Chapter 2

I sat alone outside, curled up on the cold stone floor. My once-pristine white dress was now stained brown with chocolate.

Tonight, I was supposed to be with my mate.

The future Alpha.

Tonight was supposed to change my life.

I let out a bitter laugh.

I guess it had changed after all.

Just not for the better.

I'd been humiliated in front of the entire pack.

Rejected by my mate.

Thrown out of the only home I'd ever known.

After a while, I pushed myself to my feet.

There was no point sitting outside while everyone inside celebrated.

I started walking with no destination in mind.

I just needed to get away.

A burst of laughter caught my attention.

Ahead of me, a group of girls had surrounded a little girl.

"You drew yourself a mommy?" one of them mocked, waving a piece of paper in the air. "How pathetic."

"Your real mom didn't even want you," another sneered.

"Give it back!" the little girl cried, jumping to reach the drawing.

Instead, the older girl tore it into pieces and let the scraps flutter to the ground.

"There," she laughed. "You can have it now."

I walked straight toward them.

"Hey," I said firmly. "Stop that."

The girls turned to look at me.

"You shouldn't treat her like that. Apologize to her right now."

The oldest girl looked me up and down before bursting into laughter.

"Aren't you the girl the future Alpha rejected?"

She pointed at my stained dress.

"Just look at yourself."

Her friends laughed along with her.

"You've got nothing better to do than stick your nose into other people's business?" she mocked.

"I guess you really don't."

She folded her arms.

"Tell me, do you even have anywhere to sleep tonight?"

I clenched my jaw but forced myself to stay calm.

"You should all leave," I said, doing my best to sound confident. "Or I'll call the security guards."

I glanced around deliberately.

"I bet your parents don't even know you're still here."

Their smug expressions faltered.

Without another word, they exchanged uneasy glances before walking away.

The little girl was still kneeling on the ground, quietly gathering the torn pieces of her drawing.

I crouched beside her.

"Don't cry," I said softly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You can always draw another one."

I smiled.

"I'll help you."

The little girl looked up at me.

For the first time, I got a proper look at her face.

She was beautiful, with sparkling blue eyes still glistening with tears.

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"You'll actually help me?"

"Of course," I said with a smile.

Before I knew it, she had thrown her arms around me.

"Thank you for helping me," she murmured. "Most people are always mean to me because I don't have a mom."

Her voice was so small that it made my heart ache.

"I don't have a mom or a dad either," I admitted quietly.

I had never considered Vera my mother.

And after everything that had happened tonight, she certainly wasn't family anymore.

The little girl looked up at me with sympathy.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"But I do have a dad."

A bright smile spread across her face.

"He's really big and really strong."

I couldn't help smiling back.

She clearly adored him.

"What's your name?" I asked, realizing I still didn't know it.

"Aurelia," she replied proudly.

"What a beautiful name," I said warmly. "It suits a beautiful little girl."

"My name is Aria."

Her eyes lit up.

"Our names are almost the same!"

I laughed softly.

"They are."

Then her smile faded as she looked down at my dress.

"What happened to it?"

The question brought me crashing back to reality.

The ceremony.

Lucas.

Manda.

Vera.

The rejection.

The humiliation.

And the fact that I had nowhere to go.

"I... fell down," I said.

It was the easiest explanation.

She frowned.

"I hope you're not hurt."

The concern in her voice caught me off guard.

I couldn't remember the last time anyone had looked at me with such genuine kindness.

My vision blurred.

Before I could stop them, tears filled my eyes.

Without saying a word, Aurelia hugged me again.

I slowly wrapped my arms around her, holding on a little tighter than I should have.

For the first time that night...

I didn't feel completely alone.

"What's going on here?"

A deep, commanding voice cut through the silence.

"Aurelia, I've been looking everywhere for you."

Before I could react, Aurelia was gently lifted away from me.

"And who are you?"

I looked up.

My breath caught.

Standing before me was the most powerful Alpha in the territory.

Alpha Kael.

Lucas's uncle.

I quickly rose to my feet, suddenly at a loss for words.

I'd heard countless stories about Alpha Kael.

Everyone said he was ruthless.

Feared.

Cruel.

They also said he was handsome.

That, I'd always assumed, was an exaggeration.

It wasn't.

If anything, it was an understatement.

He towered over everyone around him, broad-shouldered and imposing.

His piercing blue eyes—so much like Aurelia's—were impossible to ignore.

For a moment, I realized I had been staring.

And I still hadn't answered his question.

Fortunately, Aurelia spoke first.

"Daddy, she's my friend!" she said happily.

"She helped me when those girls were bullying me. And she promised to help me draw another picture."

Something stirred inside me.

My wolf, silent all evening, suddenly became restless.

Alpha Kael's gaze sharpened ever so slightly.

For the briefest moment, something unreadable flickered across his face.

Then it disappeared behind the same calm, emotionless expression.

"Thank you for helping Aurelia," he said.

His voice was still deep and authoritative, but no longer quite as cold.

"It was nothing," I replied.

"I'm Aria."

I lowered my head respectfully.

"And... I'm sorry I didn't answer your question earlier, Alpha Kael."

Kael gave a small nod.

His gaze dropped to the chocolate stains covering my dress.

Then to the scrape on my wrist.

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

Instinctively, I resisted the urge to hide my hand behind my back.

Suddenly, I became painfully aware of how I looked.

My dress was ruined.

My hair was a mess.

And I probably looked like I'd spent the entire night rolling around in mud.

His eyes returned to mine.

"What happened to you?"

The question made me tense.

How was I supposed to tell him that I'd just been rejected by his own nephew?

That I'd been humiliated in front of the entire pack?

"I'd rather not talk about it," I said quietly.

He studied me for a long moment.

There was something in his gaze I couldn't understand.

"Aria."

The way he said my name sent an unfamiliar shiver through me.

It was almost as if he already knew who I was.

"You've had a difficult evening."

It wasn't a question.

Heat crept into my cheeks.

Of course he knew.

By now, everyone probably did.

The girl whose mate had chosen her stepsister instead.

The girl who had been publicly rejected.

The girl everyone was laughing about.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a small smile.

"I'll survive."

For a brief moment, something softened in his expression.

"I'm sure you will," he said quietly.