Chasen heard Hunter’s yelp earlier as his group was exploring the manor. He knew it came from above him, so he frantically ran around, looking for the stairs. He finally found them and charged toward the sounds of commotion, only to find out it was Hunter’s group of wolves but no Hunter. He saw how they were frantically trying to get inside, and pure rage built up inside him. Hunter was on the other side of those doors and had been injured. He charged toward the door, raising the power inside him to fight against the fortified magic. Nothing was going to keep him away from his brother, especially not witch magic. He barreled through the door and looked up to see Hunter standing over two bleeding witches.
Are you alright?Chasen asked Hunter as he took a few steps toward him. He looked the large silver wolf over. He could seethe crimson liquid dripping from his body. The wounds that had the silver shards wedged in them weren’t healing.
Hunter nodded and looked back at the two bodies. One of the witches was still struggling for air. Just then, a loud scream echoed through the manor. She smiled as the blood dripped from her mouth. “You’re too late,” she breathed out. “Sounds like we got the real target.”
Hunter’s eyes widened in fear. He knew the sound of that voice. Turning quickly, he ran out of the room. Fear gripped his insides for the first time since they’d entered the building. This whole thing was a setup to get to Freja. She was the target here, and he’d allowed her to fall right into the trap.
Freja spit blood and raised her eyes to Meryl in defiance. She slowly lifted her head off the ground, pushing herself up with her hands. Her arms trembled, as did her legs, but she fought against it. Meryl had calculated everything well. But she missed one important detail. Something her spy wasn’t able to pick up.
Loud pounding rattled the doors and Meryl looked over in annoyance. “Stupid animals. They can’t break through the magic I have in place here. After all … I had to make it strong enough for a dhampir.” She looked at the blood that was pouring from Freja’s side. “Tsk Tsk Tsk. You don’t look too well. I really should just put you out of your misery, but I love torturing my prey.”
Freja scoffed. “Your prey?” She winced as she stood up fully. “I’ll have to say. I wasn’t expecting this hit. And luckily for me, it isn’t life threatening. It will heal in time, though a bit slower, thanks to whatever the hell you laced it with.”
Meryl cackled. “You act like you’ll be leaving this place! Oh, no no dear, that isn’t the plan. This is your coffin. I plan to haveyou stuffed and mounted on the wall or something. Like a hunter would do with a trophy animal.”
She’s revolting. Can we kill her now?Ember growled.
Freja smirked and then used the back of her hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. “You’ve told me everything I need to know. This coven was working with demons, and you let me know who the mole is so they can be punished. Anything else useful that I should know before I kill YOU?”
Meryl looked at Freja in disgust. “Impertinent child. Even now you dare to defy me? You can’t escape those crystals and you know it.”
Freja smiled. “There’s just one problem … you’ve miscalculated.” She took a few steps forward, her eyes changing color. She was a tribrid, and a powerful one at that. The crystals to hold someone like her in place had not been created in this lifetime.
Lightning exploded from the crystals as she leaped through the magical barrier surrounding her. It ripped through her and incinerated her insides but couldn’t stop her from escaping. She landed on her feet and leaped forward. She had to act fast, because she was weakened and injured. She wasn’t sure how long she could hold her own in a battle of magic.
A flash of silver flew upward and out, sinking into flesh. Freja shrieked in pain as she felt the blade dig into her shoulder. She winced and raised her gaze upward. Her own dagger had landed in Meryl’s chest, blood running down the hilt and onto Freja’s arm.
She held onto her dagger as Meryl fell to her knees. “You damn bastard child. You are an abomination. How in the hell is this even possible? How did you become a werewolf as well? You must be destroyed.”
Freja’s legs shook as she looked down at Meryl, whose body had collapsed the rest of the way onto the floor. Her eye contactwas deliberate—she needed to watch the life fade from those eyes. Darkness crept at the edges of her vision, but a sharp shake of her head forced it back. Staying awake was nonnegotiable. This had to be witnessed. The woman responsible for so much pain and suffering needed to be seen in her final moments … needed to be watched as she died.
Meryl looked at Freja with hatred as her life slipped from her body. Darkness threatened to overtake her, but one last thought entered her mind.This isn’t over.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Freja blinked through the blur, letting out a sigh as she looked at the dead witch in front of her. The moment her life slipped away, the doors busted down. A large silver wolf ran up to her, immediately shifting back to his human self and setting his gaze on Freja’s wounds.
“Freja.” Hunter looked at her with worried eyes, flicking his gaze between her side and her shoulder.
“Hunter. You’re alright. I was worried about you,” Freja whispered. She stepped into Hunter, leaning into him for support. “Myra’s advisor is the traitor. She’s the one who warned them.”
“Shhh … just rest.” Hunter held her close, his eyes brimming with tears. He hated that she was hurt.
Freja let out an airy chuckle. “These aren’t mortal wounds. I’ve had way worse.” She allowed him to support her weight more, though. She was drained. That battle took a toll on her body, physically and mentally. She refused to lose consciousness, though. Not now. She would sleep well tonight. But she didn’t mind leaning into her mate’s arms for extra support.
“I’m sorry, Freja.”
“You shush,” Freja said. She peered over his arm and looked over the others. She noticed the wolf that was in the cage was free and by Tony’s side. “That’s Sadie. She was caged downstairs.
“Oh, and did you know we can hear them too? I can hear their mindlinks. Pretty amazing, huh?” Freja felt his arms tighten around her.
“Yes, it is.” Hunter pressed his lips onto her head and sighed. “When I heard your scream … I was terrified.”
She smiled. “Sorry. I wasn’t prepared to not make a sound.”
Hunter let out a low growl. “Don’t you dare suppress those sounds. I need to know if you’re hurt.”
“Okay, okay.” She smiled. She saw Chasen was now holding Jin next to him. “Let’s get out of this house. We still have a lot to talk about. I wonder why the witches never joined us. We need to figure out what happened there.”
