A Long Walk Home Ch. 06

Many thanks once more to Peter for editing this chapter. I tinkered with it a bit before posting up so any errors are mine :-)

Enjoy!

*

Nors was so angry that he still doubted the wisdom of going to his sister's house. The call from Rafe had incensed him so much that he'd already spent a while trying to calm down before tackling her about her latest stunt.

Freya had always been wild, had always had the power to push his buttons, but she'd been as good as gold the last few years; he had foolishly believed that she had been getting better, calming down. But this stunt against the pack was simply intolerable.

He didn't knock on her front door when he arrived; he just opened it and entered. He stopped in shock as his eyes took in the total destruction that had once been her immaculate sitting room. Walking forward slowly he ran stunned eyes over the broken furniture and deep gouges in the walls. The room was completely destroyed with the exception of the piece of artwork that hung over the fireplace.

His rage warred with a sudden feeling of trepidation. What the fuck had happened here? Had someone attacked his sister? Was she all right?

"What do you see when you look at it, Nors?" Freya's soft voice suddenly came from the room and he realised that she was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall to his left, behind the door.

"A fucking mess?" he guessed, his mind still in shock at the destruction.

"I meant the painting," she sighed softly. "What do you see when you look at the painting?"

Finally realising that his sister was in no danger and the destruction of the room was her doing, Nors felt the shock leave him and his anger return in all its blazing glory. "I didn't come here to discuss art, Freya. I came here because I received a call from Rafe Hanlon. You know who he is, don't you? My fucking Alpha!"

He heard her move and his shock returned when he saw her rumpled clothes and wild hair, her beautiful face an empty mask of absolute nothingness. Freya was very fastidious about her appearance. To see her so dishevelled was unprecedented.

"I see me," she breathed softly, walking over the ruined furniture to stand before the painting and gaze up at it. "It's so full of pain, such utter despair in every brush stroke. It screams out to the world that it is broken."

His disquiet grew, warring with his anger, but the anger won. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about, Freya," he finally told her, distrust in his voice. "You think this will divert me somehow?" He waved his hand around the ruined room.

"Well, it's not going to, sister. You attacked a member of the Armand-Hanlon pack. Not only is he a pack member but he's also the only remaining person that Ashleigh calls family. You KNOW she cares about Dayton Alexander. You know he's her last link to her family. What possessed you, Freya? What the fuck was going through your selfish little mind?"

Freya sighed softly and turned to face her brother. She had never seen him so angry before, not even when she had been so wild that The Council had been ready to terminate her. It was interesting to watch how loyalties shifted when someone mated and had a child.

Her brother was the only person she'd ever opened up to and even then she did so sparingly. She wanted him to understand, to really hear her but the expression on his face told her he wasn't in a listening mood. She considered trying again and then decided it was a pointless waste of time.

She supposed it was only to be expected: when you fucked up so often, that was all anyone ever saw.

"I didn't hurt him," she finally answered, her tone dull and lifeless. "I don't know what all the fuss is about. It was just a kiss, not even a very good one, at that."

She closed her eyes so they couldn't call her a liar. It hadn't been a good kiss; it had been a fucking fantastic kiss, one she could still taste on her lips as though she had been branded. Just as she saw an anguished pair of blue eyes every time she closed hers. They haunted her relentlessly, accused her, hated her.

Nors flew at her, grabbing her by the throat and shaking her hard. She didn't fight him, simply let him do what he wanted.

"You took without consent," he was hissing furiously. "You threatened another Were's life. You know the punishment for that, Freya. You were there in the Council chambers that day. It's only because Rafe hasn't made this an official complaint that it wasn't Caleb opening your door just now. If this becomes official then he will take your head and there is nothing I can do about it!"

He had stopped shaking her, releasing her with a groan of disgust as she just looked at him with the same irritatingly blank expression.

"Would you even try, Nors?" Curiosity laced her tone. "I mean, wouldn't it be easier if I was dead? Then you'd have your perfect peaceful life with your perfect mate and perfect child. No more worry about what little sister is getting up to, what trouble she may be causing."

