”

I felt the tears falling down my face and asked, “You aren’t angry with me?”

He nodded his head looking very serious. “I am angry with you.” I let a few tears fall

down my face and he sighed. “But I am more happy that you are alive and that my brothers are alive, as well.”

I gasped. “Are they okay?’

Koda and Matt walked up the stairs naked and smiling. I only glanced at their lower

bodies because the nakedness was still so new to me, then ran to them. I hugged them at the same time and kissed each of their cheeks. Matt kissed my cheek back and Koda licked the tears from the side of my face he could reach. “Don’t cry, Darling.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry Koda. I know I am supposed to listen to you, but they

wanted to kill you. They didn’t even know who you were. I couldn’t let you die for me. Please forgive me.”

Matt put his hand on my cheek softly. “How could we not forgive you when you saved

us? We are in your debt it seems now.”

Koda snorted. “Don’t tell her that.”

I kissed Koda’s cheek and whispered, “Now you’ll never hear the end of it.”

Koda sighed. “At least I’ll hear it. We were so scared that you were…” Tears ran down

his face and he dropped to his knees. “Forgive us for failing you.”

Matt dropped to his knees beside Koda. “Forgive us our Prince and Princess.”

Ares walked to stand beside me and asked, “Shall we forgive them my Princess?”

I extended my hands to Koda and Matt. “There is nothing to forgive. You fought, and

there were simply too many.”

Matt shook his head. “We could have taken them.”

I shook my head. “No more. I do not forgive you for there is nothing to forgive. You did

your best at the time and that is all we can ask of you.”

Matt stood up and kissed the back of my hand before smiling. Koda shook his head and

looked up at Ares. “What of you, my alpha? Am I to be punished for this unforgivable offense?”

Ares picked my hand up and placed it against his cheek. “We have our pack mate back

unharmed. I think if she can forgive, then for this instance so can I.”

Koda stared in shock at Ares then stood up and kissed my cheek. “As Matt said, we are in

your debt.”

I smiled and kissed his cheek. “Then repay your debt by taking me away from here.”

Victor sighed. “We must find another refuge it seems. The lion’s den is too full for us to hide safely.”

We started down the stairs and Ares picked me up in his arms, cradling me against his

chest. I frowned. “Why are you carrying me?”

He laid his head against mine and said, “So that I know you are safe. I will not let you out of my sight again.”

I smiled and kissed his lips softly. “As my alpha wills it.”

He rolled his eyes. “Isn’t it supposed to be as my
king
wills it?”

I shrugged. “Alpha, king, same thing.”

We were almost to the door when Koda yelled, “Get down!”

Ares turned and squatted down so that his body was shielding me from whatever was

attacking us. I could hear a woman shouting and knew it was Isabella. I tried to get free of Ares’

arms, but he held me. “I will not lose you again.”

I stared at him in shock and for the first time saw the sadness on his face. “Ares, you have to help them.”

“Can you stay here, out of trouble?” He asked.

I nodded my head. He kissed my lips as though it were the only thing he needed to

survive, and then disappeared out of the house. I sat on the stairway stunned from the kiss. I could hear them fighting and her rage-filled screams, and then everything went silent. I ran down the stairs and stood in the open doorway, staring in shock at what I saw. Maurice stood covered in moonlight over his dead wife’s body. His dagger like fingers glistened with blood. I

swallowed as he looked up at me with eyes burning with power. He asked, “Have you been

harmed?” I shook my head. He asked, “Do you feel we have broken our treaty?” I looked at Ares and he nodded. I shook my head in response. Maurice smiled and it made me smile back at him.

“Then my job is done.” He turned and floated across the lawn, towards a limo and climbed in.

Ares rushed to me and glared at me. “You promised to stay there.”

“I promised to stay out of trouble, and when I came to the door there was no trouble,” I

said with a smile on my face.

He sighed and Koda laughed. “She’s quick.”

Ares snarled. “Don’t encourage her!”

I pressed my naked body against his and felt his body respond against me. “I think

encouragement is what we all need.”

He stared down into my eyes and then shook his head taking a step back from me so that

our bodies no longer touched. “No, not tonight. Tonight I want to just hold you, while we sleep.

To be a united pack again.”

I frowned, but nodded my head. “Alright.” I walked towards the second limo that I

figured was waiting for us, and climbed inside.

Victor climbed in after me and frowned. “You are bothered?”

I wiped at the tears building in my eyes and knew I was being stupid and irrational. “No.”

Koda climbed in next and frowned at me. “What’s wrong?”

I pressed myself against the seat and stared out the window of the car. Once the door was shut and everyone was inside, the car drove off. I could hear the others whispering quietly, but ignored them trying to console myself for the stupid feeling I was having. Ares had rejected me, but not because he was mad or didn’t want me, and yet it was still rejection. I brought my knees up, hugged them against my body, and buried my face between them. I felt a hand on me and knew it was Ares and did not look up. I stayed in my ball, as I tried to convince myself of how stupid I was being, and yet the sting of his rejection was too much after the drama I had been through. Ares tried to pick me up in his arms and it was too much.

