Artemis PoV

I grunted, coughing up more ichor as I was kicked in the ribs.

"When I'm through with you," Zelphis started. "You'll be too hideous to even look at. Then Percy will be mine."

"He'll never love you," I spluttered, coughing again. "You're a psychotic bitch."

A kick to the side of the head sent me back to the realm of the unconscious.

When I came to, I had a blinding

headache.

Ichor was dripping down over my eyes, my ears were ringing, and the only thing I could taste or smell was horribly acidic.

Then I began to vomit. I hadn't eaten in days, so I would imagine it didn't look too good.

I vomited and vomited until I felt like I was going to pass out.

And I almost did until I felt the chains shift.

I pulled and pulled until I was able to reach the knife just behind the bars.

Hiding it away in a corner, I slumped into a wall, passing out again.

When I awoke next, I was in a different room.

Zelphis cleared her throat. "You're awake. Good. It seems you tried to escape, and I can't have you doing that."

"I'll get out eventually," I retorted. "I'll escape or Percy will find me."

"And if he does, I'll make him mine," she reasoned illogically. "Then I'll kill you."

The immortal pulled knives from her belt. "But I need to do something to entertain myself while I wait."

"What are you going to do?" I asked coldly. "I've been a hunter for thousands of years, retained injuries worse than anything you could inflict."

"Perhaps," Zelphis thought aloud. "But being the prude you are, you likely haven't given up that virginity that you've been protecting so long."

I snorted.

"Yes, I lack the equipment to take that from you," she agreed. "But I can come close." She ripped my shirt open with a particularly sharp knife. "Don't worry. I'll try to make this as slow and painful as possible."

Percy PoV

Artemis wasn't in Alaska.

I docked the boat and grabbed my pack, opening the hull.

I started my Hummer and placed the compass on the dash, preparing for a long drive.

After about an hour and a half of nothing but white, the compass began to spin.

She was underground. Of course, she was underground.

I grabbed a shovel and started digging.

Artemis PoV

I was in the other awful room with vomit and acidic smells.

The pain was unbearable.

Fortunately, so was the knife.

I began to cut the chain, having to stop every couple of minutes due to the pain.

How she had forgotten the knife was beyond me, but I was glad for her stupidity. There were sounds of fighting, and I began to cut at the other chain in hopes I could snap two weakened ones.

A scream rang through the halls.

"Artemis?" Percy bellowed.

"Here!" I cried, sounding far too weak for my liking.

He unlocked the door and snapped the chains I had been trying so hard to escape, paying no mind to anything but me. "Ready to come

home?"

I nodded, standing shakily.

My boyfriend would not have this. He picked me up and carried me to the all-terrain vehicle, even buckling me in. "I'm not helpless, Percy."

"I know," he replied. "But I don't want you becoming more injured."

My lover pulled out a bag of ambrosia and a jar of nectar. "Eat up. It's a long ride from Antarctica to Manhattan."

I vaguely recall being picked up and carried to a bed.

When I awoke, there was clean clothing at the foot of the bed and a glass of nectar on my nightstand.

I downed it, popping a slice of ambrosia in my mouth as I made my way to the bathroom.

After showering, I made my way, far too slow for my liking, to Percy.

He wasn't talking, but it was as though I could sense him.

Climbing the stairs slowly, I found my boyfriend on the floor above.

He turned toward, saw, and rushed toward me. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now," I mumbled into his chest.

When I awoke, there was clean clothing at the foot of the bed and a glass of nectar on my nightstand.

I downed it, popping a slice of ambrosia in my mouth as I made my way to the bathroom.

After showering, I made my way, far too slow for my liking, to Percy.

He wasn't talking, but it was as though I could sense him.

Climbing the stairs slowly, I found my boyfriend on the floor above.

He turned toward, saw, and rushed toward me. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now," I mumbled into his chest.

Percy kissed my forehead. "I missed you."

"I'm glad you found me," I replied, snuggling further into him. "Why is it so cold? And where are we?"

"We're in the far northern region of the Atlantic. Near the North Pole," he explained, kissing my forehead.

My boyfriend cupped my cheek, and I pressed my face into his hand. "You're freezing. I'm going to make hot chocolate and chicken noodle soup. You go take a hot shower."

So I did.

Once in the bathroom, I turned the water to be steaming hot and stripped, stepping into the water's path.

I shaved, scrubbing myself clean of the minuscule particles of dust that may have been on my being.

I washed my hair, too, because I knew it would give Percy an excuse to play with it.

After drying off and clothing, I made my way back to the kitchen area, faster this time.

My lover smiled when he saw me, the bowls and cups still steaming. "Better?"

Nodding, I curled up in my seat, giggling when he scooted his chair closer to mine.

We ate peacefully, content with the presence of one another.

My bowl and cup empty, my boyfriend whisked then away, determined to make life as easy for me as possible.

He returned, kissing my cheek. "What do you want to do? We have about a week before we make it back to territory where we can use our powers."

"I'm feeling cuddly," I said, standing.

I fell almost immediately.

Percy scooped me up before I hit the ground. "Let's get you back to bed."

He carried me back to the bedroom, kissing my cheek as he set me down.

"Stay with me," I ordered as he pulled away.

My boyfriend grabbed a few card games from the nightstand and set them on the bed before wriggling under the covers with me.

"So, I was thinking we could play Go-Fish, or War, or Heart Attack, but we can do whatever you want," he started, looking up from the cards he was shuffling.

I placed my hand on his much larger ones, preventing him from shuffling.

I inhaled his unmistakably beachy scent, felt his warmth seeping into me, took in his appearance.

"I had something else in mind," I said.

"A different card game?" He asked

innocently.

I moved the cards to the nightstand. "Not a game."

Kissing him got the point across.

I woke up in bed early in the evening, Percy's arms wrapped around my bare waist, pulling me against his gorgeous body.

A soft moan escaped me as I felt a rather prominent boner poking me, causing me to recollect pleasures I had received the night before.

"Good evening," he greeted, kissing me. "I'm sorry I woke you," I murmured shyly. "Being woken up by a beautiful, naked, aroused woman moaning in my ear doesn't seem all that bad," my boyfriend remarked. I blushed, hiding my face in his neck.

"Speaking of which," he added. "I should probably deal with sating my horny girlfriend."

The god kissed me, holding me close and pouring his soul into the kiss.

I ran a finger through his hair as we kissed, moaning lightly and tugging on his hair.