A Wolf Of the Sun

Eighteen.

Drew felt a soft breeze blow across her laying in Noah’s bed. She stirred slowly. She had spent the past week closed in Noah’s room. Noah was the only person who came and went, and brought her whatever she needed. She hadn’t even seen Kaloni or Walker. She was already tired of being locked in the room, not allowed to go anywhere.

As the days had dragged on, Drew had started to notice that Noah’s eyes had started to change. When she originally came, they were clear and beautiful, but now they were bloodshot, the rims of his irises had started to get this weird black veining leaking towards his pupils. It was genuinely terrifying.

She shifted in the bed and looked up; Noah was nowhere in the room, but a beautiful woman with silver hair was sitting on the edge of the bed. Drew sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Mum?” She asked quietly. She smiled as the woman reached out and touched her face. She leaned into the warm hand resting on her cheek.

“My little girl.” She murmured. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I had discussions with… some family.” She took a deep breath. Selene turned her head and waved a hand, the balcony doors blew open to reveal the cool Australian night with the full moon shining down on them. “You cannot stay here any longer.” She whispered. She turned her head and cupped her daughter’s cheeks gently. “Kaloni and Walker will lead you from here, but a battle is about to begin. And You cannot be here for it.”

Drew furrowed her brows. Tears caught in her eyes. “Who am I supposed to be with? Dad told me I have two mates - and I met Caysen… but…”

Selene smiled warmly to her daughter. “This war is for you.” She leaned forward and kissed Drew’s forehead. “And whoever wins this war, shall be the one to be your mate.”

“And it will be Caysen.” A blonde was standing in the corner of the room now. Drew’s head snapped in her direction.

“Who are you?” Drew’s eyes widened. The woman was beautiful, so incredibly beautiful.

“Aphrodite.” Selene murmured. “She and her sisters are here to protect you.” Selene added, before pulling Drew into her arms. She closed her eyes tightly. “I am sorry, that I never got to spend time with you.”

Drew’s stomach started to drop. “Why does this sound like a goodbye?” Her voice cracked a little. She looked towards Aphrodite, who had sadness in her crystal blue eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Helios stepped into the room from the balcony. “Ares manipulated us.” Helios started. He convinced us your true, only mate, Caysen… was going to kill you when he awoke. He pretended to be the Werewolf king to manipulate your mother and I to bend to his will.” Helios sighed as Drew started to tremble. “Your mother and I are not Olympians. We do not hold seats in the grand palace. We came before the Olympians.”

Drew’s stomach knotted tightly. She really did feel like she was on the verge of getting sick.

“So tonight, to bind Ares and imprison him… we are sacrificing ourselves.” Selene whispered.

Drew got up out of the bed. “NO!” She screamed. “NO!” She repeated, tears streaking further.

“Apollo and Artemis will be taking our places fully, as they have always been destined to.” Helios continued, neither of her parents were letting her get a word in.

Drew shook her head furiously. “NO!”

“ARIANTHE.” A new, loud booming voice shook the room. Everyone in the room turned towards the door, Aphrodite bowed her head while Helios and Selene were immediately on their knees, heads bent down in submission. “This is the punishment I have placed upon your parents for not seeing through Ares’ cowardice.” An older man, with a thick white beard and hair walked into the room, adorned in gold and silver armor. In his left hand, he clenched a thunderbolt.

Drew was shaking, but she didn’t bend in submission. She stared firmly at the man, the god. “So you’re going to punish me?” She asked, tears starting to fall rapidly.

“Arianthe.” Zeus’ voice was soft now. “It was my own mistakes that caused all of this.” He came forward and as he did, his physical appearance started to shift. His long white hair turned black, his eyes remained the same steely blue, his beard disappeared. He looked like a handsome young version of the god who had been before her. “It is because Aphrodite and I had out Caysen that you have been put through all this pain. You were killed once before, and I will not let it happen again. My son does not deserve to be devastated so.”

Drew’s tears poured more rapidly. “So you’ll devastate me?”

Selene came up behind her daughter. She wrapped her arms around her from behind and held her tightly. “Zeus… is right. You will be okay. Artemis will have my love for you, as Apollo will have your fathers. We are going to become part of them, while we use our physical bodies to trap Ares.”

Drew shook her head furiously. She hugged her mother tightly then reached out and hugged her father as well as he came forward.

