I

"Athena, are you even listening?" My best friend, Lillian, poked me with the top of her bow. Her hair was a nice brunette colour with streaks of natural highlights. Her eyes where a sparkling, ocean blue with a mixture of gold and brown in the corners. Her skin was an ochre colour, much like the mellow-brown light that bathed the forest that sat right outside her colourful, flowerfilled cottage.

"Hm?" I replied, still thinking about how we where to defeat the enemy of this war. Too much blood has spilt, yet neither king wants to surrender.

"What do you think King Ares' moves will be? He could take our flank easily, but he has so many warriors he doesn't need to worry about any plan." Lillian tried again, this time glaring at me.

"He could attack from any side and our king would never suspect it, we must be weary, even if the others aren't worried about it." I continued to clean my bow, untill swordsmen and other archers ran past in commotion.

"It seems we are needed. Don't Die on me." Lillian smiled, I nodded before jogging off to the tower.

Shouting. That is all I heard, before squelching of the mud took place.

I held my bow up before putting an arrow in place. "Breath, Athena, you'll be fine." I repeated this over and over again, trying to calm my nerves. I let a few arrows whizz off, still repeating that I would be fine.

"Hm, are you sure about that, Athena?" A man called from the opposite tower, however he was no archer. He held a sword that dripped the red, metallic substance of which I have seen far too much of. He stood with nothing but the bottoms of his uniform, allowing me to see his flexed muscles. His eyes a dark brown, sweat dripped from his short black hair onto his god-like face.

I quickly moved my bow to aim at his chest, letting it go. Unfortunately there was another person that stood out infront if him.

Shit.

"Now, now, little Archer. This is no toy for such pretty girls to play with." The man tried again, making me mentally gag and pull another arrow from the quiver.

"You got lucky, but notice how it was still on course? I can wipe that smirk off your face with such a small thing as a stick with feathers. Are you sure you want to test me?" I questioned, hoping he would leave before either of us got hurt.

"Threatening a King is the death sentence, little archer. Try that again. Nicely." He was now a small bridge away from me, however if I did shoot king Ares the whole army would go after me.

I looked around, helplessly, my brain no longer wanting to work. "How do you wish for me to surrender, King Ares?"

"Drop your bow, take off your quiver and leave your hands in the air where my general can see them." I dropped my bow infront of me, holding my hands up and slowly removing the quiver off my shoulder.

"Have it your way, King Ares." I dropped to my knees, trying to prove I wouldnt go anywhere. I now knelt on the rotting wood, hands held in the air as the enemy walked towards me. I was wearing my bra without a shirt, I often found them too sticky after all the blood and sweat had clung onto them and just my trousers stay in place. Slipping down a bit.

"See, isn't it so much easier to just surrender?" He spoke, pushing his luck.

"Hm, little archer?"

I knelt in silence, he now had my arms in his hold and started walking off with me to their side.

Through thorns, hedges and over barb-wired fences we finally made it to their camp. It was atleast four times bigger than ours, much harder to remember where to go.

"You'll sit here, Archer, and until moved by a guard you will not move, eat, drink or even speak to anyone. Understood?"

I nodded my head, uncomfortable in the new environment with the enemy and lack of clothes. I had a mixture of blood and mud on my face, however my expression remained calm. I will not reveal any plans to anyone. That is what I swore to Lillian. I know their mind games, or they'll put poison in the food. They can't keep me here forever, just a few weeks without eating and I'll be back on the road home.. if there is one left.

"Hello!" A child came up to me, smiling brightly. "My name is Riley. What's yours?" She asked.

I glanced around, looking for anyone who might of lost a child. None seem to of noticed.

"Uh.. hi." I responded, only for the king to come rushing over and take the child away.

"What did I say?" Ares asked, his face mere inches from mine.

"What did I say, huh?!" He raised his voice, yet I didn't give him an answer.

"Until a guard or you say otherwise do not eat, drink, or talk to anyone. Sir." I replied, glaring directly back into his eyes.

"There are packages at the front gate Sir." A guard came jogging at us.

"Bring them here." He responded, his eyes still locked onto mine. The guard then walked off.

"I've given you as much freedom as I could, but now you break the rules when I was watching? And putting a child in risk."

"It was you who put that child in risk. If you where watching, why didn't you take it away, Huh? If you're such a great person, why can't you even look after your own country?" I finally said back. "I like to save my anger for actual fights, not your petty squabbles that you like to pick." I turned my head the opposite way of where he was standing, trying not to think about how King George had once beaten me when I stepped out of line.

