Tess
Desperation surges through me, and I take off running, screaming for Wesley and Lucas to stop. They pay no attention, so I do the only thing I can think of—I grab onto Wesley’s fur with both my hands and tug as hard as I can. He gives a yelp of surprise and jumps back in shock. Lucas does the same, wide-eyed, when he realizes I am standing over Freddy protectively, crying my eyes out.
“Don’t hurt him!” I shout. “Stop!”
I’m still sobbing uncontrollably when the Luan pack becomes silent. Lucas looks at Wesley uncertainly, hesitant to move or speak until the Alpha has made his decision. None of us makes a move until Wesley shape-shifts back into a human.
“Why are you protecting him?” Wesley asks.
Silently, I glance down at Freddy. He is down on his back on the asphalt and too injured to move. To my relief, he is rapidly healing though, a reminder of him being an immortal hybrid. The wounds on his body are closing, but it seems to be taking a toll on him.
He is panting while staring up at me in shock. There is blood in his mouth, and when he tries to move and instead falls out of exhaustion, I sit down to catch his head in my lap. His sandy blonde hair spreads over my pants, and he squints up at me with an expression I can’t decipher. His eyebrows are drawn together, eyes soft.
“You’re too nice, Princess...” he coughs as if he wants to say more, but I hush him.
“Shh, don’t talk…”
Freddy releases a low chuckle. “I like it…when you’re…bossy…”
Worry slices through me when Freddy grimaces at his pain, and I hug his face to my chest. I might only be a human, but I’m not timid at this moment. I lock eyes with Wesley and speak in a calm yet determined voice. “Freddy might have done bad a lot of bad things, but he saved my life when my own mate wouldn’t. And isn’t there a pack rule somewhere that says, ’a life for a life,’ or am I mistaken?”
Lucas stares at me like he can’t believe what I’m saying while interest washes over Wesley’s face. He glances between me and Lucas, and then he focuses on me, face stern.
“You really wish for me to spare this traitor?” Wesley asks.
I grit my teeth. “If you kill him, you will have to kill me, too, because I’m not moving.”
My words appall the entire back. Lily gasps, and so does Lucas, but I pay him no attention. We are mates, sure, but...Freddy? He is...I don’t know.
Are we enemies? Friends? The guy made me into his spy, but now that I think about it, he hasn’t been bad to me. And maybe it’s a flaw of mine, but I see the good in every person I meet, and Freddy, he is...a friend?
Dang, I wish I knew why he saved me. Why didn’t he just let me die? I’m not anyone special to him, right?
My gaze flickers down to Freddy’s handsome face, which reminds me of a Viking. The guy looks like Thor, and my heart leaps in my chest when he stirs in my arms. He leans his head against my chest, and I’m hit with a bad case of butterflies. Okay, so maybe I also find him ridiculously attractive...
“Tess?” Lily addresses me, and I look up at her. She is my Luna now, and she doesn’t seem happy about the situation. I don’t think she has ever liked Freddy. He had an incident with her before, and I worry she will want him dead.
I swallow thickly. “I don’t care what you’re going to say, Lily. I’m not going to move. You can’t kill him, okay?”
Lily studies my face. “Is she compelled?”
“She could be,” Wesley shrugs. “Either way, we will have to decide his fate later,” he gestures with his hand. “Take Freddy to the pack dungeons and force him to drink vervain so he can’t use his magic.”
Lucas and another werewolf nod, and my heart stop pounding when they approach me. “Are you eventually going to kill him?” I demand, eyes on Wesley.
He sighs heavily. “Not tonight. We need to question him and figure out where the enemy pack brought Claudia, but eventually, he will be killed. Freddy is the enemy, Tess. And I’m sorry, but he has committed too many crimes to be kept alive.”
With that, Lucas and the other werewolf grip Freddy’s arms, pulling him away from me. I try to stop them from taking him, but Lucas easily pushes me aside with a strange expression. I can’t fight him, not when I lack the strength of a werewolf, and just to make sure I don’t follow, Wesley places a hand on my shoulder to keep me rooted in place.
“I’m sorry, Tess, but this is for the best.”
