Children of Sun and Peace

Chapter 16. - Let's Go Home

"All good?" Freya asked Connor when he returned to the room, where her and Devan were just finishing the report. It was a good two hours later at that point, but they were almost done now.

"Yeah, the paperwork will be absolutely horrendous, but that's a problem of the future Connor quite frankly," he sighed.

"So she's coming with us?" Devan asked as he closed his half of the report and put it in the classified envelope. Connor nodded.

"I explained she needs immediate medical attention and she likely wouldn't survive in the camp. They weren't happy, but there was nothing they could really do to stop me," Connor sat down looking just as exhausted as Freya felt.

"It's kinda good she is so hurt. Gives us an excuse for her special treatment," Devan replied. None of them said anything after that. Freya finished her report a few minutes later and added it to the envelope with Devan's before sealing it. They walked wordlessly back to Ian's office to hand it to him as Freya didn't want to risk it going through more hands than necessary. This wasn't a report they could afford to lose or delay. Especially not with Royal Trials on the horizon.

"Welcome home by the way," Ian said, a small smile on his lips. They nodded and smiled in return, too exhausted to say anything else as they walked back into the hall where the group of Iris harbor survivors. Some were dozing off from exhaustion, while others were still too tense, too alert to close their eyes. Connor walked over towards Olivia, who sat there with the rest of whatever was left of her former pack and he gently picked her up from where she sat.

"Wait, what's going on?" She became suddenly alert as she found herself in his arms. But Connor didn't seem to be interested in responding to her.

"Where are you taking her?! Hey!" Freya turned around to see that guy again. The one whose name she forgot but his actions stayed engraved in her mind.

"None of your business," Connor finally said.

"Excuse you?! It's very much my business! I'm her alpha!" he yelled. Freya thought he sounded like a spoiled child at that moment. He even got up as if to do something, but stopped in his tracks when he nearly collided with Devan's chest.

"No, you're not," Devan, who was at least one head taller, looked down upon that idiot, amusement clear on his face.

"Please don't take me away from them, they are all I have," Olivia pleaded with Connor, who was ignoring her, but his look told Freya he was struggling to find an excuse.

"They will be fine. You need a doctor," Freya said simply just as four officers walked in, ready to take the remaining fifteen refugees to the camp. Olivia didn't seem happy with the answer. It was clear she didn't trust them and neither did her pack. Freya didn't anticipate this to be so complicated. And she was getting really tired at this point. Was someone punishing her?

"Alright refugees, let's go," said one of the officers, their tone anything but gentle or kind as they began to push them towards the door which led to the inside of the mountain, where they would walk up a long set of stairs before reaching the camp, which once served as a military outpost, similar to the one Freya and her friends once spent nearly half a year in when getting ready for their military tests. However this group would not have that option. They could try, but they were too weak. And too old now to change that. Freya was lucky, she was already too old to learn how to shift on command. And that was years ago. All these wolves were older now than she was back then. She could tell. They could never meet the requirements.

There were more protests before the door closed behind them and Olivia also didn't seem very convinced. But Freya was too exhausted to care. Besides her former best friend was having much better prospects at life than the rest of her friends, even if she wasn't aware of it just yet. Connor was her ticket to relatively normal life. She'd never have to worry about survival. She'd never have to leave the Midnight City in fact. And with his salary, she'd probably never need to work either if she didn't want to. It made Freya wonder if she'd rather Az did the same for her instead of letting her do those tests and become a soldier without knowing the truth. It would certainly make her life so much easier. But would it be worth it?

As they walked over to the car that was to take them to their house and she climbed into the front seat, she decided it wouldn't. She was proud of what she built here. Of whom she became. Even if she did get in Midnight City on the mate card, she couldn't see herself just sitting at home, waiting for her friends to return and constantly worry. And anything she'd do, she'd always wonder if it were her, or if it was all just his influence. Instead Az trained her and helped her earn her own keep. She didn't need her mate to be who she was. Because he mate supported her journey before she even knew who he was to her. And as dangerous as their lives were, Freya was grateful for that.

In the backseat, Olivia quietly sobbed. And the three of them were unsure of how to address the whole thing. How to explain to her that she wasn't in danger and neither were her friends. And that this was all for her own good. She couldn't walk right now and maybe ever. It all depended on what Demi would say once she had a look at her. But if there was hope for healing, it wasn't in the refugee camp. In fact she'd likely die there due to a lack of resources to help. Not to mention Connor was much better for her than those idiots. But she didn't know that yet. And it was quickly becoming clear that this may be the hardest thing to dance around.

"This place hasn't changed a bit," Connor chuckled in an attempt to distract us and himself.

"I'm pretty sure that house is new," Devan replied, pointing at one of the villas we were passing on the street. It was a massive building, possibly a new packhouse. Midnight City consisted of roughly two hundred packs of various sizes coexisting together in harmony. The bigger ones of them owned entire city districts, with their own schools and court buildings. The smaller ones would then own a few blocks, a street, or if they were very tiny, they had just a house. Freya wondered if her little family would be considered a pack. They didn't have a hierarchy. They were equals. And it was just eight of them. But at the same time they didn't belong anywhere else. It was just them against the World.

"And they finally finished that shopping mall," Freya pointed in front of her at the newest skyscraper, which was just barely in construction when they left for their missions eighteen months ago. The guys leaned forward between the seats and nodded. If the driver had any opinion about this whole conversation or the crying girl in the back seat, she said nothing. Then again, as a taxi driver, this possibly wasn't the first time she was driving home military employees, covered in all kinds of dirt, discussing the weirdest stuff. Maybe this stuff didn't really surprise her.

"Oh look! Home sweet home!" Connor exclaimed when their house came to view and the driver pulled on the side of the street. Freya didn't respond to him. She simply stepped out of the car and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with Midnight City air. And as the familiar electric gate opened and saw the light on in the kitchen window, her heart sunk and she nearly wept with unexpected happiness.