9

Chapter 9

OWEN'S POV

I stood in Elena's living room, staring at Freya and waiting for her to say something. I had already suspected the truth, but I needed her to admit it.

"I do hope you're not thinking of giving me half-truths, Freya, because I know better than to believe them," I said slowly to emphasize my words while tapping the folder resting on the table.

Curiously, she reached out to go through it and that was when I noticed an unfamiliar young man resting against the wall. 

Our eyes met and he passed me a small nod, though I caught a flicker of suspicion in his expression. Like he did not trust me for some odd reason.

"I'm Finnley," he finally said, offering no other explanation, and I did not ask either.

"Doctor Owen Carver," I replied and watched as he moved to stand behind Freya, peeping over her shoulder at the folder.

I drew my focus back to Freya whose brows rose slightly as she opened the first page, probably surprised to see that her name was written in capital letters at the beginning of the page. 

It was a folder that contained everything I had documented about her for weeks, right from the day I brought her under my roof. 

The first page was a quick temperature check I'd carried out that day which showed that her temperature was a little higher than that of the average human. 

The second page showed the date I noticed a bruise on her arm suspiciously disappear hours later. 

We had been moving some old beds out that day and she had scraped the side of her arm against the door. I had made a mental note to check the wound later but when I eventually remembered, I noticed it was gone. I had never spoken to her about it but I noted it down.

Then, there was also the comments from the patients saying that they felt much better when she touched them. I might not have regarded it as anything significant if just one or two people had said the same but I grew suspicious when all the patients she had taken care of mentioned it.

She closed the folder and exhaled softly.

"I had no idea it was that obvious," she said.

"To me at least, it was." 

"What was obvious?" Elena asked and Freya reluctantly passed her the folder. She watched nervously as Elena flipped the pages.

"What...what does all of this suggest then?" Elena asked, glancing from me to Freya, clearly confused.

"Well?" I cocked a brow towards Freya, believing this was the perfect time for her to speak.

"You're going to hate me when you realize I held back some things from you," Freya muttered under her breath with a remorseful look and without hesitation, Elena moved to hold her hand. 

"You are like a sister to me, Frey. Nothing could ever make me hate you."

Freya smiled gratefully at her reassurance and then blew out a breath.

"Fine, here's the whole truth," she said finally and began to narrate everything, leaving no details out.

She told us about her pack, her family, the ball and how she was banished for getting marked by a man she knew nothing about. 

"Is all this even... real?" Elena said with a confused expression. "I mean it's not like I doubt that you're telling the truth, Frey, but... packs? Wolves? You're saying it's all real?" 

"More real than you'll ever know," Freya responded with a small smile and Elena shook her head, no doubt finding it hard to believe.

Freya went on and revealed that she was told just the previous day that she was pregnant. 

She paused after speaking, as though expecting me to act out, and seeing that Elena also watched me, I guessed she knew about it too.

Granted, for a second, I was taken aback but Freya was a grown woman. 

"I do not blame you for the decisions you made during that time, Freya. You did what you felt was right at the moment and you can't change it. I will only do my best to assist you through this situation in whatever way I can," I assured her and she passed me a grateful smile.

It was sad that she feared I would push her away like her father or sister would have probably done, but she had no idea it only got me more intrigued by her case.

She went on, talking about the visitor from her pack who happened to be Finnley, whose suspicious glare in me had now softened. 

He had tracked her down and followed her all the way here when they were being followed. 

"They came right here? To this house?" I asked, while my eyes widened with concern.

"And we think they're watching us closely too," Finnley added.

My mind reeled back to the two men I had seen standing across the road, tall and hefty, just like the men who had come into my office the previous day.

"They must be that same men I'd seen on my way here," I muttered and someone gasped softly.

"D-does that mean we can't get out of here?" Freya's voice held a hint of panic.

"Well... there's actually another way out," Elena suggested and all heads snapped to her.

"My basement leads to a maintenance tunnel and you can find your way from there. If the men are watching the entrance and exit of the building, you can leave without being seen through the basement." 

Both Freya and Finnley sighed with relief. 

"Thank goodness," Finnley said. "I guess we should start leaving now..." 

"But before that happens," I cut him off mid-sentence, staring right at Freya. 

"There is something about me I think you all should know too." 

Freya stared back at me curiously and I noticed Finnley's brows furrow at me but I ignored him.

Since Freya had been honest with me, I decided it was only right to tell her my own truth as well.