Aria's POV
My heart broke all over again, but I forced myself to walk towards them. There must be an explanation for this.
"Liam," I called softly, my voice was barely above a whisper.
They broke apart, and Liam's brown eyes met mine. However, there was no surprise or guilt in his gaze, only annoyance.
I looked at his handsome face, the face of the man that I loved. He had a chiseled jawline, beautiful brown eyes, shaggy brown hair and a lean but slightly muscular build. However, it felt like I was looking at a stranger at that point.
Veronica looked at me with disdain, and her eyes were filled with mockery. She must have known that I and Liam were fated mates.
"I need to talk to you, Liam," I said, trying to keeping my voice steady. "Privately."
Veronica tightened her grip on Liam's arm and she sneered. “Look at how gutsy you are. Liam is with his mate and you want to see him privately. What a whore! Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of me," she declared, crossing her arms, her tone was filled with malice.
Her words were painful, but I ignored them. I just needed answers.
“Please, Liam,” I pleaded, hoping he would send her away, hoping he would show some form of warmth in his eyes for me.
But Liam didn't tell Veronica to leave and his eyes remained hard. Instead, he sighed impatiently. "Aria, whatever you need to say, just fucking say it. Veronica and I have no secrets."
Liam had never cussed when speaking to me. My heart sank further, “Liam, please.” I pleaded again, putting so much pain in my words, hoping he would have pity on me, for the sake of the love we shared.
However, he sneered, “If you're not ready to speak, then get the fuck out of here. Don't fucking waste my time.”
My heart clenched painfully, and I couldn't help but ask "Why Liam? Why are you doing this to me? What happened to our love? What happened to all the promises you made to me? I… I thought… I thought you loved me. Liam, we're fated mates.”
Liam's eyes darkened, and Veronica's smirk grew wider.
“Fated mates?” Veronica scoffed. “Do you really believe that nonsense of fated mates? How pathetic.”
Liam's lips curled into a cruel smile. “Aria, did you honestly think a fucking weak omega like you could ever be Luna? You don't even have parents or even a fucking last name. You're like the lowest of the omegas.”
I could feel tears welling up again in my eyes, but I forced them back.
“So everything you ever told me was a lie?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
He smirked and shrugged. “I'm glad the pretense is over. I was sick of pretending to love you, when I can't even tolerate you.”
Then he turned back to Veronica, dismissing me like someone who wasn't worth his time.
“Let's get back to the party, my love. This worthless omega has ruined our alone time” He told her tenderly. He was using the same voice he normally used to tell me how much he loved me, and how he couldn't wait to make me his Luna.
I controlled myself so that I wouldn't cry. I needed to know one more thing.
“Then why do it? Why deceive me with all those lies if I meant nothing to you? Why didn't you just reject me then?” I asked. My voice was trembling badly.
He turned and smirked at me cruelly. “The answer is quite simple, Aria. I wanted to fuck you, but you, always so fucking righteous, refused, wanting it to be when we were recognized as mates publicly. Like, what the fuck?”
My mouth gaped open in shock and disbelief, but he wasn't done.
“I kept sweetening you with words, promising you the fucking world, hoping you'd give in. But you were firm with your decision, so I got bored of waiting for you to open your fucking legs. I had to go on with my life. What a waste of time!” He exclaimed with a laugh.
His words were so cruel, I never expected something like this from him. I never thought all this was a big lie from someone who just wanted to sleep with me.
I just wanted to make my first time to be special. Many times, I was so close to giving in to his sweet words and sweet touches.
I struggled to control the tears from flowing out, but they flowed down my cheeks as the pain was just too much to bear.
Veronica leaned closer to Liam. Her eyes were shining with excitement. She was clearly enjoying my pain.
“Alright now, run along , little omega. We have given you too much of our time. Know your place.” she taunted, and Liam chuckled.
I stood there frozen as I wondered how Liam could be so cruel to me. The Liam I thought I knew was gone, replaced by this cold, cruel stranger. I felt like my world was crumbling around me, the life I was dreaming of with Liam shattered into non-existence.
I turned to leave, feeling so worthless and stupid for falling for a lie, but Liam's voice made me pause.
“You know what? Let’s make this official. I, Liam Reed, the son of the Alpha of the Grey Moon pack, reject you, Aria, as my fated mate, so mote it be.” He declared coldly.
