Chapter 3

FREYA'S POV

"Get out, if you are here to cause trouble." Brayden glared at me with disdain.

I chuckled slightly, my drenched clothes dripping against the floor as I covered our distance.

No one moved in the room, fearing they would offend the Alpha, but their hawk-like gaze spoke far more than their lips ever could.

"Not until I see her," I mumbled.

Brayden's grip dug into my arm, and his claws tore through my skin, yanking me closer.

"You have some nerve coming here after what you did to my father." His voice dropped low, slow, and edged with an air of danger. "Do you have a death wish?"

My fist clenched. "You already laid out my execution. Either way, I end up dead. What's the point of fearing death now?"

Brayden's eyes tilted toward mine before he chuckled, his lips pursed, and he gave a knowing nod.

Then suddenly, his grip tightened around my neck, but I didn’t recoil; I inhaled slowly, even as my heart raced wildly.

One twist was all it would take to end my existence.

"Do you think you even deserve death?" He leaned toward me, his breath on my face, our faces only inches apart.

"No, you don’t. I’ll let you live—but with a fate worse than death. You will never see our daughter... ever."

He pushed me aside, and I staggered backwards, feeling the strength leave my body, with that sinking feeling locked against my chest.

"Starting today, I strip you of your title as Luna of the pack. You will be nothing more than a slave, living under the scraps of my mercy..."

My heart started to beat faster as my vision blurred. Jenny held me back before I could fall.

There it was—that faint moment of hesitation in his eyes before his lips parted slowly.

“And I, Alpha Brayden of the East End pack, reject you as my mate... "

His voice faltered just for a heartbeat.

He clenched his jaws as his eyes lingered on the blood pooling at her lips.

But his emotions drain. "Get her out of my sight. She means nothing to me.

The pain was unbearable. My hand squeezed against my chest, my knees threatening to betray me, but I held onto Jenny.

We held each other's gaze for a while, and then Brayden tilted his head with indifference, almost like he was daring me to challenge him.

"I, Freya of the East End pack, accept your..." My stomach lurched as blood slurped from my lips. Faint whimper from my wolf howling inside me.

Brayden was unmoved, his jaw hardened with his hands inside his pockets.

My chest heaved as I spat the blood right into his face, and everyone gasped.

"I accept your rejection," I groaned.

Brayden slowly wiped the blood from his jaw, letting his fingers brush against it.

Maintaining eye contact, he glazed the blood, bringing it to his lips before his tongue coursed over his thumb. Then he smirked.

"Kindly escort her to her new quarters. Slaves are not permitted to be in the Alpha’s presence."

I was already panting when two strong grips tugged against my arm.

"I hate you, Brayden Throne. I curse the day I met you!" I screamed with so much force as they dragged me away.

I tried to kick, but my limbs were too weak. Every moment burned. My breath came out in ragged gasps, and my head spun.

I had to fight.

But when one of the Betas tossed me on his shoulders. My eyes widened with confusion and then we passed the servants’ quarters.

"Where are you taking me? Put me down at once..."

I wanted to scream again, but the sound died, echoing backwards inside my throat no matter how hard I tried.

Was that... Succession?

The dizziness was beginning to hit me like a wave, but I caught sight of a half-moon crossed with a wolf head tattooed against the neck of one of the Betas.

That wasn’t the East End pack’s symbol.

Who were these people, I pondered.

They tossed me inside a limo, and I pressed my hand against the back of my head, trying to shake off the dizziness.

"Hello, Freya…”

I froze.

He leaned forward, just enough for the dim light to illuminate the silver in his dark hair, the way his eyes shimmered like light.

Something in me stirred—familiar but impossible.

“You’ve grown... You have her eyes,” he murmured.

I blinked. “Who—”

“I’m your father.”

This was a bombshell I couldn’t accept. If he was my father, where had he been all these years while I suffered?

I shook my head dismissively. "That's not possible. I don’t have any parents."

The blue-eyed man sighed before he continued.

"I understand that this might be too sudden and overwhelming, but I am your father. I’ve been looking for you for so long."

I stared at him, not knowing what to think, or feel, or even believe.

This was too sudden and abrupt.

This might be one of Brayden's games—a ploy to play on my mental health.

"I don't care whatever this is, what I want is simple. A life free from this hell and to raise my daughter."

Just thinking that I might not be able to see her, not even once, made my heart break even more.

My jaw clenched as I tried to leave, but his words made me freeze in my tracks.

"I may not be able to bring your daughter now, but I can make sure you raise your son."

I blinked in confusion, unable to understand his words.

What son? As far as I knew, my other child was gone—so what was he talking about?

The door opened, and my mouth parted in awe. In front of me was Jenny, cuddling a baby wrapped in a fur coat.

"I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen..." Jenny mumbled as she scooted inside the car.

I stared at the tiny bundle in her arms, my vision swimming. My lips parted, but no words came.

"No.. That's not possible. " I whispered.

Jenny laid him gently in my arms, and the world stopped.

His weight. His warmth. The faintest flicker of his breath.

I wanted to believe.

But what if this was a game?

Or a cruel illusion?

But yet, my arms tightened around him on their own.

He was real. "How is this possible?"

The man leaned forward, with a smirk.

"There are a lot of things you don’t know about our family, Freya. All I ask is that you give me a chance..."

My heart pounded. After what happened to me, could I really trust anyone ever again?

"I’ll give you two options. One—you take your son and leave, and hopefully your ex doesn’t take him from you."

I swallowed hard. He was right. Going back to East End was not a good option. If Brayden found out the other child was alive, he’d take him from me.

I held my son closer, defensively. "What’s the second option?" My tone was laced with skepticism.

He chuckled, his eyes glowing under the dim light in the limo.

"I make you a queen, with life’s pleasures at your feet. Money, power, respect..."

"I don’t care about all that. I want my daughter," I snapped almost too quickly, but his smile didn’t waver, not even once.

"What about revenge—against those who hurt you?"

My eyes lit up instinctively before I could even stop them. I wanted them to suffer just as much as I did.

Brayden, Lilith, the elders– I wanted to burn everything to the ground because of what they did.

"I see that catches your fancy. Let me stay by your side and raise you from the ashes. You’d be shocked by the things you can do... Freya Herondale.”