Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Sam showed Freja all the different accommodations they had, including the indoor gym and pool, as well as the different training areas. He was showing her the flower garden that Lita, Hunter’s mother, had put in when they ran into Jin and Chasen.
“Freja!” Jin bounced toward her. “I didn’t know you were out here. I thought you were still resting with Hunter. You look amazing, by the way.”
Chasen frowned a bit and looked in the direction of the pack house. “Does Hunter know you’re out here?” He already knew the answer. There was no way Hunter would not be by Freja’s side right now.
Freja sighed. “No. I didn’t want to wake him. Like I told Sam, I’ve been taking care of myself for years. I’m perfectly capable of walking around on my own.”
Chasen chuckled. “That doesn’t matter to Hunter.”
Freja’s smile suddenly left her face. She took a few steps closer to Jin, and her eyes lit with fury.
A flash of white under Jin’s camisole had caught Freja’s eye, and she reached out, grasping Jin’s shoulder.
Jin had told her what had happened to her, but seeing the scars was different.
“Let me see.” Jin held still as Freja pulled her shirt out of the way to look down her back, wincing when she saw the scars.
She stepped back to look at Jin, her eyes darkening in anger.
“Names.”
“Freja, it’s okay. It’s been years now. I’m not taking vengeance.” Jin smiled at Freja, trying to calm her friend.
“Oh … you won’t be. I am. Names.” Her green eyes darkened even more as she waited for Jin to answer.
Jin looked up at Chasen, who tilted his head. “I want them dead, too. Only I think I should get to snap some necks as well.” Jin was his mate. He should be allowed to kill whoever hurt her.
Freja looked at Chasen for a moment and then shook her head. “I have no doubt that you’re strong. But killing demons is my expertise. Especially hunting them. Now … names.”
“No, I’m not telling you. You aren’t going off and leaving here. I won’t have you risking your life, Freja. Just let it go. I am, and you should, too. Please, Freja. Just be happy here,” Jin pleaded.
Freja smiled. “Do you think I’m not strong enough to take down your captors?
” Her brows furrowed. “Unless … that’s exactly what you’re saying.
” Freja squeezed her hand into a fist, causing her fingernails to bite at her skin.
She knew who was behind it. Maybe not each demon who had lashed her, but the one who’d kept her imprisoned. “That son of a bitch.”
“Freja, please …” Jin reached out and grabbed her friend’s hand.
Freja squeezed her eyes shut and nodded her head. “I’m not going anywhere, Jin. He’s going to die anyway. I just didn’t think he would have bothered to keep you around, even as a pet. I figured one of his followers just kept you for fun.”
“Okay, who is it?” Chasen said feeling a bit out of the loop.
“The same demon you’re after. Leoric. He was behind our parents’ deaths.
I just didn’t think he would have kept Jin alive.
” Freja sighed and then smiled at Jin, seeing her worried eyes.
“It’s okay. I promise I won’t leave. When this war comes to a head, we’ll be seeing him.
” She wondered, since she was a tribrid now, if she would be strong enough to take out Leoric.
Another thought in her mind, though. When she marked Hunter, if her vampire side was strong enough, it might turn him into a tribrid as well.
She could sense he was stronger than her already, and that would make him even stronger.
He would probably have the strength to take Leoric down.
Chasen pulled Jin back into him, leaning his head down onto hers. He looked up at Freja, who gave him a slight nod, letting him know that Leoric would end up paying for what he did.
Freja, where are you? Freja heard the slightly panicked voice of Hunter sound off in her head.
I’m up near the garden with Sam, Chasen, and Jin. Relax. She smiled gently. “Hunter is awake.”
Chasen chuckled as he heard the sound of heavy running coming in their direction. “I think he’s worried about you.”
Hunter jogged up and sighed in relief when he had Freja in his sight. His eyes then darkened slightly as he got closer. He looked over Freja, his gaze falling on her legs, then trailing over her body. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into a tight embrace.
“You were supposed to stay with me,” he whispered into her hair.
“I wanted to take a walk, and you didn’t feed me.” She bit her bottom lip and smiled up at him. A wave of remorse flashed over his face, and she laughed. “Sam’s parents fed me, and his mom got me clothes to wear.”
Hunter snarled lowly. “I see Rosa picked out an interesting outfit for you.”
“You don’t think I look nice?” Freja teased, having already heard from Caden how Hunter wouldn’t like it.
“That isn’t the problem. I don’t want anyone else looking at what belongs to me.” Hunter let out a sigh and leaned his head down to the mark on her neck. He nuzzled into it, placing a soft peck on her sensitive skin. “I was worried when I couldn’t find you,” he whispered quietly.
