KIDNAPPED

FREDA’S POV

The lights of New York City were extra bright and colorful, not something you would see in the vampire kingdom or pack land.

It had been a long flight, but after a rough and stressful ride, Mom and I were finally here. I felt excitement bubbling under my skin. I looked outside the hotel window and I can say that New York wasn’t how I imagined it. It was 2am but there were still a lot of people moving around.

I glanced over at my mom, who was curled up in the armchair by the window, flipping through the hotel TV channels. She had a soft smile on her face.

"Do you think it'll always be this noisy?" I asked, grinning as a taxi honked loudly from the street below.

Mom chuckled softly, looking up from the TV. "Welcome to New York, Freda. I think it'll take some getting used to."

"I don't mind," I replied, leaning back against the plush pillows on the bed. "It’s nice to have noise for a change. A good kind of noise, you know?"

She smiled, nodding in agreement before a soft buzzing broke the comfortable silence in the room. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and saw Kara's name flashing across the screen.

"Kara's calling!" I exclaimed, sitting on the bed quickly.

"Tell her I said hi," my mom chimed in.

I swiped to answer the call and put it on speaker. There was a brief silence on the other end before Kara’s excited voice practically exploded through the phone.
"Freda! Oh my God, I have to tell you something! Something huge! You won’t believe what just happened!"
I immediately sat up straighter, intrigued. "What is it? Spill!"
"I found him!" she blurted out, and for a second, I didn’t understand what she was trying to say. "I found my mate, Freda! Like, officially! It happened right before I was leaving the Moonblade Pack!"
I blinked, staring at the phone in shock. "You… found your mate? Kara, that’s incredible! Who is he?"
"His name is Jason," she gushed, "He’s the Beta of the pack, Freda! Can you believe it? The Beta! He’s absolutely perfect. I can’t stop thinking about him."
Mom’s head popped up from the pillows, eyes wide with curiosity. I grinned at her before returning to the conversation. "Wait, the Beta? That’s insane! Tell me everything, how did it happen?"
Kara let out a breathless laugh, "It was so unexpected. I was just about to leave the pack to head back home, and then I literally bumped into him. I mean, we collided. Hard. And when I looked up, God, Freda, his eyes. They’re this deep, rich brown, like melted chocolate. I couldn’t move. I just stared at him like an idiot, and then the bond hit us. It was like everything else faded away. The pull was so strong." His voice was lovely and deep, I was lost in his eyes but when he muttered mate, I fell in Love.
My heart swelled at the happiness in her voice. Kara had waited so long to find her mate, and hearing her describe it now made me happy. I ‘m so glad one of us found our mate the most perfect and nice way.
"I’m so happy for you, Kara. Seriously. You deserve this."

"Thank you," Kara said, her voice softening for a moment. "It still feels weird, though, you know? Like, I’ve been waiting for this forever, and now it’s here. I guess that’s just the way the mate bond works, huh?"

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. "Yeah, it hits you when you least expect it."

She paused for a moment before adding, "But enough about me! What about you? How’s New York? Are you ready for NYU?"

I glanced around the room, the reality of my situation settling in all over again. "Honestly, I’m a little nervous, but it’s also exciting. It’s been different so far, but in a good way. Tomorrow i;’ll just be going to drop my things, and I’m trying not to freak out."

"You’ll be amazing, Freda. I know it. NYU doesn’t know what’s coming!" Kara laughed before turning serious for a moment. "I wish I could be there to see you start this new adventure."

I smiled softly. "You’ve already been there for me in more ways than I can count, Kara. I’ll call you after my first day, okay?"

"Deal," she replied quickly. "Good luck, Freda. Love you."

"Love you too," I said, my voice soft as the call ended.

I placed the phone back on the nightstand and leaned back with a contented sigh. Kara had found her mate, and I was about to start a new chapter in New York. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

……………………

The next morning, My mom and I had decided to head to NYU early to get everything settled. I still couldn’t believe it was really happening, college, a fresh start, a new life.

"Ready to go?" my mom asked as she wheeled one of my suitcases toward the door.

I nodded, glancing around the room to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. "Yeah, I think I’ve got everything."

As we stepped outside the hotel, the chilly New York air hit my face,it was really cold. The car we had booked was waiting just down the sidewalk, and I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement mixed with nerves.

"Are you nervous?" Mom asked as she locked the hotel room door behind us.

"A little," I admitted. "But mostly excited."

She smiled as we walked toward the car, wheeling our suitcases behind us. "Good. You’re going to do great, Freda. NYU is lucky to have you."
We wheeled our suitcases to the lobby, and I took a deep breath . The car we’d booked was waiting for us.
I was about to place my bags in the trunk when suddenly, a sharp hand covered my mouth. My heart leaped into my throat as I tried to scream, but the sound was muffled by the thick cloth they pressed against me. The scent of chemicals filled my nose, and panic shot through me like lightning.
My mom screamed and tried to fight the man off, but before she could hit him, I saw a man raise a rod to hit her hard on her head. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"No," I tried to cry out, but my vision was already blurring, my limbs growing heavy.
The last thing i remembered was me being thrown in the trunk.