All the werewolves stood with their backs to the wall, restless. Tara had seen Artemis do witchy things several times, but each time her instincts screamed at her to run away.

They had rearranged the tables in the dining room, leaving a large space in the center. Artemis had made a circle of salt and placed five candles on the outside, forming the points of an invisible pentagram. She entered the circle with the map. From the beauty case Tara had brought her, she took out the amethyst pendulum her mother had given her.

She closed her eyes. The pendulum stopped on the map. Suddenly, all the candles lit, and the pendulum began to spin. All the werewolves shivered a little. The pendulum fell like an arrow fired by a precise archer to a point on the map. Mayson moved closer to see.

"The natural reserve, north of here."

Artemis opened her eyes. "I know exactly where he went, take me with you."

"No, you will write the directions there. Me, Caleb, Tara, my father and two warriors will go and dig it out. The others will stay here with you." The Alpha said, knowing it would be an uphill battle to convince Mayson to leave Artemis; the boundless interest his brother had always had in the girl was blossoming into something troubling.

Artemis changed into jeans and a yellow top with white lace at the bottom, her hair tied in a low ponytail. Mayson had stayed out of the room to give her privacy.

"Thank you," Artemis said, opening the door and handing him the clothes he had lent her.

"You look good in yellow," he told her with a smile.

"Thank you," she said again, in a cold tone, straining to smile.

Mayson joined her in the room and closed the door. "Explain to me all that stuff you were saying earlier about Brady." Artemis sighed nervously. Mayson felt her heart beat faster.

"Mis, you can tell me anything. Please trust me."

I must be out of my mind, Artemis thought. She felt an inner struggle, she did not know him, they were at war with witches, he could have misunderstood everything. A voice inside told her that he would understand and believe her. He is your mate, the voice thundered in her mind. Artemis gasped.

She sat down at the foot of the bed. "You know, my father told me something when we came to you. He told me that there were only a few people in the world that he trusted. One of them was your father. He told me that whatever would happen, I could always count on your father, and to trust your family. Only you and no one else."

"You should have stayed with us," Mayson replied.

"My life would have been different, but I never would have met Tara, so something good happened to me anyway." She looked into his eyes. He smiled at her.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I promise."

"Not even to the Alpha."

"I promise," the Gamma would not have to hide anything from the Alpha, but Artemis already understood that he was not the type to always follow the rules to the letter.

Artemis told of the strange experience she had. She could not explain how or why it had happened; she only described what she had seen, calling it a vision. The death of her parents, the way she had killed the witches. She also told him about the night of the Council, how Pete had insisted on taking her away and leaving them alone to face the vampires and witches.

Mayson was silent, obviously unnerved. Artemis could see the vein in his neck throbbing and his pupils dilating.

"If you want Brady stripped of his titles and punished for his lies, you need to talk to the Alpha." Mayson reached out and took her hands. "They will ask you questions about what happened the night of the Council. You decide what to say, I will still support you and I promise I will monitor this man until you make a decision about it."

She looked at him, his forelock was loose that day, combed back, giving him a disheveled look. His face seemed to have become even more handsome, his eyes were magnetic, his lips half-open... she kissed him again. She felt a heat flare in her stomach, rise in her chest. She pulled him to her.

She slipped off his shirt and stood looking at him, his pecs bulging, his abdomen sculpted. He had a sun tattooed around his navel. She caressed it.

Mayson took a deep breath. The smell was different, but the taste of her left him in no doubt. It was her, he had no doubt now. He cupped her face and resumed the kiss, pushing her down and making her lie down. Artemis felt Mayson's hands run down her body, caressing her hips, her tummy, her breasts. She felt her arousal grow, moistening her.

"Enough, enough!" she said, getting up and walking across the room. She blushed.

"What's going on?" he asked in surprise.

"What are you doing?" she asked him. She noticed Mayson's dark eyes.

