Chapter9
1849 Words
The next morning came far too quickly. I woke up sprawled across Genius’s chest while his arms remained tightly wrapped around me. He looked so peaceful while he slept that I almost hated disturbing him. Unfortunately, my bladder had other plans.
I tried prying his arms off me so I could sneak away to the bathroom, but he barely budged. Finally, I sighed and shook him gently.
“Baby, I need to pee.”
A sleepy smile spread across his face as his eyes fluttered open.
“Morning, Princess. How are you feeling today?”
I shrugged dramatically. “I’ll be a lot better if you let me go to the bathroom.”
He chuckled softly before releasing me. The second his arms loosened, I bolted toward the bathroom faster than I ever had in my life.
When I finished and stepped back into the bedroom, Genius was already out of bed, changing clothes. I leaned against the doorway and whistled teasingly.
“Sexy man, sexy man.”
He only laughed and shook his head.
“Princess, get ready. We still have a lot to deal with today before we can properly start your training. The pack needs you strong.”
His words immediately reminded me of everything that had happened yesterday.
Alcide.
The anger I felt toward my uncle rushed back instantly. Why would Zeus bring him back after all these years? After he abandoned Mom? After he abandoned us?
I must have frowned because when I looked up, Genius was standing directly in front of me. He gently lifted my chin so I would meet his eyes.
“Babe, I know this is difficult,” he said softly. “But no matter what happened, Alcide is still part of the pack.”
I looked away. “I know that, Genius, but that doesn’t mean I can forgive him.”
Alcide had walked out on us when I was little. Mom cried herself to sleep for months after he disappeared. I remembered comforting her when Zeus wasn’t around. I remembered waiting for Alcide to come home and realizing he never would.
Genius wrapped his arms around me.
“Princess, I know this hurts. But at least hear Zeus out before you confront Alcide. Being Queen means dealing with difficult situations, even when you don’t want to.”
I hated that he was right.
Finally, I sighed. “Fine. I’ll listen. But I’m still angry.”
Genius smiled and kissed my forehead.
“Thank you, Princess. Now get dressed and meet us in your office.”
After he left, I walked to the closet and searched for something that looked powerful but still felt like me. Eventually, I settled on a fitted red-and-black dress with matching black heels.
Once I finished getting ready, I took a deep breath and headed downstairs toward my office.
The moment I opened the door, I found Zeus, Daniel, and Genius waiting for me. Nervous tension settled in my stomach as I crossed the room and sat behind my desk.
Genius immediately moved beside me, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder.
I looked directly at Zeus.
“So,” I said firmly, “you wanted to explain yourself. Start talking.”
Zeus sighed heavily and lowered his head.
“Look, Squirt, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Alcide was coming,” he admitted. “But I knew how you’d react.”
I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
“Our uncle is the only person alive who can properly train you,” Zeus explained. “He trained Mom to become Alpha. And even though you and Mom shared similar powers, yours are stronger.”
That caught my attention.
“I called him because I needed proof that you were truly the Queen,” Zeus continued. “At first, he didn’t believe me either. But when he felt your call through the pack bond, he came immediately.”
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
“And honestly… I still don’t know the full reason he left all those years ago. But I knew we needed him.”
I sat quietly for a moment, trying to process everything. Part of me understood Zeus’s reasoning, but another part still hurt that he had made such a huge decision without talking to me first.
Then Daniel stepped forward.
“Artemis, I should apologize too,” he admitted. “I knew Zeus contacted Alcide. I didn’t know everything, but I knew he was coming.”
I shook my head immediately.
“Daniel, this isn’t your fault. Zeus knew how I felt about him.”
Then I turned back toward my brother.
“Some of your reasons make sense,” I admitted. “But you should’ve warned me.”
My voice cracked slightly as old emotions resurfaced.
“You weren’t the one comforting Mom after Alcide left. I was. You didn’t see how badly it destroyed her.”
Tears filled my eyes despite my efforts to hold them back.
“He was important to both of us, Zeus. Then he just disappeared without even explaining why.”
Before I could stop myself, the tears finally spilled over.
Genius crouched beside my chair and wrapped his arms around me.
Zeus stepped closer but stopped himself from touching me.
“Squirt,” he said quietly, “I’m truly sorry. You have every right to be angry. But please… let him explain before you decide to hate him forever.”
