Chapter 7

The clinking of cutlery stilled when Alpha Logan’s gaze landed squarely on her. His dark, commanding eyes gave nothing away, but they pinned Freya in place like a butterfly caught in glass. For a moment she thought she had imagined it—that he couldn’t possibly be speaking to her in front of everyone.

“How have you been faring, Freya?” he asked, his tone even but edged with authority.

Her throat tightened. She could feel the weight of everyone’s attention, the silence pressing down on her chest. With an effort, she lifted her eyes, meeting his gaze for only a second before lowering them again.

“I’ve… been well, Alpha,” she answered softly. Her voice trembled despite her attempt to sound calm.

Logan nodded once, the gesture curt, deliberate. “Good. Because you’ll be accompanying me to a meeting soon. I trust you’ll be ready when I call for you.”

Freya’s breath caugh in her throat making her feel sick. A meeting? With him? Her mind spun, wondering what possible role she had to play in such things. But before she could gather her thoughts, his voice cut sharper, laced with warning.

“Don’t mistake this for indulgence,” he said. “The only reason I’ve given you space is because of Samantha’s plea on your behalf. But your time of ease is over, omega. From now on, be prepared.”

The finality in his tone struck her like a blow. She didn’t need anyone to spell it out—she knew exactly what he meant. The grace period was ending. The inevitable could no longer be postponed.

Across the table, Eve shifted uncomfortably, though she schooled her features quickly, masking whatever jealousy or disquiet had flickered there. Her fingers tightened around her wine goblet, and though she smiled faintly at Logan, there was a sharpness in her eyes when they flicked toward Freya.

Samantha, sensing the tension thickening, reached beneath the table and gave Freya’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Eat,” she whispered gently. “Don’t let it bother you.”

But Freya couldn’t taste the food anymore. Her stomach churned with dread, her appetite vanishing completely. She forced herself to chew and swallow, but every bite lodged like a stone in her throat.

When the meal ended, Samantha excused them both with a polite nod to the Alpha. Freya followed quietly, her steps heavy, her head lowered.

The moment the door to her chamber shut behind them, Samantha turned sharply. “Freya, what is it? Why do you look so pale?”

Freya shook her head, pressing a hand to her chest. “It’s nothing.”

Samantha frowned. “If it’s about Eve, ignore her. You know how she is. She thrives on making others uncomfortable.”

Freya’s lips curved in a faint, weary smile. “It’s not Eve.”

“Then what is it?” Samantha pressed, her eyes searching Freya’s face.

Freya hesitated, words tumbling inside her but refusing to settle. Finally, she whispered, “I just… wish I could have what you have. A real mate. Someone who chooses me, not because of a debt, not because of duty, but because he wants me. Because he loves me.”

Her voice broke on the last word, and she quickly turned away, hugging her arms to herself.

Samantha’s expression softened. She stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on Freya’s shoulder. “But the Alpha… he doesn’t treat you badly. He hasn’t forced anything on you, hasn’t even treated you like—like a breeder. He respects you more than most Alphas would. Don’t you see? You may very well become his Luna one day.”

Freya flinched, shaking her head firmly. “That’s not what I want, Samantha. Not this way. If I were to be a Luna, it should be because I was chosen, because I was loved. Not because I was sold off like cattle, a payment for my father’s debt. Do you understand? This place may feed me, shelter me, but it isn’t freedom. It’s still a prison.”

The raw truth in her words left Samantha silent for a long moment. At last, she sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I understand,” she said softly. “I really do. But still, you need to calm down, Freya. Don’t let despair eat you alive. You’re stronger than you think.”

Freya didn’t answer. She drifted toward the window and sank onto the bench beneath it. The night air was cool, carrying faint scents of pine and distant firewood. Her gaze stretched out to the moonlit horizon, where the pack grounds glimmered with torchlight.

“I wonder,” she murmured, almost to herself, “what the human world is like.”

Samantha’s head snapped toward her, eyes widening. “What?”

Freya turned slightly, a faint smile tugging at her lips though her eyes were clouded with wistfulness. “I’ve thought about it for years. How their world must feel, without wolves, without bonds tying their lives. I wonder what it’s like to wake up free of pack laws, to live as they do, with choices.”

“Freya!” Samantha hissed, rushing to close the shutters. She spun back to her, lowering her voice urgently. “You must never say things like that again. Do you hear me? It’s forbidden, absolutely forbidden. Do you know what could happen if anyone overheard you?”

Freya lifted her chin stubbornly. “I know it’s forbidden. I read about it once, back in Silverfang. I went to the ancient library and found scrolls, stories of the human world—how it thrived, how it differed from ours. They said we must never trespass into their world, but I used to dream about it. What if there’s more out there than this endless cycle of breeding and serving packs? What if…” She trailed off, her throat tightening with longing.

Samantha stared at her, struck speechless for a moment. Then she shook her head firmly. “No. Stop right there. I won’t listen to any more of this. You don’t understand the danger of those thoughts. Wolves who dream of leaving, who try to cross into the human world—they never return. It’s madness. Don’t ever bring it up again.”

Freya fell silent, but the flicker of rebellion in her eyes remained. She turned back to the window, resting her chin on her knees, gazing out into the night as though searching for something far beyond the walls of Northridge.

Samantha pressed her lips together, uneasy. She could feel the conversation slipping into dangerous territory, one she wasn’t ready to explore. So she let it end there, walking away quietly, though her heart was heavy with worry.

And Freya, alone with her thoughts, let herself wonder—for the first time in a long time—whether her fate was truly bound to the wolf world, or if another destiny waited beyond the horizon.