Chapter 2

[ 10 years later, Freya is 13 now]

Freya p.o.v.

"Give it back!" I jumped up, knowing it was no use. Giovanni is a tree taller than me. Also, he's a spy and took years of hard training, he is faster and stronger than literally everyone else. Maybe not Father. I crossed my arms.

My monkey of a brother gave me a pointed look, "You may have your book back once you finish your homework," he bargained.

"I don't like doing the numbers," I pouted. I always get frustrated, and I feel like crying, even my wolf gets all grumpy after that. As today is a full moon so she is beyond restless already, if I'll try to solve even a sum, I am sure she will turn even before the ritual ceremony, and that will be worse because every werewolf's first shift should be together with fellow pack members. I don't want to break any rules, I'm a good girl, unlike my stupid wolf. She wanted to complete that story now.

" like you don't...", I heard her taunting inside my mind which I gladly ignore. "Please, Gio?" I widened my eyes, sticking my lower lip out.

He put his hands on his knees, copying my look, "That only works on Father, sweetheart," he smirked, pointing to the living room where my schoolwork is. "Go."

I stomped away, walking to the living room. "Math is stupid. Division is dumb, why can't numbers just stay the same-" I stopped muttering, seeing Father exit his office. It was on the third floor just beside the living room...and he told everyone to keep quiet as he was working. Jesus. I am going to get scolded, I knew it already by the look on his face.

I tensed, seeing his angry face. Uh oh. Father glared down at me, "Is there a reason you're being so loud?" He asked. I folded my hands in front of me and looked at my shoes, "Um- no..." I whispered.

Father loved me the most and he rarely scold me, but sometimes, he does scare me to no end. It only happens when I skip training or try to avoid studying. I am going to be a queen...why do I need to do this all? But obviously, I couldn't say that out loud, too frightened of Father Ragnar's angry blue eyes. He's like a mountain, big and scary.

"Then stop stomping and stop muttering. Do what you're told, Freya.", he ordered and I nodded, "Forgive me, Father," I mumbled and rushed away to the living room. I kneeled at the coffee table and started doing my equations.

After the old king died and his son, my betroth officially become a king, things get so much better for werewolves, he allows my species to study or work and even live in human society. And now, there are other werewolf children in this town, including Alpha and luna; my parents. But I refused to live with them, I only have one family, this. Father Ragnar is my father, and Giovanni is my brother. Simon, Robert, and other spies are my uncles. They all love me, and I love them all.

I was too naive before, but now I am not, my parents sold me to a king, and when I'll turn eighteen, I have to marry him, a human! Because of this, I have to reject my mate if I ever get a chance to meet him, it pained me, even thinking about rejecting our mate anguished my wolf as if we'll going to tear our soul apart. I know I am too young to understand love, but for every werewolf, loving their mate is like a universal truth, it's like breathing, eating, and sleeping...loving your mate is like any other necessary thing we need to live, need to survive.

And my parents took that away from me, worst thing is, I could do nothing about it, couldn't even run because that will break the treaty between humans and us. Why do I have to be born the daughter of a high-command Alpha...Whenever I think about this all, I just want to run and cry, hide inside Father Ragnar's black cassock, he is a way better father than my own.

Sighing, I just focused on my homework, don't want to get scolded again. I did the equations with little to no problems. Giovanni helped me with homework a lot, he says it's fun. And he always teaches me the best way to do it, if we ignore the way he insulted me sometimes.

I heard some footsteps on the stairs, and judging by the smell, I know who they are, I know they will never miss my shifting ceremony, as my uncles were as excited to meet Frey as I am. She is finally going to come out of me, when I said, come out, then I mean literally come out, yeah, she is going to tear my body apart and emerge from my human body, after the hunt, I'll do the same with her.

