Epilogue
Three weeks later
Apollo was sitting in his favorite spot, underneath his laurel tree, next to his hyacinth bush, slowly strumming his lyre. It was the middle of the afternoon, the sun was slowly making its descent, but the weather was still warm enough to enjoy being outside.
Titus and Cassius were poring over a laptop on the kitchen table, planning out an itinerary for a trip that Titus wanted to take them on the following week.
While Apollo had always been the type to just go where the wind took him, he appreciated that Titus preferred to have a more detailed itinerary.
And Cassius was having a lot of fun, learning about all the different places that they could go.
Not wanting to interfere, Apollo had said he just needed some quiet time outside. He could sense something was coming, and he’d prefer to have his conversation with his sister away from Titus and Cassius, if possible. He hadn’t been sitting for very long before Artemis appeared.
She was in her business garb, having clearly been at the office. She didn’t look happy. In fact, she looked decidedly frustrated. “Apollo, why haven’t you been back to the office?” She looked around and wrinkled her nose. “Why are you just slumming it out here?”
“I’m not slumming it, I’m in my backyard, as you well know. And I applied for extended leave. Didn’t you get the email?” Apollo had gotten a copy of it the day it was sent.
“Yes, but when you said extended leave, I thought you meant about a week. How long do you need to cement a mating bond, anyway?”
“Our bond is well and truly cemented, thank you very much. Now, I’m spending time with my family.” Apollo smiled as he plucked a couple of strings on his lyre.
“Family? Apollo, I know you live with your head in the clouds most of the time, but a mate does not a family make.” Artemis’s mouth dropped open. “Please tell me you’re not pregnant.”
Apollo chuckled. “Not yet.”
“Titus? Are you telling me that you and he…” Artemis couldn’t even say it. “Tell me he’s not pregnant.”
“He’s not pregnant.” Apollo looked up. “But we do have a son, Cassius. He’s ten and he’s just adorable.”
“You have a son.” To Apollo’s shock, Artemis folded herself, so she was sitting on the ground. She’d get grass stains on her pantsuit. “Apollo, what are you doing? Weren’t all the kids you had in the early times enough for you?”
“I didn’t raise them.” Apollo laughed. “Cassius is a special case, and he’s very important to me and Titus. It truly doesn’t concern you. I’m on leave, remember.”
“But why?” Artemis seemed almost petulant, and it was so out of character, Apollo wondered if there was something seriously wrong with his sister. “I need you back in the office.”
“Why? Artemis, I never did anything beyond signing a few letters. That was it. You could get an auto pen to do that if you needed my signature. Why would I spend time in a box when I can be here?”
“How can we be a business power couple if you’re not there?”
It was clearly a day for shocks. “Power couple? Artemis, we’re brother and sister. You run the business, not me. What do you mean by power couple?”
“You see them in society news all the time.” Artemis seemed dismissive, but Apollo could sense this was something she wanted badly. “A power couple command respect, they are invited to different occasions, and are looked at as mentors in their field of business.”
“Then why did you want me as the other half of that power couple? I don’t have any business knowledge at all. Besides, aren’t those situations usually a husband and wife?”
“Who cares as long as the couple looks good together?” Artemis brushed his words away – that was more typical Artemis behavior.
“I refuse to have a relationship with someone just to look good in a photograph. That would be pathetic.” She sighed.
“Nothing is working the way I thought it would. All I wanted was to be seen as a successful businessperson.”
“Successful to whom?” Apollo didn’t understand that, although Artemis had mentioned that before. “Success looks different to everyone, so who are you trying to impress?”
“No one!” Artemis bristled, something she always did if someone challenged her way of thinking. “Look, I have to do something, so why can’t I be successful doing it?”
“I agree.” Apollo knew Artemis was a savvy woman who could definitely handle most things in life… except sexy wolf shifters, he thought with a smirk he kept to himself. “You could be successful doing anything at all. What I don’t understand is why you need me to do it with you.”
“I thought you’d be supportive.”
Apollo knew bullshit when he heard it. But that was fine. He could wait. Although he could feel Titus was thinking about coming to find him.
“You’ve got a nice place here,” Artemis said at last. “Much nicer than an office.”
Apollo nodded.
“It’s not easy navigating life on this realm,” Artemis said, and then it was as if all her thoughts came out at once.
“I don’t understand so much, and while I’m trying to learn, it seems that every time I try to network or do all the things these books I read tell me I have to do, I’m not respected because I’m a woman alone.
People either assume I’m looking for a husband, or an affair, or something equally sordid, or they ignore me completely. ”
“So don’t network. Do something online instead. Become a reclusive philanthropist.”
“How would that work? If I was reclusive, then no one would know I had money to help people.”
Apollo side-eyed his sister. “Get Coda to set it up for you. Believe me, if you’re giving away grants for worthy causes, then people will find you online.
In fact, if you clear it with Father first, you will probably find that Coda’s team would set up the site for you, leak the information to the right places, and organize your trust and whatever else is needed, along with a suitable background story about who you were and why you were doing what you were doing.
“No networking required, no having to deal with people who don’t treat you with respect.
The whole thing could be conducted remotely, and you can probably get Coda to screen all the applications for funds.
All you and your assistants would need to do is hand out money two or three times a year, after determining the most genuine and worthy causes. ”
“You sound very confident.” Now Artemis was side-eyeing him. “Have you had a prophecy about this?”
“Hmm, I’ve seen you as a successful businesswoman, yes. I believe the key to your success will come from eliminating the parts of your business ideas that are stressful for you.”
