The Crystal Moon Curse: Book 3: CHOSEN

27. Bane

FREYA

Early morning as the sun begins to rise over the thick woodlands, I drag my freezing body out of the river. I don’t know how far the river took me, all I know is I am no longer on Gage’s lands.

I step onto land shivering and find a rock in the open where the morning rays hit to warm myself up.

As my shivering begins to subside I reach inside for Hela, hoping whatever it was Gage gave me when I arrived at River Run has left my system.

With a sigh of relief, I find her. Subdued. Quiet, but there. I feel her remorse, her guilt, and her rage. She suffers because of her inability to help me when I needed it the most. I hold no anger toward her. She is hurting as much as I.

Hela pulls forward, giving me her warmth and I let her shift, taking over, glad to be out of the frail, defiled human skin I now despise.

Her warm fur immediately chases the chill of the river away and she focuses on our immediate need. Food.

I lose myself to her instincts and she understands what I need. Space and a place to grieve. She takes reign hunting to feed us, finding a rabbit just as it ventures out of its burrow for the morning.

The rabbit makes a good meal and while Hela feeds I think about what I’m going to do.

I refuse to wallow in what Gage did to me. I don’t have time and I can’t bear to think about it right now.

I have two choices. I can open my mind link and reach out to Neo, but honestly, I’m furious at her for making me go to him in the first place. Her Genesis Bill is what got me here and I don’t trust she won’t send me back if Gage demands it. Frankly, my trust compass is completely broken. Neo is my Alpha and it would only take a simple order from her to make me do something I don’t want to do again.

With the full moon impending, I can’t hang around in the woods, all that will happen is Hela will run us back to him as soon as her heat kicks in.

Already I can feel her indecision. She exists on instinct. Right now her true mates claim rushes under her fur. Despite the manner in which it was made, Gage’s claim exists and the fact that she will go into heat drives her to find safety for herself and the pup she will be with when Gage ties the knot with her at the next full moon.

I refuse to let that happen.

But I need help.

Faced with this dilemma I have only one choice.

It’s with this decision Hela and I head south.

It takes us four days of tracking through the woods, avoiding the odd rogue and lone wolf and staying off pack lands. Hela hunts what we can find until we reach the highway to Crescent City.

Just outside of the city’s edge, as the trees begin to thin, Hela sits under a tree looking toward the city. From here we can see the top of Bane Tower rising toward the sunset.

My chest constricts as I remember how happy I was when I first arrived here. Memories abound as if they didn’t happen just weeks ago. I feel like I’ve aged years since then.

I was so stupid to think I could choose my own way, my own destiny, and happiness. Everything in our lives is preordained by the Goddess, and I wonder if this is my punishment for trying to go against her will.

I tried to choose my own mates and I paid the price.

With a heavy sigh, I open my mind link.

Jake? It’s Freya.

Oh my Goddess! Freya! Where have you been? Neo is looking for you!

Jake, I don’t have time. I need you to do something for me.