39

Thirty Nine
*Third Pov*
KELLY HADID stood still at her window. She gazed stealthily upon the Alpha who was walking along the palace grounds. He was so graceful and handsome that it made Kelly take in a sharp breath. She wanted Alpha Rafe. She wanted him for herself and she didn’t mind going to hell and back just to get him.
she had already gotten her dumb step-sister out of the way, it left one more person who posed a threat to her goal of having him. Jessica Gabriel. Jessica was a perfect candidate for Rafe and she was extremely beautiful. That was why Kelly had deliberately befriended her so she could lose her guard and let her know her weakness. And the moment Kelly found out that weakness, she would switch up on Jessica and be the number one candidate for Rafe.
Kelly turned away from her window with a vicious smile on her face. She would stop at nothing to get whatever she wanted.
*Rafe*
My boots crunched on the gravel path as I strode along the palace grounds. The evening air was cool against my skin but it did nothing to calm the anger raging inside me. Freya was still missing. My Freya, my beautiful siren. I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. Terrible images flashed through my mind – Freya lost, alone, in danger. A pit of dread opened in my stomach.
“I will find you, Freya,” I vowed under my breath. “No matter what it takes, I will bring you home safe.”
A flutter of dark wings caught my eye. I glanced up to see Shade, my faithful raven, soaring towards me. A flicker of hope sparked in my chest. Could it be? Had Shade found some sign of Freya?
The raven landed on a nearby lamppost, regarding me with gleaming black eyes. I hurried over, my heart pounding.
“Please tell me you found her..” I silently prayed as I walked slowly to the lamppost.
Shade was a special bird and though I did not understand how, he was a useful tool and whoever had him was considered very powerful. My father had told me about the raven before he died. Shade was no ordinary bird – he had a special ability to track down anything or anyone, no matter where in the world they might be. All I needed to do was give a special whistle, and Shade would appear, ready to carry out my commands.
It was this very ability I had called upon yesterday, when desperation drove me to summon Shade. “Find Freya,” I had instructed him urgently. “Seek any trace of her, a drop of blood, a strand of hair, anything. Bring me proof of where she is.”
Now, Shade circled back towards me, landing on my outstretched arm. I noticed with a surge of excitement that his sharp beak was stained with what looked like fresh blood.
“You found her!” I exclaimed, hardly daring to believe it. “Freya’s alive!”
The bird cawed softly and bobbed his head. Relief crashed over me like a wave. Shade was no ordinary raven – he was uncannily intelligent and perceptive, able to track and spy like no other creature. If anyone could locate Freya, it was him.
“Show me,” I commanded. “Lead me to wherever you found signs of her.” I said fiercely. I squared my shoulders, my resolve hardening into steel. No matter how far I had to go or what dangers I had to face, I would stop at nothing to rescue Freya and destroy whoever had taken her from me. I examined the blood on Shade’s beak, fighting the urge to embrace the bird in sheer relief and gratitude. If Shade had obtained Freya’s blood, it meant not only was she still living, but that I now had the means to track her location myself.
“Thank you, my friend,” I said hoarsely. “You may have just saved her life.”
With the blood Shade brought me, I could track her from the bird’s head to hone in on Freya’s whereabouts, no matter how far away she was. Hang on baby, I thought fiercely. I’m coming for you. Just hold on a little longer…
Nothing would stop me now. I would search to the ends of the earth to find Freya and wreak vengeance on those who dared to kidnap her.
The moment my fingers touched the raven’s bloody beak, an electric jolt shot through my body. Suddenly, I could sense Freya – her unique scent, the essence of her blood, her aura – calling to me from miles away like a siren song. Gasping, I shut my eyes and tried to envision her surroundings through Shade’s mental impressions.
“Show me,” I whispered urgently. “Help me see her, Shade.”
Flashes of imagery flooded my mind’s eye. Dark stone walls. Dampness. The flicker of torchlight. Freya’s slender form pacing restlessly around what appeared to be some sort of underground cellar. She looked unharmed, but frustrated, testing the hard walls and door for any means of escape.
Even in the dim light, her fierce beauty took my breath away. Freya moved with the deadly grace of a lioness stalking prey, green eyes flashing, hands balling into fists. I could practically feel the intensity of her resolve radiating through the vision. She wouldn’t stop fighting, not for a second. My heart swelled with pride.
“That’s my brave girl,” I murmured. “Don’t give up, love. I’ll find you soon, I swear it.”
As quickly as it had come, the image dissipated, the connection breaking. But I had seen enough. I knew Freya still lived and that she remained unbroken. And thanks to Shade, I now had the means to pinpoint her location and stage a rescue.
I opened my eyes, my blood singing with renewed determination. “You’ve done well,” I told the raven. “Now I need you to guide me to her.”
Shade bobbed his head in understanding and took flight, wheeling off towards the horizon, back in the direction from which he’d come. I turned and signaled to the guards that stood alert, waiting for a sign from me.
“My lord, you called at us?” One of the guards said
“Yes. I have found Freya. She is trapped at the sunshade pack. all the way at the eastern part of the world. Inform Connor to get the airship ready right this minute. We are not wasting any more second.”
“Yes Alpha!” They all chorused with enthusiasm. About 10 of them. They turned and prepared for the flight.
I would kill anyone foolish enough to stand in my way. They would soon learn the fate of earning the enmity of the Crimson Alpha. And they would pay dearly for every moment of suffering inflicted on Freya. If I found a single hair on her body armed, I would wipe them all out.
It was a promise to myself and Freya.
****