“You forget that your father is the King of the Fairies. You’re looking at more power than you think.” Grayson smirked, looking at Chasen’s excited face. “This battle is far from one-sided. Watch and learn, little cub.”
The two wolves circled each other. Then, in a blur, they lunged for one another. Two wolves clashed with an earth-shattering impact. The current alpha and the old alpha collided against the other, and a test between a father and a son ensued.
Drip. Drop.
Drip. Drop.
Freja walked into the dark cave, taking a moment to let her eyes adjust. The pearl in her hand was singeing her. A set of dark glossy orbs were watching her and waiting.
“You’ve brought what I asked?”
Freja placed the black pearl into Kali’s hand. She then took a step back and watched as the dark priestess inspected it. “Perfect.”
“Okay. Your turn now. What can I do about the blood potion?” Freja pinned her green gaze on the pale figure in front of her.
“Patience. I will tell you what you need to know.” Kali walked over to her pot and poked her finger into the liquid, stirring it slowly. “First, tell Ciana to go ahead with the rest of her task. She no longer needs to escort you around.” She lifted her head, tilting it slightly. “I’m sure you can make it back without her, right?”
Freja set her jaw and nodded. Sure, she could make it without Ciana, but that would take days instead of hours. She sighed loudly, showing her irritation as she walked out to tell Ciana to continue with whatever it was she had left to do. She then walked back inside.
“Alright. Pay attention, dhampir. I will give you the knowledge that you seek.” Kali smiled and gazed at Freja. It was now time for her to fulfill her end of the bargain.
Blaze slammed into the ground and laid on his side, foam spilling from his mouth. He wasn’t expecting that. His father had hit him with a sensory blocking magic, something new that he hadn’t seen before. It was enough that it gave his father the perfect chance to land a hard blow against him. His front legs shook slightly as he tried to stand up. He could see Bo was panting heavily also, both tired and hitting their limits. But Blaze hadn’t unleashed all of his strength yet. In fact, there was still a part of him that was sealed. Some of his red energy felt like it was behind a floodgate, only some of it spilling out at a time. If only he could release the floodgate, he was certain his werewolf powers would be at their fullest.
“That’s quite enough.” Lita walked between the two wolves, tapping her foot on the ground. “Just look at the two of you. You’re both exhausted. Nope, you’re both done.” She looked between them and noticed how neither of them made a move to shift back into their human forms. “I won’t say it again.” Lita snarled lowly as she folded her arms.
“Eh, mom’s mad.” Chasen chuckled.
“Guess this match is over.” Grayson stretched his arms over his head.
“Yeah, but I think Hunter was going to win it.” Chasen winked at Grayson, who only shrugged.
“It’s hard to say. Hunter might have the strength, but your father has the experience. And experience goes a long way.” Grayson smiled as he watched the two wolves shift back to their human forms.
“Much better. Now, come on. We’re sitting down and having a family dinner together. We don’t get to see each other thatmuch anymore, and I want to soak in this time with my boys.” Lita walked up to Asher and prodded his nose with her finger. “So go clean your sweaty self up.”
Asher chuckled. “I know what’s wrong here. You’re jealous because you got left out of the sparring match, aren’t you?” He reached out and pulled her into his chest.I’ll have a sparring match with you tonight. Winner gets top.
Lita giggled and shook her head. “You’re getting me all sweaty. Go get cleaned up! You too, Hunter.”
Hunter took in a deep breath and smiled. He was doing his best to try to enjoy his parents’ company. It was hard. His mind was constantly going back to Freja. At least when he was training and sparring, he was able to focus on fighting. As soon as it was over, his mind trailed right back to his mate. He felt like he wasn’t whole. A piece of him was missing, and it was hard for him to focus on anything but the missing piece.
Hunter followed behind his parents, brother and uncle. He looked up at their laughing faces and for once felt like a foreigner. He didn’t belong in their happy reality. He was there, but he wasn’t. He never thought he would ever feel like this, but he would rather lay in his room alone than join everyone else. Pretending to act okay was draining. He clenched his fists in quiet misery.Freja … I miss you.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Kali had explained to Freja the one shot she had. It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was the only thing she had to try. She had made her way off the mountainside and was now deep in a dark forest.
The forest was eerily quiet as Freja moved through it. Not even sunlight reached through the leaves. The smell in the air was foul and stung her nose, and her senses were yelling at her to turn around and go in another direction. She was curious, though, and this was the fastest way back to Hunter.
Like the predator she was, she stalked through the treetops in silence, making sure to keep her body well hidden as she ignored the tingling sensation screaming at her to run. What was this? She knew it was demons because she recognized the scent, but for some reason her intuition was telling her to get out of there.Weird.She was a demon huntress. Killing demons was what she did.
Every movement she made was soft and calculated as she drifted through the trees like the wind, the sounds she was hearing becoming clearer. She took cover in a large, leafy tree and found a gap where she could watch the ground below. She hid her aura so she could go completely unnoticed.
Demons were scattered across the forest. It looked like several bands had joined to prepare their next march. This wasn’t anything unusual, though, since the demons have been on the move and banding together for a while now. There was something else that had set her on edge, and she soon realized exactly what it was.
A demon emerged—one whose face she’d seen only a couple of times but could never forget. She saw the demon Leoric come into the clearing. Then Freja’s breath caught in her chest, and an icy chill ran through her veins as her eyes widened in horror. She watched as a large beast walked up. His skin gleamed the rich brown of scorched earth, pulled taut over a frame so massive he blotted out the light behind him. From his back, great wings unfurled in leathery arcs that could have shamed a dragon, their span casting shadows wide enough to swallow the ground beneath. Claws curved from his fingertips like obsidian hooks, and when his lips parted, rows of fangs caught what little light remained.
The earth groaned with each step he took, small fissures spider-webbing outward from the imprint of his feet. Yet he moved without hesitation, shoulders squared, chin lifted, as though the world existed solely to bear his weight. His gaze swept forward, black and fathomless, holding nothing that resembled fear. Only the steady, ancient certainty of a creature who had never known a predator. She was looking at the epitome of everything evil. Her fingers began to shake, and a wave of nausea rolled through her stomach. This demon war had brought up an ancient evil … a terrifying monster from the deep. While she couldn’t believe it, she couldn’t ignore what she saw in plain sight. It was Mephisto, who looked like he would be entering the war alongside his son, Leoric.
