Stefan had a fearful look on his face, but he managed to conceal it before he asked Klaus to deal with Damon's situation, Ares' face fell a bit, but only Aphrodite noticed it, so the younger goddess started to braid her sister's hair softly.

Damon was an old friend of Ares, when the American civil war happened, they fought together, she was the one who trained him and, probably, the reason he survived the war.

The vampire had lost his mother when he was still young and his father was a horrible man who despised the older son. He didn't know that she was a Greek goddess, only that she was really protective of him and really good with weapons.

Damon saw her as a mother figure and something that he didn't have to share with his brother, that's why he never trusted anyone with that secret, but can you blame him? He lost his mother, his father resented him and, not long after, Katherine too chose Stefan.

When he was transformed into a vampire, he had left to find her and she helped him to control his hunger, emotions and powers. Damon wasn't only stronger because he fed from human blood, but because he has trained a lot to gain his powers.

Unfortunately, Zeus had requested her presence and she left him. Damon was heartbroken, but he understood her obligations as a goddess.

Ares would always try and visit him whenever she could, she went as far as trying to get him

with Aphrodite, but every time she visited him, her sister was busy with something else, hence why they never met.

"I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us anymore"

Ares snapped out of her daydream and saw that Stefan had left already, Aphrodite was looking at her with a worried expression, but Ares gave her a reassuring smile and disappeared, leaving her sister and boyfriend looking at where she once was with confused faces.

"I said, let me go!" Was the brilliant plan Stefan made to keep Damon away, killing his little girlfriend, sweet.

Ares appeared from the shadows of the room, a bottle of Damon's favorite bourbon on her hand and a soft smile on her face. Damon's face broke into a giant smile, but tears gathered around his eyes as he vamp sped to her embrace, a small sob was heard as he hugged her tightly.

"Hey, it's okay, little soldier! I got you" she whispered, holding him close to her chest. "Wanna choose a place this time or should I do the honors?"

He gave a raspy laugh as she softly wiped his tears away, taking his hand on hers as she looked at him with a wicked grin.

"You said I could visit Olympus this time, mom" Damon answered with a cheesy smile, his face was full of curiosity, like a little kid waiting for a gift, making the goddess pout a little before she nodded.

"... I should've known that you would remember it, well, let's show you my castle. Are you hungry?"

He looked at her sheepishly nodding as he said "It's been a while since I drunk from the vein" making Ares raise an eyebrow at him before they disappeared from the place.

When Damon opened his eyes again, he could feel the atmosphere change. Around them a lot of soldiers were fighting, some were in groups, others were aiming targets with all kinds of weapons. Everyone had this militar aura around them and three enormous wolves kept wandering between them with intimidating gazes.

The vampire was in awe as everyone looked at them and saluted at their general, Ares' gaze was hard, not like the one she used with him, her authority was evident.

The goddess looked at Damon with a smirk playing on her lips and started to walk towards a big castle decorated in golden and red.

"So... are they all your children?" He asked with a tint of jealous that was noticed by the goddess, but she chose to ignore it.

"Not really, Zeus made a law that prohibit gods from having contact with their children, we can't really raise them, only help without them knowing it. These soldiers here are all people that died in war, it's a little similar to what happens with Hades, I have control of the dead warriors, some are supernatural beings that decided to be trained by me, they can't live here, but if needed they are to serve wars by my side"

The goddess turned to the wolves and gave two short whistles and they came running to her, making Damon step back a little.

"These ones here are different, my sister and I raised them and gifted them with some of our powers, they're like our children, did you read the books I gave you?"

Damon nodded and went closer to the pack, kneeling on the ground as the wolves went closer to him and took in his scent, before they laid down around him and the vampire started to pet female.

"Well, the one that is... uhm... charmingly licking your face is Harmonia, she's closer to Aphrodite, clearly, and the one that's glaring at the soldiers is Deimos and the one that's looking at you is Phobos"

Damon glared at Phobos and asked "Why is he looking at me like that?"

The goddess of war laughed at him and shook her head, before she started to enter the castle "He's seeing if you're fit to be a child of Ares or if you're a coward"

Damon showed his vampire face to the wolf and Phobos, clearly annoyed by his actions, growled at him, making Ares roll her eyes at her sons.

Inside the place were some humans with panicked faces looking at their new companions.

"Well, little soldier, they're all yours" She had a devilish smirk on her face as she looked at the similar humans in front of her. Damon smirked at her and went straight at one of the girls, a rough groan escaped his lips when he tasted her blood.

Finishing the girl, he looked at Ares with raised eyebrows and asked "Her blood is different, mom, care to explain?"

Ares laughed wickedly at the fearful people looking at them and answered "They're half humans, half gods, children of Athena, I'm sure she doesn't mind, D!"

Damon laughed at this, shaking his head a little and drained another one, before he sat beside Ares, the pack had left with the remaining demigods back to the cells.

The goddess looked at the warriors, her face serious as she said "Remember when I said I had a boyfriend?" Damon nodded, looking at her with a suspicious face, but said nothing.

"Well, turns out you know him, blondie, bright eyes, sexy accent, original hybrid, ring a bell?"

Damon groaned loudly at this "Klaus Mikaelson, really mom? You could do better, well shit, what now?"

Ares lips turned slightly upwards and she said "Now nothing, I won't let him hurt you, but I won't let you kill him either, I know you want your brother back and all, but I won't choose between you two"

Damon sighed but muttered a small "Fine", teu stood quiet for some minutes before he asked "Can you protect Stefan?"

Ares didn't answer for a while, he thought she wouldn't say anything and went to change the subject when she cleared her throat and said "Klaus won't hurt him and neither will I, but you have to know that if I have to hurt someone you care to keep you safe, I won't think twice, I know that you care more about the others than yourself, but in the end of the day if i have to choose between keeping you alive or keeping your loved ones, I'll kill them all before anyone touches you. You're my son, Damon. You're the son of war"

Damon looked away, but his eyes were still watery, a little smile playing on his lips as he hold her hand "I know, mom"