Caleb- My hands balled into fists as I watched Hunter and Kyra’s exchange. I had eagerly waited for Hunter to return for the last six months, thinking we could all get along. I wasn’t entirely interested in sharing my mate with another man, but Hunter wasn’t just anyone. Hunter was like a brother to me, and we have gone through a lot in the past. Yet, as I listened to his reasoning, I knew that the man who held my mate’s hand wasn’t my brother. He was a stranger. Considering he didn’t have his memories, how could I be sure that his motive for returning was pure? I don’t know what changed these last six months, but the moment he returned, I instantly put my guard up around him. Perhaps it was jealousy, or maybe it was something else. I would give Kyra whatever she wanted, but at the same time, I was afraid she would be blind. What if there was a chance that Hunter was still being influenced by Artemis? He could be playing us like a fiddle for all we knew. After he returned from th
Caleb-As I impatiently waited in the hall, I ignored everyone else. After Kyra was taken into the operating room, Rex and I called everyone to inform them of Kyra’s situation. Kyra had wanted to wait until after she gave birth to gather everyone, but now things were different.The only one we still couldn’t reach was Zeke, but everyone else arrived. Kalen was the first to arrive, and he went into the operating room to assist Lucas. Knowing Kalen was inside made me feel a little better, but not by much.Ryleigh had brought someone I had never met before but had heard about. The man she brought was Cosmo, who was helping her with her ability. Unlike her, he could decipher visions. He was also a Seer and often advised others on their visions when they couldn’t decipher them.I hadn’t understood why Ryleigh brought him until I learned that Cosmo could force his visions. He was currently trying to discover Kyra’s fate. He has been at it for an hour since everyone arrived. Up to this point,
Caleb-No one said anything as we all stared at Hunter. Blood oozed out of the side of Hunter’s hand, with a little remaining on the wall as he pulled his hand away. At that moment, I realized that everyone, including me, was in the wrong. Well, except for Selene. She was likely the only levelheaded person in this moment.“You all keep expecting me to be the same person you knew, and I am getting tired of it. I have kept my mouth shut and tried to understand where everyone is coming from, but none of you can give me the same respect. Not only are all of you pushing me, but my wolf is also constantly trying to get me to remember. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up going crazy.” Hunter chuckled as he rubbed his bloodied hand on his pant leg.“Every single one of you need to accept that I will never be the same. Even if I regain my memories, I will still not be the same. None of you know what I have gone through or what I went through before I lost my memories. Time in Pur
Hunter-My lungs expanded with air but didn’t release as I stood up. Every cell in my body was practically vibrating as I silently begged that nothing went wrong and Kyra was safe. Unlike the others, I managed to keep my expressions in check. Everyone else moved toward the doctor and crowded him.“How is she?” Caleb grabbed Lucas’s wrists and held him in place.I refused to let anyone see that I was just as scared as they were. During my time in Purgatory with Artemis, I learned that showing emotions was a weakness I couldn’t afford. Even if I couldn’t hold everything back, I didn’t want anyone to know what I was really thinking.“Don’t worry. She is fine. Kyra woke up after I took the babies out and is doing well. It is confirmed that they affected her abilities. Both mother and babies are doing great. After Kalen is finished cleaning them, they will return to their room. I want to keep them for at least an hour or two for observations.”Everyone was clapping or showing the doctor th
Kyra-Hunter didn’t speak, but he shook his head as he stepped back. His expression was blank, but I could feel a sense of fear rolling off him. It wasn’t strong, but I could notice it.“It is okay. You won’t hurt him.” I said as I picked up Theron and cradled him in my arms.Hunter still didn’t speak, but he continued to shake his head. Instead of pressuring him to talk to me, I closed the distance between us and attempted to hand Theron to him. He once again stepped back, but he couldn’t get far. His back was now pressed against the wall behind him.His gaze remained on Theron, but I could see he wanted to flee. Before he could get the chance, I stepped forward and blocked his escape. This time, when I extended my arms to Hunter, he continued to shake his head, but his hands came out of his pockets.Taking the opportunity, I pressed Theron against Hunter’s chest. Hunter took Theron, but I could see he wasn’t sure what to do with a small baby. Smiling, I helped him adjust his arms so
Kyra-“It will be okay. We will be able to bring them home as soon as we resolve everything.” Caleb’s calming voice helped ease my aching heart.“I know.” I sniffled.“If you want, you can go stay with them for a while. The rest of us can handle things around here for now.” Hunter suggested.Lifting my head, I settled down. Hunter held no emotions in his eyes, but I noticed the way his jaw flexed. It was subtle, but it was all I needed to remember that despite everything, he did care, even if he didn’t show it. Shaking my head, I slowly stood and wiped my wrists against my face to brush away the remnants of my tears.“I will be okay.” I sniffled one more time. “I just needed a moment. The main thing I need to worry about now is dealing with Artemis.”I didn’t add that we also needed to deal with his situation. I already had an idea brewing regarding him. First, I needed to see what everyone else was up to. Turning around, I looked for Alec, but he was nowhere to be seen.“Where is Ale
