Freya’s POV
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<b>“</b>You really don’t want to return the clothes in person?” Ss’s eyes darkened slightly as he studied me.
“They’re too valuable. It doesn’t feel right,” I replied.
+8 Pearls
He fixed me with a long, deliberate gaze, then said, “Fine. But don’t send them by courier. Since I gave them to you face–to- face, you should return them the same way.”
“LI’-”
“When to return them, I’ll have someone let you know,” he cut me off casually.
I blinked, dumbfounded. Return the clothes… and wait for his instructions<b>? </b>
I finished my discharge procedures, swapping my hospital gown for a cheap T–shirt and pants I bought at the small hospital shop. Stepping out, I spotted Lana waiting near the entrance. But she wasn’t alone.
Before I could process who was beside her, a figure lunged forward and enveloped me in a tight hug.
I fraze as the figure lunged forward and enveloped me in a tight hug.
“Freya, you married just to do this to yourself?”
That voice<b>… </b>Kade. My loyal shadow from the military camp. Unlike anyone else, only he ever called me “Big Sister” outside formal settings.
Kade ckridge wasn’t just any soldier from The Capital. He was born into prominence–the son of a high–ranking military family, and his mother <b>was </b>the director of the city’s primary trauma hospital. Even now, his upbringing and training had honed him into a man of precision andmand, a wolf tempered by both bloodline and discipline. His instincts were sharp, attuned to danger, loyalty, and protection, making him a natural Alpha in waiting, even if he had yet to im a pack.
I looked up <b>at </b>him. The boyish features <b>I </b>remembered had matured into aposed, elegant <b>face </b>over three years. That reckless energy of youth had been tempered into something controlled, precise. The wolf within him was keen, protective, and territorial<b>–</b>a force <b>I </b>could feel even through the brief touch of his embrace.
I recalled the mall explosion. I had called Kade, and he had coordinated evacuating the crowd with the skill of someone trained tomand both humans and wolves alike. That had been our first real conversation in years. I hadn’t <b>expected </b>to see him <b>again </b><b>so </b>soon–let alone like this<b>, </b>catching mepletely off guard.
“What are you doing here with <b>Lana</b><b>?</b><b>” </b><b>I </b>asked, <b>still </b>stunned.
“You tell me!” Lana groaned. “Yesterday, he couldn’t <b>reach </b><b>you</b>, went mad, and ran to find me. If you hadn’t finally answered your phone and stepped out of the hospital, <b>he </b>probably would’ve stormed the barracks to drag you out!”
I pressed my lips together. With so many knowing about yesterday’s <b>events</b>, <b>it </b><b>wasn’t </b>surprising that Kade, even if absent from the banquet, would have heard. <b>His </b>wolf would <b>have </b>smelled the tension<b>, </b><b>the </b>danger, the betrayal.
“I’m fine,” I said, patting Kade on the shoulder.
He didn’t let go.
“I’m sticky with sweat and haven’t showered. It’s dirty. Stop holding me,” I urged.
“You don’t understand how worried I wasst night,” Kade said lowly, voice taut with frustration. “How <b>I </b>hate myself for not noticing your heart before you married Caelum Grafton. If I had stopped it <b>in </b>time, none of this would have happened. And I
His <b>voice </b>faltered, leaving the thought unfinished. I let out a bitter smile. Sometimes, <b>I </b>wished I had never married Caelum.
My stomach growled.
12:49 PM PP
“You hungry?” Kade finally released me.
“Yeah… I haven’t really eaten since yesterday afternoon,” I admitted.
“Good. Now that you’re safe, let’s find a ce to eat,” Lana suggested.
+8 Pearls
<b>We </b>climbed into the <b>car</b>, leaving the hospital behind. From a distance, I noticed a silver Maybach. Ss’s gaze followed us as we drove off. My chest tightened slightly, wolf instincts stirring–the possessive edge of an Alpha sensing what he considered his being taken, even briefly, by another.
Inside the <b>car</b>, the tension eased slightly as we drove into the city. Lana’s voice red when she mentioned Caelum. “That bastard. Still hiring the bestwyers in The Capital for his mother and sister. Does he even think about what they did?”
Kade’s tone went cold. “No one in the four majorw firms in The Capital will touch their case.”
I blinked, recalling Kade’s familywyers through and through. If not for his mother’s focus on running the hospital and overseeing trauma care, he might have be a legal powerhouse himself. The wolf in him, sharpened by heritage and training, would never let injustice pass<b>. </b>
“That’s perfect!” Lanaughed. “You’ve got skills. No wonder Freya took care of you like a mother at the camp!”
Kade lowered his gaze. “If you hadn’t looked after me at the camp, I’d have been out in months. You did everything for me. Of course I owe you.”
I felt a warmth in my chest, wolf and human alike stirred by loyalty, protection, and gratitude. My wolf instincts hummed— territorial, protective. Kade’s devotion was clear, but so was mine.
The night was far from over. And in this pack of intertwined loyalties, desires, and grudges, my instincts told me to stay alert. Wolves smelled danger. I could feel it even through the hum of the city.