Take Me Back: The Alpha's Regret

Aria 

“Happy birthday, Aria!” My mom exclaimed. She was holding a strawberry cake with a lighted candle on the top while grinning from ear to ear. 

“It’s time to blow the candle and make a wish!” Mom happily inched forward to the side of the bed. She handed the cake closer, still wearing her festive demeanor. I heaved a sigh before puffing the fire out. 

My mother’s forehead formed some vertical lines in the middle. Her smile disappeared from her beautiful face.  Instead, a mixture of confusion was written all over her face. 

“Did you not make a wish, Aria?” 

“As if it will make any difference to her already pathetic life,” I heard my older sister, Cassie, spoke. She was leaning at the door, arms crossed on her chest,  looking disdainfully at me. 

“Don’t talk to your sister like that, Cassie! Can you spare her your hate just for now? It’s her birthday for crying out loud!” Mom yelled at her. 

“Whatever!” Cassie flipped her hair and walked away while rolling her eyes. I heaved a sigh. My sister really hated me. 

We may have shared the same womb but Cassie and I were very different from each other. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulders with eyes could bewitch every man she liked. But above her intelligence and beauty, she was a pride to our pack. She was the only female shifter known to the continent. That was enough for her to have an elevated status in Shadowmoon.

While me? A regular-looking she-wolf who wanted nothing but to find her destined mate and be loved. 

I guess it would be easy for Cassie to accept me as her sister if I would tell her the truth…that I was also a shifter…and wanted nothing but to find the man who would cherish me for the rest of my life.  I asked my mom to hide my real ability as I didn't want people to treat me differently knowing that I was special like Cassie. I never wanted any attention, nor I didn’t want any special treatment. I wanted to live the way I wanted to live, and not adhere to what people were expecting me to be. 

So as much as I wanted to have a better relationship with my sister and with the rest of Shadowmoon, I would rather choose to live this way far from everyone’s ridiculous expectations. 

“I’m sorry about that, my dear,” my mom said, trying to calm me down. “Now, where were we?”

“My birthday wish?” I smiled at her in return.  “I was about to say, no need for that. Everything I want is already happening.”

Today was my eighteenth birthday, the day that I have been waiting for so long. This was the time our wolf spirit would reach the mating age. Therefore, they would start to feel our destined mate. 

Thinking about this, I felt my cheeks heat up. Mom might have noticed it so she pinched me on my side. “My baby is excited to meet her mate.” Mom said in her bubbly tone. I smiled while looking at my reflection in our mirror on the side of my bed.

“I can't wait to meet him, mom. My mate could possibly be near. I can feel it.” I said and she pressed my hand.

“Always remember, Darling, that you are still my baby girl. If you ever find your mate, please don't forget about me.” I laughed at my mom's sudden reaction. Of all people, mom knew how much I looked forward to this day and I was glad to have shared this special occasion with her.

Mom left and allowed me to fix myself. After doing my morning routine, I happily marched downstairs. After eating dinner with her, my feet guided me outside of the house. I bent my head down as I noticed all the disdain in the pack wolves' eyes as they gazed at me. 

“Look, who's here, the worthless sibling of Cassie and Ash Williams.” 

“I feel sorry for them for having a weak sister like her.“

I bit my bottom lip when I heard the group of women whispering about me. It was a common sight for them to gossip about me knowing what type of siblings I have. They always compared me to them and I couldn’t blame them because, in their eyes, I was nothing but a weak she-wolf who couldn’t do what my siblings can. 

Female shifters were a million werewolves to one and we were blessed to have Cassie in Shadowmoon. My sister was highly favored in this pack. Everyone liked her. Every she-wolf wanted to be her. No wonder why some of her crazy fanatics would also stoop as low as sharing my sister’s hatred over me for not being as powerful and special as her. 

If only, if only they knew what was hidden behind my weak she-wolf facade. 

And so, just like the other days, I ignored their insults and continued to walk. Suddenly, an intoxicating aroma filled my nostrils. The scent was aromatically fresh, with a captivating trail that was hard to resist. The mysterious smell reminded me of earthy trails and rocky landscapes. The scent was soothing and hypnotizing and I couldn't help but close my eyes and savor the moment.

But before I could wrap my head around it, I saw my wolf jumping up and down inside my head. 

‘It was him! He was here!’ Cleo exclaimed. 

Excitedly, I followed the newfound scent. I could hear the rapid beating of my heart as we were getting nearer to the owner of the scent. Oh, dear goddess! My prince was somewhere near. 

The scent brought me near the Alpha’s cabin, which made me halt my steps. I wanted to retrace my steps thinking that I may have followed the trail incorrectly yet I knew that my instinct didn’t fail me. I tried to wash the emerging thought in my head but it was already too late. All my inhibitions disappeared the moment Adrian Patterson, the alpha’s heir, appeared at the front door. 

The world suddenly stopped and I could have sworn I lost the essence of time as I look at his expressive eyes. 

Adrian didn’t say anything for a while until eventually, with furrowed brows, he walked near me, leaving me unable to speak.

“You?”

That voice was almost indistinct, but enough to make my heart skip for a moment. His regular happy-go-lucky behavior changed into a serious disposition as he continued to stare at me.

He is Adrian Patterson, our pack’s future leader. His grey and oval-shaped eyes were fixated on me, enough to make me feel uneasy. Some say he was the dream guy of every unmated she-wolf in the continent and was pretty known for his good looks. But apart from this, he was also famous for his strength, which made him a suitable candidate to run this pack someday. 

“Of all people, why you?”

His words were like daggers that were piercing through the depths of my soul, shredding my heart into pieces. He tweaked his messy, sexy-looking hair in front of me, cursing in the air a couple of times. The disappointment was written all over his face. At some point, I also saw his utmost disdain. 

I was hurt by that, especially by how he looked at me. Devastation, anger, and disbelief were shouting from his aura. His reaction made me sad. His sudden expression scared me. 

“I cannot have you as my mate,” he muttered. A stabbing pain hit me as those words escaped from his mouth. I looked at him with tears drifting down my face.

I had waited all my life for this moment, only to get smacked with this kind of rejection. 

“But why, Adrian?” I asked in a broken tone. Am I too ugly or undesirable for him to show this level of contempt for having me as his mate?

Adrian snarled but before he could answer, I saw my sister Cassie coming in our direction. She wrapped her arms around Adrian's neck before throwing me a couple of deathly glares.

“What’s wrong, honey? Is my sister bothering you?” Cassie said seductively. She looked at me from head to toe before running her fingers on Adrian’s chest. 

Adrian smiled at my sister and then held her closer. But when he looked at me, the smile on his face disappeared. 

“What is the meaning of this, Adrian?” I asked, with more tears rolling down my face.

“Isn’t it obvious? I didn’t want you. I need a strong Luna by my side and your sister, who was a shifter, was an obvious choice. I can’t love a weak and regular-looking she-wolf like you. Don’t you understand? This mateship was a piece of crap. I can’t be mated with you. It’s shameful. You will only embarrass me.”

I wanted to step on my feet so I could get out of that place but it wasn’t moving. I wanted to remove my gaze from them while they made out in front of me but I couldn't. 

My mate didn’t want me. Worst of all, he chose my sister over me.