The Art of Warren

Animals were driven with only a few instincts to live their lives by: to find food, shelter, and to mate.

Humankind was driven by multiple things: lust, anger, hate, grief, jealousy, joy, and a host of other instincts and emotions. When lycans were created the goddess of such things thought it would be enthralling, exhilarating to see how such savage wolves and desensitized humans would meld together as one...

The result was disastrous. The select few humans she chose to go forward with her experiment with the strength of her sacred animal, the lupine, destroyed one another.

All of the humans she chose went mad with the power, abilities, and strength that came with the wolf gene. The goddess had succeeded in creating a unique race but had a hard time managing her creations without killing them out of anger.

Then she realized something. The more animalistic humans were, the more humanity they lost. Resulting in her few creations tearing apart one another or breaking out into the earth and wreaking indescribable havoc.

What were her creations missing? The bloodthirst, the lust had them becoming glutinous pigs, intoxicated with the power and strength she gave them. The ones on earth began to multiply quickly. Either through sexual relations or an aggressive bite wound to humans who were on the brink of death.

Human wit and movement with the strength and cunning mind of a wolf was a dangerous mix. Not only were they wreaking havoc on the earth but the other gods were beginning to wish harm on her unique creations.

She had to do something, but what? They had lost all of their...humanity it seemed. She needed her ‘wolf humans’ to have another reason to live other than to assert dominance and hunt. Then she thought of a concept. A concept that was loosely based on the human form of love...but something stronger. Much stronger.

After days of pinning away and summons from multiple gods and goddesses, she formulated her concept. A love that was pragma ‘enduring love,’ eros ‘erotic love,’ and a dash of mania ‘obsessive love’ to keep them occupied. Every Lycan would have someone that was destined for them. It was perfect. They finally had something to search for, to love for. They would spend the rest of their lives hunting for their other half and once they did peace would ensue.

Of course, they would find their other...well their other half at different points and times in life. Some would find their other half before pubescent age. Others would find them in their old age or even at the adult age. It was the perfect plan. All earthly creatures craved love, her creatures would be no different.

She just hoped that she had the correct amount of love mixed into everything. The goddess of the hunt never experienced romanticized love and never would. Artemis never had that insistent urge that her fellow god/goddess brethren held. Friendship was all she craved...

The new creations she made would be wonderful. They were stronger than the creatures the other gods made but not as strong as the gods themselves. She felt accomplished.

Not only was she revered as an eternal maiden, but she was the protector of the moon and animals, she was now the sole creator of a hybrid species of wolves. Yes, this was her project, and she knew she would occupy her time for years and years to come!

“Large casualties. Extreme casualties.”

“Why do they think spilling more blood of their wayward brothers will remedy the problem?” Artemis snapped, slamming her hand against the sturdy trunk of a tree.

Makaria cringed as she ran her fingers through the large wolf’s head. Makaria disliked violence but as the second in command, Artemis’ top handmaiden she had to observe things she did not wish to see.

“I am not sure Mistress. Two of them have pure hatred in their hearts. The other one I am not so sure.” Artemis rose from her throne and smoothly glided over to where her most trusted attendant stood.

The wolf under Makaria’s hand shifted slightly to lean against Artemis and she smiled at the creature. “Show me which one does not have hate in his heart. I was honestly thinking of killing all three. Alpha Khan creates unwanted havoc,” she frowned, watching the vision display three men. All covered in blood, guts, and gore.

“This one. I believe his name is Warren.”

Her eyes zoned in on a man kneeling down in the mud, he was kneeling over the body of a young woman. The other two men were killing viciously by tearing aimlessly into their victims. They were blinded by pure unadulterated hate and bloodlust. A seed of pity bloomed within the man still kneeling over the young woman. Artemis staggered back feeling all of his emotions all at once: self-loathing, fear, anger, hatred.

“Sorry,” he said just above a whisper. His companions were too busy with the blood on their hands to hear the apology he made before ripping the young woman’s heart out.

Makaria gagged and turned away while Artemis stared at the scene unfolding before her eyes. “What did they do to deserve such heinous deaths? They act as if they are gods,” Artemis spat, angered that her creations had such an audacity to take the life of their brethren so easily. Humans were a different thing, but taking the lives of their own Lycan kind. That was unforgivable.

“Rogues.” Artemis glanced at Makaria. She had her eyes closed and her hand over her mouth. The rogue problem was certainly a problem but one that required rehabilitation and love, not bloodlust and calloused hearts.

Artemis felt a swell of sadness wash over her as she watched Alpha Khan demolish his kin. She had so much hope for the wayward Alpha, yet he failed her. His life was hard but she gave him ample tools to try and switch paths. Now he was commander of over a large pack and was leading them awry...

“Kill them all,” she told her wolves, scratching just below their ears, watching their eyes widen with the chance to eliminate what their goddess saw as a threat.

