Hel's Huntsman

9 - Strangers

Hel

I shake my head as Kayson and Narfi crash into one another like thunder clapping the sky. I really need to speak to Kayson about his anger whenever he thinks someone is saying something about me that he doesn’t like. People say stuff all the time. I don’t let it get to me. However, it clearly bothers my mate. I’m pretty sure Narfi was joking, though.

“Kayson, let my mate go.” Cree appears out of nowhere with Aether by his side.

“Teach your mate some damn manners!”

I laugh as Kayson throws my brother at Cree and Aether. Literally throws him! They catch my brother, who laughs as they stand him on his feet. Of course, he would find what Kayson did funny because he's nuts!

“Damn, Kayson. Was there any need for that?”

Kayson growls at Narfi. “Yes, there was! Don’t you ever make comments like that again, you piece of shi.t!”

“What did I miss?” Cree asks.

Kayson doesn’t answer. He grabs my hand and pulls me against him. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice, little brother,” Cree laughs. “Kailus mind linked me all freaked out, yelling something about Sasappis. I figured something was wrong when he didn't answer me, and he never called me back. So, we came to make sure everything was okay.”

“Everything is fine now.” Kayson sighs, his anger dissipating. “Sasappis fell over the cliff.”

“What?! Where is he?”

“Calm down, Cree. Sas is fine. Hel saved him.”

Cree looks at me as Aether clasps his shoulder. “You saved him?” I nod. “Thank you. I need to check on everyone.” Cree walks away with Aether, but Narfi stays behind.

“Hel, you know I didn’t mean anything by what I said. Don’t you?”

“Luckily for you, yes.”

My brother chuckles. “Kayson, you need to calm that fiery temper of yours. Ever heard of sibling banter?”

“When it comes to my mate, there is no such thing. Okay, fine, I need to learn the difference between when you’re joking and when you’re serious. But you need to learn that I won’t stand by when someone speaks to my mate the way you did.”

I smile even though I should be telling Kayson that he doesn’t need to be angry on my behalf. But I smile because my mate loves me. No one has ever loved or protected me before. It feels… nice.

Narfi has never been cruel to me, but he’s hardly been loving toward me either. Not that I want any of my brothers to be all over me, hugging me and telling me they love me. However, one brother does. Jörmungandr and I are close, and I miss him. How stupid of me. I’m not supposed to miss anyone, but I do.

“You have my word that I shall not upset Hel in any way. Not deliberately, at least.”

I’ll believe that when I see it.

I notice Kayson stiffening, his eyes subtly moving to the left, and his breathing lowers. The huntsman in him is kicking in.

‘What is it, Kayson? What do you hear?’ I ask him telepathically.

‘Stranger.’ He mumbles.

‘A woman is approaching the pack.’

‘I know, Narfi, I can sense her.’ I couldn’t at first, but I can now.

Kayson takes my hand, and we teleport back to the pack, Narfi following. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. Cree is laughing with Kailus and Sasappis, and the rest of the pack are sitting around a fire, talking and laughing. The woman hasn’t reached the pack yet, but she’s coming.

Kayson lets go of my hand, kisses my head, and tells me he will let his dad know about the woman and have the children sent inside. I smile while watching him go and gasp in shock when someone grabs me and hugs me hard.

I look at the woman with her arms around my neck. Kailus’s mate looks at me and smiles. “I’m sorry to attack you like that. I just wanted to hug the woman who saved my son. Thank you, Hel.”

“You’re welcome.” I look over at Sasappis and smile. “He’s a sweet boy.” I look at Tama. “Take care of him.”

“I will.” She smiles and walks away.

I sigh because I have seen that boy’s future. When I touched his cheek earlier, I had a vision of what was to come for Sasappis. I wish I could say the future looks bright, but it doesn’t. Terrible things are coming, and the casualties will be many.

I see Iona taking the younger children inside a cabin away from where we are. No child should see things that could scare them, and if this woman means to cause harm, they would be scared mentally.

“What the hell do you want?!” Devonte growls, causing all to turn and see what he’s yelling at.

The woman Kayson sensed walks through the trees like she owns the place. She’s dressed elegantly, her outfit screaming wealth, but I can tell she’s a royal bitc.h. She has people with her. Four bodyguards are here to protect her. As if that would help the woman with so many Gods here.

“Devonte, what’s wrong?” A blonde woman takes his arm. I think she’s his mother or Orion’s birthmother, at least.

“This is the woman who rejected Orion!”

“What?!”

“Stand down,” Kai calls while walking toward the woman. “What are you doing here, young woman?”

