A/N: Sorry it's been a few weeks. I've been working on my last edit of my book and the query letter, and with all the other crazy of my life, this fell to the wayside. I made this chapter a little longer, and it was so much fun to write! Thank you for all the reviews! You guys rock, and it means to much to me that you enjoy my story.

Enjoy!

-Orion-

The days were starting to blend together. Over a whole gods forsaken month had passed since he'd seen her. Time should ease the pain, not increase it. This was worse that the first time. Or maybe it was because the pain was so fresh now.

Orion practiced what he'd tell her over and over again in his mind, which he was positive it was something Artemis wouldn't want to hear. He could never lie to her. One, she always knew, perks of being a goddess, he assumed. Her temper was legendary, and Orion never wanted to anger her to the level he knew she was capable of. She was the immortal that'd rather hear an unkind truth than a placating lies. She might still blast you into oblivion for it, but she'd sure as Hades respect you a lot more.

The only thing Orion could do was wait and distract himself the best that he could. Working at the vet was one of the few comforts he had the past few weeks. Orion finished putting out the food for the animals that the vet was boarding, making sure their kennels were ready for the night. Focusing on the animals allowed him to take his mind off things, kept his hands busy. Normally, hunting did that, but now?

Would she still be furious with him when she returned? Would she return before the world felt her father's wrath? She'd expect an apology, of course, a longer one than the one he'd already given. Probably wouldn't hurt to include some groveling as well. Orion was not exactly sorry for what he did. Did he regret lying to her? Yes, but he'd do it a thousand more times to find her again. It was a necessary evil, as he saw it. He might have caught hell from the other immortals if Aphrodite's plan worked, but at least he'd have her back. At least now she knew he still existed. The worst case scenario was that he'd end up dying early at her hands, meaning he'd just have to try again next round.

One thing was for sure: he'd never stop trying.

"Orion, I think we are good for the night," Dr. Jackson stated with a smile as he took off his coat. His dog followed behind him, happily wagging her tail. "Why don't you go ahead and take off? I'll make sure everything is locked up."

"You sure?"

"You've been working hard the past few weeks. I'm positive."

Orion let that little bit of praise seep into his bones. He could manage to do something right, despite what the universe was trying to convey. He quickly packed up his things, throwing his water bottle and jacket into his bag. It was starting to cool off, the scent of fall permeating the air. It was warm enough that he'd be fine today, though. As he stepped out of the office, he debated on which way to head home. The trails through the woods would take longer that the sidewalks. Truthfully, Orion had avoided the woods the past few days in fear that Artemis would send some of the Hunters after him. He was good enough that he'd be able to beat them, but that would only anger Artemis, which would make things worse for him. Today, he was just too tired to try and avoid the fight.

If she was going to come after him, so be it.

-Artemis-

She'd been watching him for a while now.

Really, she'd been stalking Orion most of the afternoon. The morning was spent checking in on her brother and siblings, keeping far enough away so they would not detect her presence. Her brother seemed more at ease, the tension certainly less than Athena's. They all looked a little strained, which pleased her. Serves them right after what they did to her.

She'd known they were looking for her. Her disappearance would infuriate her father. Artemis needed to get away, to find somewhere where she could just breathe and think. Pirating with Freyja was the best cure for that. Something to hunt that couldn't run from you, friends to be around and mortals to scare, along with an open sea where no one could touch her? It was heaven on earth. Sure, it was avoiding the situation and probably causing a global crisis, but why should she care? It wouldn't be the first time the world almost ended and wouldn't be the last.

Freyja's whispered transmittal of her brother's plea struck a chord in her she wasn't exactly prepared for. Artemis was well aware that Freyja had been itching to tell her something for a couple of weeks at that point. The goddess knew better than to broach the subject to Artemis too early, and Apollo's pleas offered her friend the avenue she needed. It didn't hurt quite as much to find out that Apollo didn't know the while entire time. Still, he knew before she did, which hurt. The logical part of her mind knew he was simply trying to protect her, to keep her heart safe. Apollo knew how much it hurt the first time, how devastated she was, more than any of the other immortals. Even the oldest current hunters were not around at that time. Zoe was the last one…

Freyja was right. Apollo was right, though she hated to admit that. Before she left, the past few weeks at Orion's side had been wonderful. A part of her that she'd hidden behind sarcasm and a bow was ignited, like her heart was finally beating after years of lying dormant. She had limited time with him before he would reincarnate. If she wanted to see him, to keep that feeling around for as long as possible, she needed to take advantage of it instead of whining like a puny mortal. Even the thought of being anything like a mortal disgusted her.