I moved across the limo as fast as I could to sit beside Jean Pierre. Ares snarled at Jean Pierre and he shrugged. “I did nothing Ares.”

Ares asked, “Then why did she run to you?’

I hid my face behind Jean Pierre’s arm as I answered. “He is not wolf and I need a second to clear my head.”

Ares voice was short as he asked, “Why?”

I opened my mouth to tell him and then stopped. I asked instead, “Why didn’t you tell me

I am half sidhe?”

Everyone instantly stopped moving, so much so that I couldn’t hear a heartbeat. Ares

asked, “Who told you?”

I whispered, “Isabella. It is one of the reasons she wanted me. They were trying to force me to learn my powers.”

Ares sighed. “I did not tell you because the fey are not our allies right now. If they

learned of your existence, they might join in the hunt for you.”

I chanced a look at Ares and asked, “Why does everyone want me dead?”

“Everyone wants you because you’re valuable,” Ares said with a sympathetic smile. He

then held his hand out to me. I stared at it and then turned my face into Jean Pierre’s back. Ares snarled. “Why are you refusing me?”

I asked still pressed against Jean Pierre, “Why did you reject me?” Ares laughed softly

and I looked up to glare at him. “You think this is funny?’’ The car stopped at the mansion. I hurried out of the car before Ares could stop me and ran up to the doors. The guards stared at me in shock at first. I realized that I was still naked. I straightened my shoulders and spoke in as firm a voice as I could, “Open the doors for your Princess.”

The guards bowed their heads and hurried to open the doors. Ares was close behind me

now. I ran inside as fast as I could into the bedroom. It surprised me that I remembered how to get there. I ran straight to the bedroom and locked the door behind me. I turned the shower on and climbed in letting the hot water beat against me as I cried for a reason I knew I shouldn’t be.

Sometimes being a woman means that your emotions don’t always make sense. I heard the door crack and knew Ares had broken the door down. I didn’t look at him. I continued to cry and face the back corner of the shower stall.

I felt his anger as he came closer to me and cringed as he opened the shower. I

whimpered as his anger hit me like a waft of hot steam. He inhaled, then exhaled, and the anger was gone. He turned me around to face him and I dropped my gaze immediately. He tilted my chin up and kissed my lips, but I pulled away. He whispered, “Artemis.” He said it almost chiding and I turned away from him to face the corner again. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered into my ear, “Silly woman. I did not reject you.”

I whimpered. “You did. You said you just wanted to…”

He nodded his head against my hair. “That I wanted to hold you and be a united pack.

Not that I didn’t
want
you. Artemis.” He turned me around and stared at my face. His small smile vanished and he put his hands on either side of my face. “Artemis, I could never reject you.

You are all I want and more. I just did not want sex with you tonight, because the thought of losing you was too much…”

Koda answered from outside the shower. “You should see the dining room.”

Matt sighed. “It will take many days for the holes to be repaired.”

Ares growled. “Who invited you?”

Koda and Matt stepped into the shower and stood on either side of us. Koda smiled. “She

is our pack mate too.”

Ares frowned. “You see? Even if we had wanted time alone, we would not get it.”

I smiled a little and then shook my head. “But you did reject me.”

All of the men sighed. Ares asked, “Are you ready for that step? Are you sure that you

want to do that?”

I thought about it and asked, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Ares smiled. “You have only known me a few days.”

I smelled Victor come near the room and spoke loud enough for him to hear, “A good

friend of mine said that love is not something that we should waste. That if I love then I should love. I have realized that… I do.” I looked into Ares’ shocked eyes and said the only thing I knew truly in my heart, at that moment, “I love you Ares. All I could think about when I let those men take me was how angry you were going to be at me and how hurt you were going to be…

because I left…” I began to cry again and Ares hugged me.

He kissed my cheek and said, “I was not angry or hurt, just, well…okay I was angry, but

not how you thought. I’m just happy that you are alive and safe.” He pulled back from me so I could see his face and I realized that everyone else was gone. He smiled at me. The look in his eyes said it before he did. “I love you too, Artemis. More than you will ever know.” He kissed my lips and I kissed him back. I let my hands travel up his body and into his hair and he pressed me up against the glass of the shower stall.

Ares’ hands ran along my sides, but traveled no where else, as though he were worried

of what I would and wouldn’t allow. I grabbed his hands and brought them forward to cup my chest. I whispered, “I want to finish our connection, to truly be your mate. I want to be Artemis
Lupine
. I want
you
, Ares.”

He stared into my eyes, his face full of conflict. Then his need took over and he kissed

me back.

What started in the shower, ended on the floor. It is a wondrous thing to have someone

make love to you. I knew without a doubt in my heart that Ares and I loved each other. In those moments, it didn’t matter to me that I had been destined for him or that he was a killer at times.