Chapter 10

Three days have gone by and Cain has started Lucia on a training regimen so that way she has easier control over her newfound strength. Snow refused to still speak to her, but when her mate was mentioned she would whimper and hide in the darkest corner of Lucia's mind. Her and Artemis have gotten closer and she found that she has growing feelings for the young rogue. Cain noticed this and approved of it. A rogue and a hunter, not only working together, but being together. Now that was something.

Damian, on the other hand, feels like his life is falling apart, which in a way it was. Rogues spotted near his territory, many warriors injured because of said rogues and he has yet to see a sight of his dear Lucia. His wolf whines and howls for his mate every day nonstop to the point that Damian must guzzle down special painkillers for all the headaches he gets. He is about ready to give up.

A knock is heard.

"Enter," Damian says.

His beta emerges," Your majesty, we have a lead. We managed to capture a rogue that has a similar sent to the one that was left at where Lucia's blood was found."

I knew our mate couldn't evade us for long

"Put him in the torture chamber," Damian replies.

His beta nods and exits.

Damian makes his way down to the lower bowels of his castle to the dungeon, where very dangerous wolves and rogues are housed so that way, they don't become a threat to the royal pack above. He walks down the long corridor to a set of metal door. He slips on a glove and grabs the handles and opens the door. What's revealed to him is a very beaten up male with a stench to match. Damian growls.

"So, it was you."

The rogue looks up and cackles.

"Long time no see, your majesty," the rogue sneers.

Damian snarls and pulls his arm back. With enough force to push down a tree with ease, he punched the rogue in the face. The rogue yelps and topples over onto the floor. Damian walks up to him.

"Where is Lucia?"

The rogue snickered.

"Wouldn't you like to know. Face, it, she's gone. Forever."

Damian roars and with a movement of his foot, he found it went through the rogues' head. Brain matter covering his shoe as well as blood. He lifts his boot out of the head of the dead rogue.

"She is not gone. Not when I still breathe."

Lucia swings her fist, connecting with her opponents' jaw. He falls to the ground and she hears Cain growl behind her.

"Again. Lucia, concentrate your strength if you even think you'll have a remote chance against your mate."

She growls. Her opponent stands and takes a swing at her again. She ducks, dodging what would have been a knockout punch and uppercuts him in the jaw. He flies backwards and lands on the ground. Unconscious.

"That's better, but you still need to work on your speed."

She grunts and walks away.

Sigh, at this rate, any attempt on Damian would be unsuccessful.

Perhaps we should drop the façade then. Go back to Damian. Beg for forgiveness and wall in love like we are supposed to.

Don't have your head in the clouds. I am your human, so I control you.

No one controls me, not even you. I am above a human mind, I am-. You don't have a right to know what I am.

I know what you are. A lowly mutt that whines and begs and pleads with her master to go to her mate.

Oh, how wrong you are, human.

Lucia enters the home and climbs the many stairs to her room.

I need to forget about him.

There is no way to, he is our mate.

Your mate not mine.

You can't fight this Lucia.

Watch me.

She knocks on a door and opens it to reveal artemins. She enters and sits on the side of his bed.

"Hey artemins," She speaks.

"Yes?"

"How old are you per say?"

"I'm twenty-six, why do you ask?"

She lays down beside him.

"Just curious. Why don't you have a mate?"

"My mate died two years ago, A raid from pack wolves and one thought she was attacking when she was really defending a pup and killed her."

"Oh."

They sit in silence. Suddenly artemins reaches for Lucia and holds her close.

"I miss the warmth of a wolf beside me."

She looks up at him.

"Haven't you tried mating again?"

"I've wanted to, but I could never find a suitable she-wolf to bring into my world."

"What is your world?"

"The world… of living as a rogue. An outlaw."

"Well as you can see, I have no issues on at."

He chuckles and they stare into each other's eyes.

They both begin to lean in until finally their lips meet.

Such a gentle kisser.

Lucia, stop now or you will regret this.

Flea bittern fur ball butt out.

Lucia shuts snow off and focuses more on the kiss. Artemis can feel that she is returning to him and begins to deepen the kiss. Their tongues play and his hand creeps up her side, under her shirt. He slides her shirt off, seeing all of her from the waist up. He grabs and softly squeezes her breasts and begins sucking on her neck. She moans softly and pulls his shirt off, but what she sees shocks her and makes her gasp. Scars covered his chest, seemingly like claw marks. Like a wolf raised their paw and ran all their claws across his chest. She traces each and a flash of an image appears in her brain. A white wolf raising their paw and bringing it down to strike their target. She shakes her head to rid herself of the image. Artemis shows concern.

"What's wrong?"

She looks up at his boyish face and smiles.

"Nothing Artemis."

He's not convinced, but he drops the subject. Lucia reaches over and kisses each scar making Artemis groan.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No," he replies," Although, if you keep doing that, I won't be held responsible on what happens next."

"Well then maybe I want it to happen."

She kisses him again, but while goes to unbutton his jeans. He does the same. Now clad in their underwear, he whispers.

"Are you sure?"

She stares at him. He had a boyish face for twenty-six-year-old, but he held himself with such prowess that it leveled him. And the fact that he is a natural born leader helps him a lot as well.

"I'm sure."

He smiles, gives her a quick kiss and pulls down her underwear.

That night, passion was felt… But so was betrayal.