Freya took in a deep breath as she looked out the window in Claire's bedroom, smiling as she watched Idris and Camden play fight with each other before he kissed his wife on the lips, only to throw her over his shoulder. Freya shook her head as she watched him spin and run away as Mathias charged at him, screaming for his sister as she reached for him with a wide smile on her face.
"They're so cute, aren't they?" Claire had walked back into the room, holding two cups of coffee as she walked towards where Freya was sitting.
"They are." She sighed, taking the cup from Claire as the woman sat beside her. "I'm glad she's happy." Claire made a noise of agreement, chuckling gently as she watched Camden fall over as Mathias began to pummel him playfully. "You wanted to talk to me about the wedding rituals." Claire nodded and looked over at Freya, smiling when she saw the girl was nervous.
"Freya, look at me." She turned in the chair, looking at the woman next to her. "I know you're nervous, and I'm sorry Noah and Greyson made the blood promise. It has put you in a rough position, hasn't it?" Freya nodded and looked at her fingers, pursing her lips as Claire let out a small sigh. "My son is an idiot. That is a fact."
"Claire, why is it so hard for me to move on? We never actually rejected each other officially, he never reach out to do it for real, but-"
"That doesn't mean him saying that he wouldn't take you as a mate didn't hurt. He was one of your closest friends and he told you he'd reject you when you turned." Claire grabbed the girl's hand, frowning when a tear slide down Freya's cheek lightly before she brushed it away lightly. "I think you are still trying to move past it because, to be frank my love, you only ran away from it before."
"I didn't want to be in the pack anymore, not with everyone looking at me with sympathy, pity, or even amusement any time I actually showed my face." Freya whispered, looking at Claire as the woman nodded.
"I had the same feeling when I was your age. I had just had Keiran and I was having a hard time recovering, but it got worse when a few rogues took me hostage to try to manipulate Noah." Freya watched as Claire stared down at the field, smiling sadly as she squeezed Freya's hand. "I couldn't bare to leave the house, not when everyone was looking at me. So, I went and stayed with our pack doctor's cousin in Belarus -your professor's wife- and he helped me recover, seeing as he is a doctor who offered to treat me as soon as his wife explained what had happened." Claire grabbed her coffee and drank it, smiling as she clutched the warm cup while watching Freya with her beautiful green eyes. "You can get through anything, Freya. You just need to be strong, be strong and no one can ever put you down like my son did ever again."
"And people wonder why I love you so much." Freya chuckled after a while, sipping on her drink as Claire laughed. "I will try, I promise Claire." Claire looked at her and smiled sadly as she shook her head.
"Don't promise it to me, Freya. Promise to yourself." Freya nodded, looked at the yard when Claire stood. "Okay! Now, let me tell you about the wedding rituals we need to do." She grabbed a notebook she had written in, plopping back into the chair as she turned completely towards Freya before they dove head first into century old traditions that had been pasted down by the women in the pack for years.
~
Freya groaned as she walked out of the house, her eyes wide as she escaped from Claire's wedding planning. She walked off the porch and onto the grass, letting herself fall into a sitting position as she resting her forehead into the palms of her hands.
"You alright?" She turned her head to the side and saw Kieran carried a basket of apples to the house, his brows furrowed as he looked down at Freya.
"Yeah, just trying to break free from your mother." He raised an eyebrow, glancing towards the house.
"Why?"
"She has been going over wedding rituals." He smirked, nodding as he tossed her an apple.
"Yeah, she is neurotic. But she is hell of a planner." Kieran chuckled as he continued to walk, his head shaking when he opened the door and heard his mother call for him. "Coming ma!" He shot a look at Freya before he closed the door, disappearing inside as his mother continued preparing.
Biting into the apple as she stood, Freya began to walk the length of the yard. She sighed as the breeze ran over her, pushing her hair out of her face when it got in her way before she walked towards the pack house.
