THIRD PERSON'S POV:-

Artemis was staring back and forth between Elijah and his mother. Her eyes stayed on Elijah's mother's face for a few seconds. She looked at her face closely. It made sense why she looked unusually familiar. Artemis thought that Emma looked almost like her mother. Except for the black hair like Elijah had and the blue eyes, Emma shared the same face as her mother. While Artemis was busy staring at Elijah's mom's face, Elijah's mother was starting to see stars. Her lungs started to burn due to the lack of oxygen. She could see reapers flying over her head.

Artemis loosened her hold around Elijah's mother's throat as the reality finally started to sink in. She was not pretending to be thinking or surprised. She was actually thinking about everything. She was surprised to see Elijah's mother in front of her.

Perhaps, there were so many things that Elijah hadn't told her about himself. Or maybe, those realities were too painful for Elijah to admit that they were parts of his past. Artemis was thinking deeply, as if trying to connect all the puzzle pieces she had collected. "That's right! It's alright! Let her go." Elijah motivated Artemis some more to let his mother go. Artemis looked at Elijah as she lowered her arm. As Elijah thought Artemis was about to let his mother go, she stretched her arm again and threw Elijah's mother across the hall.

Elijah's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he saw how dangerous Artemis can be if she was angry. "Shit!" Elijah cursed under his breath as he saw his mother colliding with the wall of the hall. Instead of going towards his mother, Elijah stepped closer towards Artemis and engulfed her in his long and muscular arms.

Artemis melted in Elijah's arms. She had been waiting to be engulfed by his warmth for so long. She placed her head on Elijah's chest. His calmly beating heart gave her a little peace. "That's it! It's alright, baby girl. You are safe. There is no need for you to be alert." Elijah whispered softly in her ear while he was gently rubbing his hand on her back.

Artemis took a deep breath, inhaling his masculine scent deep, and filled her lungs with his scent. She felt comfortable around him. She was no longer angry. Artemis pulled her face out and stretched her neck to look at Elijah. He smiled as he lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You look exhausted! Why don't you go back to our apartment and get some sleep." Elijah whispered softly while his eyes were watching Artemis' eyes shining brightly.

It was nothing new. Her eyes started shining whenever she looked at him, a very long time ago. The day she realised that Elijah was not her master but her a man who couldn't live without Artemis. That day, he saw her eyes shining brightly for the first time. And she was looking at him.

A confused frown appeared on Artemis' face as she heard Elijah. He was asking her to do something she couldn't do alone. She had gotten accustomed to his warmth whenever they went to bed. She couldn't get a blink of sleep without him by her side. "What about you? Will you not be joining me?" Artemis asked Elijah in a low tone. It almost sounded like a sad tone.

Elijah chuckled softly as he heard her. She was the cutest thing. Den started wiggling his tail excitedly as he also heard the offer Artemis just made. There was nothing better in this world for them both but the time they spent with Artemis. "Of course, baby girl. I can't leave you alone. You know that." Pinching the tip of her nose so gently, Elijah replied to Artemis. His tone was gentle as always and full of love.

Artemis smiled widely as she got the answer she wanted to hear from him. She didn't have to say anything. Elijah always did whatever Artemis wanted without her uttering a single word. "Oh! Okay! I will be waiting for you." Artemis replied to Elijah excitedly. She stood on her toes and pecked his spiky jawline. He hadn't shaved in two days. But that never stopped Artemis from pecking his cheek.

The fact was that Artemis liked that light stubble style beard on his face. She never told him that. She didn't want to be like a controlling woman. She never forced him for anything. But she always pecked his jawline whenever she saw his jawline turning light grey with the spiky beard he forgot to shave. "Sure thing, baby girl. Go and get some rest." Elijah whispered softly while brushing her long hair with his finger.

