He kissed the top of her head. He was proud of her for standing up to him. She was exactly the type of luna he wanted, one that would tell him anything, even when he was wrong. He felt a slight tug as Freja was pulled away from him.
“Come on, Freja. I want to show you something.” Jin tugged on her arm, pulling her away from Hunter. She pulled her to the couches where she made her sit down. “Okay, close your eyes. I got you something while you were unconscious,” Jin said excitedly. She waited until Freja closed her eyes and grabbed something from behind the couch, setting it in her hands.
Freja opened her eyes, feeling the soft object in her hands. Jin had handed her a stuffed puppy with big eyes. She squeezed her fingers around it, and her bottom lip quivered as she pulled it closer to her. She held it tightly against her as a small blush crept onto her cheeks. “Thank you, Jin.”
Hunter looked at his adorable mate squeezing a stuffed animal into her chest. He walked up to the couch and sat beside her, placing his arm around her. He could see her watery eyes, and he rubbed her arm gently. He looked up at Jin, who was smiling down at Freja.
“It isn’t exactly the same, but I thought it looked a lot like Scruffy,” Jin said quietly.
Freja leaned into Hunter’s touch. “It does,” she whispered, still squeezing the stuffed animal. Scruffy was a present from Jin when they were kids. She’d loved it. Once, she had loved really cute looking things, even had a soft spot for them. Scruffy was the cutest, though, and her favorite. When she was younger, she rarely left without him. The stuffed animal reminded her of a happier time in her life. A time when she had family, a best friend, and felt loved.
“I take it Scruffy was an important friend of yours?” Hunter smiled as he brushed his fingertips along her arm
“Mm-hmm, I took him everywhere and slept with him every night.” Freja smiled as she remembered it.
“I’ll be your Scruffy whenever you want.” Hunter grinned and brushed his head against hers.
“You can’t. You’re not cute enough,” Freja teased with a smile and Jin snickered quietly.
Hunter chuckled and tugged her into his side. She was starting to come around, lowering the walls she had built. The more she relaxed, the more of her personality he was getting to see. And he loved it. He was loving everything about her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Night had fallen. Freja and Jin sat outside on the porch swing listening to the sounds of the night. The girls had talked to each other about their lives and what happened after the night their parents were killed, crying and laughing together. They bared their souls to one another, and Jin told her how happy she was here. She told Freja how wonderful both Hunter and Chasen were, especially Chasen.
“Thank you for the gift,” Freja said quietly.
“You’re welcome. See? You’re still you. It’s hard to remember that. But I think you’re starting to realize it.” Jin smiled cheerfully, watching the fireflies light up in the distance.
Freja nodded her head. “It’s hard, though. I’m not used to being around others or relying on them. It will take some getting used to, but … it feels nice to have someone to talk to.”
“Yes, it does.” Jin quietly stared out into the darkness.
“There are a lot of them on the move … demons, I mean. On my way here, I came across bands upon bands of them.” Freja sighed and frowned. That many demons would be tough to handle. “They told me about a half-demon named Abaas that was moving the demon army.” Freja shook her head. “But Jin,you know this. No half-demon could ever lead the army that’s gathering. Someone else is pulling the strings.”
“There’s Leoric too.” Hunter spoke up as he walked out onto the porch. One thing about werewolf hearing was that it was pretty exceptional. They would have to talk quieter than they were if they wanted anything to be secret. He and Chasen heard everything the girls were saying, eavesdropping purposely.
Jin and Freja shot up to head over toward Hunter and Chasen, who had followed him out. “Leoric!?” Freja and Jin both gasped in unison. There was worry laced in their voices, and Jin fidgeted slightly.
“You know of him?” Hunter walked in front of Freja and leaned back on the railing.
Freja frowned and looked down. “Leoric is dangerous. He’s the son of an original demon, Mephisto. He has the power to gather demons. And there are a lot who will band with him. He’s one of the demons who doesn’t care about balance. If he’s the one leading this war, it will be a real problem. This will be a war for domination and annihilation.”
“He is deplorable. He is everything wicked and vile.” Jin frowned and felt a shiver creep over her skin. She was instantly lifted up and held in Chasen’s embrace.
“Don’t worry, Jin. We’re going to defeat him and the army he’s gathering,” Chasen said comfortingly.
“Reiya is working on creating an alliance with the dragons. And we have the werewolves and fairies as well.” Hunter’s eyes fell on Freja as she sat down quietly.
“We need the dragons. We can’t win without them. I don’t think that’ll be a problem, though. From what I saw, she already has a couple of strong dragon allies.” Freja nodded her head as she thought about it. The demons would struggle taking the dragons out alone. They were their own force to be reckonedwith. Combining their forces should easily tip the scale in their favor.
“Plus, Reiya has the dragon deity on her side, too.” Hunter winked at Freja, whose eyes widened.
“You know?” Freja wasn’t sure if his wink was alluding to what she knew.
“You know?!” Hunter said in shock. “My dad mentioned it to me. Reiya didn’t know about him being her mate yet. Has her wolf come out yet?”
“She knows about him now, but she still hasn’t gotten her wolf yet. Actually, her wolf is sealed in a moon bubble. The Moon Goddess is up to something.” Freja looked down at her hands. “Reiya risked her life removing a curse from me. She would have died had her wolf not broken free momentarily. I’m forever in her debt. She was the first person who hugged me since I lost my parents. I feel connected to her.” Freja’s eyes watered as she looked up at the silver ones in front of her. She then smiled and nodded her head. “She and Leviathan are a forbidden match. They’re trying to keep their relationship secret. I’m rooting for them. Hopefully they’re able to get it all worked out.”