Artemis was quiet for a moment, but she was sitting up straighter, and that was an improvement. “Those are good ideas. I can work with that. I don’t know when you got so wise. Mating must agree with you.”
“I’m not wise, I just see things differently,” Apollo said gently.
“I just want to help people. I’m like you in that respect.
But I do it personally, in small groups and in small ways, not looking for any recognition for it, because I’m happy the way I am.
That will be the key to your success as well.
” He strummed a few strings on his lyre. “I can promise you that much.”
Artemis went to say something, but then they both looked up as they heard another voice yelling, “Apollo! Apollo! We’ve got the trip sorted.
Are you ready to go? Dad says you’ve been out here for ages.
Uncle Regis is on his way. He says he’ll be here in twenty minutes.
You’re not ready for your date night yet. ”
Apollo’s grin widened as he saw Cassius running up the small hill. Artemis stood up, but she seemed frozen, and when Cassius saw her, he slowed down, eyeing her curiously as well.
A godly standoff with a curious child. Apollo swallowed his chuckle. Artemis and Cassius were walking around each other, as if neither one of them could make sense of what they were seeing.
“You’re like Apollo,” Cassius said at last. “You don’t glow as brightly, but you look like him.”
“I can assure you that I look like myself, young man. Who is this person?” Artemis looked at Apollo.
“This is my son Cassius,” Apollo said proudly. “As I told you, I have a family now. Cassius, this is my sister. So that makes her your aunt. Say hello to Aunt Artemis.”
“Artemis!” Cassius’s eyes widened, and he clapped his hands. “I’ve read about you. Is it true you have a hound? Do you have a dog? Can I see it?”
“I haven’t had a hound for some years, young man.” Artemis scratched at her neck and then patted her hair. “I used to have them, yes. Are you fond of dogs?”
“I am,” Cassius said, nodding wildly. “But we can’t really have one because Dad turns into a wolf, and that would scare any dog we had. Oh…” He looked at Apollo quickly. “That was alright to say that wasn’t it? Artemis is like you.”
“Yes,” Apollo said. “Anything you say in our house and garden is safe.”
“Phew. That’s good. But yes,” Cassius seemed determined to fill Artemis in on all the happenings. “It’s Dad and Apollo’s anniversary. They’ve been together a whole month. Uncle Regis is coming to babysit me, but it’s not babysitting, because he told me so.
“We’re going to sit up and watch movies and eat popcorn while Dad and Apollo are out. Uncle Regis says I can stay up late if I want to, which is just gonna be so much fun. Did you want to come and watch movies and eat popcorn too, Aunty Artemis?”
“Unfortunately, I have somewhere else to be tonight,” Artemis said, “otherwise I would gladly come.” She crouched down so she could meet Cassius’s eyes. “You’re a very special young man, aren’t you?”
“You’re an extra special lady,” Cassius said, and then they both grinned, which was something Apollo never believed he would ever see. Maybe there was hope for Artemis after all.
Straightening up, Artemis said, “I will come and see you again real soon, Cassius. Right now, I have to make some changes to my business. Your Apollo has been very helpful.”
“He’s always helping me.” Cassius grinned, showing his teeth, and Apollo grinned back.
“Enjoy your date night, Apollo. Genuinely. Have a good time. I’ll see you again soon.” Artemis shimmered before disappearing.
“She seems nice,” Cassius said, reaching out his hand. “You have to get up now. Dad told me to come and get you. He’s busy fussing with the way he looks, and he can’t work out what to wear.”
“That’s a bit silly,” Apollo said, getting up, sending his lyre back to it’s shelf in the house, and brushing off the back of his pants.
He took Cassius’s hand, and they started walking down the hill.
“Your dad looks very handsome to me in anything that he wears. Is he taking me somewhere special, do you know?”
“Oh, yes, I know. He said he’s a...” Cassius slapped his hand over his mouth and shook his head.
“No, Apollo, it’s a surprise,” he said when he moved his hand away.
“Dad said it was a surprise. But, oh, look.” He pointed to where a car was parking in front of the house.
“There’s Uncle Regis now. I hope he remembered the popcorn. ”
“There’ll be popcorn in the kitchen,” Apollo said, but Cassius was off running to greet his uncle, who he adored as well.
“Uncle Regis, Uncle Regis, you can shift here now. Apollo said the wards are up. You can let your wolf out.”
“I thought I’d come and say hello first,” Regis said. “How have you been doing, young man? After the week I’ve had, I’m looking forward to watching some movies and hanging out with you.” He swung Cassius up into his arms as Apollo ducked into the house.
Running upstairs, Apollo found Titus in the bedroom. “There you are,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it when Cassius said you were having trouble working out what to wear.”
“I don’t think I’ve dressed for a special occasion before,” Titus said, fiddling with his tie. “It’s our anniversary – a whole month. That’s important.”
“We’ve done a lot in that time,” Apollo agreed, happy to be pulled into his mate’s arms. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter what we do tonight or where we go. I’m sure it will be wonderful because I’ll be with you.”
Titus could still blush. “We don’t get to be on our own very often anymore, so I’m going to take advantage of Regis’s offering to babysit. I think his butt has fallen in love with your couch.”
“Do you regret it? Your life looks a lot different than it did a month ago?”
“I don’t regret it for a single second,” Titus said, his voice going deeper. “Everything…you’ve shown me so much, and now Cassius does too. I’m living the dream – a dream I didn’t realize I wanted – but I love it. I love you.”
“I love you, too, my wonderful mate. I did dream of you. Then I met you, and you made those dreams come true. I finally have the love I can keep.”
“Always,” Titus promised. “Forever and always.”
The End