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Chapter 33: A Morning Visit
Chapter 33 A Morning Visit
(Freya’s POV)
“He’s just resting after a late night handling pack business,” I lied, forcing a calm and practiced tone. Each word felt like a betrayal, heavy against my tongue. Beside me, my wolf Bella shifted uneasily, sensing my
discomfort.
Elder Katherine’s sharp eyes lingered on me for a moment, searching for something unsaid. Her gaze carried the wisdom of years as Alpha female, and for a moment, I thought she might press further. But instead, she sighed delicately, nodding.
“Our Alpha’s duties can be quite demanding,” she replied. Her voice was soft, but her tone carried a faint
flicker of disappointment she didn’t bother to hide.
My throat tightened. I couldn’t meet her gaze for long. “Yes,” I murmured, lowering my head slightly as though
In agreement. But we both knew it was an excuse, one that barely held together.
He should have been here. He always came to visit her with me. And yet this morning, his absence cut into
the air like a sharp blade.
Before she could dwell on it longer, I hastily attempted to redirect her attention. “Would you like to visit the
garden, Elder Katherine? The air is fresh today, and the moonflowers are in full bloom. I think you’d enjoy it.”
Her expression softened immediately, her sharpness fading like a cloud passing the sun. “That does sound
lovely,” she said, a faint smile appearing on her lips
With care, I placed a thick shawl over her shoulders and carefully adjusted the blanket across her frail legs. Though age had drawn many lines on her face, her aura of authority remained unshaken. Even when seated, she looked poised, elegant, and every bit the revered matriarch she was.
“Comfortable?” I asked, double-checking the folds of the soft fabric to ensure she was warm enough.
“Quite,” she replied, her smile deepening into something genuine.
Pushing the wheelchair slowly. I guided us away from her room and through the estate’s sunlit corridors. Along the way, the pack staff who crossed our path would bow with quiet respect. I watched their careful movements, the way they seemed to instinctively lower their heads in reverence to her presence.
“Young wolves now, she murmured softly, following my gaze, her tone carrying the slightest hint of nostalgia. “Where did the time go, Freya? Sometimes I still feel like the girl giving orders at my first pack council
meeting. And now…”
Her words trailed off, leaving behind a wistfulness that pressed against my chest.
“You’re still that same strong Alpha female,” I said warmly. “Age hasn’t changed your strength–if anything. it’s turned you into someone all wolves look up to. You’ve guided us with wisdom only time could bring”
She glanced back at me, her lips curling with amusement. “Careful now, my dear. Flattery will get you far.”
“It’s not flattery.” I assured her, smiling back. “It’s the truth. I used to think you and my mother were sisters when I was a pup. You looked so much alike–so graceful, so powerful.”
The words seemed to touch her deeply, as her hand reached out weakly to rest over mine on the wheelchair handle. For a moment, the lines of her face softened further, her heavy burdens momentarily lifting.
“Your mother was an extraordinary she–wolf,” she said. “And so are you, Freya.”
The sincerity in her voice made my throat tighten again. I leaned closer to her, giving her shoulders a light squeeze. “You’ve been like family to me ever since I joined this pack. No, more than family. You’re my true pack elder,”
Her gaze turned misty, her lips parting ever so slightly in surprise. Slowly, she patted my hand once more, a rare show of affection for someone so composed.
We turned down a winding stone path, heading deeper into the healing estate’s garden. Moonflowers and wolfsbane swayed gently in the breeze, their pale colors shimmering under the sunlight. Every step seemed to draw us closer to tranquility.
“I may have lost my run beneath the moon,” Elder Katherine said softly, “but sometimes… I think the wisdom I’ve gained was worth the trade.”
“You haven’t lost it,” I added quickly. “The moon still runs through you–it shows in every decision you make
for the pack.”
She chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling. “Such thoughtful words, my dear. You always know how to lift
someone’s spirit.”
I was about to respond when a familiar scent caught me off guard, making Bella bristle immediately in the back of my mind. Strong cedar and grapefruit. I froze instinctively before turning toward its source.
And then, there he was.
Aaron rounded the garden’s wooden archway, his movements relaxed but deliberate. He was dressed in a crisp shirt and trousers, his usual sharpness intact, but my senses quickly picked up on something else. Beneath the scent of his cologne lingered a faint note of jasmine and honey
Caroline.
My chest tightened painfully as I pieced it together. He must have spent his morning with her. The image of their closeness–the stolen scents, the shared moments–burned itself into my mind.
“Grandmother,” Aaron said smoothly, his signature charm in full effect as he approached her. “Wonderful to see you this morning. I wouldn’t miss our visit.”
Her brow furrowed slightly in confusion, her attention flickering briefly toward me. “But Freya said-”
1 finished my pack work earlier than expected,” he cut in with a winning smile. Luna Freya must have been
mistaken.”
If Elder Katherine noticed the cracks in my expression, she didn’t mention
I stepped aside automatically when he reached for the wheelchair handles, my movements stiff and jerky. His hand extended toward me briefly, as though to offer a polite gesture of acknowledgment, but I didn’t respond Instead, I took another step back, withdrawing.
The shift did not go unnoticed.
For a brief moment, his eyes darkened, a flash of irritation crossing his face as his wolf Logan stirred within
ading
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replied snoothly recovering as though nothing had happened His tone was calm but i
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As continged walking deeper to the garden deberely the space between us stretch wode I didn’t
Geliberately len want to be him is fresh app the scent that clung to him–felt like a cruel reminder of the night
but my distance de kap him at bey
Vangang up appearances, Lung? His voice echoed unexpectedly in my mind, sharp and accusing through our
mate connection
I started briefly but kept my face blank as Elder Vatherine admired the garder’s flowers
His imitation poured through the bond live hot flames. “Do you think this is a game? Avoiding me, stepping back what are you trying to accomplish by acting like this in front of her?
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from responding aloud. My wolf Bella roared at the words, her for bristling defensively
“You’re being ridiculous,” he continued, his mental tone seething ‘Careful, Freya–it almost looks like you want her to suspect something’s wrong”
His accusation sent a spark of fury through my chest, coursing hot and fast. How dare he insinuate I would use Elder Katherine against him? He was the one whose actions had caused the fracture in our mating
I
snapped back through the bond, the words poised on the edge of my tongue. But just as quickly. Bella urged me to hold back, sensing the scene we stood in
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