Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale novel Chapter 28

Artemis’s point of view

Rage, anger, mad, all kinds of angry emotions were boiling within Artemis. How dare that good for nothing, idiotic, moronic man left. The moment she found out is absence, and the scent of Aphrodite all over the room, it all went down. She couldn't find him, couldn't track him down because Aphrodite had blocked his scent. All she could do was to wait and that sent her to Hades. She ran straight to her tent and jumped on her bed, pounding the bed with all her strength. Concurrently, a pool of sad emotion was stirring within her. Why did pereus has to leave? She drown her sorrow on the pillow. She didn't understand why he left. She was to generous for him. She even let him to sleep on the same bed with her. Now, the only respectable and tolerable man will be corrupted by aphrodite. She was soon drowned in a salt water lake as she continued to sob over the loss of perseus. He wasn't bad at all. He did everything she instructed him to without complaining. It took her another hour before I finally tire out from all the crying.

If only she had told him something about her feeling, he wouldn't have left. If only she could be nicer to him, at least decrease the chores or let him have a bit of freedom. Now he was gone, it was to late for her to do anything. He would decide to stay with Aphrodite. He'd no reason to come back, if he wanted more chores and ranting.

That night was not the best night of her life. The room felt so cold without Percy, and the rain outside just worsen the situation.

Artemis was still angry at him, for his impulsive decision to leave and now letting her be in this situation. Lightning occasionally lit up the dark room, Artemis hugged her knees as tear suddenly flowed down her cheeks.

She was mad. She wanted him there so she could shout, could hit, could scowl at him. But most of all she missed his touch. She tried not to shiver, even though the animal fur blanket was wrapped around her. The bed, the sheet and bolster were too cold for her to sleep, in addition of the thunder outside. Artemis didn't know what to do but to wait until her eyes close.

It was about three in the morning, and suddenly she heard the flap being swept aside, thunder rumbled at the same time.

Artemis was still awake and she was aware or who had entered her tent. She was about to sit up and ranged at him, but he slid on the bed and wrapped his strong arms around her waist, pressing her back closer to him.

He was wet, all his body probably from the rain, but the mattered that had her concern was that stench of blood and dust on him.

He didn't say, just buried his face to the back off her neck. His breathing came uneven from exhaustion. At first she thrashed, and struggled and kicked to be out of his grip. She wanted to hit him, to yell at him so bad. But his arms just kept tight around her, his hand rested on her belly and his breath at her neck sent chill down her spine despite her temptation was to kick him out of the tent, but she seemed to enjoy it so much.

After awhile of trashing and struggling, Artemis became tired as she gave up and decided to hug her bolster. Due to her angry was not satisfied, she couldn't sleep but sob at the bolster.

She knew he had done something, something that caused the stench of blood and monster dust. She wanted an answer, but she knew he was tired.

His grip was loosing at her waist as she knew he was deeply as sleep. Artemis risked to turned to face him.

She saw dust and blood covered his face. He was half naked, only in his boxer. His torso was had burnt and minor cuts. His face was deadly, serious and brutal even he was sleeping. Artemis dared to couch his cheek with her hand, she kept staring at his close eyes, hoping them to open.

Although she was mad, still she had relieved that he had returned. Guessed things would be explained tomorrow. Artemis hesitatingly pressed her soft lips against his forehead and  laid down intimately close to his face. With his arm still around her waist, slowly, Artemis dosed off from the familiar warmth she received every night.

The next morning came as she awoke by a the bird singing from the outside. She sat up, only to be pulled down by Percy arm. After awhile of struggling, she gave up and just stared at him sleeping instead.

He looked so peaceful now, not like last night. Guess sleep can somehow ease the brutal beast within him. Slowly, his eyes flung opened and the first he said made suddenly got her angry.

"Hello Artemis"

It wasn't that the thing he said, but the tone was so carefree that nothing had happened. Like he didn't care that if she was worried and all. With all the angry, she slapped him across the cheek so hard that the Fates would've been proud.

"Artemis what the hell!?" He yelled, holding his cheek.