It's a cruel, vicious, and menacing ritual, shifting is painful and I'm scared...but Father Ragnar is more scared than me, that's why he was acting too grumpy today. And even though Giovanni is not showing it, I heard him talking to Joshua about how terrified he is. It kind of made me happy that I have so many people to care about me, and they all are human! At least I am doing the work Luna gave me; I don't call my mother mamma anymore, she doesn't deserve it after abandoning me like that. Father Ragnar is my mother and father both. He raised me like his own, and I love him like my own.

My eyes shifted up when the door opened and Simon, Robert, and Twins walked in carrying their luggage. They are spies, and always worked, so they rarely come here, but they always wrote letters to me. I smiled and shot up, running over to them, "You're back!" I hugged them all.

"Hey kiddo," Robert patted my back, walking away.

Simon picked me up, setting me on his hip, "How were they?" He asked. He told me to keep an eye on everyone, especially on Giovanni while he was gone.

I smiled, "Nothing to report. Gio stole my book, can you get it back?" I asked. I smelled Father and looked behind, he was standing near the door.

After hearing me he just shook his head and walked alongside Simon to the kitchen. "Why would he do that?" He gave me a pointed look and took me from Simon's hands. I looked away, "I have no idea, maybe he's crazy?" I lied.

Simon rolled his eyes, "Uhu." We walked into the kitchen and Father set me down on a kitchen stool. Gio gave me a pointed look, "Maybe I'm crazy?" He repeated.

Oops. His super hearing, always my downfall. Strangely, his and others' hearing ability is way better than humans though, but again they all are spies so...

I rested my head on my fist, "It was just an observation. Who steals a book from a child?" I opened my mouth.

Gio leaned on the counter across from me, "Someone who doesn't want you to grow up stupid. You'll thank me one day."

I gasped and pointed at him, "Name calling!"

Gio smirked, "Wait till you're older, I'll teach you the really fun words-"

"Enough!" Father looked between the two of us. " Gio, you're arguing with a thirteen-year-old for god's sake why did you take her book?" He asked.

Gio straightened, "She wasn't doing her homework," he told on me. Such a snitch, my wolf mumbled from inside and I nodded.

I looked at Father Ragnar, who was already giving me a stern look. "It's done now! I finished it," I said quickly.

"School is important, Freya. You can't procrastinate like that. You'll form bad habits," he scolded.

"I don't even know what that means," l shrugged and

Gio smirked, "See, it's already happening. She's growing up stupid," he teased.

"I'm not stupid!"

Father glared at Gio, who looked way too happy with himself. "No, you're not stupid. Ignore your brother, he's sick in the head-"

"Told you he's crazy," I grinned, hopping off the chair to make cereal as I just noticed that it was dark outside, I have to eat something light before the ritual. I grabbed the milk, box, and bowl, and opened the drawer for a spoon. I stared at the cluttered drawer filled with all kinds of silver wear, but no spoon in sight.

"Fine, I'll give you your book back," Gio gave. "And procrastination is putting something off till the last minute," he explained.

I dug through the drawer, wondering how we might have no spoons. I know there's one in here! "So Simon procrastinated coming home so I'd be stuck with you to take care of me?" I looked over my shoulder, ready for Father to scold me and tell me I'm wrong. Sometimes it's fun getting on his nerves.

I turned around to check the sink for any spoon but accidentally saw outside the window, the big pale moon, gleaming like a diamond between countless stars. Suddenly, my breath quickened, and sweat dripped down from my forehead. I could smell the flowers outside the tower, see the moths flying near the torches around the rose garden, hear a dog bark coming far far away from here... no-no-no Frey not now not here. I took deep breaths to control her, I could feel she was trying so hard to stay inside now. I closed my eyes tightly so the pale moonlight couldn't enter my eyes.

Somehow after so many painful breaths, Frey controlled herself and didn't come out.

And as those overwhelming senses quiet down, I sighed and rested my hand on the shelf, but abruptly removed it, feeling a sharp sting in my hand, I looked down and see the knife on the shelf, slicing a deep cut in my palm. I winced, my eyes welling with tears. "Ouch!" I cried.

I've never been good around blood, it makes me queasy. I stared at the deep gash in my palm, blood oozing from it like a fountain.

