Chapter 38

(Artemis' Point of View)

"I dont think I'm carrying eggs" Artemis blurted out. Sam was confused at what he heard. He was currently sewing together fur dresses for Artemis. She was quickly getting bigger and bigger everyday and her clothes were getting pretty tight. Artemis was currently sitting next to Sam rubbing her little belly and eating soup with some bread. She still had sniffles and coughed a lot but she was no longer in the danger zone and was even eating like before. "If you're not carrying eggs then what is that growing inside of you?" Sam asked worriedly. Artemis laughed at his confusion and concern. "It's a girl!" Artemis said "how can you tell?" Sam asked her, looking down at her hands as she rubbed her belly. "I've carried a litter of Wolf cubs and a litter of Ape cubs. Both never stopped moving around. I figured I'd never feel the Eagle eggs move much but for the past couple of days I've felt movement. Slight movement. I believe I'm having an Eagle Princess!" Artemis explained to Sam. "Are you sure?" Sam asked her. "Yes. I can't be wrong" Artemis said. "I have got to get home. I can't stand being sick here and not being able to use my powers. I feel naked and I feel numb." Artemis said. "You will get home. I'm sure of it." Sam said gently. "My litter of Wolf cubs should be young adults now getting ready to be mated soon" Artemis sat back and said. "Are you sad because you've missed out for the past couple of weeks?" Sam asked Artemis. "Yes and no. All of my children have grown right before my eyes. That's what's supposed to happen. I stopped keeping track of days and times and just started to live and breathe to watch my children grow." Artemis said to Sam. "That's beautiful. I believe your children feel your love for them." Sam smiled. "I don't think I can get you to Clint. Instead I wish there was a way to get him to you." Sam went on. "Maybe Clint could have found a way to get you back," Sam said. "I think I just have to wait until the Eagle Princess decides to come." Artemis said, rubbing her stomach some more. "I think I want to name her… Emersyn! It stands for strength" Artemis said excitedly "I love that name. That reminds me. I wonder if my Ape cubs have been named yet!" Artemis said. "They're just children and they should be shapeshifting into their human forms soon." Artemis continued. "Wow. You must have some really strong children!" Sam commented. "They are strong and powerful. I know they will be the backbone of my kingdom" Artemis boasted proudly.

As Sam continued sewing Artemis sat back and relaxed. Suddenly Sam's ears and nose started twitching. "What's wrong?" Artemis asked when she noticed. "I smell fire coming. The ground is rumbling in the distance." Sam said with a serious tone. "Did Clay send another stampede?" Artemis asked. "No. It isn't animal footsteps, that's why you can't hear it." Sam told her. "It's human." Artemis said with a little understanding. Sam nodded his head and stood up. "We're safe underground but I don't want to take any chances. We're gonna have to keep moving towards Clint's house." Sam said as he started to gather up Artemis belongings. "What is happening out there?" Artemis asked Sam as he scurried around. "I think the humans are about to hunt down the Silver Wolf Beastmen." Sam said sternly "What?" Artemis asked surprised, "Do humans do that here?" She asked him. "Yes. On rare occasions. Something must have happened to piss the humans off and this is how they seek revenge. Burning us out." Sam said. The rumbling sound started to get louder and closer. "There's females in that tribe hoping to get pregnant" Sam blurted out. "What!" Artemis asked him, "do you think they're going to get hurt?" She asked. Sam looked at her but didn't give an actual answer. "Sam. What Is Clay going to do?" Artemis demanded. "They are not your people, my Queen." Sam said cautiously. Artemis knew that the Silver Wolf Beastmen were not her people but she also couldn't turn a blind eye to innocent people getting hurt and slaughtered. "Samuel!" Artemis said. "You can't do anything in your condition anyways." Sam pointed out. At this point the angry mob of humans had started to run over Artemis hideout and she could hear they're angry rants. "They're angry because more of the human females have gone missing,'' Sam told Artemis. "We may have had females already but now we have more human females that are older. The humans are raging" Sam said. Artemis shook her head in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!" Artemis said exasperated. Despite the truth Artemis was becoming angry anyways. "I wouldn't want this to happen in the Beastworld either. Clay cannot let innocent people suffer!" Artemis said standing up. Her staph appeared in her hand as she stood there breathing heavily. "Please my Queen. Think about your health and safety. Think about the Eagle Princess you are carrying!" Sam pleaded with her.

