Chapter 28 #2
She’s in heat, Ember informed Freja urgently.
What the bloody hell? Freja looked back at the guys and then heard another loud growl. She flipped her gaze over to Adam, whose eyes were dark and fixed on the guys looking at Susan.
“MINE!” Adam roared, running out to fight the other guys.
Freja grunted in frustration. “JIN!” she yelled as she sprinted toward Adam.
“On it!” Jin yelled and pushed a gust of air at the other males, holding them back.
Freja connected with Adam’s stomach, and she followed the punch down to the ground.
The dirt pushed up around his body as she shoved him into the earth.
She turned and looked at the other men. “As your luna, I order you to LEAVE!” Freja yelled as her eyes flickered with her wolf.
Adam began to struggle against her as she watched the male wolves leave reluctantly.
They couldn’t refuse her order, despite their instincts to claim a female in heat.
Freja then turned to Adam. It would be harder with him. His wolf was claiming Susan as his mate.
“Adam!” Freja yelled. His wolf snarled as he struggled against her.
Freja reached back and slammed her fist in his face, causing blood to gush from his mouth.
“This is your luna. Adam. Control yourself NOW!” Freja’s wolf growled angrily at his.
He would not ignore the chain of command.
It didn’t matter if that was his mate or if there were fifty wolves in heat.
An order was an order. She watched as his eyes shifted back, and she let out a sigh.
“Jin, how is she doing?” Freja turned her head to look at the girl curled up on the ground.
“She’s hurting, but we’ve got a problem,” Jin said as unmated males were approaching, drawn to Susan.
Freja looked at Adam. “Are you okay? Or do I need to knock you unconscious?”
Adam turned his head and spit blood from his mouth.
“Just get them away from her or I can’t promise anything,” Adam said between clenched teeth.
His wolf was fighting his rank, wanting to claim his mate.
It was taking everything in him to hold his wolf at bay.
He wanted to attack all the unmated males that were heading toward her.
Freja stood up and moved to Susan’s side.
Jin was at the ready with a windstorm if they didn’t listen to Freja.
Freja opened her mouth to speak, but then she heard it …
a deep, menacing roar that caused the ground to tremble.
All the wolves immediately lowered their heads as Hunter dashed in, followed by Caden, Sam, and Chasen.
“GO BACK TO YOUR HOMES! YOU ARE ALL UNDER HOUSE ARREST UNTIL MORNING!” Hunter roared at the males.
He watched their dark eyes as they struggled against their alpha’s orders, but they each reluctantly left.
He turned to look at Freja, but she wasn’t behind him.
He turned to the side and saw her helping Adam up.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay? I didn’t break any bones, did I?” Freja checked him over, glancing at the indentation on the ground created when she slammed him into it. She reached out and wiped some of the blood off his cheek. Maybe she was a bit too rough.
“I’m okay,” Adam said in a ragged breath as he continued to rage against himself.
“Well, I guess I was a bit too late on that one.” Hunter sighed and looked back at Susan. He was a mated male, so her heat had no effect on him.
“We haven’t had a female in heat in a while. It’s going to take a week for her to get out of it,” Caden said, frowning at his daughter, who was in pain.
“Not if she accepts her mate,” Adam said quietly. Sam and Caden snapped their gazes at Adam.
“Are you saying she’s your mate?” Hunter asked, watching Adam nod in response. He then looked at Freja. “How did you manage to get him under control? I’m not even sure I could control a mate draw when one is in heat.”
Freja bit her lip and looked down at the ground. “I, um … I sort of beat him up.”
Adam chuckled. “Sort of? Look at the indentation on the ground! That’s from her slamming me into it.”
Hunter beamed proudly. “You did that? That’s my tough luna! You’re awesome.” He walked up to Freja and pulled her into his chest.
“Umm … Hunter, what now?” Caden asked as he stared back at Adam with hesitation.
Hunter noticed Adam standing nearby, his brow furrowed and eyes fixed intently on Susan.
She lay in a ball on the ground, her face contorted in agony, clutching her side as she struggled to breathe.
“Wait here, Adam.” His eyes flickered with his wolf as he used his alpha authority to hold him at bay.
He then walked up to Susan, with Freja by his side.
“Sues? Sues … I know it hurts, but I need you to talk to me, okay?”
