It felt like the world was crashing down around her as she stumbled back in fear, wanting to get away from the Alpha whom was growling at her, glaring daggers.

Sol stood behind her, snaking his arms around her just when she was about to stumble down to the floor. "I got you," hu mumbled lowly, for her ears on you.

Artemis gulped, her eyes still trained on the Alpha.

Her nails dug into Sol's arm as she tightened her grip.

"You've been a traitor this whole time!" The Alpha roared at her, his eyes blazing in anger. He tried to make his way towards her but Clark stepped in front of him, shielding her. She appreciated the gesture but didn't want him to face the brunt of the Alpha's anger, especially since it was directed towards her. "You're the spy!" He shouted at her from over his Beta's shoulder.

"Alpha, I don't think we can claim something as serious as that without any evidence."

"Those humans in the dungeons are evidence."

"But that doesn't mean that Artemis is a spy." Sol barked at the other Alpha, still holding onto her, his body braced, ready to throw himself in front of her in case the other man tried something drastic. "You have no right to speak to her that way."

Artemis couldn't speak, her mouth was too dry. All she could do was stare as the Alpha groaned into his arms, kicking himself for not having realised that she was a spy the whole time.

She listened quietly as he mumbled various profanities under his breath, all of them directed towards her. When he suggested that Sol had knew all along and was supporting her, she had reached the end of her tether. It was one thing to come for her but for Sol, the man whom she owed her life to, that was a whole other subject.

Artemis wasn't about to sit back and let Sol take the fall for something neither of them had done.

"With all due respect," she addressed the Alpha, her chin held high, defiantly and her voice strong, unwavering. "You have no idea what I've been through so for you to suggest that I would be a spy, that I would plot to destroy my own people is offensive!"

"Having a traitor in my office right now is an offence against me and my pack!"

The elders stood back as they watched the situation unfold in front of them. Their facial expressions were sombre as their eyes ran back and forth between Alpha Brandon and Artemis, but no one had time to dwell on what they possibly could be wondering.

They were too busy trying to keep Alpha Brandon from murdering the she-wolf with his bare hands.

"I will not sit back and have you call Artemis a traitor!" Sol roared at the Alpha, pushing the woman in question behind him, his hands placed on her hips, keeping her there even though she struggled, her intention being to confront the other Alpha face to face. "If she were a traitor then I would be the first to disclose it."

"As if I can believe you, boy. You're just a pup." The Alpha snorted and attempted to get past his Beta without any luck. "Plus, you're so in love with her that she could be a hunter and you wouldn't care."

None of the two in question addressed the fact that the Alpha had just stated that Sol was in love with Artemis, but they had both definitely heard. However, this was not the situation for it.

Keeping Artemis safe and alive was the current priority.

Before any of them could speak and defend themselves, Clark beat them to the chase. "Alpha, I do not think for one second that Artemis could be a spy. She has suffered too much by their hands," he said, referring to the human hunters. "To want to work with them."

"I do not care what you think!" He roared at his Beta, seeing it as sign of disrespect. "You would move out of the way if you wish to remain the Beta of the Lupine Woodland pack."

Clark jutted out his chin and held his head high, not moving from his spot.

It touched Artemis' heart that this man, Sol's best friend was defending her even though he hardly knew her.

"If you kill her then you will surely regret it." Clark attempted to appease his Alpha, hoping that the old man would understand. "It would surely be a terrible decision that you would very soon come to regret."

"Don't test me-" The Alpha began, looking as if he was about to pounce on his Beta any minute but luckily, elder Jackson stood forward, his voice demanding silence and respect as he spoke.

"We do not have time to waste. Alpha Brandon," he turned to face the leader in question. "It is absolutely absurd that you think Artemis to be a spy or to be working for the humans. It seems that you weren't in the room with the rest of us when we were questioning the human."

