Seventy seven
*Freya*
I blinked my eyes open, grimacing at the pounding in my head. As my vision cleared, a familiar face came into view, hovering over me with concern etched across his features.
“Daniel?” I croaked.
“Freya! Thank god you’re awake,” he exhaled, relief washing over his expression.
Ignoring the aches wracking my body, I pushed myself up and flung my arms around him. He wrapped me in a tight embrace as a few tears escaped down my cheeks. We stayed like that for a long moment, holding each other close. Daniel had been my rock working together at the villa, always there with a joke or helping hand. I owed him my life for rescuing me from the chaos after the bomb ripped through the town square.
As we pulled apart, Daniel searched my face. “Why did you leave without telling me or Morgan? We were worried sick when you disappeared.”
I sighed, dropping my gaze. “I’m sorry, truly. It was an impulsive decision. I just couldn’t take one more day of my parents treating me like dirt, especially Kelly and my wretched stepmother.” I met his eyes again. “Joining the palace competition to be Alpha Rafe’s queen was my ticket out. I had to take it.”
“Well, I’m just glad you’re okay,” Daniel said gently. “Though I hear the alpha is quite smitten with you already.”
Despite everything, I felt my cheeks warm. It was still surreal to think the powerful, magnetic Rafe had taken an interest in me. Along with befriending kind Addy, it made all the drama worth it.
“Rafe is … complicated. But there’s more to him than his stern reputation suggests.” I smiled softly, pulse quickening as I remembered the spark between us, the way he made me feel safe yet ignited. “I don’t regret my choice. Not when it led me to him – and Addy.”
Daniel nodded, though his eyes seemed to shutter slightly. “I’m happy for you, Freya. I just want you to be treated like the amazing woman you are. You deserve the world.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Daniel. For everything. I wouldn’t be here without you.”
We fell into companionable silence then, an unspoken understanding passing between us. My old life felt like a distant dream – but thanks to dear friends like Daniel, I knew I could face whatever challenges lay ahead at the palace. With Rafe and Addy by my side, anything seemed possible.
“There’s something I should have told you all this while,” Daniel said after a few moments, his voice awkwardly hesitant. “I was going to say it the day before you left for the palace, but I didn’t get the chance…”
I tensed, my heart starting to pound faster. A strange sense of anticipation tingled through me. “What is it, Daniel?”
He took a deep breath, his green eyes locking onto mine with an intensity I’d never seen before. “Freya, I… I’m in love with you. I have been for a long time.”
Shock rippled through my body at his confession, rendering me speechless. My mind reeled, trying to process his words. Daniel, my best friend, the boy I’d secretly had feelings for all that time… loved me back?
“I know this might be too late,” he continued, searching my face anxiously. “But I couldn’t let you go without telling you the truth. You mean everything to me.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. A bittersweet ache blossomed in my chest. If only he had said this sooner, before Rafe, before the palace…
“Daniel…” I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion. “I had no idea you felt that way. I… I used to have feelings for you too.”
His eyes widened, a flicker of hope and sorrow mingling in their depths. “You did?”
I nodded, a sad smile tugging at my lips. “I was always too afraid to tell you. I never thought you saw me as more than a friend.”
Daniel let out a shaky laugh, running a hand through his hair. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we? Both too scared to admit how we really felt.”
An heavy silence fell between us, weighted with unspoken regrets and what-ifs. My heart ached for the lost possibilities, the path not taken. But deep down, I knew my destiny lay elsewhere now.
With Rafe, the alpha who set my soul on fire. The man I was learning to love, despite our rocky beginning. I couldn’t turn my back on that, no matter how much Daniel’s confession touched me.
Gently, I reached out to cradle his face, my thumb brushing away the single tear that had escaped down his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Daniel. If things were different… but I can’t change how I feel about Rafe. He’s the one my heart chose.”
Pain flickered across Daniel’s features, but he leaned into my touch, covering my hand with his own. “I understand, Freya. I’m not asking you to choose me. I just couldn’t keep this secret any longer.”
“Thank you for telling me,” I whispered. “Your friendship means the world to me. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You never will,” he promised fiercely. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you. Even if it’s just as a friend.”
Emotion clogged my throat. I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He wrapped me in his embrace, holding me like he never wanted to let go.
I soaked in his warmth and solidarity, drawing strength from it. Our friendship would endure this, I knew. Daniel was too good a man to abandon me.
But as we finally pulled apart, I couldn’t ignore the wistful sadness that settled over my heart. A part of me would always wonder about the love that could have been.
Yet I had to trust that fate had led me to Rafe for a reason. Our bond was undeniable, transcendent. With him, I felt like I’d finally found my place in this world.
Now I just had to fight to keep it, no matter the obstacles in our way. Starting with finding my way back to his side, where I truly belonged.
My heart ached as I gazed at Daniel’s somber expression. I had to know the full truth before I left to find Rafe.
“But why didn’t you ever tell me how you felt, all that time we worked together?” I asked softly.
Daniel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was scared, Freya. Terrified that you wouldn’t feel the same way about me. That it would ruin our friendship if I confessed my feelings.”
His eyes met mine, swimming with regret. “I finally worked up the courage to tell you, that day before you left. But then I found out you had gone to the palace, to join the Alpha’s competition. And I knew I was too late.”
Guilt churned in my stomach. If only I had known, maybe things could have been different. But would I trade the love I’d found with Rafe, as unexpected as it was? Could I forget all about him and live a low, peaceful life with someone else?
****