Freya's POV
When the battle's dust settled, I was still standing with my eyes on Finnick and my heart racing. As he came closer to me, his once arrogant and aloof glare softened, and I was nearly taken aback by the hesitancy in each stride.
"Thank you... for helping us," he said in a low but anxious voice, "Freya." He hesitated, nearly faltering in his speech. "I realize that my rejection of you was incorrect. You were always more resilient than I knew.
After everything I had been through, I wasn't sure if I could believe what he was saying, so I stared at him. There was regret in his eyes, but it was encased in something more profound that I couldn't quite identify.
"Now, Finnick, what do you want from me?" I questioned, trying to conceal the flurry of feelings underneath by speaking steadily. "You turned me down. Do you recall?
He inhaled nervously. Yes, I do recall. I was also mistaken. You belong here, Freya more than I ever imagined. He sounded begging, almost frantic. Stay with us, please. We require you. I need you.
My voice sounded more like a sour sigh than a laugh. "Finnick, do you need me now? Now, following all of this?
He looked down for a while and nodded. "After what I did, I am aware that I don't deserve your assistance. However, Kade poses a threat to everyone present and isn't going away. "Without you, we can't stop him," he said, his voice becoming almost whispery.
His comments caused my heart to tighten. I was still plagued by the image of Kade, his aspirations and deceptive remarks vivid in my mind. However, so was Finnick's denial. I was unsure if I could ever trust him again.
Finnick stepped forward, his eyes nearly beseeching. Freya, you have a lot of power. You are also one of us. Now I see that. I'll make sure you receive the respect and equality you are due if you stay.
I was shaken by the earnestness in his words, but I made myself remain vigilant. "And after everything, why do you think I want to be a part of this pack?" My voice shook from the pain of the past.
He answered, "I know I don't have the right to ask." "But we need all of our strength because Kade is a threat to us all." I hadn't seen the intensity that glowed in his eyes before, but he maintained my look. "Freya, you possess that strength. Together, let's be stronger.
My mind was racing with ideas as I made my way back to the pack's boundary. The part of me that still cared about this place for the people, despite their harsh words and contemptuous looks was pulled by Finnick's words as they replayed in my mind. But like a wound that hadn't completely healed, the hurt of their rejection was still very much present.
"Why should I keep them safe?" I whispered to myself. Then, though, I was consumed by Kade's vow to use me as a weapon against them. Even though I was furious, the idea of innocent lives being lost in Kade's path kept coming to mind.
I was about to leave when I sensed a familiar face by my side. Finnick.
His voice was gentler this time as he cried out, "Freya." "I cannot bear for you to go. The pack and Kade aren't the only reasons I want you to stay. Since I now recognize your value, I want you to stay.
I clenched my hands and turned away. "Isn't it simple for you to say that now?"
He moved closer, halting in the middle of his attempt to touch my arm. Indeed, it is. Furthermore, I am aware that I have done nothing to merit another opportunity. But if it's okay with you, I'd like to set things right.
"Will you?" With a flash of rage, I turned abruptly. "Finnick, do you think it's that easy?"
"No," he muttered. "I am aware that it isn't."
We simply remained there for a while, torn between the past and the future. A part of me wanted to leave, to let them to deal with Kade alone. However, I was hampered by another aspect of myself that had yearned for a home here.
Later, as the night deepened, Finnick came up to me with an unexpected offer. "I swear to you, Freya, that no one will ever again despise you here if you decide to stick around and fight with us. As an equal, you will have a place in this pack.
My heart constricted. Even though I didn't completely trust the offer, it was nevertheless alluring. Could I truly stay and strive for a position here after being ridiculed and looked down upon for so long?
With a steady voice, Finnick maintained eye contact with me. "I am powerless to alter the past. However, I can attempt to alter the future. I'll make sure things are different if you stay. People will respect you. You will be appreciated.
However, a part of me still felt cautious, as though I were perched on a precarious precipice. "Finnick, what if this is just words? What if there is no genuine change?
A glimmer of pain appeared in his eyes as his face softened. Then I'll have let you down once more. But I'll give it a shot, Freya.
I inhaled deeply as his words began to weigh heavily on me. Perhaps this was my opportunity to establish myself and feel like I finally belonged.
A voice cut through the stillness of the night just as I was starting to feel the faintest glimmer of optimism.
"This is touching, isn't it?"
Luna Margot was standing a few paces away, her face contorted in a look of disdain, when I turned around. Her lips curved in a sneer as she focused her eyes on me.
"You believe that everything will be alright if you just waltz back in here?" The sound of her laughter was sharp and icy. "Remember your roots, Freya, even though you may have some power now. You were nothing more than a burden and an outsider.
Even though her comments hurt, I made myself get up and look her in the eye. "Luna Margot, I know exactly where I come from. And I am fully aware of who I am.
"Oh, do you?" she said in a derisive tone. "Because you don't know a lot about your past." Her voice dipped to a whisper as she moved closer. "Freya, do you truly believe that you are one of us?"
She said something that made me shiver. "What are you discussing?"
She scoffed, "Oh, there's so much I could say." However, let's just say that Finnick's rejection wasn't solely his choice. I ensured that you would be held accountable.
As her words set in, my blood turned cold. "You... you forced him to turn me down?"
She tilted her head and grinned, as though she thought my bewilderment was funny. Even in those days, you were a menace. Not because of your strength, though. Her eyes glinted with venom as she moved closer. "I'll make sure everyone knows the truth about you, Freya if you stay here."
A burst of wrath swept through me, but I forced myself to speak calmly. "What is the truth?"
"Oh, don't you want to know?" She chuckled, her eyes piercing and unblinking. However, I will inform you that this pack will not tolerate your bloodline. I'll make sure everyone understands who you truly are if you stay.
I was frozen in place as her threat lingered in the air, my heart racing. Luna Margot's remarks fueled my perplexity and rage as they twisted through my head. What did she know about my ancestry that I was unaware of?
With a chilly warning in her voice, she continued, "Freya, think carefully." "Someone like you isn't welcome here."
She then turned and vanished into the night, leaving me alone with her words still ringing in my head.