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I jumped up on to the bed and sank into the cushions, sighing in pleasure. I started to

push the mound of pillows off the bed, but decided it might be rude. I buried myself under the pillows instead. The bed moved and I smelled Ares before he pulled the two pillows that were covering my face off. “Does this mean you like it?”

I nodded my head and took the pillows back, recovering my face with them. The men

were talking about something serious and boring, so I decided to take a shower. I climbed off the bed and rearranged the pillows as close to the original shape as I could remember, then walked toward the bathroom. Ares asked from close behind me, “Are you taking a shower?” I nodded my head then froze when I felt him behind me.

“Ares, please.” Ares shrugged and picked me up in his arms walking towards the

bathroom. I gasped, “No! Ares, that’s not what I meant!”

He set me down and frowned. “Why are you scared?”

My heart was beating faster than it ever had before. “Ares, you can’t come in there with

me.”

He sighed. “Oh, I see. I was raised better. I’m sorry.”

I hurried into the bathroom and showered quickly. I wrapped myself in a towel and

peeked my head out the door. “Can one of you bring my bag?”

Koda started towards the door with the bag, but Ares took it from him and handed it to

me. Koda stuck his tongue out at Ares behind his back making me giggle. Ares turned around, but Koda sucked his tongue back in and winked at me. I quickly changed into my bathing suit and turned on the giant tub and its jets. I walked back to the bathroom door and opened it before hopping into the large tub. A few moments later Ares stuck his head inside then smiled. “You know that is a tub, right?”

I shrugged. “It looks and feels like a spa to me. Plus it’s big enough to fit me and at least three other people.” He walked in and sat on the edge of the tub trailing his hand in the bubbling water. I swallowed the nervousness I was feeling and asked, “Would you like to join me?”

He smiled at me and then disappeared from the bathroom. I heard low quick whispers and

then he was back in the bathroom wearing a pair of swimming shorts. I stared at his muscular body and couldn’t help the reaction of my lower body. I sat up straighter as he climbed into the spa. He frowned. “Isn’t this a little hot for you?”

I shook my head. “No, but if it’s too hot for you I can turn it down.” I reached behind me to the complicated controls and hit the down arrow to decrease the temperature. Sometimes modern technology is a Godsend.

He smiled at me. “You look great in that bikini.”

I blushed and looked down at the water. “Thanks.” I started swirling the water with my

hands and felt the water move as he shifted across the tub.

He sat down beside me and whispered, “I know this is all new to you and I’ll try to be as well behaved as I can.”

I turned to him and saw the desire in his eyes. I suddenly reached up and kissed him on

the lips. He kissed me back and heat exploded between us. He wound his hand through my thick hair and gripped the back of my neck pulling me against him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and ran my hand through his hair. His hair was as thick as mine. Our kiss grew until he pulled back to gasp for air. I smiled at him and ran my hand across his sculpted chest. He flexed his chest, but it didn’t appear to be on purpose, simply a reaction to my touch. I leaned forward and kissed his lips again and he stayed perfectly still. He slowly released his grip on my hair and slid his hand away from my neck to rest beside him in the water. I could see the need in his face and could tell just how much he was holding back by the stiff posture and the white of his knuckles as he made a fist. I hadn’t ever been with a boy or man before and didn’t know what to do or not do. I kissed his cheek then his lips and climbed off of him to sit beside him. He exhaled and I realized that he had been holding his breath. I stared at the water and wondered what he thought of me and my moments of hormonal insanity.

He stayed very still for a few minutes then turned to me. His eyes blazed with power and

he asked deadpan, “Why did you stop?”

I smiled at him. “You were holding your breath and I didn’t want you to die.”

He smiled. “With you touching me I would fight death to the end.

I frowned at him. “You can’t die.”

His smile faded and he wrapped his arms around me holding me against him. “I won’t die

as long as I have you.”

I sniffed and realized I was crying. “You’re all I have.”

Someone cleared their throat and Ares and I turned around slowly, with Ares keeping his

arm around my shoulder the entire turn. I wiped my face with the back of my hand, but that only spread the water from my hand on to my face. Koda and Matt stood in the doorway smiling.

