Wolf Meets Nightshade

Chapter 13

Percy, still weak from the whole fight from Artemis and getting shot with one of Apollo's arrows, toppled backwards, groaning in pain. The person that was giving him a bone crushing hug immediately stood up and begun sprouting out apologizes. "Don't worry about it." he said looking at the person that had hugged. Zoe stood there with big apologizing eyes staring at him, but what he noticed the most was the blush that covered her face though he decided not to ask about it.

In the meantime, Zoe was trying to hide her blush, not successfully since she could see Percy and Apollo's questioning gazes and see her sister's smirks but fortunately Apollo broke the awkward silence by going over to Percy and checking him up. "Sorry about the whole shooting you in the shoulders thing, man." Apollo told Percy, who just shrugged and said, "You have to protect your sister from the dangerous and the unknown and to you I was both." Ending with a simple nod towards Apollo silently telling him that it's fine, which the god sighed in relief, thankful that he wouldn't be skinned alive by his twin.

When Apollo finished his check-up, he turned towards Percy and asked, "How the hell are you healing this fast, not even a demigod would heal this fast on ambrosia!?" though by the end he was shouting right in Percy's ear which hurt a lot. "Well, I'm a werewolf and please don't shout in my ear since us werewolves have very sensitive hearing." Percy said while rubbing his ear. "Sorry." apologized Apollo in a lower tone but then realization hit him in the face "You're a werewolf!" he exclaimed, and Percy shot him a look of annoyance and rubbed his ears to try and get rid of the ringing. Apollo then grabbed his bow and aimed it at his heart but was immediately stopped by the glares that were sent by his sister's follower. "What do you think you're doing Apollo?" Zoe asked, the same tone that his sister had used on him outside. "N-nothing." He said immediately making his bow disappear.

The hunters looked sceptical of him but let it go, all turning their attention on Percy asking him if he's ok and if he could see due to him looking at the blinding light directly when Apollo came. Percy just answered that he was fine and that, no, he wasn't blind. "So" Apollo started, dragging the last letter " you're a werewolf." It wasn't a question but a statement, still Percy answered with a curt nod and before he could say anything else, one of the youngest and newest hunters, Jade, who was only seven years old, said excitedly "He isn't just a werewolf but the king." She said giggling at the end, waving her hands in the air and had a look of complete awe.

Apollo stayed rooted in his spot when she said that. He knew that the hunters and Artemis were fine by this, considering that he isn't dead, but it still didn't help the unease that was rising in his chest. "What happened to Lycaon?" he questioned, saying the previous king's name in pure disgust, since he had hurt the goddess of the moon more than once, sometimes she nearly died if it wasn't for Apollo's expertise on healing. "Well, I'm happy to announce that he has faded some time ago, six months to be exact." Percy responded cheerfully, since he noticed the disgust in the way that he had said Lycaon though he couldn't blame him.

"You wouldn't hurt them, would you?" Apollo asked, his protective side dimming slightly but still there as the new king of the werewolves could surprise attack them, thinking that he was helpless and attack at the most vulnerable time. "I swear on the river Styx that I will not hurt them in any way and always be by their side." Percy said, looking at Apollo dead in the eye.

Percy saw the overprotectiveness and the tense stance, as if waiting for an attack at any moment, had gone and was replaced by a smile, and Percy thought that he was looking at the sun but that figured considering the titles of the god. "Well then since you wouldn't hurt any of my family, I think that we'll be good friends." Apollo said swinging an arm around Percy's shoulder, making him wince a bit but covered it well, hoping that no one would notice but of course he has the worst luck ever, which means that Artemis and Zoe noticed.

"Apollo, Percy won't go anywhere. He needs his rest considering you shot him in the shoulders." Artemis said in a motherly tone that she only used with her hunters. Apollo sent a guilty look towards Percy before he remembered the tone she used, and his smile grew bigger lighting up the whole room, and not in a good way. "Percy, I think you turned my dear sister into a mother." he said, faking surprize. This resulted into him getting shot at by Artemis while her hunters were cheering her on and Percy chuckling at the twin's antics. Apollo, even though he was running for his life couldn't help but think that his sister hadn't denied his comment.