Adelia's Pov
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I sneaked back into my room without getting caught after my escapades with Aiden. I felt so relieved now that I have confessed my feelings to him and it was good to hear that he felt the same. I have always known he was my mate and that was why I drew closer to him when everyone stayed away.
Besides that, I believed strongly that Aiden wasn't useless as the rest of the wolves made him be and I know that inside of him was a strong wolf. I just didn't know why his wolf wasn't coming out. But I was determined to stand by his side regardless of what anyone said.
Feeling sweaty and sticky, I got under the shower, washing myself up with a big smile on my face. I was elated.
I had barely gotten out of the shower when a knock came at my door and I froze a bit, wondering who it was since I wasn't expecting anyone.
"Who's there?""It's me, future Luna." Came the reply and I smiled, knowing full well who it was. It was Leah, my second best friend after Aiden. Or should I say my best friend since Aiden was my mate?
Leah was one of the scout wolves who were responsible for warning the pack of dangerous territory outside the clearing, if any. She was well known by neighboring packs and she visited around often.
I quickly opened the door and she walked in, immediately plopping on my bed without my permission.
"Oh my goodness." Leah groaned as she lay on my bed, her wild brown hair scattered around her. "This is so comfy."
"I didn't say you could lie on my bed." I teased, walking to my dressing mirror to comb my hair. I wasn't going anywhere but I just wanted to comb it became it tended to tangle after shower. I raked my fingers through the crimson strands of my hair and I smiled, remembering how Aiden had said my hair was the most beautiful he had ever seen.
"You're smiling this way. I guess you sneaked out to see Aiden." Leah whispered into my ear and I flinched. I didn't know when she left the bed to stand by me.
"Holy shit, Leah." I held my chest. "You scared me."
Leah shrugged, her eyes on my big mirror as she played with her shoulder-length brown hair. She began to pose for the mirror, twisting her lithe figure as she did different posing styles. I shook my head.
"Get out of here." I chuckled and she chuckled with me.
"You saw Aiden, didn't you?" She asked again after our laughing fit and I nodded slowly. Leah was the only one who knew I was still hanging around Aiden even after my father's verdict. But she was never in support because she too like others believed Aiden wasn't good enough for me.
"I thought we talked about this, Adelia." Leah folded her arms, turning serious. "And what's this on your neck? My goodness, Adelia! Don't tell me you already got marked by him?" Leah looked horrified.
But I only smiled as I recounted what had happened back in the woods with Aiden. Finally, I was marked too. We had both marked ourselves during our make-out session and I didn't regret it one bit.
"It's bound to happen. I can't stay away from him." I shrugged. "I already told you why."
"I don't believe he is your mate. How can you get marked by him?"
"I don't believe Derick is yours too." I bit back, getting angry with her for saying such a thing.
"Why shouldn't I get marked? He's my mate so what's the fuss? I don't need anyone to understand what I feel. He is my mate, not yours so you can't understand the connection. I didn't doubt you when you said Derrick was your mate even when you've nursed a big crush on him. Now you two are together and you've even marked each other. So why can't I?"
"But - " Leah was beginning to say but I shook my head vehemently at her.
"Don't doubt me now, Leah. I won't lie to you."Leah bit her lips as a pout formed on them. I knew she wanted to say more but she didn't and I was grateful she did not.
Our silence was interrupted by another knock at my door. This time, it was an omega girl and she had her head bowed.
"Alpha Lundamous sends for you." She informed and I exchanged looks with Leah.
"What for?""He says someone is waiting for you."
"Who can that be?" I asked Leah immediately the girl left and Leah shrugged.
"Perhaps, he knows about your little hide and seeks."
"That's not true." I frowned at her.
"I wonder how he will feel when he discovers you've been marked." She huffed.
"That's for me to decide, Leah."
"Addy, you know I love you and want the best for you. Just be careful." Leah's warm brown eyes bore into mine and I looked away, unable to hold her gaze.
"Don't worry about me, Leah. I'll be with Aiden. You just have to support me." I rose from my dressing table to pick up a dress to wear. Apparently, I couldn't see my father in only my white towel.
Leah watched me with scrutiny in her eyes as I dressed up and when I was done, she said,
"I will be waiting for you here."I nodded and slipped out of the room, walking quickly to the sitting room where I was sure my father was. If he wanted me to meet someone, then it couldn't be in his room. I guess I shouldn't be worried since I wouldn't be meeting him in his room. The last time I had been called like this was to inform me to stay away from Aiden but this was different, wasn't it?
I stared down at my floral dress, wondering if it was appropriate to meet who it was my father wanted me to meet. It was quite strange that I was being sent for to meet someone but I tried not to think too much about it. I gently stroked my hair to ensure that my ponytail was still intact before entering the large sitting room.
