Chapter 5

Freya's POV

The figure raised his sharp, silver blade and pointed it at Xaden. “Kill him.”

And just like that, I had a choice to make.

Let them take him. Let them kill him.

Let them free me from this wretched bond.

Or

My fingers curled into fists and I swallowed hard.

I am going to regret this.

I took a step forward, startling everyone , including Xaden.

I wasn't sure if that would happen next but one thing was certain : Fate wasn't done screwing me over.

****

For years, I had dreamt of escaping Alpha Daemon's iron grip, of tearing down the Crescent Moon pack, of watching it burn to the very ground while I stood over her ruins.

I had prayed and cried day and night for freedom.

And now?

I was free.

But it wasn't what I expected.

Xaden was rotting in the resistance’s dungeon, exactly where he deserved to be while I was here among the wolves fighting for justice and freedom.

I should've been happy.

I should've been glad.

But why did it feel like there was a chain wrapped around my throat?

I knew why but I wouldn't admit it.

It was Xaden.

Even now as I paced outside the dungeon he rotted away in, I still felt the mating bond. I still acknowledged the cruel reminder that told me that I wasn't as free as I thought I'd been. For as long as he had refused to accept my rejection, I was still bound to him. Still his.

“Staring at the entrance won't make him any less annoying.” A voice spoke behind me.

I turned to see Darren leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and amusement glinting in his blue eyes. He was one of Logan’s men, a skilled tracker and an excellent liar. Logan was the leader of the Resistance.

“For your information, I don't stare.” I replied flatly.

He smirked at my words. “Sure. And I don't eavesdrop.”

I rolled my eyes. “Do you need something or are you just here to be a royal pain in my ass?”

He grinned. “I live to be a royal pain in your ass.”

I rolled my eyes again. “Go to hell.”

“Been there. Can't visit twice,” he laughed. “Oh before I forget, Logan wants to see you after you're done with your lover boy.”

My stomach does a flip. “Xaden is not my lover.”

“Not what I heard,” Darren teased.

“What did you hear?” I asked, wondering what story they had cooked up.

Darren leaned in, still holding that smile. “Word is, you two took a romantic dive off- close together. Very poetic.”

I grimaced. “I will stab you in the eye.”

He laughed, holding up both hands in surrender. “Fine. So hostile. I'll leave you with your tragic love story.”

“Don't count on it.” I said.

“Too late.” With one last smirk, he walked off, whistling a popular lullaby.

I exhaled sharply and forced down my irritation.

It was time.

Then before I could change my mind, I stepped into the dungeon.

The air in the dungeon was damp and cold, the scent of blood and sweat clinging to the stone walls. Torches flickered dimly, casting jagged shadows over the cells.

And there he was.

Xaden leaned against the wall, shackles bound around his wrists. His golden eyes lifted and slowly met mine and my heart jumped.

I hate the way my pulse reacts when he does that or how my wolf stirs at the sight of him even after everything.

I stared at him, almost not recognizing him anymore.

His lips were split, bruises lined his cheekbone and a bluish scar graced his upper naked body.

“Come to gloat?” He asked, his voice dry.

I ignore the jab and lift my chin. “I came to give you an offer.”

He arched his brows slightly. “An offer?”

“I need you to reject me back,” I folded my arms.

He didn't respond.

I continued. “You know as well as I do that this bond is nothing but a curse. So… let's break. Finally, I reject you, you reject me, and we go our separate ways. It's that simple.”

He still didn't answer.

I clenched my fists. “Xaden —”

“No!”

“No?”

“No,” he repeated, his gaze locked on mine.

Frustration clawed at my throat. “You have to. You're not gaining anything from this bond and neither am I.”

His expression didn't change.

I exhaled sharply. “If you reject me, maybe I'll put in a good word for you, Logan. Who knows? He might let you go.”

Finally, he broke.

That, at least, made him react — His jaw tightened.

“I don't need your help.” He retorted harshly.

I snapped. “I wasn't offering help! I was offering a way out.”

The chains rattled when Xaden leaned forward. “And I'm telling you that I don't trust that Logan guy.”

Something in his voice sent a ripple of unease through me. “What are you talking about?”

“You think he's fighting for freedom, Freya?” He scoffed. “Open your eyes. He's not! There's something else! That's only part of it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And what's the other part?”

Silence stretched between us.

“Xaden.”

He exhaled, shaking his head. “I don't know everything but I do know that Logan isn't just after my father. He wants more than justice. I think he wants something more. He wants power.”

A cold feeling crept down my spine.

I wanted to argue, to tell him that he was wrong, that the resistance was everything I'd been looking for, that Logan wanted what was best for our people.

But —

A tiny voice in the back of my head whispered — what if he's right?

Xaden studied me with a soft gaze. “Be careful, Freya.”

I swallowed hard.

Then, before I could stop myself, I turned and walked out of the dungeon, his warning echoing in my ears.

For the first time since joining the resistance, doubt buried itself deep in my bones and I hated that it had come from him.