Chapter 175

Chapter 175
Freya's POV

The bitter wind whipped around Moon Shadow Pack Estate as I shoved another set of thermal gear into my backpack.

Alexander emerged, carrying a tactical bag filled with silver-laced weapons and emergency supplies.

That's when I heard the rumble of engines approaching.

"What the hell?" Alexander muttered, his head snapping toward the sound.

Two black SUVs roared up the winding drive to the Estate. The first one barely stopped before Caleb jumped out, his usually composed Beta demeanor replaced by grim determination.

"Alpha," he called out, jogging toward us. "As your Beta, I can't let you face this alone."

Before Alexander could object, the second SUV's door swung open and Zoe practically bounced out.

"Freya!" she called out breathlessly. "Luke's sick and you thought I wouldn't come? Are you fucking insane?"

Theodore gracefully exited from the driver's side, adjusting his expensive coat against the wind. "I figured you could use some additional expertise in hostile territory."

At that moment, another car pulled up. Evander stepped out from the driver's seat, holding what appeared to be an ancient leather map case.

"My mother sent me," he said formally. "This is Nightshade Pack's support. And..." He paused, his jaw tightening. "It's my chance to make up for doubting you before."

He held up the map case. "This contains our family's century-old charts of the Arctic wasteland."

Alexander and I exchanged glances. We'd planned to go alone, just the two of us. But looking at these four determined faces, I realized something: we weren't alone anymore. We had a team.

"Alright, let's figure out vehicle assignments," Caleb said, ever the practical Beta. "We need to keep our profile as low as possible. Let's just take two cars, three people each."

That's when Zoe and Evander made eye contact properly for the first time.

Zoe's eyes widened. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me. You're the guy my father tried to set me up with!"

Evander cleared his throat awkwardly. "The blind date that ended after twenty minutes, yes."

Theodore snorted with amusement. "Well, this is interesting. Our rescue mission includes a reunion."

"Look," Caleb interrupted with his typical no-nonsense approach, "whatever romantic comedy bullshit this is, we can deal with it after we save the kid."

Zoe immediately pointed at Theodore and Caleb. "I'm riding with you two. Evander can navigate with the lovebirds."

"Actually," Evander said, consulting his map, "it would be more practical if I rode with Alexander and Freya. These charts are detailed, and—"

"Fine, whatever!" Zoe threw up her hands. "Let's just go save Luke before I die of embarrassment."

I caught Alexander's eye and saw him trying not to smile. Even in our darkest hour, somehow our friends managed to bring lightness to the situation.

---

The journey north was brutal from the start.

As Alexander drove our SUV through increasingly desolate terrain.

"The temperature's already dropped to negative ten," Alexander noted, checking the dashboard display.

"According to the map," Evander called from the back seat, "we're still three hours from the wasteland border."

By the time we'd been driving for five hours, the outside temperature had plummeted to negative twenty-five degrees Celsius. Ice began forming on the car windows despite the defroster running at full blast.

That's when I felt the first tendrils of silver light automatically beginning to circulate through my body, my wolf's natural response to extreme cold.

Through the mind-link, Theodore's voice crackled with concern: "Everyone's core temperatures are dropping. We need to start cycling our inner wolf energy for warmth."

An hour later, as we neared our destination, the temperature gauge hit negative thirty, and that's when things got serious.

Alexander pulled over abruptly as Caleb's urgent mental call cut through our link: "Emergency stop needed. Zoe's not handling the cold well."

---

All six of us gathered between the two vehicles, our breath visible in great puffs of vapor. Zoe was pale and shivering despite her heavy winter gear.

"I'm fine," Zoe insisted through chattering teeth, but her words were slurred.

Evander immediately moved closer, and I watched in fascination as he carefully wrapped his arms around her, sharing his wolf's natural body heat. "You're going into hypothermia," he said matter-of-factly. "This isn't about pride."

"We're fifteen minutes from the entry point," Theodore announced, consulting both his GPS and Evander's ancient map. "But we have a problem."

He pointed ahead to a cluster of lights barely visible through the swirling snow. "Those are hunter outposts. They specifically target werewolves coming here for moongrass."

Alexander's entire demeanor shifted, his Alpha authority snapping into place. His nostrils flared as he tested the air. "I can smell them from here. Silver weapons, blood, and..." His expression darkened. "Recent kills."

'Fuck. This just got a lot more complicated.'

Caleb moved to stand beside Alexander, automatically falling into formation. "What's the play, Alpha?"

"I go in alone," Alexander said without hesitation. "Fast in, fast out. The rest of you wait here and prepare for extraction."

"Like hell," I snapped immediately. "We're in this together."

"Freya, it's too dangerous—"

"My son is dying!" The words came out sharper than I intended. "I'm not sitting in a car while you risk your life for Luke. We're mates."

Theodore stepped forward. "The werewolf hunters know pack movement patterns. Six people would be detected immediately, but maybe—"

I was already digging through my emergency pack, pulling out two small leather pouches that smelled of earth and mountain herbs. "Scent masking powder. My grandfather gave these to me years ago."

I held up the pouches. "Two hours of complete scent suppression, but I only have two doses."

Alexander immediately reached for one. "Caleb and I will—"

"No." I grabbed the second pouch before he could react. "It's me and you, or we find another way."

For a moment, we stared at each other in the snow, surrounded by our friends and the distant threat of hunters. I could see the war raging in Alexander's eyes – his need to protect me battling against his recognition that I was right.

Finally, he nodded grimly. "You follow my lead exactly. No deviations, no heroics."

"Deal."

---

As Alexander and I prepared the scent masking powder, the others gathered around us with final preparations.

Theodore spread the detailed map one last time. "Moongrass only glows under direct moonlight, so you'll need to wait until cloud cover clears."

Caleb gripped Alexander's shoulder firmly. "We'll monitor hunter movement from here and signal if anything changes. You have my word, Alpha."

Zoe, now warmed enough to speak clearly thanks to Evander's continued body heat sharing, grabbed my hands. "Freya. Don't you dare be a hero if things go wrong."

Evander handed Alexander a detailed sketch he'd copied from the main map. "The exact location is marked. Remember, if the hunters detect you, there's an emergency extraction point here." He pointed to another mark. "We'll be waiting."

I looked around at their faces – Caleb's steadfast loyalty, Zoe's fierce love for Luke, Theodore's calm intelligence, and Evander's determined redemption.

We are a family.

Alexander and I sprinkled the silver-white powder over our clothes and skin, feeling the strange tingling sensation as our werewolf scents disappeared completely.

We checked our equipment one final time: silver-laced weapons, emergency medical supplies, and most importantly, a specially designed container for the moongrass.

"No matter what happens," Alexander said, taking my hand, "we come back together."

I squeezed his fingers tightly, feeling the mate bond humming between us like a lifeline. "For Luke. For our future. For everything we've fought to build."

Hand in hand, we melted into the snow and darkness.