Artemis' Gift

SIRIUS

Alpha Richard had once again outdone himself with this party.

I hated parties, actually. I hated seeing too many people in a confined place, especially fawning she-wolves who thought I’d take them as my queen.

They disgusted me. Lycans could only mate their true mates. The only small relief I had was that everyone present was a werewolf. That I could withstand.

Richard’s human daughter wasn’t here, and for that, I was grateful. I hated humans the most. Among all other creatures, I thought humans were the lowest.

It was beyond me why he hadn’t killed that thing when she was just a baby.

I remembered him telling me when he’d taken her in that she was blessed by Lady Artemis. Huh. That didn’t matter to me, really.

He should have eaten her. It was what the first lycan, Fenrir, did to puny humans.

I agreed that we didn’t need them. They were weak and a disgrace to the gods.

I was drinking from my glass in a corner, looking at the party unfold when I felt it come surging through the mind link: An irresistible call. I didn’t know whether it was a sound or a warmth or a taste or a feeling. Maybe it was all of them together. It even called my name.

No way I thought to myself.

Who dared call me? By my name, no less! I’d make that wolf regret it. I was a lycan and the king. I wouldn’t take orders from werewolves.

I was unable to resist that call, and my wolf wanted to go anyway. He loved the sound. It was feminine and enticing.

What could call a lycan like that? I’d thought only the Moon Goddess could have such a power over us.

Was it the human blessed by the Goddess? I needed to know to give her a piece of my mind.

Jacob, Alpha Richard’s firstborn, passed me by, and he seemed in a hurry. Did he hear it too?

I stopped him, and he looked at me quizzically. I supposed it would be shocking for me to stop him like that. Shit. I couldn’t let him go before me, anyway.

“My king?” he said.

“I’ll go,” I answered matter-of-factly.

He seemed surprised, but I didn’t let him say anything else. I bolted out and shifted to my powerful, dark-gray wolf. I didn’t want to take on my half form; I was faster as a full wolf.

I ran to the source of the calling power. I was running between the trees as if hell was behind me. I’d never run so fast in my entire life. That power was pulling me in, and I had to know what it was.

I needed ~to know.~

When I finally found the source, I saw a beautiful girl being held by the throat by a vampire. He was about to bite her. Over my dead body.

~

I growled at the vampire, and his eyes looked like saucers. He released the girl, and I immediately jumped in front of her to protect her.

Why do I want to protect her? Why is it important?

~

The vampire fled, but I didn’t bother to give chase. He was only small fry, and the girl behind me was more important. The fuck? Why should a human be important?

~

I turned around to look at the girl instead. She was clutching her throat and trying to breathe. I felt concern, and another feeling I’d never thought I’d feel again surged.

I buried it immediately and growled at her.

How dare she? She turned her gaze to me and swallowed hard. ~Yes, fear me, little worm.~ That was better.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was supposed to call my brother,” she said with difficulty. Her throat was still red.

I fought my wolf because he wanted to lick her throat to make it all better. “Like hell you will,” I told him.

“Does she think I’m her pet or something?” I spit.

She shook her head and scrambled to her feet.

“Did she hear me? How was that even possible?” ~I hadn’t known humans could do that. Was it the blessing? Was her blessing allowing her to hear us?~

“No, never. It’s just…my ability. I truly didn’t mean to call for you. I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Yes, I can hear you just fine. That’s also part of my ability,” she said, answering my silent questions.

I didn’t like that one bit, so I jumped on her and pulled her back onto the ground where she belonged.

I snapped my jaw before her face to let her know that I meant business, but she wasn’t scared.

She only offered me a blank face as she tried to even her breathing. Huh. That was actually bold.

~

I saw the mark on her arm as my eyes scanned her, and it was the crest of the Lady of the Hunt. It was undeniable.

Why this tiny creature, though? Why did the lady choose her as a Huntress?

I felt the tingles the second I touched her. There was no burying my feelings anymore. They surged and crawled in my entire body, making me warm all over and sending blood coursing to my manhood.

Fuck. I knew what those feelings meant.

~

She looked at me, dumbfounded, and I growled lowly, even if my wolf was snarling at me for being rough with her.

“Never. Call. Me. Like. That. Again,” I drawled.

She frowned at me and had the audacity to look me in the eyes. She was too cunning, that one. I seriously wanted to make her submit right now, but her next words shocked me more than her actions.

“I’ll remember that, Your Highness. Get off me so I can disappear from your regal sight.”

That almost made me chuckle. She was daring, that little one.

I felt pride swell in my heart, but I crushed it right away. No way I’d let her have a hold on my emotions. She already had a hold on my body.

I felt the warmth bubbling in my stomach. More than warmth. Heat. And pressure. This couldn’t be happening.

Another set of paws came our way, and it was the deep chocolate-brown wolf of Jacob. I’d recognize that wolf anywhere. He was as much a copy of his father as a wolf as he was as a human.

He lowered his snout in respect and looked at his sister, who was still quiet underneath me.

“Please, Your Highness. She truly aimed for me. Please don’t punish her,” he said through the mind-link.

Normally, the mind-link only worked for wolves of the same pack, but since I was king, I was a part of all the werewolves’ packs on Earth.

I growled again but took a step back so she could stand up. I locked my gaze on her as soon as she was on her feet.

The heat was building inside me. It was sexual, but it was so much more. I wanted it to stop.

“Never show yourself to me again,” I said with a growl.

“Duly noted,” she snorted.

She made a mocking bow and turned to her brother. He let her climb on his back, and I almost ran to them to stop them. I didn’t like it a bit that she’d ride on his back.

I watched her disappear into the night as the tingling heat overwhelmed me. It was unbearable.

I collapsed into my human form on the ground, my heart throbbing.

Make it stop. Make it stop. ~But I knew it wouldn’t stop.

My wolf was clawing and pacing in my head. He wanted it to happen.

“Take her as yours,” he snarled.

“Never!”

I clawed at the ground. But as the heat became overpowering, I knew there was nothing I could do.

As I fainted, I resigned myself to the fact.

I had just mated. To a worthless, puny human.