The Howl of Claim | COMPLETED

XXXVII | F r e y a R u t h

Chérie ( S w e e t h e a r t )

"No!" I push Darius away from me and turn around. "If the ceremony means you marking me in front of others, I do not agree."

I did not like the idea of the dozen of eyes focused on me falling into pleasure. Absolutely not!

It was too . . . Private!

"If you really want to be with me, want me to stand beside you, you will also have to listen to me! To me, marking is something intimate, done in private. Think about it." I walk out the door, slamming it with force.

Hopefully he will give it some thought!

I was surprised that he didn't follow me out, but it was high time I had recovered my backbone and state my statements clear.

I walk towards Klepto's room, really needing a female to talk to.

Her room was in the same wing - since she was mated to the left man of Darius - as mine but several halls away.

I knocked once, twice, and even thrice but no one opened the door.

"Klepto? You in there?" When no one answered, I finally opened the door and peeked in. No one.

Klepto was nowhere. Maybe she was in the bathroom? No, the door was wide open of the bathroom, she can't be in there - then where?

I exit from her room and start to walk with no destination in my mind. I just kept walking with my head down - my mind busy in several trains of thought.

That was until I slammed headfirst with Marco.

"Marco."

"Freya."

We both nod at each other and start to walk again until I finally realize and turn around to stop Marco.

"Marco?"

"Yes?" The tone he used slammed hard in my heart. Since when? Since when did he give me such respect? I mean, even his response to me was respectful.

"By any chance, do you know where Alaska is?" I tilt my head slightly while asking and Marco nods.

Klepto had to tell everyone her name over here - she had to - so Marco also knew, who I meant by Alaska.

"She got her heat, right now she is in a shelter knocked out. It's probably her second or third day, Avalon just left for her." With that, Marco turned around and continued to walk.

When did that happen? How did I not know? Did she fall into heat the same day we had breakfast with the lycans?

I sighed.

Well atleast one of us will not have to think about being marked for awhile.

I was alone.

The moon was already up high and I felt stranded, alone, isolated - whatever name you give to my loneliness.

I finally decided where I wanted to go - the river.

With that destination locked in my mind, I jogged out of the mansion - and anyway, the halls were quite creepy at night.

It was like I had remembered the route by the back of my hand and reached there in ten minutes.

Beautiful.

I sharply inhale and then slowly exhale, allowing my nostrils to pull in the cool air. Without thinking, I strip off my clothing and jump into the water.

Goosebumps appear on my skin but I didn't care, I only enjoyed the silky water moving along my skin.

A smooth cool feeling enveloped me.

I moved in the water here and there, submerging my body till I was completely under.

I come out and smile but the smile turns into a frown when a disgusting smell reaches my nose. I scrunch my nose and make a move to exit the water when a large growling rogue jumps out of the bushes and step over my clothes.

I take a step back in the water and cover my body, trying to hide my nudity from the wolf.

Why now? Why did they have to interrupt my peace now!?

Normally, I would break its neck but right now I was not in the best condition - I don't want to flaunt this wolf.

And then surprise! Surprise!

Five more wolves come from different directions, blocking my path from all directions.

Great! I can never get a break.

"Do you really want to come at me while I am not ready? At least let me get dressed." I guess they didn't want me getting dressed up because the very first wolf who came snarled at me.

"Guess I will have to fight like this," I say to myself and shrug. I mean they were going to die anyway, it's not like they are going to care about my tits.

Right?

"Come dog." I tease and ready to grab and break the wolf's neck when one from the corner leaps at me - trust me, I could've done it myself - but out of nowhere, a giant Lycan jumps and while in mid-air, breaks the wolf's neck.

"Oh, see? Magic." I do a pop sign with my hands as the first wolf glares at me but then changes his attention to the Lycan who just landed beside me in the water.

I look at the dark Lycan - aka Darius - who looks at me filled with anger and I immediately step away from the giant but he was faster and had other plans, pulling me behind him. My belly touching his back.

Damn my hormones and the female in my head.

My erasthai growled loudly with his long arms stretched by his sides and I place hands on my ears while lowering myself further in the water.

I don't know what happened next but Darius in his Lycan form looked so hot, easily throwing and killing rogue by rogue left and right until only one wolf was left.

The very first one.

