Aria's POV~Back to Aria~After Shawn and Lisa left, I plopped down on the bed as I processed everything I now knew about Cornelius.My mind flashed back to the discussion I just had with Shawn and Lisa.~Flashback~We had been talking about the previous night, and we were chatting and joking, when a thought occurred to me.“Hey, Shawn. Who is Cornelius Langley?” I blurted out, furrowing my eyebrows curiously at them.Instantly, the smiles on their faces faded. It was so abrupt that I immediately knew that something was wrong.“Woah, what's going on?” I asked when neither of them said anything. They just keep exchanging glances between themselves.“Shawn? Lisa?” I called again when they didn't say anything.Shawn released a sigh. “Cornelius is an ass.” He started.“But he's also one of the most respected people in this pack. Apparently, he supported Alpha Blackwood when he was taking over the throne.” Shawn added with a small sneer.He obviously did not like Cornelius. Lisa nodded as
Aria’s POVAs Knox and I walked out of my room, I noticed that some of the pack members we passed, murmured greetings, quickly bowed and walked past us with their heads down, while some gave small nervous smiles as they greeted and walked past us.“This is progress, Aria.” Knox murmured discreetly as we walked by another group of people that had given us nervous smiles as they walked off.I turned to him, confused. “Huh?”He grinned. “The pack members,” he replied. “They never smile at me. They mostly avoid my eyes, keep their heads down as they greet and walk past me so fast, as though I would pounce on them if they delay for even a bit.” He admitted with a self-deprecating smile.I placed my hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Always remember that, no matter what, your pack loves you. They might fear you, but they love you and with time, they'll come around.” I reassured him with a soft smile.He shrugged. “I know, and it's all thanks to you.”~~“So, this tour will give
Aria’s POVThe man was tall and looked so fierce. He had a scar running across his face from his left eye to the side of his nose.He glared down at me with disdain in his eyes.“So, you're the Alpha King’s new Luna,” he drawled, crossing his arms. “I must fucking admit, I expected... more.” He growled with a scowl on his face.I released a deep breath of frustration as I wondered who he was and where he came from.It was getting exhausting. Every corner I turned, there was always someone questioning my place, my worth, or why Knox had chosen me.“I’m sorry, who are you? And what's your point?” I asked.His scowl deepened. “I am Connor, and my point is that you should go back to whatever fucking shithole you crawled out of, because you are not wanted here, and you never will be.”I pursed my lips as I kept myself from replying. Maybe if I kept silent, he would get tired and leave.“I expected better from the Alpha King. If he wanted to keep his fated mate, that's fine, but to keep her
Knox's POVI had just finished speaking with Hunter on the phone, and was returning to where Aria was waiting for me.“I expected better from the Alpha King. If he wanted to keep his fated mate, that's fine, but to keep her as the fucking Luna Queen, that's not logical.” Connor, a pack member, said, and I realized that he was talking to Aria.‘Mate!’ My wolf, Fenrir, growled in my head with rage in his voice. He immediately tried to take control.‘Let me out, I’ll rip his throat out for this.’I gritted my teeth as rage coursed through me. ‘How dare he? How dare Connor speak to our mate like that?’However, I clenched my fists as I tried to control myself. I didn't want to scare Aria like I did before.“He could keep you as a fuck toy, no one cares, but he should have picked a strong female, as his Luna Queen. What the fuck was he thinking?”The more I tried to control myself, the more I got angrier. All I wanted to do was give Connor a very painful death.As I got closer, I could see
Knox's POVI continued pacing my office, running my hand through my hair.“You are the Luna Queen, Aria!” I continued, “My equal! Do you understand what that means?!” I asked, whirling around with a frown.Aria looked dumbfounded as she stared at me. “Knox–”I raised my hand to cut her off. “No, I don’t think you understand,” I said, shaking my head.I took a step closer to her, “It means that you are second to no one. Not even me.”I took another step closer. “It means that you have the same authority and power that I have”Another step closer. “It means that nobody is allowed to question your authority.”Another step. “It means that anyone that disrespects you, disrespects me.”Her eyes widened at my words, but I wasn't done. She needed to understand just how powerful she was.“The Moon Goddess chose you for me,” I said, my voice softer now, but still firm. “Not because you’re weak, but because you’re exactly what I need—what this pack needs.”“Do you understand?” I asked firmly.Sh
Knox's POV“Do you think not telling me will protect them?” I asked coldly. “All you’re doing is making it worse for them. I will find out, Aria. One way or another. You should know that by now.”Her eyes widened, but she didn’t respond.I took a step back, with a hard glare on my face.“And when I do, there will be no mercy. If you had told me their names, I might have considered being lenient. But now? Now, they’ll face the full wrath of the Alpha King—and the wolf who protects his mate.”I could see a hint of fear cross her face. However, she wasn't scared of me. She was scared of what I would do to those people. Good.I turned away from her. “You’re mine, Aria. And I won’t allow anyone to treat you with disrespect. Not ever.”After my declaration, I went to sit on my chair behind the table, and there was a tense silence.Aria fidgeted as she stood there, avoiding my eyes. I wondered what was going through her mind at that point.As I opened my mouth to ask her to take a seat, a lo
Aria's POV~A week later~“Knox?” I called softly as we lay on the bed in my room. We were about to sleep. For some reason, Knox kept sleeping in my room, but I had never seen his own room.Whenever I asked him about his room, he always said, “Yours is more comfortable, so why bother?”He had even brought more of his clothes into my room so that he could dress in my room.He turned to me, yawning with sleepy eyes. “Yeah?”I bit my lips softly before I replied. “I want to learn how to fight,” I told him.He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why? Who are you fighting?” Then he paused with a small frown. “Did someone threaten you?” He growled.I shook my head, as I quickly sat up. “No, no. It's…it's nothing like that. No one is threatening me, Knox,” I said firmly.And that was true. Since that incident with Connor at the pack clinic, no one had approached me to say anything insulting. The people that disliked me could only glare at me and give me angry looks. Nothing more. Not even Astrid said an