He shot her a disgusted look although it took him a moment to hide the flash of pain in his eyes. "Self pity doesn't suit you," he ground out. "You love yourself too much to want to die, Freya. It's just everyone else you don't give a fuck about."

He turned and walked away, unable to look at her any longer. "Stay the fuck away from the pack. And that goes for Dayton and his friend Rayne, too. They are under our protection."

He stopped and turned as he reached the doorway. "Oh, and stay away from the house too. You're no longer welcome in my home. Stay away from Ashleigh and Liam. If you come near us I swear I'll kill you myself and find that peace you were just talking about."

He turned and left the house, tears in his eyes as he walked away from her. He couldn't believe she'd done this to him, to his family. He'd thought she was integrating well but it had all been a sham. She would never change, she would always be the same heartless creature. He just didn't have the energy to deal with her anymore.

Freya watched him leave a sad smile on her face. Nors' words hurt even though she knew he didn't mean them. He would forgive her. He always did. He could no more leave her to drown in her own misery than he could leave Ashleigh or Liam. His guilt rode him too hard to do that. He deserved better, he always had. He just wasn't the kind of man to walk away from what he considered his responsibilities.

She turned to stare back at the haunting painting. The melancholy within the brushstrokes pierced her soul like nothing else could. The wolf had lived this life for half a century. She had lived it for eternity and now she was weary of it.

Her brother was right. It was a minor miracle that Caleb Cullen hadn't come looking for her. If that happened then Nors would lose his close friendship with the other Ancient as well as his sister. He would never be able to forgive Caleb for being the one to take her life even if she did deserve it.

She could do one last thing for her brother. He would hate her forever but he would finally get the peace he deserved. "Forgive me, Nors."

Freya turned and headed into her pristine kitchen. She stared at the shiny white cupboards and stainless steel appliances with a blank expression. Then she smiled softly. "Now, where shall I start?" she whispered, walking to the nearest wall unit and reaching up to rip it down.

*****

Liam wouldn't stop crying and it was driving Ashleigh insane with worry. Every time she asked him what was wrong he just pointed at his heart and said it hurt. She could detect nothing wrong with him physically but as she started to panic, she tried calling Nors anyway. It wasn't like Liam to cry like this; he very seldom cried.

The sound of the front door opening made her sigh with relief. Nors was instantly at her side, his weary expression turning to one of concern. "What's wrong with him?" he asked urgently, touching his son's forehead but not finding a fever.

Ashleigh bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't know. He just keeps saying it hurts and pointing at his chest. I can't find anything wrong with him though."

"Liam, tell Daddy what's wrong," Nors coaxed gently, cradling his face in his hands gently.

"Hurts here, Daddy," Liam sniffed his hand over his heart. "Always hurts here but not this bad." Big brown eyes implored him. "Help her, Daddy. You have to help her."

Nors and Ashleigh shared puzzled looks and then turned back to their son.

"Help who, Liam?" Ashleigh asked gently. "Who does Daddy need to help?"

Big tears rolled down his face as he looked up at his parents. "Aunt Freya," he sobbed. "She hurts so bad, Mummy."

Nors stiffened at his words, still raw from his most recent encounter with his sister. He had no idea what Liam was talking about though his son's distress was ripping his heart out.

"How do you know Aunt Freya is hurting, sweetheart?" Ashleigh coaxed, seeing a hard expression on Nors' face at the mention of his sister and wondering if they'd had another fight.

Liam knew that he'd have to tell them now. He was scared they'd be angry with him for keeping it secret but it was the only way to save his aunt. "I can feel her inside," he whispered. "I can feel everyone inside but I don't because it's too much feeling. I can't stop feeling Aunt Freya though. She hurts all the time."

His tear-stained face was anxious as looked at his parents. "That's why I give her all those cuddles, so she will feel a little better. It mostly works but not all the time."

Ashleigh released her breath staring at her son in awe. "You can sense other people's emotions?" she asked, barely able to comprehend what her child was telling her.

He nodded slowly. "Right now you feel worried about me and a bit scared too because I've told you my secret. Daddy feels very angry inside but he feels bad, too. He's hurting."

