“I will stay close to Freja, just in case. If Hunter breaks free, I can deter him long enough for her to escape,” Lita said as her eyes met Asher’s in unspoken affirmation. There was no turning back now if things went wrong.
“After I mark him, I will immediately back away so that you all can hold onto him. Hunter, once we know my venom is working, then I will need you to look at me. After they have a good hold on you, of course.” Freja smiled and nodded at Chasen. She would be counting on him and the other two men to be able to hold Hunter back. “I don’t know how strong this will make him. I hope you guardians are as tough as you claim you are.”
Grayson snorted. “With the three of us holding onto him, it shouldn’t be a problem. Though I will be interested to see how strong he is going toe-to-toe with a guardian.” Grayson smirked over at Chasen.
“Already volunteering me for an experimental battle? Sure. I’ll do it. I can’t let an old bear like you get hurt.” Chasen winked at Grayson and elbowed him playfully.
Asher walked up to Hunter and put his hand on his shoulder. “Son …” His voice then dropped low. “Your mother and I love you. You know that, right?”
Hunter chuckled. “Dad, you act like this is going to kill me or change me into a different person. Of course I know that.”
Asher smiled weakly. “I just want you to remember, that’s all.”
“Thanks, Dad. I know.” Hunter stood there with his eyes closed. How he wished he could open them and see his mate. It had been too long since he’d looked into her green emeralds. He needed this to work.
Freja walked up behind Hunter and rested her head on his back.I wanted this to be an intimate moment for us, but I guess that can’t be helped.She smiled into his back as she felt him tense up.
We will more than make up for it later. I promise. No matter what.
No matter what. My place is by your side.Freja took in his scent, calming her nerves in preparation for what was about to happen. She pulled herself up to his neck.
He felt her breath hit his skin, and a tingling sensation rippled through his body. He felt his heart rate pick up in anticipation of what was about to happen. His mate was about to mark him. He could feel the heat between them as her chest pressed against his back.
Freja inhaled the scent of her mate again as she pushed her fangs forward, preparing to mark him as a werewolf and as a vampire. She was claiming her mate and praying this worked. She kissed his neck where she would place her mark, her lips brushing against him as she whispered, “I love you, Hunter.” She didn’t give him a chance to respond as she sank her fangs into him deeply, holding onto the shred of hope that this would work.
Right before she marked him, she told him she loved him. He’d wanted to tell her that he loved her too, but her fangs immediately punctured his neck, and a wave of pleasure surged through him. He could feel a chilling sensation flowing into himas well, which soon became a burn. He felt Freja move away, and then he was being held by three powerful sets of arms.
Liquid fire coursed through Hunter’s veins as if a hot iron was branding him from the inside, and a burning energy began to spread through him. He could feel the foreign invasion, as something was beginning to change in his body. This was the venom doing its work. With a deep breath, he tried to push away the pain and the thought of being marked by his mate. Now, he had to fight. He felt them turn him around in the direction he knew Freja was. He slowly opened his eyes and his gaze landed on Freja.
Freja watched as Hunter looked at her, his stormy eyes growing black, and a deep snarl ripped through his throat. He began tugging and fighting the men who had a hold of him. It was obvious that at this moment, all he wanted to do was attack her. She couldn’t see his consciousness pulling through at all. Asher, Grayson, and Chasen were visibly struggling to hold onto him as his new strength began to grow. His transformation was happening fast.
“Hunter, please.” Freja’s voice quivered as her hands slightly trembled. His bloodthirsty gaze was still focused on her as he thrashed around violently. Growls rippled through his throat. Luckily, the three men were able to hold him back, though it was taking a lot of effort on their part. Her eyes watered as she looked at him, the hate evident in his eyes. “This isn’t working. He isn’t able to fight it off.” Her voice broke slightly.
Freja felt a soft hand land on her shoulder. She glanced over at Lita as a tear trickled down her face.
“I’m sorry, Freja,” Lita said quietly. She took in a deep breath and looked at Hunter, his possessed sight gut-wrenching to see. Squeezing her fingers together, she solidified her resolve. Reaching behind her, she grabbed the object she had hidden and quickly plunged it into Freja’s back. She watched as the bloodpooled around the wound. Freja fell to her knees as her body trembled.
Freja felt the warm liquid trickling from her body and watched it pool onto the ground beneath her. She winced and fell onto her side, her face contorted in pain. Her eyes immediately went to Hunter, needing to see his face. Coughing slightly and squinting her eyes in agony, she took in a heavy breath and closed her eyes.
Lita looked down at the girl, her eyes filled with tears. She then looked up at Hunter. “I’m sorry. I hope you forgive me. You can’t move on with her alive. I did this for you. I only hope one day you’ll be able to understand.”
Hunter blanked when his eyes fell upon Freja. He heard his wolf howling in his head in agony, and he began to fight through his trance. His body thrashed against the men holding him, but his consciousness was slowly clearing. He watched his mother stab Freja in the back with a stake. He watched her slump onto the ground, her green eyes fixed on him until they finally shut and she laid there, motionless. He heard his mother apologize to him. How could he possibly understand? How could he forgive her for this? Is this what his father meant earlier? He felt his body rage in anger, and he began fighting to get to her, battling to regain control of his body.
Excruciating pain surged inside him as he completed the transformation. The suffering he felt inside was nothing like the agony in his chest from seeing his mate lying there, unmoving. The searing burn crashed against him in waves, receding slightly, only to come thrashing against him again viciously. It was like his insides were being liquified with acid. Though the pain was debilitating, it was still nothing in comparison to his heart feeling like it was being ripped out. He needed more power. He needed to be stronger. He needed to get to his mate.
His wolf howled in anguish once again, and Hunter embraced his feral side. The flood gates inside him burst open, releasing his red energy. The crimson force gushed through him as it intertwined with the venom of his mate. Together, the deadly combination purified his blood in volcanic heat, and his aura pushed out of him. His body took on a half-tribrid transformation, and in a forceful motion, he shook off the three men and rushed to Freja’s side, his eyes no longer laced in darkness but back to silver.
Back to his human self, he slid to his knees next to Freja. He reached out and gently took her into his arms, holding her close to his chest. What was his life without her? What was the point of any of this without her?
He held her body close and lifted his broken gaze to his mother. The woman who had stabbed his mate.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Chasen rushed to his brother’s side, looking down at Freja for a moment before flicking his gaze between their mother, father, and Grayson. The three of them were in on this together. There was no shock on their faces. This was planned. He couldn’t believe it. He looked down at Hunter.
“Hunter,” Chasen said quietly. Hunter glanced up at his brother. “You’re back to normal.” He gave him a weak smile. He then looked over Freja and his heart sank when he saw the location of the stake in her back.
Hunter looked back down at Freja, whose eyes slowly opened. A smile spread across her face as their eyes met.
