Chapter 4

Percy POV

I had to admit, Zoe was one Hades of a hunter. Every time she went on one of her hunting trips, she always managed to bring down some kind of large mammal.

However, she was often gone for a couple hours at a time and that left me with way too much time on my hands. But today, I was in no mood to waste my day channeling Fenron so I decided to go out into the woods and practice some of my powers.

I had a feeling Fenron was growing tired of being an ass as summoning my claws and fangs had become much easier. He was also becoming keen on criticizing my every movement.

Put more of your shoulder into your swing. Only using your arms to slash will strain the muscles in your arm.

I wound back and slashed a tree and the whole thing came crashing down.

You should listen to me more often.

"I'll give you that one. That was really cool."

I felt Fenron grin internally. So you'll take my advice and let me take over?

"No."

You're no fun.

I rolled my eyes before dropping into a low sweep, uprooting an entire bush.

Very good. Now, you see that bird right there?

I turned and saw a sparrow pecking at the ground.

Pounce on it.

"What the Hades, why?"

You're relying on your feeble human eyes for sensory information. Let your instincts do all the work.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before lunging at the bird. I heard a surprised chirp and felt blood gush over my hand. Opening my eyes, I saw the sparrow skewered on my claws.

Hm, impressive. I wonder who's giving you this wonderful advice?

I rolled my eyes. "A fantastic werewolf named Fenron."

I'm glad you're not as stupid as you look. Now, bite it.

"Why?"

Just do it.

I looked at the bloody body hanging off my claws. "I don't know about this one."

Pussy. You're letting your human judgement interfere. Just let your instincts take over like I said.

I closed my eyes before taking a bite. Instantly, the bird crushed under the force of my bite and I felt blood fill my mouth.

If you were fighting an enemy and you let your human judgement interfere like that, the force of your bite would be severely impaired. Being a werewolf is all about letting the beast inside control- er, off the leash.

I retracted my claws and my fangs shortened. I collapsed onto the grass and just stared at the sky. The clouds were drifting almost lazily, and I hadn't felt so peaceful in a long time.

The wild is beautiful, isn't it? It's a damn shame that humans cut down forests and fill it with ugly, gray boxes.

"I have to admit, I'm a city-bred guy but the wild does feel more like home."

At least we can agree about that.

I smiled. "You're not getting soft on me are you?"

I felt Fenron stir angrily inside me. Say that again and I will feast on your kidneys.

"Your existence depends on the wellbeing of my body, you know."

Touché, Percy. Touché.

I heard a twigs snap to my right and I rolled into the brush as quickly as I could. I peeked through and saw that there was nothing there.

"What was that?"

If you haven't noticed, your hearing has been enhanced tremendously. How are you just finding this out?

A blush rose to my cheeks. "Hey, I'm still new to this whole thing, ok?"

Wait, do you smell that?

I lifted my nose in the air and was hit with the sharp smell of silver. "It's the hunters. Judging from the faintness of the smell, they must be pretty far."

Right on. Let's get out of here and keep it that way.

I started to get up when I felt my heart drop. "Zoe's with them. I can smell her."

And you think I'm creepy.

"This is not the time," I hissed internally as I followed my nose. The smell got stronger and stronger, and I decided staying hidden for now would be the best move. I climbed into a tree and stared intently through the branches. I didn't have to look long.

A band of Hunters had Zoe backed into the corner of a mountain. She had a few arrows sticking out from her body and she was bleeding profusely.

Despite her injuries, she was still standing and growling at the Hunters, ready to attack.

"Zoe, give yourself up. We have you surrounded."

"Cliché, much?" She snarled; her voice hate-filled.

I started when I realized Artemis was there as well. "I can see you have gotten more brash and reckless. Perhaps, a certain someone is rubbing off on you?"

Zoe let out a growl deep in her throat. "Leave him out of this. This is between you and me."

"It seems Percy has become a great companion to you. Come with us peacefully and I will spare the boy."

Let me take over!

I almost jumped as Fenron had been completely silent so far. Now his voice was now filled with rage. "I can handle this myself. This is about me, not you."

You aren't ready to handle a major goddess. Let me take her on.

"You're just another werewolf to her! She's killed thousands of Lycaon's minions, so what makes you think you stand a chance?"

Fenron was silent.

"Let's merge. We can beat her together!" I tried to convince him.

He snorted. So, the combined power of 'one of Lycaon's minions' and a demigod with no powers can defeat the goddess of the Hunt? Don't be stupid.

I watched the fight dissipate from Zoe's eyes. "Do you swear on the Styx that Percy will be safe?"

"I cannot ensure his safety, but I promise no harm will come to him from me, the Hunt, or any indirect action from us."

Thunder boomed overhead and I felt my blood go cold as Zoe shrunk down into her human form. She held her wrists out and the Hunters swooped in and slapped silver cuffs onto them.

