Chapter 25

Freya Rose Footsteps of people running across the wooden floors within the main house, echoed through the air. I knew I didn't have much time and by the sounds of it, there were at least thirty wolves headed my way. I knew I wouldn't be able to fight them all off. Leaving my home, belongings and life behind me, I flew up into the sky and took off over the trees. I flew for hours until I reached the woods around my father's property and I was utterly exhausted. I lowered myself down onto the floor and descended, before kneeling onto the dirt and sobbing into my hands.

Ring… Ring... Ring… Ring...

I reached for the purse that I had draped around my body and pulled out my cell phone. Tristan's name flashed up on the screen. I didn't really want to answer it, but I had no choice in the matter, because my thumb had already pressed the green button.

“Hey, no fair!” I moaned at my wolf, she just laughed at me and then fell silent again.

“Freya, where are you?” Tristan asked in a polite voice.

I knew he was just pretending to be nice, so I shouted back, “Why the fuck would I tell you? I damn well heard you, Tristan. You told your pack to kill me!”

There was a pause on the line, then heard him huff.

“You heard that, huh? Well, maybe that will keep you away from here for good then. There is nothing left here for you, Freya. If any of my wolves spot you in Jasper again, I will kill you myself!” He snarled at me down the phone.

I couldn't believe he was saying this to me, it was like everything we shared together over the last two years never even happened. He was so cold and vicious.

“What about my mom's house? And I need to organize a funeral for her, Tristan!”

I wasn't going to let him stop me from saying goodbye to my mom.

“Your mom's body was collected by your dad a week ago and he informed your grandparents. You missed the funeral, Freya, because you fucked off and hid out at Selene's!”

Tears began trickling down my cheeks again.

“They didn't wait for me?” I whispered into the phone.

“No, they didn't! And by the way, your half of my parent's house and your mom's house now belong to my father. Your grandparents owned them until you turned twenty-one, but they sold them to my father a few days after the funeral. So, you see, Freya, there really is no reason for you to come back here!”

He growled as a warning just to make sure I got the hint. I was in complete shock, I didn't know what to say to him all I could muster was, “I'm sorry you feel that way, Tristan. Just know that I love you. I always have and I always will. I wish things could be different but they're not... Tristan, there's something you need to know. When you walked away and abandoned me, my wolf screamed out that you were our mate.”

I didn’t know why I told him. Maybe I thought it would change his mind or something. There was a long pause on the line and I was beginning to get impatient.

“Tristan!” I snapped down the phone.

“I'm here,” he replied softly.

A little hope began to creep up inside my heart, but it was quickly crushed by what he said next,

“You shouldn't have told me that, Freya. You are even more of a threat to, Elsa than I first thought. I now have no choice, but to hunt you down and I can't stop until I know that you're dead. I will do everything I can to keep my mate safe! Do you hear me Freya?”

He said it in such a cold and matter of fact way. I realized right then and there, that I had no other option but to see him as he saw me, as a threat.

“Fine, if that's the way it has to be. I'm not going to hide from you, Tristan. I'm in the woods around Damien's house. If you want to come and try to kill me, then do it!” I shouted down the phone then hung up.

With pure frustration, I threw my phone as far as I could into the woods. The vibrating sensation retuned and pulsating throughout my body again. This time I decided to give into it fully.

I screamed as my bones snapped and broke. First, my hands shifted, then both of my arms. Next fur sprouted out of my skin and every single hair was its own tiny pin prick of pain. My dress was ripping and tearing apart as my body grew larger and my muscles felt like they were filled with some sort of corrosive acid. I slashed the rest of my shredded dress off of my body with my new claws, then collapsed onto all four of my new paws as the excruciating pain crippled me.

Every part of my body hurt. My skin, my muscles, hell, even my insides felt like they'd been liquefied. I didn't think I could take any more and that’s when my jaw began to dislocate and stretch forwards. I cried out in absolute agony. I could hear my wolf inside my head whimpering, as the world faded into darkness and I passed out, onto a bed of leaves and dirt that was the woodland floor.

***

Mason Hart We arrived back at the cabin where Damien was waiting for us at the front door with an agitated look on his face. I peered over to Evan and Finn with a questioning look. They both shrugged at me and continued to walk towards the cabin. We reached the door and spoke to Damien.

