Aria’s POV
Moonlight poured in through the cracked window of my tiny room, painting the walls silver. Morning already? My heart sank. I threw off the thin blanket, grabbed my towel, and rushed into the bathroom, shivering as cold water hit my skin. “Oh God…” I said under my breath. “I’m already late.” Today was my stepfather’s Pack Mating Ceremony, and I was supposed to be at the hall early, helping the other omegas clean and set up. But here I was, just now getting dressed. I dashed out of the bathroom, still dripping, and flung open my wooden wardrobe. Its doors were barely hanging on, termites long since making a meal of it. I grabbed the only dress that could possibly pass for the day. It had a small hole in the back. Whatever. No one would care. No one ever did. Just as I was pulling it over my head, the door to my room slammed open. “Orphan!” His voice struck like a whip. Alpha King Lucien Thorn, my stepfather. “What the hell are you still doing in here?” “I—I’m so—” I stammered, barely able to speak. “Get out of this house and go join the other omegas. Stupid orphan.” Orphan. You heard him right. That’s the name he calls me every single day. The man my mother gave her life for, this is who he is. I didn’t even realize when I burst out of the room, legs moving on instinct, running my ass off toward the traditional hall where the Mooncroft Pack holds its mating ceremony every year. “Maybe the Moon Goddess will bless us with a mate this year,” my wolf whispered, a tiny spark of hope in her voice. “At what age?” I mumbled back. “I’m just eighteen.” Everyone knew the rule in the Mooncroft Pack, if you weren’t at least twenty, you couldn’t be mated. Not officially. Besides, who would want to be my mate in this pack? “Dirty-ass omega.” “Alpha Lucien’s family errand wolf.” “The omega whose wolf isn’t even strong.” “The girl with no traceable origin.” Their voices echoed in my head, over and over, like a cruel chant. I didn’t know when the tears started. I just felt them sliding down my cheeks. By the time I got to the grand hall, it was still covered in dust. I wiped my face quickly and headed straight for the rag stand. Grabbing one of the worn-out clothes, I began to dust the tables and chairs in silence, like always. “Look at her dress,” one of the omegas whispered behind me, just loud enough for me to hear. I acted like I didn’t. Like I hadn’t heard the sneer in her voice. Like it didn’t sting. I kept dusting the chairs, eyes down, fingers trembling around the rag. The omegas who were supposed to be my friends, but no, they weren’t friends at all. Their words cut deeper than anything the high-ranking wolves ever did to me. Their laughter rose behind me, cruel and familiar. And still, I said nothing. I just kept wiping. Like I always did. After a while, the hall began to fill. High-ranking wolves trooped in, one after the other, their expensive colognes overpowering the lingering scent of dust and sweat. I wiped my hands on my dress, trying not to flinch every time someone passed by me with a disapproving glare. It was time to join the gathering. “Good day, everyone,” the Master of Ceremony announced, his voice sounding through the tall hall. “We are gathered here to honor the sacred tradition of our Pack—our annual Mating Ceremony.” Whispers buzzed through the crowd. Omegas stood at the edges, heads bowed. The ranked wolves took their seats in the front, their mates beside them, all dressed in silks and gold.But the Alpha and his mates from previous years were nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, he’d find someone new to be mated to this year—again. I stepped back, hoping no one noticed me. I wasn’t supposed to be seen. I was just an extra shadow in the corner. The door to the big hall swung open, the guards led the way, followed by the Alpha and his Lunas, everyone in the hall rose to their feet. “Let's welcome the royal family as they join us in this ceremony.” Once they were seated, the rest of the pack followed suit, and the ceremony continued. “May all our she-wolves who are of age move to the right side of the hall,” the Master of Ceremony announced, his voice steady and formal. Chairs scraped the marble floor as the chosen ones began to rise. The hall filled with the rustling of silk and chiffon. Omegas and high-ranking wolves’ daughters, all of them who had turned twenty stepped to the right side, their expressions a mix of excitement, nerves, and pride. I stayed rooted in place, my hands clasped tightly in front of me. I didn’t qualify. Not yet. But watching them move… it made something ache deep inside me. “And now, all unmated he-wolves seeking their fated partners should step to the left side,” the MC continued. Movement shifted across the room again. Young warriors, battle-scarred sentinels, and noble sons all hopeful, some desperate as they walked with measured steps to the left. And then I saw him. My stepfather. Alpha Lucien Thorn. His dark robes swayed as he joined the line of unmated males, like this wasn’t the fifth time he’d done this ritual. Like my mother hadn’t died loving him. Of course he did. A bitter laugh clawed at my throat, but I swallowed it down. How many more would he choose? How many mates would be discarded like broken toys once he got bored? My nails dug into my palms as I looked away, the air suddenly too heavy. I wasn’t here for love or hope. I was here to work. To clean their messes and fade into the shadows. But still… a tiny part of me, my wolf watched the ceremony with silent longing. “Now, to the Moon Goddess, we ask that each of these wolves standing be blessed with their destined mate,” Elder Joe said, raising the ceremonial candle in both hands. He blew out the flame. A soft hush fell over the room. Then a low hum began, an ancient magic weaving through the air. Suddenly, sparks flew. Around the hall, wolves stiffened as the mate bond snapped into place, pairs locking eyes, marking each other with joy, tears, trembling hands. Some ran into each other’s arms, others stood frozen in awe. And me? I wasn’t even supposed to be part of this. I was eighteen. Below the age. Invisible. But then I felt it. A jolt. The unmistakable heat crawled up my body . The tingling flare of the bond awakening. My heart ached. No. No, it can’t be. I felt it again, a pull, undeniable and strong. I turned slowly. Someone stood in front of me. My breath caught. Mate. The word sounded through my soul like wildfire. I looked up and the world tilted. Alpha King Lucien Thorn. My stepfather. Standing in front of me as my mate.Aria’s POVThe morning was quiet. Too quiet.I held my baby close, his tiny body curled against my chest, his breath warm and soft. Kael was still asleep beside us, one arm wrapped protectively around my waist. For the first time in weeks, things felt calm. Safe. Maybe even normal.I didn’t want to move. I wanted to stay in that moment forever.But peace never lasts in our world.Not long after sunrise, the first warning howl echoed through the pack grounds. My body stiffened. Kael was already on his feet by the time I sat up. He looked at me, jaw tight.