Chapter 5: A New Life

[Percy's Pov:]

"Hey onee-chan wait up!" Loud thuds could be heard as my cyclops daughter chased Aria through the forests, I'm fairly sure her mother was Japanese. At first Coral had some trouble fitting in with the newer hunters who feared her monstrous strength. A few wolf glares set that straight and now she is a true member of the family.

A grand 5 years have past since I found Aria who is 9 now as well as one of the strongest hunters at her age. The hunt is now my family and honestly leaving has become that much harder especially since a large number of the newer hunters were all brought in by me from their abusive parents. you could say I've become a father figure to most of them, though I only count Aria and Coral.

"Aria, go easy on your little sister. She hasn't learnt how to tree jump as well as you have" Aria had matured well over the years, keeping the curiosity and love, but shedding her weaknesses. She as I feared had taken the vow to join the hunt. I was happy as while it meant no grandkids, it also meant she'd be safe.

Artemis and I was getting along well, I was no longer just a male mutt, but she still made the odd comment, but it was more like a joke than anything.

My identity was exposed around a year ago when the new prophecy I still haven't fully heard was given out to the gods, it was around a year ago.

[Flasback 2 years:]

"Damian come to the archery range in 10 minutes, I have something important to discuss" her tone told me it was serious and potentially bad for me. 10 minutes later I walked to the archery range, a place I sorely don't belong and awaited Artemis' arrival. Not long after did the Auburn haired, silver eyed beauty of a goddess walk in. I had long accepted my feelings for her, didn't mean I had to express them, besides I wouldn't cheat on Annabeth. I still faithfully love my wise girl.

"Damian, recently there's been a new prophecy about Percy Jackson, That man I told you about 5 years back I think. I don't remember it exact but It mentions a twice hero turned canine by time. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that now would you?" Oh styx I'm screwed.

"Artemis, I planned to tell you. At first I was terrified of becoming a jackalop then of Thalia zapping me. Then of both! Then I started to enjoy my time here and time kinda got away from me and it got awkwardly long" I tried every wolf Percy technique in the book, puppy eyes, belly show, wolf bow even submissive whimpering.

"YOU STUPID MALE! Why would you hide that from me?!? Was it all a trick? Some lie? What else did you lie about!?" I quickly did the only thing I knew would calm the problem. I swore on the styx the only lie I ever told her, other than for surprises and situations she knew, was about my identity and that I genuinely did it for the reasons I said. At this Artemis visibly relaxed before hugging the life out of me.

"Percy, you have no idea how much I missed the only other decent male on earth, I guess the only decrny one now I know you and Damian are the same person hehe" I was shocked to hear she held me in such high regard before all this, it was a comfortable hug one I missed the moment it left. "You know you're gonna have to tell the hunt right?" True, now she knew I obviously had no problems telling the rest, that is until she said "Including Thalia" yup, I'm gonna die.

We walked to the dining table where Artemis summoned her hunt for a meeting. One I may not survive, my wolf instincts screamed at me to run and I was having trouble finding reasons to resist them. "Hunters, our guardians has something to confess to us" she looked at my reassuringly and nodded, giving me the go ahead.

"Hunters, before I say this, first understand that I've told no lies other than the one I'm about to admit to and ones you know of already. This I swear on the styx" a classic thunder sealed my truth "hunters my name isn't damian. 5 years ago I was a demigod who was captured by kronos and turned into an animal, specifically a wolf. I came to the hunt to better protect my daughter Aria.. to protect myself from becoming a lightning fried jackalop I hid my identity under the name damian.... My name is Percy Jackson and for lying I'm sorry" a few seconds were in silence before a few rounds of "I knew it!" and "you owe me 20 drachme" sounded of so I couldn't help buy say "wait you knew it was me?"

"Kelp head it was obvious, no one, but you ever eats blue foods and you call me pinecone face when you think I'm not listening" wow, to think Thalia hasn't tried killing me yet, but a dangerous glint in her eyes told me I was far from safe in the next wolf chase.

"So.. you all knew?" I asked shocked that I was seen through by so many.

"You suck at secrets. Plus there is no way two males as good as you exist" surprisingly said phoebe with a smirk in her eyes. The rest of the hunt agrees with her. I looked around checking if anyone was discontent with my true identity, but it seems they all were more than happy by the looks of things. Artemis, however looked embarrassed that only she hadn't realised my identity, even more so that no one told her (she worked them to the bone the next day for it) What I didn't realise was they had planned a extra "special" wolf chase that created the legend of the wailing wolf among local nymphs.

[Flashback over:]

Artemis called us all over to the breakfast table for a meeting. She had a sombre look which I noticed the hunters caught straight away with a face of realisation for the hunters before my time. the younger hunters and I had no clue what was happening until she spoke.

"Hunters I have an announcement to make, in 2 days we will be travelling to camp half blood as instructed by my father" these very words made me jump for joy, I had sorely missed the camp and even more my wise girl. This had been my longest disappearance yet and one I fear may have been too long even for her... still I stand by my choices. The hunt, however, didn't share my enthusiasm of going to a camp probably since it's a place where part of the population is the males they hate so much, I'm sure a little reminder that pranks aren't off the table would solve that easy.

The following night I rested in my tree, partially sad to leave it again, I had grown fond of it as a place of sleep which I could not put to being a wolf since, well wolves don't do that. At least I don't think they do, besides this don't feel like a wolf instinct thing, more like a umm.. demigod thing? Which is stranger since my demigod side is connected Poseidon, Not demeter or some other nature God/Goddess so that was a no go. Perhaps I was just a weird wolfboy that likes sleeping in trees?