"Hello Artemis?" she spatted at his face after she had sat up. "You wen out for a whole fucking day without even consulting me! And you said like nothing happened!?"

"I had a mission to do ok!" he sat up as well and tried to defend himself.

"What mission do you have with Aphrodite!?" She spatted at him. "Besides rolling in her bed!"

"If you think I went to bed with Aphrodite and get the blood and monsters dust all over me" He glared at her. "Then you must be more ridiculous and stupid than I am!"

"That's what I don't understand!" she snarled. "Is this a kind of set up to fool me?"

"No! You never understand what the fuck is going on!" He flared as Artemis leaned back. His vein turned visible as his eyes glowed red. "I decided to help some demigods being surrounded by monsters, instead of being here as your slave happy? It's not like you care much anyway! I'm a male right? Is that what you hate a lot about me so what ever I do would not appease you!"

"Percy I-" she tried to said in a softer voice but he was on the flow.

"If you think I was just like other male, I could've just stayed with Aphrodite forever instead of coming back here. She treats me way better anyway and fine I admit it. I like her, I like Aphrodite even if she's not using her power on me, I still like her!"

Artemis eyes were filled with betrayal. She knew the moment Aphrodite showed herself, one day Perseus would fall for her. But it happened sooner than she expected. Her heart felt like being stabbed, it ached so much that she just wanted to rip it out. She was angry, yet sad. She was lost and out of her disoriented mind, she roared in range.

"Get out of my tent you fucking moron!" She punched him on the chest as suddenly tears streaking down her cheeks. "You disgust me! Out of my sight before I shoot you to dead."

"It's not like I want to stay next to you anyway" he muttered and walked out without even turning back.

Artemis didn't know what to do. It was anger that controlled her, it was anger that ruin their bond. He was gone, now to better or worse she did not know. But she knew that he didn't have the heart of staying back anymore. Artemis swept everything to the floor on the nightstand by her hand, as she screamed. She blasted a ball of energy that destroyed the table completely. She breathed out hard and cried on her pillows, wetting it as the sorrow flowed in.

Percy’s Point of View

Stupid, impulsive, crazy moody Artemis. He thought bitterly as he punched the water. After awhile, Percy climbed out from the stream and fired himself. All the angry was swept, but mot completely by the cold water of the stream. He like water, it cooled him down most of the time.

He didn't want to return to that tent, where that particular crazy goddess still staying within. He threw a rock across the stream, watched it jumped on the surface.

He shouldn't have agreed to stay with Artemis. She never liked him anyway, it was a fantasy in his sleep that one day they would turn into something more intimate than now. It was ridiculous to even begin with. Dating a man hating goddess and worst of all she had to date her half-brother.

When he told her he like Aphrodite, he was actually meaning it. Being with her he felt a feeling of being loved by someone. Not the love of his mother or aunt Hestia, but a loved from an opposite gender. Yet somehow, his heart just kept pulling him back to that auburn hair, that silver eyes and that...Snap out of it Percy! She's not the one! He screamed internally. Yet part of him still tried to counter, like 'what about the vision you saw in the future with her?' Sometimes he'd have a legit answer for it as he was wounding at the time, that would have been a hallucination. But part of his heart, deep down still believed it was Fates that had set them up.

No matter. He'd anger her and once you anger a goddess, especially THIS goddess. There's no turning back. Guess he just had to take refugee to Aphrodite or aunt Hestia. Perhaps find away to return to Delos, being scowled by Leto. Worst case scenario, he had to sleep outside. But as long as not staying with that crazy goddess, he would gladly  accept sleeping in the cold.

"Drowning your sorrow again?" He turned back and found Annabeth with Thalia besides her.

"Don't tell me Artemis sent you guys out to punish me" he tried to make a joke, but he had no heart.

"Milady would do it herself" Annabeth took a seat next to him while Thalia sat besides her.

"What did you do this time boy?" Thalia chided in.

"Well I went to do a help Aphrodite saving some demigods" he said casually, "because she couldn't help them due to this 'ancient laws' and Artemis thought I did something corrupted. So much for being good."

