33

Thirty three
*Rafe*
My knees buckled as realization crashed over me. Kelly had been right. Freya had fled, knowing her secret was out. Pain lanced through my chest, sharper than any blade. She’d left without a word. Without giving me a chance to understand. To forgive. because I knew without a doubt that even if Kelly had claimed Freya was the devil herself, it still wouldn’t have kept me away from her.
In that moment, I knew the truth. The inescapable, terrifying truth.
I was falling for Freya Hadid. I didn’t know if it was love or something else, I just knew she had me wrapped around her toes.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed in an iron grip as I stared at the empty room, the realization of Freya’s absence sinking in like a lead weight. The air felt stiff, suffocating me with the tang of betrayal and heartache.
I stumbled to the open window, my hands gripping the iron until my knuckles turned white. The curtains moved in the evening breeze, mocking me with their gentle dance. How long had she been gone? Hours? since last night?
Sadness and anger warred within me. Part of me wanted to howl in anguish, to tear apart the room in a desperate search for answers. But another part, the part that knew Freya’s gentle heart, refused to believe she would deceive me so cruelly.
I closed my eyes, breathing deeply to calm the chaos in my mind. Think, Rafe. Think. There had to be an explanation. Freya wouldn’t just leave without a reason. No. I refused to believe it. Freya was many things – kind, intelligent, fiercely independent. But she was not a liar. Not in the ways that mattered.
But the doubts persisted, insidious whispers that perhaps I never truly knew her at all. That every moment, every touch, every whispered confession had been nothing more than a carefully crafted lie.
I turned from the window, my resolve hardening like steel. I would find her. I would demand the truth, no matter how painful it might be. And then… then I would decide if what I felt for her was strong enough to overcome any obstacle.
My eyes swept frantically around Freya’s room, searching for any clue, any hint of where she might have gone. That’s when I spotted it – a single sheet of paper, folded neatly on her bedside table.
With trembling fingers, I snatched it up, unfolding it to reveal Freya’s elegant writing. As I read the words, each one felt like a dagger to my heart.
“To whom it may concern” it began. “By the time you read this, I will be gone. I am so sorry for not telling you the truth – that I am not a true werewolf. I entered this competition under false pretenses, and for that, I will forever be ashamed.”
I lowered the letter, my vision blurring with unshed tears. Dammit Freya… why didn’t you trust me? Why didn’t you let me help you!
“I know I should have confided in you,” the letter continued, as if she had read my thoughts. “But I was afraid. Afraid of the consequences if my secret was discovered. Afraid of how you would despise me. And now, it seems those fears were not unfounded.”
I could almost hear her voice, the pain and regret lacing every word. My heart ached with the need to hold her, to tell her that everything would be alright.
“I am leaving now, to spare you any further shame or embarrassment. My feelings for you were real, even if I wasn’t entirely honest about who I am. I will always cherish our time together. Thank you Connor, Addy and… Alpha Rafe” I took in a sharp breath.
The letter was signed simply “Freya”. No flowery declarations, no pleas for forgiveness. Just a stark finality that left me reeling.
I crumpled the paper in my fist, a growl building in my throat. Anger surged through me, hot and fierce. Not at Freya, but at the circumstances that had driven her away. How dare she leave me because she thought I would hate her for not being a real werewolf??
“You will regret running from me, little butterfly” I muttered under my breath. I turned to window where she must have escaped from. All alone.
I needed to act fast. If Freya had indeed fled, she was in grave danger. A lone female, unprotected in the wild? The thought made my blood run cold.
I stormed from the room, my footsteps echoing like thunder in the hallway. I would summon every soldier, every tracker, every ally I had. We would scour the land, search every hidden trail and forgotten path.
I would bring Freya home. And heaven help anyone who stood in my way.
I met Connor at the hallway. “Gather the soldiers,” I barked, my tone leaving no room for argument. “I want every available man searching for Freya. She must be found and brought back to the palace, unharmed, within 24 hours.”
Connor’s eyes widened at my intensity, but he nodded briskly. “Freya… left the palace?”
I glared at him, my anger flaring again. He took quickly nodded and hurried away.
my mind already raced at the possibility of the dangers she could face. I silently vowed to bring her back safely. I would end the earth before I allowed her get hurt. Freya was mine and mine alone. I would not rest until she was back in my arms, where she belonged.
I stalked to my chambers, slamming the door behind me with enough force to rattle the hinges. The sound of the lock clicking into place did nothing to soothe the turmoil raging inside me.
With a roar of frustration, I lashed out, sending a vase crashing to the floor. Shards of glass shattered across the polished wood, but I barely noticed. My wolf was clawing at my skin, desperate to be released, to track down our woman and bring her back to safety.
But I couldn’t give in to the instinct, not yet. I needed to think, to plan. If Freya had truly left the palace grounds, she was vulnerable. As a human in wolf territory, she would be seen as easy prey. The thought of another pack finding her, of rough hands on her delicate skin, made my vision blur red.
I paced the room like a caged animal, my mind spinning with possibilities. Where would she go? How far could she have gotten on foot? Every minute that passed was another minute she was out there alone, unprotected.
“I will find you, Freya,” I whispered, my voice raw with emotion. “I swear it on my life. No matter what it takes, no matter how long I have to search, I will bring you back home.”
The words were a vow, a promise that I etched into my very soul. I would move heaven and earth to keep her safe, to show her that she belonged here, with me. That her vulnerability was a gift, not a curse.
With determination, I wrenched open the door and strode out into the hallway. I would find her myself, and not even the gods themselves could stop me.
*****