Chapter 5 - Freya
Freya
When night wrapped around the Moonblessed den, I lay in the familiar king-size bed beside Zak, my mind racing. Denraider could strike tomorrow, putting not only us at risk, but also Rowan, already deep in enemy territory.
I couldn’t bear the thought of what might happen if any one of us might fall. Mates were different from fated mates. Some said that when one fated mate died, the other was soon to follow. What about those of us who had multiple fated mates?
On top of that, Rowan was putting himself at risk so I might have the chance to finally meet my sister. The thought of meeting a blood relative who understood what it meant to be an Odinswolf kept sleep at bay.
“You’re thinking so loudly I can practically hear it without the Bonded link,” Zak murmured, his dark eyes reflecting the light from the lamp.
Thinking of my sister made me wonder when exactly my father had found his way to my mother, and whether Valkyrie had already been born.
“When you were with Preston,” I said carefully to Zak, “this was before he ever met my mother, right?”
Zak nodded. “Right. He met her after he fled the coven when I was eight.”
“He had no mates… no Bonded of his own?”
“No, that’s why we tried to escape. He was being forced into a political alliance, and he wanted to avoid Bonding to witches he couldn’t fully respect.
I knew what it was like being mistreated by Ravenscroft, and I didn’t want that for him.
So, I stayed behind to let Preston escape the coven.
He must have come across the Winter Wind pack after that. ”
“He took a big risk to go into wolf shifter territory,” I murmured, thinking of how Zak had done much the same thing to find me and the Howling Echo.
“And your mother already had other mates by then?”
“It seems so. And at some point, they gave her a child — Valkyrie.”
“That wouldn’t have bothered Preston. As a witch, he’d always expected to be Bonded to multiple lovers. Unlike a wolf shifter, he never believed his mate would be his alone.”
“And then I was born.”
“Yes, from their union.” Zak’s expression grew thoughtful. “And you don’t remember your parents or your sister at all?”
“No. And I don’t know if Valkyrie even knows she has a younger sister.” I sighed, wondering if she would be as glad to meet me as I would be to meet her. “There’s a lot to think about.”
Zak brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch gentle. “But now is not the time for thinking. Are you ready to dream, my little pupil?”
I nodded, though my throat felt tight. “Like Gage said, we need every advantage we can get.” The memory of Heath’s bond being severed was still raw, a wound barely beginning to heal, and now Rowan was disconnected from us in a similar way.
“We almost lost Heath. I can’t stand the thought of losing Rowan, too. ”
“You want to reach Rowan, too,” Zak said knowingly.
I inhaled a shaky breath, glad he understood. “Rowan’s probably still getting settled into his new assignment, and I want him to know he’s not alone.”
Zak shifted beside me, propping himself up on one elbow. “We’ll find a way. Torsten will help us.”
Doubt crept into my voice. “We don’t even know if I can bond Tor from a distance without my heat.”
Zak’s expression grew thoughtful. “Your heat dreams with me were… quite vivid.” A hint of a smile played across his full lips. “Your Odinswolf seems to understand the Bonded ceremony as similar to the way wolves choose their mates. Let’s try to replicate that.”
“But without the actual heat,” I specified, a sense of certainty in my bones that the conflicts facing us would be resolved — one way or another — well before my next heat would arrive.
“The heat just amplifies what’s already there, directing your intentions,” Zak explained. “You dreamed of Rowan before you met, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but we didn’t bond through the dream like you and I did.”
“But that means he’s already deeply connected to the dreamwalking aspect of your powers. That might help us reach him.”
Zak drew my hand up to his mouth and tenderly kissed my palm, calming and reassuring me in an instant.
“So you think I should call to both of them in the dreamscape?”
“Definitely.”
We settled back against the pillows. I closed my eyes, trying to calm my racing thoughts.
“Breathe with me,” Zak murmured, his voice taking on the steady cadence he used when teaching me magic. “In through your nose, out through your mouth. Feel the energy in your body, the power in your blood.”
I followed his instructions, syncing my breathing with his.
Through the Bonded link, I felt each of my alphas like a grounding force, all of them reaching out to me with their own reassurances.
Gage, Heath, and Flint would no doubt be awake for a while, depending on when they took a turn at watch with the other alphas.
I tried not to think too hard about where Rowan might be, but I risked reaching out to him anyway since the curtains didn’t seem drawn as tightly as before.
“Join me in sleep if you can,” I said.
“Soon,” he promised.
