Split Spirit

Chapter seventeen

Dajaa's POV

Walker and I have been to six different packs already and still haven't found Artie. *sad sigh*

"Don't be so discouraged love we'll find her," Walker says placing his kill, a deer, near me. "Now eat up our pups are probably hungry."

"We are, but it's going to get even harder soon to travel with how big I'll be getting," I say then take a bite.

"We got this, stop worrying," he licks me then eats along with me.

We finish our meal then walk to a small creek to drink and I clean my self up.

"Do you think we should ask the Goddess for a sign?" I ask Walker and he sits pondering my question.

"I suppose that it wouldn't hurt," he says tilting his head.

I send a silent prayer to the Goddess for guidance. At first I dont feel anything and think it didn't work, but then I get the feeling that we should head to the north east of our current position.

I hop up and down in excitement making Walker laugh then we head in our new direction. Wait for me Artie! I want to make up with you! I miss you so much!

Artemis POV

The pups have been doing well, and the teens have been coming along well also. Some of the adults have been struggling a bit.

More than a few females, I have doing body conditioning to gain more muscle. I also have them working on building their endurance. Their progress is slowly coming along but its promising.

As for the gents, ten to be precise, really didn't like being beaten by a woman. Even one sent by the Goddess herself to help toughen their asses up.

So I told them they had five chances to take me down. If they couldn't take me down then they would shut the fuck up and get with the program.

At first they came at me individually, and when that didn't work they ganged up on me. Zeke was so pissed but I asked him to let me handle it.

And handle it I did, I beat them so bad they had to be in the pack hospital for a week. Now before you go getting all, "YOU'RE THE LUNA HOW COULD YOU?" they were fighting dirty.

One of them even pulled a Silver knife on me, not that it would hurt me but he almost hit a bystander.

Let's just say when they got out of the hospital they were on many people's shit list. I graciously forgave them but worked them twenty times harder than everyone else.

When they asked if it was their punishment from me for what they had done I told them no.

"Its because I believe that you can be some of the greatest warriors and protectors we have. I have faith in your love for our pack that you can survive my training. Do your best to fulfill your tasks appointed to you."

"Thankyou Luna," they had all said together. They had accepted me as their teacher without further complaints and even asked for advise from time to time.

It took them a bit longer to get Zeke to forgive them though. Especially Gene, the guy who pulled the silver knife on me. Zeke had wanted to kick them out of the pack but I convinced him to give them another chance.

Bell told me later that Zeke kicked each of them in the balls and told them off. Also he grabbed Gene by the throat and said if he ever did that to me again he would skin him alive. He had some other more colorful torchers as well but Bell wouldn't tell me.

The guys told me later that they understood where their Alpha my mate was coming from. Half have mates of their own and were ashamed of themselves. "We're sorry, and lucky our Alpha didn't kill us" they had said.

I gave a curt nod, "to make it up to him you should make sure you're the best you can be and regain his trust."

"Are you really not upset with us Luna? Especially me? I pulled that silver knife on you?" Gene asked.

"No not really, disappointed you treated me, a member of this pack like that, yes." I answer and I can tell to them it's worse than me being pissed. "Look I know you guys were just doing what you thought you had to do to win, but you lost sight of the true objective. We are working to get stronger than our enemies who keep attacking us."

"You're right Luna we did lose sight of what was more important we promise to be better," Zachary says. He's the youngest of the ten.

"I expect nothing less from all of you," I dismiss them and head home to get dinner started.

I'm almost there when I see Bell and Nora talking up ahead. I was about to call out to them when I saw how what ever Nora said made Bell do a double take at her and then he hugged her.

I don't know what that is about but I don't want to interrupt. So I switch gears and head a different direction. I decide to take the scenic route. Keeping a mindful eye on my surroundings and my senses on alert.

I have been walking for about fifteen minutes when I feel a change. Sniffing  I pick up a scent I never thought I would smell again. Stopping I wait till they come into view but they are not like how I remember them to be.

"Is that really you Artie?" DaJaa sobs in my head while Walker whines.

"Yes it is, what are you both doing here? How do you have markings of the Goddess?" I ask softly.

"Artie I'm so sorry! I didn't mean the horrible things that I said! I love you and I've missed you so much!" Dajaa sobs in my head, whining while slowly walking toward me.

I kneel down and hug my old wolf as she cries. I look at Walker and hold my other hand out to him and he leans into my embrace.

"We've missed you Artie, so does Blaze." At the mention of my old mate I pull back and look at Walker.

"How have you separated from him I don't understand?" I ask but before he can answer I hear a snarl behind me.