Artemis had by then come to recall a pack of wolves that resided there in her favored forest. These were not beasts that had her friendship, for through their veins ran the blood of ancient monsters over which she held no sway. As much as she loved the birds of the air and the various creatures that roamed the land, she was as much an enemy of the unholy spawn of Typhon and his ilk as any other Olympian, and it disgusted her to know that they occasionally intermingled with the pure creations of Epimetheus.

She decided that the wolf that led the pack would make a fine target, for it was larger, swifter, and more ferocious than any she had ever seen. It was without a doubt the fiercest catch any hunter could hope to find within the boundaries of these woods, and its stark black pelt would make a fine coat besides.

But the alpha would not appear until well into the night, for it despised the light of day. Artemis had some time to spare. She came to a halt and steadied herself against the trunk of her latest perch. She lowered herself onto her rear when she’d found her balance and shifted her bow over her shoulder.

In the stillness of the moment, she noticed how quiet it was. Most of the animals she favored were settling in for the night, and those that remained on the move were quiet creatures by nature. What lingered of the sun’s rays at last began to fade, and a smattering of stars came to dot the evening sky. Helios surrendered his station to Selene, and Artemis watched them trade places.

She was not distracted until the sound of flint striking stone drew her attention to the forest floor. When she spotted Poseidon’s bastard idling below her, she narrowed her eyes and pulled herself up to perch on the branch like a panther waiting to pounce.

The demigod struck his implements together again and again and again in an effort to create a fire. He groaned. "I’ve never been good with fire," he complained. "Think you could lend a hand?"

Artemis drew back, one of her eyebrows gaining height on the other. Orion smiled. "Oh, I apologize. Were you trying to stalk me?” He looked up to the branch where the goddess waited, his eyes briefly gleaming like those of a cat in the shadows. She glared, then slipped from the branch and landed roughly on her feet.

"I was not stalking you," she immediately defended.

"Of course not," he replied with a chuckle. "It would be foolish of me to presume myself capable of detecting the Goddess of the Hunt in hiding.” He held out his stone and the flint. Artemis snatched them as violently as she could and effortlessly lit a fire in the pit Orion had prepared. The bulk of the meat he’d caught and cleaned hung skewered above the flames. He took the chance to warm his hands as he waited for his meal to cook.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed. "Many thanks. I feared I might go hungry tonight."

Artemis offered no reply, but seated herself near the fire and stared into it looking rather cross. Her holy form was unfazed by the mild differences in temperature that seemed to trouble mortals so. She hugged her knees close to her body and rested her chin upon them. Orion looked at her curiously.

"How goes the hunt?" he asked to break the silence. "Have you chosen a fitting target?"

"I have," the goddess replied.

"Good. Good."

They were silent again. Orion breathed into his hands and rubbed them together. He gazed up toward the stars, and Artemis took the opportunity to glance over to him while he was unaware. His ocean blue eyes caught the moonlight in a manner she found most appealing, and the fire cast an attractive glow over his skin of bronze. He inhaled sharply, and Artemis immediately focused on the fire once more to avoid his gaze; however, he did not look away from the heavens.

"What is it like to live up there?" Orion asked.

"Up where?" spoke Artemis. "In the sky? Olympus is a mountain."

Orion let out a dry chortle. "Of course it is, but I know that the gods have power to wander where they will, even into the cosmos. Have you never done so?"

Artemis hugged herself more tightly. "I like the soil beneath my feet."

"As do I. But, I think I should like to wander the skies a time or two, if ever I should have the chance. After all, there are such great beasts and heroes and hunters up there. I can only imagine what it would be like to take my passion to the heavens."

The Olympian huntress was silent. She glanced at Orion again. He slowly lowered his face to look into the flames again, held his hands out, and rubbed them together. Artemis swallowed hard.

"I’m hunting the Alpha," she announced. Orion’s breath caught in his throat. He froze for a moment, then looked at her.

"Are you? That’s…unexpected."

She perked up at the assertion, and her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I suppose it was always inevitable that you would one day chase the beast down. It is a fearsome foe: awful, majestic, terrible. And it certainly has no care for the balance of these woods, which it will surely upset if allowed to roam free much longer. Even so, you’ve seen fit to allow it free reign for this long. I hadn’t imagined you would choose to withdraw your favor in order to win a duel."

The goddess leaned toward him threateningly, eyes wide with shock and indignation. Orion flinched, but held his place. "How did you know of the competition?" Artemis asked.

"Well, you effectively plotted it all out in my presence, did you not?"

"You could see us?!"

"Not exactly. I am well and truly mortal, but my mother always told me that my blood is blessed with the touch of your kind. I can sense the presence of the divine, invisible or otherwise, and feel the impressions of powerful emotions. Your competitive spirit permeates this entire forest, so it was not difficult to guess that someone has challenged you."

Artemis’ lips began to quiver, her pale face growing flush in the light of the moon. She returned to her previous position and crossed her arms. He had known they were there all along? He had always been able to sense her? Did that mean he’d been aware when she had first caught sight of him bathing in the stream? Had he felt her heart skip a beat when the arrow of Eros grazed it? Had he seen her every time she’d seen him?

She swallowed hard and focused with relentless intent upon the leaves and dirt. Orion tilted his head. The faint outline of a smirk became visible on his face. "You seem flustered. Are you all right?"

"Of course," she snapped. "Leave me alone."

"But this is my fire pit and my catch. I must eat. Shouldn’t you be the one to leave?"

Artemis looked into the shadows beyond the trees that stood on the opposite side of the fire, making every effort not to meet his gaze. "Maybe," she said, and she considered walking away. It was almost time to begin again anyway, wasn’t it? The moon was rising ever higher. The Alpha would soon be about, if he had not stirred already.

"Well, I know you’ve no need of sustenance such as this," Orion said, "but I should like you to stay. I enjoy your company."

Artemis looked at the hunter as if he’d sprouted tentacles, her mouth hanging slightly ajar as her wide, sparkling eyes stared into his. Orion chuckled and shifted uncomfortably. "What?" he said. Artemis shook her head and grunted.

"Nothing."

Orion’s brows drew together, but he shrugged off the odd moment and chanced a few pokes at the meat hanging over the flames. "Almost ready," he observed. He licked his lips as a few spare droplets of saliva slipped past them. His stomach grumbled subtly. The sound of it prompted a brief, faint smile from Artemis.

"I will stay," she said.

"Excellent!" Orion exclaimed. "You’re of course welcome to partake of some of the meat if you wish, but don’t feel obligated; I can assure you that I’m quite capable of using every bit of it."

Artemis looked away to hide her widening smile. "Okay," she said, and left it there, satisfied to share the fire with him for the moment.