"Hah you should've thought going out with Aphrodite would bring misunderstandings." Thalia said. "And besides how could we know if you were telling the truth."

"Go to camp half blood or the SPQR camp thing and ask someone named Leo, Jason, Reyna, Frank, Hazel and Piper" Percy rolled his eyes. "Ask them did anyone fall out from the sky and helped you guys to escape."

As he mentioned the name, both girls went rigid as their eyes widened. Suddenly, a sudden sadness washed over both as Annabeth's eyes turned teary, before Percy could ask. She ran away leaving only Thalia looking at her sadly.

"Did I do something?" He scratched his head. Annabeth was one of his closest friend at camp. Seeing her cry hurt him a lot.

"No it's just the memory" Thalia sighed.

"Care to share?" He asked soft. He wasn't close to Thalia much, considering she always shot arrows at him if he camp within the 5 radius. But seeing her sad didn't settle his heart.

"It's ok if you don't want to" He suddenly blurted out. "I can't leave you alone."

He was about to set his butt to leave, but Thalia did the unexpected.

"Stay" she told him. "I think it should be time for you to know"

Percy sat down and carefully listened to her.

"The group of demigods you just mentioned were our closet friends." Thalia began. "Annabeth used to be in that too along with..."

The was a lump of emotion in her throat that she tried to swallow, tears swelled up as she looked at the water.

"Along with Peter Johnson (???)."

"Wait I heard Hyperion spoke of him before I killed that Titan" Percy said.

"He was a legend Perseus" Thalia said. "Slayer of Kronos and saviour of Olympus and all. But with me, he was like a brother sharing the same blood. The last war with the Giants, he pulled down Gaia to oblivion with the rest of her children."

A moment of silence as Thalia tried to control her breathing. Two streams of tear already shredded down her cheeks.

"We were all heartbroken. Especially with the group that had been on the Argor carrying the mission to stop her. Annabeth couldn't take it so she joined the Hunt."

"No wonder she doesn't hate male lien you guys" Percy tried to lighten the mood a little. Thalia smiled, at least she appreciated that a little.

"Oh trust me when it comes down" Thalia said. "She can be worse than us."

"But she seems nice and all" Percy said. "She didn't treat me bad when I first arrived."

"I don't treat you that bad!" she complained.

"Yup absolutely not" Percy said cheerfully, a hint off sarcasm. "Except shooting arrows within five miles, being leader of pranking Percy group and did I mention your clothes are the dirtiest amongst the hunters?"

"Lucky you are not dead or fatally injured" she mentioned.

"Nearly to the point of fatally injured" Percy contradicted her. "Remember the cage and wolfsbane?"

"Oh jeez" Thalia rolled her eyes. "Stop being a whiny and grudge holder. You should be thankful that you are allowed to live with us. Not many males can have that"

"Mean there were some males lived here?" Percy frowned.

"Long story short" Thalia said. "They came here by order or have a little connection with Artemis."

"I didn't know Artemis was that fond to male"

"No she does not" Thalia confirmed. "It's just depend on the situation. Like now she's covering you form the chase of the Olympians. You should be thankful."

"Right thank you for the chores and prank and slave treatment." Percy said, giving Thalia a sarcastic bow.

"Stop whining already" Thalia said. "You know Milady really hates whinnies"

"She's already hated me" Percy said as he turned his gaze to the water and threw the rock on the surface again.

After a while, he had a weird feeling and out of the corner of his eyes. He saw the impossible. Thalia was smiling at him.

"Uh is there anything on my face?" He looked at her weirdly.

"No, nothing wrong" Thalia shook her head and focus on the view in front of them again, which was the other side of the stream with trees and animals.

Percy still frowned at her when he saw the corner of her lips still switching upward.

"You remind me so much of Peter" she finally spoke. "You guys have the same characteristics, personalities and hobbies. Heck even your scent and appearance is nearly identical to him."

"So that's why Annabeth opened to me first?" He asked.