Chapter 11

The sun's rays seeped into the bedroom and one caught Lucia's eyes. She blinks and reopens her eyes, seeing that she isn't in her room, but in Artemis's room. She goes to roll over, but the cinder block of an arm was holding her down. She tries lifting the arm with barely any success and rolls over, finding her staring into the face of Artemis, her new lover. She smiles dreamily at him and watches him sleep.

What a night. He sure knows endurance.

Well into the morning hours did they have their fun, but what truly stopped them was his attempt to mark her. When she felt, his canine teeth graze her neck, she stopped him. Marking her meant bonded for life and to her, well, again the last thing she wanted was to be bonded to a wolf for the rest of eternity. She could tell that Artemis was heartbroken and it even showed in his face, but he just nodded. He kissed her softly and reached over to turn off the lamp, enveloping them in darkness. He lays beside her and pulls her close, soon falling asleep. She felt guilty after that.

She slowly climbs out of the bed as to not wake him and she finds his discarded t-shirt on the floor. She slips it on and slips out of the room. Down the hall, she walks when she noticed that Cain's office door was open. She peeks inside and sees Cain drinking from a whiskey glass, but his eyes were closed.

"I see you are getting rather comfortable with my son."

"He lost his mate and I wish to get rid of mine."

His eyes open and she gasps. Purple eyes stared back, a very unusual color for a wolf.

"He has been through too much and the last thing I need is my son killing himself over a hunter turned wolf. You are to leave him alone. If not, well, I wonder what your mate would think of you."

"You wouldn't because that would mean that you would be captured. Even killed."

"But my other half is dead. If I wasn't so hellbent on revenge, I would kill myself so that way I could be reunited with her."

"You would leave your son alone to be with your mate. I'm sure even she would see that as cruel."

He scoffs.

"What do you know about cruel, hunter. You kill werewolves for a living. You tear them away from their mates. You make them suffer through the pain of losing their soulmates. But yes, truly call me cruel."

For once in a long time, Lucia was speechless. She never questioned being a hunter before because she was raised to hate werewolves and to kill them with no mercy, but the rogue leader's words made her truly question the hunter's motives. She shakes her head to banish those thoughts.

"I hunt because I was raised to do it. I hunt because I enjoy the thrill. I hunt… to avenge my father."

"So be it, but I'll say it again, stay away from my son."

Lucia smirks.

"We will let him decide that."