Chapter 3

_Aria's POV_

"Mate."

The word echoed through the ballroom. For a moment, I thought I had imagined it. My heart pounded wildly inside my chest as I stared at Kael Voronov. The future Alpha was still looking directly at me. Shock filled his face....real shock. As if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Neither could I.

The entire ballroom seemed frozen. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Then suddenly Kael took another step forward.

"Kael?" Luna Evelyn called.

He didn't answer. His eyes never left mine. A strange warmth spread through my body. My pulse raced so fast that I could barely breathe.

Why was he looking at me like that?

Why had he said that word?

The crowd began whispering. "Did he just say mate?"

"I think he did."

"Who is he looking at?"

People turned their heads. Their eyes followed Kael's gaze. And then they found me. Hundreds of eyes landed on me at once. My stomach twisted. I wanted to disappear.

Instead, I remained frozen where I stood. Kael suddenly crossed the ballroom. One step....then another....then another.

The crowd immediately moved aside for him. Nobody dared stand in his way. My hands began shaking.

What was happening?

Why was he coming toward me?

The whispers grew louder. "He's walking toward someone."

"Who is it?"

"I can't see."

"Oh my Goddess."

"No way."

Kael stopped directly in front of me. The entire room seemed to stop breathing. I slowly lifted my head. Our eyes met. Up close, he was even more intimidating. He was taller than everyone around him. Everything about him screamed powerful Alpha.

Yet he was staring at me as if I were the only person in the room. His jaw tightened. His wolf was clearly struggling for control. Then, before anyone could stop him, Kael turned toward the crowd.

"I have found my mate."

The ballroom exploded. Gasps echoed everywhere. People immediately began talking over one another.

"No way."

"His mate?"

"Who?"

"Who is she?"

I couldn't move. I couldn't think. His mate?

My heart hammered painfully. This couldn't be happening. This had to be some kind of mistake.

Alpha Victor looked stunned. Then a huge smile spread across his face. "Kael."

Luna Evelyn's eyes lit up. "You found her?"

Kael nodded. "Yes."

For a brief moment, both of his parents looked genuinely happy. Like they had been waiting for this day. Like every parent dreamed of seeing their child find their mate.

My chest tightened. I couldn't understand what was happening. Then Kael slowly turned back toward me. The room followed his gaze. The whispers immediately stopped. Every eye landed on me again.

This time the silence felt even worse. Alpha Victor frowned. Luna Evelyn blinked. The happiness slowly disappeared from their faces. Confusion replaced it because they had finally seen me and not Selene.

I was not some powerful Alpha's daughter. I was the awkward girl standing beside a spilled wine stain. The girl wearing a simple black dress.

My mother suddenly looked horrified. "Aria?"

My father looked equally shocked. "No." The word slipped from his lips before he could stop himself.

Kael frowned. "You know her?"

The question made several people laugh nervously.

My mother immediately stepped forward. "Of course we know her."

Her voice sounded strained. "She's our daughter."

The crowd gasped again. Kael looked surprised. His parents exchanged a glance. For one brief second, I thought that everything would be okay. Maybe it didn't matter. Maybe a mate bond was stronger than reputation. Maybe somebody would finally choose me.

Then, Selene laughed. The sound sliced through the ballroom. Everyone turned toward her. She stared at Kael as if he had lost his mind. "That isn't possible."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Selene shook her head. "There must be some mistake."

A dangerous look entered Kael's eyes. "There is no mistake."

"Yes, there is."

The ballroom fell silent. Nobody dared interrupt.

Selene pointed directly at me. "Her."

My face burned.

"She's wolfless."

The words echoed through the room. Instantly, everything changed. Whispers erupted from every direction.

"That's right."

"The wolfless girl."

"She's twenty but she still has not shifted."

"How can she be the fated mate of an Alpha?"

The happiness vanished completely from Alpha Victor's face. Luna Evelyn looked stunned. Kael's expression hardened.

