Page 134 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

Marius has stayed quiet for a while; now, he nods. “As hard as it is to remember sometimes, our perpetrators are the ones at fault. They are the ones we have to blame. A lot of women and men have been hurt and violated in this pack for many, many years, and you were one of them. This man has gaslit half of his pack into believing that there is no hope for them outside. What’s important is we stop Colton now.”

His words make my chest churn slightly, reminding me of the things Marius went through and the atrocious crimes that were done to his mind and body. It still pains me that none of us knew. Freya must have felt my sadness through the mate bond, because I suddenly feel her long fingers brushing my hand.

Marius might not look like it,I link her.But he will be of great help to Ryllis. He knows what she is going through and can relate to her. He’ll make sure she gets the help she needs.

Freya looks at me in surprise but catches on fast. She looks sad at my words, and squeezes my hand. “Let’s have coffee, everyone.” I finally invite them in properly.

I wanted to give both Freya and Elias the option to meet, to get rid of their demons, and bond over their past experiences. Elias will be one of the warriors who will attack Colton with us. This is personal for him too.

Elias might appear cold and distant, but deep down, he is just another broken soul. Thankfully, he and Freya seem to bond fast.

Meanwhile, Marius excuses himself. “I’d better call Celine,” he says.

Garret grins and makes a movement with his hand as if he is swinging a whip and mimics its swooshing sound. We all giggle again while Marius flashes us a grin. “You are just envious that my hot mate and I can go wild in the bedroom.”

He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, making us groan slightly.

“I always win,” he says confidently.

“Just against Celine, you lose.” Garret grins.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Gamma,” Marius smirks. “If I lose against Celine, it always means I win too. She is hot!”

Garret groans slightly while Freya chuckles.I didn’t expect him to be so open and attentive,she tells me. He seems to be really nice. I’m glad that he will be there to watch out for Ryllis.

forty-three

Brothers

*FINN*

WhereFreyacouldprovideus exact information about the pack house and the closer pack area, Elias, as a former warrior, knows a lot about the surroundings. With help from both of them, we soon have a detailed map and are aware of which areas to avoid and where Colton will use the landscape to his advantage.

As we go through the last preparations, my oldest brother Liam joins us. I haven’t seen him since returning from my mission, but I’m guessing that Annie has filled him in on most parts.

As soon as he sees me, he strides towards me and hugs me, much to my surprise. Liam is easily the tallest and strongest of us all, and is not usually the touchy type. “I was really worried,” he says. “But I heard from Annie and Dad how well you did. It’s amazing how you staged your escape! You need to tell me everything in detail.”

“I will.” I grin. “But don’t pretend you’re here just for me.”

Liam chuckles and shifts his attention to Freya. He reaches out his hand to shake hers, smiling at her. “I’m Liam, Finn’s oldest brother. I’m beyond happy to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Freya looks flustered, and I can’t blame her for being a bit star-struck. Even I tend to look up to him. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Alpha Liam.”

“Let’s drop the formalities,” Liam says. “I’m thrilled that you and Finn found each other. He is a good guy and will treat you well.”

I can’t believe Liam always has to slip into his doting older brother role in front of others. “Enough about me,” I say nervously. Who knows what else Liam will say about me.

I’m not sure, but I could swear Liam’s lips tug slightly. Is he teasing me? It’s always hard to tell with him, as he hides behind a stoic façade. “I have to thank you for something else too, Freya.”

“For what?” she asks curiously.

“For the fantastic outfit you helped my wife choose.”

Freya chuckles.

“What exactly did you girls do during your shopping trip?” I ask curiously. “First, that talk about Celine buying a whip. Then Annie in a new outfit…”

“What’s that about Celine and a whip?” Liam interrupts me before he finally drops his stoic mask and chuckles. “Poor Marius. How much did you already tease him for it?”

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