Artemis-“What is wrong with you?” I asked Apollo as he entered my bed chambers.“I was told to release you, but I don’t want you to leave.” Apollo sighed as he sauntered toward me.I have been looking forward to this day for six months. I had a more profound hatred for my brother than I thought possible. Every day since I have been held captive, he has found ways to torment me. Some things were downright disgusting, while many I hoped I could soon forget.“Father said I was only being punished for six months, so let me go.” The chains around my ankles and wrists rattled as I yanked on them.“But I was having fun with you. There are still so many things I haven’t had a chance to try.” Apollo stopped in front of me as he reached behind my head and grabbed a handful of hair. “I do hope you misbehave again so I can continue spending quality time with my beloved sister.”Apollo leaned forward and pressed his face against mine as he yanked my hair back. Bile rose to my throat as he sniffed
Kyra-I thought that my idea would be good, but it turned out to be a failure. Hunter sat beside me but only ate one pizza slice and barely watched the movie. He seemed more interested in playing with his phone.I wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say. Yes, I wanted to stir a memory, but I also wanted him to relax. If he was more interested in playing a matching game on his phone, then so be it. I guess I wasn’t very interested in the movie either. I spent most of my time watching Hunter.Before I knew it, the movie had ended, and he had gotten off the blanket that was spread on the floor. Without saying anything, he cleaned up the pizza and put the pillows on the couch. Sighing, I got off the floor and started folding the blanket.I wanted to ask him to do something else with me, but he was difficult to approach. Even if I gave up the idea of trying to get him to remember the past, I didn’t know how I could get to know his current self. Small talk was out of the questio
Kyra-I didn’t get the chance to see Hunter again after leaving Caleb in the room with him. When I returned later, Caleb was still in the room. I decided to leave them alone, which I am glad I did. Now, as I sat at the table in the dining room with Hunter, Caleb, Zac, and Rex, I felt everything would be okay. No matter what we face, we will come out of it stronger and better than ever.While Alec was in the kitchen making breakfast, I couldn’t get in a word as the guys talked about every random thing they could. Before, when the past was brought up, Hunter would get annoyed. It wasn’t like that now. He seemed interested in what the others had to say.I couldn’t keep up with the conversation because it would change whenever I thought I knew what they were discussing. It was okay, though; I was just happy to see Hunter smiling and talking to them as if they were friends. Leaning back in my chair, I picked up the cup of coffee Caleb had poured for me.The coffee this morning seemed sweet
Kyra-The following forty-eight hours, while Hunter was in a coma, we searched through every book we could get our hands on. I tried not to worry about Hunter, but it wasn’t easy. On the plus side, everyone seemed to trust Hunter now, after he put his life on the line to save Caleb. I think they now understand that even if Hunter doesn’t remember his past, he is still Hunter. Some things have changed, but who Hunter was as a person is still there. Caleb, Zac, and Alec are filled with guilt over Hunter’s situation. Every time I went to sit with Hunter, one of them was in the room. I never had a chance to be alone with Hunter, but I didn’t mind. I was simply glad that they all seemed to let go of their grudge against Hunter. It wasn’t his fault that he was now known as a God-killer, but at least they no longer seemed interested in holding it against him. “Any luck?” Tristan asked who was in the library with me, helping me research what we could learn about the orb Artemis has. “I ca
Hunter-Kyra was right. No matter how many we killed, they continued to multiply. It didn’t help that the powers of the hybrid Gods didn’t affect them. Alec and Caleb shifted into their wolves but weren’t progressing much. I considered using my Dragakor Flame since my flame should work on them. I would if I could get a clear shot at one without endangering the others.The only thing I could do was fight alongside the others and hope that we could turn the tide. As I continued to fight, I noticed something inside me felt as if it was cracking. I didn’t know if it was a memory or something else. All I knew was that I had an overwhelming sense of familiarity as I fought together with everyone.It felt as if I had been fighting with them for ages. I knew everyone’s fighting style, and I could assist them with ease as if I knew their next move. If I didn’t know better, I would think it was an ability I possessed, but I knew that wasn’t the case.“On your left!” Zac called out, just as I no
