Kiss of a Star Artemis Lupine (4 page)

Achilles frowned at Ares, but simply asked,
“Are you all ready to go?”

Matt growled. “He’s coming?”

Ares growled at Matt and turned to face him.
“Be kind to our guest, Matthew. You forget your place and the fact
that Achilles is Prince of the Sidhe.”

Matt stopped growling, but his face still
showed his anger. “The sidhe’s ranks have nothing to do with
me.”

Achilles folded his arms across his chest.
“You were always the most volatile of the three, especially towards
my kind.”

Matt smiled. “Thank you.”

“Enough,” Ares barked. “Let’s go.”

Achilles opened the door and walked out
first. Ares followed with me by his side and Matt and Koda brought
up the rear. Ares stayed silent as we walked through the town. I
looked around and noticed how deserted it was. “Where is everyone?”
I asked.

“They’re all gathered at the dining hall,”
Ares said without looking at me.

“Does everyone always go to the dining hall
together?” I asked.

Achilles answered before Ares could. “No,
they’re all gathered to see the return of the Prince and to see his
mate. Ares had quite a reputation with the females so I’m sure
they’re all dying to see who he finally chose.”

“Oh. So, I’m going to have to deal with
irate women? Again?” I asked quietly.

Ares pulled my hand up and kissed the back
of it. “Just remember, that you’re the one that has my heart.”

I looked down at the diamond necklace and
smiled. “Right.”

Achilles stopped in front of a large
concrete building, the only concrete building in the entire town. I
could see the outer wall of a castle a mile or so away. “They have
a castle?”

Ares nodded his head. “The King and Queen
live in the castle.”

“Wow,” I said just before the doors were
pushed open. Achilles stepped to the side, allowing Ares and I to
walk inside. The room was filled with wooden tables and reminded me
of a medieval movie I’d watched where everyone had gathered in the
hall to eat, just before being slaughtered by a grotesque creature.
All eyes turned to me and the tension in the room quadrupled.

Darius stood up from his seat at the front
of the room. “Greetings! Everyone, please welcome back your Prince,
Ares, and his mate, Artemis!”

Most of the crowd clapped, but I could see
at least four women glaring at me. This was going to be wonderful,
I could tell. Ares walked up the center aisle and bowed to Darius.
I curtsied as low as I could, keeping my head down. Ares stood up
and I matched his movements. “Greetings, King Darius. It’s good to
be home. My pack brothers Matt and Koda have come with me as well,
but also my guest Prince Achilles of the Sidhe.” Ares was smiling
as he spoke, but as he said Achilles’ name, his lips thinned.

Darius nodded his head. “Greetings, Prince
Achilles and welcome.” Why was he suddenly so nice? Was it just
because he was in front of the rest of the pack?

Ares looked around. “Where is the Queen? I
was hoping she would be here.”

Darius opened his mouth, but a woman spoke
from the farthest corner of the building. “I’m here, good Prince.
I’m here.”

I watched the woman walk towards Darius. She
was older, she looked to be about forty, which made me wonder how
old she really was. Her gray hair was braided nicely against her
back and her face looked familiar. Of course! She was Ares, Koda
and Matt’s mother! The Queen kissed Darius’ cheek before walking
towards Ares and me. Her presence made me bow my head in
submission. She was definitely an alpha female.

“Ares, my son,” she said just before
wrapping her arms around his shoulders. I released his hand and
took a step away from him to give her room.

“Hello, Mother,” Ares said lovingly. “I’d
like you to meet my mate.”

She gasped. “So, the rumors were true! You
did take a mate!” She stepped towards me and then started walking
around me. She stopped in front of me again. “Look at me. I will
not harm you, daughter-in-law.” I looked up slowly and smiled at
her. She stared at my face for a moment before gasping and turning
on Ares. “Ares! Why?! How?!”

Ares frowned at her. “She’s my
passt
genau
.”

The room was filled with gasps and loud
discussions. I hadn’t realized until then that while Ares and his
mother were talking no one else in the entire building had
been.

Darius raised his arms and the talking
stopped. The Queen looked at me again. “Who are your parents?”

