LOVE ME, MOHAN

CHAPTER 2: SHE'S A TWO FACED PRINCESS

Hector pulled over by the lake and looked at the nosy girl beside him who had her eyes wide staring at the serene scenery before them. He smiled inwardly, he could remember so far, since they were little just pups and there was a celebration in town or something that needed a lot of people around, they could sneak out together with other few kids and come to play at the lake. One time he was with his friends throwing pebbles into the lake. He hadn’t known Artemis at that time, she was always protected as a royal, the daughter of the alpha. He was always bullied by other boys who were from a higher rank like the betas while he was just an Omega. Then one time they had pushed him into the lake and he knew not how to swim or how to float at all. The others watched since they were too afraid to go against the bully. He could have died, but luckily that day Artemis had sneaked from her mother’s watch and had arrived just in time and dragged him out of the lake. She was younger but more skilled than he was.
..... “who threw him into the lake” she demanded once she had dragged Hector to the shore.
The bully grinned and stepped forward his other gang members standing behind him.
“It was me, what are you gonna do little princess”
“who the hell are you calling little?” she asked fiercely.
“You, who else could it be?” he answered rudely the other gang members laughing.
“was that an insult you unruly wolf?”
“no it wasn’t just a reminder, and please don’t piss me off OK. I will hit you hard and you will tuck your little tail between your legs and run, then hide inside your mother’s skirts” he sneered and the gang laughed together
“oh really?” Artemis raised a brow at him trying to contain her anger
“you want me to insult you more, it seems you really don’t get pissed off ha? Oh heart of stone princess spare me the shame, I will go prepare my lines your majesty” he bowed mockingly and splashed dirty water on her favourite pink dress. That got her to the edge her eyes flared red, the alpha blood in her veins announcing it’s presence and ready to dominate. One of the boys in the gang trembled and tagged on his friends hands
“We should go Deniz, she’s the alphas Daughter you should not”
“Am not backing off, the alpha is an adult,. So this is about us, we should settle our things as kids as well”
“You are right Deniz, we settle our things as well” she stepped forward boldly “i gave you a chance to run Deniz, you didn’t. So let me show you how it feels to be bullied”
She pounced on him knocking him off his feet. He fell face down, he tried to stand up but Artemis was quick she held his hands behind his back pressing Her knee on his back.
“How does it feel being bullied little Deniz?” Artemis mocked.
“Get off, you idiot”
“Oh, so I am an idiot, mh? Let me teach you how to keep your mouth clean, maybe you need some really good cleaning, what do you think Deniz?”
“You...
He didn’t finish talking when Arty dragged him forward and smashed his face into the muddy waters. He struggled and kicked but Arty was too strong for him, Hector watched on in fascination.
Wow this girl is amazing
He thought to himself silently. Arty gave the little guy a break.
“Learnt your lesson Mr?”
“You evil...
She pressed him down into the mad again and dragged him back after some time. But the guy was not remorseful at all, he kept yapping all the time.
Arty went on in a relaxed manner till the little guy was exhausted and gave in.
“Am sorry, am sorry princess, am sorry Hector. Am sorry I bullied you I won’t do it again”
“And if you break your promise what should I do to you?”
“Hung me upside down on the tree outside the training grounds the whole night”
“Then that is a deal!”
She released the young fellow and walked towards Hector.
“Hey little man are you OK?”
He was dumbstruck for a moment before he got the courage to answer.
“am alright, thanks for saving me”
“Don’t let them bully you next time, fight like the warrior you are”
“I will”
“That is good” she faced the gang and narrowed her eyes “what are you still doing here, run!”
They ran off in fear leaving the other kids laughing.
“Come on Hector, we are going back to the memorial party. Or you wanna be bullied again?”
“No, I will come with you, wait for me”
                 ********
“Hey, come on Hector. Where was your mind?” Artemis asked dragging Hector out of the car.
“Back to when I was eight, do you remember?”
