Freja's POV
The cool night air clung to my skin as Freya and I walked in silence, our light footsteps crunching against the floor. Above, the moon cast a soft silvery glow over the treetops, but its beauty was lost to the tempest storm raging inside me, the words of the priestess smothering me beneath their weight. Every step forward felt like a weight upon me, like chains dragged behind me.
"One shall live alone, without a mate… and one shall die alone, without a mate."
The moment she had spoken those words, I'd felt something inside me clench in protest-something dark and foreboding, as if the very essence of fate had whispered a warning in my ear.
But this? No. This couldn't be fate.
I clenched my fists to my sides, and my body grew tighter and tighter until it was unbearable. Finally, I couldn't hold it anymore.
"What was that?" I snapped, turning my head slightly toward Freya, sharper than I had meant. "What did she mean by all that nonsense she spilled!
Freya let out a h
