Artemis' POV

   I watch as Briana leaves the room, trusting her cousin to not let her run away. I smile to myself after they leave, happy that I've finally found someone that can love me.

    Maybe it's selfish not me to turn to her in hopes that she'll fill the gap my mother and father left behind. Maybe it's expected. But either way I don't want her to leave me or just end up ignoring me because I'm not good enough for her.

    I'm not good enough for anybody.

    My only hope anymore is Briana.

    Ha.

     I guess I am selfish.

    I sigh to myself as I walk into the living room and throw myself on the couch, thinking about what I could do while I await their return. I think about turning on the TV but just as I go to grasp it, my phone in my pocket begins blaring.

    Already knowing who it is, I pull my device form my pocket before I pull it to my ear with a smile.

    "Princes Artemis speaking. How may I help you serve me today?" I say, using the same greeting my mother drilled into me since I was thirteen. There's a chuckle in the other end, deeper and more manly than what I remember.

    "Still spoiled, I see." Alex says and I laugh selling with him. "What are you doing right now? You know why I'm calling right?"

    "I've never been spoiled. You must be thinking of my brother." I joke back though I know in my heart it's true. "And I'm very bored actually I don't have anything left to do for the day. And I know why you're calling." I tell him, the last sentence soft and serious.

    "Good. Me and my family are going to meet you at the café, yeah?" He asks me and I can feel myself smile at the thoughts of seeing my boys again.

      "Thirty minutes?" I ask, knowing thats how long it will take to get into something more appropriate for a 'lady' to be seen out in and to be on the way there.

     "I'll see you then."

✨✨✨

    After I got dressed, I had made my way down stares and requested a small car and a driver, knowing they wouldn't want me leaving on my own.

     Charles drives me into town, the car quiet as we make our way towards the café that's been in my friends and I life for years, ever since middle school. Once we get there, I get out of the car and wave to Charles, knowing he'll wait for me to be done.

   I walk across the street in my pants suit and make my way to the door, opening it and walking in towards the counter.

   I order myself a water with lemon before I turn and spot Alex and James along with a whole table of guys along the back wall there the booths are. I raise my brows before I begin walking towards them. They're so roped into their conversation that I have to clear my throat to get their attention

    As soon as they look over, James and Alex are out of their seats, pulling me up into a hug between them as they shout their excitement.

   "Holy hell, Art. It's been two years!" James says and they put me down and I smile largely even as I subconsciously smooth out my clothes.  I grin at him and then Alex softly

     "It's been a while." I agree and they motion for me to sit them with them which I do before looking around at everyone around us. "Nice to meet you all."

    "This is Graves, Chris, Cassie and Ares." Alex introduces young around the group and I nod and wave to them all, noting the man with the tattoos lining down his neck. Handsome, but not my type.

     "Enough with the small talk." James says before he turns towards me lifting his eyebrows provocatively. "So, your Knot is Bri right?" He asks and I watch as Alex smack him upside the head with a growl.

    "That's my sister you asshole." He growls before he turns towards me his brown eyes focused. "I know you remember what we talked about when we was in school. How much being here hurts her. How much baggage this place holds for her. I know you remember how hard it is to let people in. I love you, as I always have, but that's my sister. If I find out that you're forging her to stay, I'll kill you." Alex tells me and I nod slowly.

    "I wouldn't force her to do anything. I would hope that she would be able to come to the decision of staying on her own. But her leaving as much and as often as she could would be just as selfish as me making her stay." I counter and before he can say anyone, Ares speaks up.

    "I saw what it can do Alex. My mom used to leave and my dad had to stay with me. It hurt. It broke him down until he killed himself. She shouldn't make her stay, but she shouldn't let her walk away either." He says and I nod to him.

   "I don't want her to resent you." Alex says worriedly and I shake my head.

    "If I show her that it's okay to feel that love, maybe she'll make a decision on her own." I say with a shrug even as I feel anxiety claw at my throat.

     "Okay, okay enough about the tears." Graves says with a roll of his eyes and a smirk and I can tell I'll get along with him perfectly. "I'm told you're a Princess. I need to know if I can get invited to a tea party or a hall or something." He tells me with a straight face and a arch a brow.

    "Why would you want to attend something such as that?" I ask him and his ears turn pink.

    "I have a Little and she's my little princess I want to show her what's it's like to actually live like one." He says and the whole group around us begin to coo at the man who punches Cassie and Chris, the two closest to him in the arm. "I'll still fuck each and every one of you up. All of you are fucking whipped. I'm just the perfect man." He says and everyone rolls their eyes while I smile in amusement.

    "I can do that. There was a Little in the southern courts. His name was Kai and he was the more adorable person there. He was very shy and sweet. Is your lover like that?"

    Alex snorts beside me making em shift towards him. "That girl, big or little is a menace to society." He says and the guys around us snickers.

    "My Cora is a fucking angel." Graves counters and James scoffs as if offended.

    "We all know my bean is perfect." He says and I nod my head at that statement.

     "Cody is indeed perfect. I missed him a lot as well. Maybe I should meet all of your lovers and see if I can match up who with who." I say smiling in excitement at the challenge and Ares laughs.

     He's leaning back in his chair and his arms are crossed with a smile that's almost a smirk. He's so handsome it's upsetting me. He has no right to make me question if I do in fact like the male species. I decide then and there that I don't like him one bit. I'll beat his ass if he ever winks at me, the bastard.

    "You can't do that. Hell, if I didn't know us, I couldn't do it." He says and I roll my eyes.

    "Tsk. Good thing I'm not you." I tell him and the table laughs and points at him while he leans forward in his chair, hands folded as he sets his forearms on the table, muscles bulging out of his shirt. Not that I would notice such a thing.

     "Feisty." He tells me and he bites the air making my neck warm up as I glare at him.

    "Fuck you." I tell him and he laughs before leaning back.

     "Oh yeah, she's definitely one of us. I like you." He tells me with a wink and I turn away from the stupid fucking man and Cassie looks at me with wide eyes nodding.

    "Don't worry, I've been there too." He tells me and I can't help but laugh as I finally feel at home, even if I've been back in Kaulike for a week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love this book so fucking much you guys don't understand. Now let's hope I can get three more chapters done, post the polls and my new books tonight. you think i can do it?

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QOTD: do you eat seafood?