So she came back. The hunters were still with the Valkyries for a few days, pillaging their way up and down the East coast of the states. It would keep the older immortals busy and her hunters occupied while she dealt with this infernal mess.

From her position in the tree, she couldn't see Orion. Not that her vision wasn't good (it was superb), but there were too many branches, too much foliage in the way. She could hear him though, smell his scent drifting softly through the trees. It was incredibly stupid of him to go walking through the woods alone. It was her domain. The woods and wild were Artemis's web, and she was a spider, lying in wait for her prey. He'd better be thankful that she decided not to kill him. At least not yet.

Finally, he came into view. She'd watched him from a distance most of the afternoon. This was the first time she got to see him so close. Orion didn't look his best. His expression was haunted but resigned, a look she had never seen from him before. Dark shadows from lack of sleep spread from under his eyes, adding to the gaunt look. Even his warm olive skin seemed washed out, pale. For just a second, Artemis kind of felt sorry for him. He was getting closer, the sun peeking through the trees making some strands of his hair look like copper.

Just as he was almost underneath her, he paused. Like a buck on high alert, Orion quickly looked around. He couldn't smell her or see her. Artemis made sure of that. His bow was missing, and the bag he carried could not carry his club. His hand shifted, brushing the hem of his t-shirt, where Artemis highly suspected a knife was hidden. The fact that he was always prepared, always carried some form of weapon, that he was ready for the hunt at any time were a few of the reasons Artemis liked him so much. He took a couple of tentative steps back on the trail, his stance and movements wary. He didn't know it was her; she was careful to hide her immortal presence. It didn't change the fact that Orion knew a predator was near. The woods were too quiet, the air still, like the world was holding its breath, waiting to see what she would do.

Enough of that.

Artemis jumped and landed gracefully on her feet, bow notched and ready. Orion's eyes widened substantially and swallowed nervously. He raised his hands, his eyes pinned on her face rather than the tip of Artemis's arrow. If she relaxed her fingers, it would go straight into his heart. Neither of them spoke for a moment. He was drinking in the sight of her with the same intensity of a human that went far too long without water. Artemis was doing the same, though she hid it with a scowl and narrowed eyes. Why was her heart beating so fast, so irregularly? Why did it feel like chaos itself had rooted itself inside her, taken her very soul?

"You're back."

His whispered words, hoarse with veiled emotion, hit her like nothing else had. Artemis realized how much she missed him. She rolled her eyes, the arrow still trained on him. "Obviously," she scoffed. "How would you like to handle this, Orion? I prefer a begging, pleading form of apologizing before I kill you. I think you owe me that much."

"I do owe you that much, I suppose," he murmured. Orion lowered his hands, shoving them into his pockets. His gaze still focused on her face, watching it with a hunter's intent. "I'm sorry I upset you. I'm sorry that I hurt you. It was the last thing that I wanted. I betrayed your trust." He paused, his brows drawn and lips tight.

"Hmm. Go on." Artemis still didn't lower her bow.

"There's nothing else to say."

"Oh really? How about 'Artemis, I'm sorry for lying?'"

His gazed into her eyes, the resolve as potent as the summer sun. "Artemis…I'm not going to lie to you again. The consequences were…they suck, alright? I didn't like it, but there was no other way."

"That's bullshit, and you know it!"

Orion fisted his hands. "What else could I have done, Artemis? Without Aphrodite's help, I would have never gotten close to you."

"I'm not talking about that. You could have told me!" she roared. The very ground seemed to shake, the limbs and leaves snapping back with the wave of force that left her. The bow was too easy, too quick. Orion needed to feel what she felt that night, the kind pf pain that ripped the world to shreds. She threw it to the side and pounced on Orion, landing a punch right to his left eye. Orion stumbled back, falling on his back from the force of the impact. Artemis jumped on top of him, placing a couple more punches to any part of his body that she could reach. She wasn't using her full force…if she had, Orion would be a just a puddle of flesh now. He didn't fight back at first, which kind of surprised her. Had she done something that damaged more than she intended? She eased for just a second, and that second was all it took for Orion to counter.

He grabbed her wrists, using his weight to throw her off balance. They rolled, Orion pinning her down. He knew that with a simple thought, she could make him cease to exist. Yet he fought anyways, but in a way to not harm this fragile mortal shell. It was kind of brave and…sexy.

"What do you mean I could have told you?" he huffed. His left eye was already starting to swell. A red welt covered his other cheek, spots already turning purple. Artemis kneed him in the gut, rolling out from underneath him with ease.

