Freya couldn't stop her mind from racing as she sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her trembling hands. The weight of Kieran's words hung over her like a dark cloud, pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Everything she thought she knew about herself, her life, had been shattered in a single night. She wasn't just a regular girl. She wasn't even fully human.
A wolf.
She swallowed hard, her throat dry. How could that be true? It was impossible. But as she replayed the events of the night in her mind, the way her body had burned with that strange energy, the way she had felt Kieran's presence before he'd even spoken, it was getting harder and harder to deny.
The sensation she had felt when their eyes met had been too intense, too real to be a coincidence. And the way her skin had tingled in response to his words, like some deep part of her had awakened, none of that could be explained away.
A wolf. Like Kieran. Like… him.
She groaned, burying her face in her hands. How was she supposed to process this? She had barely come to terms with the idea of Kieran being some kind of supernatural creature, and now she was supposed to believe she was the same? It felt like a bad dream, like any second she'd wake up, and everything would be back to normal.
Except it wasn't a dream.
A knock at the door jolted her out of her thoughts. She flinched, her heart racing in her chest. For a moment, she thought it might be Kieran, but then the door creaked open, and her roommate, Mia, poked her head in.
"Freya? You okay?"
Freya quickly wiped her face, not even realizing until then that tears had been falling. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, her voice shaky.
Mia frowned, stepping fully into the room. "You sure? You've been acting weird ever since you got home. Did something happen at the park?"
Freya bit her lip, unsure of how to answer. How could she explain what had happened? Mia wasn't exactly the type to believe in things like werewolves and prophecies. She would probably think Freya had lost her mind.
"Nothing happened," Freya said after a moment, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm just… tired."
Mia didn't look convinced. She sat down on the bed beside Freya, her expression softening. "If you ever want to talk, you know I'm here, right?"
Freya forced a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I know. Thanks, Mia."
Mia studied her for a moment longer before finally nodding and standing up. "Okay, well, don't stay up too late. You've got work in the morning."
With that, she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
The moment she was gone, Freya let out a shaky breath, her façade crumbling. She pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly as she tried to wrap her head around everything. There was no way she could talk to Mia about this. Hell, she couldn't talk to anyone about this.
Except Kieran.
The thought made her stomach twist. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face him again, not after what he had told her. But deep down, she knew she didn't have much of a choice. If everything he had said was true, if there really were people hunting her then she needed answers. And Kieran was the only one who could give them to her.
After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, Freya finally managed to fall into a fitful sleep. But even in her dreams, the shadows of Kieran's words lingered. She dreamed of running through dark forests, of being chased by faceless figures, of golden eyes watching her from the trees.
When she woke the next morning, her body felt heavy with exhaustion, as if the weight of the world had settled on her shoulders. She barely had the energy to drag herself out of bed, let alone go to work. But staying home wasn't an option. She needed the distraction, needed something to focus on other than the terrifying new reality she found herself in.
As she went through the motions of getting ready, her thoughts kept drifting back to Kieran. She wondered if he would show up again. Part of her hoped he wouldn't, that she could just go back to her normal life and pretend none of this was happening. But another part of her, one she was reluctant to acknowledge wanted to see him again. She wanted answers. She needed to understand what was happening to her.
The day dragged on, each hour feeling longer than the last. Work passed in a blur, and by the time Freya finally got off her shift, she was barely holding it together. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of the prophecy, of the danger Kieran had warned her about. She kept glancing over her shoulder, half-expecting to see someone following her.
The anxiety gnawed at her, making her jumpy and paranoid. Every sound, every movement in her peripheral vision, set her on edge. She felt like a hunted animal, constantly waiting for something to leap out of the shadows.
As she walked home that evening, the streets quiet and the sky darkening, a sense of unease settled over her. The air felt thick, heavy with an oppressive energy that made her skin crawl. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she quickened her pace, her eyes scanning the street for any sign of danger. But there was nothing, no one around. Just the faint sound of the wind rustling the leaves, the distant hum of traffic.
She was almost home when she heard it, a soft rustle behind her, like footsteps on gravel. She froze, her breath catching in her throat. Slowly, she turned, her eyes searching the darkness.
"Kieran?" she called out, her voice barely above a whisper.
There was no answer. Only silence.
Her pulse quickened, and she took a step back, her mind racing. She could feel it, the presence of something nearby. But it wasn't Kieran. It didn't feel like him. This presence was darker, more menacing.
Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the shadows, tall and imposing. Freya's breath caught in her throat as the figure moved closer, the dim light revealing the hard lines of his face.
It wasn't Kieran.
The man's eyes glinted in the darkness, cold and calculating. There was something predatory in his stance, the way he moved, as if he was sizing her up, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Freya's heart raced. This was bad. Very bad.
"Of its not the Prophecy Wolf, Freya," the man said, his voice low and smooth. "We've been looking for you. You hid yourself real good I must say"
She took a step back, her mind spinning. Kieran had warned her about this, about people coming for her. But she hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
"Who are you?" she demanded, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
The man's lips curled into a chilling smile. "That's not important. What matters is that you are coming with me."
Panic surged through her, but she forced herself to stay calm. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
The man's smile faded, his expression hardening. "Don't make this any more difficult. You don't know what you're dealing with."
Freya's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. She had to get out of here. Now.
Before she could move, the man lunged at her, his hand reaching for her arm. But before he could grab her, a blur of motion appeared between them, and suddenly, the man was thrown back with a force that made Freya gasp.
"Kieran!"
He stood in front of her, his golden eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. His body was tense, ready to strike again.
"Stand down, You're not taking her," Kieran growled, his voice low and dangerous.
The man slowly got to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. He sneered at Kieran, his eyes glinting with malice. "You think because you are an Alpha you can protect her? You're a fool."
Kieran's growl deepened, and Freya could feel the tension radiating off him. "Lay one finger on her and I will make you regret it."
The man's eyes flicked to Freya, then back to Kieran. "We'll see about that."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Kieran and Freya alone in the darkened street.
Freya's legs felt like they were going to give out, and she leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. Kieran turned to her, his expression softening as he stepped closer.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Freya nodded, though her heart was still racing. "I—I think so."
Kieran's gaze darkened. "That's definitely one of Gabriel's men. They're getting closer."
Freya swallowed hard, fear tightening in her chest. "What do I do now? You may have scared him off but I have this deep feeling that they would be back"
Kieran's eyes met hers, and she could see the determination in them. "We fight back."