“Darren is my father, but I do not know my
mother’s name,” I said softly as I tried to hide my face from her.
Did she think I was ugly? Or was I just not good enough for her
son?

“What do you mean you don’t know who your
mother is?” She demanded.

“My mother left us when I was five. I never
knew her name and my father refused to speak of her to me.”

“Then how did he explain your purple eyes?”
she demanded. She was angry with me about something, but I hadn’t
done anything, had I?

Ares took my hand and pulled me so that I
was standing next to him again. “That, Mother, is something that I
have already discussed with King Darius. If you would like to hear
her tale, I’d prefer it be done in private.” He was angry too. What
had I done to upset them?

The Queen smoothed down her dress and turned
her head. “Very well.” She walked past me to Matt and Koda.
“Matthew. Koda. My sons.”

Ares released my hand to wrap his arm around
my waist. “She was just caught off guard by your eyes, Artemis.
It’s alright,” he whispered.

I nodded my head numbly as he led me towards
a table at the front of the building. Two thirds of the women in
the building glared at me as I walked with Ares. It was starting
out to be a wonderful night. Darius clapped his hands. “Come now,
let’s eat.”

~~~

Ares pulled me down next to him on a wooden
bench and kissed my cheek. “It’s alright, Sunshine.”

A woman a few rows back snickered softly,
but still loud enough for me to hear. “He used to call me
‘Sunshine’.”

I growled softly and Ares whispered,
“They’re just trying to get a rise out of you. Ignore them.”

Koda and Matt sat down at a table behind us
and women instantly surrounded them. The sight of the women
flirting with them set me on edge. Achilles sat down across from me
and frowned. “Why are you jealous?”

His presence made me relax and look at him.
“What?”

“You’re jealous of Koda and Matt, why?” He
asked.

Ares looked at me curiously as I answered.
“It’s not jealousy. I just…I don’t want to add another person to
our pack yet. I just got here and I’m finally settling in. I don’t
want a female coming in and trying to fight me all of the
time.”

Ares smiled. “You don’t have to worry,
Artemis. Koda and Matt aren’t allowed mates.”

I blinked twice in confusion. “Why not?”

“We travel around a lot and as my guards,
they need to be focused on me. If they both had a mate then their
attention would be focused on her, instead of me.”

“That’s not fair,” I said to him.

Ares shrugged. “They agreed to it. It’s not
like I just told them that’s how it was and they didn’t have a
choice.”

Men in tuxedos started walking out of a back
door carrying large trays of meat. The men set the meat on each
table and then quickly retreated back to the door they had come
through. I inhaled and turned to Ares. “Humans? You have humans
working for you?”

Ares nodded his head as he bit into a piece
of steak. “They work for us, get paid well and if they want to,
we’ll turn them.”

Ares set a large steak on my plate. I looked
at it for a moment and then started eating. It was a little
overcooked for my taste, but it was still delicious. I took a drink
from the cup in front of me and nearly gagged. “What is this?” I
asked quietly.

“It’s wine,” Achilles answered, “flown here
from the vampires’ winery in France.”

I sniffed the drink. “I can’t get drunk off
of this, right?”

Ares shook his head. “Not unless you drink
three or more bottles.”

The girls around Matt and Koda were still
giggling loudly and starting to get on my nerves. “Ares, I need to
use the restroom,” I whispered to him. I needed to get away from
the women or I’d lose the control I had over my wolf.

He turned around to face behind him.
“Koda.”

Koda looked up from his plate and then
quickly hurried from his table to crouch behind us. “Yes?”

“Artemis needs to use the restroom. You’re
her guard now, remember?” Ares said softly.

Koda winked. “Right. Come on, Sweetheart.”
Koda stood up and started walking towards the door the humans had
used. I kissed Ares cheek before following Koda towards the door.
“What’s wrong?” Koda asked once we were away from everyone
else.

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

He rolled his eyes. “I can sense your
irritation and worry. If you’re worried about the women, you really
shouldn’t…”

I interrupted him. “I don’t want to talk
about it right now, please.”

He nodded his head and pushed open the door.
It led into a hallway, lighted with torches. He pushed open the
