Chapter 4

ARTEMIS POV

“Sooo?” Ale dragged.

“We have a date tonight,” I said smiling.

“I’m so happy for you, just remember this is all for fun, we don’t know what the future you’re your lovely aunty fate holds for you.” And as I contemplated what she said I realized how right she was, but what the heck. A girl deserves to have some fun. And so, I nodded to Ale and went into my room to get ready for my date. EEEKKK!

I took about an hour and a half to get ready and as I stood in front of the mirror I realized; damn I look good. My hair is pulled back into a fluffy high ponytail to give my face full exposure and let’s be real here a good ponytail is literally a facelift, not that I need one, but a girl can’t complain. I kept my makeup simple just to enhance my features and topped it off with my favorite red Armani lipstick. I decided to wear a white halter-midi dress with simple Cinderella clear Amina Muaddi’s, and a white baby Hermes Kelly. I think I hit my mark, I look chic and sophisticated. As I accessorized and put on the finishing touches on my look, everything around me suddenly turned into a white flower field. Great, here comes the sermon. What did I do now?

“Hey, cut the sass with me missy,” She reprimanded.

Just great! “Hello mother, I’m going to be late so let’s get this over and done with.” I couldn’t help the sarcasm I was spewing.

“Hello sweetheart, and don’t give me that “I’m going to be late” excuse, you know quite well that when I visit you time stops for you and I. But I won’t keep you too long, I’m only here to remind you of your mission. I didn’t send my daughter to the human realm just because. Artemis you are here to serve a higher purpose my love,” she said while taking my right cheek in her hand and caressing it.

“I know mom, I won’t do anything stupid. I promise! I just don’t know what it is…there is something about him that like a magnet draws me in.”

She didn’t reply and so I looked up and for a second, I thought I was losing my mind. Is she raising her eyebrows? Is that a smirk? Gods bless the moon; my mother has finally come off her high horse.

“What?” I scoffed.

“Nothing, he is extremely good looking isn’t he. I sure did something right when I mated his parents.” In my shocked stage I felt my eyes were about to pop out of my head.

“You look beautiful,” she said in her earie divine ways. “Have fun tonight. When do you go back home?”

“Tomorrow morning”

“Good. I will erase any trace of you from his memories once you’re gone.”

I sighed.

“Sweetheart, I know this sucks, but you just have 6 more months before your mission starts. Stay strong my love.”

“I know! But please don’t, don’t erase his memories. I’ll do it myself.”

She gave me a sad smile and nodded, then leaned over and kissed my forehead, “be strong, just remember I’m always with you. I love you Artemis.”

“I love you too!” And just as she came, she left, and I was now 10 minutes late…. Shit I need to go. I grabbed my bag and ran out the door.

When the elevator finally made it to the lobby, I didn’t have to look for Jaxon. He was standing across the way leaning against the bar, looking out of the large windows overlooking the beach. Deliciously dressed in all black. A black suit with a matching black shirt, and back dress shoes. Uh! He wasn’t kidding when he said he loved black. And almost as if he sensed me approaching, he turned around, raked me from head to toe and smiled, showing me those sexy dimples of his. Gods this guy has a direct link to my hooha, all he must do is look at me, and my insides light on fire.

“Hi beautiful,” he says, as he reaches around me and placing his hand on my lower back and drawing me in and kissing my cheek.

“Hi, sorry for making you wait,” I said blushing.

“Totally worth it, you look stunning,” he whispered in my ear. “Shall we?” He motioned for me to take his arm, and I did, and we made our way outside, where his black Lamborghini veneno had just been brought to the front.

“Yours?” I pointed towards the car, he just smirked. “Now that I see it in black, I’m reconsidering my choice of the dark grey.” I retorted and smirked.

He chuckled, “I love a woman who knows her cars.”

The valet was coming around to open my door when Jaxon signaled for him to stop, “I got it.” He then ushered me into his car and ducked in to secure my seatbelt. As his arm came around me to click on my seatbelt he stopped, and his lips were just a mere inches away from my lips. His scent was driving me nuts. He was looking at my lips, when I bit down on my lower lip, and he growled clicked on my seat belt and closed my door. I hadn’t realized that I was holding my breath until I finally released it and started heaving. He settled into his seat, closed the door, and buckled in, when he turned to me giving me another sweep, he asked, “Are you ready?”

I simply nodded.

The air in the car was charged heavily with sexual tension, lust, and need. We didn’t really speak, just listened to music while he drove us to our destination. 15 minutes later we were pulling up to swan one of my favorite restaurants in Miami, and I wondered who he had guessed. But I was sadly let down when the valet came over to open our doors and greeted him, “Welcome back Mr. Cross, it’s always good to see you.”

