Chapter 2
Freya’s POV
"Of course," I agreed. "I'll be there."
She smiled, the expression not quite reaching her eyes, and disappeared into the crowd. I watched her go, then turned back to find Thorne approaching, his tall frame moving easily through the guests who parted before him.
"Everything all right?" he asked, reaching my side.
I nodded. "Yes. Kaelin just wanted to congratulate us."
He looked surprised but pleased. "That's good. The Brooks family's continued support is important. Her father mentioned her condition has been worse lately."
I squeezed his arm lightly. "She seems to be accepting it well. In fact, she wants to give me a traditional gift. I'm meeting her in the garden pavilion shortly."
Thorne frowned slightly. "Are you sure that's wise?"
"She's making an effort," I said. "I should meet her halfway."
He didn't look convinced but nodded. "If you think it's best. Now, shall we?" He offered his arm, leading me toward the center of the hall where his father, the current Alpha, waited to make the announcement.
Twenty minutes later, still floating on the euphoria of the pack's approval, I slipped away from the celebration and made my way through the manicured gardens behind the Howling Hall. The stone pavilion stood in a secluded corner, partially hidden by flowering bushes. A single lamp glowed inside.
I pushed open the glass door. "Kaelin?"
She stood in the center of the pavilion, a small wrapped package in her hands. Her smile seemed strained, almost predatory.
"You came," she said. "How predictable."
The shift in her tone made me pause at the threshold. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Five years of chasing after a man who barely noticed you until your family's influence became useful to him." She placed the package on a small table. "Do you really think he chose you for love, Freya?"
My wolf bristled at her words. "I don't need to explain my relationship to you."
Kaelin laughed, the sound harsh in the quiet pavilion. "You still don't get it, do you? Thorne doesn't love you. He never has." She stepped closer. "He needed the Riley fortune and connections. That's all you are to him—a business transaction."
"That's not true," I said, my voice trembling despite my effort to stay calm. "You're just bitter because he chose me."
"Chose you?" She circled me slowly. "He settled for you. There's a difference."
"If you just called me here to insult me—"
"I called you here to warn you," she cut in. "Walk away now, before you get hurt. Because trust me, Freya, you will get hurt."
Heat flushed through my body, anger rising in my chest. "I'm not going anywhere. Thorne and I are getting mated, and you need to accept that."
"You think you know him," Kaelin spat, her eyes flashing with sudden rage. "You don't know anything about him—about us. Do you think those five years you spent pathetically trailing after him compare to the lifetime we've shared?"
"Then why did he choose me?" I challenged, stepping toward her. "If you're so perfect for him, why am I wearing his courting pendant and not you?"
Something dangerous flickered across her face. "Because he's making a mistake. One I'm going to correct."
"It's over, Kaelin," I said firmly, my patience worn thin. "I understand you're hurt, but this is happening. If you really care about Thorne, you'll respect his decision."
"Respect?" she snarled, her composure cracking. "You stole what was mine! My future, my place, my mate!"
"He was never yours," I replied, my voice quiet but firm. "And he made his choice freely."
"No," she whispered, her eyes suddenly gleaming with tears that I couldn't tell were genuine or manufactured. "No, he didn't."
As I watched, her expression changed—hardened into something cruel. The package fell to the ground as she grabbed her own arm and screamed, her nails elongating into claws that she dragged across her own skin.
"Kaelin, stop it!" I lunged forward, trying to grab her hands. "What are you doing?"
She twisted away, continuing to slash at her arms, her face contorting with effort. "You've ruined everything!" she hissed through clenched teeth before her voice transformed into a terrified scream. "Help! She's attacking me! Thorne! Someone help!"
"Are you insane?" I backed away, horrified as blood welled from her self-inflicted wounds. "Stop this right now!"
"She's trying to kill me!" Kaelin shrieked, loud enough for her voice to carry across the gardens. "Help!"
I heard them then—footsteps running on the stone path. Thorne burst into the pavilion, followed by two Beta enforcers. His eyes took in the scene—Kaelin bleeding, me standing over her with a look of shock.
"What have you done?" he demanded, his voice cold with fury.
"Nothing! She did this to herself!" I tried to explain, my heart pounding wildly. "Thorne, you have to believe me. She's setting me up!"
But Kaelin had collapsed into apparent convulsions, her body shaking as she whimpered. "It's happening again," she gasped, eyes rolling back. "The phase sickness—she attacked me when I told her I was still in love with you—I can't control—" Her body arched unnaturally, a textbook display of moon phase syndrome symptoms.
Thorne knelt beside her, cradling her head. "Get Dr. Landry," he ordered one of the Betas, who immediately ran back toward the main building. To the other, he said, "Take Freya into custody."
"Thorne, please," I begged as the Beta grabbed my arms, twisting them behind my back. "She's lying. She admitted she was going to 'correct' your mistake. This is all a setup!"
But his eyes, when they met mine, held no warmth, no doubt. "You've just assaulted a member of a prominent family during a phase episode," he said, voice devoid of emotion. "You'll be held until trial."
As they dragged me away, I looked back to see Kaelin watching me over Thorne's shoulder. For just a moment, the pain and distress vanished from her face, replaced by cold triumph before she collapsed back into her performance of suffering.