Koda spoke with a soft voice that had an Irish lilt to it. “You have more than Ares. You have us too. We’re pack now and if Ares leaves or dies we will still be with you.”

I stared at him in shock, realizing that he was opening himself up to me. I waved at him

to come closer and Matt and Koda jumped into the tub still wearing their jeans and t-shirts.

Water splashed over the sides of the tub and on to the floor. I moved forward and hugged them both at the same time. They inhaled and I did too, taking time to memorize the smell of my pack.

They both smelled like the forest and underneath lingered a scent of crisp clean grass. Koda and Matt hugged me for a while then let go and pushed me back towards Ares. Ares put his arm

around my waist and squeezed me against him. “See Artemis, you aren’t alone anymore and you won’t ever be again.”

I started to cry again and they all held me in the center of them in a group hug. My wolf swirled inside me and reached out with some invisible force to touch each of their wolves. I could see all of their wolves staring at me and I wasn’t afraid.
These wolves won’t hurt me.

These wolves are my pack and they will do everything to protect me and keep me happy.
I realized it was my wolf’s thinking and frowned at her, but she was too happy to pay attention to my feelings. We sat in our huddle for a few minutes longer as my tears faded and then everyone got out. I dried off then sighed at my now wet bag on the floor. I started to pull everything out when something cold fell into my hand then began burning. It felt like acid burning my skin, but it was solid, not liquid. I dropped to my knees and screamed in pain trying to pull my hand out.

Ares, Koda and Matt surrounded me and started growling. Ares reached towards the bag,

but jerked his hand back at the last second. “Victor!” Ares yelled.

Victor appeared over me and hissed, flashing his fangs. The others moved back a ways to

give him room. Victor reached down and pulled the bag off exposing my hand and what was

attached to it. I stared at the silver photo frame with a picture of a tall slender woman with purple eyes and wondered how it had gotten into my bag. Victor started to pull the frame from my hand, but it was burned into the skin and hurt like hell. Ares growled and Victor frowned. He spoke in soothing tones to the wolves surrounding me, “I have to get it out of her hand before this enters her blood and kills her.”

Ares nodded his head, but was still snarling at Victor. Koda had dropped down and was