Aphrodite and Zeus walked up as well. Drew tensed up, her teary brown eyes fell on Zeus. “Why was I raised by a bunch of wolves who abused me though?”

Zeus sighed. He shook his head. “They were followers of Ares, their entire pack. They were to raise you until Ares had enough power or found a way to destroy your bond to Caysen. He thought he had. But Ares forgot…” Zeus turned his head to Aphrodite.

Aphrodite smiled. “No one can break my bonds, but me.” She reached up and cupped Drew’s cheeks in her hands. “Will you accept your true name? And your true mate?”

Drew hesitated. The past week had been painful torture with Noah. He had pinned her down multiple times and done things to her body that made her cringe, she refused to think about it. He had slapped her around, cursed her out and just… he was losing his humanity. But she was afraid. Because all she had heard was terrifying things about Caysen.

“Can I… meet him first?” She whispered. “Before I… accept anything?”

“Of course you can.” Zeus nodded. He turned his head to the balcony.

Drew lifted her head and her eyes fell on Caysen, dressed in all black leather armor. His light brown hair was a mess, his steely blue eyes were focused on Drew. 

She walked towards the balcony, towards him. She stopped just short, her petite frame making her crane her head to look up at him. 

The two stared at each other, everyone else had filtered out of the room. It hadn’t occurred to Drew that Noah had come in while she was wrapped up in Caysen’s beautiful eyes. She stepped forward towards him and reached her hand out. Caysen had started to reach out for her when a roar ripped through the room.

Caysen’s head snapped up. He stared at Noah, who’s body had started to contort, the anger in his eyes had caused them to turn a putrid black, the veins around his eyes had started to blacken as well, as if the hatred was poisoning him and killing Noah’s humanity.

Drew gasped softly. Caysen reached out and pulled Drew into his arms immediately. He stepped back out onto the balcony, to get them both further away from Noah, whose bones were now cracking and snapping. Caysen lifted Drew into his arms. He looked at her face, then he leaned over and whispered. “Don’t look.” Then he stepped back up onto the bannister of the balcony railing and did a flip backwards off of it.

He landed on the sandy beaches below and set Drew down on her feet. He turned his head and nodded to Kaloni who had come running with Walker, Kaloni was carrying a cloak, and Walker was geared up in both ancient and modern weapons.

“You need  to leave now.” Caysen murmured. But before he let her go, he pulled Drew in and kissed her. Drew let out a soft whimper and slid her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him.

No kiss she had shared with Noah, no kiss she had ever shared with anyone felt nearly as wonderful and explosive as this. Caysen’s lips molded with hers in a way she didn’t realize was even possible. Every inch of her felt like it was catching on fire and she felt the snap of a bond firmly place in her heart and mind, and she could feel him. She was bound to Caysen. Tears streaked her face as she pulled back.

“You will come find me. And we will be together.” Drew stated in a very stern, no-bullshit attitude.

Caysen smirked. He pressed his forehead to hers. “Arianthe, I have been waiting for you. Of course I will.”

Kaloni hurried forward and wrapped Drew in the cloak. “Come on, we have to go now. Or… that thing will kill you.” Kaloni hugged Drew and pulled her from Caysen, who nodded.

“I’ll see you in New York.” Caysen called to Drew.

Drew’s eyes widened. “We’re going back there…?” She turned her head to Kaloni who nodded. 

“There is a god who presides over New York City that not even Ares will get in a fight with. He tried a few times, but failed” Kaloni giggled.

Drew furrowed her brows. “What?”

“Hephaestus.” Walker chimed in. “Aphrodite’s husband, the one god who has ever captured and humiliated Ares to a full extent. New York City was gifted to him by Alastor -erm- Zeus.” He cleared his throat. “Alastor is just… Zeus.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

Caysen smiled. “My step-father is fond of me, as I am of him. So I will see you there.” He kissed Drew’s forehead before Kaloni and Walker quickly grabbed her hands and ran towards a waiting car.

It was about the same time that there was a loud explosion, and then a tremor as a hideous, monstrosity of a wolf had come out of the palace. He was black, massive with gnarled fangs sticking out of his mouth. His eyes were obsidian, devoid of any humanity or emotion but anger. His claws were more like hawk or eagle talons. His muscles were massive, and his thick black fur was dripping with some weird green-esque substance.

Caysen turned to face his opponent. “So it comes to this, I am sorry Noah.” Caysen murmured under his breath and took a deep, but slow inhale.