The Alpha's Wailing Banshee

"Mommy, where are you taking me? Mommy, I'm scared, let's go back now."

Five-year-old Freya struggled to wrench her hand from her mother's iron grasp. She sobbed, whispering her pleas into the damp air, but they fell on deaf ears. Her mother pulled her farther and deeper into the suffocating shadows of the woods.

Finally, deep enough into the thicket, her mother halted. She turned to Freya, a brilliant, hollow smile plastering her face as she let go of the girl's hand.

"Freya, honey. Mommy is just going to take a look at something right over there. Be a good girl and wait for me here."

She squatted to eye level, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Freya's ear before gently caressing her tear-stained cheeks. Freya shook her head aggressively. She desperately wanted to beg her to stay, but the fear of what her voice could do paralyzed her. Terrified that the wrong word might hurt her mother, she simply sobbed harder, clamping both hands around her mother's wrist.

"Freya, be a good girl and wait for me, okay? I'll be back in just a minute."

Her mother pulled away, stood up, and began walking into the dense trees, leaving the terrified child alone.

"Mommy, stop! Don't go!" Freya screamed. Instantly, her mother froze. She doubled over, grunting in sudden, agonizing pain as she cursed beneath her breath.

"Ahhhh! Freya, you're hurting me!" she shrieked, twisting around with a face contorted by anger. "You cursed child! Release me now, Freya! Or are you trying to kill me?"

Horrified, Freya slapped both hands over her mouth, choking back her own breath to break the hold. Seeing the compliance, the anger vanished from her mother’s face, replaced once more by that fragile, terrifying smile.

"Freya, just listen to Mommy, okay? Just wait for me. Actually... let's play a game. You love games, right? Let's play hide-and-seek."

The sudden shift in her mother's tone offered a desperate lifeline of normalcy, and Freya nodded quickly, eager to erase the tension.

"See those trees over there?" Her mother pointed toward a dense, shadowy ridge. "Mommy is going to go hide behind them. You close your eyes and count to twenty before you come looking for me. Sounds fun, right?"

Freya smiled brightly as her mother caressed her cheeks. Standing perfectly still, she watched from behind as her mom disappeared into the trees. Freya counted to twenty, just as she had been instructed to do, and then ran into the forest to seek her out.

She searched frantically behind the trees, but her mother was nowhere to be found. Panic seized her, driving her to search farther and deeper into the woods. Freya wandered aimlessly through the thick forest for hours, desperately seeking the mother who had abandoned her and left her all alone.

“Mommy... Mommy, where are you? Please don’t leave me here... take me with you!”

Freya sobbed, calling out silently as the day began to fade and the woods grew dark. She continued to walk, with no idea where she was or where she was going. Suddenly, she spotted a shadow not far away and bolted toward it, thinking it was her mom. As she drew closer, she discovered a man and a woman trapped by a wild wolf that was slowly pacing around them, growling menacingly.

Sensing her presence, the wolf turned and pounced in her direction. Freya shivered with pure terror. Her eyes shifted from light blue to a deep, intense navy, and she screamed. The wolf instantly slowed its advance and fell lifeless to the ground. Even the birds flying overhead collapsed dead around her.

The caged couple curled up on the ground, pressing their hands over their ears as blood began to ooze from their canals. Freya’s body turned cold from fear and exhaustion, and she collapsed unconscious onto the dirt. The man and woman slowly pushed themselves up and hurried over to her.

The woman quickly cradled Freya’s unconscious body, resting the girl's head on her lap. The man cautiously inspected the dead wolf before looking back at Freya in absolute terror.

“Mia, get away from her! That child is dangerous!” Mia stared daggers at him, gently tucking a strand of hair away from Freya’s pale face.

“She’s just a child, Gerald. Let’s take her back with us. Her parents must be searching for her, worried sick.”

“For Pete's sake, Mia! Why on earth would a child be roaming around a place like this? It’s obvious she was abandoned here to die. That child is dangerous! Look at how bloody that wolf is just from her screams. You and I are lucky to survive with nothing but bleeding ears.”

Gerald spoke anxiously as Freya began to stir in Mia’s lap. Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks as she sobbed silently in her sleep, prompting Mia to pull her into a tight, motherly embrace.

“Gerald, let me remind you that she just saved our lives. If her parents truly abandoned her because of whatever power she holds, then I want her. Let’s adopt her. Come on, would you leave her behind if she were your own daughter?”

“But Mia, she’s...”

“It doesn’t matter. We will figure it out together. Please, let’s not be heartless and leave this poor, innocent child alone in these deep woods. Please, honey.”

Gerald felt deeply conflicted. He wasn't cruel enough to leave Freya to die, but he was terrified of her. Sighing, he finally agreed to take Freya home.

Freya jolted awake as harsh sunlight streamed onto her face. Slowly adjusting her eyes to the bright surroundings, panic gripped her. Everything was completely foreign; she had no idea where she was or whose bed she was lying in.

A sudden knock on the door startled her, and Mia and Gerald walked into the room. Freya instantly grew alert and frightened. Noticing her distress, the couple stopped in their tracks and slowly raised their hands in surrender.

“Don’t be scared, sweetie. We just want to see how you’re doing. You fainted last night, so we brought you home with us. Do you remember us? You saved our lives.”

Mia spoke in a very soft, soothing tone, and Freya nodded gently, relaxing just a bit.

“Can we come closer? We won't do anything you don't like, okay?” They walked over slowly.

Mia sat at the edge of the mattress while Gerald stood beside her, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“What is your name, and what were you doing alone in the forest? Where are your parents?” Mia asked gently, but Freya kept her mouth clamped shut as tears spilled down her cheeks.

