Chapter Twenty-Two
It was the night of the full moon. Freya had been gripped by a latent terror all day, the result of three years of dreading that time of the month.
Her hands trembled more than usual throughout the day; she had been distracted and mixed up the schedules, profusely apologizing whenever she realized her mistake.
No matter how many times she’d tell herself it was stupid, her abuser was dead, and he wasn’t rising from his grave, the fear was gripping her soul. She asked to leave early, and both Tanya and the twins seemed distracted themselves, eventually closing the gym before closing time.
Declan and Ciaran had spent the last few nights making love to her, admiring her courage, and teaching her to love herself, to discover her body, and what gave her pleasure, without bringing up past traumas.
Declan had a more dominant streak, while Ciaran was more playful.
The only thing they hadn’t done yet was complete the act.
Despite the multiple orgasms they gave her, neither of the twins seemed in a hurry to penetrate her, and when she offered to satisfy them, the answer was always the same, “Tonight is for you.” And when she managed to gather courage and ask if they found her hideous because of her scars, they hissed in return and spent the night showering her with attention, orgasms, and just the right amount of teasing to show how much they cared.
“You’re the one who needs to be ready, little one. For the both of us.”
But that night, she was alone and for the first time in a long time, she was anxious. And afraid. Her mind kept playing tricks on her, seeing wolves in shadows and danger around the corner when the ten year old from the house in front of hers walked her poodle.
She closed all doors and windows, double and triple checked every lock, turned on all the lights in the house and lay down on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket, trembling uncontrollably.
Her teeth chattered, as if the temperature had dropped to arctic levels.
Suddenly, she seemed to hear howls in the distance, and she shuddered.
“It’s all in your head, it’s all your head...” she chanted over and over again. Hands firmly pressed against the ears, trying hard not to focus on the past.
****
That’s how she was found the next morning by Evelyn. Lying on the sofa, completely wrapped in the blanket, hands over her ears, her face full of tears and a phrase repeating on her lips.
Moon Goddess. Why did life have to be so rough for this child?
Aloud, she called, “Freya! Freya, are you listening to me?”
The old lady put the kettle on the fire, preparing a strong, sweet chamomile tea and a plate of chocolate cakes, which she placed on the kitchen table, and then knelt by the sofa, patiently beginning to unwrap her from the blanket, rubbing her cold hands against hers.
It took a while for Evelyn’s voice to penetrate the mist surrounding Freya’s brain.
“Ev-Evelyn?” she whispered.
“Yes, child, it’s me. You’re freezing. Here, drink this.”
The tea was scalding hot, but Freya managed to take a sip without burning herself.
“Here, eat this. Sugar will make you feel better. Just a bite, come on...” Obediently, like a child, Freya nibbled at the biscuit, but from her absent expression, Evelyn realized she wasn’t savoring it.
“What happened?” Evelyn asked, after some kind of color returned to her face.
“I ... think I had some flashbacks,” she whispered and the old lady sighed.
“I knew you shouldn’t have been left alone,” she muttered.
Last night, following her Alpha’s command, all wolves had gathered on the beach near the cliff on the edge of the city.
All except for the twins. They had been dosed with a small dose of wolfsbane to keep them pliable and locked away in a dungeon underneath Alpha’s house.
Unfortunately, their wolves had howled all night, trying to break free from the restraints, to see their mate, to be with her, to mate her.
Their animal minds could not comprehend the forced imprisonment, the pain, the loneliness.
Evelyn was old, but her wolf still wanted to feel the moon and the grass beneath her paws. Now, however, she was under the impression she needed to take care of this grandchild of the heart instead of the old mutt living inside her.
Fortunately, the following full moon nights were not as dangerous nor as alluring to her wolf as the first one had been. She was confident she could stay with Freya during the nights, when her fears would control her.
“I think you should rest today,” she said brightly. “Perks of being the nanna of the owner, I can withhold the biscuits she loves so much if she doesn’t agree with me.”
Evelyn kept everyone at bay that day, willing Freya to rest. Even the twins could not be trusted, because their wolves were empowered by the full moon, and so the Alpha kept them locked up another day.
And when night came, Evelyn kept her fears away by sending her to bed early, with her belly filled with cozy warm chicken soup and a special herbal tea to help her sleep.
But even in her sleep, Freya was crying and pleading, and all Evelyn could do was listen, feeling useless and powerless.
Dear Moon Goddess. Why did this child have to suffer so?
The night dragged on, covering Evelyn's heart in darkness. And as it reluctantly began to give way to a timid morning, Evelyn had made a decision. Something that, she hoped, would pull them out of their impasse and finally bring peace to Freya’s heart.