Breakfree

He pulled out a radio and spoke in a low tone. After a tense few minutes, he nodded.

"Alpha Dante will see you. But any hostile moves, and you're dead. Understood?"

"Understood."

They were escorted through Nightshade territory, and Aria couldn't help but notice the differences from Silvermoon. The wolves they passed seemed more relaxed, less rigid in their hierarchy. She saw omegas walking alongside higher-ranked wolves without the cowering deference that had been required in her old pack.

The pack house was smaller than Silvermoon's but warmer somehow, with lights glowing in windows and the sound of laughter drifting out into the night.

They were led to a comfortable office where a man stood looking out the window. When he turned, Aria's breath caught.

Alpha Dante Nightshade was beautiful in a completely different way than Kade. Where Kade was cold and hard, Dante was warm and approachable. His hazel eyes studied them with intelligence and curiosity rather than judgment.

"Welcome to Nightshade territory," he said, his voice like smooth whiskey. "I'm told you're seeking sanctuary. That's a serious request. Tell me your story."

And so Aria did. She told him everything—about being an omega in Silvermoon, about finding her mate, about the rejection. She even told him about the strange power that had manifested when the rogues attacked. Maya filled in details Aria missed, her voice steady and supportive.

Through it all, Dante listened without interruption, his expression growing darker when they described the rejection.

"Kade Thornridge is a fool," he said finally. "To reject any mate is unconscionable. To reject one with latent power like yours is beyond foolish—it's catastrophic for his pack."

"You believe me?" Aria asked. "About the power?"

"I do. The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes in her pairings. If she gave you to an Alpha, there's a reason. You're far more than you appear to be, Aria Blackwood." Dante moved closer, and Aria caught his scent—earth and cedar, warm and grounding. "I'll grant you sanctuary. Both of you. You'll have a place here, protection, and the opportunity to discover exactly what you're capable of."

Tears of relief streamed down Aria's face. "Thank you, Alpha."

"Call me Dante. We're not as formal here as Silvermoon seems to be." His smile was kind. "Rest tonight. Tomorrow, we'll begin training. If you have power, we'll help you learn to control and strengthen it. And maybe, just maybe, we'll show Kade Thornridge exactly what he threw away."

As Aria and Maya were shown to a guest room—a space twice the size of their old cabin, with actual beds and clean sheets—Aria felt something she hadn't felt since that moment in the clearing when the mate bond first snapped into place.

Hope.

Kade had broken her. But she wasn't going to stay broken.

She was going to become someone even an Alpha couldn't ignore.

And someday, somehow, she would make him regret ever letting her go.

Aria moved through her tiny room like a ghost, mechanically shoving clothes into a worn backpack. Her hands trembled as she worked, but her tears had finally dried. There were no more left to cry.

"You don't have to do this," Maya said from the doorway, her voice thick with unshed tears. "You could stay. He might change his mind—"

"He won't." Aria's voice was hollow, empty. She could still feel the phantom pain where the mate bond had been severed, like a missing limb that her body kept reaching for. "And even if he did, I wouldn't want him. Not after... not after what he said."

Weak. Liability. Not good enough.

The words echoed in her mind, each one a fresh wound. What made it worse was that part of her believed them. She'd spent her whole life being told she was lesser, that omegas were at the bottom of the hierarchy for a reason. Tonight had just confirmed what she'd always feared—even fate's choice couldn't make her worthy.

Maya crossed the room and grabbed Aria's shoulders, forcing her to meet her eyes. "Listen to me. Kade Thornridge is a fool. You are not weak. You are not a liability. And you are more than good enough."

"Then why—" Aria's voice broke.

"Because he's broken," Maya said fiercely. "Everyone knows what losing Elena did to him. He's been half-dead inside for three years. This isn't about you, Aria. It's about him being too damaged to accept the gift the Moon Goddess gave him."

Aria wanted to believe her. But the rejection had carved something out of her chest, left a hollow space that throbbed with every breath. "It doesn't matter why. I can't stay here. I can't watch him every day, knowing he looked at me and found me wanting."

Maya pulled her into a tight hug. "Where will you go?"

"Nightshade territory," Aria whispered against her friend's shoulder. "It's two days' run to the north. I heard their Alpha is... kinder. Maybe he'll grant me sanctuary."

"That's dangerous. The forests between here and there are filled with rogues." Maya pulled back, worry etched across her face. "Let me come with you."

"No." Aria shook her head firmly. "You have family here, a life. I won't let you throw that away for me."

"You're my family too."

The words nearly broke Aria's fragile composure. She squeezed Maya's hand. "Which is why I need you to stay safe. Promise me you won't follow."

Before Maya could argue further, a sharp knock sounded at the door. Both girls froze. It was past midnight—no one should be visiting the omega quarters at this hour.