"What am I doing? You started it," he laughed.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have. I didn't mean to. I don't know what I'm doing."

"You want me, stop pretending you don't." Mayson stood and walked toward her.

Artemis had no time to react; Mayson pinned her against the wall and resumed the kiss. He squeezed her bottom and pressed her against his underbelly. Artemis felt his erection.

"I'm fu****g horny right now. You're driving me crazy. My scent has the same effect on you, doesn't it?" He whispered, panting.

"You smell like all werewolves," she said, looking at him languidly.

"No, I don't think so," he smiled, "Your she-wolf's scent is the sweetest and most aphrodisiac in the world. Intense, soothing, sweet, sensual. It's a bit different now, but that doesn't change what you can trigger in me," Artemis thought back to the smell of the twins she had smelled in the old house. She couldn't find better words to describe it.

"Do you want to make love with me?" He asked her.

"No..." she pushed him away.

"Why not? I know you want me, Mis."

"Are you so arrogant to think that all women want you?"

"I can smell your arousal," he said, smiling. Artemis blushed.

"Ah, I get it. You've never been with anyone?"

"Get out of my room," she said, heading for the door.

"This is my room, actually."

"Okay, I'm going for a walk." She said, huffing.

Mayson grabbed her arm. "We're under attack, no romantic walks."

Luna Astrid knocked on the door. Passing through the small dusty hallway, she had heard the discussion between the two. Mayson opened. "Shall we all have a cup of tea together?" his mother said with a sweet smile.

***

Alpha Jared was in wolf form with some of his men, running in formation. The Alpha was the largest of the group. He had long, completely black fur and his paws dug deep furrows in the ground. The Beta with his father and Tara were in human form and followed them. At the place Artemis had marked on the map, they found a small wooden house with an old, creaking swing outside.

Alpha, there are no other werewolves around. He is alone. Beta Caleb said, communicating with his Alpha through the pack's mind link. It was an ability of werewolves, when they swore allegiance to a pack, they were able to communicate telepathically with the three in charge. The connection between the twins, on the other hand, was of a different kind; from a very young age they had been able to speak telepathically and feel each other's emotions. As they grew up, they had been able to figure out how to keep each other out of times and thoughts where they did not want to be disturbed. Both the psychic connections did not work over long distances. Caleb was worried about Artemis, but he would not admit it to his brother; he wondered if Mayson would be able to control her and get her to calm down.

Well, let's go get him. Alpha replied.

Pete smelled the wolves' scent growing more intense. He sighed. There was nothing he could do, there were too many of them. He left the house with his hands in the air, signaling that he did not want a confrontation.

The Alpha stood before him in all his majesty, fixing him with his golden gaze. Pete knelt down.

"My Alpha, I apologize for my actions. The attack took us by surprise and frightened us..."

Alpha Jared returned to his human form. "We need to finalize the agreement. We will leave tomorrow."

"Alpha, I don't-"

"This is not a request."

"Alpha, our pack is defenseless. Artemis can protect her pack. Leave it with us until the warriors are fully trained."

"The terms are not negotiable," the Alpha cut him off.

Maybe Artemis knows more than she said. There is something strange about this whole situation. Beta Caleb said to Alpha Jared, who nodded at him.

Let's take him to her and see what happens. The Alpha smiled at his brother, in silence.

I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want to put pressure on Artemis; she's been through enough these days. Let me question him after we force him to sign. Then, we will talk to Artemis.

She owes us explanations as much as he does, we have to press her. You said she knows more than she told us, or did you? Alpha replied, irritated.

Caleb gave his brother a confused look. Please, not now. Once she's with us, away from here, I'll investigate it myself.

Pete heard the Alpha sigh in irritation. "We need to talk. Beta Caleb, Tara and I will enter the house with you. My other men will stand guard." Jared turned to his brother, who nodded in approval. Sure enough, there was something strange about the whole situation, he thought, and there was something strange about his brothers, too.