Chapter 4

'Let's go see, mate,' said Freya's wolf. Her wolf was still upset that Zack hadn't paid attention to her, so Freya wanted to talk to him and see what his problem was. Freya, on the other hand, wanted to wait until he approached her. She didn't want to make a fool of herself and chase after him like a lovesick puppy. There was a reason he hadn't said anything the first time. Besides, they didn't even know what he was like. The only thing they knew were rumors that said he slept around and inflicted cruel punishments for even the slightest mistake. But Freya knew not to trust rumors - they were almost always false. "Freya, what're you doing here? Have you'd lunch?" She turned and gave her father a forced smile, "I'm not really hungry, Dad." She'd lost her appetite after Zack took off with her father, so she went to her room to clear her head. He pursed his lips, stepped into her room and closed the door behind him "Honey, we need to talk." She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't happy with what Zack was telling him. She plopped down on the bed and patted the spot next to him. He sat down and looked at her face with a sad smile, "I guess I never realized how fast you grew up. My wolf is quite distraught about his pup growing up and finding her mate." She grinned, "You're getting old, Dad. Admit it." "I admit I'm not as young and vibrant as I used to be, but I can still get women's attention, mind you," he said, giving her a pointed look. "If you say so," she chuckled, raising her hands defensively. He shook his head in amusement and ran his fingers through his hair, "Sweetie, if you want proof, ask your mother. She'll tell you about my performance last night..." "Okay!" she interrupted him, "Forget what I said. I don't want to hear about you and Mom. That's disgusting." She shuddered at the mere thought of what her parents did at night. Luckily, her she-wolf was on the same page as her, covering her eyes with her paws. He gave Freya a grin before his face turned serious again, "I'd a talk with Zack." She straightened up and gave him her full attention. He explained to her everything Zack had said about his pack and that he couldn't accept her without seeing if she was capable enough to be Luna. And while her father talked, she was overwhelmed by different feelings. Bitterness. Hurt. Disappointment. Hunger. She'd never seen an alpha not accept his mate as soon as he saw her. Alphas were said to be even more protective and possessive of their mates than normal wolves. Therefore, rejections were extremely rare. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I can't imagine how hard this is for you. I can't force him to accept you because he might take that as a threat..." She interrupted her father, "Of course not, Dad. If he wants me, he'll come to me. We shouldn't have to chase after him." Besides, if Zack really thought her father was threatening him, it could lead to a war because of his stupid alpha pride. The last thing they needed was innocent pack members getting involved in a fight between two mates. That was a big no-no. Their wolf was completely devastated if her whimpering was any indication. Freya sighed softly and started a conversation with her to improve her mood. 'Are you okay?' Freya asked. 'I'll be fine. You're right. We shouldn't chase after him. We should just wait and see what happens.' 'Don't give up hope yet, it's only been a few hours. He'll stay for a whole month just to watch us.' 'But what if after a month he decides he doesn't want us anymore?' 'Then we move on. Eventually we'll find someone else.' Freya concluded. Her wolf winced at the thought, and Freya slapped herself in spirit for her insensitivity. Freya might be hurt, but her wolf was completely heartbroken. The connection she'd with his wolf was much stronger than what Zack and Freya were feeling at the moment. They'd only have the stronger connection if they marked and mated. "Freya. Papa." They turned to Oliver, who looked rather uncomfortable for interrupting them, "We've to get the campfire ready, remember?" His reminder immediately brightened their day, and their wolf seemed a little happier, too. Every three months, they held a campfire as a kind of pack bonding. But this campfire was going to be extra special, not because her mate was there, but because her friend was getting engaged. Freya couldn't be happier for them. Excited, she stood up, "Let's go. We need to get ready and help Tyrese. I'm sure he's already panicking." Oliver chuckled and let her and his father pass him first before following them downstairs. The house was full of people cooking and rushing between rooms to get coolers and tables. Freya frowned slightly and looked at the clock to see why everyone was in such a hurry. Her eyes widened, and she ran quickly to the clothes rack. It was five thirty and the campfire started at six! "I'll see you later," she called, grabbing her jacket, "I've got some backs to tape up. Oliver, get your ass out there! We all need to get in formation." "Formation?" She pretended not to hear Zack, who looked at her, frowning. "Dad, when Gabriella comes over, give her something to do to keep her busy until the campfire. We can't have her snooping around the cabin area," she said, taking the tape from Oliver. Nathan nodded and instructed some of the pack warriors to keep an eye on the beer packs. Since the campfire would keep everyone busy, including the pack warriors, no one was allowed to get drunk for safety reasons. If there was an attack, they'd to be sober enough to fight. She'd no intention of drinking anyway, for she deeply detested beer. The taste was horrible. "Oliver, do you've the sweatshirts?" "Yes," he pointed to the duffel bag in his hands. "Good, let's go." *** Zack watched as Freya hurried outside with her brother. He thought: What were they doing? What did she mean by formation? His wolf growled angrily at him. 'We should go to mate.' 'We won't go near her. We've to watch her first.' 'You're stupid. Why don't you want to be near your partner?' Zack sighed. His wolf didn't understand his reasoning at all. If Dickson had his way, he'd've marked Freya as soon as he saw her. 'Mate's pretty. There will be male wolves staring at her. We both know you can't control yourself when someone behaves inappropriately.' Zack tried to ignore his comments, but they got on his nerves. His wolf was right, when someone behaved inappropriately, he couldn't control himself. Freya was beautiful, and there was no doubt that she attracted a lot of male attention. That was the one thing he hated about being an alpha. Every time he got the slightest bit angry or protective, his wolf side would try to come out and attack the cause. Zack just had to keep hoping that nothing would happen at this bonfire.