FREYA

Shock, Confusion, Bewilderment all flowed through my system within minutes. Maybe I didn’t hear right… Just maybe having to experience this on my supposedly big day is causing me to have ear issues but I know that’s a dumb conclusion. My brother’s mate is Zara, the same person I appear to have murdered(technically that’s not true). What to do now? Plead innocence which is likely to be ruled out or find a way to resurrect Zara which is also out of place.

For the very first time in three years, I saw it– my brother’s bloodshot eyes staring deep into my soul. If I could read thoughts accurately, I would have said Julien wants to rip me apart but no he can’t simply because I am his sister…lost but found sister.

“Freya,” I felt chills run down my spine at the coldness of his voice. “This is my mate…” He kept making slow steps towards me. “... And you and I know mates are gotten once in a lifetime.” I gulped at his statement. I was well aware of that fact and suddenly began to feel bad on Julien’s behalf. “You just took away my one chance to have a mate bond experience.” He made a stop right in front of me. I was still held in place by the pack guards who wouldn’t budge no matter how much I tried to make them loosen their grip. “I will ask this once. Why?!” His scream echoed through the entire hallway.

Words? They failed me. I couldn’t make up anything and I know well enough that I can’t also deny it after the evidence was clearly shown to them.

“I will take it from here, Julien.” Alpha Finn interrupted. I felt as though he could feel my urgent need to be freed from the cold questioning eyes of my brother.

“Take her where I asked you to. The normal proceedings will begin soon.” At his command, I was sent to a place I’d never imagined I would be and that too on my eighteenth birthday… a day I was supposed to be happy and expectant.

The cold dungeon became my new home, days turned into weeks and weeks into months. No one came to visit – not Julien, not the Alpha nor the person I call a friend. The only visits I got was from the guards who kept bringing me meagre portions of food that didn’t last two hours in my stomach. My body couldn’t take it anymore… my system was weak and my heart was in anticipation. My judgement was delayed because the Alpha still takes into consideration his relationship with my brother. The pack? They were after my head. I heard the story even from in here about how everybody in the pack wants nothing but for my head to be presented to them as a way to appease them.

The usual clanking sound of the door brought me back but I was too weak to stand. I sighed, taking in the usual cologne I had become addicted to after three years of staying with him.

“It didn’t have to end this way, Freya. You brought this upon yourself.” I could hear the sadness in his voice… the emotion he was trying too hard to hide behind. “I sleep everyday thinking about how and why you would have done that but nothing comes to mind.” This time, he stood right in front of me.

Slowly but steadily, I lifted my head and there he was looking down at me with a look I couldn’t decipher. I smirked weakly, it was an intended smile which didn’t come out perfectly.

“If someone had told me I would end up here on the day I was supposed to meet my mate, I wouldn’t have believed but…” My weak cough interrupted my statement. “...But here I am now.” I reached out to touch his shoes but he hurriedly pushed his legs away as though I was a plague.

I chuckled, “I want you to know that I will never do anything to hurt. The Goddess’ knows I didn’t do it.” My statement seemed to have sparked something but he blinked fast enough to clear that emotion. “ You will be brought out for your trial today. Any punishment you get today is because you were considered as someone related to me which of course ends now, Freya.” That statement shattered me and tore my inner organs apart. I felt like I’d die a few seconds after he said that. The air felt thick in the dungeon and my lungs felt full.

“I..understand.” My voice broke and my throat burnt with silent tears. “I don’t blame you. I just wish something had told me to stay home or away from this place today.” Even though it hurt badly, I couldn’t stop it. No relation, no pack and no love… It’s just me against the world now. Julien began walking away, his shoe making a steady yet echoing sound but he wasn’t done with me.

“Maybe they were right….the people I took you from.” I knew where he was going and my best resort? To shut my eyes real tight as though it will shut my ears too. “Who knows? You might have actually been responsible for the death of our parents.” That was it. Everything around me collapsed and from then, the next thing I could see was standing in front of the whole pack…. every face scrunched disgustingly. Words flying here and there.

“She doesn’t deserve to live.”

“Death is the only justice for Zara.”

“A murderer should not be allowed to room freely.”

“We want her dead!” Now that became a chant. Every corner, everybody was flowing with chants of my death.

Shutting my eyes was of no use…I was ready for whatever they had for me. She was right among them, Willow, her eyes bore into me and a little smirk tugged the corner of her lips. My eyes questioned her, “What wrong did I ever do to deserve this?” But no answer came. Her smirk only grew wider.

I could hear the Alpha speak but it seemed to be a faint sound but everything began to make sense.

“Banishment is not the right punishment for a murderer!”

“She will cause more harm!”

“Death is the only way!”

“SILENCE!” Alpha Finn commanded and the whole place went silent. “That is the final punishment but before she leaves,” Finn turned towards me with the usual aura he walks around with. “I want everybody to know Freya Moonstone here… is my mate.” The whispers started again.

“Our Luna will never be a murder.”

“We will never accept her as one of us.”

“I swore to take into consideration the wishes of my people and so..” Finn’s eyes bored into mine as he spoke. “I, Finn Blackwood, Alpha of Emberpack…”

“No, no, no,” I kept whispering to myself, with my eyes shut tightly. I knew what Finn wanted to do, to reject our bond.

“... reject you, Freya Moonstone, as my mate now and forever! Escort her out!” He said it casually as though it didn’t mean anything to him but it did to me. My heart bled, my world shattered and my body had already had enough.

I just couldn’t go like that. They needed to expect my return.. Not the return of the old Freya, but of one no one expected to see.

“My mate watched me suffer, my brother abandoned me and my friend…” I screamed out loud enough for everybody present to hear me and smirked at how attentive everyone was. “But I promise to be back. I will be back to clear my name, set things right and–” My smirk grew wider and I saw from afar how she quivered in fear. “ For Revenge!”