The pack house was where the members of the pack lived, obviously, but the office and archives were located under the foundation. Freya looked around, hoping to spot Idris as she walked but saw that the girl was not around. Shrugging, Freya walked up the porch and let herself into the house, walking through the living room before turning towards the kitchen. She was reaching for the door to the basement when something slammed into her, making her yelp as she slammed into the counter. Freya crashed onto the ground, gasping as she tried to regain her breath when a menacing growl caused her to bristle.
Turning so that she faced her attacker, Freya let out a growl as she pushed herself off the ground to see a man she had never met standing in front of the door. Freya held her side as he glared at her, his eyes dark as he watched her every move.
"I don't know what you think you're guarding. Maybe they should chain you up outside, then you'd actually be useful for something." She spat as he began moving closer, causing her to back up as he backed her away from the door. Freya felt her heart beating fast as her mind told her to do something, taking in his elongated claws and teeth. Another growl ripped through him as he moved towards her, though Freya kicked him, knocking him backwards before she tried to get to the door but he grabbed her wrist, throwing her into the staircase when he regained his footing. She hissed as she crashed into the ramp, the wood crushing under her body weight before he was over her. Her claws slashed at his face when he reached for her, a pained cry leaving his lips before his foot pulled back to kick her when someone tackled him and pulled him away.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The voice belonged to Adrian, making Freya turn her head as she pulled herself up when a hand grabbed her arm, causing her to growl before she saw it was only Idris and Camden.
"She was in the house! She was going downstairs!" The stranger hissed, shoving at Adrian only to be shoved back by her friend.
"She's the beta's daughter, you idiot!" Adrian shoved him one more time, causing the guy to stumble while Adrian walked towards Freya. "Are you okay?" He asked, lifting her chin to look over her face.
"I'm fine, it'll heal in a few hours." She muttered, glaring at the man as he stared at her, a frown covering his own face.
"Were you heading towards the dossiers?" Idris asked, stepping between the two, though Camden was watching the man closely. Freya nodded and Idris gestured for her to follow her, walking back towards the kitchen.
"How's your face feel?" Freya asked the man as they past, smirking as Adrian nudged her forward as he blocked the kitchen off from the man.
"You need to explain yourself." She heard Camden order as she and Idris walked down the stairs, the girl closing the door behind her as Idris flicked on the light.
"So who the hell was that?" Freya asked, her hand on her ribs as she walked down the stairs.
"That is a new wolf." Freya looked at Idris, an eyebrow raised as the walked towards the door to the office. "He was bit by a rogue, your father saw it happen when he was tracking them. He brought him back and we offered to teach him, to help him." Freya rolled her eyes, shaking her head as they walked into Noah's office. "Dad's not in here now, but always knock before coming in if you don't know where he is." Idris instructed, looking over the bookshelf before she turned the snow globe around. The shelf shifted, moving over the wall as the door opened.
"It's been forever since I last came here, but your father still has that god awful snow globe as the key." Freya chuckled, smiling as she walked down the hall before the came to a wide room. The room was filled with shelves from wall to wall, all filled with the names of wolves that have been in the pack, births, marriages, deals, incidents. "Everything significant to the history of this pack, all stored in this space." Idris nodded, crossing her arms as she rubbed her chin. "I was trying to see if dad would be willing to expand it, just so we don't need to worry later on, but he is nervous."
"Understandably so, this is everything right here." Idris looked at her and smiled, giving a nod as she stepped towards the girl.
"This is why he wanted you as it's protector." She said as she glanced at it, placing a hand over Freya's shoulder. "You understand it's importance in a way that he feels no other can, so he trusts you." Freya looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow, letting out a laugh before Idris rolled her eyes. "I'm being serious, gosh. Anyways, you rude little twit, I didn't change anything. All I did was clean up what old Marge left laying about. But I know you have a system, so I will let you have your fun." Freya watched as Idris walked towards the hall, though she turned and looked at the girl. "Please, make sure you come out. I don't want anyone to have a heart attack."
"I will, don't worry Idris." Freya waved before she turned and began to look over the entire catalog.