"What do you mean?"

Selene crossed her arms. "I mean exactly what I said."

She smiled cruelly. "Aria doesn't have a wolf."

The crowd grew louder. I wanted to disappear. I hated this. I hated all of it.

Kael turned toward me. His eyes searched my face. He was looking for answers. Unfortunately, there wasn't any. I lowered my gaze. The silence was my answer.

Alpha Victor suddenly spoke. "She's wolfless?"

My father quickly stepped forward. "Unfortunately."

"She never shifted," my father continued. "The healers don't understand why."

My mother nodded immediately. "We've tried everything."

The embarrassment in her voice was impossible to miss. As if she were apologizing for me. They considered me as some defective product.

Kael remained silent. His parents looked increasingly uncomfortable.The crowd continued whispering.

Then Selene spoke again. "Kael, surely the Moon Goddess wouldn't choose a wolfless girl as the future Luna."

Several people nodded. Others murmured their agreement. My chest tightened painfully. I wished someone would defend me....just once. But nobody did.

Alpha Victor looked at Kael. His expression was neutral but I could see the concern in his eyes. A future Luna without a wolf. A future Luna who couldn't even defend herself. It sounded ridiculous.

The whispers grew louder.

"I've never heard of anything like this."

"Maybe the bond is wrong."

"Can that happen?"

"She's not worthy of being Luna."

Each word felt like another knife. I struggled to breathe. Tears threatened to fill my eyes. I fought them back. I wouldn't cry....not here. Not in front of everyone.

Kael still hadn't spoken. That scared me more than anything. His silence felt dangerous. Then his wolf suddenly growled. The sound was low and threatening.

Several people flinched. Kael's eyes flashed briefly. His wolf was angry...very angry.

Selene took a step closer. Her smile returned.

"Kael."

His gaze snapped toward her.

She immediately softened her expression. "I know this must be confusing."

My stomach dropped. She was already trying to take him away. She was trying to separate us. Even though I still couldn't believe any of this was real.

"You deserve a strong Luna," Selene continued. "A Luna who can stand beside you."

She placed a hand on her chest. "A Luna worthy of your position."

The meaning was obvious. Several guests nodded approvingly. My mother smiled. My father looked hopeful. They all wanted Kael to choose Selene instead.

The realization shattered something inside me. I wasn't surprised. Because they had always chosen Selene.

Kael's jaw tightened. The tension in the room became suffocating. Nobody knew what he would do. Nobody knew what he was thinking.

Then Alpha Victor finally spoke. "Kael."

The future Alpha turned toward his father. The older Alpha's expression was serious. For the first time since entering the ballroom, he looked worried.

Kael didn't respond. He simply stared at his father. Then Luna Evelyn stepped forward.

"Perhaps we should discuss this privately."

The crowd immediately erupted into whispers again. Nobody wanted them to leave. Everyone wanted to know what would happen next.

Including me.

Especially me.

Because somehow my entire life had changed in the space of a few minutes. I still didn't understand how and why. All I knew was that the future Alpha had called me his mate. And now everyone seemed determined to convince him that I wasn't good enough.

Kael's eyes slowly found mine again. My breath caught. The entire ballroom disappeared. There was only him...only those dark eyes.

For a moment, I thought that he might say something. Instead, his expression became unreadable. Then he turned away and followed his parents toward a private room.

My heart sank while watching him leave. The whispers immediately grew louder. Around me, people began speculating. But I barely heard any of it.

Because one terrifying thought kept repeating inside my head.

What if they convinced him? What if he decided that a wolfless girl wasn't worthy of being his mate?

My chest tightened painfully. I didn't know much about the mate bond. I didn't know what happened when a mate rejected you. But judging by the pitying looks some of the older wolves were giving me, it couldn't be anything good.

Fear slowly crept through me.

If the future Alpha rejected me...

What would happen to me then?

And why did the thought hurt so much already?