As far as I know, this place is protected. No one should be able to walk onto pack grounds without the Alpha’s permission. The fact that this woman walked in with her guards and no one was alerted without Kayson’s help doesn’t bode well.

“I’m here to see Orion.”

“Why would you need to see Orion? From what I gathered, you rejected him.”

“I did. I did.” She smirks. “But I felt bad because I lied to him.”

A heavy growl comes from behind the Alpha. Kayson slides his arm around my waist as Orion marches toward the woman. Kai stops him from getting too close.

“Leave. I don’t want you here.”

“Aww,” The redhead mocks. “I thought you wanted your mate?”

“You are not my mate! You rejected me, remember?”

The woman nods. “Don’t you find it strange that it didn’t hurt when I spoke those words?”

‘Isn’t it supposed to be painful? Being rejected?’ I ask Kayson telepathically.

‘Yeah,’ He pulls me closer. ‘Especially for Werewolves.’

That’s what I thought. Something isn’t right.

“What are you talking about?”

The woman sighs. “Look, when you ran toward me in town, I was disgusted. I mean, why would I want someone like you? I had no idea why you were saying you were my mate. I have a mate. Plus, I’m old enough to be your mother! Anyway, I was confused, so I rejected you. But you didn’t react the way I imagined you would. Which got me thinking,” The woman smirks.

I don’t like her; there is something about her that puts me on edge. Not many people have the ability to do that.

“You see, I had my adopted daughter with me that day. She was out of sight, of course. I wouldn’t want people to have to see that thing. She is so ugly it would make people sick!”

“Wow,” Viggo says from the other side of me. “She’s vile.”

I nod my head without replying.

“I think that’s who you scented. She was behind me, which is why you thought I was your mate. I didn’t present her to you because I didn’t think you would want her.”

“You’re lying.” Orion hisses.

“No,” The woman shakes her head. “I’m not. But I spoke to my mate when I returned home, and we agreed to bring the ugly, blind bitc.h to you. If you want her, take her. If not, I’ll throw her off a cliff because she is of no use to us any longer. She’s too weak to carry on with her duties. I could always leave her here for your pack to do as they please with her.” She laughs loudly at the shocked looks on every person’s face.

Kayson told me his pack doesn’t treat anybody differently regardless of color, race, or size. Everyone is equal, and the pack is full of love. They do not harm one another, nor do they kill unnecessarily.

I’ve never heard of a blind Werewolf, but I imagine it happens to them as much as anyone else. Or perhaps it doesn’t. I wouldn’t know.

“You’re disgusting!” Kai yells.

The woman snaps her fingers, and the gasps of shock can be heard all around when a huge man pushes a tatty-looking woman to her knees in front of Kai. I can feel her fear from here. Her all-over white eyes are wide, her blonde hair is matted, and her clothes are torn and barely covering her skinny body. I can see her ribs sticking out of her back!

“Oh, shi.t.” Kayson mumbles.

“What?”

He looks at me. “She’s Orion’s mate. Look at the devastation on his face.”

Orion is more than devastated. He falls to his knees beside the young girl, just staring because he’s too afraid to touch her.

“So, what’s it to be? Keep her or kill her? Either way is fine with me.”

“What’s her name?” Orion’s words were so low it was hard to hear them.

“I don’t remember,” The woman shrugs. “I took her in when she was seven. The only thing she’s been called for the past fifteen years is Slave.”

“You monster!” Starr yells while rushing toward the woman. I smirk because the Luna wishes to kill the woman. But Kai grabs her around the waist, lifting her off the ground.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We could wipe your pack out in less than a second.”

This bitc.h thinks a lot of herself.

‘Is your father going to let them walk out of here?’

‘I don’t know.’

I look at Narfi. He smirks and nods his head. Quicker than anyone can blink, Narfi and I have decimated the men accompanying the vile woman.

She looks at me in shock. “What the hell!? How dare you? Do you have any idea who I am?”

“I don’t care who you are. But I’ll ask you, do you know who I am?” I drop the mask and let my true self free.

The woman gasps while trying to walk backward away from me. “But you’re…”

“That’s right,” I nod. “I am Hel, and you are dead!” Quicker than lightning, I take her head in my hands and free it from her miserable shoulders. I throw her head in the air, clap my hands, and send it to my Realm. I’ll meet her soul there later.

“What. The. Fuc.k?”

I look at Kai. “What?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Depends on who you ask. But for the record… Yes, I am. You might want to get that girl indoors. Unless Orion wants to reject her, then I suggest you put her out of her misery.”

I wipe my hands on my dress and walk away. That was a fun few minutes, though I think Kayson might be upset with me. From the look on his face, I’d say I was in for a spanking.

Oh, goodie!