Chapter 7

It was a very quiet afternoon as no one was home, at least Freya thought so as there was no sound coming from any of the rooms. It was a wonderful feeling. She enjoyed having some quiet time now and then, because usually people were constantly coming in and out. She smiled softly and continued to sew the pieces of fabric together. She was sewing a stuffed animal for a newborn puppy that had just been born a few days ago. His parents would be holding a ceremony in a few days where they would thank the moon goddess for blessing them with a puppy, and announce his name to the pack. It was a small ceremony, but for the pack it was a big deal. For them, it meant welcoming a new addition, a new pack member who'd fight by their side in the future. "Freya, do you've a hairpin?" Freya winced and nearly pricked herself with the pin, "My God, Chance, you scared me." He raised an eyebrow and grinned, "Aren't you a werewolf? Where's your hearing? I literally stomped down the stairs to annoy Zack." She put the needle down and turned to look at him properly, "Zack's in the house?" "Yeah, he has locked himself in his room and won't say a word. That's why I've been trying to tease him. Do you've a hair clip, by any chance?" "Why?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. He didn't even have enough hair to use a bobby pin. "I want to unlock his door so I can see what he's doing. I suspect he's jerking off or something. There was a stunned silence. She was taken aback by his blunt answer, but he didn't even seem fazed. He acted as if it was perfectly normal. "Come on, Freya. He's a twenty-five-year-old virgin. He needs a way to get free." Her mouth dropped open even more, "Are you serious, Chance?" Fortunately, her wolf didn't know what to make of this new information either - half of her was still in shock, the other half wanted to do something about it, which in this case meant mating with Zack. Chance shrugged, "That seems reasonable. How else was he going to satisfy his needs if he didn't have a mate? He wasn't going to sleep with a random she-wolf, of course." She smiled slightly and returned to her sewing. It was good to know that Zack was still a virgin. She really respected him for it and so did her wolf. Unfortunately, many wolves didn't hesitate to sleep with others if they didn't find a mate in the first six months after their twentieth birthday. They said her wolves would "feel the need to be intimate with someone," which made no sense at all since she'd never felt that urge. On the other hand, she wasn't interested in another relationship either. She just wanted her mate, maybe Zack felt the same. "Chance, what're you doing? You're supposed to be helping Beta Damien organize the new pack warriors." Chance snorted at Reece's statement, "Beta Damien has been putting it off. He'd to take care of his very pregnant mate for a while." "Wait, why are there new pack warriors? Weren't the new ones recruited just three months ago?" she asked, butting into the conversation. Reece sighed and sat down on the barstool next to her. "Zack and your father decided it would be best for the packs to recruit more warriors, since there have been more attacks from rogues than usual lately." "I don't understand what these rogues want. For years we'd no problems with them, and now suddenly they're attacking random packs. There's not even a pattern," Chance muttered, taking an apple from the fruit bowl. "Has anyone asked the witches? Maybe they know something," she said. "Zack's father went to one of the witches in the south. But she didn't seem to say much, and blabbed some shit about blessing the moon goddess and something golden." She froze with her needle in the air, "Gold?" Reece narrowed his eyes, "Yeah. Something wrong?" "No, not at all," she swallowed hard. Everything was wrong with what the witch was saying. "Does my father know about the witch?" she asked anxiously. Reece didn't seem to think everything was okay, but he gratefully let it slide, "Not really. Zack and Alpha Nathan have only just gotten around to talking about alliances. Your father is still hesitant to make an alliance with our pack. But I'm sure Zack will inform him of everything once the alliance is confirmed." She nodded and turned her head back to her sewing, avoiding eye contact with Reece. "That reminds me. Aren't you supposed to go into your heat today? It's been two days since you met Zack." She moaned softly, "Yes. I just hope it comes soon so I can get it over with. I hear the heat is worse than the period." The heat cycle was much more painful than what her mother had told her. It lasted three days, but those three days were hell. On the first day, the she-wolf got severe stomach cramps and an unbearable desire to mate. If the she-wolf did not mate on the first day, it was even worse on the second day. She would get a massive migraine and even more stomach cramps, not to mention a strong throbbing in her private parts. And if the she-wolf did not mate on the second day either, she would practically pass out from exhaustion on the third day. Many she-wolves did not experience all three days because they would mate on the first day, but her mother had to go through all three days the first time. Her father was injured when she experienced her first cycle, so they could not mate. "I feel sorry for the she-wolves. The moon Goddess is merciless." said Reece. She nodded in agreement. The only reason the heat cycles existed was so the mated pairs could have children faster. The Moon Goddess wanted the wolf species to grow larger. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, and she immediately doubled over. Her body felt feverish, and a wave of nausea overtook her. "Shit," Chance said, jumping up from his chair, "you are going into heat." "No shit, Einstein," she gasped, clutching the counter as she felt the sudden urge to vomit. The cramps were getting stronger. "Freya, we need to get you upstairs. Your smell is changing. Soon there will be a flock of unmated wolves at your door. You need to move now," Reece snarled, trying to pull her up. She exhaled shakily and stood up, wincing at the pain that overtook her senses. Her she-wolf began to howl and shake out her fur. She was beginning to feel the urge to mate. "Freya, you are not safe around us. Our wolves are in turmoil," Chance said softly, closing his eyes, which were slowly darkening. She made her way to the stairs and quickly made a mind connection with her mother, "Mom, please come home. I am starting my heat." She replied a second later, "Sweetie, go to your room and lock yourself in there. It's not safe for you to walk around the house. I'll be there in T-5.' She began to slowly climb the stairs, trying to resist the urge to bend down and let her breakfast back out. As she reached the top step, a loud scream rang out from one of the rooms. Her eyes widened as she stared at the door from which the roar came. Damn! That was Zack's room. Suddenly, quick footsteps were heard behind her. "Freya, lock yourself in your room right now! Zack is going to freak out now. He's picked up your scent," Chance said, running down the hall to Chance's room. She nodded and went to her room as fast as she could before locking herself in. This was going to be so hard.