I gasped as pain flashed through my chest. I stumbled and caught myself on the wall because of the intense pain I felt.
Rhea howled in pain in my head and she retreated away, the pain was too much for her.
Through the tears, I looked up at Liam. There was nothing to fight for again, “I, Aria, accept your rejection, so mote it be.”
I flinched again as the bond snapped completely. Liam flinched also and clutched his chest in pain.
“Oh my goodness, Liam, are you okay?” Veronica asked with so much concern in her voice.
Liam grimaced as he rubbed his chest. He quickly masked his pain and replaced it with a cold expression.
"I'm fine," he muttered through gritted teeth, though it was clear the bond breaking affected him, but I felt no satisfaction from it at all.
Veronica glared at me venomously, as though she was blaming me for his pain. “Let's go, Liam. We have a celebration to get back to, before people start looking for us” she said, pulling him away.
I watched them leave and my heart shattered into pieces again.
The pain in my chest was intense, both from the broken bond and the betrayal. I had always stupidly believed in our fated bond. I thought it was something so sacred and unbreakable.
I wiped the tears from my face. I wanted to leave this place, to go somewhere, but I had nowhere to go. I had no relatives out there. My foster mother, Felicia, was barely pushing through, she was also an omega. I had no one to help me with a new life.
I had to plan and not allow my heartbreak to make me rush into decisions. I would leave this pack soon, but I needed to plan.
The Grey Moon pack was the second biggest and strongest pack in America. Running away from this pack could have consequences and no pack would be able to save me if the Grey Moon pack decides to punish me for running away. Except the biggest pack in America, the Moonshadow pack, whose Alpha was the Alpha King of America, but unfortunately he was Liam's uncle (Liam's father's younger brother).
As I walked away from the corridor, I saw Claire approaching looking so concerned. She must have sensed something was wrong.
"Aria, what happened?" she asked, touching my arm gently.
I shook my head, unable to find the words to explain the pain and betrayal I felt. "I need to get out of here, Claire. I'll be back tomorrow morning. I just need a little break," I whispered, my voice breaking.
Before she could say anything else, I rushed out, grabbing my purse on my way out, making sure I avoided everyone's eyes.
Immediately I got outside I began to run. The night air was cool on my face as I ran. I kept running, I didn't know where I was going but I just needed to escape from this hell for now.
Aria's POVI ran for a long time, and I saw myself in the human town somehow far from the pack.Without thinking twice, I walked into a bar. I needed a good distraction from my thoughts.I quickly approached the counter and ordered a drink, at that moment I didn't care what it was. I just needed something to dull the pain I was feeling.I must have been looking like a mess because the bartender gave me a look of pity and handed me a glass. I swallowed it quickly, it burned my throat and I coughed.I ordered another drink, and then another. With each glass, the pain in my chest faded little by little. It was replaced by numbness and drunkenness.At one point, I was able to forget. Forget Liam, forget Veronica, forget the lies and the broken bond.But I was a werewolf, even though I was an omega. So the human alcohol didn't really stay long in my system.I signaled for another stronger drink, because I wanted to keep drowning out the pain over and over.The bartender eyed me with an odd
Aria's POVI woke up very early the next morning, in the arms of the gorgeous stranger, Knox.I had mixed emotions. Knox had made me feel wanted and desired, but now in the morning, I felt so much regret. What had I done? I had given my virginity to a stranger, the virginity I stopped myself from giving my mate, before I knew he was a lying bastard.I laughed bitterly as I thought about it.I slipped out of the bed quietly, not wanting to wake him. Knox stirred slightly, but he didn't wake. I glanced back at him one last time with his dark hair and chiseled features. It was then I noticed the greyish hair at his temples, and he looked somehow older than me.I shrugged, quickly dressed and left the hotel before he woke up.As I returned to the pack, the atmosphere in the pack was excited that morning, but I didn't care to know why.I just kept my head down and hoped that no one would notice me, because I was sure that the news of Liam's rejection must have spread to the whole pack, cou
