Chapter Three ~ Two months

Freya Rose

While keeping my eyes firmly closed, I heard the commotion unfolding right beside me. I listened carefully and tried to figure out what was going on. I could hear a man grunting and groaning as if he was fighting someone, before hearing a wolf snarling and growling. The sounds sent me into a complete panic because I didn't know any other wolves apart from the Jasper pack. They had been sent to kill me, so I didn't want whoever was there to realize that I was awake. The last thing I could remember was being in agony when I shifted into my wolf form for the first time. I guessed I must have passed out after I shifted. It was weird though. I couldn't smell the woods or trees and I couldn't feel the breeze or hear the birds. It felt like I was inside. Inside of what? I didn't know exactly. I was curious but I still couldn't build up the courage to open my eyes.

I listened as the man's noises ceased, but the wolf's snarls got louder. I heard it snap its jaws and I guessed it was a warning, because I didn't hear anyone scream out in pain. I decided to stop being a coward and gradually opened up my eyes to see what was going on. My eyes tried desperately to focus. The light was very dim, so it didn't hurt, but it was just about light enough for me to make out the shapes of blurry figures. There was a light shining down a staircase and at the bottom of the stairs, on the floor, was a man's figure holding a woman. I blinked a few times trying to focus a little bit more and eventually I could recognize the figures as Evan and Ellie. I couldn't see perfectly, but I did notice a lot of blood. After blinking a few more times, I gradually moved my eyes over to where the commotion was, right beside me.

On the floor was a gigantic red and gray wolf. He had someone pinned to the floor and was desperately trying to tear his face off. I couldn't see around the wolf to see who the guy was. So, I sat up and tried to get a better look. As I sat up, all the blood rushed to my head and made the room spin for a few seconds. I closed my eyes until I felt the spinning stop. When I opened up my eyes again, I could see the face of the guy that the wolf had pinned down. It was Mason. I jumped off of the bed and spoke to my wolf in my mind,

“Who is this wolf? Do you know it?” I asked her in a panic.

I was hoping she did, so that we could at least try to reason with it.

“Yes, we both do. He's our son,” She replied with a purr.

“What!? What do you mean our son? Have you gone mad?”

“It's Finnley. We turned him, so that makes him our son.”

I couldn't believe what she was saying. I didn't remember anything, let alone turning Finn. I just needed to get him off of Mason before he killed him. I didn't know if it was going to work, but as I was his mother, I hoped shouting at him would stop him in his tracks.

“Finnley, enough!” I growled at him.

Instantly Finn crawled off of Mason and bowed his head to me in submission. He ran over to me and wagged his tail, then he began yapping with excitement. I slid my fingers through the soft fur on his head and continued to stroke him. Mason rolled over onto his stomach, before cautiously getting up off of the ground. He kept his head down looking at the floor, then slowly scanned up my body until his beautiful light green illuminated eyes met mine. I smiled widely as my heart jumped into my throat. My body began to tingle with electricity while I stared at him. I'd forgotten how gorgeous he was and how just looking at him could turn my legs to jelly.

“Freya, you're awake!”

I giggled and nodded at him, and before I knew it, he'd ran over to me and lifted me up into the air. He looked up at me with the widest smile I'd ever seen, then lowered me down slightly, before pulling me into his body as close as he possibly could. I gasped for air when he squeezed me a little too tight. In hearing this Finn began to growl. I looked down and scowled at him.

“Finnley!” He immediately lowered himself to the floor, laid his head on his paws and huffed. I giggled and then glanced back at Mason. “What?” I asked him when he gently lowered me to the floor.

His face wasn't happy anymore. With his eyes illuminated he said in a firm tone,

“I need you to come with me.”

I raised my eyebrows at him waiting for him to explain why, but he didn't. He just took my hand and led me towards the stairs. As we approached the stairs I was able to get a closer look at Evan and Ellie. I gasped when I saw the four deep gashes across her face. The deep slash wounds went from just under her eye, all the way down her cheek, and ended at her chin. One of the gashes sliced right through her top and bottom lip. The blood was pooling inside of the wounds, then oozing out of them, before sliding down her chin and dripping onto her chest.

“Ellie! Oh my God. Is she okay?” I asked Evan while kneeling down and holding my hand out to take hers.

Evan glared at me with his eyes fully illuminated. He fanned out his wings and bellowed at me,

“Stay the fuck away from her, Freya. This is all your fault!”