Dismissing the thought with absolutely no ease, I started wondering about more current events. The hunt was going to CHB, a place I called home, defended and most importantly where my wise girl is. I just hope that the 'my' part is still true... that aside I wondered what we was even going there for in the first place, there was the prophecy I still haven't fully heard, but I can't be sure.

Even though I wasn't leaving the hunt, I felt a sense of pain at the idea of going back there the same feeling I felt when I thought about leaving the first time. Deciding to ignore the thoughts I fell asleep.

"Apollo, one day imma douse you in water you dam overrated fire torch!" I screamed at the criminal sun Gods timely rise. I seriously hated waking to him trying to burn my eyes into my head and the hunters heavily agreed.

[Artemis pov:]

Today is the day we finally tell percy the truth that most of us swore to keep hidden. We hadn't planned to do it so soon, we wasn't even going to do it at first, but with the journey to camp half blood coming up so soon we'd hate to lose our chance at confessing it before he goes back to her. I at least want to get it off my chest. I sat down on a log by the lake and gathered my thoughts.

Back even before percy turned four legged, the hunt had slowly been developing a crush on the two times hero. It started with Zoe back when she lived, I was next once he took the sky for me without bragging or asking for anything. Thalia fell for him the moment he saved her from that tree, she'd never admit it, but she adored percy calling her pinecone face Haha. The most shocking was Phoebe who used to be my most anti-male huntress before percy came along and shattered every notation of a male she had.

Once the hunt figured out about our crushes, they started to fall for him one by one themself to the point where the infamous wolf chase was really them trying to tackle an cuddle him. What really sold it for the hunt was just how oblivious percy was to our not so discreet shows of affection and when we heard him say the odd words of affection when he thought he was alone, he would always chastise himself about staying true to that athena girl.

She was a problem.. I hate cheating males so I can't just make him do the same thing. It's wrong. The only reason for our confession is because we all are tired of hiding our feelings. We plan to confess to him today at the dining table and hope he doesn't hate us for it.

[Percy's POV:]

I jumped down from my super awesome tree and went to check on my amazing daughters. Aria and Coral slept in the same tent now fully kitted out in a array of rainbows and ocean colours. Specifically blues and greens. I opened up the tent and walked on in, not worried about walking in on something since they know I come in at this time now. It's a wolf father routine thing. As per usual, they where already up and dressed waiting for me to pick them up, only they couldn't keep a straight face; giggling or smirking constantly. Growing a few feet over the years certainly helped me in carrying them both on my back with plenty room to spare. Coral was in front of Aria for support since she was still only 5 years old.

With them both upon my back I took off through the camp towards the dining table greeted by the other wolves who as usual were releasing there courting pheromones. It wasn't that they wanted me to actually count them, they just really enjoyed watching me fight and mainly lose against my wolf instincts, I'm pretty sure it's 25:108 to wolf instincts... what how can I refuse chasing a blue spinning disk that also flies?!?

When we arrived, the atmosphere was very.. tense and all eyes were on me as if it were the start of the highest stake wolf chase ever to happen in the universe. My daughters dismounted and sat down with a smirk, one that said "oh this is gonna be gooood". I did not like that smirk.

"Percy! As you know tomorrow, we will be heading to camp half blood. A place you couldn't get into for so long due to your wolfishness. There is a high chance you may stay there, we have accepted that fact although we don't very much like it. We have something to say before you return there.." there was a pause with tension thick enough to eat, the hunters and Artemis looked at one another with nods confirming they was ready to proceed.

"Percy, since the day to you took the sky for me, my feelings for you have grown from respect, to admiration to something more, I don't expect you to have these feelings back since you have the athenian girl, but we just had to tell you before you leave us" saying I was shocked was like saying the greek family tree was a little strange.

After a few seconds of running it through my head to check if I was not delusional, I realised something, she said "we" as in more than one person confessing..  she couldn't mean tha- "yes percy I mean all of us, the whole hunt has fallen for you" It was at this moment my brain decided, it simpler to just shut down for a minute.

After I had come back to the unreal reality, I had one VERY important question to ask "When you say the 'whole hunt' Exactly WHO does that include?" I asked since a certain to girls of mine where a part of said hunt. "No, not all of them, the younger hunters only have a budding crush nothing more. Sorry I should've said that to start with" thank hades, I am NOT into kids.

"I'm really happy, to have your confession everyone, I'll be honest I fell in love will all of you as well, but my heart has been given to someone already and I couldn't and wouldn't ever betray them" Phoebe teared up as I spoke before saying

"I hate this! The very thing that makes you so amazing is taking you away from us! we hated ourselves for so long when we realised we fell for a man... but we managed to come to terms over the years seeing you defy everything we hated about men" The hunters one by one started to cry. I wanted to say I'd stay with them and be there for them even as a wolf. While I was happy they understood my reasons. Loyalty hurts most when you have to choose which one to keep it with, if I stayed in the hunt I'd have betrayed annabeth.. if I leave the hunt I betray the hunt and my daughters. I was trapped by my fatal flaw in a way I never thought possible and so I did the only manly thing left to do. I broke down in tears. Hey I'm a wolf not a man.

The hunt huddled up in a giant group hug as we all cried together. that created the legend of the forrests wails a day where the forrest itself cried with the hunt.