Karan Pov
I woke up early and found a piece of paper that had been slid under my door during the night. I picked it up and unfolded it carefully.
"She wants Freda's tears next. Help me stop her."
The handwriting was messy and shaky but I recognized it as Rex's. My stomach dropped as I read it again. Yolande wanted Freda's tears. That meant she knew about the ritual. She knew I needed tears from the wronged Luna.
But how did she know. I had not told anyone about the ritual. I had barely even started collecting the items I needed.
Unless the moonstone had told her. Unless the connection between them was stronger than I thought and she could see everything I was planning.
"This is bad," I muttered and shoved the note in my pocket.
I needed to get Freda's tear as soon as possible. Before Yolande could do whatever she was planning to do with tears. I had the moonstone and I had my own blood. All I needed now was a tear from Freda and a lock of hair from Urdon.
The tear would be easier to get than the hair. Freda was crying all the time lately. I just had to find her alone and collect one tear without her knowing what it was for.
I spent the morning watching and waiting. I saw Freda leave the pack house after the meeting and head toward the library. She walked with her head down and her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to disappear.
I waited ten minutes then followed her. The library was quiet and empty when I got there. Most wolves did not use it much anymore because we had computers now for research.
I found Freda in the back corner sitting at a table surrounded by old books. She was reading something with intense focus and did not notice me come in.
I walked closer and saw she was reading books about curses. Books about past Lunas who had gone mad. Books about the history of the Alpha bloodline.
"Looking for answers," I said quietly so I would not startle her too much.
She jumped anyway and spun around. When she saw it was me she relaxed a little. "Kyran," she said. "You scared me."
"Sorry," I said and sat down at the table next to her. "I was looking for a map and saw you back here. Are you okay."
"I am fine," Freda said but her voice was shaky.
"You do not look fine," I said gently. "You look exhausted."
"I have not been sleeping well," Freda admitted. She closed the book she was reading and rubbed her eyes. "Too much on my mind."
"Do you want to talk about it," I asked. "Sometimes it helps to talk."
Freda was quiet for a moment. Then she looked at me with those icy blue eyes that looked so sad and empty. "Do you think I am cursed," she asked quietly.
"What," I said.
"Everyone keeps saying the Luna is cursed," Freda said. "The omegas whisper about it. The elders look at me like I am poison. Even Urdon thinks I am making up stories about curses to excuse my behavior. So I need someone to be honest with me. Do you think I am cursed."
I did not know what to say. She was cursed. The whole Alpha bloodline was cursed. But I could not tell her that without explaining everything and I was not ready to do that yet.
"I think you are going through something very difficult," I said carefully. "And I think people are quick to blame things they do not understand on curses and bad luck."
"That is not an answer," Freda said.
"I know," I said. "But it is the best I can give you right now."
Freda's eyes filled with tears. "Urdon hates me," she said and her voice broke. "He thinks I betrayed him with you during my heat. He will not listen to anything I say. He looks at me like I am a stranger."
"He does not hate you," I said. "He is just hurt and confused."
"It feels like hate," Freda said. Tears started falling down her face and she did not try to stop them. "It feels like I am losing him and there is nothing I can do to stop it. The mate bond is breaking Kyran. I can feel it getting weaker every day. Soon it will snap completely and I do not know if I will survive that."
I reached out and put my hand on her shoulder. She leaned into the touch and cried harder. While I comforted her I carefully moved my other hand and pressed my sleeve against her cheek where the tears were falling.
The fabric absorbed one perfect tear. I felt it soak into the cloth and I pulled my hand back slowly so she would not notice.
"I am sorry you are going through this," I said and I meant it. "I wish I could fix it for you."
"Nobody can fix it," Freda said. She wiped her face with her hands and took a shaky breath. "I just have to survive until the mating rites and hope Urdon does not reject me completely in front of the whole pack."
"He would never do that," I said.
"You do not know that," Freda said. "You do not know what he is thinking anymore. None of us do."
I wanted to tell her everything. Wanted to explain about the curse and Yolande and the ritual that might save everyone. But if I told her now she would have questions I could not answer. She would want to help and that would put her in more danger.
"I have to go," I said suddenly and stood up. "But Freda. Whatever happens know that people care about you. You are not alone even when it feels like you are."
"Thank you Kyran," Freda said quietly.