Leaving her roots was not easy for Artemis, despite the bad memories and the traumas she had experienced, this was her father's land, the land he loved and fought for; in this place still existed, in ruins, the house where she lived with her parents. The last and only connection to them.

Artemis boarded the Moonrivers' luxury jet with one clear thought: it doesn't end here, Pete. I will take this land back.

Perhaps it was the wolf's primal instincts speaking, or maybe a new awareness that she had value to werewolves, somehow.

During the flight she stood aside, alone, eyes closed, lost in her own thoughts and visions. The relationship with the twins was developing quickly and it made her uncomfortable. The lack of trust in others was emerging again, fighting against the love and magnetic attraction she felt for them.

Her she-wolf had been silent since last night, perhaps happy and satisfied. She had tasted what the mate-bond was. The feeling of her mates' body contact was inexplicable, there was no place she wanted to be. All the bad feelings, traumas and her whole life vanished into thin air, there were only the three of them, overwhelmed by love.

But the Alpha had taken her away from this feeling and warmth, forced her to sleep in his room, alone. She didn't know where he slept. At that moment, she began to hate him.

That morning, her mates became strange. Caleb acted cold and distant, as if last night had never happened. She met Mayson on the jet, he smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead without saying a word. Artemis was afraid they would regret the night they had spent together.

Tara felt the tension in the air and she didn't understand its origin. Everyone acted strangely that morning. Artemis more of all. She was curled up on the seat, her hair tangled in a messy tail, and she looked very tired. Artemis pretended to be asleep, but she knew her friend well, knew that she was upset. The Gamma had not taken his eyes off Artemis for a second. Tara felt that something must have happened. She hadn't slept either, spending the night thinking about Pete, his lies and what he said about Artemis.

Tara was reminded of so many episodes: screaming, she had witnessed scenes of fights a few times that ended with Pete slapping Artemis. But so often she had seen marks on her friend's body, not to mention all the scars she had. Artemis had always justified it by saying that they were signs of spells gone wrong that she had tried from time to time, some of them requiring blood. Tara had believed that without looking into the witch stuff because it made her shiver. She had also convinced herself that many of the marks were signs of bullying and that her friend had never wanted to tell her who they were from because she knew Tara would kick whoever hurt her.

Upon arrival, they split up, the Alpha and Beta getting into a car with two other men waiting for them. Mayson walked straight to a black Mercedes, paused for a moment to look at Artemis, then got in and drove off. Tara and Artemis were traveling with Luna Astrid and Trevor Moonriver.

Artemis observed the city on the way. Tara was right, nothing like where they had grown up. It was a lively city, full of activity, people smiling in the streets, and they all looked like werewolves.

"Are there any humans here?"

"Only werewolves live in Eaglemoon. The few humans you meet are passing through or on business," Trevor answered.

"Business with werewolves?" asked Tara confused.

"Politicians and members of some of the largest corporations in the country know of the existence of werewolves, witches and vampires. When I was Alpha, I made alliances with humans, and one of the pacts we made guarantees that we can have our own city."

Artemis and Tara exchanged a look of surprise. "I didn't think such a place could exist," Artemis said.

"Does it scare you to live in such a big city full of werewolves?" asked Luna Astrid.

"I'm used to being around wolves. And I can defend myself."

"Definitely," Luna Astrid said, smiling at her from the rearview mirror.

When they arrived at the Moonriver Mansion, Artemis noticed that none of the three men in charge had arrived yet.

Luna Astrid introduced the two girls to the mansion's service staff and escorted Artemis to what would be her room. Tara was introduced as a close friend of Artemis' who would visit her often. She would be living in an apartment not too far away with some of the pack warriors. Tara took a huge stack of papers and the keys to her new apartment from Trevor Moonriver and went looking for her friend.

"Tell me what the hell is wrong with you today," she said, closing the door to Artemis' new room behind her.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied.

"Well, I don't care. You look like c**p. What, you don't trust me?"

"You're the only person I trust," Artemis said, narrowing her eyes.

"Then start talking. Maybe start with your relationship with Pete. Besides the lies he told, there was more, wasn't there? Worse things you never told me, why?" said Tara in a choked voice with tears in her eyes.

Artemis lowered her eyes, guilty. "It's complicated. You respect him. For the pack, he has always been a leader, I was afraid..."

"That I didn't believe you," Tara finished the sentence, "I thought he was rough sometimes, a real jerk, but they all are in the pack, but..." she tried to hold back the tears, "the wounds, the scars. Was that him?"

Artemis nodded without saying anything.

"You hate werewolves because you've had that monster near you all your life. I understand that. Do you hate me too?" Tara asked, sobbing.

"Tara, I have never hated you and I trust you. I didn't want to involve you." Artemis also started to cry.

"But I'm your best friend..."

"What could you have done? Nothing," Artemis shrugged.

"I would have reported it."

"To whom? The others in the pack would have given him a medal."

"To Mayson..."

"It wouldn't have changed my life to tell Mayson now. I think he found out, though..."

"Since we have been on the Path of Truth, I confess that I have known him for several years. I met him shortly after he became a Gamma; he had seen me with you and understood that we were friends. He asked me to keep him informed about your life."

"What?" Artemis thought she would be angry, but knowing that Mayson had been worried about her for some time warmed her heart.

"I don't know why he was always obsessed with you, but at the same time he was bound to obey the Alpha and could not interfere in the affairs of another pack."

"I know why he is obsessed with me."

"Shoot!"

"I'm his mate."

"What?" Tara said, wiping her face.

"And I'm Caleb's mate too."

"Oh holy crap."

"It was obvious to them the night I turned. I still don't get it."

"You're the Moonriver twins' mate. You live every she-wolf's dream."

"Tara, this is a serious subject. They are also a******s." Artemis pulled a shirt out of the suitcase, rolled it up and tossed it in the closet.

"Never as much as Pete." She smiled at her.

"I don't want to talk about what he did to me, not now."

"All right, stupid witchy-wolfy," she hugged her, "but now you have to tell me about your super-hot boyfriends.

"They send me strange signals. Caleb is always cold, then he gets into my bed, then he's cold again..."

"Brake, brake! Did he get into your bed? Did you have sex?" said Tara, screaming.

"Tara, don't scream, it's full of werewolves with super hearing," she said closing the window. "No, not really sex..."

"What does that mean?"

"Some petting," she swallowed, embarrassed, "there was also Mayson in the same bed."

"OH MY GODDESS."

"Tara!" Signaled to her friend to be quiet. "Now they hate me. I don't understand why."

"I don't think so. Mayson hasn't taken his eyes off you the whole trip."

"Really?"

"He's been obsessed with you the whole time, now I know he's actually been in love with you the whole time. He finds out you're his mate and starts hating you? That doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe the Alpha doesn't want me to have a relationship with his brothers. He interrupted us yesterday."

"Did he join, too?"

"Are you crazy? No!"

"Hey, I'm trying to figure out what level of luck you're on." Tara picked up the phone. "Here, call Mayson."

"I don't know, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Don't be a baby, call him and tell him to get his fine ass over here."