Mia reached out to wipe them away, but Freya recoiled in absolute horror.

“Stop!” Freya yelled, causing Mia to freeze mid-motion, grunting in sudden pain as she found herself paralyzed.

Gerald grabbed his wife anxiously as she began to groan. “Mia, are you okay? You’re hurting her, stop doing that!”

He shouted angrily at Freya, who instantly clamped both hands over her mouth. Mia breathed out a heavy sigh of relief the moment she was released from Freya's command.

She stared at the girl in shock and terror, but her fear quickly dissolved when she saw the sheer vulnerability in Freya’s weeping eyes. “Sweetie, I’m okay. It wasn’t your fault. I’ll go fetch your breakfast now. If you need the bathroom, it’s right over there, okay?”

Mia pointed toward the door before standing up and pulling Gerald out of the room. They walked into the living room, where Gerald sat down, deeply lost in thought. Mia quickly prepared a tray of food, delivered it to Freya, and then returned to sit beside her husband.

“Mia, we really can't keep her here. You almost died from a single word. I don't think her parents even want her back. Let’s just take her to the police station and let them handle it.”

“No way. She’s just terrified. Let’s not reject her the way her own parents did. For the love of God, Gerald, she is only a child. Imagine if she were ours. I believe if we find a way to communicate, we can help her live a normal life. Let's not make a hasty decision. Let her stay a while. If she still poses a danger, I will agree to whatever you want. But if she learns to control her abilities, we are adopting her.”

Mia argued with Gerald until he finally agreed to her condition. They gave Freya a couple of hours to calm herself down before they walked back into her room. The young girl was still sitting on the bed, having left the breakfast Mia brought completely untouched. Freya startled when she sensed their presence, instantly going on high alert again, which made them both quickly raise their hands in surrender. “It’s just us, okay? We came to ask you a few questions, but you don’t need to speak or say anything out loud. See? I brought a book and a pen. You can write your answers down, right?” Mia spoke quickly to reassure her, placing the notebook and pen at Freya’s feet before sitting at the edge of the bed while Gerald took a nearby chair. Freya slowly picked up the writing materials and nodded, earning a warm smile from Mia. “Sorry I didn’t introduce myself properly earlier. I’m Mia Marshall, and this is my husband, Gerald Marshall. What about you? What is your name?” She asked Freya with a bright smile. Freya opened the notebook and began to scribble across the page with the pen. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall. My name is Freya.” She turned the notebook around and passed it to Mia, who felt a rush of happiness. Mia handed the book back, her smile widening. “Okay, Freya. Why were you out in the forest so late, and where are your parents?” Freya began to write down her response for the Marshalls. “Mommy told me to play hide-and-seek, but I couldn’t find her after she hid. I want to go to my mommy. I listened to her, so I’m a good girl now. She won’t be mad anymore.” “You were with your mom? Okay, Freya, for the time being, you are going to stay with us while we look around for her. If you need anything at all, just write it down, okay? Since you missed breakfast and it’s now lunchtime... would you mind sitting with us at the dining table?” Mia asked Freya, who seemed to have finally relaxed around them. The girl stared silently at the couple for a moment before nodding her head, causing Mia to beam with happiness. “You need a bath. Would it be alright if I helped you? Why don’t I give you a wash before we head out?” Freya quickly shook her head, signaling to Mia that she shouldn’t push her luck. Freya picked up the pen and scribbled another note. “I can bathe myself.” Freya showed it to Mia, who smiled back. “Okay, I left a change of clothes in the bathroom. Change into them when you are finished, and I’ll come back for you later.” Mia said, leaving the room so Freya could bathe in privacy. Mia returned for Freya once she finished cooking. They all sat together at the dining table and ate their lunch in complete silence. Freya walked straight back to her room afterward, leaving the Marshalls to ponder how to begin searching for her family. Months passed since the Marshalls brought Freya into their home, yet they found no trace of her parents, and no one ever came looking for her. Even though she was still a child, Freya came to accept that her parents truly didn't want her anymore. Consequently, the Marshalls decided to legalize her adoption, as they had grown accustomed to her and her peculiar abilities, just as Freya had grown attached to them. Freya officially accepted them as her new family, taking the name Freya Marshall. However, her anxieties did not vanish, as her powers grew significantly stronger as she grew older. She pretended to be completely mute, yet pretending couldn't keep her abilities at bay; they began to disrupt her daily life and cause frequent trouble for the Marshalls. Their neighbors began to fear them, keeping a safe distance. The friends she managed to make at school also started treating her like an outcast, just as she had been treated in her early childhood. She was avoided like a plague by everyone around her. Freya felt shattered in both mind and soul, and though she never showed it outwardly, she wept silently in her heart. She grew accustomed to remaining entirely silent, communicating with the outside world solely through pen and paper.

Freya's Pov:

I sat on the edge of my mattress, bathed in the bright morning sunlight streaming through the window, staring blankly into space as I reflected on my life. At midnight, I will turn twenty years old. I have firmly made up my mind to stop bringing trouble to the Marshalls—they have already endured far too much because of me. They were kind enough to take me in when my own biological mother abandoned me in the forest at just five years old. In return, all I have ever done is disrupt their lives with these cursed abilities. I still don't know what these powers are, or even what I am, but I know for a undeniable fact that I am not human. Tonight, I plan to leave Mystic Falls to start anew in New Orleans. It is about 1,523 miles away, a place where absolutely no one knows me, meaning I won't be treated like a plague or a disease for the time being. It breaks my heart that I am escaping without telling the Marshalls face-to-face, but I did write them a lengthy l