Freja smiled at her. “I know you aren’t weak. But there are more evils that lurk here than who I’m going to see. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want Jin to come. The shriek dwells in these parts. This is why not many ever travel here. Only those who do not fear death can pass by the shriek.”
“Do you not fear death?” Ciana tilted her head and stared into the green emeralds of Freja’s eyes.
“I used to welcome it. Now, I don’t want to die, but I still don’t fear it.” Freja turned to start walking into the foggy woods.
“What is the shriek? What happens if you fear death? And what sort of name is that? Ha ha …” Ciana asked with a half smile and watched Freja freeze in place.
“The shriek is a creature that was created by all the tormented souls who died before their time. It’s worse than a vengeful spirit. Its only purpose is to make others suffer likethey have. If you fear death, that’s exactly what you’ll get. That or it’ll put someone like you in a catatonic state. But you would be down for days. It gets its name for the scream you hear when it’s close. It lets out high-pitched screams as it hunts you down, trying to scare you and make you think about death.” Freja tilted her head to the side to look back at Ciana. “It’s best to stay out of these woods.”
“Good luck, Freja.” Ciana shifted into her human form and watched the huntress disappear into the forest.
The fog was thick. The mixture from the cold ground and heat from the sun created a repulsive humid air in the thick brush. Freja crept through the woods as silently as she could. She didn’t fear death, right? She never had before. Not wanting to die wasn’t the same as fearing death, right? She couldn’t afford to doubt herself. She’d encountered the shriek before, but it had never bothered her.
She’d made this trip several times in the past. The truth was, Jester was the one person that she did talk with in her lonely life. Was he a friend? She didn’t really consider him a friend. And he wanted more than friendship. He was someone she could talk to when the bitter sting of isolation was unbearable.
Jester was a different breed of vampire. He was several hundred years old. And because of that, he had the strength and cleverness of his advanced age. He chose to live a life in isolation after witnessing the brutality of the world time and time again.
It was impossible to tell how old Jester was by looking at him. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with pale skin and blonde hair, amber eyes, and a muscular physique. He was fairly tall, about the same height as Hunter. Most women would find him attractive, but it was never anything more for Freja.
She could hear a stream trickling nearby. Had the mist not been so thick, she probably would have been able to see it. The shrubbery was thick also, though most of the brush was dead.Leafless trees grew here, along with wicked thorn bushes. Briars and weeds overtook most of the overgrowth. It was a difficult trek.
The air around her began to grow colder, a clear sign that the shriek was close. The icy feel of vengeful souls couldn’t be mistaken.
“AHHHHHHHHH!”
The sound of screaming hissed in the wind with a hollow sound. At first, it was faint, but it grew closer. The shriek had picked up on Freja’s trail. The huntress was being hunted. Freja felt a chill go down her spine. A month ago, if she would have traveled through these woods, she would have been fine. Today? Today she was second-guessing her resolve. She could tell by the shrill sounds the shriek was making that it thought of her as prey. After the first time she met the shriek, it never chased her down. It knew she had no fear. This time, though, it was coming after her. This was causing Freja to second-guess herself. Was it chasing her, trying to make her contemplate death? Or did her scent give off something vulnerable about her now?
Freja looked behind her as a white orb came into view. It hissed toward her, angrily wailing. Closer. Closer. The screams were getting louder. “AHHHHHHHH!”
She heard the sound of wind hissing in the trees and the flash of steps. Freja was pulled into a chest. She tensed and looked up to see Jester holding her tightly as he faced the shriek. When it saw his face, it stopped and continued wailing in another direction, satisfied that what they were chasing was not someone who feared death. Luckily for them, the shriek was a mindless killing void, not intelligent. It was easily fooled.
Freja let out a breath. Did she fear death after all now? Or was she just afraid of leaving Hunter alone?
Strong hands clamped onto her shoulders and spun her around. Freja looked up into the concerned amber eyes looking back at her.
“What the hell was that, Freja? You were being hunted …” Jester’s voice trailed off and his eyes darkened. “You smell different.” His nose scrunched up as his eyes flickered over her. His gaze landed on the mark on her neck. “You-you have a mate?”
Freja reached her hand up to her mark. “Umm, yes, I do.”
A sad smile spread across his face and he nodded. “That’s why the shriek was chasing you down. You smell differently now. Unless you really do fear death?” Jester cocked his eyebrow and studied the green eyes in front of him.
“I don’t think I fear death. There’s a difference between having something to live for and fearing dying.” Freja paused and looked at her arms. “I smell differently? I haven’t noticed.”
“Yeah, you smell different. The scent mixture is weird, with an overwhelming mutt smell dominating it, which tells me one thing: your mate is a werewolf,” Jester said, folding his arms over his chest. He gave her a sideways frown, not happy about her having a mate.
“Is that really what that means? What if it just means that I’m part werewolf?” Freja smiled as she watched his eyes widen.
“That’s not possible. Is it?” Jester had been alive for hundreds of years and had never heard of something like this.
Freja shrugged. “I’m not really here for small talk.”
“Of course, you aren’t. You rarely are one to talk. Well, at least that was before. But I can sense you, Freja. You’ve changed more than you think. The aura around you isn’t as deadly. Be careful. Your enemies will notice this change as well.” Jester frowned, thinking about this vulnerability.
“Hmph. I’m just as deadly. In fact, I can argue that I’m more deadly now. There are things that make me even morebloodthirsty. If anyone wants to put this to the test, they’re welcome to it. I’ll be sure to water the plants with their blood.” Freja narrowed her eyes at Jester. Was he testing her resolve? She might have more people that she cared for, but this only made her more dangerous. Anyone who dared to harm her new friends and family would receive her full wrath. Fixing Hunter was her first priority. However, afterward, she would be heading to the Briar Coven. Their kind would cry for generations for what she was going to do to them.
“You know … I would have treated you well, Freja.” His amber eyes fell upon hers with a very serious expression. “Deep down, I always thought you would end up coming to me.”
“I made myself clear to you more than once, Jester. Besides, I’m not right for you. I appreciate your …”
