The Luna Chronicles: A Mate's Betrayal

Chapter4

I came out of my room to go grab something to eat. I was hungry, I hadn’t really eaten in a while; Violet still wasn’t answering me. When I walked into the kitchen, my grandmother Hera was standing at the stove cooking something, “Artemis dear, have a seat I am cooking something for you guys to eat.”

Ok, that’s not weird at all, but I didn’t say anything I just walked over to the table, pulling a chair out. I looked around and noticed that I was the only one in the kitchen. “Hera, where is everyone else? Genius left the room a while ago I thought he would be out here talking with you?”

She just waved her hand at me, but did not respond. Why can’t anyone just give me a straight answer when I ask for one? I leaned back into the kitchen chair, looking out the window she had above the kitchen sink, you know, it’s really weird, you can’t really see any birds flying around or hear them, I wonder why that is. I zoned out, looking out the window, when I was startled. I looked in front of Hera and myself, placing a bowl of this weird-looking soup in front of me. “Eat up, my dear, your wolf needs the strength after what happened, that is why she is not responding to you today.”

I didn’t look at her, I just picked up my spoon and filled it up with the soup. It looked weird, but it was delicious. We sat in silence while I ate my soup. Once I was finished, I pushed it away from me. I went to get up when Hera cleared her throat. "Artemis, we’re not going to talk about earlier right now, just listen to me for a minute, you are going to rest for the day with your little family, Ares and I have to leave for a little bit, then when I get back, I will have some answers for everyone.”

I must have looked at her like she had grown another head. How can we not talk about it? I am not even sure what the hell happened earlier. I opened my mouth then closed it again, thinking of how to say this without being needy, "How can we not talk about it that was f*****g weird and you just want me to ignore it.”

She just shook her head before standing up I could see it on her face that she was angry with me, “What the hell did I just tell you? Just listen to me. There is absolutely no more training today, no more reading the book, and no more doing the travels that you have. You will stay at the damn house and do what you’re told to do, you understand me!!”

This just made me angrier, but before I could say anything else, she just disappeared into thin air once again. How can everyone expect me to learn any damn thing if they won’t talk to me or let me train?

I got up from the table and went to go into the den, but she put a damn locked gate on the den. I went to touch it, but was immediately thrown back onto the floor with such force that I hit my head on the floor. What the hell was that? I stood up, dusting myself off, and went to try again, but then I heard Zeus, “Squirt, what are you doing? Didn’t Hera tell you there was no training today?”

Turning around, staring daggers through him, he just threw his hands up in surrender, "Don’t get mad at me, I am just following the rules, same as everyone else.”

I went to walk past him to go back to my bedroom, but he grabbed my arm, spinning me around, "Come on, squirt, don’t be like that, you know I am just trying to help.”

Yanking my arm free from his hand, “Well, Zeus, nothing is helping me. How am I supposed to be this all-powerful Queen of all supernaturals and Luna of a damn pack if nobody will explain anything to me or let me f*****g finish my damn training?”

Zeus went to say something, but then he just stared behind me, and I didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was. I could smell him; he always seems to know when something is wrong with me. “Zeus, go outside for a second and get the fire going, and everything we will be out in a moment.”

Zeus didn’t argue with him, just walked past us before going outside. I turned around to look at Genius, “Why do you always have to come running when I am angry?”

I went to walk away from him, but he just pulled me into his chest, hugging me; just that simple gesture calmed me immediately. “Princess, I do it because I love you, and I know that you’re angry about everything, but let’s just take the rest of the day for us. We haven’t hung out since the first day we were here, and to be honest, we could all use the break.”

I knew he was right, but it still made me angry with how much everyone just kept trying to control me. I was the one who was going through all of this with no explanation, not them. Genius grabbed my chin with his hand, lifting my head, then he bent down and kissed me, but not a normal kiss, one of the most passionate kisses he has given me in a long time. It feels like. When he broke the kiss, he looked at me deep in my eyes, “Princess, I know that you are angry with everything that has been happening, but please just let it go for tonight and let us be with our family. Hera will give us answers later, ok?”

I knew that I couldn’t argue with him, so I didn’t even try to. Genius grabbed my hand, leading me outside to where the hot tub was, and a little way from that was a bonfire with this turning roast pipe. On that was some sort of meat, I don’t know what kind, but it looked amazing. Genius led me to where the boys were sitting. Once I sat down in the chair, Genius went over to Zeus to help him finish cooking, and Alcide came over to me and sat down. "Artemis I am sorry if I made you feel like I was scared of you or anything. It was just after what Zeus told me, it worried me.”

Looking at him, confused, "Why would it worry you?”

He just looked at me like I was an i***t, “Artemis, did you really just ask me that? You should know that the answer to that is because you’re my niece and I love you.”

Looking at the ground, and pushed some of the twigs around before I heard Zeus and Genius giggling and walking towards Alcide and me with some plates. I grabbed my plate and placed the mystery meat into my mouth, and it just melted. It was so tender; I wonder how long they have been cooking it.

We just ate in silence for a moment before Zeus’s loud mouth had to interrupt the silence, "Squirt, I know you have been having a rough couple of days but we were all wondering if you would like to go running in our wolf forms tonight we could all use it the wolves have been itching to get out and I know Violet has been to?”

I looked at him, but I couldn’t say anything because I just started laughing my ass off I was laughing so hard, I just ended up falling out of the chair, crying my eyes out. After what seemed like forever, I was able to compose myself, and everyone was staring at me like I had lost my mind.

I just looked at Zeus, "I am sorry for laughing, but you said that so damn fast it sounded like when you were talking to mom and knew you were in trouble.”

Zeus’s cheeks turned a bright red before he turned away from me, "Aw, come on, Zeus, you know it’s the truth, but yes, that would be amazing as long as I can get Violet to talk to me again!”

They all turned to me and stared at me like I grew a new head, Alcide was the first one to get anything out, though, "What do you mean Violet is not talking to you?”

Shaking my head, "Exactly what I just said, she won’t answer me. I have been trying since the training with Ares.”

They all looked at each other before Alcide nodded his head like they were having their own private conversation, “Well, we have a few hours before the ru,n so you might want to zone out and do that weird thing and try and find her in your head and talk to her, we all want to run with her, prettttyyyy pllllleeeeaassssseeee.”

I just started laughing again, I couldn’t help it. Why were they all sounding like little kids right now? “I will just give myself a little bit longer to sit around the fire and just enjoy everyone’s company, ok.”

They all nodded before Genius came over, picking me up from the chair and sitting himself down, placing me in his lap. Smiling like he was the happiest man alive, I just snuggled into his chest and watched the flames from the fire dance in the sunset.