Sixty three
*Freya*
Kelly’s hands clamped down on my shoulders like evil vices, her nails digging painfully into my skin. I struggled against her grip, trying desperately to break free, but it was no use. Kelly was stronger than me, fueled by a rage that seemed to give her inhuman strength.
“Kelly, stop!” I cried out, my voice high and panicked. “What are you doing?”
“What I should have done a long time ago,” Kelly hissed, her face inches from mine. “Getting rid of you, once and for all.”
My heart froze in fear and shock. Kelly wanted to kill me. She wanted to push me off the balcony.
“Rafe!” I screamed on top of lungs, hoping Rafe would somehow hear my voice.
With a sudden, violent shove, she pushed me backwards over the balcony railing. I screamed as I fell, my arms flailing uselessly in the air. The world spun sickeningly around me, the ground rushing up to meet me at a dizzying speed.
I felt a sharp, searing pain as my head cracked against the balcony railing on the way down. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and for a moment everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was still falling, the ground getting closer and closer with every passing second.
This is it, I thought, a strange sense of calm settling over me even as terror gripped my heart. This is how I’m going to die. Pushed off a balcony by my own stepsister, all because of a man we both wanted.
I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact that I knew was coming. I thought of Rafe, of the way he had looked at me during the hunt, with such intensity and longing. I thought of Connor, my dear friend who had always been there for me, no matter what. I thought of Addy and her sweet smile.
I’m sorry, I thought, tears leaking from beneath my closed lids. I’m sorry I won’t get to say goodbye.
Before I could hit the ground, everything went black.
****
*Rafe*
I could barely control the anger within me as I stared down at Freya’s still form, my heart twisting in anguish. She looked so pale and fragile lying there on the healer’s bed, her long hair fanned out around her head like a halo. A large purple bruise marred her forehead, and a gash oozed blood down her temple.
Just minutes ago, I had heard Freya call out my name, her voice laced with desperation and fear. In a burst of unnatural speed fueled by sheer panic, I had raced to the base of the castle’s tallest tower and arrived just in time to catch her limp body as she plummeted from the highest floor of the castle.
As I cradled her in my arms, I noticed the extent of her head wound. She must have struck the balcony railing as she fell. Bile rose in my throat as horrific scenarios flashed through my mind–Freya stumbling from the tower balcony, dazed with heartbreak after seeing Kelly in my room…
“Will she recover?” I asked the healer hoarsely, brushing strands of hair back from Freya’s ashen face with a trembling hand.
“Her skull is fractured, but she will heal in time,” the weathered man replied, not looking up as he cleaned and bandaged her wound. “She is lucky you caught her, or the damage would be far worse.”
Self-loathing churned in my gut. This was all my fault. If only I had pushed Kelly away immediately instead of hesitating in my drunken state. If only I had gone after Freya right away to explain, instead of waiting until morning. My foolish pride and assumptions had put the woman I cherished in mortal danger.
“I’m so sorry, Freya,” I whispered, my voice cracking as I stroked her pale cheek. “Please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. I swear I’ll make this right, whatever it takes. Just come back to me.”
But Freya remained motionless, lost in the depths of unconsciousness. Despair crashed over me in unrelenting waves. I knew I didn’t deserve her forgiveness. But I vowed that if she awoke, I would spend the rest of my life earning back her trust and healing the pain I had thoughtlessly inflicted on her tender heart. No matter what it took, I would prove that she was the only one I wanted. The only one i didn’t want to live without.
“The fall was not natural, your highness.”
Anger flared through me as the healer’s words sunk in. “What do you mean, someone pushed her? Are you saying this wasn’t an accident?” My voice came out as a low, menacing growl.
The healer met my gaze solemnly. “I’m afraid not, Alpha. You see these marks?” He gestured to purple bruises encircling Freya’s delicate shoulders. “These are consistent with someone forcefully grabbing her, likely during a struggle. And the angle of impact suggests she fell backwards, as if shoved.”
White-hot rage seared my veins and my wolf howled within me, thirsting for vengeance. My hands clenched into fists, claws digging into my palms. Someone had deliberately tried to kill Freya – MY Freya. They had laid hands on her, violated her, and nearly took her from me forever.
I would hunt them to the ends of the earth. I would make them suffer an agony far worse than anything they could imagine. Their screams would echo through the night as I ripped them apart piece by piece. No one touched what was mine. No one.
“Alpha…” The healer’s voice pulled me back from the brink of my fury. “I know you want revenge. But right now, Freya needs you here. She needs your strength.”
I exhaled sharply, unclenching my fists. He was right. As much as the beast inside me demanded blood, my mate came first. Always. I had to keep it together for her.
Reaching out, I took Freya’s limp hand in mine, my thumb caressing her knuckles. “I’m here, baby,” I murmured. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe now. Just rest and heal. Let me take care of you.”
Even if she couldn’t hear me, I needed her to feel my presence, to know that from this moment on, I would be her rock, her shelter, her home. No matter how long it took, I would help her recover, in body and soul.
But I also silently vowed that I would find the bastard who did this to her. And I would end them. Freya deserved justice – and I would deliver it to her. Without mercy.
The doors suddenly burst open and Connor strode in with Addy hot on his heels, her cheeks glistening with tears. Connor’s brow furrowed as he took in the scene before him – Freya unconscious and bandaged on the bed, me hovering over her protectively.
“What the hell happened?” he demanded, his voice tight with worry and confusion. “How did this happen, Rafe?”
I shook my head, my jaw clenching. “I don’t know. I found her like this at the base of the tower. The healer says someone pushed her off the balcony.”
Addy gasped, fresh sobs wracking her petite frame. “Who would do such a thing? Freya is the kindest soul…”
“Whoever it was, they’re dead,” I growled, my wolf snarling within me, thirsting for vengeance. “I’ll hunt them down and rip them to shreds for daring to touch her.”
Connor placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. “I know you want revenge, brother. I do too. But we need to be smart about this. We can’t just go off half-cocked.”
I shrugged him off, pacing the room like a caged animal. “To hell with being smart! Freya almost died, Connor! She still might…” My voice cracked on the last word, the mere thought stealing the breath from my lungs.
“She won’t,” Connor said firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “Our girl is a fighter. She’ll pull through this. But she needs us to keep our heads on straight. Flying into a rage won’t help her now.”
I knew he was right, damn him. But every instinct in my body screamed at me to act, to unleash the beast and paint the world red until I had my pound of flesh. Addy approached me tentatively, her blue eyes swimming with empathy. “Rafe, please… Freya wouldn’t want this. She wouldn’t want you to darken your soul for her sake. Let your council investigate. Let the law handle this.”
A harsh laugh escaped my throat. “The law? What good is the law if it failed to protect her in the first place?” I ran a hand over my face, struggling to regain some semblance of control. “No, I’ll deal with this my way. And may the Goddess of death have mercy on the bastard who hurt my woman, because I sure as hell won’t.”
****