-TOBIAS-
Tobias stood at the front, his wolf surging with impatience. The small group of rescuers had fought hard to convince the Alpha to allow them to act. The hesitation, the waiting—it had driven Tobias mad. Freya was out there, alone and in danger, and every second wasted felt like a failure.
George had finally brokered the plan. The Alpha had agreed reluctantly after Tobias made it clear he would go alone if necessary. “Take a team,” the Alpha had said firmly, his gaze piercing. “But don’t let emotions get the better of you. We can’t afford mistakes.”
Tobias had barely restrained himself from snapping. Emotions? How could he not feel this deeply? Freya wasn’t just another wolf in the pack—she was his mate. But he nodded, holding his wolf back long enough to leave with the team.
They had found the camp not long before, Mira’s tracking second to none but the trail had been hard even so with other scents mixed in after the 2 days. The forest was eerily quiet as the rescue team assembled near the rogue camp, the moonlight filtering through the trees. Tobias now crouched low, his muscles coiled with tension, his wolf pacing restlessly beneath the surface. Every second they delayed felt like an eternity. Freya’s scent was faint but present, pulling him forward like a tether.
George knelt beside him, his nostrils flaring as he scented the air. “She’s close,” he murmured. “I can smell the rogues.”
Mira moved ahead silently, her sharp green eyes scanning the path. She paused, tilting her head as her ears twitched slightly. “Three guards at the south,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’ll need to draw them away.”
Zara, standing nearby, grinned, her wolf flickering just beneath the surface. “Leave that to me,” she said, her claws extending slightly as she flexed her fingers. “I’ve been itching for a run.”
Tobias’s growl was low but approving. “Make it quick. The longer we wait, the more danger she’s in.”
Zara nodded, slipping into the shadows. Moments later, a piercing howl echoed through the forest, followed by the sound of crashing branches. Tobias’s ears twitched as he heard the rogue guards growling and shifting in response.
“They’re moving,” Mira said, her eyes narrowing. “Zara’s good.”
Liam stepped forward, his movements deliberate and controlled. “North side should be clear now. Let’s move.”
The group dispersed, slipping into the shadows. Tobias’s focus narrowed. Freya. Her scent was faint but present, pulling him forward like a tether. He could almost feel her fear, her exhaustion, but also a flicker of determination. Her feelings had been flowing through to him over the day. He had never heard of this happening until a couple were mated and marked, but for some reason he could feel what she was feeling already, the bond very strong and growing. He knew she wasn’t giving up. Neither would he.
-FREYA-
Freya pressed herself against the cold stone wall, her breath shallow as she listened for movement outside her cell. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the shard Lyra had given her, its jagged edge biting into her palm. The whispers had returned, faint but insistent.
“The passage is hidden…behind the barrels…”
She had waited until the guards shifted, counting the seconds in her head. Now was her chance. With careful, deliberate movements, she began sawing at the ropes binding her wrists. Each stroke was agonisingly slow, the tension stretching her nerves taut. If she could have shifted she would have but there must have been wolfsbane on the bread she was fed keeping shifting impossible
The rope snapped, and she wasted no time. Freya slipped out of the cell, keeping low as she crept through the camp. Every shadow felt like a threat, every sound like an alarm. The whispers guided her, urging her forward. Behind the barrels.
The rogue camp was alive with movement, torches flickering and shadows dancing across the makeshift tents. Freya pressed herself against the rough wooden post of a lean-to, her breaths shallow as she tried to stay hidden. The whispers….those strange, fragmented voices….had guided her to a hidden passage out of her cell, but her escape wasn’t complete. She was still in the heart of the enemy camp.
Her hand trembled as she clutched the shard of glass Lyra had slipped her. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Her wolf stirred faintly in her mind, urging her forward, but exhaustion made her movements sluggish, she had hardly eaten over the past couple of days and it was showing. She needed to get out before they realised she was gone.
A low growl made her freeze. Slowly, she turned, her heart sinking as a rogue emerged from the shadows. He was tall and broad, his dirty blonde hair falling into his eyes.
“You,” he snarled, his yellowed teeth bared. “You think you can get away from us?”
Freya gripped the shard tightly “Stay back,” she said, her voice trembling but firm.
The rogue laughed, a dark, guttural sound. “What are you going to do, little wolf? Cut me? Let’s see how far that gets you.” A howl sounded from close by making him slightly turn, but he immediately turned back towards her and lunged, his claws swiping through the air. Freya ducked instinctively, the shard slashing across his side as she twisted away. He howled in pain, stumbling, but he recovered quickly. His yellow eyes blazed with fury as he circled her, his posture predatory.
Freya’s wolf growled, her instincts sharpening. She adjusted her grip on the shard, her chest heaving as she prepared for his next attack. The rogue lunged again, faster this time, but Freya sidestepped, driving the shard into his shoulder. He roared, his claws slicing toward her in retaliation. She yelped as his strike grazed her arm, blood seeping through her torn sleeve.
Before he could land another blow, a feral snarl tore through the air and a massive dark brown wolf burst into the clearing, colliding with the rogue in a blur of fur and teeth. They hit the ground with a bone-crushing force, Tobias. His jaws sank into the rogue’s shoulder. The rogue thrashed, snarling, but Tobias held firm, his strength overwhelming.
