C94 Had a nightmare

Artemis Pov

“Argh!” I growled from pain, I watched in horror as Freya sunk her sword into me, her eyes were devoid of emotions.

I kneeled frozen, unable to move, my muscles felt weak and for the first time I was vulnerable, my wolf went silent, another strange thing that meant we were accepting defeat.

“Freya,” I choked as blood oozed out from my mouth, I coughed blood, still looking into her eyes, I pleaded.

No! What was I doing, I thought, this could not be my end.

Nooo fight! Why am I not fighting, why did I feel weakness and why was I surrendering.

As I took a peek at Freya, she still had that maddening look, eyes blazing with anger, I could almost feel her fury.

“Say hello to my father in the afterworld,” she spat.

“Freya please… please..,” I begged.

“Are you begging, I’m sure this was how my father begged you but you still killed him and took his daughter, how could anyone be so evil?” she thundered.

“You took me, every part of me, made me fall for you! you killed my father, that started my misery. You will die!” she snarled. Raising the sword she was about to set it down before two arms caught her, “Freya, breathe,” he cooed.

The imposter, the one that dared touch what belonged to me, he would die, I would rip him apart before I died.

I grunted, feeling the darkness pulling and sucking me in like the ocean. It wanted to swallow me whole. However I fought, I fought to stay awake. I mustn't end like this.

Freya is mine! I wanted to screamed.

“I am not yours!” she yelled and if it were possible I flinched, she shouted like she could read my mind.

“I promise you would regret what you did, the pack you have suffered to build on people's blood would belong to me,” she stated.

It was no surprise, I saw this coming. That was why I prepared the way for you my dear.

“Let’s go,” the pup of an alpha attempted to tow her away but she refused, “I must watch this monster die before my very eyes,” she stated sternly, refusing to bulge.

And she did, she stood there, her mate pulled her into an embrace. As a couple they stood and watched the downfall of I, Artemis. My mind screamed for me to fight, this could not be my end.

I started up on my bed, breathing raggedly whilst I was covered in beads of sweat. My heart was running a marathon and it attempted to fall off any moment from now.

Sitting up, I looked around my room, it was all a dream, a dreadful one I never wanted to meet.

The moon goddess was punishing me, if it was so, was I not her child also? She watched as my father whipped me and locked me up. Did all those hideous things to me yet she was silent and now she wanted to punish me?

Why?

“Why!” I screamed.

“I'm your child also!” It was in the middle of the night and I had woken up like every other night from nightmares. Usually I'd walk into my bedroom and wash my face off the dread but they seemed to be getting worse every day.

Today? Today I had the fill of it. I was tired and worn out from the constant fighting.

“I should have killed her when I had the chance. Jude was right, I failed one rule. I missed an important role of mine,” I grumbled.

But why? I thought, why was my life so difficult? Getting up, I opened the door and walked out of the room, going to my father's quarters.

He had designed the place for me and my mother. Our torture, said we always had to be in line, people would fall out of line without rules, and it was his duty to make sure everyone followed the rules.

I took out my diary and pen, trudging into the room, I saw the box I was confined into at the age of eight. Everyone as I grew up. They were all lined up.

Tracing my finger on the box delicately, memories flew in like fireflies. I looked straight ahead, the vision of me crying in a small box, starving for two days straight without food because I had helped a boy up when he fell.

I passed out then later on I woke up in the hospital, with a drip connected into my vein. The doctor had asked what happened, my father was quick to answer, “focus on your treatment and worry less on what happened,” he had said. The doctor went silent and seized all the questions. From then on he only treated me without prying. Nobody was there for me. No one.

One time my mother snuck in, I still remembered her scent, made of pine wood and lavender. She drew me closer to her and rocked me gently, telling me different tales. She sang me to sleep and that day it felt like I was in heaven.

Exhausted, we slept in that position, being each other's comfort. Our comfort came with an after pain, my father had walked in on us. He dragged my mother out and then he faced me.

“Women are gonna be your weakness, don't let them in,” he had said.

“You must never love a woman or your mate. They are your weakness,” his voice echoed with the whip that went with every advice he threw my way.

Splitter and covered in blood, my mother avoided me, her eyes that twinkled dulled and then I knew he had done something to her but she would never speak of it. Her gaze averted from mine and whenever they met they were void of emotions.

It was then I needed her most, her soothing words but she was far, out of reach. Father was right after all I thought because she would have made up time to see me when I was hurting.

My classmates passed me once in a competition, only because I had sustained injuries from my father’s whip yet he still somehow blamed it all on me. I was in the dungeon for days. He was furious that I failed, never wanting a weakling as a son.

When I was released and allowed to eat again, my mother broke the one rule father told her. She brought all the healthy junk for me. That day I saw her cry, tears left her eyes.

“I'm sorry my son,” she said as she cleaned my body.

“I'm so sorry,” she cried, “it will be over soon, don't worry,” she told me, making me nod.

“You must never listen to what he says alright, I may be gone anytime soon, but I would always love you, you are loved and you are important,” she repeated over again till I knew them by heart.

Often she would do what she could and come in to see me, but the day father found out, that was the day she stopped coming and after a week I didn't see her again.

My days darkened and I knew no summer ever since then. All I faced were insults and lashing and beating. Till all my mother’s words were nothing but an echo and eventually they disappeared.

I took the whip and placed it back, bolting the door on my way out. My father's death made me even wild as I now knew his words. I never got to meet who killed him.

My mother's quarters were at the other end of the hall. I decided to check it out, snooping for answers to my searing questions.

The sun set on the horizon and I declared one thing, my father was right, every threat must be eliminated.

“Send out searchers for her, I want her were about known,” I commanded and walked away.

The final battle was on its way.