“I’ve been with her most of the time, Hunter. I gave her a little tour of the area. I kept her safe for you.” Sam leaned back on his heels and then glanced toward the training area. “Well, now that Hunter’s with you, I’m going to check things out with those pups.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
“Nothing you need to worry about. I’m handling it.” Sam knew Hunter had enough on his plate, and he didn’t want to add anything to it.
“I want to know. I need to know everything that has to do with the pack.” Hunter straightened up, still keeping his arms securely around Freja.
“Just some pups bullying those who haven’t gotten their wolves yet. Thanks to Freja, I know who some of the boys are, but there might be more. We’re going to keep a better eye on them and what’s going on.” Sam could see Hunter becoming angry. “Don’t worry. We’re going to stop it from happening.”
Hunter nodded. “I’ll leave it to you then.” He watched Sam leave, then turned his attention back to Freja. “I would really prefer that you have someone with you until you’re ready for me to announce you as my luna. That way, those who don’t have their wolves will also know who you are. Plus, I—”
“Go ahead,” Freja said quietly.
“Wait … what?” Hunter stopped and stepped back from Freja to look at her, puzzled.
“I am their luna now. Go ahead and do whatever it is you need to do.” Freja gave him a small smile.
Hunter grinned widely. “Then I’ll introduce you to the pack tonight.
We’ll go to the store first and pick you up some clothes.
Then, I will officially declare you are my queen and luna in front of the whole pack.
” He stepped forward and gently pressed his lips against hers.
His mate was amazing. She was pushing her own feelings aside right now, doing her best to step into her new role, and he admired her for it.
He pulled away from her and whispered against her lips, “Thank you.” He knew she was doing this for him as well.
They’d sealed the mate bond, but the two of them still had to have a few more exchanges as well.
Hunter needed to accept her as his fairy mate, and she needed to mark him.
“So, we can stop at the chocolate store again?” Jin said in excitement and clapped her hands together.
Chasen chuckled and glanced at Hunter. “I guess we’re coming along, too.”
Freja and Jin were sitting on a bench near the fountain while Hunter and Chasen went to get drinks. They both had bags at their feet and were more than ready to leave.
“Shopping is exhausting,” Freja said in minor annoyance.
“We should have brought Susan and Renee. I think they live for shopping.” Jin giggled.
Hunter and Chasen returned with another man in tow. “Freja, Jin. I’d like for you to meet Rosa’s brother. This is Reed.”
Jin happily greeted the man, while Freja stood staring at him quietly.
Her green eyes held his hazel gaze. On his arm, he bore a tattoo, the symbol of one of the five largest covens.
Not the same one her mother belonged to, though.
Not the one that cursed her. Still, she had some reservations.
So, she waited as she analyzed his actions and movements.
She listened to the sound of his breathing and the rhythm of his heartbeat.
One thing about hunting and tracking people was that she had a good understanding of their body language.
She understood what certain things meant.
To her surprise, the rhythm stayed at a constant beat.
His breathing was regular, and his eyes remained even and friendly.
He was a warlock. He could sense what she was.
In fact, she was fairly certain he knew exactly who she was. His next response proved that to her.
“I’m not them. My coven isn’t like them,” Reed said evenly, his tone gentle.
Reed was married to the leader, or the “mother”, of his coven.
Reed and his wife led a powerful coven of witches, but they were respectful of others.
It didn’t matter what species you were to them.
You proved who you were with your actions.
It was at this moment that Hunter understood Freja’s hesitation.
He walked up to her and put his arm around her, offering her a small smile.
“I would never introduce you to anyone I thought could be dangerous to you. Reed is a long-standing friend of the family. He is Sam and Susan’s uncle. We trust him.”
Freja continued to look at Reed. “Once they know the curse has been lifted, they will come for me again.”
“I’m sure they already know, since we can feel when a curse of ours has been fulfilled or not.
” Reed looked up at Hunter, who had a darkness in his eyes that he’d never seen before.
“You’ve already been thinking about this, though.
You know they know.” Reed turned back to Freja. “What are you planning?”
Freja smiled. This guy was clever. How did he put all of that together?
“They won’t be able to curse me again. My body now recognizes it like a virus and will be able to fight it off.
And they can’t win against me in a straight-on battle.
” Freja sighed. “Honestly, I was hoping they would just forget about me. I guess that’s not happening, because they’re still wounded over my mother leaving them. ”
Hunter let out a gust of air through his nose in agitation.
“They better mind their own business unless they want a war on their hands. If they go after her, they will be starting a war with the werewolves. No one goes after my queen and lives.” As his queen, she fell under the protection of all the werewolves, not just his pack.
He looked at the green eyes of his mate as she smiled up at him, and he leaned down to kiss her nose.
She was his. No one touches what belongs to the Alpha King.