"Did you not see the way the woman appeared to have a panic attack with everything that she had learnt in there?" He questioned rhetorically, his nose flaring in anger as he silently dared the Alpha or anyone else for that matter to dispute his findings. "If she did turn out to be a spy then she would surely be the best actress this world has ever seen." He chuckled darkly. It was evident that the elder did not appreciate wasting time accusing each other and turning on one another in times of desperation where every second could be another innocent life saved. "I do not for one second believe that Artemis could be working for those humans, not with the way they had snatched away her childhood and scarred her for the rest of eternity. If you still believe however, that she is a traitor and a danger to our cause, then we will leave and do this without you." He paused, his eyes daring the Alpha to voice his concerns, to dive for Artemis once again.

When he didn't answer, the elder nodded towards his companions. "If anyone doesn't have any other objections, I believe we need to start discussing our next move."

Much to both Artemis and Sol's surprise along with Clark's, Alpha Brandon moved backwards and sat on his chair, his eyes everywhere but on Artemis.

She wasn't sure if she trusted the man not to attempt to kill her later but for now, it seemed that he was content with all three elders along with his own Beta vouching for Artemis' loyalty.

She just wished that he actually believed them.

Sol, however, remained standing in front of her in a protective stance, his jaw tense as he ground his teeth in anger.

"Sol," she whispered to him as the elders mumbled amongst themselves in hushed voices.

He didn't move as she spoke. She would have assumed that he hadn't heard her, but then he shifted his face to the side, glancing at her from over his shoulder. Exhaling a relieved sigh, she fell forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face against her back. "I'm okay." She reassured him, tingles spreading across her body as he slumped back against her slightly, his body relaxing a little at a time as he clutched her hands that were pressed against his abdomen.

Taking hold of one of her hands, she raised it to his mouth before he pressed a kiss against the back of her hand, running his mouth over her knuckles.

She sighed and pressed her forehead deeper into his back. "I can't wait for all to be over."

"Me too," he mumbled against her hand.

Alpha Brandon snorted from across the room, seemingly having heard what they were saying despite the obvious chatter in the room as the elders and Clark discussed their findings and theories after having thoroughly questioned the human downstairs. A list of follow up questions was already being penned by elder Henley whom was determined that there was more that they would be able to get out of the human if they just gave him some time to think and replenish his mind. That was just a nice way of saying that he didn't trust the little bugger and going down there to scare some more sense to him would surely be beneficial.

The Alpha seemed to busy to be glaring daggers at both Artemis and Sol to join in on the intellectual conversation.

Unwrapping her arms away from Sol whom silently protested and refused to let go of her hand, she tugged at it before he finally let go, sending him a knowing look before she turned to face the other Alpha. Walking up to him until she stood in front of him with only the desk to separate them, she looked him in the eye despite that being seen as blatant disrespect to his wolf, his pack and his title.

But Artemis was too far gone to car.

Her whole world was crumbling down around her with newfound memories of her past arising, and this Alpha was making it difficult to stay sane. She lifted her chin and refused to look away even when he growled at her in warning. "I know you still think I'm a traitor."

"You are a traitor," he grunted his reply, his jaw tensed and his fists clenched.

Despite there being a couple of decades between the Alpha and Artemis, he was still an Alpha. She fought the feeling of baring her neck in submission and begging for forgiveness.

It was about time she started fighting and standing up for herself.

Her childhood had been ripped away from and she had been forced to spend it in a cell. She may have been released with the intent of being made as a weapon of war and mass destruction, but she didn't care because every time she dwelled on the thought, she wanted to rip out her insides and destroy her very being.

Artemis had managed to escape even if it had been without knowing and with the help of Sol. The most important thing was that she was free and would be damned if she just sat around and let her freedom be snatched away from her.

"What can I do to get you trust me?"

"I'll never trust you," he snorted. "You work for the humans."

"Being a prisoner of theirs and working for them are two very different things.

Alpha Brandon continued to glare at her, refusing to comment on her previous statement.

"I'll remove the chip."

It was Sol that reacted first. "What?" He questioned, his voice loud, booming off the walls of the office as he voiced surprise, confusion and refusal all at once. "You can't do that!" He exclaimed, wrapping his hand around her upper arm to turn her to face him, but she refused to move, her eyes still staring into those of the Alpha's. "It's dangerous!"

Artemis ignored his outburst. "If I remove my chip, will that convince you that I'm not a traitor?"

