Chapter 7: Unnamed

Marcus lay on his bed, hands clasped behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling of his room. It'd been almost a week since he'd confessed to Artemis, and he hadn't even been able to look at the house, much less go inside. He'd avoided the Huntresses, and now he lay, sulking, on his bed. Matchbox Twenty played through his stereo, the music matching his mood. So much so he failed to hear the knock at his door. At least, until it sounded like someone was about to break it down.

"Sheesh, I hear ya." He stepped into the kitchen and walked to the front door. Like he'd intended, it was a very small hut. "Bloody well stop before you bust down the door please."

"What the Hades did you do to Lady Artemis?!" Zoe slapped him right across the face before he even finished opening the door, storming in as he was sent tumbling backwards. He stumbled and fell, landing on his back. Zoe planted her foot on his chest, glaring down at him with a murderous gaze. Ara and a number of others stormed in behind her.

"Marcus, what happened on your trip? Lady Artemis has been in a…daze since you returned. Just what by the God's did you do?" Ara knelt down beside his head, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"I didn't do anything. We talked on the last night, and that's it." Marcus struggled, pushing on Zoe's foot, but she stomped down harder, forcing him back down.

"That's a lie you filthy male! A 'talk' wouldn't have caused Artemis to be like." Zoe spat at him with each word, emphasizing her anger and disgust.

"Well if you would try talking to her you might learn something, you psychotic bitch!"

"What'd you call me you rotten little…" She halted, looking at him for a second confused. "What'd you just say?"

"What, you mean calling you a psychotic bitch?"

"No, before the insult, retard."

"I said maybe you should actually talk to her instead of storming in hear and crushing my lungs." He pushed at her foot again, this time successful in releasing himself.

"What did you say to her Marcus? Just what kind of talk did you have for her to end up like this?" Ara appeared to be the only sensible one, helping him stand up as he rubbed at his chest.

"We had a talk. She'd been asking what that feeling she'd been sensing from me was, I tried explaining it, and then I just told her the truth."

"What do you mean by truth, something perverted? Wouldn't surprise me coming from a male, you only think with the thing in your pants instead of your brain." Zoe scoffed at him, her expression smug.

"Zoe, shut up please. We should actually let him explain himself instead of making nothing but accusations. Especially now that we possibly have general picture about what might've happened." Ara stepped up to the other Huntresses. "Sierra, you and Savanna gather the others and meet in the living room. Marcus, come with me, you're going to explain this to all of us. And you Zoe are going to promise not to attack him that is unless we don't like his explanation." Zoe grinned at Ara, malicious. "Now come on guys, move it. We don't want to disturb Artemis, but we also need to figure out what transpired between those two."

It was fast, the way all the Huntresses where gathered in the living room. He'd never actually figured out the exact number of the girls here, but now he could tell it was easily over 30. He looked around the room, watching as the girls all gathered together; the giant L-shaped couch was full with Ara, Sierra, Claire, Zoe plus about 7 other girls. The rest lounged around on a few armchairs. Two of the younger ones he hadn't met sat on the floor in front of Ara and Zoe, looking up at him with awe and interest. They looked not a day over 9 or ten. Ara picked one up, sitting her on her lap and holding her. They all looked seriously tired.

"Alright, everyone's here. Now Marcus, tell us exactly what you and Artemis talked about." It was another girl, older at about 18. She stood behind Zoe at the couch.

"Alright then, so we went out on a hunt, tracking the Minotaur. We found him around the Northern US and Canadian border. There, she had me go one on one with the Minotaur, and she seemed to enjoy watching me get pummeled a bit." I looked off to the side, slightly embarrassed as I said it. Now I had to look away as I blushed, thinking about the next part. "We made camp about several hours before dawn, wanting to get some sleep before we came back. And, when we were sitting there by the fire, she started talking about the other day, when I came in while you all were talking about me, and she said ' I mentioned that there was something I couldn't explain about you that I wanted to talk to you about.' And I told her I remembered. I'd said it was something I wanted to talk about in private."

"Yeah, we all remember that, now tell us what it was you said that put her like this?" Zoe was getting pissed again, and Ara put her hand up, halting Zoe as she moved to stand up.