“Okay,” I said to Zak. “I’m doing what you suggested. I can feel Rowan in the bonds, and he’ll be going to sleep soon, if he can.”
“Now,” Zak continued, “think of Torsten. Not just his face or his voice, but the feeling of him. How real he felt, even in your dreams.”
I conjured Tor in my mind — tall and powerful, pale blond hair, and ice-blue eyes. I remembered the way he’d looked at me with recognition and longing and hope.
“That’s it,” Zak encouraged. His heavy palm fell across my forehead. “Now sleep, and call to us all with your mind, your heart, your magic, your wolf.”
As I relaxed into sleep, I held Zak’s hand, as though I could bring him from the waking world straight into my dreams. At the same time, I reached out beyond my physical senses, searching for that familiar presence across the miles.
“Tor,” I called silently. “Tor, we need you.”
The world began to shift around me, reality blurring at the edges. Zak’s magic twined with mine, strengthening my call. The sensation was dizzying, exhilarating — like running through the forest at full speed or flying through a storm.
And then, somewhere in the distance, I felt an answering pull. A consciousness reaching back toward mine.
Swirling mist and starlight greeted my eyes. Zak and I were falling into the dreamscape, reaching for two more stars in our constellation.
“Tor,” I called again, stronger this time. “Find us. Join us.”
The mist began to part, revealing a moonlit forest clearing. And there, standing at its center, waiting with quiet patience, was Tor.
The mist cleared completely, revealing a clearing dusted with pristine snow. Towering pines surrounded us, their branches heavy with white powder and glittering like diamonds in the starlight. Everything had that peculiar dreamy quality — detailed yet somehow fluid.
Tor’s tall form stood silhouetted against the luminous snow.
Falling around his pale shoulders, his blond hair gleamed almost as silver as mine in the moonlight, some of it braided in a way that reminded me of ancient warriors from the stories my adoptive mother used to tell.
His eyes locked with mine, and the intensity of his gaze sent a ripple of recognition through me.
“Freya,” he said, his slight accent making my name sound more lyrical than I was used to. Then his gaze shifted to my companion, curiosity flickering across his features. “And who is this?”
“This is Zakaib. Zak for short,” I said, gesturing to my left. “Zak, meet Torsten.”
Tor’s lips curved up in a pleased smile as their gazes locked. “You must be the other hybrid.”
“That’s me,” Zak confirmed with his characteristic wink. “Newly shifted and everything.”
“A delightful surprise,” Tor responded with a warm smile and a slight bow. “You can call me Tor.”
Zak’s playful, flirty side came out more when he was nervous, I’d noticed. It was his natural defense, but Tor’s welcome had him lowering his shields immediately. Maybe it was the dreamscape, but it was obvious a bond was already forming between them… I hoped it was a sign our plan would work.
“I’d like to reach Rowan, too, if we can,” I said.
“He’s not with you?” Tor tilted his head.
“He’s infiltrating Denraider,” I admitted. “Trying to find my sister, another Odinswolf.”
“A worthy pursuit,” Tor acknowledged. “But what is she doing there?”
“She’s their captive.”
Tor shuddered as Zak explained, “We’re hoping that by bringing Rowan into the dream, our combined power will be enough to pull you into our Bonded circle. And that, in turn, will strengthen Rowan’s connection to us across the distance. All of which will help in the days to come.”
Tor nodded slowly. “I can help with that. The dream paths between mutually bonded, mated wolves run deep. I can guide Freya on her path to him.”
“And she’s shared dreams with him before,” Zak added.
“Then the connection should be easy enough.” Tor’s expression hardened with determination. “Let me help you call to him.”
Zak reached out a hand to Tor, who looked surprised for only a moment before taking it and grabbing my hand next. Zak linked our hands, completing our circle.
Tor closed his eyes, his face taking on an expression of deep concentration.
“Rowan, mate of Freya,” he intoned, his voice carrying a strange resonance in the dreamscape. “Follow her call. Follow the bond that connects you. Find your mate in your dreams again.”
Zak’s magic joined with mine, amplifying the call through our Bonded link, while Tor’s Odinswolf power guided our search in the dream world.
I felt a pull, an almost familiar tug of connection. Snowy mist at the edge of the clearing began to swirl, and then a familiar figure stepped through — tall, lean, with dark hair and wild, golden eyes that immediately found mine.
I rushed forward to hug him, and he caught me mid-jump, my legs wrapping around his hips.
“Freya?” Rowan’s voice carried wonder and relief. “How—?”