Freja nodded her head against his back. “I promise, Hunter. No matter what. I’m not going anywhere. Even if I have to blindfold you every day, I will stay by your side. Always.” She kissed his back and felt him lower one of her hands. His warm lips pressed against her skin. She felt his body relax as he heard her truth.
“Thank you, Freja. Thank you so much. I know this isn’t ideal, but?—”
“But any life with you, no matter what kind of life, is worth it,” Freja whispered into his back. She felt the same way.
Lita and Asher stood there watching the two mates, worried and rigid. Hunter and Freja were going to stay together no matter what. Even if they couldn’t break the blood potion bond. This wasn’t good. This was not news they wanted to hear. What would happen when Hunter accidentally hurt her, or killed her? It would destroy him. Lita and Asher’s thoughts raced between them. If they couldn’t remove the blood potion from his system, then Freja couldn’t stay by his side. They both agreed on this. No matter what, they had to think of Hunter first. They couldn’t let him accidentally kill his mate. That was a wound that time would never heal.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Hunter didn’t want to release his hold on Freja. He didn’t want her to leave his side again. He kissed her fingers and wished he could kiss her lips. He could technically, right? At the same time, he didn’t want to risk hurting her. He didn’t want to ever put his hands on her like that again. Instead, he resigned himself to kissing her hand again as he held onto it.
“Don’t be rash. I’ll be back soon,” Freja whispered into his back. She squeezed his hand once more. “I want to come back to a well-oiled pack, so you better not neglect your duties, Alpha.” Freja felt his back vibrate from his chuckle.
“Are you telling me to do my job as an alpha and not worry about you while you’re gone?” Hunter grinned.
“You are clever after all. I was beginning to wonder,” Freja teased playfully. She slowly lowered her hand from his eyes. He kept his eyes shut while she squeezed both her arms around his body, hugging him from behind.Be a good wolf and maybe I’ll bring you back a treat.
Hunter growled lowly and hugged her hands to his stomach.I want the whole meal, not a treat. Your body will be my entrée and I’m going to be starving. Prepare yourself.
Freja kissed his back and gave him one more squeeze. Leaving him was hard to do, especially because she could feel how much he needed her. He was in turmoil and needed his mate. But she was the reason he was in turmoil. She had to at least try to fix this. She had to give it her best shot. “Take care of yourself,” she whispered, pulling herself away. She had to leave him quickly, like pulling off a bandage. She quickly leaped up to the trees and dashed through the sky, leaving him once again.
Hunter stood there with his eyes closed, remembering her scent and her touch. He could still feel her warmth on his back. This was utter torture. He had to restrain himself from following her. His instincts told him to go after his mate, to keep her as close as possible so he could protect her.
“Hunter,” Lita said calmly as she placed her hand on his arm. She watched as his gray eyes fell upon her. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you should prepare yourself mentally.”
“There is nothing to prepare for, mom. Even if this can’t be fixed, I’m not going to live without her.” Hunter didn’t care. No matter how difficult it would be … they would make it work.
“Son,” Asher said as he stood in front of him. “Do you realize what you’re saying? What you’re talking about is more than difficult. What about the future? What about your lineage?”
“Dad … I don’t exactly need to see for that to work, right?” Hunter gave his father a crooked smile. His father was talking about children.
“And how will that work? Being blindfolded around your mate and children? And then what if there’s an accident and you end up seeing her? What if you accidentally injure her or worse?” Lita added calmly.
“Just stop. I know you both mean well. But you’re not thinking about what’s best for me. What would you guys have done? Would you really have separated? What if you’d just believed everyone when they said dad was dead? He could stillbe stuck in a cave if you hadn’t continued looking for him.” Hunter shook his head. “I know you mean well. But we will figure it out. If I have to blind myself to keep from accidentally hurting her, then I will.”
Lita and Asher looked at each other. It was no use. Their son wasn’t going to change his mind. At moments like this, it was nice to have their thoughts flow between them. They both already knew how the other felt. They both agreed that they would protect Hunter. He was first. No matter what kind of person Freja was, Hunter was their son. Together, they formed a plan. They both knew it wasn’t ideal or optimal, but for their son … if they had to, they would become the bad guys.
Freja hopped from the trees and walked up to the girl with caramel skin, who was excitedly chatting with Jin. Wow. The two of them had way too much peppy energy for her taste.
Jin turned and looked at Chasen and Freja. “I’m coming, too.”
“Jin, no.” Freja shook her head. This wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.
“Ciana told me you’re going to Jester’s for the black pearl. Are you crazy? I can’t let you go alone.” Jin knew a lot of the dangerous people in the world. She had lived with most of them for years. Some she had seen in passing. Jester was one of the most unpredictable crazies in the world.
Freja shot Ciana an irritated look. “Jin. I’ll be fine. You’re staying here and watching over Hunter for me. Besides, you can’t leave Chasen alone.” She could see the anxiety building up in Chasen at the thought of his mate leaving. “Also … Jester might be dangerous, but he won’t hurt me.”
“Who is this Jester?” Chasen asked, trying to follow along.
“Jester is a vampire. He’s dangerous, but only to those who he’s after. To me, though, he’s more annoying than dangerous. He’s more interested in keeping me than killing me.” Freja sighed in annoyance. She didn’t want to go see Jester, but she was pretty sure he had the black pearl. Well, he did, as long as he hadn’t traded it. “There’s no need for you to come, Jin. Honestly, you being there would make it more difficult.” Freja lied in order to keep Jin there, where she would be safe.
Chasen was perceptive and picked up on what Freja was doing. She might be saying Jester isn’t dangerous to her, but there was something she wasn’t saying. He appreciated that she wasn’t going to take Jin into a dangerous situation, but he knew he was being selfish. Freja was Hunter’s mate and should be protected. But Jin was his mate, and he couldn’t lose her.
Jin’s shoulders sagged a bit in defeat. She then looked at Ciana. “Are you going to come back here?”
“After I finish taking Freja around, there are a few more things I still need to do. But then I’ll be coming to stay with you for a little bit, at least until this whole war with the demons is settled.” Ciana smiled at her friend. She was glad to see how well Jin looked and was surprised she had found a mate. She looked up at Chasen. “Take good care of her.”
Chasen chuckled.Cheeky dragon.“You don’t need to say that. She’s my world.” Chasen pulled Jin into his arms. He then looked at Freja. “Make sure you make it back safely. Hunter needs you.” He knew how much Hunter needed her, too. Because he needed Jin just as much.
