Page 15 of Protected By Artemis

“See? We need his tech, Cade,” Artemis said.

“But that doesn’t mean you have to be there,” he protested. “You can’t come, and that’s final.”

“Final?” This time, she let just a little bit of that rage out. “Who do you think you are? You’re not my Alpha. You can’t tell me what to do.”

“I can certainly tell you where you’re not needed—or wanted.”

“Why you?—”

“Stop!” Hephaestus’s booming voice reverberated across the room. “Just lemme know what you need, okay? I don’t need tobe involved in”—he gestured between her and Cade—“whatever this is.”

A blush crept up her cheeks. “This? What do you…there’s nothing going on. Why would you…”

Cade snickered, but said nothing more.

Hephaestus huffed. “Yeah, whatever. Just text me, Artemoula. I’ll install the app, no prob.” And with that, he disappeared.

“You’re still not coming with me.”

Stubborn wolf.She spun around to face him. “And why not?”

“For one thing, it’s too dangerous for you. If anyone discovers what we’re up to?—”

“Ha!” She threw her hands up. “Immortal, remember? I can magic myself out anytime. Besides, there’s another thing you don’t know about me.”

His nose wrinkled. “And what’s that?”

“I can tell when wolves are lying.”

“What?” Cade actually looked surprised. “How?”

“Goddess of the hunt, remember? Actually, I can tell when most shifters are lying. Kind of.”

“Kind of?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you mean?”

“I just…know, okay? It’s not exactly an ability I use all the time.”

In ancient times, when divine beings and beasts had more freedom to roam the earth, Artemis often accompanied shifters and other creatures on their hunts, as well as helped them settle disputes. It was during this time she discovered she could actually discern when a shifter was lying. She didn’t know how exactly, but a feeling told her, and she was right 100 percent of the time.

So, one could say she was the perfect goddess for this job.

“Just trust me, I can do it. Besides, do you think I would give false information, knowing you might kill someone over it?” Her chest tightened, wondering if he did think her capable of such deception.

“I—of course not.” His nostrils flared. “You still can’t come.”

“And why not?” She stamped a foot like a petulant child. “Tell me.”

“You just can’t, okay?” he bellowed. “You’re not allowed to be there.”

Artemis focused on him.Ah, there you go. There was that familiar tingling in her chest. “You’re lying. I can tell.” The brief flash of pure surprise confirmed it. “See? I told you. Now, just tell me why you’re hellbent on excluding me from this trip.”

“You just…I can’t…” With a frustrated groan, he raked his fingers through his hair. “I won’t be able to come up with a reason to bring you.”

“Why not? Xavier said members of the other packs would be around. I could pretend to be your assistant or something.”

“Because of the nature of these gatherings, alphas are not allowed to bring just anyone.”

“And who would you be allowed to bring?”

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