Aria's POV“You are the cause of all this,” the voice cackled. “Their blood is on your hands, you've brought death upon them... this is your power, Aria.” The voice was getting closer now, but I was frozen in terror.“Embrace it, Aria. This is what you are meant to be.”I scrambled to my feet, but the bodies were everywhere. I couldn't escape them. It was my fault. I had done this.I turned to look at Knox’s body again, as the guilt ate into me.“Accept it, Aria. You have the power. You always have. You are the one who ended their lives. You are to be feared. You're the one who destroys. Embrace your strength. Embrace who you are.”I collapsed to my knees, and closed my ears with my shaking hands to block out that dark voice. “No, no, no.” I mumbled over and over.But the voice didn’t stop. It became even louder, forcing its way into my mind.“You are more than what you think. You are unstoppable. Powerful. The blood is your birthright. You will take what is yours, and you will make t
Aria’s POV“Beware of the witch…”I gasped, and my eyes snapped open.The first thing I felt was cold. The room around me was dark and had no windows, just one steel door. The room stank of blood and antiseptic, causing a wave of nausea to rush through me.I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my abdomen, and I cried out."My baby," I breathed. I tried to move my hand to touch my stomach, but my hands were tightly restrained.Panic surged inside me as I tugged at them, trying to set myself free.“Please…” I cried out, “Somebody, help me.”The last thing I remembered was Cornelius, the vampire, bleeding, then I fell unconscious.My back and arm were throbbing, reminding me of what had happened. My mind flashed back to Knox's claws tearing through my back, and my arm, and I winced.But that wasn't my number one worry for now.Was my baby still alive? Was I still bleeding? My mind raced with several horrible thoughts that caused tears to well up in my eyes.I strained my neck to look
Knox’s POVI froze mid-step, her words echoed in my head. Slowly, I turned, narrowing my eyes. “What did you just say?” I growled.The girl flinched, stumbling back a step. I could smell her fear. I was surprised that she didn’t start running. She swallowed hard. “I… I saw the Luna being taken,” she stammered. “I was in the room when I heard footsteps coming. I thought it was vampires, so I hid—inside this big, empty cardboard box.”I folded my arms, forcing myself to stay calm. “Go on.”She shifted nervously but she continued. “I—I saw Cornelius. He was with the Luna.”I nodded tightly. “I know. He said they were ambushed. That he tried to protect her and—”“No!” she blurted out, shaking her head violently. “No, Alpha—that’s not true. That’s not what happened.”My breath caught. Fenrir growled inside of me. ‘I knew he was lying,’She looked like she wanted to run, but she still spoke. “He hit her. I saw it. He backhanded her… then he kicked her when she was on the ground.”Fenrir bec
Knox's POVTrigger Warning! Blood And Gore because Knox is Pissed!The vampire chuckled mockingly, his fangs were stained red. “You were betrayed by a member of your beloved pack. I guess you’re not as loved as you think.”I growled and landed a punch into his midsection, hard enough to make the chains shake violently. He bent over, gasping for air.“Who is it?!” I roared.“I don’t know,” he groaned through the pain. “I wasn’t told. The higher ranks didn’t tell us. All we know is that a mutt gave us everything we needed—information, access, weaknesses.”I clenched my jaw so hard, and my claws dug into my palms. “You’re saying someone from my pack helped you take my mate?”He looked up at me, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. He had a very smug look on his face. “Not just helped,” he said slowly, deliberately. “Delivered her.”My breath caught.But the bastard wasn’t done. There was a wicked glint in his eyes that caused me to pause.“Oh, Alpha King,” he hissed, his voice dri
Knox's POVI lunged for Cornelius, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall. His eyes snapped open, and widened with fear.“Where is she?” I roared, my voice blending with Fenrir’s “Where’s Aria?!”He coughed, shaking in fear. “I—I don’t know,” he wheezed.My grip tightened. “What do you mean by that?” I growled. “I saw you take her. You took her away from the fight.”Cornelius blinked, shaking his head frantically. “I was—I was taking her to safety. She was hurt, and—and… losing too much blood. But then—then a vampire came out of nowhere. I tried to stop it, but it knocked me out.”My heart dropped to my stomach, and my breath caught.“No…” I breathed out in horror, shaking my head frantically. I tightened my grip on his collar. “No! I don’t believe you! Tell me what the hell happened!” I roared.Cornelius flinched, trembling in fear. “Y-You…have…to… to believe me, Alpha. I-I tried to save…her. But the vampire was too strong.”Fenrir snarled inside me, unconvinced
Knox's POVIt was the worst feeling ever.That feeling of losing control, while you watch yourself doing pure evil.I could still feel it, the feeling of her flesh against my claws, and the warmth of her blood. I could still feel the horror in my bones when I realized it was her. Aria. My mate. My everything.And I hurt her.Fenrir roared inside me in pain, just as shattered and broken as I was. We were both drowning in guilt and rage. Rage at ourselves for what we had done to our mate. So we turned that rage outward.We tore through the vampires like savages, allowing our rage to take over as we decimated them. It was easier to rip them apart than face what we had done. It was easier to destroy them than think about the way Aria had cried out in pain because of us.No matter how much I tried to think, I didn’t know how it happened. One moment, we were all over each other, lost in passion. I was about to mark her. My fangs were hovering just above her skin…And then something snapped.
