𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐒✔️

TWENTYNINE|DARE

A small, wicked part of me thought this a good thing. That deep and evil part of me that wished for the death of an infant. I hated that part of me, it was deplorable.
But I wouldn't let flick see an inch of weakness.

"Sounds like a personal problem." I said over my shoulder as I stride down the hall.

***

"I need your help Mar. I think I'm going mad." I downed the glass my brother handed me, not bothering to see what it was. It burned my throat but I didn't cough.

"Vent to me." He chuckled, taking a sip of his own glass. "Troubles in paradise, Mouse?"

"Where do I start." I laughed dryly. "I sort of have a... thing with the Alpha and his psycho baby mama is threatening me. Astorias.. or Amelia, I'm still not sure what to call her, anyways I'm not sure I'll ever see her again. I don't know where to turn, now she's gone I have no one to talk to."

When he didn't respond I looked up, he was staring into his glass, an unreadable look on his face. "What?" I said. "Marus I can't have you bugging out on me too."

"She's gone?" He said quietly. "Where too?"

"Astoria? No idea.. I guess her demons finally caught up with her." I bit my cheek nervously, remembering the night of the ball.

"Come on, I want to get absolutely shit-faced. Where are the drinks?" She smirked with a flash of pure white, contrasting to her blood red lipstick. "You coming-"

Her face dropped, completely frozen she stared at something in the crowd, I turned around to see what she was looking at. At first, I saw nothing. Then somebody shifted and he came into view, a man, distantly familiar, almost as though I had known in a past life stared back at Astoria.

"Who is that?" I asked, looking away. Her stare turned to a glare of pure hatred and disgust. "No one. He's no one." She spat.

"You knew her.. didn't you?" I said after a while, for fear the silence may consume us both and then we'd both be irreparably lost.

"A very long time ago.." His voice was so quiet I almost didn't hear him.

"You loved her." I said softly. "Didn't you."

He threw his head back, downing the rest of his drink in one gulp.

I took that as a yes.

All of the pieces were falling into place. He held his head in his hands.

My brother, who shared my eyes and hands and had always been nothing but kind to me.. my brother was in pain. But not just any pain. Agony.

His heart was broken.

Astoria words echoed in my mind. "I loved him. But I thought I loved someone else more."

Marus was that someone else that held her affection. So much so that she was willing to murder her own god given mate to be with him.

A tear crawled down my brothers cheek. "More than anything I have ever known before."

My heart clenched for him. "She loved you too. I know she did."

The sound of a car door slamming shut echoed from outside, and a second later harsh knocking on the door.

Marus wiped the tears from his face. "How do I look?"

I smiled. "Tough as nails."

I swirled the amber liquid in my glass as he left to answer the door. I heard an exchange of words but couldn't make out anything except.

"Of course. She's through here."

I caught his scent before I saw him. I had expected he might come after me. I did kind of sneak out after all, but I didn't know he would be this quick.

"Artemis." He breathed. "You're okay."

I was engulfed into the worlds warmest bear him.

Safe.

I wished I could drown in his warmth as I buried my face in his strong chest. "Sorry I left. I just had some things to do."

He let me go. I wished he hadn't, as he left me at arms length examining me for any sign of damage. He froze when he saw the thin slit across my throat.

Something changed in him. His chest heaved with raged breaths as everything within him tensed. "Who did this."

He didn't shout, and somehow that was all the more terrifying.

***
Q-thoughts on Flick? Is she a bitch or just misunderstood?
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