Chapter 33

     "You will just have to leave her alone for a while or else she will keep getting hurt," Sam said, shrugging his shoulders. "Normally a real Beastman wouldn't care at this point. We've been mated for a week now and you're telling me I can't even touch my mate?" Clay growled. "Well technically she has three other mates. A King and Two King Consorts. You must be weaker than them to not be able to hold any bind with her" Sam explained to Clay. "Maybe dumbass? I am more powerful than any of you men put together. You don't believe it's possible do you!" Artemis said from her corner. She had another broken wrist from fighting with Clay. She didn't care how many times she got hurt. She will protect herself every time. Sam had to keep supplying bandages and medicinal teas to help her heal faster but it was wasted effort because everytime Clay would come near Artemis she would go straight to defense mode. She won't be able to set foot out of Clay's water house until her ankle and knee fully heals either. And every day that she stayed in the human world she could feel her powers and her shapeshifting abilities getting weaker and weaker. Artemis was very afraid despite her courage. She did not like taking these types of chances but she knew she would really need to fight her way out of this situation.

       Sam hated to see such a beautiful and strong young female suffer this kind of life. Being taken away from her mates and children and forced to mate with a complete stranger. Sam spent his entire life traveling with Clay and his Silver Wolf Beastmen. They picked him up as a child and had him study to be a doctor so that he could take care of them. He had hoped that since his mother and father abandoned him that these people would love him but they didn't. He didn't show any signs of being a shifter. Many figured he was the runt from a litter born to a human mother and a Beastman father. All they did know was that he was thin and frail and he had no animal traits such as ears, paws or even fur or a tail. Sam came to an understanding many years ago after finally maturing into a grown man, but still weak and small like a little boy. He had been abused badly by these Silver Wolf Beastmen, from beatings and repeated raping to starvation. Sam gave up on life a long time ago but he stays around in hopes that he can at least be useful to females and children or finally find a home. The only time he isn't taking a beating is when he is tending to the females and children anyways. For a week now Sam has spent day and night finding ways to get Queen Artemis back on the mend. She refuses the medicine most of the time and she refuses to eat much. Since Sam is the only one able to get close enough to her he can tell that she is losing weight and fast. Everytime Sam went into their water cabin he could tell she was declining and giving up rapidly. He couldn't stand to watch it. Sam spent the whole morning arguing with Clay over and over about his treatment of the poor broken and sick female. Sam tried warning him that Artemis won't last long enough to actually fall in love with him and bear him cubs without dying if he doesn't ease up. Clay doesn't want to hear it. "I don't care what you think. Your mother and my mother both had to be mated to feral Beastmen as well and they survived. I didn't ask you for excuses, I demand action. I want her in top shape so she can finally serve me!" Clay roared.

        Thankfully Clay's rant was interrupted by a Beastmen knocking and then entering. He tilted his head in submission to Clay after catching a glimpse of Artemis in the corner with more bandages than the last time he saw her. The beastman cleared his throat and then finally began to speak. "We have a problem" he said, avoiding any more eye contact with Artemis. Clay grabbed the man by his elbow, and when Clay was gone Sam sighed and rubbed his hand through his short spiky hair. It was eerily quiet but there were obviously unspoken words in between Sam and Artemis. They knew Artemis did not need to be mated to Clay. He was way out of his league for abducting a Queen with three mates already nonetheless. He would never learn how to treat her without using the violence of a feral Beastman. Clay stormed back in, breaking the silence. "I have to go. Apparently my men can't handle their own business and need me to come in and save them once again." Clay said in between clenched teeth. Any Beastmen would find it painful to leave their mate behind even if it was a forced bonding but no matter how terrible the mate bone made Clay feel Artemis felt no such feelings for him. More like disgust and rejection. "I am going to leave her in your care and you have access to call for backup if she gets out of hand" Clay said looking at Sam. Sam's eyes widened and he fully looked up at Clay. "A-A-are you sure?" Clay asked, pointing at himself. He felt like a heavy load had been placed on his shoulders and regrettably looked over at Artemis. "No, I am not sure. But that is why I have secured backup nearby" Clay said. "I'll be back soon. A few days at the most'' Clay said. "Make it forever. I'll find my way back to my family and my Kingdom" Artemis said, nodding her head. Clay rolled his eyes and then left, closing the door tightly behind him.

          "Are you...hungry... My Queen?" Sam asked her, sounding a tad bit different. "No Sam. I'm just tired. Blow out the lamps and let me go to sleep." Artemis said, turning over to curl up on her good side. It pained Sam to see this. He knew she had to have been a strong woman before she crossed paths with Clay, but he didn't ignore her request. He knew he couldn't win an argument with her. She seemed to be more at peace when she was resting. Sam figured he could be useful by cleaning and finding her something to eat for later. Some soup and a mixture of wild nuts will be beneficial in providing her with some protein and energy, he figured he could try to convince her to eat some of that. Sam cleaned the water cabin from top to bottom. He tied the fur drapes away from the windows to let some daylight in while Artemis slept curled up in the dark corner he then went out to hunt for some food. Sam was nervous, grabbing a huge spear propped up by the door.  A man like Clay would have good use for this spear. But Sam is used to eating raw vegetables and sometimes a small wild forest animal that's not too hard to trap. This Queen definitely needs something above the lines of that. Cooked vegetables at least he figured. Sam took a deep breath and then left the cabin. "Be quick Samuel. Be quick and smart" he encouraged himself as he made his way out of the water and into the forest. Sam started off by setting traps for a wild boar or a wild bird. After the traps were set he moved further out to find wild vegetables and herbs for a good soup. He was lucky to find plenty of the ingredients he needed. After gathering his ingredients into a basket that he swiftly made, Sam went to check his traps and find out if he got lucky getting anything good from them. To Sam's surprise he caught two wild Chickens. A male and female very rich in protein. He planned to keep the female alive and to cook up the male for Queen Artemis. Sam stopped at the river to clean the chicken and vegetables off and as he did so he noticed four human females laying in the sun with their mates on the other side. These females are something else. They were plain mean and spoiled rotten. Although they were abducted as babies and raised to mate with the strongest men in this tribe they live lavishly and treat anyone like trash. Clay hopes that when they reach maturity they will provide his people with the cubs they need to grow their tribe into a Kingdom. In reality these females have to live long enough to reach that maturity without dying. They also have to be able to survive mating with more than two mates, three to say the least. Artemis was no human but a Queen would be well worth her weight in gold. Clay figured she meant that she mated a King to inherit her royalty when in fact she was born into her royal family and has all rights to both Kingdoms. Sam was actually smarter than he looked and more beast than he looked as well. He could feel the power rolling off of Artemis even in her weakened state and he kept quiet about it because he trusted her to be able to break free but maybe when the time was right.  

