Chapter 1

Aiden’s scent grows stronger as I walk towards Princess Layla’s room, my head bowed and face glued to the floor. I never dare raise it or the Alpha would get angry. 

I smell my mate again, his scent so close that it is almost as if he is right inside Layla's room. I fumble with my fingers as I think about it. It's quite unusual of him to come looking for me. Usually, I'm the one trying to get his attention whenever I see him at the warriors’ training everyday. 

“What could have brought him here?” I quiz myself as I move closer to the room, his scent and hers drawing me into muffled grunts and moans.

“Layla, can I come in?" 

No answer. 

I hold my breath, my heart hammering against my ribs as I press my ear closer to the door, the groans and moans growing louder.

“Maybe I’m just being paranoid” I try convincing myself. . “Maybe she’s watching a movie, or just moving things around, maybe…”

“Oh baby, harder!” My ears snap up as Layla’s eerie voice cuts through the rambling in my head.

“This better not be what I'm thinking,” I mutter.

Swallowing hard, I twist the handle, pushing the door open. And there they are, my mate and the woman who has made my life nothing but a living hell, on top of each other.

The basket of roses I carry drops to the floor with a thud as the thick and suffocating scent of their sweat hits me. My stomach twists violently, as I try to make sense of the sight before me.

“Aiden”, I call out dryly. 

His head snaps towards me, his blue eyes widening in shock. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Layla hisses, yanking the sheets over her body.

My mouth hangs open as I watch my mate stare at me blankly, his face holding no shame or remorse whatsoever. 

“You don't know how to knock? she screeches, her echoing in my ears. “And where the hell are the roses I sent you to fetch?” 

“Roses?” I stare emptily. The word pounds hard at my chest as I try to remember how I walked into this unfortunate situation in the first place. It’s as if my brain has gone numb.

This morning, I woke up from the little sleep I was able to get after mopping the house floors all night to meet Layla’s guard at my door. She never speaks to me in the morning. She says I'd infect her day with my bad luck. It isn't enough that I am the only werewolf in the pack who can't shift, I’m also the harbinger of evil.

“The Alpha’s daughter would like fresh wild roses. Make yourself useful and go get them now,” the guard barked at me. 

I bolt into the woods immediately trying to get the flowers as fast as I can. If I don't get them to her in time, I'll have to suffer another beating from the Alpha for not taking care of his daughter enough. And after all that trouble, all I come back to meet is my mate in bed with her?

“Aiden what is this?” I ask, and he furrows his eyebrows, his piercing eyes snapping me back to reality.

“What does it look like?” he answers, his flat lips morphing into a dark smirk.

Layla rolls her eyes as she holds the sheets to her body and kisses his neck again, I have never been more disgusted. Hot tears threaten to burst out as I struggle to find the right words.

“But you're my mate, Aiden. How could you do this to me?”

“Me, your mate?” He scoffs, “Why would I ever want to be with a worthless piece of trash like you? You're the most wretched wolf in the pack, I must have offended the moon goddess for to make you my mate”

“What?” His words cut through me like razor on cotton.

“Yes” Layla spits, her words dripping with hate and malice. “You're nothing but an ugly skunk. I don't know why my father insists on keeping you around me, you useless thing”.

She turns to Aiden, “why would you even fuck something like that?” 

“Fuck?” he says, his face screwing up in disgust. “Oh no baby, I didn't even do as much as kiss her when the stupid mate bond almost pushed me to.” A snug smile appears on his lips as he kisses her. “I have eyes for you baby, only you.”

“You know what,” she says with a sinister grin. “I have an idea”

“What's that love, talk to me”, he answers, kissing her again.

“Reject her!”

His hands drop from her waist and I clench my teeth. Even he was shocked at her callous request.  

“Reject her now or we're done!”

 A flicker of guilt crosses his face as he looks between me and Layla me, his eyes blinking repeatedly.

“Do you want to lose all of this?” she gestures at her body dropping the sheets, her rounded breasts coming into full view. “I'm the Alpha’s daughter, remember? Are you sure you want to lose this” she says, biting her bottom lip and twisting her nipples.

Within a split second, his gaze switches back to me, greed and lust flooding it. He looks at me and clears his throat.

 “As from today, I, Aiden of the Blueridge pack, reject you Leah as my mate”. 

My heart drops as a loud gasp escapes my lips, my knees weakening as I hear his voice. I clutch my chest as the weight of his words sinks in.

“Good boy” Layla claps and squeals, pulling him in for a kiss. 

“But Layla you're already betrothed to an Alpha, and he will be here anytime soon. Why are you taking the only thing that's mine?”

Her smile turns into a scowl as she looks back at me. 

“Oh please, I'm not marrying some old, ugly, alpha from some weirdass pack. And besides… I'm already pregnant”. 

“What?” I gasp. Even Aiden looks stunned. His eyes shoot to her, wide and frantic. “You're what?”

“Yes baby”, she says, turning to him.“The Alpha’s only daughter is carrying your baby.”

A dark smile spread across his lips, making me want to puke. The smile I longed to see just minutes ago now makes me sick.

“But he's the Alpha of the Bloodmoon pack, everyone fears him”. I say, the tears rushing down as I lose my grip on them.

“Not me”, she fires back. “He can go to hell for all I care! And so can you! Now stop asking me stupid questions and get the fuck out of my room.” She turns back to Aiden, smiling wryly. “I’ve got some unfinished business”.

My stomach churns as I turn to leave, my heart pounding with aching pain. My fingers burn as I grab the doorknob. 

“Leah,” I hear Aiden's voice and look back, “pick up your flowers, we won't be needing them”. 

My knees drop slowly as I gather the scattered roses into the basket, then storm out of the room, Layla’s scornful laugh echoing as I run down the hallway.