Children of Sun and Peace

Chapter 94. - A Hypocrite, A Monster

While the next few days seemed to be relatively quiet, Liv got progressively more fidgety with each hour that passed by. The pack, which somehow still didn't really have a name and nobody seemed to be interested in changing the fact, was in and out of the wooden house, which very quickly became their home and place where they all slept most of the time. It didn't take long for Liv to understand that the public may expect them to live in the palace, but this group had absolutely no intention of doing so, especially now, when according to Azazeal the place was still full of Delila loyalists.

After Connor properly explained the whole Delila situation to her, along with what exactly Azazeal and the witch, Ezra, did to them, she wasn't so sure she didn't understand their potential motive in committing murder on the new royal couple, but she kept that opinion to herself. She may have been a slow learner, but it was clear from the beginning that this group worked on absolute loyalty and if she ever wanted to fit in, she had to show the same regardless of her moral compass. And Liv wanted to fit in. Connor and Freya were currently pretty much her whole World and she was bound to this place by her promise as well as pack and mating bond. The North was not kind, those who wanted to live had to be selfish. She had to be selfish and look away. So she did.

But the quiet week was nearly over and according to Aaron, the ship that would take her, Connor and the remnants of her former pack to Summerlands would be ready in just a few more days, which was why she was now sitting in the back of the car next to a bag full of fresh groceries, listening to Freya and Nolan bicker in front of her. Freya's hair was now silvery white, her eyes blood red. It was still an unusual sight, but how the newly crowned queen felt about it was hard to tell.

There was a circlet intricately placed on her head, braided into her usual hairstyle, with an obsidian stone on her forehead. It was made of steel. Because of course they couldn't make a silver crown for a werewolf queen. In fact the amount of silver color in the Northern culture was somewhat amusing considering the metal itself was deadly to their kind. But maybe that's why they loved it so much. It was dangerous just like everything else around them.

"Hey guys! I brought food!" Liv announced herself once she entered the safe house where Colin, Lilian and the rest of her former pack spent the last few days recovering.

"Olivia!" Lana was the first to greet her, wide grin on her face. There was color in her cheeks now and a spark of life in her eyes. Liv felt instant relief upon seeing the improvement a few days made in her friends' lives.

"Hi Olivia," Lilian was the next one to appear from the kitchen, offering Liv a warm hug.

"Oh, Olivia! What is this? Did you happen to read my mind and bring some of that yummy bread that was here when we first came?" John joined the group and began shamelessly sorting through the bag with groceries. Liv forced a smile at his statement, fully aware he had no idea that things like mind links actually existed, that he was simply joking.

"You're welcome," Freya's voice cut through the room and instantly took out all the warmth within as if the polar winds from outside of the city gates came for a visit. She pushed away from the doorframe she was leaning against just seconds ago and walked into the now deadly silent living room, Nolan in tow before making herself comfortable on one of the sofas.

"Well, carry on. Pretend like I'm not here," she chuckled at them but there was nothing kind behind it. Gone was the girl Liv watched laugh with Nolan in the car less than five minutes ago. Once again she was reminded that Freya had many faces now and she was an absolute master in switching between them. Liv understood someone had to come today to assess if the group is getting healthy enough to survive the journey, but she really didn't understand why couldn't it just be Connor.