     After washing off the chicken and vegetables Sam proudly bundled them together and started off back to the Water house where Queen Artemis was waiting. Sam started a fire outside and then put all of the soup ingredients into a clay pot with some water and herbs. A little while after the soup started cooking a fulfilling scent started to drift to where Artemis lay, waking her out of a deep sleep. "Daniel?" She said sitting up straight and looking around. It took her a few seconds for reality to set in and wake her up. Her face crumpled but her stomach betrayed her by rumbling. "Hmm. Seems like Sam could cook" Artemis sighed. Sam was harmless, his innocence and frailty made her more relaxed until Clay came around trying to bully them then she'd gave to step in and defend them both. Artemis figured it would be okay to see what it was that woke her out of her sleep as long as it was just her and Sam. A muffled and distorted rumbling sound came from deep within Artemis once again and this time she put her hands on her stomach hoping it would stop. "Okay, okay! I will eat this time" Artemis surrendered to herself. Suddenly Sam burst in and scared her making her jump in fear. "I'm sorry!" He said when he realized what he had done. "I heard you talking. I thought something was wrong," Sam said lowering his head  "My stomach is growling too much. I can't hold back any longer. I need to eat" Artemis said sadly. "Yes you do. Your mates would burn the whole human world down if you go back all skin and bones" Sam said nodding. Artemis looked at him sideways hearing him casually mention her mates like they were all familiar. "You must really have hope that I'm gonna get free huh?" Artemis asked him. Sam thought about his answer while he stood there with his hands on his sides. "Yes." He said, giving one sharp nod. Artemis nodded her head too and then went to get up out of her nest. "Hold on. Let me help you!" Sam said, hopping over and grabbing her elbow. "You still have a bad knee. Please be careful" Sam said softly as he helped Artemis to her feet. Artemis rolled her eyes. You played it off well but its not too bad anymore" Artemis said rolling her eyes. "You feel different since you laid down for your nap" Sam said, looking her up and down to see if he could spot anything different. Nothing obvious of course but he could still feel a difference just rolling off of her. "How can you tell something's different and it's only been a little bit of time since I laid down? Did someone poison me in my sleep?" Artemis asked him, jokingly. "I've been taking care of people all my life. Whether they were beasts or humans. Young or old. I can tell! Sam said, defending himself. "Oh really!" Artemis said, looking down at herself. "I'm hungry Sam. Hungry enough to go out and hunt on my own now" Artemis said, annoyed. "Lay down!" Sam said with a sudden authority in his voice. "I am the Queen," Artemis said, reminding him. Sam smiled. "Yes you are. My Queen, if you would lay down. I will examine you okay?" He said smiling cautiously. Artemis nodded at his formalities and stretched out in her nest.

         Artemis let Sam check her from head to toe and laid there quiet and still as he worked quietly. "One of my husband's is a doctor too. My King Consort" Artemis said sadly putting her hand over her Eagle mark representing Bowen. "The Eagle.  He must be very strong and loyal to you" Sam said, trying to avoid eye contact. "Daniel my King is my cook and craftsman. Bowen is the doctor and protector. He builds houses quickly and beautifully. Thomas, my second King Consort. He teaches our cubs and all of the other cubs in my Kingdom" Artemis told Sam. "Do you think they will accept Clay or reject him?" Sam asked. "They will rip him to shreds" Artenis said without hesitation. She smiled as she pictured her mates taking revenge on Clay. "He better hopes my mates finish him if not he'll still have to deal with my twin brother and two uncles not to mention my grandfather. King of the Wolf Kingdom" Artemis told him. "Your family is very powerful. Clay should have made sure he knew everything about you before snatching you away" Sam said swallowing hard. "Bowen is probably beating himself out of guilt the most." Artemis said. "I want to blame him for always trying to keep his distance from me" she added. "Why?" Sam asked confused. "He is afraid of touching me. Hurting me. Mating. I barely get him to sleep next to us at night" Artemis said weary. "What Beastman acts like this towards his mate. His Queen?" Sam asked in disbelief. "You and him are alike. He's very scared of hurting me. I'm not too offended but I have needs so it gets frustrating." Artemis confessed. Sam went still and frozen at Artemis' confession. "Did you mate recently? Before Clay abducted you?" Sam asked. "Yes..." Artemis said. Then realization kicked in for both of them. "You have an egg inside..." he told her, pointing at her stomach. "Damn!" Artemis said, smacking her forehead...