I had expected Fabian to call the moment I left Q City. I thought he would demand an explanation, maybe even try to stop me. Instead, there was nothing. No messages. No anger. Just silence.
That silence felt louder than any fight.
By the time the weekend came, my nerves were stretched thin. Finnick had arranged for me to meet his family at a private dinner. He didn't say much about it, but I could feel the weight behind it. In our world, meeting family wasn't just dinner. It was presentation. It was acknowledgment. It was a quiet announcement to the pack.
That afternoon, I stood in front of the mirror in the room he had prepared for me. The wine-red gown he chose hugged my waist and flowed down softly to my ankles. It wasn't something I would normally wear. I preferred simple clothes. Clothes that didn't draw attention. I had learned early in life that standing out could be dangerous.
But this dress refused to let me hide.