“What's up Fionn? You look worried,” I asked him. He stayed silent and ushered for us to follow him into the cabin. We obeyed and followed him into his office. I closed the door behind us and sat down onto the couch with, Evan and, Finn sat on the couch opposite me. Damien rested himself up against his desk and folded his arms.

“Right, while you were out training, I've had reports coming in from multiple scouts. We have a little problem,” he said in a calm voice, but I could hear the undertone of excitement.

I sat forward on the couch and asked, “What kind of problem Damien?”

“At least thirty werewolves have just driven into town and they're heading this way. I have called in our reinforcements, but they won't be here for at least another hour...” He explained, but Evan quickly cut him off and asked, “How long until the wolves get here?”

Damien looked at him and stood up straight.

“Prepare yourselves for war boys, they will be here in less than twenty minutes. The other hunters we have living in the town, are already here. They're waiting in the living room for a briefing.”

Finn looked pumped and ready to go when he asked, “How many hunters do we have?”

Damien walked towards the door and we all followed. We hurried down the hallway and when he opened the living room door, my eyes grew wide. The room was packed with at least fifty hunters and I knew that we had more than two-hundred others on their way from all around Alberta.

“We have more than enough Finn, don't you worry about that,” Damien replied with a chuckle as he swept his hand across the room.

Finn grinned and ran into the room like a complete jock. He threw himself into the air, while two other hunters did the same. They all collided into a chest bump with a thud. He placed his arms around the shoulders of the other hunters.

“I wasn't worried, Fionn. The dogs are stupid if they think they can win against us. We're going to rip them apart!” He yelled into the air and all the other hunters roared and cheered in response.

Evan walked in and grabbed Ellie, lifting her up into a kiss. She was small in height, but I'd trained with her before and I knew she was a strong little fighter. He definitely has his hands full with that one, I thought to myself. I giggled when she grabbed his ass. While shaking my head, I stepped into the room, then took a seat ready to listen to Damien's briefing. Damien's niece Carmen quickly joined me on the couch. She tried to sit uncomfortably close to me and I immediately shifted over trying to put some distance between us.

“Hey Mason,” she said in a low sultry voice while placing her hand on my knee. 

“Hi, Carmen,” I replied casually.

I abruptly removed her hand from my knee and placed it on her own when she began to talk to me.

“So, I was wondering...”

I cut her off by raising my finger to my lips and shushing her, before pointing towards Damien as he prepared to start his briefing. She huffed and dramatically threw herself back onto the couch. She folded her arms and crossed one leg over the other in a strop. That was exactly one of the reasons why I never responded to any of her advances, she was a drama queen and way too childish for my liking.

Damien started his briefing and finished by telling us his orders, before splitting us up into groups. My group consisted of Evan and his girlfriend Ellie, Finn and his girlfriend Stevie. Damien knew that the lads would fight better knowing they were protecting their partners. Also, in my group, much to my annoyance, was Carmen. She kept waving at Damien when he was calling out who was in my group. In the end, he gave her what she wanted. She enthusiastically shouted yes, while I just rolled my eyes.

We were the group that was to stay behind at the house and greet the wolves when they arrived. Everyone else was split up into larger groups and told to scatter and hide out in different parts of the property and woods. Everyone agreed and left to take their positions.

Damien strolled out of the front door first. The tiny stones that covered the driveway crunched and clinked underneath our feet as we followed behind him. He stopped in the middle of the drive and held his hand up for us to stop. We didn't need to wait long, as a few minutes later a black Mustang sped up the drive and skidded to a stop right in front of Damien. Seconds after, a little black sports car pulled up beside it, then six more black cars with blacked-out windows followed up the drive and parked behind them.

“Do not ascend until I give the order,” Damien whispered back at us.

We stayed as relaxed as we could be, but we were all buzzing with excitement. It was a struggle not to ascend and begin the hunt immediately. I walked up and stood beside Damien just as Tristan got out of his Mustang. Carmen tried to follow me, but I pushed her back. The last thing I wanted, was Freya to think I'd moved on. Especially not with that idiot.

