chapter 1

The moon was unusually bright that night, lighting up the clearing where the pack had gathered for the Moonlight Ceremony.

Aria stood near the back of the crowd with her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She had been trying not to look nervous for the past twenty minutes, but there was no point pretending anymore. Her palms were sweaty, and she had already looked toward the path leading out of the clearing at least five times.

She should have stayed home, she didn't belong here.

Everyone around her was a wolf. She could feel it in the way they moved, in the way they looked at one another, in the confidence they carried without even trying.

But she was different than them, she was human.

She had grown up among the pack because her parents had once belonged to them, but that had never made her one of them. After her parents died, the pack had allowed her to stay, but Aria had always understood that their kindness had limits.

She couldn't shift or heal quickly or hear things from miles away or run through the forest faster than any human should.

She was simply Aria and tonight, she was standing among wolves during the ceremony where they were supposed to meet their fated mate. Aria almost laughed at herself.

Humans didn't get mates, that was what everyone had always told her.

"You're overthinking again."

Aria turned and saw Ethan standing beside her, smiling. She hadn't even noticed him walk over.

"I'm fine," she whispered, her eyes travelling back to the path.

"You've said that three times."

"Because I am fine."

Ethan chuckled. "Then stop looking like you're planning your escape."

Aria glanced toward the trees.

"Maybe I am."

He shook his head.

"You'll regret leaving."

"I don't think so."

Ethan's expression softened.

"You deserve to be here too."

Aria looked away. Those words were kind, but they didn't change anything.

She knew what tonight was about. She knew what would happen when the Moon Goddess revealed the mates. One by one, wolves would feel the pull toward the person destined for them.

Some would cry and others would laugh, some would probably kiss in front of everyone and she would stand there and watch, that was all.

The Alpha stepped into the center of the clearing and the conversations slowly died down.

Alpha Rowan raised his hands.

"Tonight, we gather beneath the Moon Goddess."

The pack became silent.

"Tonight, the bonds written by fate will be revealed. Some of you will meet the person you've been waiting for your entire life."

Excitement spread through the crowd and she swallowed.

She shouldn't have been nervous, there was nothing for her to be nervous about. Then why was her heart beating so fast?

The ceremony began and one wolf after another stepped forward.

The first bond appeared between two young wolves from the eastern side of the pack. The moment their eyes met, the girl covered her mouth and started crying.

Everyone cheered and Aria couldn't stop herself from smiling, It was beautiful.

Another pair found each other then another. The clearing slowly became filled with laughter and happy voices and she tried to focus on the happiness around her, but there was a strange ache growing inside her chest.

She didn't want to feel jealous, no she wasn't jealous. She just wished, for once, she could experience something that everyone else seemed to take for granted.

She looked down at her hands, maybe she should leave. She took one step backward but she froze when something pulled inside her chest.

At first, it was barely noticeable, then it became stronger.

Aria's breath caught as she placed a hand over her heart. What was happening?

The air suddenly felt too warm and her heartbeat became so loud that she could barely hear the people around her.

She looked up, her eyes moved across the clearing and there..... Someone was standing at the edge of the trees.

Aria didn't recognize him at first. He was tall, dressed completely in black. His dark hair moved slightly in the night breeze, and his face was hard, almost emotionless.

But it was his eyes that made her stop breathing...They were... Golden.... Not the warm gold of the wolves during a shift.

His eyes were brighter, colder and they were looking directly at her.

Aria's body went completely still and a strange feeling started to spread through her.

It wasn't fear and itt wasn't exactly attraction either, it was something she couldn't explain. Then a single word appeared in her mind.

" Mate."

Aria stared at him in disbelief, no, that wasn't possible.

Humans didn't have mates. Yet every part of her seemed to know the truth before her mind could accept it.

The man took a step forward and the crowd immediately fell silent when they started to notice him.

Whispers immediately began spreading.

"Kael."

"Is that really him?"

"What is he doing here?"

Aria looked around in confusion, she had heard that name before. Everyone had.

Kael Nightbane...The rogue Alpha.