The mob of humans were getting closer and closer to the tribe making Artemis more and more anxious. The yelling and ranting vibrated from above. "I didn't realize we were that close." Sam said, looking up at the dirt ceiling. "Come my Queen. Once the mob gets further away we will start to run the opposite way" Sam said, trying to distract Artemis. She shook her head and tightened her grip on her staph. In the next second Artemis had daringly transported her and Sam into Clay's water cabin. Sam stood there still looking at her with her bags still in his hands. "I can't believe you just did that!" Sam said. "What! Me either!" Artemis said, shrugging her shoulders. "What is this?" Clay asked, standing up from his seat at his table. "Your tribe is in danger!" Artemis said sternly. "Humans have formed a mob and are right outside," Sam added. Clay looked Sam and Artemis over and considered that they could be telling the truth but then he heard it for himself. "Why did you come to warn me?" Clay asked Artemis. "I can't stand to see your innocent tribe members get hurt. Return those females and get moving" Artemis said to Clay. "Those men won't return anything!" Clay said, turning away from them and limping towards a window. "What do you mean? You are they're leader, order them to do so, so that you can leave unharmed" Artemis said firmly. She watched Clay look out the window. He sounded like he didn't care but he looked like he was a little worried. "You're not they're leader anymore." Artemis concluded out loud. "I am crippled now! I wouldn't have been able to defend myself in a challenge … so I just handed it over." Clay ranted. Artemis shook her head. The mob really was outside now and she could clearly hear the sounds of fighting. "I can't believe you. You didn't even try!" Artemis scoffed. Artemis felt pain in her chest and in her stomach. It hurt enough to make her double over groaning. "My Queen!" Sam said, abandoning her bags on the floor. Artemis clutched her stomach and let out a deep breath. "You're pregnant?" Clay said, looking at her small swollen belly. "It's not yours!" Sam said defensively. Sam put his hand on Artemis' stomach. "Your anger is disturbing the Eagle Princess. That transportation stressed her as well" Sam said, giving Artemis a sad look. "Eagle Princess?" Clay said, interrupting them. "Don't worry Sam. We will be fine." Artemis said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not yours either Samuel. Why Are you so protective of her?" Clay demanded. "Get yourself together Clay! I am not your mate so curb your jealousy and worry about getting these people out of here right now!" Artemis yelled at Clay.

Clay sighed and scratched his head. "I can transport us out of here but you can't go unless you want to risk losing your cub," Clay said, shaking his head. "Don't worry about us. Get your people out!" Artemis said, standing back up straight. Clay turned and started to hop to the door, Artemis and Sam followed him and saw how the tribe's best fighters were defending against the humans while everyone else ran wild. Clay finally snapped out of his pity party and jumped back into action. He shapeshifted into his wolf and howled over all of the fighting and screaming. The howl was a message to gather in a certain area until the humans could be dealt with. Most of the screaming stopped and traffic could be seen changing direction. On the downside, Clay's howl drew the attention of a few very angry men. Artemis stood there beautiful and pregnant with her wolf tail and wolf ears making her a target. "They have a female beast! Take her!!" One of the men yelled pointing his weapon at Artemis. Sam immediately reacted; he crouched in front of Artemis and snarled, baring his fangs. Artemis took a deep breath. She never thought she would have to fight humans and she also hadn't fought while being this pregnant before. She was still in somewhat of a weakened state due to her still being sick but she will never be too scared to defend herself. Her staph never left her side and now she had it pointed at the men intent on abducting her. "Stay in control Sam. There are a lot of them standing over you" Artemis coached him. Sam nodded and then shapeshifted into his Wolf. Artemis stepped forward next to him and rubbed his head. "Go ahead." Artemis said firmly, letting go of Sam so he could stop the first two men that were getting closer. Sam jumped onto one man and bit into his shoulder bringing him down to the ground. The other man went to kick Sam and Sam quickly caught the foot with his mouth tearing the foot apart from the ankle. It was gruesome but Artemis couldn't bring herself to stop him. Not too far away another man thought Artemis was distracted watching Sam and decided to run up behind her. Artemis' tail gave him away and she turned around, whipping him in the face with her staph. He definitely lost a couple of teeth and went down unconscious. Artemis moved on and started to spar with a man who had a pitchfork in his hands. "Come on freak!" He yelled, jabbing the pitchfork at her. Artemis crouched down dodging the pitchfork then she whipped her staph at the mens legs hard enough to make him buckle to his knees onto the ground. Artemis cracked the staph on the man's head knocking him unconscious as well. Sam noticed Artemis making her way into the mob of humans and barked at her loudly telling her to back up. He ran forward and pulled at her fur skirt with his teeth. Suddenly Artemis was jerked back forcefully until she fell on her back. Except she didn't fall on the ground, she fell optop on someone so she turned her head to look. "I've got you my Queen." Sam grunted, lifting them both up off the ground. Artemis turned her head back and saw a familiar brightness all around. "Are we?" Artemis asked, looking around more. "Your home!" Sam said excitedly, helping her stand up straight. Suddenly a shock of power flowed through Artemis like lightning. She gasped and then she drew in another deep breath and then let it out. "I'm home! I can feel it. I can feel my children. I can feel my husbands! I can feel my family!" Artemis said excitedly, putting her hand on her chest. "And they'll be here soon." Artemis said, looking into the bright sky…

