CHAPTER THREE: A DAUGHTER'S DUTY

Aria's POV 

Tears blurred my vision. This wasn't the first time someone called me wolfless, Lyra had in fact still taunted me yesterday afternoon with this fact. But it hurt more that it came from the man I loved.

How could he say that?

I staggered a step back. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everything.” He said firmly. “I could never marry a wolfless girl. You were… convenient, that’s all. Someone to keep me entertained.” He shrugged, almost casually, as if my heart wasn’t splitting wide open in front of him. “But Lyra—she’s different. She has a wolf. She’s Luna material. You never were.”

Lyra’s lips curved in a cruel little smile, her nails digging possessively into his arm. “He was never yours, Aria. You just didn’t see it.”

The crowd murmured, feeding her malice like vultures. “You’re shameless, you know,” she continued, her voice loud, dripping with venom. “Why would you even dream of marrying before your elder sister?”

The room spun. My chest rose and fell too quickly, my breaths coming in jagged edges that refused to smooth out.

“I—” I tried to speak, but nothing coherent came. 

People nodded, muttering under their breath. And I didn't blame them.

Out of their Alpha's daughters, I was the weak one—the late bloomer, the girl whispered about at training grounds, the one pitied in hushed tones. Some even doubted if I was truly a wolf at all.

I had been trying to turn every year since I turned sixteen. But nothing. Just bones that refused to crack, blood that refused to stir, and a silence in my soul where a wolf should have been.

Emboldened by the crowd’s support, Jax took a step toward me, towering over me now. And a sinister smirk tugged at his lips. “I was stringing you along. That’s all you ever were to me. A convenient distraction. Nothing more.”

My chest hollowed out, like he had just ripped my heart out for everyone to see.

I heard the sharp inhale of the crowd. Saw the flash of triumph in my half-sister’s eyes. And I felt the last bit of strength drain from me, leaving me raw, exposed, and humiliated under their collective gaze.

But the words slipped out anyway, trembling, desperate. “You promised me, Jax. You said—”

A bitter laugh escaped from him cutting me off. “I promised you nothing. You only heard what you wanted to hear.”

My knees nearly gave out. My father’s shadow shifted from the corner of the room, his jaw tight, his gaze unreadable, but he didn’t step forward.

Jax's gaze traced my line of sight. “Maybe, you do not know,” he continued, his voice sharp. “I had an agreement with the Alpha.”

The world tilted.

“An agreement?” My eyes darted between them, my heart slamming against my ribs. What is he talking about?

“Yes, an agreement, “ he repeated, all traces of celebration gone now. “He asked me to secure my position with the family. Although, he wanted you by my side. I disagreed and requested for Lyra instead. Which he eventually agreed but asked me to keep it a secret. From you.”

My blood turned to ice. I turned to face my father to tell him to shut Jax up on his baseless accusations. But his expression told me everything I needed to know. It was true.

Father let out a heavy sigh. “Everyone. Out,” he ordered, his tone sharp, carrying the weight of command.

The air shifted instantly. Chairs scraped, murmurs rose, and people scrambled toward the door, some keeping their heads bowed, others throwing quick glances at me as though I was already a ghost.

My throat closed. My ears buzzed. My father’s shadow loomed larger with every second, and dread coiled in my gut.

What the hell was he planning? To defend me? Or destroy me too?

Now, the house felt suffocatingly still. Everyone had gone, except the four of us—me, my father, Lyra, and Jax. Their smiles were gone, as though the joy had been neatly folded away once I stepped into the room.

My father cleared his throat then, sharp and commanding, like he was tired of the spectacle. “Aria. Meet me in the study.”

I hesitated, glancing at Jax and Lyra, who still stood entwined, smugness radiating from them. My knees wobbled, but I forced myself to move.

My father didn’t wait for me. He turned on his heel and walked toward his study, leaving me no choice but to follow.

****

He strode to his desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes studied me, sharp and unyielding.

I stood stiffly by the door, hugging myself, still trembling from Jax’s words. “Father—”

He cut me off with a raised hand. “You need to understand the position we’re in, Aria. This isn’t about you. This is about the pack.”

I flinched. “The pack?”

“Yes.” His tone hardened, the way it always did when he thought I was being difficult. “You have no wolf. You know what that means. You cannot offer us strength, not in the way Lyra can.”

My lips parted, but I couldn’t speak. The words tangled up in my throat.

He pushed away from the desk, pacing slowly as he spoke. “The Bluemoon pack is strong. Alpha Damien rules over them, and he has made his intentions clear—he wants one of my daughters to forge an alliance.” His gaze flicked to me. “Do you understand what this means? Peace. Security. Power for our people.”

I swallowed hard. “So you gave him Lyra?”

“No,” he said simply. “I gave him the option. But I saw an opportunity. Lyra has Jax. She has her wolf. She can serve as Luna here, by his side. And you…” His pause was deliberate, cruel. “…you will go to the Bluemoon’s Alpha.”

My knees nearly buckled. “What?”

His jaw tightened. “This is not a discussion. Alpha Damien asked for one of my daughters, and you will be the one. It is the only way you’ll ever be useful to this pack.”

My mouth went dry, horror crawling through me like fire under my skin. “But—I don’t even know him. Father, please—”

“Enough!” he snapped. His eyes blazed, his voice thunderous. “Do you think this is about what you want? You will do this for the pack, Aria. Because it is all you can do.”

He softened his tone then, though his words only dug deeper. “Think of it as a gift, Aria. A chance to prove yourself. You’ve always been… less. But this—this could make you more. A service to your people, even without a wolf.”

I shook my head, my voice trembling. “You’re giving me away like… like I’m nothing.”

“You are my daughter,” he said coldly, “and daughters serve their packs. If you cannot serve as a wolf, then you will serve as a bride. Do not shame me by refusing.”

My breath hitched. I wanted to scream, to fight, to tell him I wasn’t a pawn to be bartered away. But the look in his eyes silenced me—the steel, the warning, the disappointment that had haunted me my whole life.

In that moment, I understood. I had no choice.