I waited patiently for Freya to get out of Tristan’s car, but she didn't. Instead, it was another girl. She was a very slim girl and not very shapely. She had long light-brown hair and hazel/green eyes. She walked over to Tristan and to my surprise leaned up placing her hands on his chest, then she kissed him. I heard Damien exhale furiously as he watched their display. When the girl turned back around, she flicked her hair behind her and showed off a brand-new bite mark. I guessed right then and there that she was Tristan's new mate. She stood brazenly next to Tristan as all of the other werewolves began exiting their cars.

“What is the purpose of this visit, Tristan? And where is my daughter?” Damien yelled.

I could clearly see he was struggling to keep himself under control.

“Did she not even bother to tell you that she was here?” Tristan mocked.

I couldn't control myself and I lunged forwards, but Damien's hand reached across my chest to stop me. I huffed and fell back into line, next to him.

“Where the hell is she, Tristan? And who is this tramp?” I shouted at him trying to provoke a reaction from him.

It worked and he pushed her behind him and sprinted over to me. Placing his forehead onto mine, he growled, “Don't you ever disrespect my mate, and this packs Luna again, or I'll use your balls as my new chew toys!”

A giant grin spread across my face.

“I'm glad you chose that hippy tramp over, Freya. You didn't deserve an amazing woman like her anyway. How could a weak and pathetic dog like you ever make a real woman happy?” I mocked him as I pushed him back by his shoulders.

He stumbled backwards and as he did I took the opportunity to piss him off some more.

“Hey, darling. Fancy a go on a real man? I'll make you howl louder than he ever could. Just ask, Freya!” I said seductively as I winked at her.

Yup, that should do it, I giggled to myself.

She growled in response and Tristan looked like his head was about to explode. I just smirked and gestured with my hand for him to bring it on. He threw his shoulder down and charged at me, but I had anticipated his tackle and dodge out of the way.

“Too slow little puppy!” I laughed at him.

He growled and repositioned himself to tackle me again. I tired quickly with his predictability, this was going to be too easy, I thought with a chuckle. He'd obviously been trained, but that didn't come anywhere close to real battle experience. I'd been hunting and killing supernatural beings since I was sixteen years old. He charged at me again, so I spun around, grabbed his mate by her throat and held her up into the air. She dangled there kicking her legs and grabbing for my hands that were gripping tighter and tighter around her scrawny neck. He froze on the spot and growled with his teeth clenched, “Let her go, now!”

I ignored him and squeezed on her neck even more. The rest of the pack began growling at me and edging closer to me.

“You tell them to stay back, or I'll snap her pretty little neck!” I shouted at him and then look back up at the girl.

She was turn blue and losing her fight.

“Stand down!” He snarled at the other werewolves.

They backed up. Some stopped, but about twenty of them then continued to back up. They just kept moving backwards until suddenly I could hear them shifting. My eyes instantly illuminated as I watched each and every one of them shift. I peered around at the other hunters and saw their eyes illuminating too.

Crap! I knew that if the werewolves ran, none of us would be able to control our hunting instincts and we'd take off after them. That would leave Tristan here alone to do whatever he had planned.

“Why are you here? And why are they shifting?” I screamed at him as I struggled to keep my control.

Tristan laughed at me when my body began to tremble with adrenaline and I dropped his mate onto the floor. He snatched her up into his arms and backed away. 

“I'm here to kill, Freya!”

Instantly, upon hearing those words spill out of his filthy dog mouth, Damien and I screeched into the air as we both ascended. The wolves all immediately covered their ears and as soon as our screeches ceased Tristan howled, “Find, Freya and kill her!”

The shifted werewolves took off running across the grass and then into the woods. Damien and I flew off after them. Evan and all of the other hunters in our group ascended and were sprinting across the grass behind us. I hovered just above the trees and spotted a wolf running right below me. I swooped down and wrapped my arms around his chest and lifted him into the air with me. The wolf snarled and growled at me while trying his best to bite me. I held him out to the side of me and flew even faster, making sure that I had his body in the right position for my next move.

Crack!

I felt a violent shudder travel through my arms, when his head slammed into the enormous tree. He made no sound at all and he fell limp instantly. I knew that I'd broken his neck upon impact. I let go of his body and he fell through the air like a comet, then smashed into the ground below. With the killing need now out of my system, I could finally focus on trying to hunt down Freya. The sound of wolves whimpering and howling out in pain filled the air, telling me that the other hunters from the house had joined in the fight. I flew around searching for Freya, but each white hunter light I spotted, wasn't her.

