C74 Tobias' story

Freya's Pov

We were by the grass and it was evening after I woke from a deep sleep, since morning. I really was pregnant. The thought still felt surreal to me. I was pregnant for Artemis, his seed grew inside of me.

My hand subconsciously stroked the little bump that wasn't yet visible to the eye and sighed. It was a lot, but I wasn't the only one in pain like Rachael had said.

Tobias here by my side, whose gaze was focused ahead and distant. He appeared gloomy, and I knew the reason, his father.

The wind did a great job, it blew in every direction as the wind, wafting away my worries although I hoped it did the same for Tobias here whose scent filled my nose. The sky was orange, a colour I once detested now it gave me some sort of warmth, just like the colour.

“You don't have to say anything if you aren't ready,” I told him. But I wanted him to share his worries with me. Pregnancy blues or not but I was growing attached to him and seeing him hurt ached me. I would never voice this out though, I've been betrayed multiple times.

“Your father you know—-”

“This isn't about me please, my father is no more, I'm not even sure he cares but nonetheless, I want to hear about you,” I said.

“Freya, I cannot tell you about me without your father,” he explained, “and he is not evil, he was just—”

“After the good of his pack,” I chimed in.

His gaze dropped to me, “he was at a corner, people do reckless things when they are cornered,” he clarified, “your father isn't evil.”

I kept quiet to this, part of me believed him but the other part that cried fervently that I was his blood and daughter did not. Because if he had been alive, pack or no pack, we would have been happy even if it was leading the life of a rogue.

“I understand,” that was a lie, I didn't, if anything I was bitter and angry, so much anger I don't know what to do with it. However I wanted Tobias to share his story, that was the only way he would. And maybe Rachael's words guilt-tripped me.

“During the war, Artemis knew that he was going to lose, he knew that your father had the aid and support of my father, so he sought ways to dismantle us when an opening came he used it, the opening was me,” he explained,

“How?” I voiced my curiosity.

“I don't know the full story as I was not there but my Father honored your father's alliance and pledged to help him but when he realized that I was missing, Artemis must have conjured a means to use that to his advantage. Seeing that I lost, I imagined he must have lied to my father that he had me, making him to jump ship and side with Artemis, it was a shitty and dishonourable thing and i'm angry at my father till this day,” when Tobias spoke I saw the pain in his eyes, I wanted to console him but the thought of being lied to appeared and I shrieked from past wounds.

Could I trust him?

With my heart, I mean.

Could I?

“I'm sorry,” the words felt like razors on my tongue, slicing my tongue and heart.

“You don't have to say that, I should be the one apologizing,” he said. I wanted to say we were both wronged, but they were never formed.

“Do you have an idea why I was given to Artemis?” The name was like salt to my wound.

“I could think,”

I kept quiet and waited on him to talk. My knees were propelled as I rested my chin on it, my hand wrapped around it as I peered at him.

Tobias let one of his leg to lie flat on the low grass, the other mirrored my posture, propelled up, his right hand rested on the leg projected up. He picked out a single green grass and tossed.

“With your father defeated and gone, Artemis would turn to the next best thing, the man that stood side by side his enemy, my father, Alpha Rex as you may have known is a coward,”

He said the name with much contempt that I felt it resonated within me.

“He would have offered anything to get on his good side, probably you,” he paused and looked at me, when no reaction was shown he continued, “and along the way, became one of Artemis' puppets.”

“Artemis often frequented the pack,” I recalled and then gasped, “then do you think he knew I was his mate before I was given off to him?” I asked in horror.

Tobias nodded, “my guess is yes, he must have known, then that means he asked for you, he knew you were his mate and must have threatened alpha Rex to give you to me because—-”

“Because I was his mate and I had been given to you, he knew,” the sheer realization made tremors rock my spine.

“And my… Alpha Rex must have succumbed to it without any struggle, so that he would not face the wrath of Artemis,” notice how he referred to Alpha Rex rather than father, his voice was pained.

“And why didn't you return? You speak your father's name so bluntly,” I pointed out.

“I didn't know what to return to, a failed promise and a failed father, plus I didn't want to be part of his mistake but I guess that's not up to me, I'm his blood,” he said so disgustingly.

“It's okay—”

“No it is not! For years I haven't returned and he hadn't sent out a troop for me, he didn't even try to retrieve me, he just gave up!” he was angry and straining to measure how much he lashed out.

Never in my life did I think I would talk in favor of Alpha Rex, but to the man that at least sheltered me, I would.

“He didn't have much of a choice,” I said but Tobias chuckled darkly, “oh darling, people have choices, you just have to be a decent human while choosing.”

I didn't know what to say, I wasn't in the best relationship with my father, and I hadn't forgiven him either so I knew better than to act all saint, cracking my words for the right words that would make him forgive his father because I was just as angry.

“Now you understand the way I feel right?” he pulled me closer, “yeah it sucks.”

“Let’s go for dinner, I would not want you missing it, not when you are now two,” he said and chuckled.

“Hey!” I yelled standing to my feet, “it doesn't mean—”

“That you would eat like an animal?” he grinned and walked to the table which I chuckled and followed him.

Dinner was silent, the usual boisterous table was silent with only the clinking of forks and spoons against the plate.

Rachael was silent, eating as she would not look at me, Williams was focused on the food that he ate like he was forced. The others fell in line.

“I'm done eating,” I announced and was standing up.

“Freya,” Tobias came after me.

“I can't eat there, the place is too—- not what I'm used to,” I told him.

“Am I really that selfish?” I asked him as we climbed up to his room.

“Every living organism is selfish,” he explained, “it's self-love, and if we don't have that, others will trample on us.”

“I think mine is too much,” I muttered.

“Don't worry, your mind would change in time—-”

“Alpha Tobias!” yelled an unfamiliar voice in the most sweet tone, that could give one tooth ache. I looked to see a brunette with blue eyes.

“What the fuck!”