I looked toward Genius, and he gave me a small nod.
Finally, I sighed heavily.
“Fine. Bring him in. But the rest of the pack doesn’t need to see this.”
Zeus and Daniel immediately left the office while Genius stayed beside me.
“Princess,” he whispered, “you’re doing the right thing.”
I leaned into him gratefully.
“Thank you for staying with me through all of this.”
He smiled softly. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
A few minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” I called quietly.
Zeus and Daniel entered first, followed by Alcide.
My uncle stayed near the doorway, almost like he was afraid to come any closer.
Genius squeezed my hand encouragingly.
I straightened in my chair.
“Alcide,” I said carefully, “these three convinced me to hear you out. So explain why you abandoned us.”
Alcide lowered his head before taking a slow breath.
“Artemis… I never wanted to leave you,” he said quietly. “Your mother forced me to.”
Shock crossed both Zeus’s face and mine.
“What?” I whispered.
He nodded sadly.
“You and I were inseparable, Art. Your mother believed being around me too much would awaken your powers before you were ready.”
I frowned in confusion but motioned for him to continue.
“The day before I left, your mother and I went for a walk,” he explained. “During that walk, we were attacked by wolves searching for you. They wanted to hurt you.”
My stomach twisted.
“Your mother and I fought them off together. Afterward, she decided the safest option was to disappear again. I offered to leave instead and keep the enemies focused on me.”
I held up my hand to stop him.
“So you left to protect us?”
He nodded immediately.
“Then why didn’t you contact us?” I demanded, tears returning. “Why didn’t you come back after Mom died?”
Pain flashed across his face.
“Because I was captured,” he admitted quietly. “They tortured me for information about you.”
Then, slowly, Alcide lifted his shirt.
Scars covered his chest, stomach, and back.
My breath caught.
The room fell silent.
“I would’ve come back if I could have,” he whispered. “You were like a daughter to me, Artemis. Everything I did was to keep you safe.”
I completely broke down after that.
Genius stood and motioned for Zeus and Daniel to follow him out.
“Princess,” he said gently, “this is something you need to finish on your own.”
The door closed behind them, leaving only Alcide and me inside the office.
Slowly, he approached the desk.
“Art,” he said softly, “I know I hurt you. But I swear I never stopped loving you.”
The pain in his voice shattered the last of my anger.
When he wrapped his arms around me, I didn’t pull away.
Instead, I buried my face in his chest and cried.
He held me for what felt like hours, apologizing over and over until exhaustion finally dragged me into sleep.
When I woke up, I was still curled against him while Genius, Zeus, and Daniel sat quietly nearby.
I rubbed my eyes sheepishly.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
Genius smiled warmly.
“It’s okay, Princess. You needed the rest.”
I turned toward Alcide.
“So… you really stayed away all these years to protect me?”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
I took a shaky breath before asking the question weighing on me most.
“Do you know who’s been hunting me?”
Alcide’s expression darkened.
“Yes and no.”
That confused me instantly.
Genius spoke first. “What does that mean?”
“I know the pack behind it,” Alcide explained. “But not every member agrees with their Alpha. Some want to join you instead. The problem is that their Alpha bound them to silence.”
I frowned. “How can he stop them from talking?”
“When an Alpha gives a direct oath,” Alcide explained, “breaking it can have severe consequences. Some wolves lose their voices. Others die.”
That sent chills down my spine.
I still had so much to learn about being Queen.
After talking for a while longer, Genius and I finally headed downstairs to meet the rest of the pack.
The moment we entered the main room, conversations stopped.
Genius smiled at me before addressing everyone.
“I want to thank all of you for coming home,” he announced. “Tonight, we run together as one pack beneath the moon.”
Excitement spread through the room instantly.
Outside, Genius and I shifted first, and one by one, the rest of the pack followed.
Together, we ran through the forest for hours beneath the moonlight.
For the first time in my life, I truly understood what it meant to belong somewhere.
Eventually, we reached an open field and collapsed together beneath the stars.
As I looked around at the wolves resting beside me, warmth filled my chest.
This was my family.
These were my people.
And no matter what happened, I would protect them with everything I had.
One by one, the pack slowly drifted to sleep beneath the night sky.
Surrounded by my wolves, I closed my eyes too, knowing that for the first time in a long while…
I wasn’t alone anymore.
- Writer