Stunned, Ashleigh turned to Nors, waiting for him to repudiate what his son had just said. She held her breath because she couldn't deny that Liam's words were an accurate reflection of her emotions.

"He's right," Nors choked out, staring at his child in amazement. His son was telling them he could read emotions. It was staggering. He stroked Liam's head gently, giving him a reassuring smile, letting him know that they weren't angry that he'd kept this secret.

"What you said about Aunt Freya," he said quietly. "Are you telling us that every single time you see her she is hurting inside, even when she's smiling and talking to us?" The wrecked sitting room in her house was coming to mind as he waited for Liam to answer.

He nodded solemnly at his father. "It's different today though. Aunt Freya isn't here but I can feel her anyway. This is the worst badness I can feel from her. This one makes me cry it hurts so much. I don't usually cry when I feel it."

Nors closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to come to terms with his son's strange gift. If what he was telling them was true and he had no reason to doubt him because he knew exactly what Nors was feeling right now...

He couldn't get the wrecked room out of his mind, Freya's blank expression, her words about the painting. A deep fear began to pulse inside him and he opened his eyes again.

"You're not crying now, Liam," he said with a faint tremor in his voice. Ashleigh gave him a worried frown, knowing something was happening but not aware of what it was.

"That's because Aunt Freya's not hurting any more," his son answered, a sleepy yawn coming from his mouth as he cuddled into his mother. Sensing emotions always made him feel sleepy.

"Nors?" Ashleigh's voice held a tremor of fear in it, her eyes wide as she looked at him. She didn't know what was going on but she could feel his fear running through their mate bond.

"Take Liam to the compound," he ground out, fear overwhelming him as he hurried from the house. He raced through the night towards his sister's house only ten minutes away. How long had he been gone? Less than half an hour? More?

"Freya!" He crashed through the front door almost taking it from its hinges. Silence greeted him.

Nors flew through the house, moving at supernatural speed to check each room, finding each the same as the last: completely destroyed. He couldn't find a trace of his sister, finally giving up as he went back downstairs and stood looking at the sitting room.

The painting was missing from its place on the wall, lying shattered on top of the rest of the furniture. What had she said to him about it? That the painting was her, full of pain and despair. Broken.

Nors bit his lip hard, fought to stop the tears running down his face as he realised that he hadn't listened to Freya. She had tried to tell him and he was too angry to hear her. He hadn't meant what he'd said to her. He'd been angry, lashing out. She must have known he didn't mean it. He had always been there for her. Why hadn't she believed he would be here for her this time?

His perfect mate, his perfect son. Her words crashed inside his head and his tears fell a little harder. Freya didn't believe there was room for her in his life any more. She hadn't adapted to the changes. She had tried her hardest, but it had been too much for her and he hadn't even noticed the signs. His two year-old son had more insight into his sister's psyche.

"I'm sorry, Freya," he whispered into the empty house. "Be safe, wherever you are."

It was late by the time Nors reached the compound. He'd gone home first to gather some clothes. He had a feeling they would be staying the night and if he was honest with himself he needed to be close to the pack right now. Ashleigh met him at the Alpha's house, worry etched all over her face.

"Where's Liam?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her and took comfort in the feel of her body pressing against his.

"Mallen checked him over and gave him a clean bill of health. He's with the other children upstairs at Aaron's," she answered quietly. "Dayton's here with his friend Rayne. I know what Freya did."

He stiffened as he heard the pain in her voice, knew she was fighting with two conflicting loyalties. Dayton had been her brother's closest friend, a part of her family before she was born. Freya was his sister, a part of her future and the happiness she had found after losing everything. Choosing between them would be agony for her.

She raised her head from her chest and looked up at him. "Is she okay, Nors?" she asked in a small voice. "Liam said she was hurting all the time. I can't believe I didn't see it, didn't know that she needed help."

Wolves were pack animals, they loved communally, were there for all of the pack when they were in pain. It hurt to know that she hadn't been there for a member of her family when she'd needed her.

"I don't know," he breathed softly stroking her cheek gently and wondering how he could love this amazing woman any more than he already did. He could see her concern for his sister in her eyes. She genuinely cared about what happened to Freya. "Come on, let's go in. I need to tell Rafe what's happened."

