Aria's POV
My 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 was still near my breast.
I released a deep breath as I tried to control myself.
“Aria?” His voice was low, and his eyes searched my face for answers.
I couldn't meet his eyes, so I kept my eyes on my feet instead.
“I am an omega, your majesty. An omega with nothing, not even a last name.” I said, my eyes still on my feet.
Knox growled in displeasure and stepped forward, but I held my hand out to stop him from getting too close, and he paused.
“Please, your majesty, let me finish.” I pleaded again, staring at his chest.
He clenched his jaw, but he nodded reluctantly.
“I was just rejected yesterday by my mate, Liam Reed, your nephew.” I revealed.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I remembered the pain from yesterday.
Knox stepped forward again, and I lifted my head to look at him. His eyes were soft and warm as he came closer to me slowly.
"Aria..." He said softly.
The tone of his voice broke down my walls, and everything I had been holding inside since Liam’s rejection poured out.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears from pouring out, but it was useless. A sob escaped my throat, and I covered my face with my hands.
“Oh Aria…” Knox murmured softly.
He moved even closer, and this time, I didn’t stop him. He held me gently in his arms.
At that point, I couldn't hold it. It was as if the dam broke, and I began to sob into his chest. I released all the pain and betrayal I had been trying to ignore since yesterday. Liam’s betrayal, rejection and humiliation, and now, the confusion about this new mate bond with Knox. It was all so overwhelming.
Knox's arms tightened around me as I cried. My tears were soaking his shirt, but he didn’t seem to care. He just kept holding me, stroking my hair gently and murmuring soft words that I couldn’t hear because of my sobbing.
“I’m sorry,” I said, pulling back from his chest, “I’m sorry for breaking down like this… I just—” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat, trying to compose myself. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Shh,” he interrupted me softly. He brushed a tear from my cheek with his thumb. “You don’t have to apologize, Aria. You must have been through a lot. Let it out.”
I sniffled. I felt so embarrassed for breaking down like that in front of him. But he didn't seem to mind as he stepped back again to give me space.
“Liam... he was my mate, and I loved him” I whispered. My voice was hoarse, “He was supposed to love me, he said he loved me. And then, he just—”
My voice broke again, and I shook my head, breathing deeply to stop the sob from coming out.
Knox clenched his jaw, and I saw his eyes flash with something.
“Liam is a fool,” he said. His voice was low, but it was firm. “He is a foolish boy who has no idea of the value of the treasure he has in front of him.”
I blinked in surprise. He sounded so angry and sincere.
“He rejected you, his true mate,” Knox continued. His gray eyes were intense as he spoke. “For what? For that fake bimbo? He doesn't know the value of what he gave up. I thank the moon goddess for what he did. Because now…” He stepped forward with a soft look in his eyes and he cupped my face gently. “Now, you’re here. With me.”
His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I felt my heart melt at the sincerity in his eyes. He wasn’t just saying this to make me feel better. He meant every word.
“I thought I was cursed,” Knox admitted, gazing at my eyes with an intense look that made my core ache. “I never thought I would ever have a mate. I had given up hope, I had prepared myself for a life alone. And then, you came along, my little miracle.” He brushed his thumb lightly against my cheek, and my breath caught.
I didn’t know what to say, but I could just feel how sincere Knox was. Hearing him call me his miracle made warmth fill my chest.
Knox smiled softly, running his thumb over my bottom lip.
“I don’t care that you’re an omega, Aria. I don’t care about what happened with Liam. All I care about is that you’re mine. And I’m not letting you go.” He said firmly.
His eyes were so intense, his words were so intense, everything about him was so intense. I swallowed hard.
Knox leaned in so close that his lips were just inches from mine. “Liam’s loss,” he murmured. I could feel his warm breath against my skin, “is my greatest gain.”
I felt a shiver of desire run through me at his words, and without hesitating, I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer for a kiss.
Knox responded immediately. His arms wrapped around me as he kissed me back passionately. The kiss was unlike anything I had ever had before, even with Liam. Knox groaned against my lips in satisfaction, and it made my knees weak. His hands pulled me even closer as the kiss deepened.
I broke the kiss and gasped for breath as I leaned my forehead against his chest.
“Thank you,” I whispered softly, against his chest.
He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “You don’t have to thank me, little angel. You’re mine now. And I take care of what’s mine.”
I smiled at the nickname. It was strange, but it made me feel so special. Like I wasn’t just a rejected omega. Like I really mattered.
