Liam’s POV
The cool night air carried a gentle whisper across the trees, and the leaves trembled as I stood outside the mansion, looking up. The moon, full and brilliant, was gradually emerging from behind a screen of black clouds, casting a gentle sheen over the vast area of land before me. The wind blew gently, but I barely noticed it. My mind was filled with a feverish expectation that gnawed at my patience.
Steven was coming. He had to.
I shifted position, my boots sinking into the damp earth beneath my feet. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity, pulled tight with anticipation. The manor behind me loomed over me, its former glory nothing but a short-term war zone now. The war wasn’t over, not yet.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Maya edging a little closer, her arms folded tightly over her chest as she let out a small sigh. She was restless, too. I could hear it in her breathing, feel it in the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
“I don’t think he’s going to show,” she said finally, her voice guarded, tentative.
The words barely left her mouth before something within me snapped.
“Shut up!” I growled, my tone harsh and tinged with irritation.
Maya flinched ever so slightly, her lips pressing to a thin line, but remained silent.
I breathed in deeply, trying to quell the wave of rage rising up within me. My gaze remained fixed on the horizon, my fingers drumming impatiently. She didn’t know. She could never know.
I had known Steven since we were kids. I knew exactly how his mind worked, what motivated him, what kept him bound to his pack like a dog on a leash to its master. He was not the type to abandon them-not even when the odds were against him.
He would come.
Because if there was one thing I could count on, it was that Steven loved his pack more than anything in this world. They were his weakness. And I was going to exploit that weakness to its fullest extent.
“But it’s already nightfall, and-”
“I told you to keep shut, Maya!” I yelled, spinning around to glare at her.
She tensed visibly, her eyes flicking wide for a second before she quickly covered her face. But I saw it. The hesitation. The moment of fear.
Good.
I didn’t want her doubts poisoning my mind.
I took a harsh breath, running a hand through my hair as I turned back out toward the horizon. The night stretched on, dark and unrelenting, but I would not allow doubt to insinuate itself.
Steven wasn’t the type to stay behind while his people suffered. He wasn’t the type to ignore a threat that would bring his pack to its knees.
No.
He would come.
And when he did, he would regret ever crossing me.
——–
Freya’s POV
The night was quiet and still as James and I walked through the back door of the mansion. We walked with careful strides, each breath held as we slid along in perfect silence. The cold bite of my knife against the flesh of my palm was a bitter reminder of the violence we were about to unleash.
The guards stationed outside were a breeze to deal with-too simple, really. It was almost as if waiting in ambush, anticipating every move we made. But I dismissed the thought from my mind. No time for indecision.
Inside, the air was thick with the scent of damp wood and leftover smoke. The walls towered above us, suffocating, crushing, as if they carried the weight of every death that had occurred within their walls. My heart pounded against my chest, my veins pumping adrenaline.
James then lightly placed a hand on my shoulder, directing my attention to the glass doors that led outside.
“There they are,” he gasped, his voice low and steady.
I followed the direction he pointed, and my stomach turned at the sight. Liam and Maya were standing just outside, their figures outlined against the moonlight. They looked calm, oblivious, as if everything else in the world was not crumbling.
James moved forward, his muscles tense, ready to strike, but I grabbed him before he took another step.
“My pack matters more,” I informed him, my voice firm, unmovable. “They’re still in captivity here. I need to free them before I take care of business elsewhere.”
James turned to confront me, his expression a mix of frustration and amazement. “Freya, Liam is standing in front of you. This is your chance! You can at last kill him and get revenge at last! Why would you put everything at risk for a pack of wolves?”
I met his gaze unflinching. “Because the well-being of my pack is worth more than revenge, James. And if you are the better man, as Freja believed you were, then you’ll help me save them.”
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he would argue. But then he exhaled a harsh breath, shaking his head in anger.
“They’re being kept in the cottage out there,” he growled. “But we’ll have to break in. And there’s a good chance we’ll get caught. You still want to do this?”
I didn’t reply. “Yes.”
James let out a harsh laugh, running a hand through his hair before shifting finally. “Fine. Let’s go. But never again use Freja’s name to use something like this on me,” he growled, his voice thick with emotion.
We didn’t hesitate. We moved.
