Page 71 of The Wolf Moon

Roman stood in the clearing looking down at a silver blade in his grasp. It was the same blade Greg had used on Diana… the same blade Roman had gifted to me. He watched it with an unknown expression on his features. I stood silently watching him at first. My eyes looked over this man before me.

Had I truly been in love with him for centuries? I couldn’t remember it, but something in my heart throbbed at the idea as though confirming it for me. What was it about Roman that had caught a Goddess’ eyes?

Whatever it was, it still remained to this very moment. My heart pulsed with a love irrational; a love unconditional. I wouldn’t be able to kill Roman. Not today. Not now. Not ever. I clenched my jaw in determination, knowing this meant I would possibly be the one to die tonight.

“Is that blade for me?” I finally spoke in the silence. Roman didn’t respond. He only tightened his grip on the hilt of the blade and continued to observe it determinedly. I looked from his form to the blade as well. “What happens when you kill your own mate?”

“A normal wolf would die from it,” Roman finally answer, his voice angry. He lifted his head to look at me as though intending to yell at me, but his words were lost on his tongue. A look of pain struck his features and he turned away.

I lifted my hand to my face to feel the wet of tears on my cheek. I hadn’t realized I was crying. It was very unlike me. I wiped away my tears quickly, trying to force myself to be braver.

“It’s lucky you’re not a normal wolf, then,” I said softly. If Roman killed me, the wolves would be doomed, but I wasn’t sure how to convince him of doing something else at this point. I wouldn’t kill him. If he kills me, the curses would return and all the wolves would become extinct…

“Would you spare me?” I asked innocently. Roman abruptly began to walk towards me and I tensed as though he would stab me with the blade right then. Instead, he paused before me to stare at me determinedly.

“You’ve made it clear you’re on the humans’ side. In just one night you enlisted wolves to support you. Wolves fighting wolves to protect humans.” He said the words as though they left a bad taste in his mouth. “It was my worst scenario.”

“If you also protect the humans, no wolves would have to fight each other,” I said to him, a heat of anger slipping into my tone.

“There you are, Mila,” Roman responded quickly, lifting his hand to touch my face. I tensed at the touch, but something about it made my heart sing and so I held still.

“I… I have something to tell you,” I struggled to speak the words. I’m Artemis. Would the words make him instantly kill me? Knowing I am a reincarnation of the Moon Goddess he hates so much…

“You shifted, I know,” He guessed with a frown. “Newborn shifter… even this feels wrong sometimes.” I was confused by the comment. Did he mean the age difference? A strangled laugh came from my lips. If I were truly Artemis, and I’d proven already I was, then I was an ancient being; far more so than a cursed werewolf.

“I found out why I can control wolves and why I can shift even though I’m human,” I braved to tell Roman, my heart now pounding in my throat. “Give up on the fight against humans. Please. You’ve done it once.”

“I won’t,” Roman growled lowly. “For Diana. And for the countless wolves who suffered under them before Diana. I won’t. How about you give up on the humans?”

“No!” I cried out desperately. My family… I couldn’t give up on my family.

“That’s a shame,” Roman released his touch on my face; his eyes cold.

“I’m Artemis,” I blurted, afraid he would impulsively hurt me before I could get the words out. Roman hesitated, but then only frowned.

“You’re what?” He asked incredulously.

“The Mother and the Crone… they came to me and they said I am Artemis. They said I fell in love with you centuries ago and I came here to be with you; to break your curse,” I said the words as quickly as I could. “That’s why I can control wolves like I do. I just… I just controlled all of them. And I can shift even though I was born human. It’s because I’m-”

“Enough,” Roman snapped with irritation.

“It’s true, I swear it,” I continued despite his command.

“Oh, I believe it,” Roman hissed angrily. “So even you were one of their tricks.”

“No! No, it’s not a trick. I didn’t have my memories. I still don’t have my memories,” I responded quickly, my body trembling from fear as to what his reaction might be. “I just want to break your curse.”

“How?” The distrust in Roman’s voice was thick as he spoke to me.

I bit my lip for a moment, wondering how to word my next statement.

“Be… with me,” I said, a blush suddenly rising on my skin.

Roman was unresponsive and I was afraid to look at him. I looked at the blade twisting in his hand instead and hoped I would be able to see it coming for me.

“You’re not telling me everything,” Roman suddenly stated coolly. I suppose centuries of life would make things like this easy to notice in conversations. “Open up to me.” I had been keeping a wall around me determinedly, not wanting to let Roman get any hint that I could finally give him his wish and kill him. I shook my head determinedly.

He abruptly stepped forward and grabbed me by the back of the neck, pulling me to him with an air of complete danger. I was afraid, both for my own life and afraid he would find out and try to force me to kill him instead. I would pick me. Sanity be damned, if one of us dies, I would want it to be me.

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