Chapter 5

Aria's POV

Everywhere instantly went silent as the Lycan King grabbed my hand. A frown formed in my face as I heard the words that slipped out of his mouth. There was no way he had just called me... his mate.

I turned to the crowd behind me and felt my knees begin to shake as I saw that all eyes were now turned to him. I caught sight of Amanda whispering to her minions and the look she had on her face showed that she was much more surprised at the sudden turn of events than I was. I turned to Elsa and saw that she had the same look on her face too. 

I was about to turn to the Lycan king whose hold on my hand had now tightened to know if he was being serious when I saw London at a corner, glaring at us. He held in his hands a glass of wine and I watched it crack under his grip. 

He brought the damaged glass down on the table beside him and licked his lips, putting on a smile that I knew was nothing more than a facade before slowly striding towards where we stood. 

'What is he doing?' I heard Ava say. 'Why is he coming our way?' I felt Avas presence continuously nudge at my consciousness but I was too focused on London and too distracted by the questions in my head to pay her any attention.

What was the Lycan King doing? Was he serious with what he said? And why was London heading our way? All these questions and many more crossed my mind and watching London slowly close in on us worsened it.

"The great Ryder Nixon," London said with a light chuckle as he clasped his hands together loudly. "The mighty Lycan King, Alpha of Startling Pack," he grinned, "I hate to burst your happy bubble but you're mistaken."

All eyes turned to Ryder as everyone awaited his reply. The Lycan King, who seemed to be unbothered by the attention everyone was giving, gave me a small glance before returning his attention to the awaiting London. 

Giving him a small shrug, Ryder answered, "I don't think I made any mistake, Alpha London. I know what I said and I am sure of it." I saw the look on his face change for about half a second and during that split second, I saw a look of doubt in his eyes. He looked at me and immediately covered it up. 

I turned to London and watched as his smile faltered for a few seconds. The look he had on his face showed that he had not been ready for the Lycan King's answer. He quickly adjusted his composure before slowly turning to the crowd behind him. 

"You all know the truth, don't you?" he said with a somewhat nervous chuckle as he raised his hands in the air. Confused murmurs erupted from the crowd after London said this as none knew how to respond to his question. 

Elsa, who was watching this whole scene from the sideline, suddenly shouted, "we all know the truth, honey. We all do." 

I felt a stab at my chest as I understood what she was referring to; me being nothing more than a worthless piece of dirt. That was the truth she thought London was referring to. 

Was this what they wanted to do to me, make me a ridicule in front of everyone? Like the humiliation that they did to me at the mating ceremony wasn't enough. 

"Yes, Elsa," London replied as he nodded in Elsa's direction. "We all do." I frowned a little at the reply he gave Elsa and I saw from the look she had on her face that she too was a little bit shocked.

He hardly called her by her name when they were in the presence of other wolves ever since he marked her as his mate. Why was he doing so now?

"And what is the truth, if I may ask, Alpha London?" Ryder said as he drew my closer to himself. I turned to the Lycan King as I felt mixed emotions brewing towards him. Worst part was that I couldn't tell why? 

"You ask for the truth, Alpha Ryder?" London asked with a small chuckle as he turned to face us. Turning his gaze on me, London stretched his hands towards my direction and said, "I and Aria are mated."

I felt my breath suddenly get caught up in my throat and my heart skip a beat as I heard this. My lips quivered, more emotions stirring up inside of me as I glanced back and forth between London and Alpha Ryder.

What did I just hear?

"Isn't that true?" London asked as he turned back to the crowd behind him. "Is it not true that Aria and I were mated by the moon goddess, that we are destined for each other?" 

Murmurs of disarray rose from within the crowd as everyone began thinking over what their alpha had just said. I could see the mixed expression of surprise and confusion on the faces of everyone as they began glared at I and Alpha Ryder.

London, upon seeing the hesitation of his followers, let out a small growl that caused the murmurs to instantly die down. When everything was quiet again, he repeated, "is it not true that Aria and I were mated by the moon goddess during the mating ceremony?"

There was a small pause at first, everyone in the crowd contemplating their response, before a single voice shouted, "yes, Alpha London."

"And is it not true that we love each other and no one else?" London continued, a smile forming on his face.

"Yes, Alpha London," about half the crowd shouted in response, a small tone of indecision in their voice. 

"And is it not true that what we feel for each other is real and untainted?" London shouted, this time with more vigor. 

"Yes, Alpha London!" everyone shouted in response. 

"You see," London said with a sinister smile. "I and Aria are mated. Besides, I'm sure the great Lycan King wouldn't want to be with a lowlife omega like her." He scoffed. "If not for the fact that we needed more omegas for the party, she wouldn't have come out of her little cage. You deserve someone befitting, Alpha Ryder." 

I stood speechless by the sudden turn of events. My eyes darted back and forth between Amanda's confused face to Elsa's shocked expression and back to London's smile as Ryder's grip on my hand tightened. The smirking alpha gave me a nod as if we had both planned the sudden scene. 

When the commotion in the crowd finally died down, everyone's attention moved to Ryder as they all awaited his response. 

Ryder, who seemed to be unmoved by London's words and his people's chants, his face void of emotions, gave London a curt smile, one that I knew sent shivers down his spine. 

Suddenly, he turned to me and asked, "is this true?" At that instance, all attention moved to me. The wine bottle which I still held in my hands began to shake, it's content spilling over the top and staining the waxed tiles.

One of Amanda's minions, Jara, shouted from within the crowd, "she can't even hold a wine bottle right." She chuckled, expecting everyone to laugh along with her to her joke but none responded. All that she got as a reply was a small growl from London that instantly shut her up.

Mustering every confidence that I had left in my demolished body, I grunted, pulling back everyone's attention. Licking my lips, I answered, "yes, I was mated to Alpha London."