The wolf kings bargain
758 Words
Chapter 5: The Wolf King's Bargain
Freya stayed in the darkened room long after Alaric had left, her heart still pounding from the encounter. The chains lay scattered over the cold stone floor, their magic hanging in the air like a ghostly presence. She curled and uncurled her fingers, expecting her power to erupt once more, but the force within her had gone oddly quiet.
She was not sure if that was a relief or far more frightening.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway.
She steadied herself, bracing for what her mind kept insisting was coming as the iron door groaned open.
Beta Zayden stepped through first, his bright silver eyes raking the room before focusing on her. He was followed by Gamma Wilson, his face more neutral but no less observant.
Then Alaric.
He walked with the confident stride of a king, his gold eyes fixed on hers as if she were a puzzle he was determined to solve.
Freya lifted her chin, unwilling to shrink from his regard.
"Have you come to throw me into another dungeon?" she asked coldly.
Alaric did not answer immediately. He simply stared at her, as if weighing something in his mind. Finally, he spoke.
"You're no common witch".
Freya crossed her arms. "That is your earth-shattering realization?"
Zayden's mouth curved, although Alaric remained expressionless. "Your power—it's not natural."
A muscle stood out in Freya's cheek. "I don't even know what my power is."
Alaric's eyes focused more intently, as though considering whether she was lying. "Then it's time you learned the truth."
She narrowed her eyes. "And how exactly do you propose I learn it?"
Alaric directed his words toward Zayden. "Bring her to the council room".
Zayden hesitated. "Are you sure?"
Alaric's eyes went icy. "Do it."
With a sudden nod of his head, Zayden stepped aside, motioning Freya to come to him.
Freya hesitated. All of her senses screamed in protest that this was wrong. But the truth loomed before her like an shut door—one she could not walk away from forever.
If she ever wanted to discover what was occurring to her, she had no other option than to open it.
The Judgment of the Council
The council room wasn't what she expected at all.
Instead of a big chamber filled with elderly people wearing formal robes, the room had been carved into the heart of the mountain. Ancient magic pulsed through the walls, soft, glowing symbols lit in the half-light. The center was occupied by a stone table in the shape of a circle, flanked by six enormous men.
The werewolf council.
Freya swallowed. They were overpowering, their combined strength hemming her in like a storm poised to release its wrath.
Alaric took his place at the head of the table, his golden eyes never leaving hers.
A silver-haired elder with bright blue eyes leaned forward. "This is the witch who dared trespass across our borders?"
Alaric nodded shortly. "Yes."
Another of the council members, a woman with thick scars along her arms, scowled at Freya with thinly veiled distrust. "You should have killed her."
Freya seethed.
Alaric's expression was inscrutable. "Perhaps."
Her gut churned. They were talking about her destiny as if she weren't standing there in front of them.
The blue-eyed elder exhaled slowly. "What do you want us to do with her, Alaric?"
The room grew heavy with strained silence.
Then, Alaric addressed her.
You will prove your innocence."
Freya blinked. "Excuse me?"
He stepped closer, his presence oppressive. "You were brought here for a reason, whether you know it or not. Your power is linked to something greater, something dark. The only way to prove that you do not threaten my people is to uncover what kind of thing you are."
Freya's throat parched. "And if I don't?
The scarred woman smiled. "Then we kill you."
Freya's heart thudded.
Alaric didn't deny her. He simply stood, waiting.
It wasn't a choice.
It was an order.
Freya clenched her fists, her nails pressing into the palms of her hands. She had no friends here. No authority she could command as she chose.
But she did have her will.
And she would not break.
Priding herself on standing tall, she leveled Alaric's gaze full-on.
"Fine," she said. "I'll find out what I am."
The council growled among themselves, but Alaric just nodded, a self-satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"Good," he said. "Because if you fail—"
His golden eyes darkened.
"then I will be the one to kill you."
- Writer
