LOGINAria's pov
The moment Lucas walked away from me I felt something deep inside my chest cracked. This was unlike him. He hasn't for once show any affection to me since he started his training as an Alpha.
"Something is definitely wrong somewhere" I muttered. "Go home" his words replayed in my head.
I stood there for a few seconds, watching him disappear into the trees with his warriors, and I swear I can still feel his warmness in the air.
What was I expecting? He's the future Alpha and I'm no one. It's best I keep my distance from him. If he wants distance I'll give him that. I'm tired of begging for his attention.
*
Inside the pack's house, everywhere was silent which was normal because morning training has empty everyone outside.
My footsteps echoed loudly across the empty room. I headed straight to my room when someone walked into my path.
Mira!
She was wearing a smirk on her face with her arms crossed under her breasts.
"You look upset... Did Lucas finally let you out of his way?" She asked with a grin and I didn't say a word instead I continued with my walk.
She blocked me from moving any further by placing her hand on the way.
"Why are you even always with him? You're nothing but a weak wolf. You can't even shift" Those words hit like slap.
"Out of my way" I said sharply.
"No" She lowered her voice as she stepped closer.
"Girls like you don't deserve to go close to Alphas, you work is to serve them not the other way around " She said and I only heaved. "It's best you leave this place. Leave the sight of the Alpha. He doesn't want you, understood?"
"If you don't get the hell out of my way right now you'll regret what's going to happen to you in the next two seconds. It's best you respect yourself and get out of the way" I said with my fist clenched tightly beside me and for the first time in my life I saw fears in Mira's eyes.
The way she looked at me says it all. She was shocked. She didn't say a word instead she scoffed and murmuring some inaudibly words as she walked.
I watched her figure disappearing into thin air till she was out of sight completely and I pressed my shaking hands together, inhaling a deep breath.
I walked into my small space, my room. I collapsed on the bed and palmed my face with my palm and sobbed silently.
"Just take a deep breath, Aria. Don't let Mira words get to you. She means nothing" I reassured myself trying not to think deep about what she had said to me earlier.
On the other hand, Mira and everyone is right on this. The Lucas deserve a Strong Luna that they can rule the kingdom together forever and not a weak wolf that was cursed by the blood moon and can't even shift yet.
Before I know it tears started slipping from my eyes to the bed, I couldn't even wipe them off.
"Why does it has to be me? It should have been someone else." I hiccuped as more tears poured out.
All of a sudden a sharp pain hit my chest and before I could think of anything else blood spilled out of my mouth.
"What the hell?" I gasped as my hand went to my lip. I suddenly felt a strange energy around me. It felt like something in me was struggling to come out. I could feel the heat rushing down my body.
It hurts so much. My visions turned blurry. Everywhere turned red and it was as if I was in another world. My legs stayed glued to the ground.
"Argh!!! Make it stop. Someone help!" I shouted the moment I caught my fingers and veins glowing and all red.
The pain was unbearable. I bet that anyone could hear me because I couldn't even hear my own voice.
I heard a voice and my eyes snapped open at once and I looked around.
"Who's there?" I asked in shaking lips.
"Aria " the voice came again but this time around it came from inside me. "Finally" The voice came again and that was all I could remember before passing out on the cold floor.
*
I woke after a few minutes and the first thing I noticed was the sudden change of weight but I ignored it. I was drenched in sweats and for some seconds I thought all that happened was a dream.
I staggered to the small mirror on my dressing table and I picked it up and stared at myself. My heart left my chest the moment I saw my reflection on the mirror.
My eyes were no longer brow but instead they were glowing red like blood and I stumbled backward and flipped my eyes opened again and it was the same thing.
Fear gripped me at once and the mirror slipped out of my hands and shattered to the ground.
I grabbed my jacket and ran out of the room. My face was covered with the hoodie cap and a familiar scent hit my nose but I ignored it.
"Aria " Lucas called and I halted, holding the jacket tight.
He was at a distance leaning against a wall and he was covered in sweats like he just ran a Maranon.
He came closer to me. "Aria. You don't look good, Are you okay?" he tried to pull the hood up but I turned around sharply.
"Don't!" I whispered in fears.
"Don't do what?" He asked.
I turned sharply and pushed him out of the way and made to run again but I missed my steps and fell to the ground and my hood cap fell in the process, revealing my eyes.
"Aria!!" He gasped with wide eyes. "Your eyes... They looked so different!!"
"I know and I don't know what's happening to me" I said with a heavy breath, staring at the ground.
"Just look at me Aria..." He tried touching me but I slapped his hands off.
"I said don't come close, please. I'm a beast and you'll get hurt if you come close" I said but he didn't keep his distance.
"Stay put Aria let us figure this out..." He said with a small smile and I moved backward slowly while shaking my head sideways.
"You made it clear to me in the morning that we're nothing. You shun me off like I was nothing and now you're suddenly saying we will figure this out? Let's stop deceiving ourselves Lucas. I'll handle this myself " I said and he sighed loudly.
The pain I felt earlier came again and this time around it was unbearable. I couldn't even breath. I gasped for air.
I felt a burning sensation from my neck and my finger found it way to my neck but before I could touch the spot, something shone brightly from there.
"Your wolf is waking up, Aria " Lucas muttered.
"What are you spitting? I don't have a wolf!!" I shouted.
"And who the hell doesn't have one, Aria? It's waiting for the perfect time which is now" He said and he did the least I was expecting. He squatted to my level and held my arms. "Let it all out, Aria..."