"He's getting to that Zoe, now calm down." She nodded to me to continue.

"Yes, so, she mentioned the other day when there was the incident where i….um….well, Ara you remember that, and Zoe, I'm going to kill you when we're done here." I clenched my fist, angry.

"You can have your squabble later Marcus. Finish telling them, I want to hear what they think about our talk." Artemis was walking down the stairs. She was dressed in a night shirt and a pair of sleep pants. They weren't her usual silver, but a nice light blue color.

"Ah…um, Artemis, I um…" I stuttered as I tried to talk. Everyone gaped at me, looking with a look of shock and fury.

"What'd you just say Marcus?" Zoe stood this time, storming up to me and grabbing the front of my shirt. "Since when did you become so formal with Lady Artemis?!" She was pissed as she pulled her fist back to punch me.

"Zoe, stand down. Why are you trying to hurt Marcus? What'd he do to infuriate you?" Artemis looked perplexed for a moment, and I noticed my mistake.

"I meant, Lady Artemis. What brings you down here?" Artemis gave me an almost hurt look as I switched back to formalities. Did it upset her? I wasn't sure, but no one else seemed to notice.

Zoe let go of the front of my shirt, scowling at me. "As you wish My Lady. Marcus, finish your explanation so I can hurry up and kill you."

"Oh pipe down you demon woman. Now, so me and Artemis started talking and Artemis, you said…" I trailed off, motioning for her to repeat it. She looked puzzled at first, then suddenly embarrassed.

"Well, Marcus had asked what it was, and if something was bothering me besides his presence. He figured since I despise males, his presence would piss me off all the time. And I'd said that's just it; it bothers me that I don't feel uncomfortable around you. Just the opposite. I actually enjoy his company. He's unlike any man I've ever encountered. Like the other day, when he was trapped in the baths while Ara, Sierra, and Claire were in there, and then when I entered, his lust was almost completely unnoticeable. I thought it was impossible for any male to resist that temptation; I even tested him when I entered the baths in my adult form. His lust spiked at that time, but the way he instantly pushed it down, hid it under self-control and…something else, like compassion, I just can't understand it."

All the girls in the room stared at me, stunned. That is, except for Sierra and Claire, they just looked embarrassed.

"Geez, first he confuses us, then say's I have no sex appeal. That's definitely such a polite man." Sierra grumbled, angry.

"Sierra, that's not the point. Lady Artemis, please continue."

"Actually, this is where I replied. I said I understood what she meant, and it's true what she said, it was extremely difficult to contain myself, and when she entered the bath, I almost lost my control to keep from peeking. I wanted to so bad, but…the thought of seeing a look of betrayal and hurt on her face, the idea…no the very notion of betraying you and hurting her. It tore me apart, and allowed me to contain myself." Marcus turned away, hiding his face as he his face blushed a deep crimson. "She asked what I meant, said she didn't understand, and asked what the feeling I kept having was, and she even felt it as we talked, that sensation. I told her the truth." He turned to face her again, staring her straight in the eyes. "I'll say it again Artemis, just like I did before. That feeling is Love. My love for you, I've felt it since the moment I saw you, stepping out of those woods as the Manticore was about to kill me. It is love that overpowers lust, and love that lets you know you can trust me. I'd rather die than betray the trust of the one I love. I truly don't understand it myself, nor do I pretend to believe I can prove it instantly Artemis. It's something complex, and something I can't quite make sense of." She didn't respond. "I believe it's what you've felt from me, that uncertain emotion you can't understand. And I don't believe it's that you can't understand, but that you're… afraid to understand? I can't say, because I can't pretend to know what you feel. But I just wanted the chance to tell you. That's exactly what I told you before Artemis, and it's still a thousand percent as true now as it was when I first told you, and when I first met you."

The Huntresses were silent as he finished speaking. Marcus took a deep breath, and moved past Artemis, stopping and looking over his shoulder. "I never expect you to respond Artemis, it's stupid of me too. But, I'm truly happy just having told you, so please, let me continue to love you, even as an unrequited love." Marcus turned back to the sliding glass door, pulling it open and stepping outside. Artemis never even made the move to look back as he slid the door closed and walked slowly back to his hut.