Aria's POVMy mouth gaped open in a way that I knew wasn't really cute, but I was too shocked to care. I was speechless. What would an Alpha King want with an omega?Unless he was trying to play me, just like Liam did.It was getting really hard to think straight as his hand left my face and began to move down slowly.I gasped as his hand began to trail down my neck, moving so close to my breast.“Please stop,” I pleaded, my voice was breathy, and I was panting.Knox's hand froze instantly, but he didn't remove it. His gray eyes darkened with concern.“What is it, Aria?” He asked softly.I almost moaned at the way my name rolled out of his tongue. I was so wet that I knew that he could probably smell my arousal.I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him slightly. I could feel the hard muscles on his chest. I felt like running my hands over his chest, but I didn't let myself give in, no matter how hard the mate bond and Rhea wanted me to.He stepped back and removed his hand that wa
Aria's POV“So, what do we do now?” I asked.We were both sitting on my moth-eaten and thin bed that lay miserably on the floor. I felt embarrassed seeing that someone like him — the Alpha King — was sitting here, in a place so below him, because of someone like me, who was also below him.Knox didn't seem to mind, though. He stretched his long legs, and his body made my small room look even smaller.He looked completely comfortable, like it was the most comfortable place in the world.His eyes softened as he turned to face me with a warm smile and held my hand in his.He shrugged. “Well, what we do now, depends on you. But first, I think we need to fix this situation,” he said, tapping the bed with a playful smirk. “I’ve slept on rocks more comfortable than this.”I laughed softly, “It’s not that bad.”He raised an eyebrow and his smirk widened. “For an omega, maybe. But not for my mate.”His words made my heart skip a beat, but my smile faded quickly as I remembered how complicated
Aria's POVI could feel their stares like needles on my skin.Now that the excitement of the party of the Alpha King had faded, the pack members had brought their attention back to me and whatever lies Veronica might have told them. There were so many looks of disgust and anger that I was almost scared of finding out what Veronica had actually said. Even if I didn't find out, I knew Claire would come find me and tell me what it was. So I ignored and avoided all the hostile glares as I went about my daily chores in the pack.It was late afternoon and I hadn't seen Claire yet, and I was getting slightly worried. Maybe I should go find her myself.Just as that thought flashed through my mind, I heard a familiar voice call from behind me.“Aria,” it was Claire. Finally.I turned to her with a small smile on my face. My smile froze immediately when I saw the look on her face. It was then I knew that something was wrong.Disgust was written all over her face; she was disgusted by me. My hea
Aria's POVMy foster mother stared at me for a moment or two before she rolled her eyes.“Oh, it's you.” She said coolly. Then she stepped inside, leaving the door open.I didn't know if I should take that as an invitation to come in.“Close the fucking door behind you, will ya!” She ordered, and I quickly hurried in and closed the door.My foster mother, Felicia, AKA Mama Felz, was a tough woman in her sixties. She was barely 5 feet tall, but she was scarier than 6-foot-tall werewolves. Even though she was an omega, she was never intimidated by the other pack members. She loved minding her business, and she hated it when others didn't mind theirs.The other pack members learned from experience to just avoid her for their own peace of mind.“I thought you were one of those fucking gossips that have been troubling me since morning. What the fuck is their problem anyway?” She grumbled bitterly, as she plopped down on one of her worn-out couches.I stood silently as I waited for her to f
Aria’s POV“My mate was Liam Reed, and he pleaded with me to keep it hidden because his parents would not approve.” I said with a bitter smile.Mama Felz snorted, but thankfully she didn’t say anything. Instead, she took a swig of the moon-fire whiskey.“He promised that when the time was right, he would reveal us as mates.”She snorted again, but this time she didn’t stay silent. “What a stinking load of wolf-piss! Only a fucking idiot would fall for that shit!”I pursed my lips at her indirect insult.“So tell me, did you reject him? Is that why his fake mate is spreading all these fucking lies about you?” She asked with an eager smirk on her face.I kept my gaze on the floor as I shook my head slowly. Mama Felz gasped dramatically.“No!” she gasped, “Don’t fucking tell me you fell for it! Oh no!”I bit my lips in embarrassment. Mama Felz was supposed to be comforting me, not make me feel worse. I thought bitterly to myself. Then again, what else was I expecting from Mama Felz?“Tha
