The Male Hunter | Olympus' Traitor #1

Chapter 46: Wisdom's Fall

"Luke?" Clara said like she recognized the name, but couldn't figure out where she knew it from. "Oh, Luke! Uncle Percy told me about you!"

"Oh he did, did he?" Luke grinned. "Only good things, I hope," he finished with a wink.

"He told me that you made some mistakes, but you learned and were a hero in the end. He said that's the best any of us could do."

"And he's right, kiddo," Luke said as he ruffled Clara's hair. "The best any of us can do is learn from our mistakes and become better people." He then stood up and looked Hannah right in the eyes. "I'm so sorry, for everything."

"I forgive you, I understand," Hannah said with a small smile.

Luke looked like he was going to say something else, but then Ethan interrupted. "What's up with those two?" he asked, pointing to where Percy and Thalia were standing a good ways away from everyone else wrapped in a hug.

"Ya, I was wondering the same thing," Jacob said as he walked over to the small group.

"As was I," Zoë added as she also walked over.

"I'm not sure if I should say," Hannah said hesitantly.

"Oh, come on, you can tell us," Luke said, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Hannah thought for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "They got married, and now Thalia's pregnant," she all but whispered.

"They what?" Luke roared before turning and stalking towards the newlyweds. "That's it, I need to have a talk with my sister and her husband."

"Luke!" Ethan called as he ran after his friend. "Calm down, don't do anything rash!" Exchanging looks, everyone else ran after Luke as well. They couldn't have him murdering their mutual friend after all.

"Explain yourself, Jackson!" Luke thundered as he neared him.

"Explain what?" an extremely confused Percy asked as he discreetly put himself in between the angry Luke and his wife.

"You corrupted my little sister!"

"Stop it Luke!" Thalia yelled as she shoved Percy out of the way and got in his face. "He did no such thing, I love him!"

It was at that point Luke couldn't hold it in anymore, he burst out laughing. "You should have seen your face!" he wheezed in between fits of laughter.

"Wait, you're not mad?" Percy asked. Still laughing, Luke could only shake his head.

"Luke Castellan!" Thalia thundered as lightning sparked between her fingertips. "I'll kill you!"

She then made a move to grab the Son of Hermes, but Percy grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Whoa, calm down, Pineneedle," Percy soothed. "It was just a joke." With a nod, Thalia calmed herself down by taking a few deep breaths.

"Congrats you guys, looks to me like you took my advice," Jacob said with a wink. "And I hear you also have a little one on the way! I know you guys will be amazing parents!" Everyone else then followed suit, congratulating the couple and reassuring them that they'll do great.

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It was the midafternoon now, and the army was ready for the final assault. Annabeth's forces had been cut to barely a third of the original strength due to the monster's slain and a large portion of her demigods defecting to Percy's side. Victory was assured, but casualties would still be sustained. Inside the siege tower stood Percy, Thalia, Jacob, Hannah, Luke, Zoë, Ethan, Clara, and a few other legionnaires. Distantly, Caesar could be heard shouting, "Forward!" and horns relaying the order up and down the lines. Almost immediately, the tower lurched forward as it started moving under their feet. All around the enemy fort, the other five towers would be doing the same. Working with Caesar, Malcolm had come up with a great plan. The Greek forces and the Hunt would attack the gate with Festus that had been modified into a battering ram with half a dozen ladders manned by Romans to back them up.The other three walls would also simultaneously be attacked by Romans manning two siege towers and another half a dozen ladders. The goal was to take the walls quickly through overwhelming force and then move inward.