The Half-Blood

"What?" Artemis entered the kitchen like a hurricane, chasing Uncle Pete. Tara, who was rocking in a chair, nearly spilled the beer she was sipping. "Mis, try to understand," Uncle Pete said in a low, calm voice, "our pack needs this alliance." "You sold me out!" She accused him. "I offered your skills to the Moonrivers, you are the most valuable thing we have." "I repeat: you sold me out!" "Artemis!" he raised his voice, growling, "Since your father's death, the wolves of Texas have been divided and weakened. The witches and vampires have returned to hunt and kill us. We are few, we are weak. We had no choice. I had no choice. Other packs offered them strong warriors, money, lands. We had nothing left but you," Uncle Pete explained. "My family's lands," she said with tears in her eyes. "Yes, I know. They took everything from you, but you're still alive! I raised and protected you, now I'm asking you to protect me and my people," he said, taking her hand. Artemis stood still, staring at him thoughtfully. Pete was not really her uncle. He had been her father's best friend, and, when he died, Pete saved her and took care of the orphan girl. Although, he left her alone many times, too many, face to face with the hate and disgust of the werewolves. She had to cut her teeth, she was not a fairy tale princess, but a hybrid werewolf princess, he often said. She was nobody's princess. She had never belonged to the pack because she was a half-blood; for the other werewolves she was a witch, not one of them. And who could blame them? By now she was 18 years old and had never displayed any of the characteristics of werewolves: no super strength, no super speed, her senses were like those of a normal human being. Moreover, she had never shifted; werewolves did not shift into animal form until around the age of 14-15 and when Artemis didn't transform, the pack had proof of how far away she was from being a werewolf. "Why are you talking to me like I have a choice?" She said, pulling her hand away from Uncle Pete's. "You've already decided for me." "The Moonrivers are not like the werewolves you're grew up with. They understand how special and precious you are. They will make you an ally and a weapon." "You suck at convincing people, Uncle Pete" Tara exclaimed, reaching them. "But you know what, Mis?" She said, turning to Artemis. "He's right, they are different from the wolves in this pack. I know one of the three Moonriver brothers. You'll see, we'll be fine." "We?" Artemis asked, raising her eyebrows. "They've agreed to let Tara move in too, so you'll have a friendly face around," Uncle Pete explained. "Will we be roommates?" Artemis asked with a broad smile. Uncle Pete shook his head and explained that they had agreed to have her best friend move in as well, but Artemis would live with them in their mansion, the only way to protect her. Artemis blurted out again. "To control me, you want to say! They don't trust me! What makes them different from other werewolves?" "Enough! I'm tired of arguing. You will go to the Moonrivers and one day you will thank me for all of this, you ungrateful wayward girl." Uncle Pete left the room muttering. Artemis burst into tears in Tara's arms. "I don't want to live in a mansion of werewolves." She knew nothing about that pack, she had never been interested in the werewolf population, it was enough for her to have known her own pack, which is shameful for a princess, or a former one. "Hey, what are you complaining about? I wish I could be you and go live with those three", Tara said with a mischievous smile. "Stop it..." Artemis muttered to her friend, putting her forehead on hers. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. I'm honest with you, when I say that the three brothers are really cool guys. Everyone praises Alpha Jared, and I knew one of the twins - Mayson. And I mean, I knew him really well." Tara grinned mischievously. "You had s*x with him?" She squinted. "Are you judging me, sister?" She laughed. "Every she-wolf from here to New York wants a piece of Mayson," she winked. "You're disgusting!" She pushed her away. "You say that because you've never seen him! And you haven't seen his brothers! You don't know how many things I've imagined..." "Enough!" She raised her hands in surrender. Artemis confessed to Tara that she had seen them once when they were children. She was 7 years old, the twins were 11 and Jared was 14. It happened three weeks before her parents died. They went to see the Moonrivers because her father had important business to discuss with the father of the three, the then Alpha Trevor Moonriver. She still remembered them very well. Growing up, she had never seen any werewolves that looked like them. They had the classic Nordic look: Alpha Trevor was tall and strong like all werewolves, but his skin was very fair, his hair was honey blond, and his eyes were gray. His wife, Luna Astrid, was very thin and petite, with long wavy platinum blonde hair and had azure eyes. The twins, Caleb and Mayson, had their mother's platinum blonde hair, but their eyes had a wonderful special feature that Artemis never forgot: the right eye was green and the left was azure blue; while Jared had his father's honey hair and his mother's eyes. She had no idea how the three siblings had grown up, but the excitement in Tara's voice was already a clue. "Why didn't you ever tell me you knew them?" Artemis shrugged. "It doesn't matter, they probably don't even remember me. I remember they were all very nice to me at the time." "Which of the three did little Artemis have a crush on?" Tara winked at her. "Tara, stop it! We were just kids." She laughed. "Now I understand why they agreed to take you with them so easily. There are political issues, they grant alliance and protection, but usually, they ask a lot in return. The other packs got something after months or years of negotiation. But with Uncle