"I get why you needed help, but as soon as you found me, as soon as you spoke with me, you could have filled me in! Hell, the first time we were alone, you could have told me everything. But. You. Didn't."

"And…have…have… incinerate-?"

"I wouldn't have incinerated you!" With his breath still gone, all he could do was offer her a glare. Hitting in the gut was a pretty low blow because Artemis was pretty sure she may have cracked a rib or two before she kneed him. "It would have pissed me off, yeah. I probably would have been furious with you. Less than I am now, though! You could have told me, and I could have helped you!"

"Didn't you think I thought of that?" he wheezed, his words barley louder than a whisper. "I wanted to, but- "

"But what!? That I couldn't take Aphrodite or any of the others? That your meager existence wasn't worth the risk? Or maybe it's that you were enjoying Aphrodite's company so damned much!" Did that really just come out of her mouth? She kicked a tree in frustration, sending splinters of the bark everywhere. A branch fell, narrowly missing Orion.

"I was planning on telling you."

His words were soft and full of truth. Her hands went to her hips. "You are just saying that to placate me."

"No, I'm not. I waited because…I didn't know who dealt the killing blow that night, the night I died." Artemis actually cringed at his words. Her bother swore it wasn't her, but there were nights that she wondered if it was all her fault and not the scorpion's. "What if all this was some game Aphrodite was playing, Artemis? I remember that much from the old days, how manipulative the others could be. Why listen to me now of all the times I prayed? What if you wanted me dead and all these years of waiting, of trying, were useless? What if I was just a pawn, and Aphrodite had something darker planned than messing with her niece's emotions? I didn't know."

"But we could have found the answers together. You waited, like a coward."

Orion's eyes narrowed. He shakily stood, looking just a second from falling over. "I'm a coward? Why didn't you come looking for me?"

"You were dead." Her tone was even, steady. It didn't betray the riot of emotions in her heart, the way it was pounding hard enough that it was bound to break through her chest any minute.

"I was, yet you never came to the underworld, never saw if I'd moved on or not."

"You wouldn't have been there if I had!" she retorted.

"And if you had, you would have known what happened. Hades could have told you that I didn't choose reincarnation with him. You could have found me if you ever looked. But you didn't, and we both know why."

Artemis shook her head. For the first time in her immortal life, she was speechless. She looked down at the ground. She had reason for never looking for him. She was a maiden goddess….and how she felt about him scared her.

"We're done here. Be thankful that I'm sparing your life, boy."

She turned away from him, the frustration, worry, and fear ripping at her. These emotions were so…so…. human. She didn't like them. Didn't need them.

"We are not done, Artemis."

Gods above, that voice was determined and rough and just as angry as she was. She turned around to him, her eyes alight with power. "I think we are, Orion. Fine, I didn't go looking for you, but I also had my reasons. Seems to be a common theme between both of us, doesn't it?"

"I'm not done with you, Artemis. I haven't been anywhere close to being done for thousands of years, now. I'm not going anywhere now."

"And what if I decide to turn you into a boar and hunt you?"

Orion swallowed, but the determination didn't waiver. "Can't be any worse than having my dominant bow hand lose a finger."

"Oh, stop whining! Apollo obviously healed it. And after this whole mess? I'd say we are even for now."

She turned to walk away. Orion was quick for a mortal, quick enough that he grabbed her elbow, swung her around, and pulled her in tight against him to kiss her.

All thought left Artemis's brain. It was warm and sweet, the scent of the woods and animals mixed in with whatever cologne he had on. Orion's touch was soft yet rough, the tips of his finger and palms of his hands marred with callouses. And it was better than she dreamed, better than any nectar or ambrosia or hunt…

And it was with a boy. A boy was kissing her. The last time a boy saw her naked, she turned him into a stag and killed him. She should kill him, should force him to stop! But it was so damned good…

She tried to push him off weakly, but her heart just wasn't in it. After all this time, after not seeing him for these weeks, even with the pain of him lying, she missed him like she had before. Her push was hard enough to set them both off balance, sending them to the forest floor. Surprisingly, Orion tilted them both so he took the brunt of the fall. His hands nor his lips never left her, sending this wonderful, euphoric feeling reeling though her. She wanted more and knew she shouldn't.

Orion pulled away, his cheeks just as red as hers. Better yet, they might be less red because Artemis felt like they were open flames. Orion smiled, that same cocky, self-assured one that he used to get that was both endearing and maddening.

"Now, we are even."

Ahh...I hope I did that scene of Mirelle's art justice. I hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review! See you next week!