Drugs for the pain

He squinted, the glare of the forest giving him only fleeting glances of the pale specter moving towards him. His mind was flying to conclusions, but the rational part of him quashed them like a bug beneath his paws. That was till her voice pushed through the fog of the dream. Instantly his posture changed, knees growing weak and yet he forced himself to remain standing. His tail tucked itself between his legs and a soft whine pulls from his lips, weakness shining through him for the first time in a long time. The carefully placed and built up mask of indifference, of ego crumbling in one short instant.
The woman closed the gap between them. She felt so real, so? alive. ?Mother.? His words are breathy as if any sort of volume would cause the apparition to disappear. His mother uttered four simple words and instantly a bitterness fills him, and more than that a fear. Can he speak of what has transpired between himself and his sister to the woman? Can he even bring himself to utter his new name. With a sigh he pulled away, dropping his gaze unable to look at her who so closely resembles Artemis. ?Artemis happened? Though I suppose I brought it upon myself. I just- I was just doing what I thought would make you proud.? His voice dropped and he tucked his head against his chest. ?That?s all I?ve ever wanted.?