“Thank you, Juan,” he greeted while handing him a one-hundred-dollar bill.

He came to my side as the other valet was ushering me out of the car and growled warning him. “I got the lady, thanks.” He spoke. Once I was out of the car, he ushered me to the restaurant with his hand on my lower back. Who would have thought how such a simple gesture could command so much possession and turn me on so badly.

“Welcome to Swan Mr. Cross,” the hostess greeted. “Your table is ready please follow me.”

 As we made our way to the table, I couldn’t help but ask, “you come here often?”

“Yeah, when in town I like to come here with my friends and family, and now you,” he said.

I blushed.

Once seated at our table, he ordered a bottle of wine and we cheered to a great night with great company. After our food was served, we talked about our likes and dislikes, especially when it comes to cars. The flirting was nonstop, and so natural and fluid, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so comfortable with anyone… Like ver. When it was time to order dessert I opted for a chocolate martini, and he ordered a scotch on the rocks. The night sailed so smoothly that we didn’t notice almost 3 hours had passed, and as we were leaving the restaurant, he hugged me by the waist and asked if I was tired, I turned to look at him and shook my head.

“Wanna go dancing?” I asked.

“It’s like you read my mind,” he smiled.

I did! That’s the crazy part, that’s one of my powers. But I couldn’t tell him that, so I just smiled.

“I know this place in little Havana that I think you would like,” he said.

“I hope you can keep up Mr. Cross,” I teased. The look he gave me made me almost cream myself.

I don’t get it, this guy hasn’t so much as kissed me and my hooha is screaming his name from the way he looks at me.

We instigated each other all the way to the club. “I’m sure he has two left feet,” he joked.

“Please just make sure you don’t crush my toes while on the dance floor. I love me a good pair of heeled sandals and would be sad if I must end up with a cast due to your God-awful moves.”

He chuckled, “don’t worry angel I promise I’ll take care of you and your pretty toes.”

“What did you just call me?”

“Angel! Because that what you look like dressed in all white.”

I couldn’t help but blush I love the endearment, and that he thought I was an angel. After that silence came over us, but it was a comfortable silence one that held a lot of excitement.

When we arrived at the club there was a line that wrapped around the block, and I was prepping myself to get the bouncer to let us in, but that wasn’t necessary as we approached the door the rope was removed, and the way was paved for us to go in ushered by a modelesque hostess. Once settled into our seats in the VIP area, Jaxon removed his suit blazer, and gods was it tailormade because every inch of fabric was perfectly laid over his muscular body. I watched mesmerized as he rolled up his sleeves and gestured for me to get up and take his hand.

“Come on angel mine, time to put your money where your mouth is,” he challenged.

“Oh yea? I want no tears when I wipe the dancefloor with you and your sexy dimples.”

“So, you think I’m handsome and I have sexy dimples?” he asked as he pulled me flushed against his chest, and I swear if the world just stopped moving right this second as I looked into his eyes, I would be the happiest woman alive.

But yeah no! I’m not that lucky. But he did intertwine our fingers and made our way to the dance floor. Let me tell you, the guy can dance! The club was quite deceiving from the looks outside, it was like an abandoned warehouse. But inside it was modern and warm, decorated in deep red and mahogany wood with gold chandeliers and a massive dance floor in the center.

We danced merengue, bachata, and salsa when senorita by Sean Mendez & Camilla Cabello came on, and I could feel the sensuality vibrating off our bodies. As he pulled me in tight to his body as he runs his hand down my back in a caress and vends down awaiting my next move. I couldn’t help myself, his lips looked like a juicy bright red strawberry, and I kissed him. When I tell you I saw stars it’s an understatement compared to what it was like to have his full red lips on me. Claiming me, he pulled me so flush to his body that I don’t think air could pass between us. He ran his tongue over my lower lip seeking entry, I couldn’t help but moan at the feeling and he used that opportunity to enter and start exploring. Our flight for power and control was driving us to a point of no return. I felt my control slipping over my powers and panicked, pushing away a little trying to grasp my breath, he leaned forward and touched our foreheads, and we kept swaying to the music. He hugged me tight, and I turned and cuddled into his chest and breathed in his intoxicating scent. When the song changed, he whispered in my ear, “It’s so hot in here let’s head back.” I was disappointed but just nodded. He paid for the tab as I gathered our belongings and then we made our way back to the car.

The drive was mostly quiet, I was trying to figure out what had happened when he suddenly took hold of my chin and turned my head to face him. “Hey, where did you go?” He had a deep scowl on his face.

