Page 22 of Protected By Artemis

“Let’s grab that dinner now.”

She nodded, still smiling. “Lead the way, Alpha.”

Chapter 5

Artemis

When is this wolf going to wake up?

Artemis lay beside Cade, her eyes fixed on his sleeping form. As a goddess, she didn’t need sleep or food in the same way mortals did, though indulging in those activities had their benefits. Still, they weren’t part of her personality. She’d rather be out doing something,anything, else.

She shifted to lie on her side, watching his peaceful slumber. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she leaned closer and blew into his ear. His face twitched, but he didn’t wake. Not easily deterred, she conjured a feather and gently tickled his nose. He shook his head and rolled to his side, facing her. She barely stifled her laughter, deciding more drastic measures were needed. She slapped his forehead lightly.

Cade jolted awake, blinking in confusion.

“Hey, you’re awake!” she exclaimed.

“What?” he mumbled groggily. He squinted at her, slowly registering her presence. “What time is it?”

“Eight a.m.,” she replied cheerfully.

“Oh, that’s four a.m. for me with the time difference,” he groaned.

“You’re affected by that?”

“Yes, of course,” he grumbled. “Probably even more so since we’re connected to nature more than other humans.” He sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand.

She smiled and inched closer to him, feeling him stiffen. “I’m not going to jump you. I just like cuddling. It’s nice to be close to someone, right?”

“I guess,” he muttered, frowning.

“Don’t worry, I’m also the goddess of chastity.”

“What?” he asked, giving her a bewildered look.

She took a deep breath to prepare herself mentally. Well, she had to tell him at some point. Besides, it was too late for him to back out of their arrangement now. “I’m a virgin. So, I’m not doing this because I’m trying to seduce you.”

“Right. Wait, how old are you?”

“More than thirty?—”

“We can’t be the same age,” he cut her off.

“I didn’t say that,” she snapped back. “I’m more than thirty thousand years old…At least, I stopped counting after that.

“Whoa. And in that time, you’ve never had sex? Wasn’t ancient times full of orgies and shit?”

“Yes, it was. But the best way not to get pregnant is not to have sex. But I’m not a total innocent. I’ve had my share of fun,” she said cheekily.

He looked at her incredulously, but he didn’t pull away when she tucked herself into his side. Instead, he relaxed against her warmth, and she nestled closer. “See? Isn’t this nice?”

“Yeah, it is,” he admitted, his voice softer.

She lay still, her breath matching Cade’s. When she finally felt him absentmindedly playing with her hair, she broke thesilence. “So how come you don’t have a bedmate or even a mate with you here?”

“Really?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What? You’re an Alpha and hot. It’s a valid question,” she teased.

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