Chapter 4
1169 Words
Why me?
What possibly could I have done to end up here?
Alpha Theo walked down, calmly, unerringly calmly. Then sat adjacent to me. His gaze flicked to me, holding for a second.
“I heard you fell.” His deep voice rumbled through this body in a way I didn’t like.
He tore his gaze away from me like he was used to the silence, signaling for the food to come in.
Then his gaze slid to me again. “You should be more careful.”
My chest tightened. I raised my head and found his gaze already on me. What the hell-
The food came in, plates clattering, utensils tinkling. I tore my gaze away from him, focusing on the feast ahead.
Chicken. Grapes. A sweet scent of freshly baked bread filled the air. My stomach growled. Loudly. Heat crawled up my neck slowly and I didn’t need to look to know he was staring at me. I could feel his gaze boring into my side.
I turned. What I didn’t expect was the slight tug on his lips. Almost like he was… smiling. He looked almost different. His eyes creased at the sides, his small smile making an indent. Probably a dimple if he cared to smile more.
I froze.
Why in the hell was I thinking of Alpha Theo smiling?
There must be something wrong with this body. A defect. Yeah. I mean I literally did a body swap. Anything was possible.
Yeah.
I served myself, keeping my gaze solely on the food. The minute it touched my taste buds, I sighed. Flavors perfectly mixed together, the spice, the spunk, the sweetness.
I ate. Everything that I could. How couldn’t I? I was certain I had never eaten anything this good in my entire-
“It’s a surprise.” Theo said slowly. “Usually you complain about Sussie’s cooking.”
My hands paused, I swallowed. Hard, a piece of bread landing roughly. Something passed his eyes, something awfully close to amusement. Then he chuckled.
“It’s a good thing you’ve got your appetite back, Frey.” He said, leaning in as his fingers brushed off crumbs on the corner of my mouth. “That means the medicine is working.”
My heart skipped a beat.
I jerked back sharply, like I had been electrocuted. I think I have been.
“I-uh…” I trailed off. “Can I ask you something?”
His hands slipped from my face, his gaze sharpening. “What is it?”
I hesitated. “Can you tell me what happened after you came back from the bonfire in Alpha Jacob’s pack?”
I swear I saw hesitation.
He straightened, a frown tugging at his lip. “Why are you suddenly asking me about a trip I took over a year ago, Freya?”
A year?
My throat tightened but I forced the words out. “Did a girl named Amelia die that night?”
His shoulders stiffened.
“Did you kill her?” I whispered, afraid of the answer.
“No,” he said softly, confusion creeping into those features. “It was her friend. Found the dagger in her floorboards.”
My chest collapsed.
Theo’s frown deepened as his gaze scanned my face. “You’re crying. What’s wrong?”
I wiped them away quickly, taking in a deep breath. “Yeah,” I forced out. “I’m just… happy to be feeling better.”
His gaze lingered as I picked on the food.
A year.
A whole year.
So I did die.
Forgotten, just like that. And yet, it didn’t feel right. I died, but I was still here, a year later, in my enemy’s mate’s body. So where did she go?
And more importantly, how do I fix this mess.
Remember. I should want Alpha Theo dead. He killed my mother. And I should find out what really happened.
Why would Rina stab me?
If she was pretending to be my friend all this time, that was one hell of an act. And if she wasn’t… her quiet sobs rang in my ears.
She stabbed me and yet she cried when I died.
I needed to find out what happened. And to do that, I needed to go back to my pack. My fingers froze as the idea snuck in.
“We should go there this year.”
Theo paused. “You’re not strong enough for that journey, Frey.” He reasoned. “We don’t even know if-“
“So make me a promise then.” I cut in calmly.
His eyes narrowed but he said nothing. So I continued.
“If the… doctors and healers confirm I’m better before the next bonfire, can you take me there?”
He blinked. Weighed his options in his head. “What happened there was a tragedy.” He finally said. “Alpha Jacob and I have had an unspoken agreement for… decades.”
That piqued my interest. Decades?
“I guess he wouldn’t mind the intrusion.” He sighed, leaning into his chair.
His large arm sprawled on one arm, while the other hung lazily at the side. His gaze had shifted. I hadn’t noticed that. Hadn’t noticed the way his voice roughened, the way his gaze darkened.
My body was suddenly aware.
Heat flowed slowly through my veins, straight down my-
I frowned, confused.
Theo’s growl was terrifying, low, dangerous in a way that could light up my nerves. Something was definitely wrong.
He sniffed the air. Once. Twice. Then he dragged a rough hand down his face like he was fighting some kind of internal battle.
“You’re in heat.” He growled, barely restraining the sound that vibrated through his chest.
I felt it too. The need burning from inside of me. Goddess. Please no. This couldn’t be happening.
“No,” I shook my head.
He stared at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Then his jaw ticked once. He blew out a long breath.
“I won’t do anything.” He whispered like he was convincing himself. “You're sick. It’s not safe.”
It was supposed to be for Freya’s good. I could hear that. But it didn’t stop the rejection from stinging.
Frustration mixed with my urges, creating an ugly mix. “I’m full.” I muttered, standing abruptly. “I need to rest.”
I turned to leave but his hand shot out, wrapping around my wrist. The jolt that shot through me only added to my frustration. My gaze snapped back, his hold on me slipped.
“Don’t do dangerous things like going into the stables alone again.” He said tightly. “Hell knows what happens if you leave me to this nightmare alone.”
I folded my arms, forcing my wolf at bay. I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t trust myself. Everything I was certain of, it was distorted right in front of me.
At that moment, I made yet another goal.
Find out what happened to my mother.
- Writer
