*FREYA*
Jet, Hunter and Kale were standing in the foyer when we came back from riding, they waited and stared at me making me frown slightly wondering what they were up to, the sun was setting and the heat I was feeling had started to intensify all I wanted was to lock myself in my room after a cold long shower.
However as I made to walk past, pretending not to see them, Jet called out my name bringing me to a halt, my eyes searching his in question and then he tilted toward me and sniff me for a while before pulling back. “Do you have anything you wish to speak to me about?” He finally asked.
I look at him uncertainly wondering where this was going, I searched my brain. “I don’t think so if you would excuse me, I’m sweating and I need to take a shower” I reported before I would further embarrass myself.
“You are gross” Kale chided wringing his nose at me like he doesn’t sweat.
Jet growled unexpectedly then grabbed me by my arm, half dragging me into the huge sitting room, and the rest curiously followed behind, I didn’t even try to protest since I channel all my energy into not moaning at how good it felt to have his hand on mine. “Sophie has been messing with your brain, how fucking long has this been going on?” He demanded like I ought to know besides I’m just as confused as him about the whole thing.
“What are you talking about?” Hunter decided to speak up.
“Claire, do tell me what happened while you were riding out this afternoon and every other day you and Freya have been out without us” He ordered using his Alpha voice. *Okay this is more serious than I thought*
Much to everyone’s astonishment, Claire couldn’t recall a single thing that happened on the trip and this time it was Hunter who growled possessively as he went over to stand beside her.
Claire’s wide eyes met mine. “It is true” She murmured. “Why would Sophie be messing with our memories and how did you know?” She asked Jet.
“I suspected it the first time Freya went out riding with you and Morgana” I sniffed at the mention of Morgana’s name but unaware of my reaction and with all seriousness he carried on. “Freya had come to me that day in hopes of telling me something but when I asked her, she could not recall what she was about to tell me something. Sending you riding today was a test, there’s an unfamiliar scent mix with Freya’s scent” He blurted out.
“She forgot to mask her scent. She keeps forgetting she is dealing with an Alpha” He added with so much confidence.
*Damn! he’s smart* I thought staring at him and when he turned to look at me, I quirkily look away blushing profusely. Focusing on the matter at hand, not that I was surprised that Sophie was messing with me but why? What is she after? Jet was the true Alpha, not me.
“Hunter, Kale” Jet called and without another word, they followed him in the direction of his study like usual they were going to leave me out of whatever they were going to discuss, this concern me as much as it does to them, I should be a part of it.
“Is there not a spell boundary to keep the witch from coming an inch near the castle? It is bad enough that she is stalking Freya” Claire murmured more to herself.
“She is a priestess, I don’t think there is a way to keep her from coming near the castle unless you know another powerful witch like Sophie” I answered then blushed when she looked at me in admiration.
“You are very clever and you have been catching on, if another human were to be in your place, they would have been terrified,” She remarked.
“Thank you and next time you see Jet? Please repeat that to him” I couldn’t bring myself to laugh along with her. I murmured a ‘see you later’ before retreating to my room, Hazel wasn’t there yet so I waited for her knowing she was probably freshening up.
I didn’t wait for long, a few minutes later she strolled in, she then helped me to undress and freshened up. While I was bathing, I kept wondering why Sophie would keep stalking me around, what does she want? If there was a guarantee that she wouldn’t mess with my brain then I’d love to have a chat with her.
An hour later, thinking Jet would be at the dinner table I told Hazel I would be having dinner with the rest but much to my disappointment it was just me alone in the huge dining room.
“Hi Freya,” A voice said behind me making me swine around, I freeze when I saw Sophie standing there and on a serious note Claire was right about that boundary spell, I mean this lady has the power to teleport wherever she wanted, that was cool though. While she was still giving me her smug smile of victory, I tear out the mountain ash in me pouring it all around me.
She jerked back as her smile turned into a sneer. “There was no need for that Freya” She inhaled. “I just came here to talk to you” Okay that caught me off guard, she has been stalking me the whole time to talk to me? I didn’t trust her one bit.
“Talk to me? You messed with my memory and you are soon going to do that as soon as you leave. Look I get that you are all powerful and everything but I’m not a toy, leave my memory alone, you do not want me to tell Jet things that would make him carry out his threat on you” I blurted out.
“Interesting, carry out his threat of killing me? And so what then Freya? He is still going to keep you in the dark, he is still not going to tell you what he knows about you. You think Jet loves you?” Her smile was slow and cruel. “Jet only has one good use for women and that is sex, he may care about you but thinking a man like him would love you is delusional and I know you are smarter than that” She replied.
Her word felt like a knife had been twisted into my heart. “You don’t know anything about me or my family!” I argued, God! Does everyone know something about me that only myself doesn’t know?
“I know them enough to know why Jet is hiding the truth from you. You are dying to know who your family are? And I am trying to know who you are. Why don’t we help each other Freya”, She bargained.
“You must think I’m so desperate enough to believe you” Her offer was tempting but if I make a deal with her, I would be betraying Jet!
“I believe you would want to know the kind of family you came from, I believe you would like to know why you were to be married to your ex-fiance and I believe you are dying to know why you are here. I can tell you everything, everything Freya you name it”
“Why do you even want to help me? Your little trick won’t work on me, do you think I don’t see the way you look at Jet?” It was her turn to be surprised, I wish could just slap that surprise look off her face. “What would your coven do Sophie when they find out you are attracted to the enemy?” I smirked at her folding my arms across my chest.
She recovered quickly enough to laugh it off. “Are you not also attracted to the enemy? Jet abducted you and here you are relishing your life, the fact that you left a man at the altar. There is no difference between us Freya. I have my suspicion about who you are, you see I cannot just confirm it without taking you somewhere, I promised not to mess with your memory, not to hurt you. I gave you my word”
“And you will tell me everything I need to know about my family?” I asked to be sure.
“I shall” She responded taking a step back.
I looked down at the mountain ash around me, and as I lift a leg to cross it, a loud growl interrupted and it was no other than Jet standing at the entrance of the door scowling at us.
“Stay where you are” He hissed at me as he stalked towards Sophie.
Sophie glanced at me nervously asking for help and without thinking I complied.
“Stop” I yelled but he ignored me. “If you take one more step I will cross over” And that made him stop, honestly I wasn’t sure if he was going to listen to me or not. “I’m going with her,” I said without looking at him.
“The hell you are! Are you going to fucking let her manipulate you? You trust her more than me?” He snarled in my direction.
“Do you trust me? Oh, wait don’t answer that. You don’t! If you trust me, you would have told me what I wanted to know a long time ago. I don’t need your permission to hang out with people, besides I’m going to be back” God! I hope I was doing the right thing but after keeping me in the dark for so long and refusing to tell me anything, he doesn’t deserve my loyalty. He didn’t trust me anyway.
“What do you think she would do if you leave with her?” He took a deep breath and this time I met his gaze and held it watching him struggle to control his anger. “Everything between us would be destroyed if you leave with her. I mean everything” He said in a calm deadly tone.
“I don’t care” I replied despite the warning in my heart telling me not to, there was nothing he hate more than to defy maybe he would know how it feels now.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Jet move towards me but Sophie chanted a magic spell that sent Jet flying across the room, forgetting about the mountain ash I crossed over to check if he was doing alright but Sophie dragged me back.
“That was too easy, humans are so easily manipulated” She chuckled smugly. “The deal is off” Before I could react, she chanted a spell and we were gone.
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TBC