My parents were sitting on one of the sofas in the room while my brother occupied the only single-seater available. The atmosphere looked serious and my heart began to race as I examined the countenance of my parents to see if I could tell what they were thinking.
On another sofa was a man who I had never seen before and he was staring at me with a subtle smile on his face. His black hair was quite short and his green eyes twinkled as he followed my every movement. Sitting by his side was another man who was just as huge as the first man.
This one was more serious and his face was hard with no single smile. His blonde hair fell over his forehead and he drummed on his lap like he couldn't wait to leave.
I stared at my brother, trying to communicate with him through our personal mind link.
I'm confused. What's going on?
You'll find out soon.My brother tossed me a smirk and I glared at him. Jared could be quite immature sometimes and it made me wonder how he would be a good alpha when he acted younger than me in most cases. I was only twenty but I believed I was more matured than he was. My parents spoilt him a lot because he was their only male pup. Pathetic!
"I guess we will leave you two together then." My father's deep voice filled the air and my jaw dropped. What was this?
"This is Alpha Rio of the Blood moon pack. He's the son of late Alpha Raphael. He just became the alpha."
So? I wanted to ask but I knew better to shut up. My father could be quite temperamental and he was always unpredictable.
"I believe I don't have to do the introduction to you, Rio. Since you claim she is your mate, then you already know who she is." My father said to Rio.
"What?" I couldn't keep calm anymore. "What mate?"
"I guess Rio will explain. Come, honey. Let's give them both some privacy." My father stood up, his bulky figure towering over my mother who was more on the slim side. He placed his arm around her waist and led her out, with Jared walking behind them. Their behaviour got me confused. Why were my parents leaving their daughter with an enemy?
The blonde man sitting with 'Rio' walked out too and it was just me and 'Rio' in the room.
"Hi, Adelia." He grinned at me and I felt sick in my tummy."Do you mind explaining?" I folded my arms and his smile broadened. I would have found his smiles appealing if he wasn't from the enemy pack. He wasn't bad looking, you know.
"You're my mate. I came here with my beta to speak to your father about a peace treaty since my father is dead and I'm the new alpha. You know, I've never been a fan of war. But when I got here, there was this strong connection and your scent was all I could sniff. Your beautiful scent." He flirted and I got sicker.
How on earth could I be his mate when I was already mated to someone else? What game was the moon goddess playing on me?
"I think you are mistaken, Ryan." I deliberately missed his name and his brows puckered.
"It's Rio and I'm not mistaken. My wolf has been restless ever since I got here. It can only mean one thing." He got up from the chair and approached me. I took a step back and when he saw that, he stopped.
"I won't hurt you.""How will I know when you're from the Blood Moon pack. Everyone from that pack is an enemy."
"This is why the peace treaty is necessary especially now that we are mated to each other. We shouldn't fight ourselves anymore."
"I already have a mate, mister. In fact, I've been marked." I turned my head to the side, revealing the bite on my neck proudly, enjoying the shock on Rio's face.
But I didn't know I had done the wrong thing because my father walked into the room that instance, his eyes red with anger.
"You are what?"Thank you for reading.
Aiden's Pov • • • • • • • • • • My friends had just come to visit me after their rigorous gamma training and we had all ended up at the lake which was located some distance away from the packhouse. I could only go there when my friends were with me even when it was open for all wolves. Going there alone made me stand a risk of being taunted so I stayed away from it even when it was my favourite place to be. The lake was always calm and it gave this peaceful aura; it was calming. When I was here, I forgot all of my worries. This evening, the lake was surprisingly quiet. There was not a single wolf at the lake and I sighed in contentment because I could enjoy my friends without getting furtive stares and glances from other wolves. The wolves were fond of doing that whenever I was with my friends. They knew they couldn't do anything to me but they still made me feel bad with their glances and murmurs. "How have you been, Aiden? What have you been up to?" Jamal asked me and I looke
Adelia's Pov • • • • • • • • • • "You are what?" My father's eyes were always red so it was difficult to know when he was angry but this time, they were redder. This showed that he was now very furious. He was also fuming angrily. His hands were balled into a fist and his chest was heaving. I knew this stance very well and my heart began to race as I took a step back — my father could be very violent sometimes. He would grab my hair and pull at it when he was extremely angry and right now, he was, so it was safer I stayed as far as possible from him. I looked from my brother to my mother who had both rushed into the room too. It was obvious they had all been eavesdropping on our conversation. My mother had her mouth opened wide, her big hazel eyes filled with shock. I got my hazel eyes from her, only that hers was much prettier with those rings of green flecks in them. But that wasn't the point now. The point was my parents looked angry. "Don't tell me it's that weakling?" My
