The stop at the hotel had been fairly quick. Sol had been in and out within the hour which gave Artemis some time to wander the premises and enjoy the business which he had built from the ground up.

She wondered why he didn't talk about it more. It was impressive to be the proud owner of an established hotel.

But after that he had become suspiciously quiet as he drove them home. The only time he had spoken to her was when he had pulled over to a gas station and asked if she wanted anything while he went inside to day. She had replied 'no' and when he returned and started up the car again, she was back on the receiving end of his silent treatment.

Artemis briefly wondered if something had happened at the hotel but she wasn't brave enough to ask.

Sol sighed and for the millionth time that car ride, his eyes fleeted sideways towards Artemis whom was awkwardly staring out of the window. He wasn't angry at her but he just couldn't help but allow his bad mood to bring him down even if he knew that nothing had actually happened.

Well, for one, she was sitting in the car with him as he drove back to their homely cabin in the woods and not back at her old pack, starting a family with Zac.

Exhaling, he kept his eyes on the road even though his mind was elsewhere. "You've got everybody's phone number, right?" He asked in hopes of starting a conversation.

Her head perked up at that, a small smile gracing her face as he spared a quick glance away from the road ahead. There was still about two hours until he would reach their forest cabin and spending it in uncomfortable silence didn't sound very ideal.

"I did, I've saved them all into my phone already." She smiled to herself, remembering the many memories she was taking home with her of her newly-found family whom she loved and cared for dearly already.

Sol nodded happily. He wanted her to stay in touch with her family because he knew that it would make her happy and that was the top priority on his list. "Did you enjoy yourself?" He asked in hopes of keeping the conversation flowing. He wasn't too sure if she felt it but from his side of the car, things felt very tense especially because he desperately wanted to know what Zac had said to her and how she had reacted to the situation.

Artemis nodded, a smile still on her face. "It was great getting to know my family and spending time with them." She informed him happily, though was quick to add on a last little bit. "But I'm glad that I get to go home with you."

"You really mean that?" He asked, his eyes dashing between the road ahead of them and her sat in the passenger seat as he waited for her answer. It appeased him greatly to know that she was returning home with him, even more so that she wanted to and was happy about it.

"I do, trust me, I do." She attempted to convince him, reaching out and patting his shoulder in an assuring manner. "I loved meeting them and do look forward getting to know them but I just can't picture myself moving back into that pack and pretending that everything was fine and normal."

Sol nodded understandingly. "Well, as long as you're happy."

"I am," she promised him. "You know," she began with the intent of changing the topic. "Zac was absolutely unbearable today. He just wouldn't give up no matter how many times I insisted that he drop the subject." She sighed and shook her head as she recalled the situation.

Sol didn't plan to bring up the topic until they were home, perhaps even over dinner but since she had done the job for him already, he was intent of fishing for the answers to his many questions. "What did he want to talk to you about?" He asked casually in hopes that he didn't sound like he was interested even though he very much was.

"As crazy as it sounds, he said he wanted me to be his mate." Artemis scoffed and laid her head back against the head rest. "Crazy, right?"

Sol's eyebrows rose in surprise even though he wasn't all that surprised. He wanted to laugh at the situation but he was sure that if he did, then it would come out as fake.

"Sol?" She called out to him when he didn't reply, her eyes watching him wondering if something was wrong.

"Yeah," he chuckled quietly though it was anything but filled with joy. "Crazy."

Artemis stilled as she watched him, the way he seemed to be avoiding all eye contact, the way his jaw had tensed and his grip on the steering wheel was heavier and far firmer than needed. "You knew about this, didn't you?" She asked despite the fact that she knew the answer just by looking at his demeanour as soon as she brought up the topic.

