He called me a curse

Aria’s POV

“Why aren’t you on the dance floor with your mate, Aria? Or did he finally realize what a waste you are?”

That was the question that made my throat tighten and my glass tremble in my hand.

The ballroom shimmered with candlelight and the clinking of glasses. “To us!” my father roared, lifting his champagne high. “To us!” the crowd echoed back, a flawless chorus of loyal wolves and polished guests.

I stood alone by the marble pillar near the exit. No one toasted with me.

Not that I expected otherwise.

With every soft clink and laughter that echoed across the grand hall, I sank a little deeper into my own skin, invisible even in a silver satin gown that my father’s Beta insisted I wear. The only daughter of Alpha Morven—silent, out of place, and inconvenient.

I raised my glass quietly and took a sip. It burned. Or maybe that was just my nerves.

Couples floated to the center of the hall as the music shifted to a slow, sweeping waltz. Most were mated. Some were just eager to pretend. My feet ached to move, to blend in, to belong. But I stayed rooted.

Aria, you’re an Omega, my father’s voice echoed in my head, an embarrassment I wish I never had.

Another drink. Maybe that would drown it out.

A tray passed by. I snatched a fresh glass of wine and pretended I was immune to the sting of loneliness. I wasn’t.

I hated these monthly alliances-in-disguise. Father believed in public strength, hosting endless socials for political gain, always to keep neighboring packs under his thumb. Ever since my mother’s death in the rogue ambush—when I was three—he’d been obsessed with power.

And I? I was the complete opposite of him. Small. Quiet. Weak.

And worst of all? An Omega born to an Alpha.

“I should’ve left you with the rogues,” he told me once. “You’re not a daughter. You’re a curse.”

My wolf never stood a chance. When I shifted at seventeen, I was the runt. Fragile, trembling. He’d forbidden me from ever shifting again. Said he’d rather be buried than admit I came from his blood.

But I was nineteen now. And the Moon Goddess, in what I can only assume was a cruel joke, gave me a mate. Alpha Lucan.The golden boy of our pack. Father adored him, called him “the future.”

Apparently, that was the only worthwhile thing I’d done—be mated to a man he could mold.

“Do you need anything else, Mistress?” a soft voice interrupted my spiral.

A young Omega waitress smiled at me, her tray balanced perfectly.

“No, I’m fine,” I whispered, forcing a smile. She nodded and melted into the crowd.

I set my glass down. My palms were clammy, heart racing for no good reason. I wasn’t made for gatherings. Every polite smile felt like a blade to the ribs.

Then came the laughter.

Three Alpha daughters approached—flawless, confident, dominant. Their very existence screamed everything I lacked.

“Aria, hi!” One of them hugged me without waiting for permission.

“Hi,” I managed. “Thank you for coming.”

“You look tense,” said Lyna, her smirk familiar. “You should relax. We don’t bite… hard.”

“I just had a bit too much to drink.” I lied, chuckling like I wasn’t about to unravel.

“You look nice tonight,” Ciara chimed in. She didn’t mean it, but I thanked her anyway.

Short, chubby cheeks, dull brown hair. Me. Not the kind of girl who turns heads.

“So…” Lyna’s grin sharpened. “Why aren’t you and Lucan out there? You two always make such a scene.”

“He stepped out for a bit,” I said too quickly. Lie number two.

“Stepped out?” Brianna raised a brow. “Is it safe to leave a man like that alone? I mean, wolves here would claw you just to be near him.”

“Lucan is popular,” Ciara added. “You might wanna hold tighter, Aria. He’s the only thing keeping you relevant.”

I stared at the floor, swallowing the tears pressing up my throat. “You’re right. I should go find him.”

Without another word, I turned and walked away. I didn’t glance back.

The second I passed through the ballroom doors, I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My chest burned with quiet humiliation. I hated this. I hated how they chipped at me like I was carved from paper. But it hurt. Goddess, it hurt.

I started down the garden path, letting the cold air scrape against my skin.

That’s when I heard it.

Two voices, low and hushed near the poolside. One I recognized instantly—Lucan. The other, male, older. Unfamiliar.

I moved closer, heart in my throat.

“Aria’s an idiot,” Lucan was saying. “Her father adores me. I could sell this whole pack off tomorrow and no one would blink. Just make sure you hold up your end of the deal.”

I froze.

The wine glass in my hand slipped and shattered against the cobblestone.

They didn’t hear it.

My knees locked in place as Lucan’s voice slithered out of the darkness.

“She’s weak. And the Alpha’s blind. This will be easier than I thought.”

My fingers trembled. I couldn’t breathe.

He’s planning to betray my father. He’s using me.

And I… I had loved him.