Elijah's mother was watching the couple being all lovey dovey in front of her. They didn't even look at the woman again. Elijah didn't even ask his mother if she was okay. He didn't attempt to help her back up on her feet. He didn't even look in her way after he got Artemis in his arms. "Wait! What about the meeting?" Artemis suddenly asked Elijah in a confused tone.

Artemis' words suddenly made that woman's ears attentive towards what they were talking about. Elijah had no idea of what was happening behind his back. But Artemis noticed that woman's attention. "I will cancel it for now. Don't worry. You played your part perfectly. The rest is up to us." Elijah whispered softly while staring at her face.

Elijah's mother suddenly released a sigh of relief. Elijah was unaware. But of course, Artemis noticed that as well. "Alright! I am going then." Artemis replied to Elijah cheerfully. She pecked his jawline again.

Artemis stepped out of the hall and made her way towards the door. Growling in anger, Tracy was wiggling her tail fiercely. "What the fuck was that? Why did you have to blame it on me?" Tracy almost yelled at Artemis out of anger. Artemis never pulled that kind of stunt against Tracy. Artemis never needed it before.

When she saw the opportunity, she just decided to go with the flow. She could have blamed it on Tracy. But she would have killed that woman. "You didn't smell that? It was almost the same scent like the one we sensed when Alisa got here." Artemis replied to Tracy calmly as she punched the button for the elevator.

Tracy's eyes slightly widened as she heard Artemis. It was not like Tracy didn't feel it. She felt it as much as Artemis. She just decided not to pay any attention towards that scent. "Wait! Are you saying that Elijah's mother and Alisa's incident are somehow connected to each other?" Tracy asked Artemis in a low tone. By then, the elevator had also arrived. Artemis stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the penthouse.

"I am saying that we can't trust this woman as well. Her sudden appearance is making my stomach churn." Artemis replied to Tracy's question. Her mind was preoccupied with a thousand thoughts. She was thinking about that scent she was following from Grey's apartment. It suddenly disappeared as soon as she stepped into the meeting hall.

The secret passage took Artemis straight towards the meeting hall. By the look on Elijah's face Artemis had seen when they entered the meeting hall, Artemis knew that Elijah was clueless of that secret passage. The fact that even Elijah was unaware of that passage, Artemis knew she had to do whatever it takes to find that scent again.

That's when she came up with that stupid idea. She played like Artemis and Tracy were offended by those disrespectful words of Elijah's mother. In reality, Artemis created an opportunity to get closer to that woman and sense the scents on her. Anything that could connect those dots that Artemis could see. But to her surprise, all she found on Elijah's mother was this scent that she first sensed on Alisa as well. "Yeah! You and I are one. Whatever you feel, I feel that as well." Tracy replied to Artemis in a low tone. Knowing well what Artemis was doing.

It didn't make sense when Artemis was doing it. When she was sniffing on that woman's body. Artemis was trying to catch the scents off of her body. But all she got was this unusual scent Alisa used to wear. It took Artemis a few moments to catch that wide wolf scent off of Alisa.

That's why, Artemis was a little puzzled why she was unable to catch any of the scents on Elijah's mother. She had questions she needed to ask Lauren. Or maybe, someone better than Lauren, if Artemis could find. "Let's keep a sharp eye on her. Just like we did with Alisa." Artemis warned Tracy.

Artemis had a hunch that Elijah's mother could try to contact Alisa. That's why it was important for them to stay alert. "That didn't get us anywhere. We ended up hurt last time we kept a sharp eye on that mother fucking whore." Tracy growled angrily at Artemis.

Artemis could understand Tracy's anger. She knew that Tracy was right. Practically their plan was working out smoothly. The only mistake that ruined everything was to leave Ryan alone that night. She warned Ryan not to split. But Ryan went far away and the plan Tracy and Artemis were following, was suddenly compromised. She had no choice but to become a pawn so Ryan could run away. "This time, we will not get hurt. We will be extra cautious." Artemis replied to Tracy calmly as she stepped into the apartment. She knew she couldn't rely on anyone if she wanted her plan to work out.