CHAPTER ONE

Aria’s POV

The bond betrayed me.

The moment my eyes met his, something inside me cracked open. My chest squeezed, my pulse thundered, and for a heartbeat, the world went silent.

And then it whispered.

Mate.

The word curled inside me like smoke, curling around my ribs, tightening, burning.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to rip the word out, claw it from my bones, spit it back at the Moon Goddess herself.

Because he was an Alpha.

And Alphas only brought ruin.

I knew that truth better than anyone.

I had watched an Alpha destroy everything I loved. I watched him slaughter my family, his teeth flashing, his laughter echoing as blood turned the earth black.

He had ripped my sister apart before my eyes. He had taken my mother’s last breath with his claws. That night carved me into what I am.

It taught me two things: packs betray, and Alphas destroy.

So when the bond came, when the Goddess dared to tie me to another Alpha, I already knew my answer.

No.

Never.

I lunged before he could speak. Before he could claim me with his voice, his touch, his command.

He was taller than me, broader, his shoulders built for dominance. But there was something off about him. His swings were heavy, yes, but not fluid.

His movements were strong, but slower than they should be. I’d been fighting long enough to recognize weakness, and for all his reputation, this Alpha was not whole.

But that didn’t matter. Whole or broken, Alpha was Alpha. And that meant he was my enemy.

My claws slashed through the air, forcing him back. Sparks flew as steel clashed against claw when he lifted his blade to block me. His eyes never left mine.

And that was the worst part.

Those eyes weren’t full of arrogance. They weren’t cold, or cruel, or mocking. No. They were dark, yes, but behind the shadow, there was something raw. Desperate. Haunted.

I hated it. Hated the way my chest pulled at the sight of it.

“Mate,” he whispered, voice hoarse like he could barely believe the word.

My body shivered at the sound, but I drowned it in rage.

“Don’t you dare,” I spat. My voice was sharp enough to cut.

He flinched like my words struck deeper than my claws. But he didn’t strike me back. He tried to restrain me, catching my wrist instead of breaking it.

That only enraged me more.

“You think I’ll bow to you?” I snarled, shoving against him, my teeth bared inches from his throat. “You think I’ll fall to my knees because fate bound us?”

His grip tightened, his chest heaving with every breath. “It’s not fate,” he rasped. “It’s the truth.”

I laughed in his face, sharp and bitter. “Truth? No. It’s a curse. And I’d rather die cursed than chained to you.”

For a heartbeat, his expression faltered. His jaw clenched. His eyes searched mine, and what I saw there almost made me falter too. Pain. Not arrogance. Not pride. Pain.

And something else I didn’t want to name.

I shoved harder, twisting free. My claws swiped across his side, tearing into flesh. Blood welled hot and red, dripping down his ribs. He hissed, stumbling back a step.

His men had gone quiet. I could feel their stares burning into us. Their whispers rippled across the battlefield like wind through dead grass.

They had seen. They knew.

Good. Let them see. Let them watch their Alpha humiliated by a rogue who refused to bow.

He growled, but not like other Alphas I had faced. Not with dominance or cruelty. It was hollow, aching.

“Why fight me?” His voice cracked, raw. “Why fight what the Goddess has given us?”

“Because the Goddess is cruel,” I spat. My claws shot forward again, ringing against his blade, sparks bursting between us. “Because chains dressed as destiny are still chains.”

He caught me again, both wrists this time, his grip iron. His breath was hot against my face, ragged, desperate.

“I’m not your enemy,” he said, teeth clenched.

“You’re an Alpha. That’s all I need to know.”

His jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. “What happened to you?”

The words slammed into me harder than his grip. For a heartbeat, I froze.

Memories burned, blood pooling on the floor, the Alpha’s laughter, my sister’s scream cut short. The way my mother’s eyes went blank.

The weight of it hit me all over again, suffocating, searing.

I bared my teeth. “Enough.”

I ripped free with a snarl and drove my knee into his stomach. He gasped, air rushing out of him as he doubled over.

And for a second, I had him.

I could’ve killed him then. My claws hovered at his throat, close enough to feel the heat of his blood.

But the bond roared inside me, screaming mate, and my hands trembled.

I hated it. I hated myself.

So I did the only thing I could.

I ran.

Not like a coward. Not in fear. I ran like a storm breaking free of its cage. Like freedom itself was more important than blood or fate or destiny.

Behind me, I heard his men murmuring, restless. I heard his Beta’s voice cut sharp across the battlefield…“Alpha?!”...filled with confusion and alarm.

But I didn’t look back.

I couldn’t.

Because if I looked back, I might break.

And I’d sworn never to break again.

The trees swallowed me, shadows wrapping around me as my chest burned, my legs carried me further, further. The scent of him clung to my lungs, hot and sharp, refusing to let go.

Every step away was agony. Every breath was war. The bond pulled like a chain, dragging me back toward him, whispering his name, binding me to a fate I wanted no part of.

I shoved it down. I bit hard into my own tongue until I tasted blood, grounding myself in the pain.

He was an Alpha.

That was all I needed to remember.

No matter what the bond said.

No matter what my chest screamed.

I would never belong to him.

Not now. Not ever.

And I shall be back!

To finish what I have started.....