cradling my head in his lap. Apparently I had fainted at some point. Matt held my other hand as Victor yanked the frame from my hand. I screamed and blacked out.

~~~~

I woke up surrounded by heat and tried to kick the blankets off, but kicked empty air. I was fully clothed when I had previously been in a bikini. I turned my head and realized I was surrounded by Koda on my right, Ares on my left and Matt at my feet. I started to sit up when searing pain made me whimper and stare at my bandaged hand. All three men sat up at once and stared at me.

They were all wearing blue jeans and no shirts, making me look from one muscled chest to

another. Ares stroked my face and frowned. “You’re sweating.”

I nodded my head. “It’s too hot.”

He gave a single quick nod and Matt and Koda climbed off of the bed, letting a cool

wave of air hit me. I inhaled and then coughed, nearly gagging. “What is that smell?”

Ares stroked my cheek. “Your burnt flesh.”

I groaned as I remembered the picture frame. “I didn’t even pack that. I’m guessing it

was silver and that’s why it burned me?”

Ares nodded his head. “Silver is our weakness. I’d like to know how it got into your

bag.”

I frowned. “I don’t know, but I think it was a picture of my mom. Can I see it?”

Ares shook his head. “Victor had to destroy it.”

“What?!” I gasped. “He couldn’t have just taken the picture out and then destroyed the

frame?”

Victor spoke from behind me, “I did not have time. Your pack’s instinct to protect you

was on overload. They might have attacked me if I took too long.”

I whimpered. “I didn’t even get a good look at her. I only remember fragmented

memories. Enough to know that I look like her.”

Victor sat one hip on the edge of the bed beside me. He was wearing a pair of black

slacks and a dark blue button up shirt that looked like silk. He smiled. “I am sorry that I did not think about what you would have liked. I just wanted to get it away so I didn’t have to fight your pack.”

I nodded my head and turned my gauze wrapped hand around. “Thank you.”

Ares asked, “Why would Darren have had a silver frame anyway? He wouldn’t have

been able to hold it.”

I smiled. “It was my mom’s frame.”

“How do you know that?” asked Ares.

“Dad said he only had one thing of hers and never let me see it, so I’m guessing the

picture frame was it,” I responded quietly.

Ares whispered, “I’m sorry we didn’t keep the picture for you.”

I shrugged. “It’s alright.” I felt something tingling on my hand under the gauze and

squeaked like a scared mouse. “What the hell?” I started unwrapping my hand and Ares and

Victor tried to stop me. Once I had it unwrapped I stared in shock at the mutilated skin that used to be my hand. The tingling increased and the burned skin shed off on to the floor as a new layer of skin replaced the old. “What happened?” I asked in shock.

Ares smiled. “Interesting.”

Victor said, “It must be because of her other…” Ares growled, stopping him from

speaking further. Victor bowed his head and continued, “It must be from her mother. Perhaps silver is not a permanent problem for our little Goddess.”

I frowned at Ares. “Why won’t you let me know what my mother is and what I am?”

He smiled. “I will soon, but for now it’s best if you don’t know.”

I didn’t believe him, but decided not to press the matter. I ran a finger over my newly

healed skin and smiled. “Wow.”

Koda walked over. “The seamstress is here with the clothes for Artemis to choose from.”

I looked around Koda to see a girl, no older than twenty, standing beside a rolling clothes rack filled with dresses. I looked at Ares and groaned. “A dress? You’re making me wear a dress?”

“Don’t you want to look nice for the King and Queen of the Vampires?” Ares asked.

I folded my arms across my chest. “The King has already met me. I’ve never even worn a

dress before.”

Ares kissed my cheek. “Then this will be a good learning experience for you. Besides,

don’t you want to look nice for me?”

There was no winning this argument, so I sighed and walked towards the girl. She looked

from my toes to my head and then back again, frowning nonstop. “She is the one I am supposed to dress?” Her thick accent caught me off guard and it took me a moment to decipher what she had said.

Ares bowed at the waist to the girl. “Hello, Lucy. It’s always an honor to see you.”

Lucy folded her arms across her chest. “Flattery will not win you any points with me,

Ares. I’m not a magician you know.” She looked at me in disgust again. “Am I to bring our beautician in as well? She looks to need it.”

I opened my mouth to call her one of the rude names I could think of, but Ares spoke

before I could say anything. “Lucy, it would be wise to remember your place as well as what mine is. She is my
passt genau
, treat her with respect. Your insults of her are direct challenges to me.”

Lucy’s bottom lip quivered, but then she shook her head and straightened her back before

turning back to me. “I apologize for my insults. I’m old and ’ow you say? Cranky, yes, ’zats the word.”

I looked at her face and frowned. “Old? You don’t look old.”

Lucy smiled. “That is one of the benefits of being a dhampir.” She saw my puzzled face

and frowned at Ares. “You bring ‘er to the vampire’s ‘ome without training as to what we are?”

I waved my hand at her. “I know what a dhampir is, half vampire and half human. I’ve

just never seen one before. And I thought you were supposed to be enemies with vampires?”

Ares said, “I have much to teach her Lucy. I only found her a few days ago.”

Lucy turned back to me. “Dhampirs and vampires are enemies, but my father is very

powerful and ‘as enough pull to keep me alive and ‘appy as long as I don’t kill any of the vampires.”

“I understand,” I told her.

She sighed heavily. “Let’s get started. We ‘ave only an ’our to prepare you.”

She walked to the dress rack and tapped her chin thoughtfully. Ares walked towards her

and she hissed. “Go get ready. I do not want you breathing down my neck while I prepare ’er. I will do my best to make ’er perfect for you.” Her French accent seemed to grow stronger

whenever she spoke to Ares.

Ares sighed. “Fine. Koda will stay in the room with you, Artemis.”

Lucy stared at Ares in shock. “You do not trust me?”

Ares smiled. “I don’t trust anyone to be alone with her.” Ares walked over and kissed my