Aria’s POVMy door creaked, and immediately my eyes flew open. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and my heart pounded in my chest, but I didn't move. I kept my back to the door and stayed silent.Soft footsteps approached where I lay on my bed, and I tensed slightly.My mind raced as several thoughts flashed through my head. Who was in my room? What were they here for? Maybe I could make a break for it by taking them by surprise. Maybe I should scream instead.A familiar deep voice chuckled in amusement. “Calm down, little angel”Immediately I heard his voice, my body relaxed. It was then my brain finally registered the familiar scent of peppermint and cedar.I released a deep sigh of relief as I turned to face him. My heart was racing, but this time it was for a different reason. Knox towered over my bed with an amused smirk on his face as he watched me.I gave him a half-hearted glare, though a small smile tugged on my lips.“Sneaking into my room in the middle of the night?” I te
Aria's POVI ran a hand through my hair in frustration as I stared at the empty hallway. Why did I do that?‘Because it was the right thing to do,’ the dark voice whispered.“Shut up,” I gritted through clenched teeth.‘He’s trying to control you, to make you weak.’“Shut up!” I snapped louder, and my voice echoed in the hallway. My hands clenched into fists, and for once, the voice went silent and retreated.I released a sigh of relief, as I finally felt like I could think clearly. I released a sigh as my mind raced. I needed to speak to Knox and apologize. I shouldn’t have snapped at him. But where was I going to find him? His office, his room, or somewhere else.I ignored my aching muscles as I made my way out of my room to find him. The visit to the pack clinic could wait for now.I decided to go check out his office first. My body hurt as I walked, but I focused on Knox and my regret for snapping at him to get strength to move on.I ignored the weird looks I got from the pack mem
Aria's POVAt Knox's words, I paused with a small wince.“Well…” I started, and Knox also paused, lifting an eyebrow at me in question.“I want to go on my own.” I said softly, but steadily. “I don't want you to come with me, let me handle it myself.”He hesitated, clearly unhappy as he crossed his arms with narrowed eyes.“Why not? Is there a problem with me walking you there?”I shook my head quickly. “It’s not that. I just... I want to do this on my own. I need to.”His jaw tensed as he watched me, “Aria, I don't want anyone taking advantage of your kindness or soft heart to disrespect you.”“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, “I want to stand on my own two feet. If you come with me, it’ll feel like I’m relying on you for everything. Please, Knox, trust me.”Knox sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I do trust you, Aria. It’s just… after that incident with Connor, I…I”He trailed off with a frustrated sigh, clenching his fists. “I just don’t want anything like that to happen again.
Aria's POVI froze, staring at him with wide eyes, as a thrill ran down my body, even though my body was in a sorry state.“What?”He was talking about the silent treatment I had been giving him this morning.Knox laughed heartily at my reaction, “Relax, angel. I think today’s training was punishment enough, don’t you?”I exhaled sharply, feeling both relieved, annoyed and a little disappointed. “Very funny,” I muttered, glaring at him.Knox grinned, and he pushed off the door frame and headed toward the bathroom. “Let me go run that bath for you,” he said over his shoulder.As he entered the bathroom, I fell back on the bed, releasing an exhausted sigh as I stared up at the ceiling.Today had been torturous, but a little part of me felt proud of myself. This was my first step towards being stronger. If Hunter was really going to teach me how to fight, I would be stronger, not just physically but in other ways.A few minutes later, Knox returned, leaning against the door frame with a
Aria's POVAs I rose to my feet, I winced at my aching muscles. They would certainly hurt more later on. My throat was parched, and I desperately needed water. The thought of walking all the way back to my room to get some made me groan inwardly.Just as I was about to force myself to start the long trek, a bottle of water was thrust toward me. Startled, I looked up to see Hunter standing there with his usual sneer on his face.I hesitated, eyeing the bottle suspiciously. For a moment, I wondered if he had done something to it—poisoned it, maybe. Besides, he was Astrid's brother after all.“Take it or don’t. Your choice.” He said flatly, and his eyes shone with impatience at my hesitation.I clenched my jaw, thinking about my two choices. I could reject the water out of pride, or I could accept it because I needed it. At the end, the dryness in my throat won the battle, and reluctantly, I reached out and collected the bottle of water.“Thanks,” I muttered reluctantly.Hunter snorted.
