Acceptance

11

Artemis PoV

I awoke early in the morning, wrapped around my husband.

He groaned in protest when I roused him, but my lips on his brought silence quickly.

"Artemis," he grumbled in a raspy morning voice. "Mornings are meant for sleeping."

"And making breakfast for my hunters so they'll like you," I reminded, kissing my lover's cheek.

He sat up pulling me into his lap.

My husband took my face into his hands, and mine came to rest lazily on his shoulders as he kissed me.

It was always spectacular, getting lost in the bliss that was his kisses.

He was warm, sweet, and soft, yet powerful and dominating at the same time.

"Perseus..." I murmured breathlessly as he pulled away. The man pecked my lips. "I got the feeling your hunters wouldn't appreciate me doing that in front of them."

"Probably not," I agreed, getting out of bed.

He sighed, doing the same.

As I clothed myself, I felt his gaze on me again.

I bit my lip and pushed the thought aside, knowing that being in such a mood while with my hunters was never good.

My husband took my waist. "Ready to go?" I kissed his cheek. "Yeah."

We appeared in the kitchen area of my hunters' campsite, which was conveniently positioned to give us privacy.

"So, what do they like to eat for breakfast?" He asked, getting out several pans, bowls, and plates.

I chucked. "They like everything, Perseus. I can help you with cutting fruit, but that alone will take quite a bit of time."

He turned on the stove and set to work on the five different kinds of eggs he would be making.

I speared the last piece of fruit with the kebab stick, setting it on the rack with the others.

My husband kissed my cheek, giving me a quick hug before the hunters began to rise. "Thank you for letting me do this."

I smiled, stepping back slightly as I heard the approaching footsteps of my followers.

"Lady Artemis," Thalia greeted. "What's all this?"

"Perseus wanted to do something nice for you all," I explained, glancing over at him.

While my elder hunters sat down to eat with me, the much younger ones decided they wanted to play with my giant of a husband.

As I dug into my waffle, I watched his gentle interaction with the younger hunters and tried to hide my smile.

He would make a great father, and I was certain about that, but it didn't seem like the right time to become pregnant. The man sat down next to me, snagging a bite of my waffle as my hunters left to prepare for the hunt.

"Where are they going?" He asked.

"Perseus, we're going to eliminate another monster nest," I explained. "I am taking all but my youngest hunters with me."

He glanced around quickly, making sure none of the elder hunters was around before he kissed my cheek. "Be safe."

"I will," I replied, pushing my unfinished waffle toward him.

With that done, I made my way to my tent and began to prepare.

After zipping up the flap to my tent, I changed into clothes more appropriate for hunting.