Noticing how quiet it is, I turned around. I was shocked and slightly scared to see everyone in the kitchen. I didn't even hear them come in, but they've always been sneaky.

I tensed, seeing Twin's eyes bright red, their lips pressed together tightly in a thin line as if they were stopping something to come out. I looked at others, seeing they were the same, except Father. Simon looked at war with himself like he was in pain. What happened to them? They said their eyes always turned red when they get tired, but I didn't see any other human with color-changing eyes. When I told Jason and Cora; my friends, they laughed saying my uncles were probably bragging or teasing me.

But it didn't look like teasing, it looked scary. They looked scary.

In a flash, Father was at my side, how...how he ran so fast? He was the other side of the self, wasn't he? Father turned me around, ushering me to the sink. He turned the tap on and held my hand under it. I winced, watching the blood run down the drain. "Hold your hand there, you're going to need stitches," he said, but made no move to let go of my hand as he looked behind us. I looked up at father, his jaw was clenched as if he was in pain...his blue eyes glued down at my blood, and then, I saw a flash of red inside those blue orbs but it left as soon as it came.

Weird, they all are weird.

But I know one thing, I shouldn't be scared. Father is a priest, a god's man, so he is not capable of doing anything bad, he couldn't even touch other women, let alone hurt someone, or me. And others, they're spies and they kill people. But I know they'll never hurt me. However, today it felt so strange, I've never seen them act this way before, it's very scary. Was it because of my blood, but why my blood will affect any human, it's not like they are vampires, vampires don't exist anyway, everyone knew they are just a myth.

"You should be more careful, Freya,", Calix, one of the twins said as he walked out of the kitchen. I widened my eyes, shocked. He never speaks, especially not to me. Felix had said maybe one sentence to me a month. That's the first time Calix ever called me by my name!

I watched the blood immediately disappear from my gash and wash down the drain. It really hurts... It's not like meant to cut myself, I snapped at my wolf, she was whining for no reason.

Father sighed next to me, looking normal now. "It's okay, accidents happen," he rubbed my arm. Simon stared at us for what felt like minutes before he left to grab something. "Don't let her move her hand from the faucet, I'll be right back."

Father firmly held my hand under the water. "I can hold it there myself, you know," I mumbled.

"I know you can," he answered, but still held my wrist. I pushed my eyebrows together, realizing why they were so insistent on this. They want my blood to disappear down the drain as soon as possible. But why? Maybe humans find werewolf blood smelly and disgusting?

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, feeling tears collect on my eyelashes. I feel guilty. I should have been more careful like Calix said. Father sighed, "It's okay, wish you didn't hurt yourself though," he glanced at me. "You're going to have a scar on your hand now," he looked upset. But not at me- he probably blames himself.

I heard commotion behind me and tried to turn my head to look. Father's other hand quickly grabbed my head and stopped it from looking, keeping me facing the sink. "Wha-"

"Just look how your flowers are growing, pretty, huh?" He pointed to the flowers put in a pot on the windowsill.

I nodded, noticing how they'd gotten bigger. I glanced up, looking in the reflection of the window. I felt my heart sink at what was happening behind us.

The knife that cut my hand, the knife that had my blood all over it, was clean and on the counter. Robert and Felix were holding Gio back, dragging him out of the room. He looked mad, completely insane. His eyes are bright red, and he looks murderous.

Robert has his hand firmly placed over Gio's mouth, muffling anything he's trying to say. And Felix is restraining him, hugging his arms down to his sides. That's all I saw before they left the kitchen.

I looked down at my palm, seeing the blood still pouring out. My vision pulsed, I don't know if it was from fear or seeing the blood. "I don't feel so good, Father," I blinked slowly, staring as the blood drained down the sink.

He wrapped his arm around my ribs, holding me tightly. "Don't look at the blood, look at the flowers," he said.

I tried to lift my eyes, but the swirling blood caught me in a trance. My vision became blurry and felt my weight in Father's arms before I fell.