My eyes glowed brighter and my fingers curled up as my heart was racing faster. Lucas never let me go instead he held my tightly to himself.
"Shift Aria... You can do this, I trust in you " He soothe
d me caressing my hair.
"Argh!!!" I screamed loudly as the moon turned blood red and I fell to the ground weakly.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREELucas's POVSomething was wrong.I felt it in my bones, in the mate bond I'd been trying to ignore. A sudden pain I couldn't explain."Alpha?" One of my warriors approached. "Are you okay?""Fine. Keep moving."We'd been tracking the Sunstone for four days following Miriam's map through the rogue territory. So far we'd avoided major conflict but I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened,to Aria.I pulled out the communication stone and pessed it. "Aria, report."I tried again. "Aria. Come in."Nothing came out.My chest tightened."Try Kira," I told my Beta.He did. After a moment, his face went pale. "Alpha. Kira's responding but she's... she's panicking."He handed me the stone."—gone! They took her! Lucas, they took Aria!"My world stopped moving. "What happened?""They surrounded us and—" Her voice broke. "She traded herself for the artifact. We have the Eternal Flame but they have Aria."Rage flooded through me."Where?""The Ruins bu
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWOAria's POVDawn came cold and gray.I stood with my team in the courtyard, checking supplies one last time. Kira adjusted her weapons and Garrett reviewed the map. Derek and the others were quiet, focused.Lucas's team was assembled on the opposite side. Nikola's team near the gates.Three groups. Three artifacts. Three different strategies to stop the Shadow Council.Miriam walked between the teams, inspecting preparations."Remember," she said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "These artifacts are ancient and powerful. They'll be protected and trapped and hidden for good reason.""What exactly are we looking for?" one of Jared's warriors asked."The Sunstone, the Mirror of Truth, and the Eternal Flame." Miriam pointed to each team in turn. "Lucas, you're after the Sunstone in rogue territory. Jared, the Mirror in neutral lands and Aria..." She looked at me. "The Eternal Flame in the Ruins.""What do these artifacts do?" I asked."The Sunstone amplifies light mag
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONEAria's POVThe forest was darker than usual.No moonlight or sounds of animals just silence and shadows of the trees.I walked deeper, following the path Miriam had shown me weeks ago. My heart pounded but I kept my breathing steady.Stay centered. Remember your training.After what felt like an hour, I reached a clearing I'd never seen before. In the center stood Miriam, but she wasn't alone.Three figures surrounded her,cloaked in darkness,their faces hidden."Aria," Miriam said calmly. "Welcome to your final test.""What is this?""A trial. To prove you can control your power under pressure,to prove you understand what it means to be a Light Bearer."The three figures stepped forward. As they moved, the darkness around them grew thicker."Shadow wielders," I breathed."Yes. Not corrupted like Ethan was. These are trained practitioners. They've agreed to test you." Miriam's expression was serious. "You must defend yourself using only light magic no physical combat
CHAPTER THIRTYAeia's POVTraining with Miriam was nothing like training with Kira or Lucas. This was completely different.Where they pushed my body, she pushed my mind. My soul and my understanding of what I was."Again," she said for what felt like the hundredth time.I sat cross-legged on the ground with my eyes closed, trying to maintain the connection to my light while she threw distractions at me.Loud noises and cold water. Even physical pokes."Don't lose focus," she instructed. "In battle, there will be chaos pains and fear. You must maintain your center through all of it."I gritted my teeth and held on. The light pulsed steadily inside me. It was so warm.I felt a sharp pain in my arm. She'd pinched me hard.The light flickered but didn't fade."Better much better." She stepped back. "You can open your eyes now."I did as sweat dripped down my face even though I'd barely moved."This is harder than fighting," I complained."Because fighting is simple. This is mastery." She
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINEAria's POVThree weeks passed.The pack settled into rebuilding what was damaged and healing what was broken... Training harder than before.And me? I was adjusting to being someone people actually wanted around.It was still weird."Stop overthinking it," Kira said as we trained on the training grounds. "Just accept that you belong here.""I'm trying.""Try harder." She swung at me.We'd been doing this every morning, training together and getting stronger. She pushed me harder than anyone else, and I was grateful for it."Your defense is getting better," she said after knocking me down for the fifth time. "But you're still hesitating.""I'm not hesitating.""Yes, you are... Right before you strike like you're second-guessing yourself." She helped me up. "In a real fight, that hesitation will get you killed.""So how do I stop it?""By trusting yourself and by knowing you're strong enough." She got back into position. "Again."We went at it for another hour. By th
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTAria's POVThe feast that night was unlike anything I'd ever experienced.Tables were set up in the main courtyard as food covered every surface. Roasted meat, fresh bread, vegetables, fruits including things I didn't even have names for.Lanterns hung from trees, casting warm golden light over everything. Music was been played. People laughed and talked. For one night, the pack was forgetting about loss and pain and just... living.I stood at the edge of it all, watching still not quite believing this was real."You're doing it again," Kira said, appearing beside me with two cups of something that smelled sweet."Doing what?""Standing on the outside watching instead of participating." She handed me a cup. "You're part of this now stop acting like a guest.""It's just... weird. A few weeks ago, these same people wanted me gone.""And now they're celebrating you, people change their minds, Aria. Let them."I took a sip of the drink. It was sweet and warm, with a s