“That’s not one of ours,” he said.My stomach dropped.Kael leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Stay here. Keep him hidden. Don’t open the door unless it’s me.”“Kael…”“I love you,” he whispered.Then he was gone.I locked the door behind him with shaking hands, pressing my ear against it. Outside, the sounds of chaos came fast, howls, growls, the clash of claws, and cries of pain.My baby started to cry. I tried to quiet him, to hu
Kael’s POVThe sun hung low over the pack lands, golden and warm, casting long shadows across the courtyard as I watched Aria from the balcony of our chambers.She was standing beneath the cherry tree in the central garden, her hand resting on the curve of her stomach, her face turned up to the light. There was something surreal about her. like the world had slowed to honor her presence. Maybe it was because I knew what was growing inside her. Maybe it was because she had fought so hard to be here, and now, she was glowing in every way that mattered.I didn’t know how long I stood there watching her. Long enough that Lior came running from the west wing, barefoot, holding a piece of parchment and laughing as the palace wolves chased him in a game of pretend guard duty.He ran to Aria first.She knelt down slowly, taking the paper he offered and kissing the top of his head.“Mama, look! I drew the baby.”She laughed, clear and bright, and waved for me to come join them.I didn’t hesita
Aria’s POVThe sun had barely risen when a sharp knock echoed at my door.I sat up slowly, careful with my balance. My hands instinctively rested on my stomach. The healer said I was only a few weeks along, but I swore I could already feel the difference in my body tender, strange, sacred.“Come in,” I said, voice steady.One of the pack’s soldiers stepped into the room, her eyes tense but respectful. “Luna… there’s trouble near the eastern training grounds.”I nodded, already rising from the bed. “What kind of trouble?”“Some of the younger warriors got into a fight. It’s turning heated, and Alpha Kael isn’t back from the border run yet. They won’t listen to anyone else.”I glanced at the mirror. My hair was a mess from sleep, and my eyes still held the haze of dreams, but there was no time for vanity. I pulled my robe over my dress, tied it with a firm knot, and followed Nessa out into the morning.The training grounds were alive with noise when we arrived, growls, shouts, the shuf
Kael’s POVThe morning light filtered through the bedroom curtains like melted gold, soft and slow. It painted Aria’s skin in hues of dawn, catching in the strands of her dark hair as she lay curled against my chest. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Holding her felt like the first time I had ever truly breathed.Her fingers were laced in mine, our hands resting between us like a quiet promise.She stirred slightly. “You’re awake,” she whispered, her voice still caught in sleep.“I was watching you dream,” I replied.Aria smiled, that kind of smile that tugged at something deep in me. “Was it entertaining?”“It was peaceful. You looked safe.” I brushed a loose curl behind her ear, my thumb lingering against her cheek. “I don’t want to forget this feeling.”She leaned in and kissed me. No rush. No urgency. Just warmth, and the taste of home.The world outside our walls had been chaos for too long, betrayals, battles, and broken truths but today, none of it reached us. Today, it was just me an
Aria’s POVThe stars were too quiet tonight.Even the moon seemed to hold her breath as I stepped outside, Kael by my side. My hand rested over my stomach, where the tiniest flicker of life had taken root, soft and new, but already anchoring something deep inside me.Hope.And fear.I had told Kael about the baby… and he had stayed. Held me. Chose me. That should’ve been enough. But nothing in my life has ever come easy, and the moment Tavin mentioned Darren at the border, I knew peace would be short-lived.Darren had been too quiet for too long.He waited just beyond the courtyard gates, flanked by two warriors I didn’t recognize. His posture was rigid, his expression unreadable. But his eyes. they searched for me.Found me.And didn’t look away.“I only want to speak,” Darren said. “I swear on Gracie’s grave, I come with no violence.”Kael growled low beside me, his arm brushing mine in silent warning.“I’ll hear him,” I said, louder than I meant to. “But not alone.”Darren’s gaze f
Kael’s POVThere are days when the weight of this pack feels like a second skin. One I’ve worn for so long that I don’t even notice it chafing anymore. But today… today I felt it differently. Not like a burden. But like armor.Because today, we chose something good.We chose Aria. We chose Lior. We chose healing.The council had spoken, Lior would stay with Aria. She would raise him not because she was perfect, but because she was willing. Because she loved him. And in the end, that was what mattered most.But still… I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.She had smiled. Thanked the council. Embraced Lior when he came running into her arms with his usual joy and wild curls. But her eyes… her eyes had gone somewhere else. A place I couldn’t follow yet.She’d excused herself, claiming she needed rest. No one questioned it. Not after the emotional war we just came through.But I did. I questioned everything when it came to Aria.So now, as night settled over the compound, I