I swiftly stood up and backed away. I couldn't believe I was hearing those words, yet again. Last time when Landon growled those words at me, I knew it was because the Vampire Prince Balan had taken an unhealthy liking to me. I did feel guilty and somewhat responsible for Jessie's death, but I had no idea why Ellie's injuries were my fault. I didn't know if it was me who inflicted them on her, or if it was Finn. I mean I didn't even remember turning Finn, so how could that be my fault? Why does this keep happening to me? I just wanted to be normal and have my old life back, before all of this supernatural crap bulldozed its way into my life and started destroying everything. Tears began to roll down my cheeks and I tried to apologize, but Mason pulled me away.

“Just give him some time. He knows this isn't your fault. Now, follow me. I need you to do something for me.”

I lowered my head and stared at the floor while I followed Mason up the stairs and out of the basement. Mason held the door open for me as I walked into the hallway. I stood behind him waiting for him to lead the way, but he just stared down into the basement.

“Where are we...”

“Shhhhhh!”

I huffed and folded my arms across my chest. What the hell was he waiting for? Just as I asked myself that question, Finn's wolf finished climbing the stairs and sat down beside me. He nuzzled my hand and I stroked his head in response.

“Ah, just as I thought,” Mason said in an amused tone.

“What?” I asked casually while scratching behind Finn's ear.

“I was wondering if he'd follow you, and he did,” Mason replied, pointing at Finn.

“Yeah, so?”

“Well, we need him back in his cell. So, maybe you can just walk right into it and he will follow you?”

I didn't really know what was happening, so I just held my arm up and signalled for him to lead the way. He turned and walked out of the back door and into a field behind the cabin. I followed Mason across the grass and towards the trees. Finn strolled behind me, but I could tell he didn't want to. The poor thing was hanging his head so low that it was almost dragging along the ground. I decided to try mind linking him,

“Finn? Can you hear me?” I asked quietly through the link, because I didn't want to startle him.

“Freya? Is that you?” He asked inquisitively.

I turned to look at him and he'd lifted his head up. His ears were pricked up and tail was wagging. He looked so cute.

“Yes Finn, it's me. This is our mind link. We can talk to each other whenever you like. You just need to concentrate on me and talk in your head.”

I turned back around to watch where Mason was going.

“Wow, that's pretty cool. I knew werewolves could do that, but actually being able to do it yourself is awesome. Do we have any other neat tricks?”

It was sweet hearing how excited he was about all of this, but I quickly realized that he was going to have a ton of questions that I didn’t have all the answers to. I was new to all of it myself and the only people I could ask about it, wanted me dead. I lowered my head and watched the grass pass me by as I followed Mason towards the trees. He came to a stop and I looked up to see a building sitting between the trees. I winced as an overwhelming smell of bleach burnt my now highly sensitive nostrils. I lifted my hand and closed my nostrils with my finger and thumb. Finn whimpered and asked through the mind link,

“They're not putting me back in there, are they? Please don't let them Freya. Being locked up alone in that cell, drove me insane,” Finn begged me.

I knew they must have had a very good reason to take such extreme measures. If that was what Mason wanted, then I would indulge him. At least until I could find out what was going on.

“Don't worry Finn, I'm coming in there with you,” I reassured him over the mind link.

I left out the part where I would be walking back out though. He's just going to have to hate me for a while. I'll make sure I get him out as soon as Mason has explained everything to me. Like where is my dad? When did I turn Finn? What happened to the Jasper pack? And why does this place reek of bleach?

Mason opened the solid security door and it screeched when he yanked on it. The noise went right through my head, so I held my hands up to cover my ears. Now that my nose was free to smell again it was instantly bombarded with different scents. I could smell Finn, Mason, Evan, four guys I didn't know, my aunt Hannah, my cousin Carmen, Ellie and Stevie. But not one of them scents were as potent as the sweet iron smell of fresh blood. I closed my eyes and inhaled through my nose taking in every last drop. My wolf was howling to be let out. The smell was sending her into a frenzy and she was itching to hunt.

“Freya, you okay?” Mason asked with a suspecting look on his face.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. You going in?” I said with a smile, while trying my best to ignore the crazed wolf inside my head.

She would have happily chased him down and feasted on his bone marrow.

“Yeah, of course, follow me,” Mason said with an eyebrow raised as he walked into the building.

“Please stop!” I yelled at my wolf inside my head.

She whimpered before falling silent. I felt bad for snapping at her, but now wasn't the time to go hunting. I heard Finn whimper behind me when I continued towards the door.