Aiden's Pov • • • • • • • • • • I was sitting with my mum when it happened. We were outside of our home which was on the outskirt of the pack where most omegas lived. Since I didn't even have a wolf, being tagged with the omegas was a privilege. I had just returned from the lake and my friends had returned to their various houses. They had all been happy for me after the revealing of my secret. Even Calix, whom I had thought would act differently, was thrilled at this news. He was extremely happy and it made me glad. It made me glad that I finally had something I could be proud of. Perhaps, my days of misery were over and I would finally have some kind of status in the pack.But I hadn't seen this coming. I hadn't expected this in any way so when I saw Jared approaching the Omega's tent with two male gammas behind him, I didn't think much of it. "Isn't that Jared?" My mother asked me and I nodded. "Why do you think he is here?" Her black hair was tied up in a bun with some sho
Adelia's Pov • • • • • • • • • • I was surprised to see Leah still in my room when I returned from my run. The run had been needed to clear my head but even at that, I could still feel choked and extremely burdened. How could my family do this to me? How could they ask me to reject my mate? My heart was heavy and my wolf was tensed, I could feel her agony. To be honest, I was confused. I didn't know what to do. My father had just threatened to kill Aiden and knowing who my father was, his words were not to be taken lightly. He would surely do what he had promised. This made me very scared and confused. "Where have you been?" Leah jumped up from the bed when I walked in. Her face was clouded with worry. But I ignored her question because I was in no mood to talk. I didn't even know why she was still here. It was late in the night and she should be at her house. The sight of her in my room was pissing me off. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I walked past her, heading to my clo
Aiden's Pov • • • • • • • • • • I was lying on my bed when I heard a knock on the front door. My heart skipped as I wondered who it was. I knew it couldn't be my friends since they had just left after spending some time consoling me. They had heard about Jared's action just like everyone else since the news about Jared attacking me had spread like wildfire in the pack and was now on everyone's lips. My heart began to pound in my chest as the thought of Jared returning to probably finish what he started filled my head. I was yet to recover from the beating that had been meted out on me: I could barely walk without limping and my face was still bruised.My mother had told me I had been out for a full day and had only gained consciousness this morning. She had also told me how my friends had rushed down here some minutes after Jared left but I was unconscious and couldn't talk to them so they had to leave. It was that bad! But I was not angry, especially when I had received all thi
Aiden's Pov My eyes narrowed in pain at her words and I could feel my heart breaking into a thousand pieces. I don't think I had ever felt this much pain before. Even when I had been unable to shift into my wolf during the shapeshifting ceremony, I didn't feel this much pain. "So what Jared said is true. You're gonna reject me like everyone else?" My voice was low and croaky. I could not even recognise my own voice. It sounded strange to my ears. Adelia shut her eyes again, a tear slithering down her cheek. It made me wonder why she was doing this when it was clear she did not want it herself. "Why are you saying these things to hurt me when you don't even want this? Why are you bringing rejection up? Who is Rio and why are you calling him your mate?" "I want this, Aiden." Adelia wiped her eyes. "I want this. I wanna reject you because it is the right thing to do." "How? How is it the right thing to do? This won't do any of us any good! Why are we even having this conversation?"
Adelia's Pov That day was the worst day of my life. I had never felt this shattered before. It was so bad that I felt like dying. The pain still felt new, despite it being an hour since I returned from Aiden's house. It was obvious I was yet to recover from this heartbreaking experience. As I lay on my bed, staring at the white ceiling of my room, a tear rolled out of my eyes and down the side of my face. I chuckled, surprised that I still had tears in my eyes. I had done nothing but cry my eyes out since I returned yet I didn't feel any better. My silky blouse was drenched with my tears and my eyes were swollen red. Just who would have imagined that rejecting one's mate would be this painful? Jared had said it would not hurt that bad and my father had nodded in agreement, but here I was, feeling pain so great, it felt like I was dying. To be honest, I wanted to die. That was all I could think of. I wanted to get this heart-wrenching pain to leave for it was too much for me to be
Aiden's Pov I was blank, just like a stone. No matter what my friends or mother did, they couldn't get a reaction from me. It was like I had wandered away from the real world that I found it difficult to interact with it anymore. To be honest, nothing made sense to me anymore. I had always known I was useless but it hadn't really dawned on me, nor had it sank into my subconscious. But Adelia's rejection had sent that reality down to me. Being rejected was the worst feeling ever and I felt completely useless. There was suddenly no will to live anymore. Adelia had been my source of strength and she had given me hope, a hope for a better life but now that she was gone, I felt broken. It had been a week since the rejection yet I hadn't recovered, I couldn't recover. I could not even mind link her anymore since the connection had been broken. It was so disheartening. Within the week, I had tried to see her again. I had made my visitation to the packhouse more frequent, hoping that I