The Alpha's Prize
Chapter 31: Choices

The figure stopped a few feet from me, and their eyes were the only thing I could make out, nothingmore. This person clearly wanted to conceal their identity, keeping enough distance between us thatI could only see what they wanted me to see.

My wolf snarled at the figure, warning me of the dangers that lurked mere inches from us. “Who areyou? What do you want?" I asked them, attempting to conceal the unease in my tone.

They remained silent for a moment, staring at me with calculating eyes. “Going beyond this pointwill bring you nothing but misfortune, my dear; it would be a wise decision for you to turn aroundand go back home.” The voice was soft yet firm and feminine, telling me the person was a woman.

I narrowed my eyes, knowing they were trying to deter me, trying to stop me from getting what Ineeded. “I am looking for a cure, and it's in the forest of the damned. Nothing and no one will stopme from getting it, not even you.” I stood my ground, not letting her affect me or my decision.

She let a deep and sinister chuckle. “Foolish girl, the forest will test you, like no other before,pushing you and your wolf to the absolute limit and even if you get past that, obtaining the cureyou seek is no easy task. So you are better off just to turn around and go back home.” She saidcasually.

I snorted. “Try as you might, but it won't work, and you don’t scare me. I am going into that fuckingforest, and I will get that fucking cure. The one I love needs it, and it's mine, come hell or high water.When it comes to those that I love and care for, I will do terrifying things to anyone or anything thatcrosses my path.” I growled out as a grin spread across my lips. I was done being told I couldn't dothis. I was sick of people underestimating me, thinking I was too weak mentally and physically to dothis.

Her eyes narrowed as the colour of her irises brightened, almost as if staring into my very soul. “Finethen, but heed my warning and enter at your own peril.” Her tone was deadly and angry, clearly notpleased that she couldn't persuade me to leave this place.

Before I could even respond, she disappeared into the fog, taking it with her. The sun started toshine through the trees again, near blinding me, and Gunnar was standing before me now, hishands clasped around my arms, as he shook me violently.

"Freja, Freja.” He said frantically, worry in his tone.

I wiggled in his hold. “Stop shaking me, would you? You are making me dizzy.” I told him as Ipushed him away from me.

Gunnar glared at me. “For fuck sakes Freja, you scared the shit out of me. You were like a statue, notblinking, not moving, nothing. I didn't know what the fuck was going on.” He said in a huff.

I pursed my lips. “Honestly, I can’t explain what happened. I was here with you one minute, and thenext, you were gone, and this awful fog started to surround me, then this creepy woman appeared.”I told him truthfully.

He wrinkled his nose. “That's fucked up, and what woman? Did she say anything?” Gunnar askedcuriously.

I sighed. “I don't know who she was; I could only see her eyes and nothing else. The woman wastrying to get me to leave here, to turn around and go back home, but I essentially told her to shovethat suggestion up her ass.” I said with a cheeky smile.

Gunnar shook his head. “Of course you did.” He groaned out.

I looked behind me. “Come on, the forest is just ahead; we are almost there.” I turned around andstarted to walk in the direction my wolf was urging me to go in, but Gunnar gripped my arm,stopping me from continuing.

I looked back at him, with a bewildered expression, curious as to why he stopped me.

He stared at me intently, then into the direction of where I was headed. “How do you know? What ifit's not?”

I turned my head back, looking into the wooded area, and my wolf chuffed, telling me to trust her,to let her guide me. “Just trust me,” I said softly, subtly asking him not to question my intuition.

His features held no expression as he once again glanced out into the distance. “Ok, I trust you, butI want you to follow behind me, understood?” He said sternly, a brow raised.

I held back a smirk and saluted him. “Yes, sir,” I said sarcastically. I knew this wasn't the time to bejoking around, but I may break if I didn't try to make the best out of a shitty situation.

Gunnar closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he groaned loudly. Then, withoutsaying another word, he moved past me and started walking straight ahead, going off the path andinto an unknown part of the forest. We walked into the brush, branches scratching against our skin,but we pushed our way through until we stumbled into an opening.

The area was less dense, mostly surrounded by large, withering trees that looked melancholy anddecayed. I felt a surge of dread course through my bones, and my wolf snarled, letting me knowdanger lurked around us. After that, everything became eerily silent around us, no birds, no crickets,nothing. The sun was gone, and the moon barely peeked through the thick, dark clouds thatloomed above us.

My wolf went quiet, listening closely, and I did the same, but neither one of us picked up anything.Finally, Gunnar looked over his shoulder at me, a troubled expression on his face. “I don't hearanything, but I know for sure that we aren't alone. Be on full alert.” Gunnar said in a low voice.

My eyes scanned the area before I nodded my head in agreement, not saying a word in response, asI was hyper-focused. Then, suddenly, my wolfs hackled raised, and she crouched down into attackedmode, a deadly snarl rumbling up from her belly. Things felt eerie, making my skin crawl, and justthen, a cold breeze swept across the land, making me shudder.

