CHAPTER 228: LEFT BEHIND

[ Uncharted areas in the Greater Woods - dark mists ]

Freya’s little claws glimmered faintly in the dim light, but her hands shook a little.

She stayed rooted in place, her golden eyes narrowed, watching Karl closely.

He only smiled wider, crouching a little as if he didn’t want to tower over her. His voice turned soft, almost sing song to coax a little baby.

"Little wolf, why are you looking at me like that? Don’t frown so much. It doesn’t suit such a sweet face."

"I am not sweet," Freya said instantly, her chin jerking up. "I am dangerous."

Karl chuckled. The smooth sound curled in the mist like smoke. "Ahh, right right, my bad...you are dangerous and adorable. Just like your father... though he would never admit the adorable part."

Freya’s lip wobbled, though she forced it still. "Stop talking about my Dada. You don’t know him."

"Oh, don’t be mean. I said I do," Karl purred. " I told you I was his brother, didn’t I? A twin at that! It’s a shame he didn’t ever mention me. Isn’t Uncle Karl adorable, too? What do you think? "

Freya said nothing but she took a step back. Karl smirked at her instinct, holding her gaze he continued. " I know the way his temper burns. I know the way his heart hides things he doesn’t want anyone to see." He tilted his head, his grin widening too much...too sharp. "I know that he misses you mother...too much. But he doesn’t let you see it."

Freya’s little claws clicked out again. "You are lying. My Dada doesn’t miss my Mamma. She stays with us.She is there in front of us all the time. Why would he miss her? You are lying.Lying is bad."

Karl clapped a hand dramatically over his chest, swaying back as if wounded. "Ah! Wounded by my own niece before we’ve even had a chance to play. I swear I am not lying, little wolf. You can ask your Dada when you go back! How about that? "

Freya only paused for a second but then she shot back,louder than ever, "I am not your niece," she stamped one tiny foot into the soft earth. "I don’t even know you."

His smirk softened again, his eyes narrowing playfully. "That’s not your fault, little one. Your Dada... he keeps things from you. Secrets. Big ones.It’s his fault. Not yours. "

Her brows knitted. "What secrets?"

Karl leaned closer, close enough that she could see the silvery mist glimmering in his gray eyes. His voice lowered, gentling like a lullaby.

"The secret that I exist. The secret that you have a beautiful Mother. And Lyla isn’t your real Mamma...you are not just his little girl. You are mine too. You carry my blood as well as his."

Freya’s chest rose and fell...sharp.

She was technically too little to understand all that was being said to her but she wasn’t like any other kid.

Her senses told her those words were not complete lies.

Even then she shook her head so hard her hair whipped. "No. No, that’s not true." Her Dada would never lie to her. No matter what!

"Isn’t it?" Karl murmured, his amusement returning. "Don’t you ever feel it? Tell me my little darling,did you ever see your Dada and Mamma kissing? "

Freya paused. She could not recall any such incident. Yet she always saw Uncle Dax and Aunty Vera kissing each other everywhere.

Yet she stood her ground. " So what? "

" Do you know, little one, how a baby is made?"

The question bowled Freya over. It was an interesting question and she sure needed to know the answer now. " No! Tell me! "

" A baby, like you, comes to life when two people love each other, hug each other, kiss each other..."

With the flick of his hand she conjured a vague, barely visible image of him and Autumn hugging and kissing.

Freya took a step forward this time... this woman... her wolf stirred... her wolf remembered that face even though she did not...

"That is... " She pointed her little finger in the direction of those images.

" That is you real Mamma and me! Did you ever see your Dada and Mamma like this?"

Freya’s eyes zoomed in on Autumn’s face. She couldn’t deny the tug, the pull...did her Dada actually lie to her? Her fists clenched. Her little jaw twitched. Karl only smirked.

" See that...the darkness curling inside you when you are angry? The sharpness of your claws? The way even your wolf is different? Stronger? That’s not from your Dada..." He unflured dark smoke with the snap of his fingers. " It looks more like this. Doesn’t it?"

Freya’s throat went dry. She hated that his words struck something she almost recognized.

But she shoved it away. "Dada says I am special because I am his...and he loves me. "

Karl sighed dramatically, clicking his tongue. "Oh, child. That’s what he tells you because he is afraid. Afraid you will love me more than him when you learn the truth. Tell me why else would he not tell you about your Mommy or me? "

Freya bit her lip. "You are lying. I won’t love you."

Karl didn’t look offended. He just grinned.