“when Deniz bullied you and I saved your ass?” she asked
“Yeah, when I wanted to be your best friend and then you said if I learnt how to fight and shift without feeling any pain you would accept my offer to be your friend”
He sat beside Arty by the lake offering her one hot dog. Her eyes sparkled as she mouthed a thank you and munched into the hotdog. She hummed licking her lips.
“I disliked Deniz, he loved bullying a lot of people and that day he annoyed me so much.” She paused taking another bite chewing and swallowing “i knew you were a gamma, and the betas have the tendency of bullying the lower ranked wolfs. You were afraid of shifting because it was painful”
“I hadn’t gotten the chance to learn. I was meek and scared and never got a chance to be trained. Lily was too busy with her family and mom was all over the place with her duties” he answered seriously
“I knew all that, I was always keeping watch of the younger ones.” She laughed lightly “papas advice”
“I know alpha Thomas is always that type of guy and the saying he always uses... A good leader keeps his eyes and ears open, zips his mouth and keeps the brain running...a typical predator character...
They said in unison and laughed “he is such a philosopher, you know...”
Artemis smiled, she loved her father and her chummy mother not to forget her sweet big sister.
“And the day you finally accepted to be my friend” he smiled
“The day you gave me this bracelet” she waved her tiny wrist in front of his face.
“yeah, I bought a bigger one so you can always adjust it as you grow”
“That was so thoughtful of you” she smiled warmly at him
“I learnt from the best” he grinned pinching her nose.
“Ow, stop that. Am not a kid anymore”
“Am older than you, you are just fifteen and am seventeen and a half” he reminded
She looked at him and her face fell. She was suddenly feeling sad.
“What is it?”
“That reminds me, you will be attending the binding party next year, then you will find your mate and I will lose my best friend” her eyes shined with tears.
It dawned on him now, he will f Ind a mate then their relationship will be distant and maybe it will be done for. He will be mates, marked and bound to his mate and being with another female will be hard, almost impossible.
“You will turn eighteen, join the soldiers and warriors, be part of the pack governance, have duties and I will be invisible”
“I know, both you and my mate to come, are so important to me. I can’t give up on any of you.” He thought for a while then his eyes brightened turning to face Artemis. He lifted her face and wiped her tears. Sometimes he pitied her mate he is so luck or the other way round to have such an emotional mate.
“Look here Artemis I will be eighteen next year so what we do now is forget anything that will be making us sad and focus on what is here, mh?”
She smiled brilliantly wiping her rosy cheeks “alright, we do just that”
He hugged her and petted her hair lovingly and they spent the afternoon together.
              ********
The pack house was occupied and everyone present was doing one thing or the other. The southern wing of the mansion. The massive hall was wide and beautifully designed in the royal colour of golden and black. Everything was in place and Harvey and Jalya were moving from group to ensure everything was OK. Mia and Gabriela were helping in fixing the paintings on the walls properly. Just then the Alpha entered with Luna.
“Greetings mother, greetings mother”
“Hey, Mia and Gabriela nice job you girls are doing. But you didn’t have to”
“Don’t worry mother, we are fine” answered Gabriela
“And where is the jumpy princess?” Alpha Thomas asked.
“Probably causing trouble somewhere” responded Gabriela
“She is one of a kind. We should be leaving now most of the invited are here I got to keep them busy on the other side finish up quickly and get prepared”
“We will mother”
The two left the others doing their job and left. Gabriella winked at Mia and they left through the other exit back to the northern wing where the royals resided. Just as they crossed the hallways heading to the living room they heard the little girl lecturing someone.
“And where did you get the guts to hit her like that?”
“And who are you to tell me what to do?”
“Of course the alpha’s daughter” Artemis flipped her neat hair
“Heh, and you think am a lesser person?”
“Definitely not, but not a greater person either. Just because she is a kappas and mistakenly spilled some water on you, it doesn’t give you the right to beat her” Artemis growled her eyes turning red for a second
“And you think I care?”
