Chapter Three

Aria's POV

I shake my head to clear it.

“Calm down, you remember what happened the last time?” I nudge her softly in my mind. 

“He is not that cowardly, Alpha, he won't reject us”, she said with so much conviction. 

A soft cough pulls me out of my thoughts.

Wait, he is my mate? The handsome stranger I'd been admiring from afar. 

I creased my forehead in confusion, still staring, he maintains his blank face as if he didn't smell me as  his mate.

“.....Well, Aria meet my cousin, Alpha Kael”, Martha says, staring at me with an expression I couldn't decipher. 

Wait, what? THE ALPHA KAEL IS MY MATE?

“And cousin, meet my new bestie, Aria, the prettiest girl around”, she said, giving Alpha Kael a mischievous smile.

A low growl fills the air, a gorgeous blonde that I didn't notice earlier, is by mate clinging to his strong arms. 

Martha and I share a look, then turn to her once more.

“Hello, Jessica, didn't see you there”, Martha utters with clenched teeth.

She definitely has some telling to do, for the first time Maria is being bitchy to someone.

Jessica's pretty face twists in a snarl. “Yeah,right”, she then turns to me, “Welcome to our pack, Aria, hope you fit in just fine”, she finishes with a smile that looks like a grimace.

“Happy you've met my betrothed, Kael”, Jessica said with a haughty look, rubbing his biceps.

I haven't uttered a word, blinking my eyes rapidly to rid them of the tears pulling so fast. 

“Ermmmm……, it's nice to meet you both, we'll be on our way”, Martha states awkwardly as she pulls me by the arm.

We keep going until we reach a balcony. She then gave me the same strange look as she did earlier.

“He's your mate, isn't he?”, she said with such ferocity. 

I twist my neck so fast towards her, before I could help it a loud sob escapes my lips, my chest constricts painfully. Even though he didn't reject me, being ignored totally hurt really bad.

Martha pulled me into her arms and I let the tears flow, gradually calming down, as little sniffles filled the balcony.

“Am I so unlovable, that I've been rejected twice”, my solemn voice filled the eerie night.

Martha's body shakes in anger at the revelation. 

“Of course not, sweetie, he hasn't rejected you okay?”, she said, smoothing out my hair from my face.

“But, he didn't acknowledge me at all, like I wasn't even there”, I replied with anger.

“You know what, you need a run,” Martha said, staring into my eyes.

“Idon'thaveawolf”, I mutter so fast, utterly ashamed. 

I'm so sure my bestie, as she calls it, will leave. No one wants to be associated with a weakling.

“I didn't get that”, she replied in confusion. 

“I don't have a wolf, I can't shift yet”, I stare at the floor as if it was so interesting. 

She followed my gaze, bending her neck, “You know that I'm an Omega right?”

My eyes bulge out in shock, my jaw almost dropping on the floor. “Wait, what? How?” I utter.

Her lips break into a smile, “Well you know, though I'm not proud of him right now, my cousin cares about the wellbeing of every pack member from the least to the strongest.”

My face knotted in understanding, “I now get it everyone looks so healthy, I even thought that this pack didn't have any Omegas.”

“You're so adorable, he believes that all should be treated equally, with respect and we have access to the same opportunities, from education to health”, she explains.

“Anyways, I'll let you figure out the dynamics of this pack, gradually, for now we're going for a run to the woods”, she gives me a glare and adds, “You're riding on my back, no arguments.”

I make a gesture “zipping” my lips and throwing the keys away. Our loud laughs fill the balcony.

I hook my arms with hers, leading us back to my room so I can change.

I wipe off my makeup, and change my clothes. I hurry, handing out some clothes to Martha so she wouldn't need to go to her room and change. 

Her strong arms pull me towards the veranda in front of the pack house. In the twinkle of an eye she shifts to a beautiful brown wolf, spotted with white patches and beautiful brown eyes.

Her head tilts, giving me a nod. I clumsily climbed her back, slipping slightly. She bends her legs slightly, making it easy.

She takes off in a sprint, I've never moved so fast, had to bend low so I don't get hit by branches hanging low.

The breeze whipped my hair against my face, I could barely make out the trees as we ran past them in a blur. The trill runs through my veins making me let out a loud and beautiful laugh.

She soon slows down and comes to a stop, I take that sign to slide off much more balanced than earlier. 

The sound of rushing water makes me pay more attention to my surroundings. A beautiful waterfall lay before us. I feel like going for a dip.

A gentle nudge on my shoulders pulls me from my thoughts, “Come on, let's go in for a swim.”

I haven't even realised that she has shifted to her human form. She runs taking the lead screaming, “The last person is fart face”, she jumps in and falls in with a big splash.

I take off in a sprint with a loud laugh, jumping in right after. We start splashing at each other, tiring out after a while. 

Martha stares at me with a soft smile and muttered lowly, “I have no idea what you've been through in the past, I see your scars but you deserve the world, Aria”, she said, “You are strong, hot, with a beautiful heart, don't let this break you.”

Her beautiful words made my heart beat so hard and fast in my chest, for the first time I felt like I was worth something. I deserve love and to be loved. People's opinions will not break me but instead I'll be better, do better. This is the perfect opportunity for a clean slate, I will not talk down to myself anymore, no I am meant for better.

“I deserve better”, I said at the back of my mind.

“I told you, you deserve the world”, Willow answers with glee.

A feral growl pulls me from my thoughts. Martha and I exchange a quick glance then turn towards the sound.

“Rogues!!!”

Not again, I freeze with fear.

Maria pulls me out of the water, in a rush. Three pairs of eyes glare at us from the dark.

“Aria, run!!!”, Martha screams, as she jumps mid air and growls at them menacingly. 

I know I am being stupid but I can’t leave her, she will definitely get killed.

The three wolves attack Martha all at once, she is fast and trained but one has held on to her left hind leg, the other goes for her throat now exposed. 

“Noooooooo” tore through my throat.

“Let me out”, Willow screams in my head, “Not on our watch.”

I jump to intercept the wolf without thinking of dropping on four paws.

Without thinking I sink my teeth in his throat, ripping it out in a blur. My body no longer feels like mine, a feeling so primal bubbled in my chest. Willow has definitely taken over.

I jump at the one still holding on to Martha's paw, giving him a hard swipe to the face. He let go of her, turning to me to fight me off but I swipe again at his belly giving him a deep wound.

I feel a searing pain on my right paw, kicking blindly and throwing him against a nearby tree. I don't let him recuperate before I sink my teeth in his throat, shaking vigorously until he no longer moves.

I check on Martha making sure she is fine, she  stares at me with wide eyes “You are a white wolf”, she stutters weakly.

My head feels dizzy, my eyes get blurry. I gradually lose consciousness, and my furry wolf is replaced by my tiny human body.

I hear a voice that seems so far off shouting “Arai!!!!”, as I give in to the darkness.