Chapter Five

ARIA’S POV

I slowly opened my eyes, my head throbbing with an insane headache. I struggled to get on my feet but a pool of red thick liquid caught my attention.

No, this was a joke right.

Maybe the blood was from the bruises that were still healing. I yanked my dress up to see where the blood was coming from.

“No. Not my pup.” I screamed as tears flowed down my cheeks. Sophia had managed to take the only good thing that happened to me.

I stood up, my legs shaking terribly as I rushed towards the door, but it was locked. “I need to get out, the mating ceremony is this night,” I said inwardly.

I was going to keep the death of my…our pup away from Damien, he was not going to know about it. This has to be my only chance of escaping the cruel treatment I always face.

“The Alpha seeks your attention. The mating ceremony is about to start.” I heard a low voice followed by a knock.

“The Mating Ceremony?” I asked, my voice trembling with fear. Why was everything happening so fast…my pup and now the ceremony?.

“Yes princess.” “Tell him I will be there very soon.” I quickly mop the blood stain on the floor. No one had to know, it was a secret I was willing to keep.

“The door is locked, pls can you open it?” I said trying to keep my voice steady not to raise any suspicion. As soon as I heard the door unlock from outside, I sighed with relief.

“I was going to be a Luna to my mate.” I said inwardly with a sad smile on my face.

*****

My heart pounded beneath my dress as i made my way towards the altar, each step i took towards the altar felt heavier than the last. Something inside of me wanted to tell Damien about the death of our pup and the second thought, maybe it was my chance of freedom, my only chance.

He stood at the center of the ritual circle, tall and unyielding in his midnight cloak, his sharp eyes fixed on me like I was prey. His presence devoured the air around him- demanding, powerful, terrifying. And tonight, I was to become his mate.

I wasn’t sure if it was fear or desire curling through my veins. Or was i feeling guilty. My pup just slipped away from my own very hands and am walking towards the altar– To my mate to the father of my pup.

As I stepped onto the stone dais, the Elder raised both hands. His voice rang out across the silence, ancient and commanding.

“We gather under the Moon Goddess’s gaze to witness the binding of two souls. The bond of mate to mate. Alpha Damien. Alpha of the Moonlight Pack, do you come of your own will?” Damien’s whispered with a low, gravelly and resolute voice “I do.”

“And you Aria, princess of Crescent Moon Pack, do you come here on your own will?”.

The words caught in my throat. Every instinct in me screamed to run, to flee the gaze of the man. But good will it be running away from him now?, I will be dead two days from now.

“I do”.

"He is just doing this because of his pup nothing more, nothing less." Sophia words kept replaying like a broken tape in my head.

The Elder nodded solemnly. “Then let the bond be sealed by blood and spirit.”

Damien stepped forward, reaching for the dagger held out to him. The blade gleamed, sharp and ceremonial, etched with runes that pulsed faintly in the moonlight. Without hesitation, he sliced across his palm, crimson welling up against skin and falling onto the sacred stone between us.

My hands trembled as I took the dagger next. The cut burned, but it was Damien’s eyes on mine that made my breath catch. Not his blood. Not the pain.

We pressed our bleeding palms together.

A jolt of energy shot through me like lightning. My knees buckled. Our bond sparked—electric, ancient, alive. I could feel his soul brushing against mine, demanding entry, marking me.

My wolf howled.

A golden thread of light burst from our joined hands, curling up and around us like smoke, binding us in front of the pack. The crowd erupted in howls—some joyous, others… bitter.

“Your bond is sealed,” the Elder announced. “Mate to mate. Alpha to Luna.”

Damien’s grip tightened. He didn’t wait for the applause to die. He pulled me into him, his mouth crashing over mine in a kiss that sent a tremor through the crowd. It wasn’t tender. It was a claim.

Possessive. Dominant. Final.

I gasped when he finally pulled away, lips tingling, heart racing. “Mine,” he whispered, only loud enough for me to hear. I nodded, still breathless. “Yours.”

He didn’t wait. His body was against mine in seconds—heat, strength, and control all wrapped around me. His mouth found my neck, grazing the spot where his mark would soon be.

“You were born for this,” he whispered against my skin. “For me.” I wanted to deny it. But deep inside, my wolf howled in agreement.

I was his.

His lips traced a line from my jaw to my collarbone. His fingers skimmed my waist, igniting fire with every touch. I clutched his shoulders, barely able to stand.

“Mark me,” I whispered. “Please.” “ You already bear my mark Ria, but I don't mind remarking on you, so you will get the details about that night.” He chuckled, his lips tracing my collarbone.

"It will be very different from the last time, and trust me it will be better than the last." He muttered cupping my breast in his hand.

" I don't need your words Ria, your body speaks the language only i can understand and trust me i know what you want, you don't need to ask."

“I can’t perceive our pup Aria…..”