"I'm sorry Zoe, I never wanted this for you. Please forgive me."

I unsheathed my claws, prepared to fight all of them if I had to.

Bide your time.

"What are you talking about? I need to help Zoe! You know what they will do to her!"

It'll be much worse if you confront them alone. They will kill you AND Zoe will be in the same situation. Wait for the opportunity to come.

I desperately wanted to ignore Fenron and jump down there, but in my heart I knew he was right. Going down there was pointless.

The Hunters had secured cuffs around Zoe's neck and feet, preventing her from using her claws or fangs. I softly growled. How I wanted to tear out their throats and slash away those chains!

They began to lead her off to their camp as I crept through the trees, watching them with anger blazing in my eyes.

3rd POV

Artemis watched as the Hunters led Zoe to the large silver cage she had created. Although pangs of guilt were running through her stomach, she knew that this was a necessary evil. Kronos was coming soon and she couldn't have a potential threat lurking around her.

The minute Zoe was locked securely in the cage, Artemis snapped her fingers and the enchanted chains on her body disappeared. Zoe instantly transformed into a large, white wolf.

Artemis thought about how beautiful the beast was before she snapped herself out of it. She didn't lock up Zoe with the intent of creating a menagerie. "Everyone, leave us."

Without a word, the hunters began to leave. "My Lady, what about Thalia?" Kathy asked.

"Untie her and take her with you. I think being tied down for a day is punishment enough." Kathy nodded before heading into a tent.

Artemis turned towards Zoe. "I believe we must...resolve our problem."

"Our problem?" Zoe growled. "You shot me in the head! You didn't even give me a chance to explain what was going on!"

Artemis closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew that dealing with an angry Zoe would require a lot of patience and that bursting out in anger wouldn't do any good. "I...am sorry." Artemis managed.

Zoe cocked her head in shock. She had never heard Artemis apologize before.

"Lycaon's pack had recently attacked our camp, and we lost a lot of sisters. I will admit that I saw you and sensed instantly that you were my Zoe and not a decoy of some sort but I was...on edge."

Zoe simply stared at Artemis, waiting for her to continue.

"I thought that it was some kind of trick. You were no longer a demi-Titan but a werewolf. I didn't know what to do or say, so I shot you. I shot you because I was afraid of what you would do."

"And now, it looks like I was right to be afraid." Artemis pointed at three grave markers that were lying right outside the camp border. "You murdered three of your sisters in cold blood, and to do what? Protect a boy from me?"

Zoe's eyes grew darker. "Perseus isn't just a boy, he's my friend. You will do well not to talk about him with that tone."

"What makes this child so special to you?"

"He's...different. I've never met a man like him in my entire life. I know I can trust him no matter what the circumstance."

Artemis' eyes narrowed. "Would you have not said the same thing about Heracles had I asked you about him centuries ago?"

"He's nothing like Heracles!" Zoe barked.

"Is that so? Tell me then, Zoe, where was he when you were surrounded?"

Zoe paled. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know where your little hideout is Zoe. We were only a mile away from it, and any werewolf can smell the scent of silver from that distance. So tell me, if this boy really is different, why didn't he bother trying to save you?" Artemis stepped closer to the cage. "It's because he's like any other man out there. I looked through Thalia's memories and I saw that Percy is a werewolf as well. He is using you to get a better control of his powers."

Zoe glared at Artemis weakly. "You don't know that!"

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? From what I remember, you were never close with Percy, and now all of a sudden you two have a bond because you're both werewolves?" Artemis snorted. "How can you not see that he is using you like any other man?"

Zoe sat there quietly, unable to offer a retort. "Zoe, you were once my fiercest Hunter, and now you are killing your former sisters to protect a male who is obviously taking advantage of you? How can you do such a thing?"

Artemis stormed off and Zoe could feel tears dripping down her face. She was an idiot, and she kicked herself for being so blind.

Zoe had been so busy fighting off the Hunters that she hadn't even given Percy a thought. And, knowing that Percy had been so close yet made no move to stop her capture confirmed Artemis' words in her heart.

Artemis felt extremely torn. She wanted to kill the werewolf to avenge her fallen Hunters, but at the same time she didn't want to kill Zoe knowing full well that she wasn't a decoy of some sort, rather she was the same Zoe that had served her for hundreds of years.

The knife in Artemis' hand glinted, thirsting for bloodshed.

She screwed her eyes shut before they flew open in realization.

Artemis had been too busy worrying about whether Zoe was really Zoe that she had forgotten to ask a crucial question. Artemis stepped back outside her tent where Zoe was sitting Indian style in her cage, meditating.

"Zoe." The werewolf opened an eye and glanced at Artemis.

"It didn't come to me at all, but how exactly are you alive in the first place?"

"Disappointed I didn't stay dead?"

