Song: Here With Me, Susie Suh
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one."
― John Lennon
"Artemis, I think it is time that we have peace with one another. Give me one night and I can make you forget our past," Erebus, the god of darkness, suggested.
Artemis glanced at the mischievous god. Being the Moon Goddess, she continuously needed to watch over her children to ensure their safety, but Erebus and Set had made it hard lately. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Erebus wanting to be friendly. He only ever used her.
Not only did Artemis and Erebus fight, but their children did too. Erebus, and Set, the god of chaos, had battled for millenniums over their creation: vampires.
Artemis wanted Erebus badly. She may have even loved him. One night, Erebus agreed to have dinner with Artemis. Artemis told him how she had been the reason that Erebus and Set fought. She only had ever meant for them to use their creation for good, but Erebus only saw it as manipulation. From that day forward, the trio were at war on Mount Olympus and on Earth.
Snapping back to reality, Artemis was unable to believe that after all these centuries that Erebus seeked an alliance. They had kept their distance from each other, only minor conflicts here and there, but unfortunately for Artemis, they stayed to their own business. Erebus and Set divided their power evenly so that they would not harm their creations which now roamed the earth with Artemis' werewolves.
"You don't deserve my trust," Artemis scoffed.
Erebus grinned. She couldn't help but devour his features, etching them to memory. Their relationship might've been destroyed, but her feelings toward the god of darkness would remain eternal. He knew the effect he had on her and planned on using it to his advantage.
"My dear Artemis, I've missed body," Erebus charmed.
"We were never anything. You and your 'creatures' disgust me."
Erebus' face dropped into a frown. He hated hearing his creation badmouthed. In his opinion, they were superior to every other being. He clenched his fist, hoping to relieve the anger that was building behind his handsome features.
"Your wolves have been howling to you for years. They want a savior."
Artemis immediately stood from her expertly crafted chair and graced the ground with her feet. She briskly glided towards Erebus, and he could not help but admire the fluidity of the goddess' body.
"They need saving because of bloodsuckers!" Artemis growled.
Erebus raised his hands in surrender, though she knew that he would never willingly submit. The Moon Goddess was disgusted by her own emotions towards this self absorbed god.
"Anyways, another god and I disagreed," Erebus said.
"Thankfully not me this time," Artemis muttered.
"Zeus actually. All I requested was that he gift me a bride. My vampires are becoming dominant on earth so it would be nice for a wife to tend to the house."
Artemis' eyes narrowed. She kept her face void of any emotion. Inside, she felt self-destructive.
"I won't be your wife."
"Yes you will. You have no choice," Erebus sang.
"I will not become subordinate to you."
"I will only dominate you in the bedroom, but otherwise we will be equals. You have to throw away this fantasy of finding your 'mate' as you have given your children. You have a beautiful, eternal body that will satisfy me."
Artemis' body engulfed into ferocity that was unable to be contained. Her face mirrored the anger brewing in her immortal blood. Her ears twitched with the mournful calls of her children, yearning to assist her. The moon had disappeared from the sky for a decade because of her despondency. Time on Earth depended on the gods' emotions. One moment, it could be pleasant weather and the next, there could be famine raging across the lands.
"And you expect Zeus to accept your demand?" Artemis whispered, fearing what the god of gods would command.
"I would not be here if he had not. He will grant me you, my dear wolf queen, if I would create the strongest vampire in all of history and ever to be. He has plans for her and I plan to fulfill his wishes."
Hope and all sense of life washed out of the Moon Goddess. He only wanted her because of the power that she harnessed against his children. She knew what he would do to her. He didn't love her, he wanted to use her like he had used Set. Although she was overjoyed with the thought of being paired with the man who she had always wanted, she knew that his heart belonged to another.
"I won't do it," Artemis refuted.
Erebus reached out and gripped her hips, bringing them impossibly closer to himself. She struggled against his grasp, but that only made the feeling more intense. Why did she feel this way towards him? She hated the way her immortal body betrayed her at the touch of this god. He leaned his head down next to her ear, causing a shiver to slither up her slender body.