Hunter-When I woke up, I noticed Kyra was still asleep. Her body wasn’t seizing, which was a good sign that whatever Artemis had done to her was over. Looking at the others, I saw they were all glaring at me, other than Tristan and Selene.Tristan was looking at me with a curious expression, tilting his head to the side. I remembered he had the ability to read minds. I was able to block him when I first learned of it, but that didn’t mean I could while I was inside Kyra’s mind. With the way he was looking at me, I felt as if he knew more than what I had revealed to anyone.“Are you going to put out this fire or what?” Zac demanded.“You really should work on your people skills.” I groaned as I let the flames dissipate.As soon as the fire was gone, Caleb and Zac rushed to Kyra, crowding her and checking her body over. Rolling off the bed, I debated how much I should reveal to them. If I told them that Kyra was given a choice between Caleb and me, they would likely choose Caleb for he
Kyra-“What do you want to talk about?” I asked Artemis as I searched the darkness for an aura I felt.I didn’t see anything, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Hunter was somewhere around me. Well, it was more Ace, I sensed. I considered asking if Artemis also brought Hunter, but she seemed oblivious to another presence. Her focus was solely on me, and she seemed eerily calm.“It is simple. I just need you to make a choice.” Artemis hummed as she lifted one hand, palm up, and waved her other hand over it.When a glowing object formed in her hand, I stopped looking around and focused on the orb. “What is that?”“This is Hunter’s life force.” Artemis picked up the light blue orb shrouded in light, pinching it between her thumb and index finger.“What do you mean?” I stepped forward and instinctively reached for the orb, but she pulled it away from me.“When I made a deal with your father, I tied Hunter’s soul to an object to be able to keep him alive. This is the object I used.” Art
Hunter-I didn’t know where her room was, but I walked out of the room and up the stairs. Kicking in each door until I found Kyra’s room, I went inside and placed her on the bed. As everyone else entered the room, I climbed on the bed and kicked my shoes off.“What are you doing?” Caleb demanded and it looked as if he was on the verge of attacking me.I knew that revealing I still had access to my power could be a mistake, but I couldn’t avoid it. Right now, Kyra was in a state of sleep, which meant I had the ability to help her. Lifting my hands, I wrapped them around the cuff on my left wrist. Without much effort, I broke the cuff off and then repeated my actions with the other cuff.“How is that possible? The cuffs were infused with magic, so you shouldn’t be able to break them.” Zac rushed forward and grabbed the broken cuffs off the bed.“Sorry, but they don’t work, at least not on me.” I sighed as I lay beside Kyra, taking her hand and linking my fingers through hers.“That can’t
Hunter-“What is wrong with her?” Selene asked.Instead of answering Selene, since I didn’t have an answer, I lifted Kyra in my arms and carried her to the couch. Laying Kyra on the sofa, my heart squeezed as fear consumed me. I didn’t know why Kyra suddenly fainted, but I had a bad feeling that whatever the reason was, it wasn’t good.“Do you think it is because of everything that has happened? Not only has she given birth, but she had to separate from her children. Now, there is a problem with Zeke, and Artemis is no longer detained by her father.” Caleb said as he crouched beside the couch and took Kyra’s hand.I didn’t move too far as I knelt on the ground and slowly stroked Kyra’s head. I didn’t care if I was showing my emotions now. Kyra was my bottom line.“I don’t think so.” I frowned, and my brows folded as I looked at Kyra. “With what I know about Kyra, I don’t think she is the kind of person who would cave under pressure.”“But she isn’t invincible either.” Caleb argued. “F
Kyra-I thought that my idea would be good, but it turned out to be a failure. Hunter sat beside me but only ate one pizza slice and barely watched the movie. He seemed more interested in playing with his phone.I wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say. Yes, I wanted to stir a memory, but I also wanted him to relax. If he was more interested in playing a matching game on his phone, then so be it. I guess I wasn’t very interested in the movie either. I spent most of my time watching Hunter.Before I knew it, the movie had ended, and he had gotten off the blanket that was spread on the floor. Without saying anything, he cleaned up the pizza and put the pillows on the couch. Sighing, I got off the floor and started folding the blanket.I wanted to ask him to do something else with me, but he was difficult to approach. Even if I gave up the idea of trying to get him to remember the past, I didn’t know how I could get to know his current self. Small talk was out of the questio
Artemis-“What is wrong with you?” I asked Apollo as he entered my bed chambers.“I was told to release you, but I don’t want you to leave.” Apollo sighed as he sauntered toward me.I have been looking forward to this day for six months. I had a more profound hatred for my brother than I thought possible. Every day since I have been held captive, he has found ways to torment me. Some things were downright disgusting, while many I hoped I could soon forget.“Father said I was only being punished for six months, so let me go.” The chains around my ankles and wrists rattled as I yanked on them.“But I was having fun with you. There are still so many things I haven’t had a chance to try.” Apollo stopped in front of me as he reached behind my head and grabbed a handful of hair. “I do hope you misbehave again so I can continue spending quality time with my beloved sister.”Apollo leaned forward and pressed his face against mine as he yanked my hair back. Bile rose to my throat as he sniffed