“Hunter!” She beamed as he turned to face her.
All of a sudden, he darted toward her. He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her into a tree, ruthlessly choking her. His eyes were black, and a low growl escaped his throat, his grip so strong she was unable to breathe. She was in complete shock as she felt herself struggle for precious air. Her vision was blurring as a gurgling sound escaped her lips.
Freja felt a violent crash, and her body slumped to the ground, gasping for much-needed oxygen. Jin had her hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Chasen had Hunter pinned on the ground.
“Hunter!” Chasen roared in his face.
Hunter stared blankly at Chasen. “What are you doing?” He was confused. One minute he was walking in the woods, and the next he was lying on the ground with Chasen on top of him, strongly gripping his shoulders.
“Hunter, are you alright? What the hell is your problem?” Chasen kept a firm hold on him. He wasn’t sure what thatwas about, but for a moment, Hunter wasn’t all there. He was looking into pitch-black orbs.
“Chase … what are you talking about?”
“You almost killed Freja!” Chasen spat at him.
“What?!” Hunter chuckled and shook his head. “I could never hurt her.”
Chasen glanced over toward Freja. She had marks around her neck, and she was struggling to her feet. He then looked back at Hunter.
“Is he okay?” Freja asked in a hoarse tone.
Hunter turned to look at Freja. She sounded weird and distressed. The moment his eyes landed on her, they went black again.
Chasen held him down with his guardian strength. “What the hell is going on?!” Chasen growled as his arms began to tremble.
Freja leaped into the trees, high into the canopy where she couldn’t be seen. She found a branch that she could look through and perched herself there, her heart racing. What was going on with her sweet Hunter?
“What happened? Where’s Freja?” Hunter asked, turning his head around, his eyes returning to their gray color.
“What do you remember?” Chasen loosened his grip and helped Hunter to his feet. “Jin, stay back, please.” He looked at his mate with a flash of worry. He wasn’t sure what was going on with Hunter, but he didn’t want to risk Jin getting hurt. He could handle his brother on his own.
Hunter looked at Jin and back to Chasen. “Are you afraid I’m going to hurt her? Where is Freja?!” he growled, feeling a bit panicked. His eyes darted around nervously.
“What do you remember?” Freja’s voice quivered a bit from above the trees.
Hunter looked upward but couldn’t see her. “Freja?” She sounded upset and he needed to hold her, to comfort her. Helooked back at Chasen. “I remember walking, then you were on top of me. You said I almost killed Freja, and she asked if I was okay. That’s all I remember. What is going on?”
Chasen frowned as he looked at his brother. It seemed like he lost control only when he saw Freja, but not when he heard her voice. “Every time you see Freja, you lose control. You look like you’re trying to kill her. Not just look like it. You actually were trying to …”
“Did anything else happen today?” Freja asked, still hidden. It just wasn’t making sense. He was acting so normal now. She knew if she appeared before him, he would lose control again.
Hunter’s chest hurt. He wanted to see his mate, needed her to calm down. He was getting anxious. How could he hurt her? He couldn’t believe it. “Um …” His eyes widened. “Yes. A child injected me with something today while I was checking the perimeter. Then she just disappeared.” Was this the cause of whatever was happening?
Freja felt a cold chill run up her veins. An injection that would cause him to only react when he saw her … that sounded like witchcraft. “It might be a blood potion. Maybe see if you can get Reed to check?”
“Can we cure it?” Jin asked, biting her bottom lip, her small hands trembling. Hunter had tried to kill Freja, and she was still in shock.
“I … don’t know. I don’t think it can be reversed by the witches. Maybe Reiya could reverse it? But I don’t know at what cost.” Freja could feel her chest squeezing in pain. A blood potion worked by merging with the person’s blood. Becoming one with it.
“I’ve got one better. I’ll send for our mother.” Chasen looked at Hunter and could see he looked pale. “I’ll send for Mom and Reed. They’ll be able to figure this out, okay?”
Freja … don’t leave me. I need you.Hunter looked upward as his eyes watered. He couldn’t lose his mate.
Hunter … don’t worry. I won’t go far. For now, I need to stay out of sight. I don’t want you losing control and accidentally hurting someone else. Right?Freja felt her eyes sting, along with her chest. She was struggling for air, and this time, it wasn’t because she was being choked. She was going to have to stay away from Hunter. Stay away from his touches. She wouldn’t be able to seek the comfort of his arms that she has grown so accustomed to.
So much for marking our mate,Ember thought sadly in Freja’s mind. This time, though, Freja didn’t chastise her. She welcomed her company. It helped with the loneliness that was beginning to fill her chest. Freja sighed sadly. She was going to have to be alone again. Since she wasn’t sure if it could be reversed, she would need to go and search for answers on her own. As the demon huntress, she had connections. She would need to enter her dark world once again.
Freja.A tear trickled down his cheek.I’m sorry I tried to … I would never ever ...His gaze darted through the leaves, knowing that Freja was up there somewhere.