He had been exiled from the pack years ago. Some said he was dangerous and others said he was cursed. There were so many stories about him that Aria had never known which ones were true.

But none of those stories mattered now because he was looking directly at her and the pull inside her chest was getting stronger.

Kael took another step and Aria's feet moved before she could stop them, her eyes never leaving his.

A murmur went through the crowd.

"She's moving toward him."

"She's human."

"It can't be..."

Aria barely heard them, she was too focused on Kael.

He had stopped walking and his expression had changed. she saw something in his eyes, shock.

He looked almost as confused as she felt, then his jaw tightened and he looked away for a second, as if he was trying to fight whatever was happening between them.

Aria's heart sank, maybe he didn't want her, even the rogue Alpha didn't want her. But she couldn't stop herself from hoping.

She had spent her whole life being told that she didn't belong. Maybe this was different and the Moon Goddess had finally chosen her too.

Kael looked back at her and their eyes met,, the pull becominh unbearable.

"Mate," Aria whispered.

She didn't even realize she'd said it aloud and everyone heard. Silence filled the clearing now..

Kael's hands tightened at his sides and Aria thought he would walk toward her. Instead, he looked at her with an expression she couldn't understand.

There was anger in his eyes and fear and something else he quickly hid.

He took a slow breath before he spoke.

"I reject you."

Aria felt like the entire world had stopped, her heart sinking.

She stared at him.

"What?"

Her voice was barely audible but Kael didn't move.

"I reject you as my mate."

The words finally reached her and pain exploded through her chest.

Aria gasped and stumbled backward, her knees giving out. She hit the ground hard, one hand immediately pressing against her chest.

Someone screamed and the pack began whispering again but she couldn't hear them properly.

Her body hurt and it felt as though something had been ripped out of her.

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Kael, he was still staring at her. For a second, she saw the pain on his face then it disappeared. His expression became cold again.

He turned around, he was leaving and she wanted to stop him.

She wanted to ask him why but she couldn't speak.

Then something strange happened, her wrist began to burn. Aria cried out and grabbed it with her other hand.

"What is happening?"

The skin around her wrist started glowing and thin lines appeared beneath her skin.

They moved slowly, forming strange symbols around her wrist.

The pain became worse and she screamed. The entire clearing fell silent and even ethan was too shocked by what was happening to do anything.

Kael stopped and turned around. His eyes widened when he saw the glowing marks on her wrist.

"What..."

He took a step toward her and the marks flashed brighter.

Kael grabbed his chest an his face twisted in pain. He dropped to one knee and she stared at him through her tears.

He was feeling it too.Whatever was happening to her was happening to him.

"Kael," Alpha Rowan said cautiously.

But he didn't answer, he kept looking at her and he looked genuinely afraid. The marks on Aria's wrist slowly stopped glowing, but they didn't disappear.

They remained there and a strange pattern wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet. Someone in the crowd whispered,

"The bond didn't break."

Another voice answered,

"Then what did she do?"

Aria shook her head, looking as confused as ever.

"I didn't do anything."

She looked at Kael for help, but he looked just as confused as she was.

"I don't understand."

Neither did he.

Kael stood slowly, his eyes remaining fixed on her wrist.

He should have been relieved that he had rejected her and would be free but something inside him told him that this wasn't over.

The bond was still there and worse, he could feel her.

He could feel her fear, her pain, her confusion... He could feel every emotion as though they were his own.

Kael hated it, he hated the weakness and that one look at her tear-filled eyes made his chest tighten. Most of all, he hated that he couldn't simply walk away.

He forced himself to turn and then he disappeared into the forest.

Aria watched him go.She didn't know why the Moon Goddess had chosen him for her and she certainly didn't understand the strange marks burning faintly on her wrist.

The bond between them wasn't gone and Kael Nightbane knew it too.

As he walked farther away from the clearing, he tried to forget the human girl, he tried to forget her brown eyes and the way she had looked at him after his rejection, the sound of her voice when she whispered that he was her mate.

He tried... But no matter how far he walked, he couldn't get her out of his head.