Ashley’s POV
“I said apologize!” Steven’s voice roared, his anger evident, his gaze filled with rage.
Maya, her voice shaking, replied softly, “Never.”
A chilling grin appeared on Steven’s lips. “I suppose you’re looking forward to your demise then.”
“Brother, don’t,” Freya’s voice cracked, her desperation clear. “Please, don’t kill her because of me.”
Steven shot her a quick glance before replying, his voice calm. “If that’s your concern, then just let it go. Even if she hadn’t harmed you, I was always planning to take her out in the end.”
In one fluid motion, he thrust his hand deep into Maya’s chest. Blood bubbled in her throat, and a choked cry escaped her mouth. I felt my breath catch in my throat.
“Stop!!!” I yelled, sprinting forward, but Steven didn’t flinch. His hand was still buried deep in Maya’s chest, like he was crushing her very soul.
“Kill her,” I said, my voice trembling but resolute, “and I’ll kill myself too.”
I grabbed the sharpest knife from the table, my hand shaking but firm in its resolve.
“What?” Steven’s voice was cold, almost disbelieving.
“I’m serious, Steven,” I said, my eyes locking with his. “I’ll slit my throat. My mother is already gone. I have nothing left in this world to lose. If you pull her heart out, I will end my life right here. And when I do, you’ll become the weakling you’ve always feared being.”
Steven’s gaze darkened, his grip on Maya tightening. “She… Why are you trying so hard to save her? She doesn’t deserve to live!!”
“I’m trying to save you, Steven,” I said, stepping closer, my voice shaking with emotion. “I’m trying to save you from this darkness that’s consuming you. You-of all people-don’t get to decide who deserves to live or die.”
Freya’s voice trembled as she pleaded, “Steven, maybe you should listen to Luna. Please.”
But Steven’s rage didn’t subside. “She plans to destroy my company, my family… my pack, and you tell me to let her go?!”
“I’ll help you,” I said, a desperate plan forming in my mind. “I’m a fashion designer, remember? I was hired by the fashion department before you fired me on my first day. Let me help you. I’ll come up with a stunning clothing line for women in just two days. In return, you won’t kill Maya. Do we have a deal, Steven?”
There was a long pause before Steven slowly withdrew his blood-soaked hand from Maya’s chest, and she slumped, lifeless, to the floor.
“Two days,” Steven’s voice was dark and final. “If I’m not impressed with the clothing line you present, I will decapitate her head. Do you understand?”
He called Liam in, his tone demanding, “Lock her up in the cottage outside. Make sure she’s well-guarded.”
I stood frozen, shock still rippling through me. “What? Why are you locking her up? We had a deal!”
“The deal was to spare her life. We said nothing about setting her free,” Steven replied coolly, his gaze unwavering. “I’m not about to release someone who would harm my company, my family, and my pack. That would be a foolish act-and I am not foolish.”
Without another word, he walked away, leaving me standing in the aftermath. Liam dragged Maya’s limp form toward the cottage.
Freya stormed out angrily, her voice bitter. “I hate this family. They make me feel weak.”
I slumped onto the couch, my heart heavy with the weight of the situation.
Who would’ve thought that I would try so hard to save the life of someone who had sent people to kill me?
But I wasn’t doing this for Maya. I was doing this for you, Leon. I know you’re still somewhere inside Steven, buried beneath all that darkness. And I promise you-I’ll bring you back to the light.
******
Freja’s POV
A sharp pain shot through my neck, and my eyes fluttered open. My head throbbed, but my body felt strangely light. I was lying on a couch in an unfamiliar house. My surroundings were foreign, and panic surged within me.
What happened?
“You healed up pretty fast,” James’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I tensed, sitting up immediately, ready to strike.
“Come fight me, you backstabbing traitor!!” I shouted, my anger boiling over as I lunged at him, twisting his arm behind his back.
“You called me your friend!” I yelled, throwing him onto the floor. “And yet, you tried to kill me!!”
James, unfazed, slowly rose to his feet, his expression unreadable. “I don’t want to fight you, Freja.”
“You tried to kill me last night!” I spat, fury clear in my eyes. “And now you act like you care?!”
I lunged again, my fist aimed at his face, but he blocked it with ease, catching my wrist in a vice-like grip.
“If I wanted you dead, Freja,” he said calmly, his eyes hard, “you would be. You’re still alive because I chose to let you live.”
I shook with rage. “Yeah, so what? You want me to thank you for showing mercy by only nearly snapping my neck and not killing me outright?!”
James stepped back, his voice soft but insistent. “I saved your life, Freja.”
“Saved my life?” I scoffed, disbelief flooding my chest. “By nearly killing me?”
“I knew you were going to heal,” he explained, his voice surprisingly gentle. “They would’ve killed you if they saw you. I had to get you out of there before they did. I saved you, and you should be thanking me.”
I glared at him, my fists still clenched. “Fine, let’s say I believe you for a second. Who were those people in the woods, then? The ones who would have killed me?”
James’s face hardened. “I can’t tell you that.”
“Why were you there?” I demanded. “What were you doing in those woods?”
“I can’t tell you that, either.”
I stared at him, feeling the rage and confusion building inside. “And I suppose you can’t tell me why they wanted to kill me, or what you were doing with them?”
“Freja…” James said softly, but it only made my anger flare.
“What can you tell me about yourself without me having to die, James?” I demanded. “I need some explanation. Something!”
He sighed deeply, his eyes meeting mine with a mixture of exhaustion and something else. “The only thing you can know about me, Freja, is my name.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “Unbelievable.”
I crossed my arms, stubbornly refusing to back down. “Why were you in the woods so late?”
“Do you live around here?” he asked, his gaze narrowing.
“You think I’m foolish enough to tell you anything about myself when you’ve told me nothing about you?” I snapped, my voice sharp with frustration.
James sighed heavily, as if carrying a weight too heavy to bear. “You won’t understand, Freja.”
“Well then make me understand,” I said, my voice low, but insistent. “Explain yourself.”
“I can’t,” he replied, his voice filled with an air of finality.
I stood there for a long moment, the weight of the conversation sinking in. “I guess we’re done here, then.”
I turned to leave, the tension between us thick in the air.
“You’re the first,” James’s voice stopped me, his words sharp but oddly heavy with emotion. “I spared your life when I could’ve killed you. I’m not known for mercy, but I showed you one. You’re the first person I’ve ever spared.”
I hesitated, the gravity of his words holding me in place for just a moment longer.
Then, without another word, I walked out.