Ashleigh pulled him over to the library and they entered together. Nors stiffened when he realised that the Romanovs were there with their mates as well as Aaron, Jen and Rafe. His gaze went immediately to his Alpha.

"Relax, Nors: the twins are here as pack, not Council members," Rafe said quietly. "This is not an official complaint."

Nors searched his gaze for a moment and then turned to look at the Romanovs. Andrei shot him a grin and Alexei rolled his eyes. "Your sister is safe, Nors," Alexei said. "She'll get to keep her head a little longer, though how she's managed to keep it this long is beyond me. She makes Andrei look like a choir boy."

His brother reached over Loretta to thump him hard on his shoulder. "I resent that," he growled laughingly. "Fucking choir boy!"

Some of his tension left Nors as he watched the twins banter together. Everyone in the room with the exception of Aaron and Jen had been in the Council Chambers the night Caleb Cullen and the other Ancients had taken apart the Council and forced the current alliance between Vampire and Were.

They had all heard his words that night. Caleb would personally kill any vampire who threatened a Were or even thought of harming one. No excuses; no chance to state their case; nothing. It would be instant and completely final. Freya's actions could constitute a threat to a Were.

Ashleigh led him over to one of the sofas and he sat down beside Aaron, pulling his mate into the vee between his legs so he could wrap his arms tightly around her. He needed her strength at the moment. He had painful things he needed to talk about, private things he hadn't shared even with her. He had to make the pack understand.

The twins settled back with their mates and Rafe turned his gaze to Nors. "We're here to discuss several matters but the first one is Freya," he said with a slight frown on his face. "Have you spoken to her, Nors?"

"She won't be a problem," he answered tersely. "Not our problem any more. She's gone."

Ashleigh twisted her head to look at him, a startled gasp coming from her. "Where? She just left without telling us?"

All eyes were on him and he sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a long moment before slowly opening them. "I was angry when Rafe called me and told me what happened. I was more than angry; I was livid. I went to her house and we had words. I didn't notice at the time that she was acting strangely. More strangely than she normally does. When I went back tonight she was gone, the house completely destroyed. She took every room apart with her bare hands."

Ashleigh shivered in his arms and twisted around so she was in his lap and holding onto him tightly. She could feel his pain through their bond, feel his self disgust, and she worked to soothe him as her own heart twisted painfully at the news.

Alexei and Andrei were instantly alert, sitting forward on the sofa they shared with their mates. Gone was the earlier banter; in its place was cold hardness, alert eyes searching the other Ancient's keenly.

"Has she crossed over?" Andrei asked, his voice hard as his agile mind immediately began working through various scenarios of what they might need to do to contain a rabid vampire.

Nors shook his head. "She's not a danger to anyone else. She would have stayed if she was. She's only a danger to herself right now." His grip on Ashleigh tightened as she whimpered a little in fear at his words.

"Explain, for us non-vampires," Rafe ordered, his concern ratcheting up a notch at the expressions on the vampires' faces.

"You all remember Graves," Alexei said somewhat drolly, eyeing up Rafe as he did so. As if they would ever forget the vampire who had almost destroyed the Hanlon pack to get to Lacey because he considered her his.

"He was one step away from becoming totally feral, from crossing over completely. Actually Demetri was almost at that stage that night, too. Crossing over is when a vampire loses all humanity, like when a Were goes rogue. There is no reasoning with him. He turns into a killing machine and must be put down instantly."

"Nors?" Rafe asked.

"She has not crossed over," he insisted, rage starting to build up inside him as his fear for his sister grew: if they went to the Council with this and convinced them that she had, then her life was over. Every vampire on the planet would be looking for her. She wouldn't be safe anywhere.

Rafe knew this was torture for Nors but he had to press the issue. He had to know just how far gone Freya Eriksson was. "You sound so certain, Nors. How can you be? Your sister has always walked a very fine line between right and wrong. Didn't your own Council consider executing her?"

The furious glare he got from the other man didn't faze him. He held it as a long slow hiss escaped Nors' lips and Ashleigh's arms tightened a bit more around the huge vampire until he calmed slightly.