“It's okay, Finn, I'm here, remember?” I said reassuringly through our mind link.

He didn't reply, he just hung his head back down and sighed. I entered the building with Finn following close behind me. Mason was standing in front of a cell waiting for us. It was made of glass and had bars all around it. He held his hand towards the cell instructing me to enter. I nodded and proceeded into the cell, before turning around and waiting for Finn to follow me in. He crept up to the doorway, then froze, looking up at me with pleading eyes.

“It's okay Finn. Just come in, it won't be for long, I promise,” I said as convincingly as I could.

He sighed and cautiously entered the cell. He made his way over to me and laid down on the floor beside me. I felt so bad for what I was about to do, but I needed answers from Mason and I couldn't get them in there. I waited until Finn had closed his eyes, then I bolted for the door. I heard him whimper as I took off running. I looked up at Mason, trying to signal to him, when to get ready to shut the door, but as I looked up at him, I noticed his eyes were sorrowful. I tilted my head trying to work out why he looked so sad. Then it all became abundantly clear when he slammed the cell door in my face. I skidded and tripped over my own foot as I tried to slow myself down. I hit the floor with a thud, landing on all fours. Finn hurried to my aid and nuzzled my face.

“I'm okay, Finn.”

I pulled myself up and gradually lifted my furious face to glare at Mason.

“I'm sorry my Fianna,” he whispered apologetically.

“Don't you call me that! You think you have the right to call me your Fianna when you just slammed a fucking cell door in my face?” I screamed at him while illuminating my eyes.

I was so damn close to ascending or shifting it was unreal.

“You left me no choice, Freya.”

I didn’t care about his reasons. I wasn't backing down. The son of a bitch was going to answer for his actions.

“I left you no choice? What exactly did I do that warrants you locking me away like some fucking animal, eh?” I screeched at him.

My nostrils flared and my body began to shake as it filled with electricity and fire.

“Outside I noticed that you could smell the blood. I watched your eyes turn black and you were this close,” he held his fingers up indicating a small amount, “to shifting and attacking me. That's why you left me no choice. I can't have the other hunters seeing you like that. They are struggling to accept you as the rightful Fionn as it is. I'm doing this for your own good, Freya.”

He sounded sincere in his speech, although it didn't curb my anger. In fact, it made it worse.

“For my own good? My own good? Are you fucking kidding me right now? After everything I have been through, you think I give a shit about being their Fionn? And anyway, my dad's the Fionn. Why would the hunters be worrying about me? If they can't accept that I'm a werewolf then they will have to suck it up won't they. I'm staying here with my dad, whether they like it or not.”

Finn whimpered beside me, then rubbed his face on my leg. Mason's mouth dropped open and he looked bewildered.

“She doesn't know?”

I shot my head around to the cell next to ours and sitting in the corner holding onto her knees was Stevie. With furrowed brows, I scanned over her. What is she doing in a cell? She isn’t a wolf. Her aura glow was still light pink. If she was a werewolf/hunter hybrid, it would be the same as Finnley's, a stunning ice-blue color. I spotted a dressing just between her shoulder and her neck, right where a mate mark would be.

“Did you try to mark her, Finn?”

“Yeah, I don't know what happened. My wolf just took over and bit her. I tried to apologize and beg for forgiveness, but they couldn't understand me. I don't know how to shift back.”

I turned to face Finn and I felt so sorry for him. I thought I'd try what I'd seen Aiden do as Alpha a few times. I took in a deep breath then bellowed from the bottom of my stomach,

“Shift!”

Finn's pupils grew wide. Suddenly the cracking and snapping sounds of bones breaking filled the air. He stayed strong and didn't whimper throughout the whole shift, I was so proud of him. I knew how excruciating the shift could be. Stevie gasped as she watched Finn shifting, but Mason just looked on in amazement. As soon as Finn had finished shifting, he took my hands and said,

“Thank you, Freya. I'm so happy that you heard my calls and woke up.”

He kissed my hand, before running over to the glass to talk to Stevie. I left him begging for forgiveness as I made my way over to Mason. I glared at him and said through gritted teeth,

“Mason, what don't I know?” He stared at the floor and shuffled his feet around a bit. I was growing impatient very quickly. “Mason!” I screamed and demanded that he answer me. His eyes eventually met mine and he said in a sad and choked up voice,

“Freya, I'm so sorry. I hate having to tell you this, but Damien has been dead for nearly two months."