I smiled shily.

“Did you feel it?”

“Uh?”

“The sparks when we kissed?”

I just tilted my head and gave him an oblivious look.

“Nothing,” he said shaking his head.

Once back at the hotel, as we entered the lobby, I was gearing myself up for what I had to do when he pulled my arm and almost dragged me towards the back entrance that led to the beach. Suddenly he stopped right before we hit the sand he turned around and picked me up bridal style.

“Hahahaha, what are you doing? Where are you taking me?”

He looked down at me, rubbed our noses and said, “I’m not ready for the night to end so I thought we’ll go for a beach walk.”

He set me down on the pier, took my hand intertwined our fingers and pulled me to his side as he started to walk. The air was warm, but I felt a chill run through my body. He turned looking concerned, asked if I was cold, I shook my head no, and we continued our walk.

He hugged my waist to pull me closer to him and said, “you know I’ve never felt this sort of attraction for anyone else before… A level of comfort that makes me weary of you but makes me want to be with you no matter what.”

‘I wish it was real,’ I thought.

‘What we feel is real, the attraction is there and something else I can’t decipher,’ Chipped in Selena.

‘Maybe is my Luna aura that draws him to me.’

‘No, it’s beyond that. It’s like his wolf is also calling out to me, pulling me, requesting my presence,’ she called out.

‘I wish things were simpler. I wish we could stay with them.’

‘Me too,’ she expressed.

‘But maybe he has a mate out there waiting for him.’

‘I have the strange feeling that we will see them again soon.’

‘You think?’

‘I’m sure. I don’t know how to explain it, but I’m certain of it. Now let’s just enjoy our time with them,’ I smiled and mentally nodded.

“You don’t want to see me again?” he asked with a concerned look on his face.

“Uh?”

“I said that I would love to come New York next month and see you, and you zoned out on me,” he said with a concerned look on his face.

“I’m sorry about that, and I would love to, just let me know when you will be in town, and I will make myself available. Here, give me your phone.” I extended my hand, accepted his phone, and put all my details and gave it back to him. “Now you have various ways to reach me.”

He smiled, walked closer, wrapped his arms around my waist, and kissed me, but this time it was soft and sweet, not like our kiss that one was full of fire and need. This one was more tender, soft, and sweet. I don’t care either way, I love his kisses.

When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine and said, “I wish we could stay all night long, but I know you ladies leave tomorrow morning; we don’t head back till the afternoon so we can sleep in, but you have to get some rest.”

This time I took the initiative and circled my arms around his neck and brought him in closer for a kiss, he grunted and plunged his tongue into my mouth. I threaded my fingers though his hair and pulled it hard. A clear and more demanding urge took over both of us, it was as if we had ignited a fire. Our hands were everywhere, he broke our kiss only to kiss down my neck stopping at the hollow space at my collar bone where werewolves normally mark each other. He suddenly pulled away gasping for air and said, “let’s get you back to your room before I take you back to Seattle with me.” I simply nodded, he twirled me around, grabbed my hand and started walking back toward the hotel while making plans for New York.

We were in the elevator alone, his hand on my hip as he hugged my waist and rubbed circles against my pelvic bone with his thumb. When we finally reached the penthouse floor where we were all staying, he slowed his pace, and I looked over questioning. But he didn’t say anything, and we stopped at my door, then I realized the dreaded moment had come, I had to say goodbye to Jaxon. Without hesitating I kissed him with everything I had, he reciprocated, finally when my lungs were screaming for oxygen, I pulled back and began the spell.

“Look at me, listen to my voice, and forget we ever met at all. Clear your mind, protect your heart, and let all your memories of me depart.”

And with that I saw him come back to himself and without so much as a glace my way he headed straight towards his room and closed the door, leaving me behind. I hadn’t realized at what point my tears began to flow, all I know is that my heart felt broken and empty. I made my way over to Gabriel’s door and repeated the spell, once I had tied up all my loose ends I went back to my room, closed the door, slid down to the floor and let all my devastation lose, wrecking my room. I don’t remember at what point I passed out from the exhaustion, all I know is that I think I just had my first heartbreak, and it wasn’t even the guy’s fault. Thanks Mom!

-------- END OF FLASHBACK --------

When I got back to the daybed where my brother was sitting, Ale approached from behind and asked in French to keep the other from understanding, “C’est eux n’est-ce pas? (That’s them, isn’t it?)”

To which I just simply replied, “yep.”

“Well, this just got interesting,” she said as she looked straight at them.

Great!