Page 140 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

“We’re just spouting facts,” Henry says in a matter-of-fact tone, but a smirk curls around his lips.

Those twins, I swear. I cross my arms in front of my body, narrowing my eyes to a glare.

“Alright, alright, we better get going.” Anthony flashes me an innocent grin before tugging his brother along with him. They both chuckle a bit. So much for them finally turning into adults.

forty-five

Weakness

*FREYA*

Finnisstilloutside,mingling with the warriors and setting everything up. I allow my gaze to wander over the area, now packed with allies and wolves eager to fight. There are multiple she-wolves there too, and it still amazes me that they are allowed to fight and are taken seriously here in a world outside of Blood Snow.

“Freya?”

I turn my head to look at the person who had just approached me. It’s Flora. I’m still nervous around Finn’s parents; they are of such high rank and so powerful. But Flora doesn’t give me time to feel anxious; she just beams at me. “How about we two beauties grab something to drink and let our men continue to neglect us?”

I smile at her comment and nod. She twirls around, enjoying the last rays of sunshine while leading me to a private terrace behind the pack house. I assume it’s her and Elden’s space. “Come, sweetheart.” She beams at me and takes my hand, making me sit on one of the rattan chairs while hopping around to fetch me something to drink.

Finn’s right. I can’t even imagine her on a battlefield.

Flora makes sure we have plenty of cookies and tea before she settles down on a chair. “I’m so sorry, Freya,” she says. “I have to apologize.”

I blink. “What for?”

“I wish I had more time to give you during the last days.” She looks genuinely rueful and almost a bit sullen. “I wanted to spend time with you.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I smile at her, feeling warmth engulf me from being close to her. It’s almost like light radiates off her. “I’m genuinely thankful to all of you for your help. Everyone is going above and beyond to free Blood Snow of its tyrant. Without Finn and the help of his family and allies, I wouldn’t even be alive.”

Flora looks at me, her eyes sad. She looks more serious than usual as she takes my hand. “Freya, if you ever want to talk to someone and feel you can’t do so with Finn because he is too close to you, then you can always come to me.”

I lick my lips nervously. “It’s just… I wish I had run earlier. Who knows what would have happened if I had tried to get help before the pack spiraled so far downward? I should have been stronger. Braver.”

“You are brave,” she says with emphasis. “You’re so young, yet you tried to protect those who needed protection, and stood up against your abusers.”

I look down at my fingers. “One day,” I say quietly. “It was around two years ago they found me strolling too far away from the pack house.” I pause, looking at her. “You won’t tell Finn, you promise?”

She nods. “I know there are things we can’t share with the men we love.”

“They tied me up and whipped me, and it was worse than ever before. All slaves there are used to being beaten, but when the warriors get into it, they…” I pause, the memory still fresh in my mind. I’ll never forget being tied up, stripped of my clothes and beaten mercilessly for something I didn’t do, just because those assholes got off on it. It was before the incident where the windows shattered. I lower my head a bit. “Afterwards, I didn’t dare to walk too far from the pack house.”

“Oh, Freya.” Flora looks crestfallen. She pulls me into her arms. Her hug should feel weird because she is much smaller than I am, but it feels comforting. “Colton is a monster, and he has collected like-minded people around him, unfortunately. It should have never happened—Blood Snow is a very secluded pack due to its location, but that’s no excuse. Elodie and Elise told me that the Council will keep a closer eye on the packs from now on.” She pauses. “What you went through cannot be described in words. By no means were you weak.”

She strokes my hair, and her fingers feel so warm and soft. I’ve never had a family, and I’ve shoved the thought away as much as possible… not to be reminded of what I’m missing. Then with time, Amaryllis, Ludovica, Gina, and the others became my family, but deep inside, I always felt like something was missing. Crying into Flora’s shoulder makes me miss my mom, although I never even got to know her.

“This pack was supposed to give you and the other orphans a family,” Flora mutters, and her voice has a certain edge to it. “But they failed you, all of you, and Colton will pay for it.”

Her words of anger feel weirdly comforting to me. Of course, Finn is upset and angry for my sake too, but he is my mate. Having someone else showing their feelings openly helps me realize I’m not alone. “I can’t remember anything about my parents,” I say, sniffing and starting to feel embarrassed by my little breakdown.

Flora won’t have any of it, though. She shoves a plate with macadamia nut cookies toward me and smiles brightly. “We’ll find out who your parents were and where you came from.”

I take one of the cookies, taking a bite of it. It tastes heavenly. I never imagined I could ever live this new reality, not even in my wildest dreams. Whenever I felt bold, I’d imagine Ryllis and I living as rogues, maybe finding refuge in a smaller pack where we would work as omegas, or I imagined us on the run, hiding in shabby hotels.

I try not to dwell on the negative feelings and, instead, think about how lucky I am to have received this chance and how I will try to make the best of it. I smile at Flora. “They taste fantastic.”

“Right?” She beams. “They are my favorite.”

The next hour that I spend chatting with Flora, the topics begin to lighten. She tells me a lot about Silverlake, and her family, Finn’s siblings, and I take it all in like a sponge, ready to finally learn more. Colton only provided us with the basic school education, but I want to learn more, and thankfully, Flora is absolutely on board with the idea.

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