The sun had dipped low behind the hills, casting long shadows across the small village that nestled between the trees. It was an eerie kind of night—one where the wind seemed to whisper and the earth itself felt… restless.
Freya stood by the window of the small cottage she had come to call home, staring out into the growing darkness. She wasn't a stranger to solitude, but tonight, there was something different in the air—something heavy that pressed against her chest. It wasn't fear, but a strange, unexplainable sense of unease. It reminded her of the nights when Miami would tell her, Don't trust the witches.
She heard the door creak open behind her. Freya didn't turn; she already knew who it was.
Kael, her only visitor for the past few days, stepped inside, a grim look etched on his face. He was one of the few people in the village who didn't fear her or talk about her in hushed whispers.
"Freya," he said, his voice steady but not without concern. "You know the witches are here, right?"
She finally turned to face him. His words cut through the silence like a sharp knife. The witches. They had come for her before, but this time—something was different.
"Yes," Freya replied coolly, her voice laced with an edge. "I know."
He looked uneasy, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "They're… they're taking you tonight, aren't they?"
Freya's eyes narrowed. She had suspected something like this, but she hadn't wanted to admit it, not even to herself. She wasn't a fool. There was no such thing as a 'simple visit' from the witches. They had come for something. And now, they were finally here to take what they had been waiting for.
The door opened again, and this time, Sebastian entered, Kael's presence barely a distraction. His face, sharp and cold as ever, softened slightly when he saw her, but there was an intensity in his gaze that made her stomach twist.
Sebastian. He had become a shadow in her life since that night—the night everything had started to change. Ever since they met, he had been a constant in the back of her mind, and not just because of the visions. There was something about him that drew her in like a moth to a flame.
"Freya," Sebastian said, his tone controlled but with a hint of something beneath it—something unspoken.
"Your timing is impeccable," she replied, her sarcasm cutting through the tension. "I was just waiting for the witches to come and take me."
He looked at her, his eyes flicking briefly to Kael, then back to Freya. "They're taking you?" His jaw clenched. He knew something was off, but like everyone else, he hadn't been able to put his finger on it yet.
Kael frowned, crossing his arms. "Sebastian," he said, voice low. "We should be careful. You know as well as I do that if the witches are here—it's not a good sign."
Sebastian nodded but didn't speak for a moment. His mind was racing, and the familiar pull of something deep within him was beginning to stir again. That unsettling feeling he couldn't shake. The feeling that, ever since he'd met Freya, his control over his own body—his own nature—was slipping away.
"Stay back, Kael," Sebastian said abruptly, his voice firm. "I'll go after them. Don't follow unless something changes."
Kael opened his mouth to protest, but Sebastian silenced him with a look. "I know what I'm doing."
Kael hesitated but eventually nodded, understanding that whatever was happening here was more dangerous than it seemed. He had his own reservations about Freya—reservations that had only grown with the passing days. But now wasn't the time to question Sebastian's decisions.
As Sebastian turned to leave, Freya's voice stopped him. "I don't need your protection," she said, her tone blunt. "If the witches are here, I'll face them myself."
Sebastian's lips twitched, his jaw tight as he glanced over his shoulder at her. "I'm not here to protect you," he said, his voice low. "I'm here because I'm not letting you go without understanding what's happening. And you're right, something's not right here. Something—someone—wants you gone."
Freya met his gaze, her expression unreadable.
---
Outside, the night had deepened, and Freya felt the cold, sharp breeze sweeping through the air. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. But she couldn't place it. Something about tonight felt wrong—like a quiet storm was brewing, ready to burst.
Suddenly, she was jolted from her thoughts when a shadow appeared in front of her door. She stepped back instinctively. Witches in cloaks.
Freya's heart beat faster, but she stood her ground. They're not going to take me without a fight.
She didn't have much of a choice when they grabbed her arms and pulled her outside. Their voices were soft, conspiratorial. "It's time," one whispered, and Freya knew exactly what that meant.
The ritual—the sacrifice. She had heard of it before, but had never thought it would come for her.
---
Sebastian and Kael were following them, keeping a distance. But Sebastian's mind was on fire. His instincts screamed at him, the beast inside him roaring in protest. This isn't right. Why now?
His chest tightened, and he forced himself to breathe evenly, to remain calm. His transformation was near, but he had no idea what it was that triggered it. No, it wasn't the witches—it was her.
The closer he got, the more intense the sensation became, like fire running through his veins, urging him to do something—anything—to stop this.
Sebastian's hands curled into fists. "Kael, stay back. I'll go in alone," he whispered harshly, the pain of his growing transformation becoming harder to contain. He didn't want anyone to see—didn't want anyone to know how close he was to losing control.
The witches had Freya in their midst, her body rigid but her gaze sharp. She wasn't scared. She wasn't anything they expected her to be.
"Now," one of them said, raising a dagger toward the pyre.
---
At that moment, Sebastian appeared, stepping out of the shadows. His eyes were pitch black—his beast side was clawing to break free.
"Stop," he ordered, his voice laced with authority, cold but filled with an edge of desperation.
The witches froze, their faces hidden beneath their hoods, but the power in his voice was undeniable. They sensed the danger radiating from him, the raw energy that threatened to destroy them.
Sebastian's gaze locked onto Freya's, and in that instant, he saw the truth. She wasn't just some witch. She was someone special. And that was why they had come for her.
"She's not dying tonight," he said, his voice so intense it felt like the air around them was vibrating. "Not on my watch."
He moved forward quickly, grabbing Freya by the wrist and pulling her toward him.
Freya, though stunned, didn't struggle. There was a dangerous look in her eyes. "I told you," she muttered, "I don't need saving."
"Too bad," Sebastian growled. "You're not dying tonight."
And with that, they disappeared into the night, leaving the witches and the pyre behind.