Tess
No matter how hard I try to stop them, my tears won’t stop falling. It feels like my soul has been ripped into a billion pieces, and I have no idea how to glue myself together again. Not only is my wolf gone, but now even my fated mate has decided I’m not good enough for him.
And all because I’m a human.
The irony is not lost on me: I had to give up on my wolf to save Lucas’ life, which resulted in him not wanting me. Damn. Should I have told him the truth? That I’m the reason he is still breathing? No. That would have made Lucas be with me out of obligation, not true love, which sucks...
I keep sniffing into the dark while hugging my blanket tightly around my shivering body. I’m all alone inside my new room, probably the only person awake in the entire mansion because I doubt Lucas had trouble falling asleep. Did he even feel guilty for rejecting me like that?
More tears drip down on my pillow, and I continue crying my heart out until I hear the balcony door opening. It slowly slides to the side, and I freeze when the wind rustles my hair, and my eyes land on Freddy.
I try to glare at him, but my eyes are too blurry, and I’m way too sad to remain angry. Instead, I sob. “W-what do you want? Can’t you see that I’m already miserable!”
Freddy winces at my tone. “Keep it down, will you?” his compulsion rings in my ears, and my breathing slows until I’m no longer sobbing as loudly.
This time, I manage a real glare. “Do you always force people to do what you want?”
Freddy freezes as if shocked by my words. Honestly, I’m shocked too. Men usually frighten me to the point I can’t talk, but I’m too hurt and angry to be stammering. I don’t care what happens to me and wait as Freddy steps out from the shadows with a smirk on his lips.
Holy shit. I hate to admit it, but the hybrid looks gorgeous in the orange light cast from my bedside lamp with his unruly blonde hair and rolled-up sleeves. He has a body toned to perfection with a rugged face fit for an outlaw, yet his eyes remain gentle and patient despite my disrespect.
I hold my breath when Freddie slides off his boots and saunters closer with an animalistic grace. His lips twitch when he kneels in front of me and whispers, “Shall I make you forget about your sorrows for a while?”
I stare at him, unsure what to say. This is the enemy. The bad guy, yet he is...smiling at me?
My mind is a whirlwind of conflicting emotions as I stare at Freddy’s handsome face. A part of me is angry at him for being so nonchalant about everything, but another part of me is curious about his offer.
“You mean to compel me?”
Freddy’s grin widens, and his hand snakes its way to my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Of course. How else do you assume I would take away your pain, Pretty Human?”
I gulp, unsure of what to say. I know I shouldn’t let a hybrid compel me into forgetting about Lucas and the pain of being a human stuck in the mind of a werewolf. But I also can’t help but entertain the idea. What would it be like not to feel like I’m dying? To not cry my eyes out?
My tongue darts out of my mouth to wet my lips. Freddy is still holding my chin, still peering down at me with glittering eyes, and I whisper, “What is in it for you?”
His smile is slow, predatory, and calculated. There is no affection there, not even a little. “You would work harder as my spy if sadness weren’t weighing you down,” those fingers of his brush along the big scar on the right side of my face, and he frowns. “Who did this to you?”
I don’t know where I get the sudden courage from, but I manage to growl my following sentence. “That’s none of your business, hybrid.”
Freddy’s grin immediately disappears, and his face hardens into a mask of anger. He grabs my chin harder, causing me to hiss in pain. “I would watch how you speak to me, human,” he growls. “You’re pretty, but I have my limits too.”
I swallow heavily, my heart pounding in my chest. I know I’ve made a mistake, but I can’t bring myself to apologize. Instead, I stare up at him defiantly, determined not to let him see my fear.
“W-why should I trust you?” I ask him, my voice shaky and terrified once again.
Freddy’s face softens, and he releases my chin. If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t say he didn’t like hearing me sad. But that must be my imagination.
“You shouldn’t,” he says bluntly. “I’m not the guy you go to for help; I’m the one you run away from. But in your situation, you don’t have much of a choice, do you? You’re trapped in this human body, and I’m the only one who can make it bearable by taking away your sadness...I assume that’s why you’re sad, at least. It can’t be easy suddenly feeling so powerless.”
I keep my eyes on his face, my mind racing. Freddy is right, of course. I hate being a human, but I don’t think erasing Lucas from my memory will make things easier. I will just end up seeing him again, and if Freddy makes me forget that I was ever a werewolf, I fear I might unconsciously remember it and be unhappy without knowing why.
...or maybe I’ve watched too many movies? Either way, I don’t want to be brainwashed.
“You have five seconds to decide,” Freddy says suddenly, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Do you want me to compel you or not?”
I take a deep breath, closing my eyes for a brief moment to think. When I open them again, I shake my head at him. “No, I want to keep my memories even if they hurt me,” a soft laugh leaves my lips. “That’s part of life, isn’t it? The pain?”
He silently studies me without breaking into any kind of emotion. Though eventually, he sighs. “I suppose...” Much to my dismay, he takes a seat on the edge of my bed and stares at the wall with a hard expression. “You and I might be opposites of each other.”
I snort. “No kidding. You’re practically the devil.”
To my surprise, Freddy actually breathes a laugh through his nose before looking at me. His hands are sunk into the mattress, and he is holding up most of his weight with his arms so the mattress won’t sink.
“I was going to say that we are opposites because whereas you lack power and feel helpless, I now have so much power that I am unsure how to handle it all. Becoming a vampire and werewolf hybrid has opened a lot of doors.”
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “What kind of doors?”
Freddy’s eyes glint with something that I can only describe as dangerous. “The kind of doors that allow me to do just about anything I want without facing the consequences.” He leans closer to me, his breath hot against my face. “And I want my family back. All of them. And luckily, the Safir pack will help me with just that.”
My heart thuds in my chest as I process his words. “You’re planning on bringing them back from the dead? But Freddy, that’s not a good idea. You shouldn’t mess with life and death. You’re not a god.”
Freddy smirks, his eyes flashing red for a moment. “I might not be a god, but I surely can mess with life and death. Being a hybrid means I have a power many can only dream of. Not only am I excellent at mixing different potions, but I’m also much more powerful now that I’m a hybrid. Probably powerful enough to bring back the dead.”
I shake my head, unable to believe what I’m hearing. “But why? Why go through all that trouble?”
“Because they are my family,” he growls, suddenly angry. “And I will do anything to have them back. Even if it means changing the world as we know it.”
I stare at him, unsure what to say. I had no idea that Freddy had such a strong attachment to his family, and now that I know, I can sense the desperation in his voice. But at the same time, I’m frightened by the power that he possesses and the lengths he’s willing to go to attain what he wants.
Suddenly, Freddy stands up and turns to leave. “I’ve said too much already,” he says over his shoulder. “Just remember, I have the power to erase you from existence. You might be compelled not to talk about me or my plans, but just so we are clear, you will regret it if you cross me.”
And with that, he is gone in the flash of an eye, leaving me alone to ponder what the future holds. What am I supposed to do about this situation when I can’t talk about it?