No Place Called Home

Chapter 3 

Freya 

Her eyes were as cold as they’d always been and for a brief moment I let myself hope that seeing me like this, my back covered in bruises, bloodied, and completely broken might finally crack through that ice and bring a bit of warmth in her eyes that  I hadn’t seen in years.  

But it didn’t. 

If anything, the disdain in her gaze doubled like the exact moment I told her I was staying at Rowan’s pack.

She stood there, watching as the healers worked their magic like the professionals they were and soon the pain started to fade. “Please take some time to rest up.” The eldest one said, bow slightly at me and then at my mother before they all left the room. 

“So you finally came back after getting hurt.” She asked, as soon as the door closed behind us. 

The words landed coldly. No embrace, no concern, no warmth. Just that flat acknowledgment of my failure.

My chest tightened. Even here, in my home, there was nothing for me.

She shook her head, her disappointment evident. “I warned you, tried my best as a mother to stop you from humiliating not just yourself but this pack.” She hissed, her voice low. 

“Is that what matters to you? The humiliation? Can’t you see that I have been severely wounded?” I whispered. Testing my voice to see if it still worked after all the agonizing screams, a lump forming in my throat. 

She walked deeper into the room, her gaze fixed on the blood stains at the corners of  my lips. “No need to be so dramatic, you’re a wolf and coupled with the healer's magic you should heal in an hour.” She paused. “Or three considering how severe the damages are and the fact that you don’t have your wolf yet.” 

She looked back towards the open window. “Besides, that’s what you get for being disobedient.” 

If this had been Iris, my adopted sister, our mother would have already rushed to her side, would have comforted her, would have shown some kind of emotion. 

But for me, there was only disappointment.

“Iris would have approached this differently, you know.” She exhaled, bringing her gaze back to me. “She wouldn’t have been blinded by some silly puppy love. Instead she would have gained some political freedom for herself.” She pointed out, looking out the window again like she was expecting someone. 

I scoffed, I’d been through too much to care about what she thinks about Iris. “Of course, where’s she anyway?" I asked, hiding the hurt in my voice. 

Iris was usually glued to our mother's side, soaking up attention like a sponge.

"Medical treatment abroad," my mother replied shortly. "She'll return later today or tomorrow." 

Finally, she kept her eyes on me,  her haze assessing and cold. "Now that you're back, we need to discuss your responsibilities. You're the heir, Freya. The pack comes first. Always."

I couldn’t deal with this right now. Whatever it was she had to say, I knew I couldn’t handle it; not with all that had happened.

“Can’t it wait?” I asked. 

“No.” She replied, leaving no room for an argument. 

“I have found a husband for you…” she paused, gauging my expression but I stayed calm. “Lord Alfred.” She dropped, the words exploding like a bomb in my head. 

I almost stood up in anger but the pain searing through me sent me back down. 

Lord Alfred was old, not just older than me, but old enough to be my father.

"Are you serious?" I whispered in disbelief. "Aside from the fact that I just got out of an engagement and shouldn’t be talking about marriage, that man is old!"

"That man… is a powerful alpha with strong connections to the Royal Council," my mother corrected sharply. "He could help you secure your position and strengthen our pack's standing. You should be grateful I took the time to find you such a suitable match."

Grateful! That nasty word again.

"I can’t do this right now, I’m too weak" I replied, turning back to her and facing the wall…

She cleared her throat. “He will be here in two or three days.” She announced but I ignored her. "If you refuse to fulfill your responsibilities, then perhaps you shouldn't be heir at all."

The threat hung in the air between us.

I turned to face her again, my eyes burning with fury. "Fine," I said, my voice shaking with a mixture of the pain I was feeling and anger. 

"But you of all people know there’s no one more suitable than me for this position— or you’d be pushing your favorite daughter into that throne.”

She walked out after that, leaving the challenge in the air. And soon after, I fell asleep and after about three to four hours of sleep, I was feeling better just like my mother had predicted. 

I picked up my phone and dialed Aurora’s number. 

She had been my best friend since childhood, the old Beta's daughter who'd grown up alongside me in the pack house. She was one of the few people who'd never treated me like an obligation.

And also my savior today. Rowan would have let his guards beat me to death and that truth made bile rise up in my throat. 

Three years of my life, wasted slaving away for a pack that gave me no recognition. 

"Can we meet?" I asked as soon as she picked up. "I need to get out of here."

“Are you sure you’re strong enough?” 

“I am the wounds don’t hurt anymore, but I could be better..” I muttered. 

"You know what you need? A night out. Let me take you somewhere fun." She chimed. 

"I don't know if I'm in the mood—"

"The neutral zone," Aurora interrupted. "There's this amazing club. It'll be perfect."

I blinked. "What neutral zone?"

Aurora gasped dramatically. "Oh my god, you really were isolated out there in Rowan's backwater territory. The Lycan King designated part of his lands as neutral ground a few years ago. It's become the place where all the packs mingle, where the elite go to see and be seen. It's brilliant, actually. Strengthens connections between territories."

The Lycan King…. I wonder if he ever made it to Rowan’s pack. 

"Come on," Aurora urged. "You've been playing small for three years. Time to remind yourself who you really are."

She was right. I was Freya Valenwood, heir to one of the most powerful packs in the territory. Not Rowan's discarded omega. Not my mother's disappointing daughter.

"Okay," I said. "Let's go."

~

The club was everything Aurora promised. Music pulsed through the air, lights danced across the crowded floor, and everywhere I looked, I saw wolves from different packs mingling freely. No longer hiding behind the persona I'd worn for Rowan, I let myself relax, let my natural confidence show.

And people noticed.

Aurora disappeared to the restroom, leaving me at the bar. Almost immediately, a handsome man approached, his smile easy and charming.

"I haven't seen you here before," he said, leaning against the bar beside me. "I definitely would have remembered someone like you."

The alcohol had made me warm and loose in an attempt to forget the sorrows that actually brought me there. "Is that your best line?"

"I've got better ones." His eyes traveled over me appreciatively. "But I thought I'd start simple."

I was about to politely shut him down when his hand moved to my waist, proprietary and unwelcome.

I recoiled immediately from his touch, but he just pressed harder, the bruises from what I endured starting to burn.

"What are you—" I started.

Strong fingers wrapped around the man's wrist, yanking him away from me with effortless strength.

I turned and my breath caught.

Dark eyes met mine, intense and magnetic, set in a face that was all sharp angles and controlled power. The stranger radiated authority, the kind that made everyone in his vicinity instinctively step back.

Our gazes locked, and my heart slammed against my ribs.