third door on our right and waved me in. “Lady’s room.”

I walked inside and he closed the door, with
him on the outside. At least he thought I was capable of using the
restroom alone. I pushed open the first stall door and smiled.
Indoor plumbing! Thank goodness the werewolves weren’t completely
medieval.

After using the restroom I stared at my
reflection in the bathroom mirror. I looked tired and felt tired.
The stress of everything was beginning to weigh on me. Another
stall door opened and an attractive red haired woman walked out of
the stall. She stopped moving when she saw me and growled.
“You!”

I looked around the bathroom before looking
back at her. “Me?”

She snarled. “Why did he choose you? What
makes you better than the rest of us?”

I frowned. “He didn’t pick me. I’m his
match. Plus, I never said I was better than you.”

She jumped towards me and claws extended
from where her fingernails used to be. I jumped sideways and
slammed my back against the wall. “I don’t want to fight you!” I
yelled as she came at me again.

She was swinging wildly and using only her
claws. “I’ll kill you and then he’ll take me!” She yelled.

Koda threw open the door and stared at us in
shock for a moment as the woman crouched to jump at me. He grabbed
her around the waist and tossed her into one of the stalls. She hit
her head against the back wall hard, stunning her. He rushed over
to me and started running his hands over my face and shoulders.
“Did she hurt you?”

I shook my head and batted his hands away.
“I’m fine. She didn’t touch me.”

Koda turned to the woman who was holding her
head in her hands and leaning against the wall of the stall he had
thrown her into. “Attacking the Prince’s mate without challenge is
illegal. Go visit the King after tonight’s festivities,” He said
through clenched teeth.

The woman nodded her head and began sobbing.
Koda led me out of the bathroom and down the hallway. “I’m sorry,
Artemis. I should have stayed with you.”

I shook my head. “Nothing happened. I can
take care of myself.”

“I’m your guard, Artemis. It’s my job to
protect you,” he said angrily.

I placed my hand on his arm, making him stop
just before the door that led out to the main room. “Don’t stress
yourself over me. I can take care of myself. Besides, everyone dies
some time. I don’t want you blaming yourself if something out of
your control happens.”

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “I
won’t let anything happen to you,” he said seriously. Apparently he
wasn’t willing to listen to reason.

He released me and pushed open the door. I
stepped out into the main room and stared at the women surrounding
Ares. One woman in a short skirt was sitting beside him, running
her hand along his arm. My lip rose in a snarl and I started to
rush towards him. Koda grabbed my arm, stopping me. “Artemis, calm
down.”

Ares looked away from the women and towards
me. His smile disappeared when he saw my face. I pulled against
Koda’s hold, but he held tight. “Let me go,” I growled.

Koda shook his head. “Artemis, they aren’t
doing anything. They’re just…”

“Flirting,” I said angrily.

The women noticed Ares’ was looking away and
followed his gaze. I snarled at them and they all smiled. I pulled
out of Koda’s grip and walked towards the women, fuming. Ares stood
up and one of the women ran her hand down his chest. “Don’t go. We
were just starting to get back into the hang of things with
you.”

“Don’t touch my mate!” I yelled at her.

“What are you going to do about it?” she
asked with a smug smile on her face.

My hands started to heat up and my body
began glowing. “I swear if you touch him again, I’ll rip your still
beating heart from your chest.”

The smile left her face and her hand dropped
away from Ares. Ares rushed over to me and a wave of fire knocked
me backwards. “Calm down.” My body stopped glowing and my hands
cooled. Ares reached out towards me and I took a step back, away
from him. He frowned. “Artemis…”

One of the women spoke seductively. “Come
on, Ares. Forget about that little girl and come play with us.”

My anger was feeding the wolf in me and I
felt her eagerness to tear the girl apart with our claws. My body
started to shudder and Ares grabbed my arm. “No.”

I stopped shaking and glared at the women.
“If any of you come near my mate again, I’ll tear you apart.”

Ares stroked my arm. “Artemis, nothing
happened. We were all just talking.”

I turned my gaze on him and saw him flinch.
“Talking? I think the correct term is flirting.”