"You know the law, my dear. No one refuses Zeus's orders."
"Why does he want a female vampire?" Artemis murmured, unable to fight her body's attraction towards the virile god.
"He knows they're the strongest Earthen creature. She would be his personal huntress."
"You mean do his dirty work?"
Erebus gave her a grin.
"He has all the power he could ever need, why does he need a fragile vampire of your creation to hunt for him?"
"There are some areas of the kingdom that even he cannot reach."
"Enlighten me."
"Have you ever traveled to death's door?"
She shook her head, considering Zeus had supplied her with everlasting lifespan.
"He no longer is able to choose who leaves his fertile kingdom. He needs someone to do it for him. This vampire will be unexpected as a woman. Women also tend to get their way if you know what I mean. She will be his vessel on earth."
"Why are you telling me this?" Artemis murmured, fearing the worst.
"A husband and wife do not keep secrets from one another," Erebus whispered hotly against the Moon Goddess' ear.
As soon as the words escaped the vile lips of the vampire king, the same treacherous lips locked onto her own. The wolf inside the goddess became alive within her once more and took over her body with not even an inch left between the two immortals.
The wolf inside her caged her human-like legs around Erebus' hips as he trailed kisses along her neck and swept one hand along the shapes of her curves. He groaned in appreciation as he imagined her bare. He wanted a taste of the wetness that he could smell between her legs.
With a snap, they were transported to his lair where he roughly laid her against his satin sheets. He climbed on top of her, discarding his shirt along the way. He sucked and licked his way up her neck and skimmed over the collar of her dress, teasing it down as he wanted to devour her chest.
She squirmed beneath him, writhing in ecstasy, yet completely betrayed by her animalistic instinct to mate with a dominant god. He did not disappoint when he said that he would control her sexually. Maddening lust drenched the air. The Moon Goddess watched as his corded muscles bunched in his arms and chest as he moved down her body.
Not wanting to seal her fate with so much shame of her first night, she redirected his attention to her mouth. He growled lowly, angry that she had not submitted to him. With a soft touch, she calmed him. He bit her lip, wanting entrance to the forbidden chamber of her mouth. She denied him, but he quickly slid his hands over her breast, causing a gasp to bubble from her throat. He took the opportunity to penetrate her mouth. Though physically pleased, her mind filled with guilt and disgust. She let herself go.
Artemis' world decayed beneath her. With vampires being favorited by Zeus, she knew that her werewolves slowly die off. They would be considered a food source, nothing more. Without the nourishment that Erebus would give her, she would wither away after time. Like her children, even she needed a mate to survive. There would be no need to keep her around anymore with the extinction of her children.
Distractedly, Artemis pulled away from Erebus as he laid on top of her. He growled lowly, not appreciating the distance that she had set between them. She snarled back, angered that he would not allow her to settle in before demanding sex. A tear slipped from her moon-like eyes. Erebus watched as it slowly trailed down her chin.
"Do not fret, my little catalyst. I have taken mercy on you because of your great life supply and beauty. You are a wonderful mother to your children and you will be to mine as well. You're not going anywhere."
"Why do you want me when you could have Aphrodite or Sif?" Artemis had to ask.
"They're not you. You'll be able to feed me for billions of years."
He simply wanted a feed, nothing more, nothing less. With her last few pleading moments of freedom, Artemis negotiated her happiness.
"I will stay with you willingly, Erebus, but you must promise me one thing before I agree."
Erebus nodded with pride. He knew that in the end, she would always say yes to him, even if he had no threatened her with Zeus's power.
"I must visit a friend to say goodbye. He is very close to me."
"I will not let you visit another god when you are betrothed to me!"
She was his property now. Gods didn't like to share. She was reserved for Erebus' use, no one else's. Artemis hatched plan after plan of how she would slowly destroy Erebus. She would start with his adored children, then turn Set on him, finally she would kill him and Zeus in one. She knew exactly how she would be able to manage it as well.
"He and I are practically related," Artemis lied.
Erebus was not a fool, but he knew that Artemis would not lie if this man were actually a threat to him. He had the feeling that he was not a god, which made his ego swell.