Pete, they were too kind and permissive." Tara was thoughtful. Artemis frowned at her. "Did you go with Uncle Pete to talk to them?" "Well, remember that weekend we went away to solve some pack stuff?" "Tara, you already knew everything and didn't tell me anything?" She said, opening her big blue eyes wide. "I promised it to my new Alpha." Artemis looked at her in shock, heading to her room. "Come on, Mis. You know it's wolf's stuff. I can't say no to my Alpha." "He's not your Alpha, yet!" she yelled, slamming and locked her room door. "Go away" she muttered from inside, knowing she could hear it. Tara sighed, feeling guilty about the whole thing. A month earlier, she had traveled to Montana with Uncle Pete to discuss the proposal that he had made to Alpha Jared over the phone. During the trip, Uncle Pete explained the plan and proposal to her. Tara was upset at first, but then she understood the importance of this agreement. Curiously, Alpha Jared's choice of meeting place was their mansion, not the council chambers. The only council members present were the entire Moonriver family. The old Alpha greeted Pete with a warm hug. Tara realized that they had known each other for a long time. "We didn't know you were bringing anyone," said Luna Astrid. "Sorry, I decided at last minute. This is Tara, Artemis' best friend." The three brothers smiled at her. Luna Astrid had prepared a feast for them. During dinner, Uncle Pete and Trevor told anecdotes from the past, some of which involved Lance Rufus, Artemis' father. The three brothers were amused by the tales of drunkenness and brawls. Luna Astrid sometimes sighed and shook her head, amused by the reaction of her three sons. When dessert was finished, Uncle Pete took the wine glass and said: "I wish I could raise this glass and toast a deal tonight." "Your pack will be annexed to our Texas pack that has already been formed," Alpha Jared exclaimed. "Thank you, Alpha." Uncle Pete said with a shaking voice. "We will take Artemis into custody," he said. Pete nodded. "She's a complicated girl. Her life hasn't been sunshine and roses, and her experience with the werewolves in our pack hasn't been the most positive. That's why I thought you could take Tara, too, so that Artemis has a friend here." The five Moonrivers exchanged confused glances. "What Pete means is that I need to stay here with her to keep her from jumping off the roof," Tara said. "I think my brothers and I can handle that," Gamma Mayson said with a grin. "Yes, you will? Tell me about your experience babysitting a witch with a she-wolf temper." Both twins smiled amusedly at the idea of babysitting the witch. Tara looked back at them. They're going to be a problem, she thought. "So, Artemis will be in our care, moving in and living with us. We will find a home for Tara, and she will be able to visit whenever she wants. In return, what is left of Lance Rufus' pack will join the part of our pack that is in Texas, under my command as sole Alpha. We will make this official at the Council. I will arrange this as soon as possible," Alpha Jared said in a solemn voice. Uncle Pete bowed his head to the Alpha and then turned to Tara. "You don't have to tell her anything until the meeting with the Council has been arranged to make it official." "What? I can't keep something like this from her. She will know." "Stop it, she can't read minds." "She can't? Are you sure?" She said, crossing her arms. "Tara, she could do something stupid. We'll tell her everything when we take her to the Council," he said, giving Alpha Jared a smile. "But you're crazy, she'll freak out," she raised her voice. "Yes, but she won't have the time or the way to do anything stupid." "Tara" Alpha Jared thundered with authority, "it is important that everything goes smoothly and that there are no problems to bring to the attention of the Council. It is as important to you as it is to us that this deal goes through. Don't say anything to her." "Yes, Alpha," she replied, bowing her head. Artemis had curled up in her bed and thought about the past. She avoided telling Tara an episode about the time she met the Moonrivers. A secret that belonged only to her and the three brothers. They were in the snowy yard of the Moonrivers' mansion playing chase with the twins, while Jared, at his mother's request, watched over them. At one point, she heard Caleb call out: "Look!" He had found a baby robin dead in the snow. "Was it shot?", he asked his older brother. "No," he replied, "it died of the cold." Artemis approached curiously and when she saw the baby robin, she instinctively grabbed it and held it in her little hands. The three looked at her in confusion. Artemis closed her eyes and blew on her hands, which glowed with a golden light. The three brothers were incredulous: that was magic! She opened her hands again and the bird flew away chirping. "Wow!" the twins exclaimed in unison. Artemis put a finger to her lips. "Shh. Don't tell. Promise!" The three nodded in silence. Artemis smiled and ran off into the snow, her red hair blowing in the cold Montana wind. Artemis sighed, wondering if they had kept their promise and still remembered her after all these years. Tara knocked on the door. "Mis, please. Talk to me." Silence. "Okay. We're as**oles, you're right. But this deal is the most important of our lives. Uncle Pete wants you to leave this place that has been hell for you, and try to send you to this wonderful Alpha and his family. I assure you, that they will not insult you, beat you or spit on you. If that happens, I promise, we will run away together." "Promise?" Artemis asked and opened the door. "Yes, stupid witchy-wolfy". They hugged each other. Tara ruffled her hair. "I'm going to go home, get some clothes and come back to you. The Moonrivers have been here for days, Mayson likes to hang out at the Black Stone Club. We'll go over and say hello." Tara ran away before Artemis could protest.