"Aria Blackwood." The voice was male, authoritative. Garrett, the Beta. "Open the door."

Maya and Aria exchanged panicked glances. Had Kade sent his Beta to finish what he'd started? To formally exile her?

"Coming," Aria called, her voice steadier than she felt. She opened the door to find Garrett standing in the hallway, his expression grim. Behind him stood two pack warriors.

Her heart sank. This was it. They were going to throw her out tonight, wouldn't even give her until morning.

But Garrett's next words surprised her. "May I come in? Alone."

Aria nodded mutely, stepping back. The Beta entered and closed the door, leaving the warriors outside. He was a large man, built like a fighter, but his brown eyes held unexpected kindness.

"I'm not here on the Alpha's orders," Garrett said quietly. "In fact, he doesn't know I'm here, and I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"Then why are you here?" Aria asked, confusion replacing her fear.

Garrett sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "Because what Kade did tonight was wrong. Cruel. And I've known him long enough to see that he's already regretting it, even if he's too stubborn to admit it."

"He has a funny way of showing regret," Aria said bitterly.

"I'm not making excuses for him," Garrett said firmly. "What he did was unforgivable. But I also know he's not in his right mind. Hasn't been since Elena died. When he felt the mate bond snap into place tonight, I saw terror in his eyes, Aria. Pure terror. Not of you—of losing someone again."

Aria's chest tightened. Part of her wanted to feel sympathy for Kade's pain. But the larger part—the part still bleeding from his rejection—couldn't afford to care.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're planning to run," Garrett said, glancing at her half-packed bag. "And I'm here to help you."

Aria blinked in shock. "You're... what?"

The Beta reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded map and a small leather pouch. "This map shows the safest route to Nightshade territory. Stick to the marked paths and you should avoid most rogue activity. The pouch has money—enough to get you started wherever you end up."

"I don't understand." Aria stared at the items he was holding out. "Why would you help me? You're Kade's Beta. You're supposed to be loyal to him."

"I am loyal to him," Garrett said. "Which is why I'm doing this. Kade needs to face what he's done, what he's lost. And you..." He pressed the map and pouch into her hands. "You deserve a chance at a real life. Not one spent serving a pack that never valued you."

Tears pricked at Aria's eyes again. "Thank you," she whispered.

"There's one more thing." Garrett's expression grew serious. "Alpha Dante of the Nightshade Pack is a good man. Fair. If you make it to his territory and request sanctuary, he'll likely grant it. But be careful, Aria. The forest is dangerous, especially for a wolf traveling alone. Stay in wolf form as much as possible, trust your instincts, and don't stop for anything."

Aria nodded, clutching the map to her chest like a lifeline.

Garrett moved toward the door, then paused. "For what it's worth, I think Kade made the biggest mistake of his life tonight. And I think someday, when he finally pulls his head out of his ass, he's going to realize that too. Whether it will be too late or not..." He shrugged. "I guess that's up to fate."

After the Beta left, Maya helped Aria finish packing. They didn't speak much—there wasn't much left to say. When the first hints of dawn began to lighten the sky, Aria shouldered her pack and headed for the door.

"Wait." Maya pressed something into her hand. A small silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon. "My grandmother gave this to me. She said it would protect me. I want you to have it."

"Maya, I can't—"

"Yes, you can." Maya fastened the chain around Aria's neck. "Promise me you'll write when you're safe. Find a way to get a message to me."

"I promise." Aria hugged her friend one last time, memorizing the warmth, the feeling of being cared for. Then she slipped out into the pre-dawn darkness.

The pack territory was quiet, most wolves still asleep after the late-night meeting. Aria made her way to the eastern border, where the forest grew thick and wild. At the tree line, she paused and looked back at the only home she'd ever known.

Somewhere in the pack house, Kade was probably sleeping. Or maybe he was awake, staring at the ceiling, feeling the same hollow ache she felt. Part of her hoped he was suffering. But another part—the part that had felt the mate bond, that had glimpsed the broken man beneath the cold Alpha—hoped he would find peace.

Just not with me, she thought. Never with me.

Luna stirred beneath her skin, eager to run, to escape the pain of this place. Aria stripped off her clothes, tucking them into her pack, and called to her wolf. The shift came easily, bones reshaping, fur sprouting. Within seconds, a silver-white wolf stood where the girl had been.

Aria picked up the pack in her jaws and plunged into the forest. She ran as dawn broke over Silvermoon territory, each step carrying her farther from the Alpha who had rejected her and closer to an uncertain future.

She didn't know what waited for her in Nightshade territory. Didn't know if she would even survive the journey through rogue-infested forests.

But anything was better than staying in a place where she would forever be the omega not even her fated mate could love.

As the sun rose, Aria ran north, leaving her old life behind with every pounding heartbeat.

The broken omega was gone.

What emerged from these ashes would be something new.

Something stronger.