Freya sat at her kitchen table trying to ignore the noise that was
grating on her nerves. It had been going on for the last hour and her
irritation levels were spiking in response. Why had she agreed to this? When it had been
presented to her, the idea had appeared logical but now she was reconsidering
her decision. Seriously, how could
anyone weep that long without reprieve? Why couldn’t the woman in the guest
bedroom just be quiet?
After leaving the Alphas, Dayton had hypothesised that there was a
strong possibility that Reasa would be able to relate more to Freya than anyone
else in the pack. After all, she had once been a strong female vampire. His
logic was sound, so they’d agreed it would be wise for him to take Elina over
to the Hanlon Pack to visit with his family while Freya settled Reasa into
their home.
Freya had gone over to her brother’s home to collect the woman,
spending some time reassuring her nephew that she would care for her as if she
were family. Technically, she was not; however, from the adoration in Liam’s
eyes it was clear that one day they would all have to accept the former vampire
into their family unit. For that reason alone, Freya had concluded Rafe had
made the correct decision in asking her and Dayton to look after the human.
Now she was regretting it, wishing she had put up more of an argument
as she rose from her chair and glared at the closed door that separated the
back of the house from the main living areas. Unlike all the other family
dwellings in the compound, Freya had chosen a home on a single level. She
preferred to mirror the hidden retreat high in the mountains that she had once shared
with her brother Nors. The secluded hideaway was now her sanctuary, the place
Dayton whisked her off too when pack life became too overwhelming. The house wasn’t quite the same design as the
retreat, but there was enough similarities to make her feel comfortable.
Crossing the great room that covered the entire front part of the
house, she made her way to the closed door, grimacing as the noise became
louder the moment she opened it. This had to stop soon or, regardless of
her best intentions, she may be forced to break the oath she’d made to her
nephew. She couldn’t put up with the
appalling wailing for another minute, much less the duration of Reasa’s stay.
“Enough.” The word growled from her lips before she’d fully swung the bedroom
door wide. The figure on the bed stiffened instantly in surprise and Freya was
glad she didn’t turn her head to look at her. She was just as surprised at the
amount of venom in her quiet word and wondered at what her expression may have
revealed.
Hadn’t she gotten past the darkness within? Surely after all this time
with Dayton, she had changed enough that her vampiric nature wasn’t as dominant
as it had once been? Yet, the woman who’d just spoken was the one she
remembered well, the pre-Dayton Freya who wouldn’t think twice about meting out
punishments to anyone who got in her way. Taking a deep breath, she entered the
room and moved over to the bed, her movements careful.
Stopping beside the bed, Freya stared down at the woman curled on her
side. Reasa’s ebony hair partially hid her expression so she couldn’t discern
much from that, however the stillness of the other woman’s body was a clear
indication she was alert to the danger surrounding her. At least she was
exhibiting some signs of
intelligence.
“How did you ever survive the European covens?” Again, Freya’s tone was cold and threatening,
and she had to fight with the rising disgust filling her soul. The emotion was
largely directed at Reasa but some of it was self-reflective. She didn’t want
to disappoint her mate by regressing into old habits, but she found it
difficult to quell her vampiric instincts. “Answer my question. How did you
survive the European Covens?”
“I was stronger than most,” Reasa finally responded, her voice low but
the vampire had no issues hearing her. “I had my abilities to influence minds
weaker than mine and the coven I eventually ended up in was one that suited my
needs perfectly. Louis saw my strengths and raised me into a position of
power.”
Freya nodded her understanding even though the other woman wasn’t
looking directly at her. “Sounds logical. What is illogical is why you’re lying
there irritating the hell out of me with your incessant weeping. Would you have
shown this level of weakness in your coven?”
Reasa moved, rolling over and sitting up in one fluid motion. There
was an inherent grace to her movements and Freya could see that, had she retained
her former speed, she would have been an impressive vampire. Not as impressive
as she was, but clearly strong enough to hold her own against most lesser
males.
“I am not in a coven and I am no longer a vampire,” the other woman
hissed out, eyes flashing with fury. “How would you feel if someone came along
and took away everything that made you who you are?”
Freya paused for a long moment, considering the question very
carefully before speaking. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose her
vampiric abilities, but she was truthful enough about who she was as a person,
and knew that her nature would not allow her to just accept what had happened.
