C25 A conversation with Jude

Artemis Pov

The old hag was smiling. His skin on hers wanted to make me plunge a punch to that mouth of his and wipe out all those smiles and the remains of his teeth. I seared within, contending myself when what I wanted to do was very much create damage to his physique.

Her arm was interlocked with his as we walked down the open tracked field. I like to think that his skin smearing hers was filthy. She was an epitome of pure bliss, emphasis on the ‘pure,’ she was too good for her own benefit. I didn’t deserve her but Jude definitely didn’t deserve the tiniest bit of having skin to skin contact with her.

I like to think of her as a goddess and as a goddess the filthy werewolves were no fit to touch her.

Freya would smile curtly and chuckled when need be. She curated herself in such a way that anyone watching right now would think that she had been a royal werewolf all her life.

She really was the daughter of Demitri—

I halted right there on my words. Oslo had gotten into my mind.

That fucker!

He disengaged from the physical body contact of interlocking his arm with hers and I knew Jude was about business now. No more joking around.

“Dear Freya, tell me, I heard you used to be an omega,” Jude stated more like a fact than a question.

She slipped out a smile and answered, “yes I used to be an omega,” she chuckled softly then resumed, “now I’m going to be a Luna.”

Anyone that knew Freya could easily hear the echo of doubt and disbelief in her tone but she flattened it out that the only tone I heard was that of courage and confidence.

Following Jude’s prodding questions her shoulder squared, high and her steps weren’t one of jokes but carefully curated steps. It was as though she became a whole new person.

“What were you often referred to as?” Jude here of course was asking her name. Her full name.

“Well as you already know, I was an omega but I was addressed with Freya all my life, I had no inkling of my father’s name. I never knew him, his memories were vague in my mind. It wasn’t till our marriage that I met Artemis here, my mate who from whence I don’t know knew my full name and I came to discover that my father’s name was ‘Demitri’ so I’m Freya Demitri,” she answered.

I could dictate the way her tone fell when she mentioned her father. It would be good to give a retrospective report of her father when he was in the land of the living but that would mean that I would tell her how I knew all these things and she would with no doubt ask prying and prodding questions. Questions that were better left in the dark. With her astuteness she would fill in all the loopholes and get her answers.

It would hurt me gravely and deeply to bring her pain. It would scare me deeply to see that sun beaming smile turn thick like a dark cloud holding rain within itself, the rain of the season ready to pour it all on the earth. She was bright and sweet like the summer season. And it would scar me with no cure to lose her.

“When did you start being an omega?” His questions were peeling off the scrabs of old wounds and it was only a matter of time before it would bleed out again. As much as she appeared okay and stalwart I could tell this was a touchy topic for her. But the old warlock had surpassed his time on this earth and any emotions to connect and know questions that were off limits were long surpassed as well.

“I think it was—“ she tilted her head in a thinking manner, trying to collect the little fragments of retrospection left.

“When I was five, five I think. So I’ve been an omega all my life till now,” she answered honestly.

“Hmmm,” Jude gave out the expression of his thinking, “so you’ve been an omega all your life and now you’re acting like one born and raised in a royal family? Wow,” Jude mistakenly let his awe slip out to the public and Freya smiled and bowed a little.

“Who’s your father again?” Jude asked.

As much as I didn’t like the direction of his question now I couldn’t step in, should I, it would shrewd Freya’s reputation and I on the other side would be bawdy when Freya would pry with a non ending question.

“Demitri,” Freya answered.

“Just Demitri?” Jude asked

"Yes." she answered

He looked at me but I kept a plain face and gazed ahead.

“So what was the name of the pack that you grew up in? Is it in this part of the map?” Jude continued with his question.

“Eastwood pack, the alpha was alpha Rex. He took me in,” when she answered she didn’t speak ill of him. Too good for her own sake.

“I believe we know that pack,” he turned to me, “the one where The Luna is lady Morgana right?” Jude’s question was directed to me.

“Yes, she is,” I answered and he gave another one of his looks. The one that outwardly said, you are the devil’s son I could say the same right back at him.

“So did you—-“ Jude didn’t get to complete his question before Freya cut him off.

“You know so much about me, pardon my intrusion but I know so little about you,” Freya said.

Jude smiled. “Sorry child that’s how it is,” he answered, “I am an elite, the head of the court immediately after Artemis here. That’s all to know about me,” he squeezed out little information, but Freya was sordid on getting more answers.

“I believe not, I believe what I query isn’t your position or your status, but you my lord, who are you?” I complimented Freya’s astuteness. She was turning the table slowly.

Jude chuckled dryly, “I don’t understand?”

She smiled, “how were you when you were vibrant, young and a youth, tell me, I have longed for a tale mine is rather boring,” she said sweetly.

“Nothing much. When young I was more into books and pack business. My head was already stuffed with pack duties and obligations,” he answered tentatively.

From where I stood, I saw the smile that curled at the corner of Freya’s lips, just slightly.

“Were you an alpha? Why were you so focused on pack duties?” Freya prodded.

“Oh no I was no alpha, I had a more capable alpha. But I was beta to the former alpha of the waterfall pack,” he answered proudly.

Freya gasped at realization, “don’t tell me —are you?”

He smiled, “yes I was the beta to Artemis father.”

She gasped and placed her hand on her mouth. Jude suddenly tensed, debating if he had let so much slip.

“Ah at last, a place I could go to get all the information about Artemis,” She said triumphantly. It was my turn to be tense now. I and Jude shared a glance.

“What’s your relationship with him, are you like that father he never had or the father he couldn’t wait to bury?” She asked with a chuckle.

“Probably the latter, he can’t wait to have one last old man off his shoulder,” Jude beat to an answer sending a brief look my way.

The motherfucker knew I couldn’t wait to kill him and have him off my case. Witty fool.

“I’d love to say none. He really is none existent to me,” I answered for myself. I wanted to get him off the track, that I thought anything of him till I killed him. But I could say the same of him, he couldn’t wait to get rid of me because I didn’t allow him to have a leech over my neck.

“But I am more than happy for him to have a mate capable and loving to him, his childhood had been rough,” he said from nowhere. I froze.

“It was nice meeting you Freya, now I have a court to report to,” he said to Freya then to me he patted my shoulder and walked out leaving me an iced monument.