Chapter 4

_Aria's POV_

I couldn't breathe.

The ballroom felt smaller with every passing second. Guests continued whispering around me, their voices blending together until they became one endless noise inside my head. Nobody was even trying to be discreet anymore. They were staring, judging and waiting to see what the future Alpha would decide.

I stood near the edge of the room with my hands clasped tightly together. My heart felt like it was trying to break through my ribs. Across the ballroom, the door to the private meeting room remained closed. Kael was inside with his parents. They were discussing about me.

The thought alone made me feel sick. I had spent my entire life being ignored. Now suddenly everyone was talking about me, but not for a good reason. Never for a good reason.

The whispers continued all around me.

"A wolfless Luna?"

"Impossible."

"The future Alpha deserves better."

"The Moon Goddess must have made a mistake."

I lowered my gaze as every word sank deeper into my chest. It was amazing how easily people could talk about me as if I wasn't standing right there.

A familiar voice suddenly broke through the crowd. "Poor Aria."

My stomach immediately tightened. I didn't even need to look up to know who it was. After years of living in the same house, I would recognize Selene's voice anywhere, especially when she used that fake sympathetic tone.

Slowly, I lifted my eyes. Selene stood in front of me with her two closest friends beside her. All three were smiling. They were enjoying this.

"You must be so confused," Selene said softly.

I didn't answer. She took another step closer and folded her arms.

"Honestly, I was confused too."

My jaw tightened. "What do you want, Selene?"

She sighed dramatically as though I had offended her. "I was trying to be nice."

"You've never tried to be nice."

For a brief second, irritation flashed across her face before her smile returned. "I just think you should prepare yourself."

A cold feeling settled inside my stomach. "Prepare myself for what?"

Selene tilted her head and looked at me with mock pity. "For reality."

I stared at her. She smiled. "Did you really think Kael Voronov would choose a wolfless girl?"

My chest tightened painfully. "He said that I was his mate."

Her smile widened. "That doesn't mean he'll accept you."

Her friends immediately laughed. One of them crossed her arms. "She's right."

The other nodded eagerly. "A future Luna needs to be strong."

Selene slowly looked me up and down. "You can't even shift."

My face burned with humiliation. "You don't know what he'll decide."

"Oh, I do." The confidence in her voice frightened me. She glanced toward the closed door before looking back at me.

"Kael has responsibilities. He can't afford a mate like you."

Before I could respond, she turned and walked away. Her friends followed immediately. They left me standing there alone.

I looked toward the closed door. Please....just once. Please let someone choose me.

Several long minutes passed before the door finally opened. Conversations died around the ballroom and every head turned toward the private room. My heart nearly stopped as Kael stepped through the doorway, followed by Alpha Victor and Luna Evelyn.

The moment I saw his face, I knew something was wrong. The warmth from earlier was gone. His expression was cold. My stomach dropped.

The crowd parted for them as they crossed the ballroom. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Everyone was waiting.

Kael's eyes found mine for a brief moment. Something flashed across his face. It seemed like regret and pain. Then it vanished so quickly that I wondered if I had imagined it.

Alpha Victor cleared his throat. "We have reached a decision."

Luna Evelyn looked uncomfortable, almost guilty. My parents immediately stepped forward. They looked nervous but not because they were worried about me. They were worried about their reputation.

Kael remained silent beside his father. Alpha Victor glanced at him before addressing the room. "My son has responsibilities."

"A future Alpha must think about his pack. He needs a strong Luna. Everyone knows that."

My chest tightened. I already knew where this was going. I just wasn't ready to hear it.

Then Kael finally spoke. "Aria." The sound of my name on his lips made my heart ache.

I looked up. His dark eyes locked onto mine and for one foolish moment hope rose inside me again. Then he continued speaking.

"You are my mate."

The room became completely silent.

"But..."

That single word shattered my hope. There it was; the excuse....the reason. The rejection I had feared from the moment he walked into that private room.

Kael took a slow breath. "I am the future Alpha. I have duties to my pack. My Luna must be capable of standing beside me. She must be strong enough to support the position and the responsibilities that come with it."

Tears burned behind my eyes. I already knew what he was saying. Yet hearing it still hurt.

"As things stand now, you cannot fulfill that role."

The ballroom immediately erupted into whispers. My heart broke completely and nobody cared.

My father stepped forward. "We understand."

I stared at him. He didn't even look at me. His attention remained fixed on Kael as though I wasn't standing right there.

"You have to think about your future," he continued.

My mother nodded immediately. "Of course. We completely understand."

The pain became unbearable. They weren't defending me. They weren't standing beside me. They were helping him reject me.

Selene stepped forward next. The smile on her face made me want to scream. "Nobody blames you, Kael."

I looked at her. She looked back. She looked victorious and satisfied. My suffering was making her happy.

"Kael deserves someone stronger," she continued. "Someone who can stand beside him. Someone worthy of becoming Luna."

The meaning was obvious. Several guests nodded in agreement. My mother smiled. My father looked hopeful....as if he wanted Kael to choose Selene instead.

The future Alpha straightened. Every person in the ballroom knew what was coming. My heart pounded violently inside my chest. Kael looked directly at me. His expression remained unreadable. Then he spoke.

"Aria Vale."

A tear slid down my cheek. I didn't bother wiping it away.

"I, Kael Voronov, reject you as my mate."

The words crashed into me like a physical blow. Pain exploded through my chest. A gasp escaped my lips as my knees nearly gave out beneath me. The bond snapped. For one terrifying moment, the room spun around me. I thought that I was going to collapse.

Several guests gasped. Others watched with open curiosity as though they were witnessing entertainment rather than someone's heartbreak. I wrapped my arms around myself and fought to remain standing.

The sharp pain eventually faded but the emptiness did not. Kael continued staring at me. His face had gone pale....almost as if the rejection had hurt him too.

I didn't care. The damage was already done. The future Alpha had rejected me in front of the entire pack. The whispers started immediately.

"Poor girl."

"I knew it."

"A wolfless Luna was impossible."

"How embarrassing."

I wanted to disappear. I wanted to run. I wanted to wake up and discover this had all been a nightmare.

Instead, I remained frozen where I stood. Selene slowly walked toward me. Her heels clicked softly against the polished floor. When she stopped in front of me, a cruel smile spread across her face.

"I tried to warn you."

I stared at her.

"You must be disappointed."

I said nothing.

She leaned closer. "So am I."

My stomach twisted.

"Kael deserves better."

Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "He deserves someone worthy of him."

I knew exactly what she meant. Someone like her who was beautiful, powerful and loved.

Not me.

What hurt the most was that nobody supported me.

Eventually the music started again. Conversations resumed and the party slowly returned to normal, as though my world hadn't just fallen apart. I quietly slipped away from the ballroom.

I climbed the stairs and entered my room before closing the door behind me. The silence felt overwhelming.

I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at the wall as tears rolled down my cheeks. This time I didn't stop them. There was no point.

The future Alpha had rejected me. My parents had supported him. My sister had enjoyed every second. I had never felt so alone.

Slowly, another thought entered my mind. It was a dangerous idea.

Maybe I should leave.

Maybe I should run away.

What was keeping me here?

Nothing.

Nobody loved me.

Nobody wanted me.

This pack had never truly felt like home.

I wiped at my tears and looked toward the window. Beyond the glass, the dark forest stretched into the distance. The trees swayed gently beneath the moonlight and for the first time, they didn't seem frightening. They seemed welcoming.

As another tear slipped down my cheek, a painful question entered my mind.

If there was nothing left for me in this pack...

Why was I still staying?