Without a warning, Ares grabbed hold of the back of my neck and pulled me up.

"No. Please, I'll do anything just don't do this. How about this, hm? You'll let me go and not beat me half to death, what about that? Sounds like a good deal. Or what about this, I'll do whatever you say for as long as I am here? Please that's all I can offer. Just let me go." I tried to bargain, dragging my feet across the floor and making him carry my weight.

He stopped once the full panick kicked in, either that or he was just taking me to a small tent at the very edge of the border.

Wow, Athena, freaked for nothing. Well done.

"You clearly don't trust me, which is fine, but tell me who beat you." Ares spoke up after placing me on a makeshift log chair that had little carvings on the side.

"Who do you think? He's known well. Got the same title as you." I commented. "However, my father also beats me. Which name do you want more?"

"Well, Little Archer, whilst you are here no one will harm you." Was his last sentence before he left, I looked down on my stomach, the scars still there.

Shadows of the trees where visible through the light camouflage tent. There was a sleeping bag on the far left from where I was, and infront of me was another small log chair, with different engravings in a possible different language. German.

Thank god for Lillian making me take those German classes.

"Eft. Sleep. Light. Repeat." Or.. that's what I could make out of it, some of the lettering looked dodgy so I just replaced them with a different letter. Makes life easier.

"Eat, sleep, fight, repeat." A familiar voice spoke up from the sleeping bag.

"Fucking no way, the bitchasses got you too?!" I cackled at my best friend, only for her to nod In agreement after joining me in a wheeze.

"Shut your pipe holes!" A guard said, poking his head in through the tent.

"I'll stick something up your pipe holes in a minute if you don't leave." I continued my cackle after he left with a very unamused look.

Around ten minutes later and we where gasping for air, wheezing, and breathless cackles where being shared around the tent.

"No shit. Seriously?!" I hyperly squealed, only for Ares to walk in.

"Athena, step outside. Now." He then removed himself from our tent that we managed to steal some food and eat, and so it smelt like potatoes.

"Yes?" I questioned, however before I could show that 'innocent' look he grabbed both my wrists and hand cuffed me. "Uh.. bit kinky bit alright."

"You're under arrest for treason. Anything you do or say can and will be used against you."

"What, did you expect another 'Oh my god Mr King Sir, you're so hot and cool and I would so fuck you if I got the chance.' Cause news flash buddy, that's not gonna happen. You see, I don't even want to be here. The more shit you give me, the more I throw it right back but Mr royalty and too-good-for-taking-shit-from-archers over here is a bloody princess and shouldn't even be out fighting if he's that much of a wimp." I stated, then spat directly on Ares' shoes.

"Shut your gob and walk." He whispered into my ear, before pushing me to make me start walking.

How do I push a Kings buttons?

"I heard you have a younger sister. Princess Alaina. I wonder what damage I could do to her. Wanna find out?" I was now trying my best to get out of his hold, however even if I did I wasn't quite sure what to do. I was in the enemies base for christ sakes.

"My sister will never be seen 10 feet near your pathetic arse. Stop struggling and just walk." He replied, although he was already just pushing my weight against me.

"Athena?!" Lillian called, trying to get around the previous guard from the tent.

"I'll find you, don't give them anything!" I yelled, however Ares just stuffed a glove into my mouth to stop be from communicating.

                    ××××××××××××××

I woke up in a cramped cell, as I tried to get up it seemed I was being pulled back. "Fucking handcuffs." I hissed, before trying to sit comfortably.

"I see you are awake." Ares spoke, making me look the direction of where his voice erupted from.

"No, really? I never knew." I spoke, glaring directly at him once he stood in the light.

"You're going to tell me every little detail of what you know about this war, if not there will be severe consequences." He spoke, puffing his chest out to make him look larger.

"I have some information for you." I started, my eyes on the dead leaves that every so often pushed closer to me.

"Which is?" He asked, he looked at me with a curious expression as I had told my best friend to keep her trap shut.

"Go back to my camp, find the red coloured tent and.. go. fuck. your. self." I grinned at his disappointed look.

"I'll get it out of you soon enough, Beta." He growled, hand tightening against one of the metal bars. When he removed his hand and left, the metal was left in a horribly bad state.

Beta?

A few moments passed.

He doesn't know. It was a miscommunication.

Although.. now I'm thinking about it, he did seem.. powerful. I snickered at my own comment. Obviously he's powerful, he's king for christ sakes. The fact he crumpled a bar is just the icecream on the cake.