Aria's POVThe distance they stood at was far enough that I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Knox murmured to Hunter, and I tried to pick up what he was telling Hunter by reading his lips or by watching Hunter’s facial expression. However, to my disappointment, I couldn’t pick up what he was saying, and Hunter kept his blank, so I couldn’t even get a hint.I turned away from them disappointed, deciding to wait for them to finish their private discussion instead. Internally, I was slightly upset that I was being excluded.A few minutes later, they both walked back to where I stood.“Hey,” Knox said softly, “You’re in good hands, alright? Like I said earlier, Hunter is a very good and experienced fighter. One of the best in this pack, actually. I might be a better fighter than he is, but he’s a much better teacher.” He assured me.I nodded in understanding, but internally I was panicking inside because very soon, I would be left alone with Hunter.“Take care of yourself, I’ll come s
Aria's POVKnox watched me for a moment with a piercing gaze, and I had to force myself not to look guilty or tense. At that moment, his eyes were unnerving, as though they were piercing into my soul.Finally, he nodded, and I sighed internally in relief. ‘That was not a comfortable feeling,’ I thought to myself.Knox placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Rest up now, Aria. I’m right here,” he murmured softly, and I closed my eyes.“Remember that you have training with Hunter this morning by 6am,” he added.Immediately, my eyes flew open, and my heart raced – I had totally forgotten. No matter how excited I wanted to be about learning how to defend myself, the fact that it was Hunter that would train me, really dimmed my excitement.Knox’s voice cut through my thoughts. “I know you’re excited about tomorrow, but you need to go back to sleep.” He must have mistaken my racing heart for excitement, and not panic.But I obeyed, and closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down as I tried to sleep
Aria's POV“You are the cause of all this,” the voice cackled. “Their blood is on your hands, you've brought death upon them... this is your power, Aria.” The voice was getting closer now, but I was frozen in terror.“Embrace it, Aria. This is what you are meant to be.”I scrambled to my feet, but the bodies were everywhere. I couldn't escape them. It was my fault. I had done this.I turned to look at Knox’s body again, as the guilt ate into me.“Accept it, Aria. You have the power. You always have. You are the one who ended their lives. You are to be feared. You're the one who destroys. Embrace your strength. Embrace who you are.”I collapsed to my knees, and closed my ears with my shaking hands to block out that dark voice. “No, no, no.” I mumbled over and over.But the voice didn’t stop. It became even louder, forcing its way into my mind.“You are more than what you think. You are unstoppable. Powerful. The blood is your birthright. You will take what is yours, and you will make t
Aria's POV~A week later~“Knox?” I called softly as we lay on the bed in my room. We were about to sleep. For some reason, Knox kept sleeping in my room, but I had never seen his own room.Whenever I asked him about his room, he always said, “Yours is more comfortable, so why bother?”He had even brought more of his clothes into my room so that he could dress in my room.He turned to me, yawning with sleepy eyes. “Yeah?”I bit my lips softly before I replied. “I want to learn how to fight,” I told him.He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why? Who are you fighting?” Then he paused with a small frown. “Did someone threaten you?” He growled.I shook my head, as I quickly sat up. “No, no. It's…it's nothing like that. No one is threatening me, Knox,” I said firmly.And that was true. Since that incident with Connor at the pack clinic, no one had approached me to say anything insulting. The people that disliked me could only glare at me and give me angry looks. Nothing more. Not even Astrid said an
Knox's POV“Do you think not telling me will protect them?” I asked coldly. “All you’re doing is making it worse for them. I will find out, Aria. One way or another. You should know that by now.”Her eyes widened, but she didn’t respond.I took a step back, with a hard glare on my face.“And when I do, there will be no mercy. If you had told me their names, I might have considered being lenient. But now? Now, they’ll face the full wrath of the Alpha King—and the wolf who protects his mate.”I could see a hint of fear cross her face. However, she wasn't scared of me. She was scared of what I would do to those people. Good.I turned away from her. “You’re mine, Aria. And I won’t allow anyone to treat you with disrespect. Not ever.”After my declaration, I went to sit on my chair behind the table, and there was a tense silence.Aria fidgeted as she stood there, avoiding my eyes. I wondered what was going through her mind at that point.As I opened my mouth to ask her to take a seat, a lo