I look over my shoulder at him, my eyes narrowed. “For your best, you mean.”
Wesley growls a warning. “Careful, Tess. I know you’re a human now, but I’m still the Alpha.”
I don’t back down even though my heart is racing in my chest. My eyes meet the ones belonging to Wesley, and it seems to shock him. Good. I might be a mousy stammering weakling at most times, but I would never give up on a friend. I’m fiercely loyal, and at this moment, I need to be because I might be the only person that can save Freddy’s life.
“I understand that Freddy made a mistake trying to revive his dead sister. But if Lily died and you knew you could bring her back to life, wouldn’t you do the same thing?”
Those words shock Wesley enough for me to break free from his grip and hurry down the street. I’m not dumb enough to try and catch up with the car bringing Freddy away, but I’m also not in a good mood to stick around. A fire is burning within me, and I don’t even turn around when I hear Lily’s voice.
“Tess, wait!” Lily is running after me. “
“No,” I say. “I’m heading home to pack a bag before I start searching for Claudia.”
“Searching for Claudia?” Lily catches up with me despite being pregnant and finds my eyes with concern written all over her round face. “Tess, that’s insane. Leave that to Wesley and Lucas. They are going to question Freddy tomorrow, and then the pack will plan a rescue mission. But you? You’re just a human and shouldn’t go out there.”
Something inside of me bristles, and I snap. “Then what am I supposed to do, huh?! Claudia is kidnapped. Freddy is now a prisoner and...and I don’t know how to save them! They are both my friends!”
Lily’s face turns cold when she sees the tears on my face, and her voice comes out relentless. “Freddy isn’t your friend, Tess. I know you have a big heart—you’re the nicest person I know. But that hybrid isn’t natural. He has powers far beyond your imagination, and it’s best to kill him before he discovers how to use them.”
I freeze at her words, my heart pounding in my chest. Kill Freddy? Is that really the only option? I can’t believe what I’m hearing from Lily, who has always been compassionate and understanding. But then I remember that she’s pregnant with Wesley’s child, which means she has to protect her pack and family at all costs, even if it means sacrificing someone who used to be a pack member.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I understand you’re worried about the pack and your family, Lily. But killing Freddy isn’t the answer. He is just a guy who made a huge mistake. And Claudia... she’s innocent in all of this. We can’t just abandon her.”
Lily shakes her head, her eyes cold. “You don’t understand, Tess. This isn’t just about one mistake. Freddy’s powers are growing stronger every day. He could become a threat to the pack, to everyone we love. And Claudia will be saved, not just by you. You need to stay out of this.”
I bite my lip, feeling helpless. I don’t know what to do. I want to help my friends, but as Lily said, I’m just a human. I’m weak and don’t want to cause more harm than good.
Suddenly, Lily’s expression softens, and she puts a hand on my shoulder. “Listen, I know this is hard for you. But you have to trust us. We will take care of Freddy and Claudia. You should go home and rest. You’ve had a long day.”
I reluctantly nod, feeling exhausted. Lily is right. I need to rest and think about what to do.
“You’re right,” I say. “I’m exhausted...you want to walk with me back to the mansion?”
Lily smiles. “Sure.”
As we start walking, I notice something glimmering in Lily’s pocket. She is wearing this big oversized jeans jacket because her belly is so huge now, and my heart skips a beat. Are those all the spare keys to all our buildings and places? Wait... Could there be a key to the pack dungeons in that keychain too?
Without thinking it through, I place my hand on my heart and sigh heavily. “Lily?”
“Mhm?”
“Can I have a hug?”
She giggles. “Sure.”
When she moves closer to me, I quickly take advantage of the opportunity and steal the keychain from her pocket. She doesn’t notice, and when she takes a step back to smile at me, I stuff it in my own pocket.
“Feeling better?” she asks.
I plaster a smile on my lips. “Y-yeah...”
Oh my god. I can’t believe what I just did—stealing from my Luna? Not very nice, Tess. But then again... this could be the only way to save Freddy’s life. And maybe, maybe, I can persuade him to tell me where Claudia is.