Makaria shook her head, a gasp coming from her lips. “Goddes I implore you not to...maybe bring someone into their lives to change their perspectives?”

Artemis scoffed. A boulder falling from the sky was the only way to grab the attention of the three. “And who might you have do that? They are poisoning the minds of an entire pack and I will not have it. I let Khan become too powerful.” She has a weakness for every one of her creatures and Khan, Warren and Trent were no different.

“What about a mate for one of them? Not Khan but Trent or Warren? Warren’s heart has not completely eroded away...he could definitely influence Khan but someone has to influence Warren first,” Makaria suggested as Artemis begin to think. Hard.

Would Warren appreciate a mate? What kind of person would he be attracted to? What type of personality? Who? And would that person really change him?

“He is attracted to...?”

“Females,” Makaria answered, staring into a spherical orb shining with moonlight. “He is twenty eight...what kind of woman should we tie to him?”

Artemis loved this part. She usually had her handmaidens do the linking of souls but she often enjoyed meddling in these types of affairs. “She should be in his area, she needs to be the sunshine to his darkness, the eraser to his pencil, the paintbrush to his Van Gouh, the-”

“-Did it!”

At the sound of accomplishment, Artemis whirled around staring at one of her most favorited handmaidens. “You did what exactly?” She glared, rushing over to the orb to see just what this girl had done.

Makaria gave her a sheepish grin. “I...I did as you said. I tied Warren to the sweetest girl in the state!”

“And who is that?”

“Pomelia Grace, my goddess.”

“Pomelia Grace!” The ground shook as the goddess shrieked.

Artemis could not believe how Makaria could give such a beautiful flower to a thorn in her side! A thorn she was willing to break so easily! At the sound of Artemis’ distressed shout, her wolves rushed over to her, circling her away from any outside threats. Her handmaidens were also on the defensive, ready with swords and shields to defend their goddess.

“I-I apologize Mistress of Nature! I was only trying to please you!” Makaria gasped, falling to her knees and begging for forgiveness.

A slither or regretfulness befell Artemis momentarily before anger replaced it again. “Makaria do you know who Pomelia Grace is? The sweetest mortal I have laid eyes on this year! I was going to have her as one of my handmaidens!”

A look of pure sorrow washed over Makaria’s form. “I-I can erase the bond yes? Then all will be well. I-I did not know, I am so sorry!”

“Who has threatened our goddess!”

At the sound of a loud clatter, Artemis glanced to the side to see her number one handmaiden clad in full armor and a look of seven vipers on her face.

“Callisto disarm yourself. Makaria has made a grave mistake,” Artemis explained to the former mortal princess as Callisto threw her sword down and marched over to where they stood.

“Makaria Eucleia! What have you done?”

Makaria put her head down, ashamed of course for what she had done. “Pomelia Grace! Our Mistress wanted her to be one of her attendants, a handmaiden and I-I matched her to a man.”

“Which man?”

“Warren of Bane pack.”

Callisto gasped, putting a hand over her heart, finally understanding the gravity of the situation. “Pomelia was supposed to stay a virgin. She has dedicated her life to Artemis and is a novice in the mortal realm. According to her priestess, she should be taking her vows in three months’ time.”

Artemis chose mortal women carefully to be apart of her handmaidens and crew of nymphs. Makaria Eucleia and Callisto used to be human princesses matter of fact. Both were in dire situations and Artemis chose to take them away from such terrible fates and be apart of her band of handmaidens.

Makaria gasped. The young Pomelia was soon to become a priestess of the mortal temple which dedicated their lives to her. That could not happen now. “Oh, my goddess! Can I reverse it anyway at all?”

“It is too late,” Callisto told the hard truth. “Once someone is tied to another, nothing can be done. If she would have taken her vows then yes but she is still just a novice.” It was true, Artemis erased any possible type of soul tie to another Lycan for someone who took the vows of serving her on the mortal realm. Their hearts were now tied to her not a mortal partner.

“We can kill her! That will nullify it surely!”

Artemis glared at Makaria. “No, I do not wish to have to kill her. The damage is done, Pomelia will be Warren’s mate. When will they be in the same vicinity? I need to witness their first encounter.”

Another maiden popped up suddenly, with multiple scrolls in her hand. Placing the heap on the floor, and pulled one large one out of the pile. “According to my observations of the future they will meet in three weeks' time. The temple where Pomelis resides is hosting its annual charity fundraiser and it is mandatory for all Alphas around the area to attend and bring guests. Alpha Cannen usually declines every year but this time he rsvp’d and added two guests which could only be Trent and Warren.”

Three weeks? Artemis did not want to wait three weeks. She was impatient and anxious. “Someone send the high priestess a vision, revelation that instead of three weeks it should be three days. I am eager to see how they find one another and the reactions of both of them. Let us see if Warren is truly worthy of Pomelia. If not I will kill her and take her as my own.”

“Yes Mistress.”