*FREYA*
Jet managed to handle the situation like he said he would but with each passing day, I get eaten alive with guilt. The most frustrating part, is that there is nothing I can do about the situation, even the servants around whisper behind my back thinking I couldn’t hear them. At least they were trying to hide their hatred for me, as if dealing with all that wasn’t enough, Camille decided to be part of my problems too.
I had just finished getting dressed that morning when Claire strode into my room, Jet has been busy trying to figure out where the councils would strike next, Hunter is out looking for Duncan and his men. It’s been wild and busy around here lately, it was also the first time I was seeing her in a few days.
“Is Camille still bothering you?” She asked as if reading my mind.
“I have decided to just ignore her, I’m still trying to get myself out of the mess Morgana had shoved me in. I feel so guilty” I admitted, it was the first time I’d ever admitted that out loud. “I was thinking if Jet let me go back and I think to my Dad, he might stop whatever he is planning to do with the councils” The look Claire gave me was enough to tell me the plan wouldn’t work, I didn’t believe it myself but I still wanted to try.
“It is very complicated” She patted me on my shoulder. “I believe I know what we should do, we must escape from this castle for a few hours. Let us go to one of the finest diners in town, we can talk over a cup of coffee or anything you want” She suggested and the hesitation was clear on my face.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to be in town when everyone hates me. I know Jet said everything is under control but….” I trailed off as she started to drag me out of the room.
Realizing that I had no choice but to go with her, I finally stopped protesting. Half an hour later, we decided to go to a coffee shop. I didn’t know there was a coffee shop in town plus it’s been a long I had one which might just be what I needed. As soon as we stepped in, I could feel every supernatural creature eyes on me, did I forget to mention that the Shifters had also settled in the pack?
“Pretend you do not see them looking, eventually they will get tired of glaring” Claire whispered as we slide into an empty seat.
I nodded and then picked up the menu, I was still scrolling through when a man approached us, at first I was thinking it was a waiter but judging by how well dressed he was, I figured out he wasn’t.
“Lady Claire” His attention was on her. “I’m pleased to see you after a long time but I may have to ask your human friend here to leave. She is making all the other customer comfortable” He told her straight away, the fact that he didn’t even bother beating around the bush which indicates these people must mean business.
“There is no need to lie Ethan, how is she making everyone uncomfortable? Have you forgotten who the human happens to be? She is the Alpha mate and he has claimed her” She fired back at him, and we were starting to attract a lot of attention.
“We already made our feelings clear to the Alpha, we do not accept the humans as our Luna” Ethan reported glaring at Claire, she took a step forward and I held her back before things got out of control.
“We will leave” I stood up and pulled her along with me. “That wasn’t necessary, their feelings are justified. Maybe they need a little bit of time…. Ouch!” I flinched as I felt something wet against my skin. I glance in the direction where it had come from and was surprised to see a small crowd of women holding some rotten tomatoes, one of them threw another one and it missed me.
“What the bloody hell?” Claire hissed shielding me from the angry women. “I cannot believe you people have resulted to assaulting your Luna!” She growled at them.
“Take that back! This woman shall never be our Luna. We have written a letter through the messenger, we do not want the human among us” One of the women growled back.
“Because of her father, I did not only lose my husband but my son as well, do you think I shall ever find it in my heart to forgive people that are responsible for it?” Another one chided and everyone blows into a full argument, as they advance towards me with the rotten fruits, two guards from the palace stepped between us holding them back.
“Whoa, Jet will no doubt be furious that we had left the castle without a guard” I was half paying attention to Claire as we made our way back into the waiting car, I felt humiliated and helpless. These people already wrote a letter to Jet, telling him to banish me from their pack, how long before they turn against him because of me? I can’t let that happen.
The ride back to the castle was quiet, when her several attempts to get me to talk didn’t work, Claire finally gave up. Immediately we got home, I hurried up the stairs to my room and then when I walked in, I wasn’t that surprised to see Jet pacing around the room, his eyes narrowed at me in anger as he saw the state I was in.
“Not now” I held up a finger to stop him from saying anything. “I want to be alone” I turned away from him, hoping he would leave.
“Like hell you are” He sneered back, spurning me around to face him. “What the fuck happened to you?”
“What do you think happened? I was asked to leave a restaurant, ambushed by a mob of angry women who are pissed Thad my father killed their families, who could blame them though?” I snapped at him.
“You are not responsible for his sins” He urged.
“I wish that was true, I also wished you told me what I was getting into. You hide this from me Jet, how could you keep something as important as that from me? You keep saying you don’t want me involved but can’t you see? I’m already involved and if we don’t do something, these people are going to turn against you. They love you, I don’t want to be the reason why you are hated” I blurted out reminding myself not to cry, at least not in front of him.
Probably listening to my thoughts and hearing what I was thinking, he pulled me into his embrace not caring how filthy I was looking at that moment. I cracked and finally let myself cry ever since I heard the news. “Why is he doing this?” I murmured against his chest. “I cannot think of any reason why he would be working for people as horrible as the councils”
“Power hungry makes people do a lot of shit and the reason he may want to strike harder is because I have his daughter. He thinks I want to exact revenge on him through you which is far from the truth, I’m keeping you here because you are mine to keep and to protect. As for my people, leave them to me” He placed a kiss on my forehead as we pulled apart.
We both turned at the sound of the door being opened without a single knock and Camille stood there glaring at me. “How could you have them arrest my aunt! She has done nothing wrong” She screamed in a high pitched voice.
“I suggest you mince the way you speak to your Alpha” He snarled at her. “I have been kind to your aunt far too long, if you do not want to join her on the house arrest she is under, I suggest you watch that fucking tone of yours” Judging by the way her eyes widened in fear, I assumed Jet has never spoken to her that way before. My suspicions were confirmed when she fling a malicious look in my direction.
“But why” She cried, her tone calm but fearful. “She has done nothing wrong, all she did was said the truth. Did you know what I went through in that lab? I was tortured, drugged and humiliated. All I wanted was to come home to you and my aunt, I wanted us to be a family, it is the only thing that kept me going. If I knew this is what I would have come home to, I would have died!”
“Do not say that” Jet’s tone also softened as he approached her. “Your aunt and I don’t need to be a couple for you to have a family, you have me, my soul mate, Hunter, Claire, Kale and your aunt”
“There must have been a mistake like what happened with Sophie, the councils must be playing a trick on you to believe the human is your mate, her father is part of this whole thing right? How are you sure it is not history repeating itself as a way to bring you down? The first time the councils did something like this, your parents and half of the pack died, if it happens this time then it is over” With that, she turned around and stroll out of the room.
“Maybe it’s best for everyone if I just leave” I blurted out.
He darted me a glare. “Camille is a child, she is trying tantrum to get what she wants like every child and she is trying to do it in form of emotional manipulation. Do not fall for that” He stopped in front of me, still holding my gaze his finger played with the knot of my dress from behind.
“What are you doing” I whispered even though I had an idea, my heart raced in anticipation and my body hummed with excitement.
“Taking your mind away from all this” He whispered back letting my dress slide slowly down my body.
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TBC