Sol didn't need to reply for Artemis to get her answer. "You knew about this and you didn't say anything to me!" She shrieked, her words sounding out to be more of a statement than the question that she had intended them to be. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

He shrugged and kept his eyes on the road. He didn't trust himself. "I didn't know what to say." It was only half a lie, the lying part being that he knew exactly what he wanted to say but was sure that he would get a shoe up his ass for the way he would end up wording it.

"You should have still told me!" She closed her eyes, leaned her head back and rubbed her forehead as she sat quietly in thought. "I can't believe you knew about this and you didn't say anything to me." She muttered quietly under her breath, the words almost too quiet for him to hear. Her disbelief of his knowing of the truth had been far greater than he had initially assumed it to be.

"Well," Sol cleared his throat awkwardly, his eyes glancing over to her sneakily. "What did you say to him?"

Artemis opened her eyes and sat up in her seat, sending him a deadpan look, surprised that he had to even ask. "I said no, obviously."

"Obviously," he chuckled, this one genuine.

She sighed and slouched back down in her seat, her eyes staring straight ahead at the long span of empty road ahead of them. "You should have told him that I would never go along with the idea."

"I did." He assured her, shrugging casually when she looked over to him in suspicious. "I promise you I told him that you wouldn't want to be his mate, especially after only knowing him for an hour at most."

"Exactly!" She agreed in exasperation. "I have no idea why he thought it would be a good idea to

"He clearly likes you." He stated the obvious, surprised that she hadn't seen this already.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Just because you like someone doesn't mean that you go and express to them your desire to spend the rest of your life by their side!"

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "You have a point there."

"Of course, I have a point." She sighed. "I don't even know him enough to date him let alone agree to be his mate. And anyway," she trailed off with no intent of finishing that sentence.

When she made no move or gesture to continue, Sol nudged her softly. "And anyway?" He repeated her words in hopes that she would continue speaking.

Artemis wasn't as upset or angry as she had been that morning after Zac had asked for them to be mates and for her to leave everything behind so they could get to know each other, but ranting to Sol about the strange situation did help take her mind off things. Plus, it was good to get a laugh out of it, even if it was at her own expense.

"I don't really find him very attractive." She admitted honestly.

"You don't?" He asked, glancing at her briefly as a faint smile crept onto his face.

"No," she shrugged nonchalantly.

"You tell him that?"

Artemis bit her tongue momentarily before she shook her head, no. "Not exactly in those words." She winced as she recalled just how badly Zac had reacted earlier that day when she had denied him and told him the truth instead. Now, he wasn't far off when he guessed that Artemis had taken a liking to Sol but frankly, that was none of his business and did not affect him, neither good or bad, in any way.

"What words did you use then?"

"I just told him that I liked someone else." She shrugged casually hoping that Sol didn't realise that she was growing slightly flustered with the turn their conversation was taking. Artemis hadn't planned on telling him that she liked him as of yet, and she wasn't even completely sure if she wanted to pursue any sort of relationship but friendship with him, but she found her cheeks warming and her heart palpitating faster none the less.

Sol stilled momentarily, his whole body shocked at what she had just admitted though he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"That's what you told him?"

"Yeah," she affirmed. "He didn't take it very well."

"Well, I would be very surprised if he did take it well."

Artemis laughed softly. "Yeah, I see your point."

"So, do you like somebody or did you just make it up to get him off your back?"

"I like you." She stated openly, happy that the words were out but nervous about Sol's reaction towards them.

Sol had to stop himself from pressing down on the brake pedal harshly as her words registered in his mind. "Me?" He found himself asking dumbfoundedly even though he had heard her perfectly clearly.

"No, the other guy in the car." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Well, yes, you." She frowned. Perhaps this wasn't such a great idea, admitting her feelings for him this way and so soon at that too but it was too late to take her words back.

Sol smiled and stared forward as he continued their drive home. "Well, good," his smile only widened as she continued to frown. "Cause I like you too."

-

You can wait for the next chapter which will be uploaded on 15/01/2020

OR

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Layla Knight

10.09.18