Aria's POVThe stranger was pale, tall, with red eyes. My heart dropped into my stomach.A vampire.Cornelius struggled against his grip, “I…I did…what you t…told me to…”My heart pounded in my chest as I realized that Cornelius and the vampire were working together. How?I clutched my belly tightly, as I struggled to breathe. My throat burned as I took in air.‘Please,’ I prayed silently to the moon goddess, ‘Please let my baby be okay. Please.’The vampire tilted his head, looking almost thoughtful as he glanced between Cornelius and I, then he nodded and released Cornelius.“Yes,” the vampire said smoothly, with a deep, cool voice, “Yes, you did everything.”My vision was turning dark. I was losing consciousness, no matter how much I fought to stay awake.Cornelius sighed in relief, holding his throat. He opened his mouth to speak, but the vampire raised a hand fluidly, cutting him off.“But you also did what you weren't told to.” The vampire added.Cornelius gaped. “Wha—”“Lord Vi
Aria's POVTrigger Warning!!! A Lot Of Violence Ahead!!!The vampire lunged. I screamed, throwing my arms up to shield myself. My mind kept screaming one thing over and over again.My baby. My baby. My baby.I braced for the pain, wishing I could tell Knox that I loved him no matter what.But the pain never came.Instead, a loud crash echoed through the hall as something massive slammed into the vampire with brutal force, throwing him against the wall so hard it cracked.I blinked in shock as the vampire released a cry of pain, with fear in his eyes.A creature with black fur and dancing shadows around its fur stood between me and the vampire with crimson eyes that were so familiar that my eyes welled up with tears.Fenrir.He released a deep growl. I could feel the vibration from the ground beneath me. The shadows danced around his large frame like a storm. He stood tall over everything, looking more like a demon than a wolf.The vampire staggered to his feet, snarling at him. But Fe
Aria's POVPain surged through my body with every movement, and my blood left a trail behind me as I stumbled through the hallways. My vision blurred as I walked, and every breath I took burned my throat.I just needed to get to the clinic. Everything would be fine.Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the halls, followed by screaming. The floor trembled under me.What the hell?My heartbeat increased in panic. I limped faster.Then I heard the sounds of growls, snarls, and more screams. They were getting closer now.My breath hitched as I perceived a scent that I had never smelled before, but I knew what it was. Blood. Death. Vampires.A door nearby slammed open, and a young pack member burst out, her eyes wide with terror. She came to a stop the moment she saw me.“L-Luna!” she gasped, rushing toward me.I tried to wave her off, but she reached for me anyway to steady me. “You’re bleeding so much, we need to—”“There’s no time,” I rasped, holding her arm. “You need to run. Get out o
Aria’s POV“No, I’m not running away,” I muttered, turning back.‘You’re a fool!’ Jade roared in my head, her voice was filled with frustration and panic. ‘You’re bleeding out, and you're choosing this?!’“Maybe,” I whispered, my voice shook, and my throat felt raw. “But I’m not leaving him.”Jade snapped, ‘And how do you think you’re going to help him?! Huh?! With what, exactly?! Love and prayers?’I opened my mouth to answer… but nothing came out.I didn’t know what I could do, that was the truth, but all I knew was that he needed me.But it was Rhea who answered.Her voice was soft but firm. ‘Mate needs us.’That was her only response. Jade groaned. “Please kill me.”I took another step towards Knox, then another. My body felt weak from the blood loss, but I didn't stop.Knox was still on his knees, groaning, and shaking violently. His eyes were still changing colours as he fought for control. The black veins were stretched throughout this body now.“Knox,” I whispered.No response