The camp erupted into chaos. Rogues shifted, their howls echoing as they charged toward the fight. George’s dark wolf was a blur of power and precision as he intercepted two rogues at once, his claws tearing into their flanks. Mira darted through the chaos, her sleek wolf form smaller but faster, using her agility to outmanoeuvre her opponents. Zara joined her, their wolves moving in perfect tandem, striking and retreating with lethal efficiency.
“Freya!” Tobias growled, his voice sharp and commanding. “Get to safety. Now!”
Freya stumbled back, her legs shaking as the adrenaline began to wear off. She turned to run but hesitated, her gaze locking onto Tobias. He fought with a savagery that left no doubt—this wasn’t just a rescue. This was personal.
A hand grabbed her arm, and she yelped, spinning to see Finn in his human form. She remembered seeing him at the camp but always from a distance and he had never been one of the ones to hurt her. “This way!” he urged, his blue eyes wide, and she allowed him to drag her gently a short distance out of the way of the others. She glanced back toward the camp, her chest tightening as she saw Tobias still fighting. “He’s still in there,” she whispered, fear creeping into her voice.
Finn hesitated, glancing back toward the chaos. “He’ll be okay,” he said, though his voice wavered. “Tobias doesn’t lose. He is our top warrior!” He looked again at Freya and his breath caught. He had never seen how truly, naturally beautiful she was before. Normally when he had spotted her in the pack lands she had been covered in a large cloak and hood. This was the first time her had seen her properly and he found her breathtaking, her long auburn hair, even though grubby, flowed in soft curls over her shoulders and down her back. She had large doe shaped almost gold eyes and a perfect heart shaped mouth. He gulped and looked away from her quickly.
Back in the camp, Tobias’s wolf surged forward, he was now tearing into the rogue leader himself, with relentless fury. Magnus snarled, his massive black wolf, even larger than her packs Alpha, meeting Tobias’s attacks with equal ferocity. They clashed like titans, their snarls echoing through the clearing.
George and Zara arrived, flanking Magnus, their wolves forcing him back. Together with Tobias, they overwhelmed him, their combined strength too much for even the huge rogue to handle. With a final, furious growl, he retreated into the shadows, his yellow eyes blazing with fury.
“This isn’t over,” he spat, his voice a chilling promise. “You can’t protect her forever, boy. She will be mine!” With those words he disappeared into the trees with the remaining rogues following him.
Tobias shifted back, his chest heaving as he turned to Freya. Relief and fury warred within him as he crossed the clearing in a few strides, pulling her into his arms.
“You’re safe,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
Freya leaned into him, her body trembling as the weight of the night crashed over her. Tobias’s warmth and strength grounded her, though her mind was a whirlwind of emotions…fear, relief, and something she couldn’t quite name as she was held tightly against his nude body. Her cheeks reddened and she pulled back. He grabbed her close again, laying his arm around her waist and pressing her into his hip as he walked towards the others. “Stay beside me!” He growled.
The forest was eerily quiet after the chaos. Tobias kept Freya as close as possible, his hand resting now on her lower back. Finn, was watching Freya intently from a short distance away.
“You were incredible,” Finn blurted out, his voice filled with awe. “You stood your ground. You didn’t even flinch and all you had was a piece of glass!.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but Tobias growled, low and warning. His blue eyes burned as he stepped between Freya and Finn. “She doesn’t need your commentary.”
Finn’s face turned red as he stumbled back. “I—I didn’t mean anything—”
“Stop,” Freya said softly, placing a hand on Tobias’s arm. Her voice was quiet but firm. “He didn’t mean any harm.”
Tobias’s jaw tightened, but he nodded, his wolf settling at her touch. Freya turned to Finn, offering him a faint smile. “Thank you, Finn. But I couldn’t have done anything without all of you. Thank you…all of you.” Her voice faltered, and she swallowed hard. “I don’t know how to repay you.”
Zara chuckled, breaking the tension. “Start by not getting kidnapped again.”
Despite herself, Freya let out a small laugh. “I’ll try.”
Mira’s green eyes softened slightly as she stepped forward. “We should move. The rogues won’t stay scattered for long.” George nodded and started leading them towards the pack lands.
“You really were incredible,” Tobias said softly, as they began walking, his blue eyes meeting hers. “I don’t know how you did it, but you fought like hell.”
Freya glanced at him, her hazel eyes uncertain. “I didn’t feel incredible,” she admitted. “I felt…terrified.”
Tobias stopped walking and turned to face her. His gaze softened, his hand brushing a lock of hair back behind her ear. “Bravery isn’t about not being scared,” he said gently. “It’s about fighting anyway.”
Freya’s cheeks flushed, and she looked away, her heart pounding for an entirely different reason now. She didn’t know what to say, so she simply nodded, letting his words settle over her. They started walking again, catching up to the others.
She glanced around at Zara, Mira, George, Liam and Finn, their quiet reassurances as they quietly walked beside her and Tobias, soft murmurings as they talked amongst themselves, beginning to melt her lingering fears. For the first time, whatever the future held, she didn’t feel alone.
—————
Authors note;
I have rewritten this chapter 4 times now but I think I am finally happy with it. Please comment below if you are enjoying the story 🙂
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