We continued walking, deepening ourselves into this seemingly abandoned wasteland. Gunnar'sbody was rigid and tense as he cautiously continued forward. The ground ahead of us seemed soft,almost appearing to be a swamp. Gunnar and I stopped just before reaching the sinister-lookingmuck, looking at each other with questioning expressions. A gust of wind stirred around us,bringing with it the stomach-churning stench from the swamp.

I gagged and turned my head away. “Omg, that smells fucking horrible, like rotting, death,” I said,trying not to throw up.

Gunnar's brows furrowed, and he wrinkled his nose. “Yea, no shit! But we have to replace a way across,and from what I can see, the only way is to go through this shit.” He said distastefully.

I stepped closer, peering down at the black goo; it bubbled, and puffs of green smoke emerged."We can't fucking walk through this shit; it will either eat us or turn us into some unknown creaturefrom hell.”

Gunnar groaned. “You are right, but what other choice do we have? We either walk through this orgo back home.” He said, and for me, that wasn't an option.

I looked all around and noticed a large, fallen-down tree. I rushed over to it, inspecting the damage.The log appeared to be sturdy and long enough to carry us across. I looked to Gunnar. “Come helpme with this; we can use it as a bridge to get across that shit,” I said, hopefulness in my tone.

He walked over and kicked the log, causing pieces of bark to crumble onto the ground uponimpact. Gunnar raised a brow and looked at me with an unsettling expression. “This thing is goingto snap into a thousand pieces. Especially with my weight.”

I threw my hands in the air. “Do you have another suggestion?” I asked him, irritation in my tone.He sighed before bending down to grab the log and then drug it back to the swamp. Gunnar stoodthe log up straight in the air and pushed it forward; it landed on the other side with a bang, damnnear evaporating as it hit the ground. I cringed, hoping that this would work.

Gunnar looked at me, his jaw tense. “You should go first; if I do, it will only weaken the log more,putting you at higher risk of falling into the swamp.” He said, hesitantly and I knew he didn’t want todo this, as he didn’t trust the makeshift bridge.

I stepped forward and lifted my foot onto the log, but Gunnar stopped me. “Crawl across it forbetter balance.” He said quickly.

I nodded my head, agreeing that was a good choice, as it would lessen the chances of the decayingwood snapping beneath me. I got down on my hands and knees, trying to balance myself on thelog. My wolf began to pace, anxious to get across and away from this unknown substance. I suckedin a deep breath and started to crawl, slowly making my way to the other side.

The swamp goo continued to bubble and gurgle beneath me, causing my heart rate to pick up. Iwas almost across, mere inches away from safety when the wood began to crack and makeunsettling sounds. I froze, not moving an inch, fearing it would split at any moment, plunging meinto the dark abyss beneath me.

"Freja, don't move!” Gunnar Shouted.

I peered over my shoulder at him. “What the fuck do you think I'm doing?” The wood groanedbeneath my hands, causing my heart to pound in my chest.

I closed my eyes and prayed to the moon goddess to help me get across safely, not to let me fall. Ilaid down on my belly, hoping that would relieve some of the pressure on the wood, but the woodcontinued to splinter and creak, ready to give way. Then, suddenly, a log came crashing downbeside me, and I could hear a pair of boots stomping along the wood. I turned my head to see whoit was, and Gunnar was standing there, reaching his arm out to me.

Gunnar knelt to get closer. “Come on, grab my hand. That thing isnt going to hold you muchlonger.” He said in a rush.

I let go of the log and gripped his hand tightly in mine, then slowly sat up. With Gunnar’s help, Istood to my feet and stepped onto the other log, very hesitantly, afraid it wouldn't hold both of ourweight. Before I knew it, Gunnar flung me into the air, and I landed with a thud onto dry ground.

I quickly got back on my feet, standing up straight and turned to face Gunnar. He was standingthere, still as could be, and then jumped, landing right next to me. Both of the logs crumbled intopieces, and the swamp consumed them.

I looked up at Gunnar and pursed my lips. “Well, that was fun,” I said jokingly.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, so much. Now, let's keep going; the sooner we get out of this death trap,the better.” Gunnar was irritated, and his tone made that evident.

Nodding my head in agreement, I pulled the map out of my bag, looking over it. The map showedthe swamp, and just past the swamp was the willow tree.

Tearing my eyes from the map, I looked around to see if the tree was visible from here, but no suchluck. “The map says the tree should be just up ahead,” I told Gunnar, and we started walking, beingextra cautious.

As we continued walking, things were still quiet as ever, no animals, no bugs, no nothing. Therewere also no signs of life around us, no carcasses, no droppings, not even the trees had life. Thisplace gave me the creeps, and I wanted more than anything just to get the cure and get the fuckout of here.

I abruptly stopped as I gazed into the distance and could swear green leaves were growing on atree. My head whipped to Gunnar, and his gaze met mine, looking at me curiously. “Do you thinkit's the tree?” He asked me.

I shrugged. “I don't know, but I'm going to take a wild guess that it is. Since everything else aroundus is dead.” I said quietly, not wanting us to be heard. I sucked in a sharp breath as my nervesskyrocketed through me, and I began to doubt myself, unsure if I could do this.