She looked up and nodded her head, a small whimper leaving her throat. Adam shifted uncomfortably from the sound, barely managing to obey his alpha.
“Sues … Adam says he’s your mate. Does your wolf also claim him?” Hunter watched as she slowly nodded. “How about you? Do you accept him as your mate, then?”
“Y-yes,” she whispered.
“Susan. You understand how this works. I know you’ve studied this.
You know what needs to happen to make the heat stop.
You can either wait a week, or you can complete the mating bond.
I need to know what you’re going to choose.
” Hunter was there to be the mediator between friend, father, and brother.
If two mates accepted each other, then he expected Sam and Caden to back down and let everything happen naturally.
Susan nodded her head. “I accept Adam and the bond.”
“Okay, Sues.” Hunter wiped her forehead and smiled.
He then looked at Caden and Sam. “I’m going to give her to Adam now.
He’ll be able to take her pain away.” He looked at his beta and his father’s old beta.
He wanted to make sure that they were okay with it.
Not that they had a choice, but he could talk with them if they needed him to. Both men nodded in understanding.
“Adam.” Hunter said his name normally, not using his alpha tone, but he was there instantly. “You can take care of your mate now.” He stood up and patted him on the back, then leaned in close to his ear. “Gently, Adam,” Hunter said in quiet warning. Susan was like a sister to him, too.
Adam smiled and looked at Hunter. “She’s my gem.
You don’t have to worry. I’ll take good care of her.
” He knelt down beside Susan. His eyes watered up, seeing her in pain.
He reached out and brushed his fingers through her hair.
“It’s okay, Sues. I’m here.” He felt her relax under his touch, and he smiled, the tiny sparks tingling at his fingertips.
He reached around her and lifted her into his body.
It was a powerful feeling, holding his mate in his arms. He felt her curl up into his chest, seeking the comfort of her mate.
He leaned his head down and kissed her glistening forehead.
"I'm happy it's you, my Sues." She smiled at him weakly, and he felt her tremble.
He couldn't stand seeing her in so much pain. He needed to mate with her. It was the only way for her heat to go away. He held her delicately against his chest and turned to Hunter, nodded, and then left, carrying Susan away. The sooner Adam took care of the mate bond, the sooner she wouldn’t be in pain anymore.
“Well, that was eventful.” Hunter sifted his hand through his hair.
“So much for all that planning we just did. Freja handled it all on her own.” Chasen chuckled. That whole hour they were away, they were planning how to handle Susan coming into heat. In the end, it happened while they were still planning—and Freja had taken care of it.
“You should have seen her. She ordered a group of wolves to leave while she was holding Adam down. She was amazing. Good thing Adam’s a werewolf and can heal quickly.” Jin giggled as she bounced at Chasen’s side.
“You were able to order unmated wolves away from a female in heat?” Hunter was impressed. Sure, she was their luna. But when it came to a female in heat, it was hard to control unmated wolves. Even as an alpha, he would have struggled.
“Luckily, I had Jin here with her wind for backup. Adam was the tough one, though. I’m lucky I was able to snap him out of it.”
“You’re lucky. With Susan being his mate, that was an almost impossible situation. I’m proud of you.” Hunter looked at Freja with admiration. She had no idea how impossibly hard it was to do what she just did.
“Okay, I’m going to go speak to Rosa. I need to let her know that her baby has found her mate,” Caden said with a sad smile. He was happy for Susan, but his baby girl had found her mate. His kids were now officially adults, with lives of their own.
“I’ll come with you, Dad. I’ve got to get Renee, and she’s on the way,” Sam said as he trotted after his dad.
Jin giggled and looked at Freja. “Talk about a trial by fire. I guess you passed.”
Freja yawned and shook her head. “I’m exhausted now.” She felt the warm tingles as Hunter lifted her into his arms, holding her bridal style against his chest.
“How about a bath and a good night’s sleep?” Hunter smiled as he held her close.
“I can walk,” Freja said in minor embarrassment.
“Yeah … but I can run,” Hunter said mischievously as he took off running with her toward the pack house, leaving Chasen and Jin behind.
The two laughed together as he effortlessly ran with her in his arms. His heart was swelling for her more and more.
His beautiful, powerful mate. Damn … he was falling for her already.
The mate pull was something he understood and expected, but the pull from his heart was something else … and entirely wonderful.