Killer Queen PART I (Mortal Olympians Series)

Chapter 18: Colton

U West's Titans won with a seventy-yard line touchdown pass in the latter half of the game. Yet, I wasn't sure what brought me the greatest sense of triumph. Having my receivers properly execute themselves according to my instruction. Catching a throw from my childhood hero. Or Artemis wearing my fucking name on her back all night.

I never thought I could ever feel like this again. All these years, I had grown so used to being drowned by the grief of all that I'd lost. Now, I was feeling air in my lungs. I was alive again. Truly alive.

I heard my phone ring out in the specific tone Artemis had set for herself. I quickly checked the message.

wer u @

come m8 fam

I smiled, despite my annoyance towards her affinity for shorthand text. This dumbass genius of a goddess had proclaimed me as hers to the world. She could be illiterate for all I care.

Office.

I'll come to you.

Tell me where.

A calmness settled over me, taking the place of what used to be frantic horror at the thought of becoming a tangible existence known to her most cherished people. I was never going to be worthy of Artemis, but she had accepted me in spite of that fact. I had to do right by her and do my best to earn the acceptance of the people who had aided her into becoming the incredible person that she was. If they didn't accept me now, it didn't matter. I was willing to do the work until they did.

"Coach Kill?" I heard a voice call as I was staring at my phone, waiting for Artemis' reply.

I stood from my desk to look at the open door, seeing Wyatt Hayes step inside. The kid had been off his game the entire night, to the point that Coach Henderson had to bring out the second-string quarterback to take his place when he still couldn't get his shit together even after half-time.

"You got a second?" he asked.

I already knew what this was going to be. It pissed me off that this brainless punk had the audacity to actually believe he was entitled to be doing this shit.

"Have a seat," I said, nodding at the couch by the wall.

He dropped himself on it, grasping onto either side of his head as he stared down at the floor. I sat back in front of my desk, returning my attention to the file I was working on. I pasted a few more documents I had saved in my personal folder into the file and made some cuts here and there before sending it over to the printer.

I picked up my messenger bag, putting the strap over my shoulder as I went to stand by the printer. Once the papers were out, I gave each page a quick glance over before folding them up and putting them in my bag. I shut down the computer and printer, then went over to Hayes.

"Spit it out, kid," I ordered as I stopped in front of him. "I got places to be."

He heaved out a breath, dragging his fingers through his hair. "You're with Missy?"

I cracked a smile. "Artemis, you mean?"

"She hates being called that."

"Not by me."

He raised his head, shamelessly showing his misguided sense of entitlement over something he never even deserved yet wasted anyway.

"She's dating Romeo Montgomery," he spat as if the punk's name was a curse. "He's Captain of the soccer team. He pulled that stunt with her during the shirting ceremony."

I shrugged. "I had some things to take care of, so the punk was enlisted to provide interference until I could take over. He's irrelevant."

He seemed angry. As if he'd been fucking betrayed.