Chapter 8

Freyas pov

The morning after he left, the silence was the heaviest thing. Alpha Zac hadn’t said a word to me before he left, he hadn’t said goodbye or anything at all. He’d just gone.

I wanted to act like I didn’t give a rats ass what happened but I suddenly shuddered at the thought of what anyone would do without him at the pack.

I leaned against the headboard of the bed and stared at the window.

Uncertainty seemed to claw at me with every breath.

Zara didn’t seem to have any of that. She was five years old. This was magic for her. It was a new home. A garden bigger than she’d ever imagined, rooms with windows tall as doorways and soft rugs blanketing the floor, flowers she’d never even dreamt existed before. And guess what? We were not in prison like the last pack. We felt free. Or happy. Or was it that the punishment wasn’t here yet? I couldn’t tell. But hey, at least we felt like everything was just okay.

I heard her little feet run back and forth just outside the door, her laughter a ball of sound thrown at the walls. It was as if something in her joy were trying to push down some of the emptiness in me.

“Mama!” she called, loud and breathless. A moment later she came into the room, her cheeks like blown roses, one or two little strands of hair scattered from the wind. She smiled so hard my heart fluttered with happiness to see she was happy. “Oh mama, you are not going to believe what I got!”

All I could do was smile and act like I had no idea what she was saying.

“What, baby?”

“A butterfly. A big one! Blue and black and it landed on my hand but then it flew away.” She stuck her little arm out, showing me where she’d meant. “Right here.”

I looked at her hand and reached to smooth the out of place hair back behind her ears.

“That’s great honey. But I just gave you a bath. I don’t want you to be dirty again.”

She bounced on her toes. “Can I go look again? Please, Mama?”

I didn’t want her to go but I didn’t have any choice.

I nodded. “Alright. Just… don’t go too far, okay?”

“Yay!” And with that said she was back out, the sound of her small feet pattering down the hall.

I smiled and leaned back in bed as I stared at the windows. It was calm here. I knew that in Greg’s pack by now I would be sent around by madame to wash floors or something but here I was still in bed.

The hours dragged on as Zara ran in multiple times to tell me new things.

"Mama there is a swing! Can I go?"

“Yes, baby. Just be careful.”

Later on, she ran in again.

“Mama! I found a tiny frog. It’s so little! I almost stepped on it.”

“That’s lovely, sweetheart. Just don’t touch it, alright?”

“Okay then!”

And again…

“Mama, look! I picked a flower for you.” She said while holding out a crushed yellow flower in her dust covered hand.

I wanted to be mad she was covering herself with dirt but I held back.

I stretched out and took it gingerly from her palms, I kissed each finger. “Oh I love this sweetheart.”

She smiled and ran back out to play again.

The hours dragged. Day slouched into evening, light tiring toward dusk. Zara came in and out, once for a drink, in again to wash the dirt from her hands and another time to eat.

“I love it here!” she said sleepily again at dinner that night. “I want to stay here always.”

All I could do was smile at her and be happy that at least she was happy.

“I’m glad you love it here, sweetheart.”

After dinner, she fell asleep as I laid her in bed and finished dinner.

I carried the plates and took them to the kitchen to wash and while there I heard laughter and a murmur of chatter along with glasses clinking.

What was going on?

I cleaned my hands and got out to see people heading to a building with flashing lights and music emanating from it. It was a party.

For a moment I stayed behind, my feet stuck on the pathway. But what was I doing?

I could go there and have some fun and maybe make some friends. I mean. I was in this pack right? I could as well just get used to my new life.

So I did.

The more steps I took, the louder the music got. Then I was at the door, where two guards stood at the entrance. Shoulders squared and eyes sharp.

I thought they would stop me. Demand why I was here, what right I had. But when I approached, they just moved aside. No questions.

I got in and looked around as I saw the people dancing and making friends while I stood awkwardly close to the entrance.

But it didn’t take long before I heard my name.

“Freya?”

I turned, blinked, and my heart almost stopped. Faces I knew. Faces I hadn’t seen in years. Old school friends.

They stared at me, mouths open and eyes wide before as they started to scream and ran at me, smiling and arms outstretched.

“Oh by the gods, it is you!” one of them said as she grabbed hold of me.

“Where have you been all this time?” another asked, her voice breathless. “It’s been forever!”

I caught myself grinning. “I… yeah. Too long, I think.”

“A bit too long,” One of the guys laughed, shaking his head. “Try five years. Maybe more.”

“We missed you.” Another said as I smiled.

I swallowed hard, my throat thick. “I missed you too.”

They started telling me of what I had missed when I had left the pack and as they talked I zoned off.

I was mid-laugh when I heard it.

It was a voice. From behind me

And it said my name.

“Freya.”

I knew that voice.

Slowly, I turned to see who it was and that was when I saw Beth standing there.

“Oh by the gods,” she gasped as I felt tears gathering in my eyes.