I suppose the cherry would be that he is right. I have just suppressed my wolf, Arrow, for so long I forgot she was here.

(Don't attack me from the name, she chose it.)

Alright, just.. change.

The crackling of bones was heard a few minutes later. I'm not gonna lie, it hurt like a bitch. My long, flowing black hair now shortened and thicker. Eyes once humanly, with a bit of respect however now nothing but blue flames erupted from them. My wristsgrew twice in size, breaking through the handcuffs.

I let out howls of excitement and energy, remembering what it was like to be in my wolf form.

Suddenly, the sound of chains clattering together attacked my ears, then a large brown wolf walked in.

Please, Arrow, don't embarrass me.

pfft, I'd never. She replied, but as soon as she commented that she attempted to make the wolf play with her.

This is why I suppressed you. I snapped, taking full control back.

I let out a growl at it, warning it not to try anything however I recieved a much more threatening snarl back.

Ah, alright, so that's how they like to play. Arrow spoke up, energy radiating off of her.

Shut up. I told her, only for the comebacks of "Who let you be boss dog, huh? Not Ares, that's for sure."

I got into a stance, ready to pounce onto the larger wolf. My white teeth where on show as my snarls grew louder, until eventually he started to walk towards me. Eyes locked onto mine.

I pounced. My canines gripped into his throat as my claws swished around, trying to find something, anything, to wound.

In my blood-crazed moment, he howled after we went back and fourth in hurting eachother. Skin was ripped off of my ear and I had puncture wounds still oozing with blood.

"Submit." It snarled, standing over me. It wasn't merely as hurt as I, however I did get quite a good few hits in.

I shook my head, a low growl erupted from the back of my throat. All he did was nod.

Arrow, why did he nod?

She didn't reply, however instead I recieved a silver collar around my neck.

I bit out at the two others, a beta and third in command.

I tried to leap at the brown wolf, yet I was restricted from going any further since the chain was only so long.

I could feel the burning of the silver already get through my fur, soon enough it would be melting through my skin.

"Calm yourself, Beta. Once you show me respect, I'll think about letting you out." They said, after shifting back. I soon realised it was Ares, of which I had fought.

I lay in the right corner, my chin resting upon my small paws as my tail covered my eyes. It had been a week since Ares left me with a collar that is still slowly sizzling through my skin. The war is ongoing, I learnt that Ares is using werewolves for his army, of which is highly unfair. Every so often soldiers would march past and chant their pack songs, Rogues where in and out of this place quickly, public executions took place weekly and I hadn't eaten in a few days. Food and water was no longer bought down by anyone, Arrow was blocking me out and so I was alone in the cells most of the time. My eighteenth birthday was tomorrow, I promised my family that I would of been home for it. I can visual my two sisters and four brothers faces when there is no howl or knock at the door to say I am home, however to tell them that I am lost in Action.

                   ××××××××××××××

"Get up." Ares' voice echoed whilst I felt as if I had been drugged.

"I swear to god if you drugged me." I groaned, sitting up in a large king sized bed. "Where are we?" I looked around, the room was themed a lovely dark brown with streaks of white that ran through the bed and corners of the draws. I immediately went to itch my neck, realising I had shifted. A red mark was still visible from where Arrow stopped healing it.

"The pack house." He replied, I immediately started freaking out. I am a Beta from another pack, none of them will want me here.

That's when I realised the smell of Pine trees and grass, and Arrow returned to her yapping in my head.

Mate. She repeated, over and over again.

Ares? I asked her, hoping it was someone else nearby.

The cute one infront of us. She stated, answering my question.

Ares' eyes went to a sunflower yellow, telling me his wolf was in control however I blocked out Arrow. Instead, I shifted into my wolf and started circling him, allowing my canines to show as viscous snarls exited my throat.

He stood there, watching my every move. Confused.

I knew full well I wouldn't be able to win this, and so I glanced at the open window and jumped for it.

Shit. Should've calculated it.

I landed awkwardly from the 3 story dive, my paw crushed beneath ny weight. I let out a yelp, before trying my best to sprint off however since I couldn't let Arrow back as all she wants to do is accept our mate it will take the human time to heal. When I moved my paw in the slightest way it hurt. I was probably soon to be attacked by Rogues or another pack thinking I was a threat.

Turn back or keep going? Hm..

As I was trying to decide I ran into someone, and to my disappointment it was Ares.

Ah, shit.