Danny in the White Wolf Kingdom

"When are we going to give the Ape cubs names father? Do you think Mother wants to name them herself when she comes back?" Wolf Princess Winter asked her father as she watched him work in the huge kitchen. "I think we should do like your Papa is doing and wait until your Mother comes back to see if that's what she wants to do." Danny said with his back turned towards her. "Father, Ezekiel has been being mean and distant towards me lately. I don't know what I did to upset him." Snake Princess Eden said sadly. "Are you two feeling okay? What's with the questions and problems this morning?" Danny turned and asked his daughters. "Purebred brats!" First Wolf Prince Christopher said coming into the kitchen. "Hey watch your mouth! They're still your younger sister's and Princess'!" Danny yelled at the First Wolf Prince. Second Prince Knox walked into the kitchen next followed by Third Prince Walker. "Do you three have problems too?" Danny asked them, eyeing the three princes suspiciously. Suddenly all of them felt a wave of power flow through them. Danny put his hand on his heart and searched deep within himself. He could feel her strong heartbeat beating along with his and he could feel her presence as if she were standing right next to him. She really must have been in the human world for the past few weeks. "Ah'Xhi?" Bowen asked frantically, stumbling into the kitchen. All of the young adults in the huge kitchen gasped so loudly and Danny opened his eyes and nodded. "Mother!" Princess Winter jumped up and cheered. "The Queen is back in the Beastworld and close by!" Danny announced happily, nodding his head. Bowen let out a deep breath and laughed as Thomas and the Ape cubs stubbled into the kitchen next for confirmation that their mate and mother were back.

Kasper and Apollo rushed into the kitchen as well followed by Jenny and little Wen. "Yes. She's back!" Prince Christopher said excitedly to them. "Should we wait for Papa?" Apollo asked Kasper "Yozar should be bringing him any second now." Kasper said, nodding his head. In the next second King Maximus and Yozar appeared in the kitchen. "I'm ready!" King Maximus said, standing next to Yozar. "Papa, is my sister really back? Can you feel her too?" Apollo asked King Maximus. "Yes my boy. Our Queen is back!" The King Smiled. "Now that everyone is here this is what's going to happen. Thomas you will have to stay here with the women and all of the children. Wash up and put on clean furs! The rest of us need to go find out exactly where she is!" Danny said "I can take us directly to her in a matter of seconds!" Yozar informed them. "I'll gather supplies Bowen, you get her a clean dress and sandals!" Danny said, nodding his head. "No. Clean yourself up first. Your appearance says a lot right now" Danny said shaking his head looking Bowen over. When Artemis learns he's been neglecting his duties she will tear him some new feathers. "Come on kids, all of you. Let's get cleaned up!" Thomas said, clapping his hands.

Everyone began scrambling around in an organized fashion to prepare to bring the Queen home. Yozar had everyone traveling with him gathered in the family room. He told them to hold each other's hands and take a deep breath. "As long as I can feel her as strongly as you all do now, I should be able to transport us right in front of her!" He told them. One second there was a whole group of part of Artemis' family. In the next second they had vanished to who knows where.