She hadn't accepted me as her Fennid yet, so I knew her glow wouldn't be pink like mine. This was going to be harder than I thought. Gradually, the sound of bones breaking against trees, screams, and whimpers began to die down. I spotted Carmen and the other hunters in my group, but I couldn't see Damien anywhere. They were all huddled around in a circle. I landed behind them and shouted out, “Where's Damien? I need him to help me find Freya...”

I fell silent when I saw the expressions on their faces. Carmen was knelt down on the ground and sobbing uncontrollably. The other two girls were trying to console her as they brushed away tears of their own. Finn and Evan stepped aside so that I could see what they were all huddled around.

“Fionn... Nooo!” I cried out as I ran towards him.

I slid across the dirt and knelt beside him. He was in a terrible state. One of his arms had been completely torn off of his body and one of his legs had been shredded. He had deep gashes across his stomach and his throat had been completely ripped out. This wasn't the work of just one wolf. They'd must have ambushed him, I thought while I cried over his dead body. I held my hand out and slid it down his face closing his eyelids as I went. After punching the floor, I aggressively pushed myself up and stood up tall.

“As temporary acting Fionn of the Alberta hunters, my first orders are to hunt down our future Fionn and get her to safety. Damien gave his life for her and we are not going to let his death be in vain. Now let's move out and bring Damien's daughter home, where she belongs!”

They all cheered. Well I say all, there always has to be one doesn't there. Carmen shouted out, “Why should we bother? She's the reason my uncle is dead and besides the bitch is probably already dead... She...”

I instantly yelled over her, “Don't talk about her like that. You’re just jealous that she's going to be our new leader and that she's my, Fianna! Get over your damn self, Carmen. Stop acting like a spoilt child and just for once in your pathetic little life, do as you're told!” I wasn't in the best mood to put up with her bratty tantrums right now. “Carmen, you either come with us now, or you stay here on your own! I really couldn't care less. Come on guys let's go and find, Freya,” I shouted out to the rest of them.

They all cheered and followed me without question. I smirked when I peered over my shoulder and saw Carmen skulking along behind us. We split up into smaller groups, Carmen, Stevie and Finn in one group, then in my group were me, Evan and Ellie. We searched around for what felt like hours, but was probably only about twenty minutes. We found nothing, only a few dead wolves.

Just as I was giving up hope, we heard fighting over to our left. Evan and Ellie followed behind me when I sprinted towards the commotion. We reached a clearing and saw Finn lying on the ground clutching his arm. It looked like a wolf had bitten through it like it was butter. Stevie was busy ripping up Finn's shirt to tie around the wound and Carmen was in a defensive stance between them and a snarling wolf.

The wolf was like none I'd ever seen before. It was a good two foot taller than the average werewolf and bigger built too. It had red and brown fur with a white mask that ran all the way down its chest. It ceased its snarling and sniffed the air when we approached, then to my surprise it lowered its head into a bow. Gradually it lifted its head and as I gazed upon its beautiful ice-blue eyes, I saw them sparkle in the moonlight that had delicately peeked through the trees. Carmen used the wolf's distraction to her advantage and lunged at it with her silver hunters knife.

“No!” I screamed out while sprinting towards Carmen.

In the same exact moment, the wolf had turned to attack her, but we were both too late. Carmen's knife pierced through the wolf's side and plunged deep into its flesh. It howled out in agony and the sound echoed through the woods. As the echo faded the wolf collapsed onto the woodland floor. I grabbed a hold of Carmen before she could do any more damage, before aggressively throwing her behind me. She bounced across the floor and landed at Evan's feet. I knelt down and gently scooped the wolf up and began carrying it towards the cabin.

“What the hell are you doing? Have you gone insane? Mason answer me. Why are you saving that damn dog!” Carmen screamed at me.

I stopped dead in my tracks and in the deepest voice I could muster, I replied, “She's not a damn dog. She's my Fianna!”

While lovingly cradling Freya, she shifted back into her human form. I knew that wasn’t a good sign, so I spread my enormous wings out and flew up into the night's sky, pleading for the archangels to save her.

To be continued in book 3, Honored by a Hunter, also available on Readict!