Hello everyone! Thank you for starting this book! I promise that you'll love it :)
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 POV“Oh no, oh no,” I muttered under my breath, panic surging through me as I scanned left and right for an escape. I needed a miracle to get me out of here.Last night with Knox had filled me with happiness, but I was still painfully aware of the sneers and pointing fingers this morning. So, I had decided to avoid them as much as possible. I didn’t want anything to steal my joy.Liam and I had paused as we stared at each other from the opposite sides of a deserted hallway that was rarely used, which was exactly why I had followed it – to keep my distance from the others.Unfortunately, my decision had brought me to this horrible situation – face-to-face with my ex-mate, Liam Reed. Liam began walking towards me with a determined look in his eyes.Immediately, I whirled around and began walking back the way I came. I would rather face the pointing fingers and the sneers a million times than see Liam again.“Aria!” He called with a plea in his voice.I ignored him, and increased
Aria’s POV“What do you think you’re doing, boy?” A cold, authoritative voice cut through the air.Liam flinched and jumped back as though my skin had burned him. Relief flooded through me as I heard that voice.Knox stood there, with a calm posture, but his gray eyes were burning with fury, like a thunderstorm. A chill ran down my spine at the fury in his gaze. He looked nothing like the soft Knox that I had been with a few hours ago.“Un… Uncle Knox,” Liam stammered with a shaky smile, stepping away from me slowly “I… I didn’t hear you come.”Knox’s eyes flashed with disgust as he gave him an icy look. “No, you didn’t, you were too busy harassing m–an omega.” Knox replied coldly.Knox had almost called me his mate. For some reason though, my heart clenched in pain as he called me an omega, even though I was the one that had asked him not to tell his family yet. He was just respecting my wishes.Liam released a shaky laugh. “Oh no, no, Uncle, you must be mistaken, I was just–”Knox t
Aria's POVToday was Knox's last day in the Gray Moon pack, and that meant that it was mine also. Excitement flooded through me at that thought, and I snapped my eyes open.Knox squeezed himself by me, and was sleeping soundly. It never ceased to amaze me how he could sleep on my awful bed after being used to so much luxury.“Good morning, Knox.” I greeted him when he finally blinked his eyes open.He grinned the moment his gaze landed on mine, and his eyes brightened.“Good morning, little angel.” He murmured huskily.“How was your sleep?” I asked softly.His grin widened. “The best,” he replied, his gaze never leaving mine.His eyes gleamed with amusement when he saw my doubtful look. But I didn't say anything about his words.He stood up from the bed, and began putting on his clothes, while I sat up on the bed, and feasted my eyes on his naked body with a thrill.“You know,” he started with a dark voice, “If you keep on looking at me like that, I won't be leaving here anytime soon.
Aria's POVI closed the door behind me, watching as Knox paced the length of the room. His movements were sharp, restless, like he was barely keeping himself together. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, his entire body coiled tight. Whatever was on his mind, it wasn’t just about the meeting. It was deeper. More personal.“Knox? What's going on?” I asked.He didn't reply at first, but I knew he heard me because he glanced at me for a split second.I waited patiently for a few minutes, hoping he would respond. But nothing, he just kept pacing.“Knox!” I snapped, and he paused in his pacing, turning to me slowly.“What the hell is going on? You're freaking me out! Is it the threat of the vampires that is causing you to react this way?” I asked.“I know that everyone is tense, but there's something more bothering you. What is it?” I asked firmly, keeping my eyes on his.He ran a hand through his hair, looking so frustrated, but in the frustration, I saw something else. Somethi
Aria's POV‘We have two options today,’ Jade muttered as I prepared to go to the pack’s clinic. ‘We could heal that little girl in room 76, or we could heal the young woman in room 128. But I suggest we heal the young woman instead.’I paused, frowning. “What? Why? That little girl’s sickness is more serious. The healers are already losing hope on her. The young woman’s illness isn’t so bad—her treatment is just complicated.”‘I think healing the young woman is better. It’s less risky,’ Jade insisted.My frown deepened. “Okay, something’s up. Lately, you keep pushing for smaller cases. At first, I thought it was because you wanted me to rest after healing Hunter, but it’s been three days.”Jade was silent for a moment before sighing. ‘Look, I’m trying to be cautious, Aria. If you want to take on a complicated case, make sure Knox approves it first. I don’t want to give your mate more reasons to hate me.’I smirked. “Oh my goddess, I can’t believe it.”‘What?’ Jade asked, sounding confu
Aria's POVI opened my eyes to see Knox hovering over me, his gray eyes with worry. His hands were holding onto mine tightly, like he was afraid I would disappear if he let go.“Aria?” He said softly, and I smiled.“Hey,”He exhaled sharply in relief, and his shoulder sagged as if he had been holding his breath this whole time.“Thank the moon goddess.” He breathed, running a hand through his hair. “Even though you had told me what to expect, I didn’t expect it to be that scary, Aria.” He admitted, gripping my hand tighter.I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Did you freak out?” I asked with a small smile.He scoffed as though I had asked a ridiculous question, “Of course I did. Do you have any idea how scary it was to watch you pass out so abruptly?”I furrowed my eyebrows in thought. “How long was I unconscious?” I asked.“Four hours, Aria. You were unconscious for four damn hours,” he replied, clenching his jaw.I blinked in surprise, “Four hours? Really? But it didn’t feel like that over