“I would be plotting how to punish them; how to take from them what
they had taken from me.” It was in her nature to be honest and therefore she
didn’t consider answering untruthfully. She would.
find a way to punish whoever had hurt her, even if it meant using someone else
to do it. Her answer appeared to surprise Reasa, who sat up a little straighter
and regarded her with a bit less suspicion.
*****
Reasa hadn’t paid much interest to where she was being moved to
earlier. The only thought in her mind at the time was she would be away from
Liam and his mother. Now, she scrutinised the vampire before her, surprised to
find that she could still estimate her age at a rough guess.
The woman was an Ancient, the first female Ancient she had ever come
across before. Given that the lifespan of a European vampire was a lot shorter
than a Northern America one, Reasa wasn’t very surprised. The simple fact that
the Covens erupted into violence on a regular basis denied them the longevity
to reach the two thousand year mark.
She mulled over the female’s name Freya. She felt her pulse quicken as
it sparked memories of her youth. As a Youngling she’d heard that name before,
mentioned in stories of a wild vampire who had visited Europe. They were tales
of terror and pain, of a female vampire with such fearlessness she’d taken on
stronger males and overcome them. The stories had ceased after a while and
Reasa had assumed the vampire had finally met her match. Maybe she had been in
error… “Have you ever been to Europe?”
There was a slight tilt of Freya’s lips, her multi-coloured hair
shimmering in the waning sunlight coming through the window. She inclined her
head in admission, moving to the vanity table beneath the glass. Her movements were unhurried as she picked up
the vanity chair and placed it beside the bed and sat down. Intent green eyes met Reasa’s as the vampire’s
lips twitched once more.
“I have been everywhere and nowhere, Thereasa. I have walked in the
darkness and I have lived in the light. Sometimes I was visible for all to see
and others I was but a ghost. Yes, for a time I travelled Europe, one of the
many dark periods in my life. The violence of the area appealed to me. I was
quite at home there.”
Reasa was spellbound by her expression, catching her breath at the
wistfulness in the vampire’s tone. There was such longing there, as if Freya
wished for a life she’d left behind.
This female was the story of legends, told to younger females in the
covens so they might know that they too could grow to greatness. Watching Freya
and seeing the raw power in her gaze made Reasa’s back stiffen further, more of
her inner strength fighting to make its way forward.
Earlier she had thought that she would never trust a vampire again,
but this woman called to a part of her soul she thought had been lost. “The
Freya I heard tales of was one to be feared above all others. Why did you leave
Europe? You could have ruled covens.”
Soft laughter chimed on the air, a hint of derision within. “Why would
I have wanted to do that? You Europeans have never had any concept of who you
are or what you were capable of achieving. The covens were killing grounds and
only fit for sport. Lead a bunch of animal fodder? I hardly think so.”
It was hard not to jump to her coven’s defence, even if she was no
longer a vampire. Reasa’s eyes flashed with fury at the mockery in Freya’s tone.
“Animal fodder? Really? It must stick in your gut that we animals have the means to wipe out your exulted asses then.”
The laughter grew louder as Freya
shook her head, the trace of pity in her eyes only serving to infuriate Reasa
further. “If I a ran a talon over
your throat, girl, your foolish mouth would cease uttering words and I would
finally have some much needed peace and quiet. If not for Liam, I would do so,
and to hell with Annie’s annoyance at me.”
The stark truth of the vampire’s words, in addition to the cold menace
in her gaze, was enough to have Reasa hold her tongue and consider her options.
She was mortal now and could die at anyone’s whim. She supposed she could push
Freya to the point of no return. That would end her suffering and hurt Liam,
thereby hurting the witch who’d taken everything from her. It seemed such a
good idea, and yet, part of her wanted to live, and it was beginning to grow
stronger.
She met the vampire’s gaze once more. “You claim kinship to Liam?”
Freya’s mentioning of the Vârcolac had incited her curiosity.
Freya rose from the chair, moving back towards the door as if she
didn’t trust herself. “He is my nephew, the child of my brother Nors. He is…special to me; therefore anyone who
would harm him does so under the threat of death.”
The answer stunned Reasa so much her mouth dropped open in surprise,
and she had to clamp it shut quickly as the vampire turned around to regard her
with another piercing look. “That makes
no sense to me. Why have you allowed me in your home when I came here to kill
him and others of his kind?” She watched the other woman’s expression harden
and cold darkness seep into her eyes in response to her question.