Artemis smiled slowly and took a step forward, the arrogant alphas Daughter from the southern was arrogant. To Artemis’ dislike she was taller than her. And probably older than her.
“I know you don’t!” she answered slowly “and that is why am gonna make you care”
She grinned mischievously and wrapped her arms around the blonde girls waist and begun pinching her and gnawing on her waist and back like a little wolf. The girl screamed and yelled trying to push her away but Artemis was determined in teaching the arrogant alpha’s daughter a lesson.
“You.. should..be kind you... arrogant..blonde..wolf...
She chanted on and on as she inflicted pain on her slender waist.
“Am sorry... am sorry...ah!”
The blonde yelled her apology but Artemis didn't stop then she was yanked away by a stronger person than her. She was panting and sweating and the blonde was crying so bad. The kappas who had been bullied stared at Artemis amazed.
“What were you doing girl?” Gaby asked
Artemis sighed as if it was no big deal “teaching a little alpha blood a lesson. She can’t bully someone else because she is of a lower rank!”
“But you didn't have to make her waist sore”
“Where else could I hit, she is so tall I couldn't pull her ears or hair”
Gosh, Gaby wanted to laugh, her little sister was so fierce. If she had claws she would have torn the girl apart with no remorse. She suppressed a smile and said.
“The two of you can leave”
The kappas mouthed a thank you at Artemis and bounced off while the blonde walked away her head low.
“Artemis, dad will be mad if he hears about this. And I won’t promise that I won’t say anything”
It now dawned on her, she was warned a lot of times about taking things into her hands by her dad. And now she had punished someone, to make things worse an Alpha’s daughter.
“Oh, I forgot...what should I do Gaby?” she looked up at her sister hopefully.
Oh, Gaby had an idea.
“I will cover up things for you if...
“If...” she asked expectantly
“You take my place in the party tonight coz I have somewhere else to be. Will you? I will clear the trouble for you before I leave, I promise”
Artemis squinted her eyes “ are you sure, Gaby?”
“I will keep my promise, have I ever failed you?”
Artemis smiled, OK, that is a deal. Thanks sister”
“Thank you too”
They hugged and walked off to the northern wing together.
                   **********
The night was cool the crescent moon high in the sky reflecting on the Artemis river beautifully. The forest was ghostly. Figures loomed around hauntingly, the predators were out to Hunt while the preys were seeking barriers to keep them away from the hungry stomachs. Miles away several soldiers patrolled the border inspecting whoever was crossing into the northern lands especially in the direction of the Crescents pack. A distance away towards the town the people of Artemas were all over the place a joyous mood could be easily detected even without giving any thought. Homes were decorated, social spots were filled to capacity. The roads were busy as well, with a few cars, bikes and motorcycles moving around. The lake down the town was serene a few homeless wolves that were shifted trying to get a meal for the night. A few more wolves moved around town seeking something to seal the emptiness in their stomachs. Not so far off, through the tall trees a tarmac toad cut through and spread out in the area where the pack house was situated. The area was loaded with guards and the security was tight. Everyone was alert since the rogues had a tendency to take advantage of such occasions and visit without any invitation.
The southern wing was packed to capacity, royals moved around. Betas and Gammas accompanied the alpha’s and the Luna’s respectively. The royal sons and daughters interacted with each other in a friendly and official manner. The number of Alphas was four including Alpha Thomas. The Luna’s were present as well. The Gammas and the betas moved around casually but with eagle like eyes looming over everyone. They were born with the duty of protecting the alpha and his mate and that is exactly what they were living to accomplish.
The Epsilons and the Zeta’s mostly were soldiers and warriors while the Lotas were especially the healers, diviners and prophets. Though the roles played based on ranks was could be carried out by anyone else, the significance of the role players was mostly divided in accordance with the ancestral linage or the majority.
Everything was in place set for the night of the annual party that was ancestral but who nee, far off in the western side of the lands close to the edge of the forest where a young gamma from a rich ancestral background lived there was a party set for a different purpose?