Aria's POVI swallowed. “So… is that why I passed out?” I had been worried that something had gone wrong.“Of course it is,” Mama Felz said dryly, taking another sip of whiskey. “If you weren’t such a stubborn little shit, you would have stopped before it got this bad. Your body must have been giving you fucking signs.”I winced. It had been a long time since I had been called a ‘little shit’.Gosh, I was already missing Knox—he called me little angel.“So, what do I do now?” I asked her.She sighed and leaned back. “You wait. You rest. Your body needs time to recover. There ain't no quick fix for this, kid.”I pressed my lips together. I didn’t like that answer. Knox was probably losing his mind right now, and Hunter.My stomach clenched. “Will the person I was healing be okay?”She eyed me for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. What you did should hold. But if you push yourself like that again too soon, you might fall into a magical exhaustion coma, and those are fucking pains in the ass
Aria's POVMy mouth gaped open in shock as I stared at the glaring woman in front of me.Mama Felz looked me up and down like I was a stray dog that had just pissed on her doorstep.Was I hallucinating? Because there was no way I was back at the Gray Moon Pack.My heart skipped a beat. What if I was?“Hey!” Mama Felz snapped, “I asked you a fucking question! What the fuck are you doing here?”Panic gripped me as I imagined what would happen if I was back at the Gray Moon Pack.“Where… Where am I?” I asked shakily, glancing around as I prayed internally that I was hallucinating. “Am I really back at the Gray Moon Pack?”She frowned at me. “Of course not! What kind of stupid question is that? Have you started teleporting?”I shook my head slowly. “I don’t…I don’t think so.” I muttered slowly. I wasn’t sure, because I hadn’t even known that I could heal people.Mama Felz must have seen something on my face because she sighed. “You’re not here physically. This is just a projection.” She e
Aria's POVKnox had ordered everyone out of the room, claiming that the Alpha King and Luna Queen needed to pay their last respects to the Beta. At this point, Hunter was paralyzed.A small thrill of satisfaction coursed through me when Astrid rushed to Knox with tears running down her face, and he stepped away, coldly telling her to step outside too. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling that way, but I couldn’t help it. Knox wasn’t a comforting shoulder for her to lean on, and it wasn’t like Hunter was going to die.She sobbed, looking confused. “But… he’s my brother. He’s dying, and I need somebody to—”“My mate and I are here to pay our last respects. Step outside.” Knox interrupted coldly.It was probably cruel of Knox, as Hunter was her only living relative who was currently dying, but Knox knew how I felt about his relationship with Astrid. Besides, he knew that there was a probability that Hunter wasn’t going to die, so he wasn’t as cruel as they were probably thinking.Immediately the
Aria's POVKnox clenched his fists. “And I can’t stand by and watch you hurt yourself… you're too precious for that, I can't lose you.” he said softly.The room was silent, and the air was thick with tension.This was about Knox’s fear of losing me.I reached for his hand. “Please,” I whispered. “Trust me.”Knox’s jaw tightened stubbornly.“I won't be able to live with myself if Hunter dies, when I know I could have done something to help him. It will haunt me forever, please.” I pleaded, placing my palm on his chest.His eyes stayed on mine, filled with worry, frustration and desperation.After what felt like an eternity, he released a shaky breath.“Damn it,” he muttered.My heart pounded. “Knox—”“I’ll be there,” he said firmly, “And if I notice that anything is about to go wrong, you'll have to stop.”Relief flooded through me, and I nodded. “Okay.”Knox pulled me into his arms again. This time he held me tightly like he was scared of losing me. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmt
Aria's POV“Absolutely not!” Knox snapped, and I flinched at his harsh tone.~Jade kept cursing me internally. She had wanted me to heal Hunter first, before telling Knox, but I was done with keeping secrets. So immediately I heard that Knox had returned and was in Hunter’s room. I quickly made my decision, and rushed out to meet him.Knox was on his way to my room when I met him. His clothes were torn and stained with blood. However, there were no scratches or bites on him. Relief flooded through me, and my tense muscles relaxed. Knox was alright.I knew we still had a few unresolved issues, but those could wait for now. I threw my arms around him as a sob escaped me. “Oh, thank the moon goddess, you’re alive”, I sobbed, tightening my arms around him.I could feel as the tension in his body melted away, and he relaxed, wrapping his arms around my body.“My little angel,” he murmured, burying his nose into my air and inhaled deeply, relaxing even moreAfter a few minutes, we pulled aw
Aria's POVMy hands shook as I walked away.‘Wait,’ Jade said abruptly, and I instantly froze.Hope flooded me. Maybe there was something Jade could do. I thought to myself.‘You can go heal him.’ Jade said.I frowned in confusion. “I’m sorry, what are you saying?” I asked.‘I think you should try to save his life.’ She replied.“What do you mean? You just persuaded me from doing so, reminding me that I was risking the life of my unborn child. Now you want me to go ahead?”‘No, no. I'm not asking you to risk your life or your pregnancy. There's something I want us to try. If it works, there's a high possibility that we can heal him—without harming you or the baby.’My heart skipped a beat. “What?”Jade pressed. “When you healed that man, you took his sickness. You absorbed it. But this isn’t just sickness—it’s venom. Something entirely different.”I swallowed hard, glancing at Hunter’s trembling body. “So what are you saying?”‘I’m saying that we need to do things differently.’ She re