Gunnar placed a heavy hand onto my shoulder, squeezing gently, “You can do this, Freja, and nomatter what happens, I am here, by your side, till the very end.” He said wholeheartedly, easing theturmoil in the pit of my stomach.

I turned to face him, giving him a small smile, before hugging him tightly. “Thank you; I trulycouldn't have asked for a better brother and friend,” I said, expressing my feelings and all thatmushy crap.

Gunnar squeezed me back before I pushed away from him. “Ok, enough of the emotional bullshit;let's go and get this over with.” Before I started to cry, I needed a distraction and my determinationto get that damn cure was just what I needed.

We stood side by side and nodded at each other, then started to walk towards the colourful andlively-looking tree. One that stood out, among all the decaying rot that surrounded it. As we nearedthe tree, the ground was covered in lush, green grass, but before we stepped onto the soft land, aloud whoosh passed behind us, immediately grabbing our attention.

Whatever it was, they were fast as they sped past us again, causing our clothes to ruffle. We lookedaround frantically, trying to spot whatever it was, but nothing was there.

"What the fuck was that?” I whispered yelled.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?” Gunnar shouted, somewhat being quiet.

It flew past us again, but this time, I got a look at it, and I swear it looked like a small child.

My head whipped to Gunnar. “Did you see that fucking thing?” I asked in a huff, trying to whisper.His gaze turned to mine. “Uhh, yeah, I did, and it creeps me out. We need to get out of here, letsgo.” Gunnar said before grabbing my hand and spinning us around, stomping towards the tree.Gunnar and I stepped onto the grass, but before we could even take another step, Gunnar wasripped away from me by the childlike creature. I stopped, not knowing what the fuck just happened;he was gone, no sign of him anywhere. Panic began to take hold of me, my breathing now raggedand my heart in my throat, as I feared the worst for my brother.

I looked all around, but there was nothing in sight, and all was quiet until a soft voice called outbehind me. I slowly turned around and gazed upon a woman. She was wearing a black dress andhad long, curly white hair, a slim figure, radiant skin and bright green eyes. As I continued to stare atthe beautiful woman before me, I realized this was the woman I had met previously.

She stood there with an enigmatic look masking her features. “Hello, Freja.” The woman saidsweetly.

I clenched my jaw. “Where's my brother?” I asked through clenched teeth, my wolf growling fiercelyin my head and rising quickly, wanting to eliminate the threat.

She brushed me off. “Oh, don't worry about Gunnar, I assure you; he is perfectly fine.” Her tone waspromising, almost making me want to believe her.

My nostrils flared, and my chest heaved, feeling uneasy in her presence. “Who are you?” I askedhesitantly.

She smiled. “My name is Helena.” She said proudly.

I reigned my wolf in slightly, trying to ease the rage building within me. “I am looking for the cure toa cursed blade,” I said in a calm tone.

Helena tilted her head and pursed her lips. “Yes, I am aware, but are you willing to pay the price?Because no one ever is, and then they leave here empty-handed.” She said in a casual tone like itwas nothing.

I wrinkled my nose. “You're the one who created the knife, right?” I curiously asked.

Her brows furrowed. “Yes, I am,” Helena said slowly.

I straightened myself and narrowed my eyes at her. “Then you're the one who created the cure aswell?”

Helena stared at me curiously, her face masked in shadowy plains. “Yes, what is your point?” Sheasked, agitation in her voice.

I scowled at her. “Then why ask for a fucking price? Why create a cursed blade that is deadly tosupernaturals and then make a cure to remove said curse, but not give the cure willingly.”

She chuckled and then smirked. “Because I can, and I wanted to. What can I say? I was bored.” Sheshrugged. "And the cure must be earned, not given. So you must prove to me just how badly youwant it by giving me the impossible.” Her tone was low and deadly, yet her features remainedimpassive.

I needed to know what she wanted, and as much as I feared Helena’s answer, it wouldn't stop mefrom saving Cain, “What is it that you're asking for?” I questioned.

Helena smiled broadly. “Your wolf. Think of it as a life, for a life.” She said cheekily.

My gaze fell to the ground for a beat as I drank in her words. This woman wanted me to give her mywolf, the part of me that has been with me since birth, the piece that made me who I am. “What? I'lldie.” From what I had always been told, if someone lost their supernatural abilities, such as theirwolf, they died.

She pursed her lips and raised both brows. “Are you willing to pay that price, Freja? Are you willingto give up your wolf just to save your mate?”

I stood there, mouth agape and looking like a statue, as my mind began to race. I was now facingthe question of whether or not I wanted to give up my wolf. As Helena stated, if I wanted the cureto save Cain, I would have to part ways with my other half, giving up a piece of my soul and possiblydying in the process.

I was now faced with the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my short life, an impossiblechoice that is mine alone to make. My wolf began to pace in my head, huffing and whining as shedid. I closed my eyes and focused on her; she sat down on her hind legs and tilted her head, staringat me lovingly. I knew what she was telling me, I could feel it in my bones, and although my heartwas breaking, we both already knew the answer, as there never really was a decision to be made.