Chapter 168

Chapter 168
Freya's POV

Stella didn't offer much explanation as she led me through the maze of corridors beneath the arena.

We stopped in front of a heavy wooden door marked "Judges' Lounge - Authorized Personnel Only." Stella knocked twice, then pushed it open without waiting for a response.

Alexander sat on a leather sofa with his long legs crossed. Tyler stood near the window while Angela perched on the arm of another chair, her perfect posture screaming 'look at me.'

The moment Alexander saw me, his expression shifted. "Tyler. Angela. Out."

Tyler moved immediately, but Angela lingered, her gaze flicking between Alexander and me with obvious displeasure. "Alexander, surely I should stay for—"

"Now," Alexander's voice carried that Alpha command.

Angela's jaw tightened, but she stood gracefully. As she passed me, she made sure to look me up and down with barely concealed contempt before sailing out the door.

Stella gave me an encouraging smile before pulling the door shut behind her, leaving Alexander and me alone.

The silence stretched between us like a taut wire.

I stood there with my arms crossed, still wearing my sports bra and shorts from the fight, and gave him my best 'go fuck yourself' expression.

Two weeks. Two weeks of radio silence, and now he wanted to chat?

"Stand that far away for what?" Alexander said, patting the cushion beside him. "Come sit."

I let out a derisive snort. "Hmph!"

His eyebrows drew together in that familiar frown. "Freya—"

"Don't 'Freya' me," I snapped.

Alexander's expression grew serious, all traces of casual confidence disappearing. "Freya, what happened... that bloodline awakening. What did you feel when it happened?"

I shrugged, maintaining my cold facade. "Nothing special."

He stood and moved closer, those dark eyes studying my face intently. "That kind of manifestation is extremely rare. Usually only ancient noble bloodlines show those characteristics."

A chill ran down my spine, but I kept my expression neutral. 'Ancient noble bloodlines? What the hell does that mean?'

Alexander took another step closer. "Your mother's side of the family... was there anything special about her bloodline?"

The question hit a nerve.

"My mother never mentioned anything about bloodlines," I said, my voice softer despite myself.

Alexander moved to sit on the edge of the table. "But what happened, that awakening intensity... that's not something ordinary bloodlines can achieve."

I found myself thinking back to Mom's mysterious habits, the way she'd sometimes speak in riddles. "My mother was... she was always secretive. Never talked about her family, where she came from."

"What about her death?" Alexander asked carefully. "Was there anything suspicious about it?"

The question felt like a punch to the gut. "She died suddenly, but she was always healthy before that."

The more I thought about it, the more things didn't add up. "She said some strange things before she died. Something about 'bloodline will protect you'..."

Alexander's expression darkened. "Whatever happens, I'll protect you."

I jerked my hand away, my anger shifting targets. "Protect me? Where the hell have you been for the past two weeks? Why didn't you contact me even once?"

Alexander looked genuinely pained. "Freya, I wanted to contact you, but—"

"But what?" I cut him off. "Too busy playing house with Angela?"

"No!" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "It was Anson. He blocked our mind link."

I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

Alexander's laugh was bitter. "Anson said I was too focused on you, that it would interfere with your training. So he used his elder authority to sever our mind link connection."

"He can do that?" I asked, shocked.

"Elder-level werewolves have that ability," Alexander confirmed. "I tried to break through dozens of times, but his block was too strong."

The anger that had been burning in my chest for two weeks began to cool. "So you weren't... you weren't ignoring me?"

Alexander looked at me like I'd suggested the moon was made of cheese. "I thought about you every day. Couldn't sleep, couldn't concentrate. But I couldn't sense you through the mind link no matter how hard I tried."

"You could have sent a message," I said weakly.

"Anson blocked that too."

'Fuck. I've been pissed at him for two weeks for something that wasn't even his fault.'

The cold mask I'd been wearing cracked. "I thought you didn't want me anymore..."

Alexander stood and carefully approached me, like I was a spooked animal. "How could I not want you? You're my mate, Freya. How could I not want you?"

When I didn't pull away, he gently drew me into his arms. His warmth enveloped me, and I realized how much I'd missed this - missed him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against my hair. "I'm sorry I made you think I didn't care. I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."

I melted against his chest, all my defenses crumbling. "I thought you'd moved on. With Angela."

"Never," he said firmly, tilting my chin up to meet his eyes. "Freya, I love you."

The words hung between us, raw and honest.

When he leaned down to kiss me, I didn't resist.

The kiss was desperate, hungry, two weeks of separation and misunderstanding pouring out between us. His hands tangled in my hair while mine fisted in his shirt, both of us trying to get closer.

"God, I missed you," he breathed against my lips. "I missed you so much, baby."

Heat flooded my cheeks, but I didn't push him away. "I missed you too."

He pulled me down onto the sofa, and I curled into his side like I belonged there. Which, I was starting to think, maybe I did.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his fingers trailing gently over the scratches Helena had left on my ribs. "Let me see."

"I'm fine," I protested. "Werewolf healing, remember?"

But he was already examining the marks with Alpha-level concern. "Bloodline awakenings can drain a lot of energy. Sometimes it affects healing speed."

His gentle touch made my skin tingle. When he looked up and saw my reaction, his eyes darkened with something that had nothing to do with medical concern.

"Freya," he said, his voice rough. He leaned down to press soft kisses along my collarbone, and I felt my breath catch.

His mouth found the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder, and I couldn't suppress the small sound that escaped me.

"Alexander..."

One of his hands slipped under my sports bra, warm palm against my skin, while the other traced patterns along my stomach that made me arch against him.

"You know how much I wanted you these past two weeks?" he murmured against my throat.

The rational part of my brain finally kicked in. "This is the judges' lounge..."

Alexander pulled back reluctantly, though his hands lingered on my skin. "You're right. If someone walked in..."

I sat up, trying to straighten my disheveled clothes. "That would be a disaster."

"Come home with me after your exam," he said, those dark eyes promising things that made my pulse race. "I'll be waiting."

"I still have two more rounds to get through," I reminded him.

"Then get through them," he said, standing and pulling me to my feet. "And then come home to me."

At the door, he caught my hand and pulled me back for one more kiss. "For luck," he said against my lips.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide my smile. "Greedy."

The corridor outside was empty as I made my way back toward the arena. My head was clearer now, the confusion of the past two weeks finally resolved.

But as I rounded the corner near the training areas, I nearly collided with two figures standing in the hallway.

Angela and Claire.

'Well, shit. This should be interesting.'