The Rogue Queen’s Vengeance

Aria’s POVThe world didn't move. It didn't breathe. I Iay crumbled on the ground, my knees pressed on the dirt while the pack were murmuring words sharp enough to pause my heartbeat, each word slicing me open.“She's rejected… He said she wasn't strong enough to be his Luna.”“Poor girl, but the Alpha has spoken,” they whispered.I pulled myself up with my shaky hands, my dress stained with ash and earth. My chest still burned where the bond was severed, it was as if the pains were crawling up to my soul. Nyra moaned faintly in my mind, her tiny voice, fractured but broken.“We are broken… Aria, broken.”My hand pressed my chest as if I could keep my heart from exploding. I held in my tears.Not here. Not again in front of them. I would not give them the satisfaction to see me broken any more.Across the fire Ronan stood tall and unmoved. Not a flicker of regret. Not even angry. His cold eyes had no emotions, and he gave out brutal commands that made my stomach churn. The crowd’s

Aria’s Pov The heavy iron gate of Crescent Moon was slammed shut behind me, as darkness began to flicker in the sky I was determined to journey alone into nowhere. I felt a crushing sense of despair as the mate bond had been severed leaving me empty. Nyra, my wolf was just a faint whisper in my mind.“We are alone,” she whispers, barely heard.The forest stretched out before me. It was dark and unending. The air outside the territory was colder, sharper as though the wind knew I no longer had a home. Ronan’s words echoed on my ears, “Leave before dawn or be dragged out,” the humiliation cuts deeper than any wound. I fell on my knees to beg only to be met by his dismissive look.The moon light shined bright through the branches and as I moved deeper into the forest for hours my legs felt weak.The tall trees loomed around me, every crack of a twig made me jump, and each rustle of leaves had me turn around expecting danger. I was now prey – a solitary wolf without a pack, without any m

Aria's povThree weeks had gone by after I'd pledged my blood oath, and my body ached with each step I took. The morning light was so bright it flickers on the training ground and also drew attention to the new bruises on my left arm, my slit lip still healing all from yesterday's blows now torn open by Garrett's punches.As my blood fell onto the packed brown soil, I fought to rise, wiping away the blood with my left hand. The other outcasts gathered around the makeshift ring staring at me like I was the prey and Garrett the predator. Some placed bets while others watched for the fun of it.Garrett paced up and down with confidence, feeling fly as a predator aware that its prey was lying on the floor hopeless.His body scars told stories of the war he fought and the ones he endured. He manifested strength, courage, resilience, experience, and everything that I lacked.“Come on, Princess,” he taunts, “Give me a challenge.”I raised my hand but it was as heavy as a rock, my shaky feet

Ronan’s Pov I felt reoccurring pains as I stood in the study, it was sharp like a blade driven through my ribs. I grabbed the edge of my desk so hard it left marks, my teeth grinding as I fought through pain that didn’t even belong to me. “She's in pain,” Kael lamented in my mind, his voice weak, sharing in the pains too. “Something is wrong with her, Can you feel it?” “I can feel it,” I rumbled, my voice faltering. For the past three weeks, I've been going through intense pains. Whatever Aria's facing was slowly tearing us apart. A loud knock broke the tension as I tried to calm Kael who I've been wrestling with, “Come in,” Garvin entered, with a cheerful look, followed by Elder Varyn, who moved carefully, appearing ancient and harmless. Yet, I could see hints of contentment in his pale eyes. “Alpha,” Garvin called, a bit of anxiety heard in his voice. “We need to discuss something.” “About what,” I said, having hints of what they were about to talk about. Varyn steppe

Ronan’s PovThe pain was still there. This wasn't the usual pain I'd grown used to over the past weeks. This was sharp, immediate, and filled with something that made my blood run cold.Satisfaction. She was satisfied with whatever thing that caused the massacre.“She's alive,” Kael whispered in my mind, “ Thank the Moon Goddess.” I felt a strong sense of relief from him.As I stood there staring down at the bloodshed, I'm not sure if it was good or bad news for Aria to be alive.Dead bodies littered the clearings. They were the hunters sent to unalive Aria.They were pack wolves and trained fighters who should have been nearly impossible to be killed in such numbers.Yet here they are, their throat cut in surgical precision.“What did this? What happened?,” I mumbled, kneeling beside the nearest corpses. This isn't a rough hungry killing of rogues attacking and killing rogues. This is a clean slit. Calculated.“She did this,” Kael said quietly, “Don't you perceive her scent that lin