[Third Person Pov]
With Lucian so close in front of her, Artemis was able to take in his features more closely and personally than she had in a long while. The hard, angular lines etched across his face sharpened whenever he grew serious, framing those intense crimson, ruby eyes that now stared down at her with unmistakable concern.
She noticed, almost with a start, how tall he had become—towering over even her now—and the way his presence seemed to command the very air around them. Then there was his scent. With a single, involuntary breath, she didn’t just detect the familiar danger and heavy aura of death that always radiated from him like a dark halo. No, this time she also caught something else layered beneath it: the vibrant pulse of life, the raw essence of nature and untamed wilderness, earthy and alive in a way that felt both new and strangely intimate.
It created a fresh, unspoken connection between them, something deeper and more profound than anything she had felt before. A pull that unsettled her, stirring feelings she wasn’t prepared to name.
Without thinking, Artemis suddenly reached out and grabbed the front of his sweater, yanking him even closer with surprising strength. She leaned in, sniffing at him openly, studying every detail of his face and neck with renewed suspicion. Her brows furrowed as she searched his expression. “Why do you smell like that?” she demanded.
“New cologne, why? You like it?” Lucian replied with his signature smirk, the one that always danced at the corner of his mouth like he was enjoying a private joke.
Artemis rolled her eyes in exasperation and shoved him away as far as her arms could manage, creating distance between them once more. “Why do you smell of the Wild, Lucian?” she pressed, her frown deepening with each word, her voice laced with growing frustration. “And don’t you dare lie to me.”
“I won’t lie to you,” he said evenly, brushing snow from his clothes as he straightened up. “But I don’t feel comfortable sharing the answer with you right now, either. I think I’m allowed a bit of privacy, don’t you think?”
Artemis’ face twitched at his words. Inwardly, the rejection stung far more than she had expected it would. A sharp, unfamiliar ache bloomed in her chest, one she struggled to process. ‘Why is it bothering me so much that he doesn’t seem to trust me?’ she thought, the emotion feeling foreign and unwelcome in her usually steadfast heart.
‘Did she do something? Is she involved somehow, and is that the reason I’m feeling this way? No… even she should be sensible enough to know not to interfere like that. She would be incurring Zeus’ wrath.’ Artemis wrestled with her thoughts, unsure how to feel or who to blame for the sudden turmoil swirling inside her.
Lucian’s expression softened as he watched her. “Please,” he said gently, his voice carrying a rare note of earnest pleading, “let me come along with you in whatever you’re doing. And if me being a man really does bother you that much, just know I can take whatever form you need me to be.”
In the next instant, Lucian transformed. His body shimmered and expanded into a massive three-meter-tall wolf, his fur as black as the deepest night, sleek and shimmering faintly under the winter light. His eyes remained the same striking crimson as blood rubies, glowing with intelligence and quiet power. In this form, he stood slightly taller than Artemis, his powerful paws sinking into the snow and leaving deep, clear imprints behind him. He stepped closer and nudged her repeatedly with his broad snout, gentle but insistent, as if tempting her to relent and accept his company.
Artemis hesitated at first, her hand hovering uncertainly in the air. But the moment she met the softness hidden within those predatory eyes—eyes that still held the essence of Lucian—she gave in. She placed her palm against his snout, caressing the thick, velvety fur with slow, soothing strokes. Her longstanding weakness for animals won out completely, melting her resistance like snow under sunlight.
“Your form isn’t what’s bothering me, Lucian,” she murmured, closing her eyes and leaning her weight against his solid, warm flank while continuing to scratch gently beneath his chin. “Just… what did you dream exactly, for you to be behaving this way…?”
Lucian looked away for a moment, his crimson gaze turning distant, as if pulled back into the memory.
…
[Flashback]
Lucian found himself walking through an endless sea of darkness, an infinite void where nothing existed—no sound, no light, no ground beneath his feet. He paused, turning slowly in place as he tried to make sense of the disorienting emptiness that surrounded him on all sides.
Suddenly, the oppressive darkness fractured. A brilliant moon appeared high above, its silvery light piercing through the void like a beacon. Lucian tilted his head upward, studying the luminous orb intently, before lowering his gaze to the scene it illuminated below.
A lone doe darted frantically across the newly revealed landscape, its slender legs kicking up clouds of winter snow. Its movements were desperate, erratic, clearly fleeing from some unseen threat. Heavy, labored breaths puffed visibly from its nostrils in the freezing air.