He flicked his wrist, and the mist swirled higher. More shapes shimmered into being...a cluster of glowing butterflies that lifted into the air, circling Freya before dissolving into sparkles. "Alright! Alright! Just calm down, little wolf! No need to get all worked up. Let’s play!Shall we?"

Her eyes widened despite herself.

"See?" Karl said sweetly. "I can give you pretty things. Toys your father never would. Wouldn’t someone who really loved you, spoil you like this?"

A red ball appeared out of nowhere...rolling across the damp ground until it stopped against her foot. She stared at it, her hand twitching.

"I..." Freya shook her head quickly, stepping back. "I don’t need your toys."

"Not even this?" Karl smirked as the mist shifted again, forming a small, glowing wolf pup that yipped and wagged its tail at her.

Her golden eyes lit up instantly. Her lips parted as though she might call to it.

But then the pup blinked, and for one brief second its eyes turned gray.

Freya’s breath caught, and she staggered back a step.

Karl’s grin sharpened, too wide again, his voice slipping lower, darker. "Ah, you saw it. Clever little wolf. You see things your father doesn’t want you to see."

"You are... you are tricking me!" she snapped, baring her small teeth. "I don’t want your toys. I don’t want your lies. My Dada is coming for me!"

Karl only laughed softly, raising both hands in mock innocence. "I am not lying.I told you too many times. I am just giving you choices. You will see soon enough."

He lowered his hands slowly, extending one towards her, palm up, his voice returning to that silky coaxing tone.

"Come, Freya. Take my hand. Let me show you the truth."

Freya’s claws trembled. Her instincts screamed "danger, danger, danger. "

But her little fingers twitched at her side, almost lifting, almost reaching.

Almost.

The mist curled and thickened around them, swallowing sound and shape until it felt like the whole world was only Karl’s smile and her trembling breaths.

Karl walked just a step ahead, his voice warm, syrupy sweet.

"Careful now, little star... the ground’s uneven here.Don’t fall down and hurt yourself!"

Freya hesitated, hugging her arms to her chest.

" Umm, I see you are feeling cold.Come on, now. Come with me. You need a little rest!"

" Where... where are you taking me?"

He chuckled softly, like he was amused by the child’s question. "Nowhere bad. Just... somewhere warmer. Somewhere you can have fun and relax! "

Her brows knit.

Karl tilted his head, giving her that almost gentle, almost loving look that made her chest tighten with confusion. "No? Would you rather I went away and you stood here, freezing to death? Look around! Your Dada isn’t coming! You will be left all alone! You want that?"

Freya’s throat went dry. She wanted to say "no, you are wrong my Dada is right there", but the words stuck. A tiny seed of doubt pressed at her ribs because it had been a long time and Kieran was still not there. Did he really give up on her? That easily?

Karl’s grin softened again. "You know what I think? I think he left you in the shadows because he is afraid. Afraid you will grow too much like me or your mother! "

Her wolf stirred inside her, hackles lifting, warning. " Stranger Danger. Lies. Lies!"

Freya wrapped her arms tighter. "You are not... I am not like you."

"Not yet," Karl murmured, his voice low as velvet. He bent down, and from the mist plucked a shimmer of light, twisting it into the shape of a delicate flower. The petals glowed faintly, as if made of starlight. He held it out between two fingers. "But isn’t it pretty? Just for you."

Her gaze locked on it. The child in her wanted to reach. To take it, to smile, to believe in something gentle.

Karl’s voice dipped, too smooth, too sharp underneath. "Your father never gave you flowers, did he?"

Her lip trembled. "He...!"Nope. No he didn’t.

A smirk cut across his face, fleeting...cruel.

The flower pulsed, its petals curling like claws for a second before smoothing again. Karl’s tone turned honeyed once more. "Come on, little star. Just a little closer. Let me show you more."

Freya’s hand hovered, trembling inches from his. Her wolf howled inside her chest, screaming "no no. don’t do it". But her fingers still twitched towards his outstretched hand.

Karl’s hand hovered over Freya’s thumb.

His voice dropped to a silky whisper, almost tender.

"Come now, little one... just a step closer. I won’t bite."

Karl’s smile deepened. "Your father left you, Freya."

His pale fingers inched closer. The mist seemed to coil, urging her to take his hand. Freya’s own arm lifted higher, trembling... just a breath away from his grasp.

And then...

A guttural snarl ripped through the fog.

Cerbs lunged out of the mist like a beast unchained, eyes blazing, fur bristling, teeth bared. The ground trembled beneath his paws as he skidded between Freya and Karl, lips peeled back in a furious snarl.