Jin reached her arms around Freja and hugged her. “You’re okay!” Jin smiled as she let go of her friend.”
“Of course I am.” Freja looked at the other wolves as they struggled to their feet.
“Why are you here?” Jin asked, feeling relieved to see her friend unscathed.
“We heard the loud yelps from upstairs and immediately ran toward the sound. So, what happened here?” Freja looked at the other wolves, who were hurt but nothing major.
“Tony ran off without us for some reason.” Jin looked over at him and frowned. She watched as the Black Ice Pack wolves that were with Freja trotted inside. Adam came up to Sam, and they all focused their gazes on Tony. Why had he run off like that?
Freja gripped a dagger in her hand and raised it quickly, taking a protective position in front of Jin as she stared at another door in the distance. “We’re not alone,” she hissed out. Darting through the shadows, she crept up to the door. She could see Jin starting to follow her.No, Jin.Freja held a hand up. She was able to speak to Jin and Chasen now, ever since she had been accepted as Hunter’s fairy mate. It was an interesting feeling, being connected to them. It was like carrying a part of them inside her. It was nice for times like this when they needed to quietly communicate.
She heard a loud noise in the room and took in small whiffs of the air as she tried to discern what was on the other side of the door.
Voices began entering Freja’s head. She winced as she tried to pick apart the conversation.
I’m sorry, is everyone alright? I made a mistake. I’m sorry you all suffered because of it. Everyone be prepared. We don’t know what’s on the other end of that door.
Freja looked at Tony. She was able to hear his open mindlink communication with his pack. Now that was interesting. She could see he looked visibly upset and was pacing back and forth as he looked at his pack members. She was surprised she could link with him, too. In order to focus, she pushed the noise out. She would definitely bring it up with them later, but maybe she should wait—for the sake of eavesdropping.
Freja stilled her mind as she focused on the source of energy, and it wasn’t long before she picked up a faint scent. She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. Pushing the door open, she looked inside, toward the far corner. She turned, and then she saw it. Her heart immediately sank. She took a few steps closer and a set of eyes narrowed at her.
A light brown wolf began to curl its lip at Freja.
“Ah ah ah. I wouldn’t go disrespecting your queen. You don’t want to start off on the wrong foot, do you?” Freja narrowed her eyes on the wolf.What is your name?She watched the wolf stiffen in shock as Freja began to work on the silver bars. Surprisingly, they didn’t bother her, even though she was a werewolf. Must be because she was a tribrid? Or maybe a special skill of hers?
Sadie.Freja heard a timid voice answer her.
Sadie … How long have you been here? What have they done to you?
I’ve been here for a couple of weeks, I think. They were testing my blood and how it reacted with different potions.
A chill ran through Freja’s veins. They were testing a werewolf’s blood. A pit formed in her stomach. They were working on something for Hunter.
“Freja?” Jin whispered as she peeked in. Sam and Adam were also by her side.
“They knew we were coming … They were prepared for it. This was all a trap for Hunter.” Freja blurred past them, her heart beating wildly. She had to find Hunter. Whatever they were working on, it was to be used against Hunter. She had to protect him. She had to get there before they could use whatever it was they had been testing.
Tony watched as the others sprinted out of the room, leaving him and his pack alone. He went to follow, but the scent hit him again, and this time it was stronger. He cautiously walked intothe other room. His heart was racing as he continued to breathe in the intoxicating scent.
A light brown wolf in the corner lifted her head, and their eyes met.MATE.
A door at the end of one of the hallways was slightly cracked open. The entrance was narrow, so they would have to enter one wolf at a time. Hunter and Caden stood side by side, looking at the door.
I’m going in first,Hunter said, not taking his attention off of the opening in front of him.
Caden didn’t like this idea, but he also couldn’t argue it. Hunter was the alpha, and he knew he would never be able to get him to reconsider.I’ll be right behind you. Be careful.Caden looked at Hunter, bracing himself to sprint after him.
Hunter dashed inside, Caden following at his heels. SMASH.
Caden shook his head and rose to his feet. The world blurred for a moment, and then he looked up. The door had slammed on him while he was halfway through it. He looked around. Shit. Hunter was inside. Other pack members were clawing at the door frantically, unable to get in. Caden regained his composure and crashed against the door. It felt like crashing into a solid cement wall. It didn’t budge at all. This was the work of magic. He heard a slight whimper from inside the room, and he began pacing back and forth, snarling. He couldn’t get inside. He couldn’t get to Hunter. He could hear him, but that was it. He couldn’t smell anything because of the incense. He had no clue what was going on.
When he heard a yelp come from the room, he charged into the door again, crashing into it with such force that he heard thecrack of his shoulder blade from the impact. Ignoring his own pain, he focused on the only pain that mattered right now … Hunter’s.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
The sound of the door slamming shut echoed behind him. He glanced back for a second to see that he was the only one who’d made it through. His gaze immediately landed on the far corner of the room. Two witches smirked at him, crimson lips curling slowly to reveal their white teeth.
“You know what’s interesting about werewolves?” the first witch asked the other witch next to her. “It’s that deep down, they’re still just an animal.”
