Unwanted

Chapter Eleven

I awoke to the disorienting clatter of raised voices, and the feeling of someone sitting on my chest. Groaning, I opened my eyes, only to be met by the same pair of gray eyes I had tried so hard to forget.

Annabeth.

With a start, I realized my mask and hood were gone, and I launched her off of me, scrambling back frantically.

"Percy!" She called worriedly, and I choked.

This was still to soon for me. I wasn't ready for this. Not yet. Not ever.

"Annabeth." I greeted coldly, my lips curled back in a snarl.

Her brow furrowed, and she glanced around. I followed her eyes and found myself looking at the entire camp.

And the ENTIRE Hunt.

"Perseus Jackson." Artemis growled. Oh crap.

"My Lady." I said back, not backing down from her intense stare.

"Annabeth! You bitch!" Somebody screamed, and launched themselves at the said girl, a blur of back and silver. Thalia.

In seconds Annabeth was pinned to the ground, and Thalia was a snarling mess.

"You." Punch. "Had." Punch. "No." Punch. "Right." Punch. "To-"

"Lieutenant Grace that is enough!" Artemis hissed, and the loud clatter quieted down.

Thalia stood up, gave Annabeth one more kick to the stomach, and walked off, standing next to Clare, who was looking at me, studying me in a curious matter.

There was a gaping hole in my stomach, a pit filled with regret and anger, misery and hatred, love and heartbreak that I had used all of my energy in the Fields to close. A flood of emotions poured back into my as I looked at Annabeth, remembering the pain of when I'd found her with Jack, who was still currently tied to a pole with the majority of his fingers missing.

I stood in silence, prepared for someone to strike me, hit me, slap me. I was a criminal in their eyes, and partly in mine.

Artemis walked up first, as Annabeth was slowly lifting herself off the ground.

"You lied to me, Jackson. You said you were a criminal. You said that 'Jackson's' soul was gone forever. Why didn't you tell me?" She growled, silver eyes narrowed to slits.

"M'Lady." I said coldly, and paused. "I wasn't ready for you to know who I was, Thalia I had no choice, but, I wasn't ready to face the gods after what they did to me. What you all did to me." I whispered, and I heard Annabeth stifle a sob.

"Perseu-" Artemis began, but Annabeth cut her off.

"Percy, I'm so sorry. I-I was a fool, I had nightmares of you leaving me. Jack comforted me when you weren't around, and-and I just, I just-" Annabeth cried. A swell of mixed emotions welled up inside of me, but none of them were even close to the love I knew I'd once felt for the girl in front of me.

"Save it Annabeth. What has been done has been done." I said harshly. Annabeth continued to sob, and with a annoyed snap of Artemis' fingers, she was in the crowd, amongst her half siblings.

"M'Lady-" I began again, but stopped myself, as she still glared at me, her cold silver eyes burning holes in my skin. I knew that she was mad, she'd told me that I'd been forgiven, yet I hadn't told her my identity. I hung my head and aimed my cold sea-green eyes at the ground, imagining Gaea writhing in agony at my stare.

"Perseus Jackson. You should have told me. I understand your reasons, but I had already assured you that you had been forgiven. You lied to me, multiple times, and the punishment on Olympus for lying to a God is quite severe. However, I shall forgive you. Just this once, Perseus." She said, her glare diminishing and tone softening.

By now the crowd was surprisingly beginning to clear, and I thought it willingly before I saw the hunters ushering them out, bows at the ready.

Artemis inched closer to me, and my breathe caught in my throat. I could see every little blemish, every feature of her physical appearance. I could feel the heat of her breath, see the gleam of her eyes, and watch the flowing of her silver hair. She was beautiful, and I had to admit it.

Then, without any warning whatsoever, she leaned in, standing on her tiptoes to reach my height, and quickly pecked me on the lips, before blushing a furious silver and disappearing in a flash of white light.

I was left dazed. She was a maiden goddess. She had just kissed me. My identity was revealed. Annabeth had been under Jack's control. 

But my only real though was on the goddess herself. She had kissed me.

And I think I liked it.