Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale

Chapter 22 Declaration of the Tale

Perseus’s point of view

Dizziness and that nausea still surrounded him, yet his vision had overwhelmed that blur and the first person he saw was her.

The memories struck him like electronic bolt when his mind swirled back into that future. He saw hers, her youth, of how she lived and....that future. The scene at the beach, it was magnified with twilight and stars. The whole universe drifted back to one, his heart lingered in unconsciousness was pulled to it that it triggered to burn. Butterflies swirled inside him at the scene. Never in his life he'd had experienced something like that. So beautiful and at that moment, Percy realised she was the one.

He believed it against all of his intuitions, his senses to stay alive, all the warnings he had heard. She was the one, the one that he would swear to protect, to live for and to die for. Perhaps it was his exhaustion that hallucinated him when it found out his crush for Artemis. Or maybe she came at the moment he needed her and now he was actually appreciating her. But he knew an addition, something more than just that appreciation or likeness made him to see that scene and discover that feeling. He knew she saw the same as it was visible in her silver eyes before she fell into unconsciousness.

For a moment he was panicked, all of his will was to make her wake. But after a while, he saw her back rise and fall, showing she was still alive. It was the treatment that she had spent too much of her energy.

Her head laid on his chest, that auburn hair ran smoothly down her back, some spread on the bed that reflected the light of the candles made her glow like the star in the room.

He studied her, he green eyes traced down her smooth jawline, that ethereal and flawless pale skin, those perfect nose and lips. It was that hidden silver eyes like two miniatured moons behind the skin, locked by the perfect eyelashes with her light pink cheeks that he hoped to reveal.

He took a trace of her hair, his thumb smooth rubbed it. Hour after hour he kept his glance to one person, sometimes he'd dare traced his index finger along her cheek or his palm lightly cared her face. She'd smile, or leaned her head onto his palm as his thumb traced circles on her cheek, and yet she didn't wake. It was that moment that he had hoped for nearly three thousand years. To be close to her, to care her cheek, to play with her hair and to whisper how much he liked her. The injury was worth it, it was worth it.

The thought of the attack came back. His head hurt when he tried to remember it, the person that had caused this. All he remembered was those sharp claws like dagger sticking onto his torso, that unspeakable pain and the blood leaking out. It turned into a nightmare that sweats rolled down his cheek, the room darkened. Whoever did that to him, he could take out the Hunt in just a day.

"Did I tell you that every male' finger that touches me will be chopped off?"

A familiar voice came that it pulled him out from that terrific memory. I glanced down to see her astonishing and exquisite silver eyes staring at him. He removed his hand from her cheek as she smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Artemis rose from her position and checked his temperature.

"Better than ever" he managed a grin. "But the wounds haven't fully healed though"

A new white T-shirt was wrapped on his body, still he feel the wounds aching whenever he stir.

"So that's why" she stood up and pulled a blanket up to his neck. "You must rest and won't be going anywhere until I'm sure that they're fully healed."

"Hey so not taking bath as well?" he frowned.

"Yes" she turned to him. "Punishment for running away."

He smiled at her. He missed the conversations, even though he would get bullied ever time. But he was glad that he could be with her again. There's no exciting life without Artemis after all.

As she was about to leave, he caught her hand that she came into a pause.

It was warm and soft, his lips trembled as he whispered.

"Thank you...for saving me"

Artemis just smiled at him, like the dazzling stars, so beautiful, so heart-taking.

She walked back to him, leaning closer that her warm tingling on his cheek, his heart trembled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her cheek touched his, every muscles, every nerves just lost connection. Her warmth, that tranquil scene of the forests at Spring. Her tender soft voice travelled in his ear that it took all his will to proceed.

"I've missed you Perseus"

They held like that for awhile, she pulled away as he yearned for the extension of that moment.

Quietly, she walked out of the infirmary.

Artemis walked through her camp, her head swirled as she just realised what she had don't.

She hugged him,

With her conscious mind that she intentionally hugged him.

She didn't know why she did that. She could've said something like sorry because my hunters chased you away or it was my fault that you were caught up to this. But she couldn't, her lips couldn't form words at that moment, her mind couldn't make out a decent apology. She should've made the apology first, before Perseus made his appreciation. Yet she couldn't bring herself.

She still felt that warmth, that sensation emerged and floating around her. She wanted to embrace it more, to hold him more but she knew the consequences.

The cold wind blasted against her skin as her icy fingers opened the silver flap. Her hunters turned to her direction as Annabeth was the first to speak. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

"How is he?"

"He's in a stable condition now" Artemis informed as she made her way to the end of the tent. She was still uncomfortable with Annabeth's care for Perseus, but considering she was the only person that actually made friend with him, she didn't say anything about that. Percy was lonely enough.

The hunters involved in that prank sat at the end roll, whose faces somehow were so interested about the floor. Artemis cleared her throat.

"Three immortals have died guys" Artemis told them. "You must know how dangerous Perseus can be when he triggers that curse. That's why we've to conceal that beast inside him. I know having him here is dangerous, but he clearly has nowhere else to go. You can see how long he could survive out there alone. We nearly killed him."

The fire flickered, the shadows of them dancing and swirling on the tent. No one said a word, even though Artemis didn't raise her voice but instead soft. She knew they had already felt guilty enough.

"You guys can continue to prank him if you one." That sentence got them looking up. "But no dangerous ones like wolfsbane or silver dagger and also from now on, Perseus will be staying in my tent."

Zoë spoke immediately at the last part. "Lady how can that be-"

"I know what I'm doing Zoë" Artemis closed her eyes and raised her hand to stop her. "I know you guys wouldn't do anything stupid in my tent. So that will be considered his safe zone. But trust me, he'll be sleeping on the floor."

Thalia and the old members looked at each other and nodded. Artemis smiled as she made her way out, but turn back for the last announcement.

"Tomorrow we'll remove all the wolfsbane in this area. So get rest and ready to work for tomorrow because Perseus gonna be hospitalised for few weeks until his wounds are healed. Chores be on you"

Artemis smirked as she heard the hunters groaned. She set the flap and walked to Perseus bed to move him to her tent......????

N/A sorry for the late update but there you have it. Sorry for the cliffhanger ??✌? votes and comments really help so please do guys. Chapter out this week, see ya and luv you all ❤❤ ❤???