—
The closer we proceeded to the cottage, the stronger the odor of sweat and blood became. The remaining guards stood watch outside, their eyes darting back and forth, their arms firmly gripping their weapons. They were ready to fight-but so were we.
James chuckled softly beside me. “You don’t regret not warning Steven, do you? Because his powers would definitely be useful right about now.”
I kept my eyes on the guards, my body poised for combat. “I don’t regret anything, James. There are only seven wolves. We can handle them.”
He smiled. “I envy your confidence.”
I gave him a sidelong look. “So, let’s go?”
“Ladies first,” he said with a chuckle tilt of the head.
Rolling my eyes, I walked ahead, not trying to hide. The guards bristled the moment they saw me, their faces sharpening into recognition.
“Hello, boys,” I said, with a slow spread of smile on my lips.
One of them sneered. “You have a death wish, being here alone.”
“Oh, she’s not alone,” James intervened with me, the quiet threat of his arrival resonating with devastation.
One guard turned to run. “Sound the alarm to Alpha Liam! We have visitors-”
James cut him off in midsentence with a swift step forward, his dagger slicing across the guard’s neck before he’d even taken another step. Blood erupted out across the floor, and the body fell into lifeless sprawl.
James swiveled his head. “What did you just say?”
I smiled. “Guess we’ll never know.”
The other guards rushed towards us, and chaos erupted.
The initial two wolves attacking me were easy to overcome, their movements slow and predictable. But the third was faster, stronger. He knocked me down, his claws tearing at my arms as he pinned me beneath him. His breath was hot on my face, his eyes burning with bloodlust.
I fought, but his grip was unbreakable. The moonlight reflected off his claws as he pulled them back to tear into my throat-
And then he froze. A revolting squelch filled the air, and I watched James rip the wolf’s heart out behind him. Blood ran from his hand as he discarded the organ.
“You owe me one,” he told me, reaching down to pick me up.
I wiped the blood from my face, shaking my head. “I’ll think about it.”
With the guards dismissed, we opened the door to the cottage.
The tableau inside left me breathless.
Dozens of my pack were bound, their hands tied, their mouths gagged. Their eyes met mine, with fatigue, with despair, with hope.
“Quickly, get them untied,” I said, going to them.
I spotted Roy in their midst and rushed to his side, wildly untangling the ropes that bound his wrists.
“Roy-”
He pulled me into a tight embrace before I could say anything else, shaking with his arms.
“I thought you were dead,” he said in a strained voice, his eyes brimming with emotion. “I thought all of you were dead.”
“We’re fine,” I told him.
He stepped back, his eyes scouring mine. “And Steven?”
“He’s alive,” I reported.
Relief flooded his face.
Williams had also been let out, and they helped let the rest of the pack out.
“We don’t have much time,” I urged. “Get them out of here before we get caught.”
Williams nodded. “I’ll take them out.”
I grabbed his arm before he exited. “Take the road into the woods. There’s a cottage close to the lake. Steven is there. Go, and we’ll be right behind you.”
One by one, they disappeared into the black.
—
“You have to leave too, Roy,” I said once they’d all but departed.
He hesitated. “Aren’t you leaving?”
James crossed his arms. “We have unresolved business.”
“You’re attacking Liam,” Roy deduced.
I nodded. “He killed Freja. I won’t let him live.”
Roy’s eyes widened. “What?! Freja’s dead?!”
I didn’t have time to react before the door slammed open.
Ivan stood in the entrance, his arrival suffocating.
His lips twisted. “And you’re going to meet the same fate.”
With a flick of his wrist, some unknown power sent us all flying across the room.
Liam and Maya came dashing in, their eyes drinking in the damage.
Liam’s face twisted with fury. “Where are my prisoners?!”
James’s tone was icy. “I’m concerned about Freya because she’s the sister of the woman I love. Do you remember her? Freja? You ripped out her heart.”
Liam’s grip tightened on my jaw. “You ruined everything, Freya. And now? You’ll be my new bait.”
Guards stormed in, binding us.
“You will all die a miserable death,” Liam swore.
Maya lingered, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “I’m disappointed in you, brother.”
James didn’t even flinch. “It’s mutual, sister.”
And then she turned and walked away.