The Alpha nodded. It was barely there but she still saw it.

Sol was completely against it, worried that she would get hurt or worse through the process of removing the chip that was apparently lodged in the back of her neck. Clark and the elders all mirrored his concerns but ultimately, the choice was up to Artemis and in that moment, there was nothing that anyone could do to sway her decision.

It wasn't just about gaining the Alpha's trust that she was removing the chip from her neck.

It was about her.

Artemis didn't want to spend the rest of her life, however long it may be with a metal chip stuck in the back of her neck. The human had declared that they suspected that the hunters couldn't get through to Artemis due to Sol's Alpha power blocking the signal and creating a protective bubble around her. But that wouldn't be the case forever. Even if she did get to the spend the rest of her life with Sol, she was sure that there would be a few days every once in a while, where they would be away from each other. That would be a major risk to take.

She refused to live in fear, and if removing the metal chip was what it took, then she was determined to do it.

She was tired of being vulnerable. She didn't want to spend the rest of her looking over her shoulder to make sure that there were no humans around. She didn't want anyone poking and prodding their way into her mind, helping themselves to her private thoughts and memories.

But most of all, she wanted to be able to protect herself and not have Sol do it for her.

The best person to protect and fight for herself, was her.

-

Artemis didn't feel very different when she woke up. Though she immediately regretted that thought when she tried to have what she could only describe as a million tiny needles stab into the back of her neck, rendering her immobile as she dropped herself down on the bed.

Gritting her teeth, a tear trickled down her face, sliding off the side of her face as she was lying down as she groaned in pain.

The pain was indescribable.

Pain. That was the only thing she could focus on as various voices chattered all around her. She could feel people poking and prodding at her but she couldn't even open her eyes let alone stop them.

She wasn't moving yet she could still feel the pain, pricking the back of her and travelling slightly downwards. She wasn't moving herself that was certain, but she could feel herself being moved. Her neck ached excruciatingly and she wasn't to voice her protests, to stop them, the people that were currently touching her but she couldn't.

Once again, she wasn't in control of her body, just thoughts and words on the tip of her tongue that remained unsaid.

A sharp jolt ran up her arm and within a few seconds, she was asleep.

Artemis awoke a few hours late, groggy and tired but much better than she had been a few hours ago.

A sigh escaped her throat as she managed to open her eyes. The lights seemed to have been turned off in the room so she was able to easily adjust to the room, her eyes focusing on her surroundings, or more importantly the wires and machines that she appeared to be attached to.

Her throat was dry and her voice scratchy as she mumbled incomprehensibly, asking for some water.

There must have been a person in the room and they must have been able to decipher her incoherent mutterings for a moment later, she both saw and felt a man lift her head slightly as he raised a cup of water to her lips, his grip on her head soft, very wary of the bandages on the back of her neck, not wanting to main her further.

When she was finished, she gestured it with her hands and he lowered her head down on what she now realised was a neck pillow.

Artemis gulped, clearing her throat silently. It hurt a little to speak, but that was expected. "How long was I asleep?" She asked him, her head turned slightly to the side so she could see him as he sat on a chair at her bedside table.

He didn't look much different from when she was in the Alpha's office, however long ago that was. He was still wearing the same clothes though they were now arguably slightly dishevelled. He just looked a little more tired.

Sol rested his elbows on his knees as he knelt forehead, his face now a few mere inches away from hers. "For about five hours." He told her, his voice soft and quiet.

There was no one else in the room with them and the curtains behind him were drawn. She could only assume that it was night time.

"Just a few hours?" She asked, surprise though she didn't bother expressing her confusion too much as she closed her eyes, tired.

He nodded, that that she could see him with her eyes closed. Rather, she sensed the movement.

Reaching out a hand, he brushed away a few stray strands of hair that shielded her face from his tired, longing eyes. "You woke up about an hour after they finished the surgery." He informed her as she hummed her reply, indicating that she was indeed awake, just tired and resting with her eyes closed. "I think the doctor and the nurses he was with were more afraid than you were in that moment," he chuckled darkly, his voice low and gruff as he brushed a hand through his own hair, preventing it from falling into his eyes as he sat with his head bowed towards her. "You must have been in pain because you kept growling and struggling. Eventually, they put you back to sleep for a few hours."