I tried to walk out from behind Darius but he had other ideas because he grabbed me by my head and pushed me behind him once again.

Bruh. I don't know if he was afraid that the wolf would see me naked or attack me. Either way, the wolf was dead meat.

"I can take care of mys-" I was cut short when Darius took a step forward and that was when I noticed that the wolf was shifted into a female.

A female? I thought it was a male.

Darius lowered his head, trying not to look at the naked female as she quickly pulled on my clothes.

"Hey! Those are mi-"

"Shut up." Her voice was baritone and anger flared in me.

Without thinking much, I grabbed a rock from the water surface and launched it at her, I was faster and stronger, causing the rock to slam on her shoulder causing her to hiss and bleed in impact.

"Fucking bitch!" I mumble as I glare at her. She glared back and I only grew angrier.

But that look.

She was dressed now and Darius looked back up - such a gentleman - and growled.

"I am here to only deliver a message. You-" She pointed at me and Darius immediately came to shield me with his body but I pushed him aside and stepped forward and raised my chin. "He will be coming for you sooner than you think."

With that, the female ran away. I made a move to run after her but Darius grabbed my arm, stopping me from going further.

I snap my head at Darius' beast and glare at him but he only shakes his head.

I sigh.

I realized, If she really wanted to kill me like her fellow wolves, she would've attacked me the moment she found me, not waiting for backup or my mate to show up. She was smart and the look her eyes carried showed just what she was made of.

Nothing, She was broken.

But I could be wrong as well. I could have wrongly judged her but that look, I could not miss it. The same look I saw in Asher's eyes when he opened up to me.

He was broken - he didn't want history repeating itself.

But I could be wrong.

I kept changing this in my head - People are not always what they seem like.

Darius shifts behind me but before I could turn around, I am harshly grabbed and pushed down.

"Are fucking Crazy!" I am turned around and meet those golden orbs, he was angry - like, a lot.

"Wha-"

"What the fuck are you doing here!? Naked!" His eyes move down to my body that was hidden underwater but I wondered if his Lycan skills give him the ability to see through the water.

"I was bored, I -"

"So what!? You come here without informing anyone? Did you know how worried I was!? I was going out of my mind and then you are here naked - not knowing of the evil after you!" Now he was full-on shouting and I had a fear-stricken face.

His canines were elongated but my eyes still dared to wander to his naked body. I immediately look away.

"Look in my eyes when I am speaking!" A sense of Deja Vu comes over me as my eyes snap back to Darius'.

"What was going in that mind of yours when you planned on coming here the same day you were attacked!?"

"I . . . Was Alone. I wanted to do something-"

"You could've said something to me!" He shouted once again and my eyes burned.

What the fuck was happening to me? Why was I about to cry? Is this what wolves meant that we tend to be more emotional around mates?

"So what? I cannot go anywhere without asking or telling you?" My face was stoic but a tear felt and I immediately wiped it away.

"I am my own person! I am not a slave! I was an Alpha and I still have Alpha blood running in my veins - I leader a pack, not followed. I gave orders, not obey them!" Few more years fell and I furiously started wiping them away.

Until Darius grabbed my wrists and pulled them away from my face, I lowered my head, trying to not show my tears to him.

I was not weak!

"Look at me." I didn't move.

"Look at me, Freya." He said my name. This was the second time he had called my name in my whole life.

I raised my head and his faced softened.

"Don't look at me like that! Like I am someone wounded." I snap.

"Look, I am sorry. You just disappeared and I was scared that something happened to you." He was worried for me.

"Forgive me, Love." I don't do anything or say anything.

"Why didn't you let me go after that fucking female?" I ask, gritting my teeth, and Darius sigh.

"Because She will be coming back, she has been here before and she will come back."

I don't know what he meant by 'She has been here before' but I had an idea that Darius knew her and was keeping tabs.

I nod slowly.

"Were you looking for me?" I asked, I mean, he realized I disappeared when he was looking for me. Right?

Darius raises a brow and his eyes wander down my body, I immediately tighten my grip around me.

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you that, I won't mark you in front of the pack. I respect your privacy, I am willing to break my tradition, for you."

...

Ya! Also, hello Wolfies ♥️

Welcome to quarantine 2.0 also, I was bored so another chappy.

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