30 days to save my alpha

Rain was hitting the glass like fingers. Cold, sharp, merciless.

Aria Blake was pressed against the ICU glass, staring inside. Her breath was turning cold. Her heart... that had already died 3 days ago.

On the bed inside lay Damon Voss. Alpha King of the Voss Pack. 6 foot 3, broad chest, a face hard like stone. Even now. Even in death.

Machines were beeping. But that sound was a lie. Two hours ago the doctor had held her hand and said, "I'm sorry Ms. Blake. Time of death: 11:59 PM."

11:59 PM.

One minute before his 26th birthday.

Aria clenched her fist. Her nails dug into her palm. She needed pain. This pain was less than that.

The scene from 3 days ago was playing in her eyes like a film.

That same turn. That same night. Those same truck headlights tearing through the darkness. Aria had slipped. Her foot gave way in the rain. And the truck was coming straight at her.

She had closed her eyes. She had felt death.

Then... a strong shove. Hot breath. Golden eyes that stared into hers for 1 second.

"Stupid human" Damon’s roaring voice. Then a scream of pain.

She had felt Damon fall on top of her. The truck passed beside them both. Damon’s ribs broke. But he didn’t let Aria fall.

The last thing he said was: "You... are mine. Aria. Always."

Always... only 6 months had passed for that "always".

Aria’s hands were trembling. In her fist there was only one thing. Damon’s locket. Old, silver, with the Voss Pack lion engraved on it. Damon had put it on her neck the same night he kissed her. First and last time.

The locket was cold. Lifeless. Like its owner.

"If only..." Aria’s voice cracked. "If only I could go back. If only I could stop that truck. If only I had died that day instead of him."

She pressed the locket to her lips. "Damon... please come back. I’ll do anything. Anything."

The locket suddenly turned hot. So hot Aria screamed. Blue light burst from between her fingers and filled the entire ICU. Machines went crazy. Alarms started blaring.

Pain. Fire. Darkness.

Then... silence.

Aria opened her eyes and the rain was still falling. But this wasn’t ICU rain. This was open rain. Campus rain.

She stood up and looked. In front of her was the Voss University sign. A 10-year-old sign.

Beneath her feet was wet grass. Her clothes... this was her university uniform. 16-year-old Aria’s uniform.

"What... what is happening?" She looked at her hands. Small. Soft. Without the scar from the truck day.

Then a voice came from ahead. Roaring. Cold. Heart-shattering.

"Watch where you're walking, human."

Aria lifted her head. Her breath stopped.

In front stood Damon Voss. 19-year-old Damon. The new Alpha student of the university. Drenched, hair falling on his forehead, and eyes... those same golden, those same ruthless, those same dangerous.

But in this Damon’s eyes there was no love for her, no recognition. Only hatred and disgust.

The ground slipped from under Aria’s feet. This was that day. That first meeting. The day after which, 10 years later, Damon would die saving her.

Tears filled her eyes. "Damon..." Her voice trembled.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Do I know you?" His voice was poison. "A human girl. Standing in my way. Move."

Attitude. Cold. Alpha King aura.

Aria didn’t step back. Rain was flowing from her hair to her lips. Salty. Like tears.

She gripped the locket tightly. Her palm was burning. Small numbers appeared in the middle of the locket: *30:00:00*

The countdown had started.

30 days. 720 hours. 43,200 seconds.

In 30 days she had to make Damon fall in love with her. Remind him that she was his mate. Otherwise... the locket would flash again. And she would go back to that ICU. Next to Damon’s corpse.

"Damon" Aria cleared her voice. Her heart was breaking, but she tried to smile. "Give me 30 days."

Damon laughed. A heartless, cold laugh. "For what? Pity? Humans are boring."

Aria took one step forward. Damon’s hot breath hit her face. His scent... it was the same. Pine trees and blood and dominance. The scent her body craved for.

"To make you remember" Aria met his eyes. Gathering courage. "That I’m yours. And you... are mine."

For 1 second Damon’s golden eyes flared. Werewolf instinct. A flash of the mate bond. His jaw tightened.

Then he laughed. And in that laugh were 1000 daggers.

"You're not my mate, girl." Damon brushed her hair back. His finger traced her cheek. Not touching. Teasing. "I don't do destiny. I don't do mates. Especially not weak humans."

He pulled his hand away. Like Aria was dirt.

"30 days?" Damon said mockingly. "I give you 3 seconds. One... two..."

Aria stood there. In the rain. Alone. Broken.

"Three." Damon turned and walked away. Long, confident, Alpha walk.

Aria’s knees gave out. She fell on the grass. The locket burned hot in her palm again. *29:23:59:59*

The countdown was running.

In 30 days the truck will come again. Damon will push her again. He will die again.

But this time Aria won’t sit silent. This time she will fight. She will melt Damon Voss’s cold heart. Even if she has to break herself.

The rain got heavier. Aria looked at the sky and whispered.

"I won’t let you die, Damon Voss. No matter how much you hate me. No matter how many times you say I’m not your mate."

She pressed the locket to her lips. "Because you... are mine. Only mine."

A boy passed by and stopped seeing Aria "Hey, are you okay?"

Aria didn’t lift her head. She just smiled. A broken, but dangerous smile.

"I’m fine" she whispered. "Just saving an Alpha from his death."

And the locket flashed again. *29:23:58:00*

The game had begun.