Artemis felt a pang of hurt in her chest. "Zoe, you know that isn't-"

"It doesn't matter," she snapped, cutting the goddess off. "You Olympians are all the same. You choose to act before you think about the consequences of your actions. I thought you were different, but no. Your father and other male gods spend countless nights with other women without giving a thought as to what horrible lives their children will face and you kill anything you don't understand."

Zoe took a deep breath. "I blindly accepted your murders, Artemis, but how many innocent lives have you taken? Fathers, brothers, sons, thousands of lives gone simply because you didn't understand them. Once I came back and you no longer understood what I was, you shot me without a second thought."

Artemis couldn't find anything to say. She merely stared at Zoe with a bewildered hurt in her eyes.

"Your father, the almighty leader of the Olympian gods, had Hades take me out of Elysium and cast me into Tartarus simply because I was the daughter of a Titan. There, I was forced to endure pain and eternal torture as my soul could no longer return to the Underworld. For what seemed like an eternity I was killed over and over again until I was attacked by a werewolf."

Artemis' jaw was on the floor as she tried to comprehend what she just heard. "Zoe, I-"

Suddenly, multiple howls permeated through the air as dozens of wolves approached the camp from all sides. Artemis drew her knives as one large, wolf stepped out before rising up into a tall man with wolf pelts on his shoulders. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

"Lycaon," Artemis growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Quite simple, actually. I'm here for revenge," he pointed at the cage. "That wolf sent me to Tartarus a few weeks ago and I plan to return the favor."

Zoe hissed at him through the bars. "How did you come back so fast? Monsters take at least a few months to regenerate!"

Lycaon examined his claws. "Kronos has garnered the help of Gaea herself. Although she isn't fully awake yet, she did have enough consciousness to ask Tartarus for a few favors. In particular, monsters will regenerate much faster," he grinned. "Of course, I made sure to let them know about you. He has agreed that once you are in his clutches, he will never let you go."

"I have your Hunters surrounded outside the forest. It was very convenient for you to keep them out there. Now, I shall provide you with a choice. Either you give up the wolf to me and swear on the Styx to never hunt our kind again, or you and the rest of your wretched hand-maidens can die along with this she-wolf here."

Zoe felt cold sweat run down her back as Artemis stared at her with a strange look in her eyes. Suddenly, she lunged at the cage, her knives flashing.

She closed her eyes and braced herself, prepared for an eternity in Tartarus. The pain never came. A warm feeling bubbled in Zoe's chest when she saw that Artemis had cut her cage away. "Artemis-"

"I would never let one of my sisters suffer in the depths of Tartarus, no matter the cost." Artemis twirled her knives before brandishing them at Lycaon. "My hunters can handle a few dogs while we take this one."

"So, death it is then." Lycaon howled before the wolves closed in on the two. Zoe morphed into her wolf form and roared. She lunged and ripped the throat out of one wolf before clamping her jaws down on a second.

Artemis slashed at Lycaon, her duel blades glinting in the sun as they parried off of Lycaon's claws. She shifted one of her knives into hammer grip and the other into icepick as she launched herself into a whirl of silver death, effectively locking Lycaon into a defensive stance while cutting down any wolf foolish enough to step in her path.

Zoe crushed a wolf's head into the ground as it exploded, sending blood and bone fragments into the air. No matter how many she killed, there seemed to be an endless supply of them streaming from the forest.

She felt claws dig into her back as a werewolf had lunged onto her from the trees. Zoe shook it off before clawing its head off its shoulders, but there were more that were biting her legs. She ran to a corner where she could at least have one side of her safe, but they continued to stream at her.

Through the frenzy of squirming gray bodies, Zoe could see that Lycaon with the help of his army was beginning to slow Artemis down.

Artemis slashed across Lycaon's chest before kicking him back. She attempted to go on the offensive but a wolf lunged at her, buying Lycaon enough time to recover and strike back. He clawed across Artemis' shoulder before kicking her in the face, sending her crashing to the ground.

A couple werewolves had pinned Artemis' arms down while more pounced on her legs. The king of the werewolves stepped over her and grinned lecherously. "You know, maybe I will keep you around and use you for my entertainment." Artemis spat into his face.

Lycaon snarled in rage before raising his claws. "Enjoy Tartarus, bitch."

Suddenly, a large black wolf snatched Lycaon out of the air from behind.

All the wolves seemed to stop fighting as they all watched the wolf bite Lycaon's head before ripping it off his shoulders and tossing it behind him.

The wolf let out a roar before barreling into the wolves that had Zoe surrounded, slashing, biting, and stomping anything that made the mistake of stepping into its path.

Artemis quickly ripped her arms free before blasting the wolves back with silver beams of energy. She materialized new knives into her hands before slashing a wolf's heads off in one clean swipe.

Zoe ripped a wolf in half before she met the black wolf's eyes. They were an emerald green.

"Perseus."

A/N: Hey I'm back, school is taking more time than I anticipated for it to take from me. But I have slowly been adding more content to the story.

I'll be back!