From overhead came loud, volatile screeches that sliced through the silence. Lucian looked up and spotted a flock of vultures circling ominously, their wings cutting sharp patterns against the moonlit sky. The cries took on an almost mocking, cruel tone—like they were laughing at the doe’s futile attempts to outrun the inevitable.
Behind the beautiful doe, a pack of wolves surged forward in relentless pursuit, their powerful forms cutting through the falling snow like shadows. They blended almost seamlessly with the wintry landscape, gaining ground with every powerful stride.
Lucian watched in frozen horror as the inevitable unfolded. The leader of the pack launched itself from behind, slamming into the doe with brutal force and tackling her to the ground. A helpless, high-pitched animalistic cry tore from her throat as she collapsed into the snow. The rest of the pack was on her in an instant, a frenzy of snarling bodies tearing at her hide. Fangs sank deep into her neck; with sharp, vicious pulls, chunks of flesh were ripped away and devoured greedily.
The doe’s cries grew weaker, choked with blood, yet somehow they twisted into something far more personal. She began calling out desperately, her voice breaking through the chaos in a way that pierced straight into Lucian’s soul. “Lucian! Lucian, please! I’m in trouble! I need you, Lucian—I need you—!!”
A sickening dread settled deep in Lucian’s stomach. Cold sweat broke out across his skin as his arms and legs turned to lead, heavy and unresponsive. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move, couldn’t run to her aid. He remained trapped, forced to witness the horror.
From above, the vultures descended like dark harbingers, joining the gruesome feast. One of them viciously plucked out an eye, dangling it by the optic nerve before tearing into it.
Then, as if the heavens themselves could no longer bear the sight, the moon was swallowed by thick, roiling clouds, plunging the scene into total darkness and finally freeing Lucian from his paralysis. He took a stumbling step forward, hand outstretched, reaching desperately—
His eyes snapped open with a startled gasp, waking up back in his bed. “...Artemis.” The name slipped from his lips before he could stop it, raw and unfiltered.
He was panting heavily, sweat pouring down his face, beads of perspiration tracing cold paths along his neck and chest. The nightmare clung to him like a second skin. Shaking off the lingering haze as best he could, Lucian rose and walked out onto the balcony, ignoring the biting cold wind that whipped against his bare skin. He gripped the railing tightly, gazing up at the moon now veiled in a hazy shroud of clouds.
He drew in deep, steadying breaths, watching his own visible puffs of air dissipate into the night. His heart slowly calmed, but the concern etched across his face remained. With a final, troubled glance at the obscured moon, he spun on his heel and headed back inside, brows furrowed in determination.
[Flashback End]
…
Artemis paused for a long moment, her hand still resting on his thick black fur as she tried to fully digest the haunting details he had shared. The weight of the dream hung heavy in the air between them. “Lucian—” she began, her voice taking on a wary, cautious tone.
“I know, trust me,” Lucian interrupted gently before she could finish. “You’re thinking it was most likely a trap. I already considered that myself.”
“Then why did you still come here?” Artemis asked, exasperation coloring her words.
“Because on the off chance that it wasn’t…” Lucian answered with quiet sincerity, unable to meet her eyes as he spoke.
Artemis was speechless for a second, caught off guard by the raw honesty in his response. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before reaching up and tugging playfully at his large wolf ears. “You are seriously something else, do you know that?”
“So does that mean you’re letting me come along?” he asked, tilting his head with wide, pleading puppy-dog eyes. The expression was unfairly effective in his massive wolf form, especially with his tail wagging expectantly behind him, stirring up small flurries of snow.
“You’re not really giving me much of a choice here,” Artemis exhaled, scratching her brow in mild defeat.
“You always have a choice,” Lucian replied earnestly, without a trace of manipulation. “You can always tell me no.”
Artemis stared at him for a long moment before a reluctant smile finally tugged at her lips. “I feel like I’m going to regret this later, but fine… whatever. I guess you’re more capable than most, so I don’t mind it too much.”
“Yes!” Lucian celebrated excitedly, his wolf form practically vibrating with energy. In a surge of unrestrained joy, he licked her face enthusiastically. “You won’t regret it!”
“I already am!” Artemis shouted, whacking him firmly on the snout before wiping her face with the back of her hand. “That’s disgusting! Don’t you dare lick me again!”
Lucian lowered his head, holding a paw to his snout as he looked up at her with apologetic crimson eyes. “Sorry… I got really excited.”
“Whatever,” she grumbled, though the annoyance lacked any real heat. “Just don’t slow me down…”
With that, Artemis turned and began leading the way through the snow-covered terrain, Lucian trailing faithfully behind her, his large form leaving a clear trail of paw prints as they moved forward together.