“Yes, the logic escapes me also, especially as you were also intent on
killing my daughter. I believe your talons were tipped in poison when you
gouged into her wolf form while she was trying to protect her cousin.”
Ice flowed through Reasa’s veins as she stared in mute shock,
remembering the female Vârcolac she had fought against. She could see the
resemblance was there, looking at the vampire before her. Freya was the mother to a Vârcolac? How could this have come about? The woman had been a legend for centuries,
cold and ruthless, with a body count so high most European vampires had stopped
keeping track. How could she mate with a Were? How could she allow herself to
be tainted that way? Why hadn’t she killed Reasa on the spot when she’d harmed
her offspring?
“Why am I still alive, Freya?”
“You breathe because my Alpha asks it of me. My mate and my daughter
expect it of me. My nephew’s heart demands it of me.” Freya’s dark gaze bore
right through her for a long moment before she stood up and turned away. “You
also live because Annie saw something worthy of redemption in you. She believes
in you, so much so that she risked her heart, her mate, and her happiness when
she made the choice to spare your life.”
Heading towards in the doorway, the vampire looked over her shoulder,
her expression thoughtful. “Why she bothered is beyond me. You are clearly
ungrateful for that sacrifice, choosing only to concentrate on what was stolen
and blindly ignoring the gift that was given in return. Now, enough of this
nonsense. Get up and come eat. You’re lucky you’re meeting the new Freya, girl. In any other situation,
your death would have been long, slow, and as painful as I could have managed
it. I suggest you make the most of this reprieve and celebrate the fact that
you are alive.”
*****
Freya smiled as she walked back to the front of the house. The woman
brought out a side of herself she’d missed for the last quarter of a century.
She took comfort in knowing that it still existed beneath the more mellow part
of her personality. She wasn’t unhappy with the way her life had changed; how could
she be when it had brought her Dayton and Elina? Sometimes though, she did
wonder if being in the pack made her soft. That a day would come when she was
needed, and she would hesitate and someone she loved would pay for that
hesitation. It was good to know that she remained fundamentally the same strong
vampire she had always been.
She was surprised by her lack of animosity towards Reasa. Sure, the
human was no longer a threat towards her loved ones; but that wasn’t what had
her at ease, even though she had just rattled off a long list of reasons why
Reasa was safe in her home. The predominant reason she lacked animosity towards
the girl was the fact that she understood her.
It wasn’t so long ago that she had been like Reasa. Her motivations
may have been different, but the drive
had been the same. If Freya had believed in anything so whole-heartedly, she
would have moved heaven and earth to achieve her goal, much like Reasa had,
despite the basic error of her thinking. She could relate to that drive as she
could relate to the rank Reasa had attained within the covens in Europe. It
spoke of her strength and power as a vampire. Louis had never been known to be a fool or a
misogynist. Reasa had lucked out joining his coven.
That was an interesting turn of events, unearthing Louis’ involvement.
It was gratifying knowing that he still lived, too. His coven had been one of the younger ones
when she had visited Europe. It was for that reason she had aligned herself
with him; it was easier to be accepted, as he needed every powerful ally he
could find. She would need to talk with Gard before he headed over there. She
could probably give him a few pointers on how to deal with the Frenchman.
Pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator, Freya mused over what it
all meant. Louis had never been one to set himself up on the losing side. Why
was he getting involved in matters that weren’t his concern? Had he set Reasa
on her task? That didn’t fit the Louis she remembered. He’d had much more intelligence
than that back then.
Reasa entering the great room interrupted her line of thought. The
human hesitated for a second before she headed over to the kitchen area. She’d
washed her face and changed her clothes. There was a sense of determination
radiating from her, as if their conversation had worked to give her a bit of
backbone. Freya approved.
Tossing a recipe book onto the workstation, she inclined her head.
“You need to learn to cook as you now require food. I’m not going to wait on
you and neither are any of my family, just because they eat too. Ingredients and instructions, you may begin.
I will assist if you have any problems.”
It was gratifying to see the former vampire didn’t argue with her,
merely started to leaf through the book with an air of concentration on her
face. There was hope for Reasa and that
in turn meant there was hope for Liam. They just needed to work on her errant
thinking and convince Ashleigh to accept her into their family. That thought
was enough to make her groan, but she held it in. Nors and Liam could work on
Ashleigh; she would do her best to work on Reasa.