Artemis opened her and looked at him, watching him as he watched her.

"The doctor came in to see you a little while before you awoke just now. He said that you were nearly healed, that there's only a slight bruise left from the surgery where they removed the chip from your neck."

She didn't say anything, just pursed her lips as she listened to him intently, her eyes following his every movement even though he was just sat on a chair.

She had assumed that she had been asleep for days, not just a few hours.

"He said the bruise should be gone in the morning." He paused, seemingly struggling with the right words. "The doctor can't explain how you've managed to heal so quickly."

Artemis watched him, at a loss of words for herself.

"A normal werewolf would take at least a weak, most probably more from undergoing a surgery that serious and dangerous. An Alpha would take a few weeks less but you," he paused as his eyes lifted from staring at the bed sheets to her eyes. He reached a hand and laid it on the bed, next to hers but not quite touching. "You're expected to completely heal in less than half a day. You've made a full recovery."

"Were there any implications?"

"No," he shook his head. "Thank the Moon Goddess." He exhaled a sigh of relief. "The doctor did mention that the chances of infection were high in such cases, but you've nearly fully healed now."

A moment of silence passed between them, but their eyes remained connected.

"Did they do that to me?" She asked, her mind searching for the right words to express her concern. "Did they enhance my healing abilities."

He sighed and nodded, looking away from her briefly. His hand itched up on the bed until it finally relaxed on top of hers, squeezing it reassuringly. "That's what the elders think." He explained to her. "They've managed to track down two others from the other packs that have been attacked, as well as the one from this pack," he was referring to the Lupine Woodland where they were currently temporarily residing. "Amongst the three of them, one other has enhanced healing abilities just like you. A couple of the pack members had overheard the Alpha and Beta discussing the situation and had managed to put the puzzle pieces together, immediately suspecting the newest member of their pack whom couldn't remember a single memory from his past. They tried to burn him."

A shocked gasp escaped her, her eyes widened as she stared at him, begging for him to turn around and say that it was just a joke.

"Some of the pack warriors were nearby and they managed to put out the fire but the wolf was burnt to a crisp."

She gulped painfully and not because of her surgery. "Did he die?"

Sol shook his head and a sigh of relief escaped her. "According to Alpha Brandon, the burns seemed to just vanish. Just like you, he's expected to make a full recovery in a few hours. His Alpha had said that no one would ever suspect him of being a burns victim."

Artemis had noticed how his lip had curled in disgust at the mention of the other Alpha.

"What of the other two?"

"One of them has incredible strength which apparently, he'd discovered a couple of weeks ago and has been trying to hide ever since. The other one can run faster than you can even imagine."

This was a lot of information to take in.

Perhaps she wasn't as alone or different as she had previously thought.

"Does Alpha Brandon still think of me as a traitor?" She found herself asking even though at this point, she didn't care anymore. A part of her detested the Alpha for his accusations. She didn't appreciate being suspected of working for the people whom had potentially ruined her for life.

"It doesn't matter what he thinks!" Sol growled, but his face softened when he looked down at her. He sighed and ran his hands down his face. "Speaking to the other Alpha's seems to have gotten some sense into him."

"Good," she sighed.

"It's been a long day, you should get some rest." Sol addressed her, already standing up as he reached over to tuck her into the hospital bed. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"You can get into the bed." She instructed him, leaving no room for argument. Quirking a menacing eyebrow, she dared him to deny her demand.

He didn't.

Sol helped her to move over slightly, positioning the neck pillow appropriately as he made space on the bed for himself.

She slept on her back and he on his side with his arm thrown over her body protectively. Artemis was already asleep within a few moments.

He was sure that the doctor would protest of their sleeping arrangement and strongly advise otherwise but he didn't care. He was never one to obey commands but Artemis was the one issuing them, he would make sure that he fulfilled each and every one of them.

Sol soon followed her into dreamland, his own eyes fluttering shut. Neither of their dreams were sweet or cute, rather the opposite.

-

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Layla Knight

24.09.18