Erebus dismissed Artemis to gather her things. Artemis quickly escaped to her friend. The gates opened for her as soon as she had reached them.
She met with her friend and he instantly agreed to her requests. That night, the Moon Goddess used all her strength to create the family of wolves that would be the most powerful that she had ever made.
Erebus had a dark presence sent over to Artemis' to check on her. Once he saw her traitorous ways, he infiltrated the family of werewolves with the darkness that warped his soul. With no way of correcting the family's now tainted children, Artemis became heartbroken, which quickly turned into outrage. Erebus' weak plan of making her his wife was no match for her fury. She put aside every emotion that had once rooted inside her and rebelled against Zeus and Erebus.
She seduced Erebus, making him unable to understand what he was doing to himself and Zeus. He would not realize it for years. Wickedly, she was able to demand that she pick who the strong, female's beloved would be. Drugged, Erebus agreed to the plans. She promised him that the pairing would only last a lifetime and would not transfer into the next world.
The Moon Goddess crafted the children of the family perfectly, but she was unable to retrieve the dark presence that had embedded itself into the children. She hoped that it would be overcome by her own power.
Taking a piece of her own rib, she crafted the son of the family with pride. He would be a god among men. He would be a monster, but it was a small price to pay for vengeance.
Everything she did was for her children. Artemis' pairing of the two would last an eternity. The two powers combined with the constant attraction of the mating pull would lend the wolf and vampire enough strength to overcome the disasters of Set, Erebus, and Zeus.
She regretted her decision, but she had to do this. For the rest of her children. For her. Maybe, just maybe, the two would make the world right again.
With the last couple of drops of power that the Moon Goddess had, she had crafted the wolf and vampire's fate. She felt dirty considering that she had used Erebus in the same way that he had used her, but she had to. He gave her no choice.
The wolf side was breathtaking, perhaps as beautiful as her own. He was constructed of loyalty, charm, intelligence, selflessness, determination, love, and honesty. She had included a few special attributes to him, so that there would be no way for him to leave the world without a fight. She felt the excitement grow in her as she gazed at his little form taking life in his mother's womb.
In a few more years, the vampire would also come into the world in her own beauty. Artemis admired the deft movements that was wired into her blood; she was a fighter. She was clever, insubordinate, strong-willed, and in the depths of her soul would be kindness. Artemis added a few generosities to the girl as well, it was only in her nature. She detested that Erebus had demanded that he add a few of his own specialties to her since it was his child in the first place.
Power was evident in the wolf and the vampire. As the years passed and each became stronger and more powerful in their own ways, the Moon Goddess became proud of them. Although she was trapped in her own oblivion of hatred, she loved both of the children.
One day while watching the scenes unfold before her eyes, Artemis was interrupted by a furious Set. He had lost all ability to control himself. Ruins were left in his wake.
"You have betrayed my love," Set shouted at Artemis.
She calmly accepted the abusive words that Set hurled at her. He was young, which probably added to the lure that he had on Erebus. The Moon Goddess was well aware of the relationship that the two had. It was a platonic relationship for Erebus, but Artemis knew that Set did not feel the same way, even if Erebus had been dishonest.
He left without hearing a word from her. She was used to his childish ways. Aphrodite lived nearby and Set visited often. Everyone knew what they did at night, but no one uttered a word about it in the morning. It sickened Artemis to even think about.
The Moon Goddess promised herself that she would flee Erebus as soon as the wolf and vampire were mated; she knew that they would be strong enough together to combat the harsh reality that would find them. She could only hope that they would be safe with each other.
Much to her demise, Zeus had entered earth once he knew that the vampire child had been born into royalty. Somehow, he had found out about the pairing of the two creations. He was not a patient god. He had still been under the impression that the pairing would only last until death do them apart, but he claimed that he wanted her in both lifetimes.
He was infatuated with the vampire.
Zeus had mounted his vessel and sunk into the uncharted territory of Earth. Fear struck the Moon Goddess. All she could do was pray. Pray she had done enough.