The Trials of Artemis

"Isn't it great you got picked?" Liza chirped happily from her sister's bed.

She was watching her sister pace around her room with a book in her hand, not paying attention to anything she had been saying. Liza huffed angrily and picked up a deodorant from her sister's bed and threw it, aiming it at her sister's head. Even unknowing of the bottle being flung at her head, Artemis caught it easily in her hands. Liza let out a frustrated groan and slumped over on her back staring at her sister's ceiling. The small chandelier that graced Artemis' bedroom, stared back at her.

"You know, if you're going to be his Luna, you'll have to be more talkative and maybe actually reply once in a while," Liza commented.

"I'm not going to be his Luna," Artemis informed her coolly without a beat of hesitation, her face contorted into fierce concentration.

Liza rolled her eyes, of course, her sister would answer that comment. She arched her back and looked at her sister, still pacing as her fingers delicately turned the page to the last page in her book, her eyes skimming the pages in avid concentration. Liza wondered what was so interesting in that book that she was reading it in one sitting... or rather standing.

Liza admired her sister more than words but obviously, being a sister, she never told her. As her little sister and the only who knew everything about her, she was always there for her sister. This situation would be no different, just because Liza had found her mate at 13 doesn't mean that she couldn't notoriously live the love-struck girl life through her sister. Even if her sister was as stiff as a board when it came to the male specimen.

Her own mate was as closed off as a turtle and although the bond between them made sure he couldn't stay away from Liza for more than a week didn't mean he was any more open than he was supposed to be. She was sure if the bond allowed any more distance, her mate wouldn't mind that idea in the slightest. It had been nearly three years since they met and he wasn't anymore indifferent than he used to be. In fact, he was exactly the same, Liza didn't know whether he was ashamed to have such a young mate or that he just hated her. All she knew was that he spoke only a few words to her and every now and then he would visit her house because he had to. Not by his own choice.

"Wow, that was a crappy ending," her sister stated and Liza heard a huff and an unmistakable slam of a book being shut. Liza felt that her sister preferred hardback books purely because she felt satisfied slamming the book shut after she'd finished reading them.

Liza rolled back onto her stomach studying her sister.

"So... are you excited?"

"For reading the next book in the series? Absolutely not," Liza rolled her eyes at her elder sister, at her response. "For going to the Alpha's chosen camp for the next year? still no," Liza heard the anger in her voice as Artemis zipped open her suitcase and Liza placed the book she had just read into it.

Her sister was taking 6 suitcases in total and 4 of those were filled with books. She'd explained to Liza 17 times where everything in her room, so in case she needed something while she was there, Liza could find it easily and send it off.

"Well... maybe once you get there, it won't be so bad?" Liza tried.

Her sister looked up at her with a strong gaze, her brown hair all around her face and her brown eyes set in a harsh glare. Liza had known her sister long enough to know that it wasn't aimed at her, in fact, she was probably still crabby about the terrible ending of the book. Liza just wanted some type of reaction from her about her trip away. She might last the whole year or she might not. It was a test of variety of skills... and intense training. Her sister was definitely cut out for the training but Liza was more worried about her mixing with the other girls. Artemis wasn't exactly known for her socializing.

A honk snapped them both out of their trance and finally, Artemis looked up from her bag and out of the window. She stared down the black SUV parked outside their door as if realizing that she wasn't going to see her sister for the next year. Unless she got dropped out of the program quicker. But honestly she wanted to last, not to be Luna but they provided state of the art opportunities in nearly every field. I guess, it worked in her favor that the Alpha was insanely rich because of his business in manufacturing. Business wasn't hard when you could bend humans' wills to your need.

Artemis looked from the window towards Liza who was also staring at the SUV in sadness. The competition had provided the car and the driver to make sure the location of the program was completely and utterly confidential.

Liza didn't know how to react to the situation but the bone-crushing hug that her sister consumed her into within the next few seconds showed that Artemis clearly did. Liza awkwardly patted her sister's back because as close as they were, they were never ones to show it physically and that included hugs.

The goodbyes were short even though their parents wanted it to last longer but the driver kept cutting everything short demanding that they not fall behind on schedule. Even with his continuous outbursts of anger, their mother still managed to make Artemis, half an hour behind schedule which amused Artemis but not so much the driver.

"He'll come around," Artemis whispered in Liza's ear before she disappeared behind the black tinted windows of the SUV. The car started very quickly with an extremely eager driver who, Liza was sure, had broken the speed limit as soon as his feet touched the accelerator.

Liza watched the empty driveway long after her parents disappeared into the living room to watch TV. She already missed Artemis' confident yet quiet aura that filled the room with her presence. You were always aware that she was there, even though she might be completely silent.

Liza closed the door when she noticed the sky getting dark and her arms getting colder. She slumped up to the stairs to her bedroom and closed the door. She must've cried for hours because by the time she opened her eyes; it was morning and her alarm read 7:30 am on a Saturday morning.

"Perfect," she sighed in misery.