Freja leaned back against the trunk of the tree for support. If Mephisto fought in the war, they were in trouble. There was onlyone thing that could stand toe-to-toe with an original demon such as him, and that would be a tier-one deity. A deity such as Leviathan fighting against Mephisto would be their only chance. And even then, they would be an equal match. It would be a toss-up as to who would win. And what if he wasn’t the only original demon joining the war? The upcoming battle would not just be a battle for balance. It would be a fight for survival. If they lost to the demons, they would surely face extinction.
Freja slipped away quietly, in fear. She needed to get away from the terrifying sight of Mephisto. Kali and Selene must have already known that Mephisto was challenging the balance, which was why they had been slowly stacking the deck in their favor. But would it be enough? This wouldn’t be the easy fight she’d hoped it would be. They would need everyone to join in against the demons. The fairies, werewolves and dragons would all need to fight together. And they would need Leviathan to fight against Mephisto.
Once Freja felt like she was far enough away, she leaned her head against the cool bark of a tree, panting heavily. Now that she was away from his intense aura, she was finally able to calm down. She never realized how terrifying an original demon was. It was not just his monstrous looks. It was everything about him. There was the power that radiated off of him, and his commanding presence. Then there was the cruelty that emanated from his eyes.
Freja looked back toward where she’d seen the demons. They seemed to still be in the preparation phase—not quite ready to march for war, but it was coming. She hoped she could fix things with Hunter before everything began. How could she fight in the war with him otherwise? She couldn’t allow him to fight blindfolded. She had agreed to be there without fully thinking things through. It would be tough to engage in the battle near Hunter. He would need his sight.
Freja shook her head and rose on the branch where she was perched, gazing toward the Black Ice Pack. She would have to take the long way around and give the demons a wide berth, because she definitely didn't want to run into Mephisto. Making sure to remain stealthy, she sprinted through the trees again, knowing there would be demon scouts nearby making sure everything was clear.
There was an uneasiness in her chest. She needed to get to her mate. She had been away from him too long and knew he would be worrying.
Hunter, I’m coming.
Hunter walked behind his parents as they patrolled the pack's territory. Having been almost a week since he last saw Freja, he was more than anxious. He had started patrolling the pack's border several times a day. For one, it gave him something to do, and two, he was hoping he would catch some sign of her, even just her scent on the breeze. Anything to let him know she was on her way.
Today, his parents joined him, along with his uncle and brother. He was a bit frustrated by the extra company. This was his time of solitude, and for the first time in his life, he craved it. He wanted to be away from the smiling faces in his pack and the happily mated couples. All he could think about was his own mate, how he couldn’t see her or else he would try to kill her … and how he had no idea where she was or if she was in danger.
“You sure you don’t want a mate of your own, Uncle Grayson?” Chasen looked over at his uncle and smiled.
“I’m very sure. I’m glad you took one for yourself. This is my own personal choice, and I’m happy with it. I don’t feel likeanything is missing from my life. It’s actually very full.” Grayson knew that Chasen was projecting his feelings onto him a bit. He’d never felt the need to take a mate. “Though I am very interested in how you said you felt the mate pull. I wonder what that’s about. We don’t have fated mates. You’re the first I’ve ever heard of.”
“I couldn’t believe it either. The same goes for Jin. Her kind don’t have fated mates either. Well, her kind of demon, that is. I’m not sure what it means or why it happened. I guess we were supposed to be together.” Chasen shrugged. It really didn’t matter to him. He had her, and that was all that mattered.
Hunter stopped walking as he felt a small pull in his chest. Blaze had perked his ears up and was alert as well. He caught the faintest scent of his mate. She was back. He began to look around frantically.
Hey moron, you can’t look at her, remember? So quit trying to look for her.Blaze chuckled.
Hunter rolled his eyes in annoyance, but his wolf was right. He didn’t want to accidentally see her and then fly off the handle.
“Hunter?” Asher turned around and looked at his son, who was standing in place with his eyes now closed.
“She’s close,” he whispered as her scent got stronger.
Did you miss me?Freja’s voice echoed into his mind. His heart squeezed and he felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Miss you? Baby, it’s been torture.
Keep your eyes closed, okay?
I won’t open them.
Freja jumped down onto the ground behind Hunter. She wrapped her arms around his back and leaned her head against him. He immediately brought her hands to his lips. She felt the weight of the world lift from her shoulders at that moment.How have you been? I’ve thought about you constantly.
I’m not going to lie. I’ve been miserable. I can’t not be with you anymore. I can’t have you leaving my side again. I can’t take it.Hunter kissed her fingers and inhaled her sweet scent.Did you find a way to fix this?
“I found something we can try,” Freja said, out loud so everyone could hear. “It’s the only shot we have.”
“What is it?” Lita asked, worried it might be something that could harm Hunter.
“I have to mark him.” Freja’s eyes met Lita’s. “If my vampire venom is strong enough, it will turn him. This will start to change his blood into something different, which will weaken the blood potion, and Hunter might be able to fight it out of his system. The worst case would be it doesn’t work, and now Hunter is that much stronger and harder to control. It’s the only option we have.”
“Very well. We have two guardians here, plus Asher. The three of them will be able to hold Hunter down so we can test if it works without him getting to you.” Lita conceded to this. If anything, Hunter would only end up stronger.
“I’d actually like to speak with you before we proceed. Just in case things go horribly, I’d like to tell you what I’ve seen while traveling.” Freja watched Lita nod her head.
“What did you see?” Hunter asked, wanting to know too.
“Nope. I’m not telling you until after your transformation is done. I want you focused on one thing only, and that is fighting the potion inside you.” Freja tapped his chest, then trailed her hands off him.
