He was aloof and calculating. A mass of muscles and sheer power. Alpha Benji had one goal; to slowly, but surely, take over the neighboring packs. He wanted to rule as the ultimate Alpha and prove that he didn't need a Luna to be a good leader. ♕♕♕ She was soft-spoken and timid. Doe eyes that could capture even an Alpha in her stare. Aria is a low-level Omega who is taken as collateral damage when her pack is overtaken by the Imperium pack. Her only priority is survival - nowhere in her plan did it include coming face to face with her mate.
View More♕Aria♕
"Wake up, Ari." Someone shook my shoulders, causing me to wake with a start. "They're coming."I blinked the haze of sleep from my eyes. I was in the same position I was last night; my back pressed against the concrete wall and my knees tucked into my chest. It wasn't the most comfortable sleeping position, but it was practical when it came to protecting myself from any unexpected blows. Besides, I didn't like to take up too much room in the cell. Other people needed it more than I did.I shot Gwen a small smile of gratitude. "Thanks for waking me.""Of course."Gwen assumed her position next to me on the wall, mimicking my position with her long legs pulled into her chest. She immediately linked our inner arms together, giving my arm a squeeze.I don't think I could have survived for as long as I have in here without her by my side. I met Gwen three weeks ago when my pack had been attacked. I thought I was in the clear when I had made it into the woods, but boy was I wrong. They had wolves everywhere and I hadn't lasted more then ten minutes in the woods before one of them found me.Gwen was one of the first people who spoke to me in the cells. She picked the twigs out of my hair and held me as Icried. Her father was the Beta of her pack and had been killed during the raid, as well as her mother. She had no one and neither did I.But now we had each other.I smelt them before I heard or saw them. The smell of the pack members was over-whelming. It was like a wall of sheer masculinity, blood, and sweat smacked me right in the face. The cells usually smelt like a farmers market – an array of different pack scents scattered behind iron bars. But when the cell guards came, we all knew.Immediately people began to scatter into formation, preparing for their arrival. Everyone handled the cell guards different. Usually the more dominant males liked to stir up some trouble and fight with them. They would come to the front of the cell and yell at them – anything really to get a rise out of them. Most people, though, tried to hide in the cells.Gwen and I always try to act small. It isn't hard for me. I am an Omega. But for Gwen, I knew deep down it bothered her. To be a Beta's daughters, living in filth and having cell guards who were apart of the pack who killed her parents treating her like trash was sheer torture.I think if she ever had the opportunity, she would rip the nearest wolves head off their shoulder no matter what the repercussions were."Look at them – dirty little animals in cages." One of the pack wolves growled as they began to come down the hallway.They weren't wrong. We were in some form animals. I mean we all are – we're werewolves, you idiots. And yeah, we are dirty. Sorry to disappoint but the facilities in the cells aren't up to par."Disgusting.""Why do we even keep them around?" One of them hissed, throwing scraps of bread into random cells.A loaf of soggy bread was thrown into our cell as they passed us. Gwen was quick to leap from her spot next to me and snag it. She tore of a third of the bread before graciously tossing it to girl in the other corner of her cell. She didn't talk much but I think her name was Mary.I watched as Gwen then split her piece in half, silently pushing the piece of bread into my lap. I squeeze Gwen's arm in gratitude again as she came back to her spot next to me. I would properly thank her once the guards were gone – I didn't like to speak while they were here.The first guard who spoke laughed, carelessly tossing bread into cells. "Oh, you know why we have 'em. Alpha Benji just loves his toys, doesn't he?""Don't speak about the Alpha like that. You'll be living it up in here with them if you aren't careful with your words." The second one said, nodding his head in the direction of the cells that surrounded them."Living in the cells?" The one who asked the question snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah right. You'd be lucky if that was your punishment. I reckon Alpha would have your head for talking about him like that."The first guy seemed bothered by the way his fellow guards berated him, huffing as he threw the last of his bread into a random cell. It was clear they were ignoring certain cells that held prisoners they specifically didn't like as much inside. "Will you both just shut up? He isn't here to hear it, so we can just leave it as that." He hissed.All the talk about the Alpha made my body tense. It brought me back to the night of the attack. That was probably the closest I had ever gotten to the Alpha. He never came down here to see us. If there was ever someone in the cells he wanted, he just had them dragged up to him.They never came back.I hope to never be so misfortunate to meet Alpha Benji faceto-face. I'd rather rot in the cells than see the devil himself.♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕"What was your pack like?"Gwen and I were laying on our backs, staring up at the concrete ceiling pretending like it was the night sky. Her voice was soft, considering how late it was but there was still murmur amongst the cells. It never completely quiet here."It was nice." I smiled slightly, recalling fonder memories of my pack. "It's kind of ironic. I used to always say I wanted to leave and find a different pack – one where I would fit in better. But, now that my pack is gone...I miss it.""Why would you want to leave your pack?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, turning her body more inward to look at me. "I've never heard anything bad about your pack.""My pack wasn't bad, it's just –" I hesitated slightly, trying to figure out the best way to word my feelings. "It's hard to explain. Being an Omega is tough I think no matter what pack you belong to. You're just at the bottom of the food chain no matter what."Gwen was silent but she nodded, taking in my words.Before this all happened, we must have had such different lives. She was a Beta's daughter. She was a leader in her pack. Her family was wealthy, well-respected, and adored throughout her pack. I'm an Omega – I can count the amount of times I've been able to shift on one hand. I lived in the pack house and helped take care of the younger children to give back to the pack. My father had died in a land dispute when I was a little girl and my mother couldn't bear to live without her mate.But we both ended up here.The silence was eating at my thoughts and I didn't like it. "What was your favorite part about your pack?"Almost immediately, Gwen's lips curled upward into a smile. "The Sunday dinners. Oh, gosh, what I would do for just one more." She wrapped her arms around her body, squeezing herself in a hug. "It was a tradition to eat together as a pack on Sundays and have a weekly pack council meeting. Alpha Xander insisted that it helped unify us as a family." "Your old Alpha sounds lovely." I commented."He's still my Alpha." Gwen's voice lowered when she responded, but her tone was strong. "I don't care what they tell us. That disgusting man is not my Alpha."She didn't need to say his name for me to know who she was talking about.I wrapped my arm around her, squeezing her in a reassuring hug. I don't know who it was more for – her or me. "He's not my Alpha either," I whispered in agreement, careful to keep my voice lower than Gwen's.Gwen and I talked quietly for a few more minutes, recalling childhood stories of our pack that we had taken advantage of in the moment. We didn't realize we were living some of our favorite moments already. Gwen told me about the first time she climbed a tree and broke her arm falling. I told her how one of the pack children threw up on me on my birthday and made me cry.We always did this. Talk into the wee bits of the night, telling old stories and acting like we were just two normal friends at a sleepover. It was the only way I could manage to keep my sanity in check. I liked to pretend that instead of sleeping on dirty concrete floors, that Gwen and I were just cuddled on the floor of our rooms hiding underneath the covers. That we were just two normal friends who couldn't help but gossip all night and go to bed when the sun starts to rise.It helped me deal with the nightmare I was currently living in."I'm exhausted, Ari." Gwen yawned, rolling slightly away from me. "Goodnight."I tucked my arms underneath my head, creating a makeshift pillow. "Night, G."I closed my eyes, hoping like I always did that I would wake up from this nightmare soon.Benji flanked my side the entire way to the pack house. He slowed his strides, trailing closely next to me as we abandoned the silent sanctuary we inhabited to enter the main portion of the pack. I had gotten used to the heated stares, quick but curious, whenever I walked in the pack with one of their superiors. The stares were always worse with Benji, but he paid no mind. All he had to do was send one lazy sideway glance to a peeping pack member, and they would all scatter in fear. He was quick to leave me, mumbling something about having to get this conversation over with. His hands skimmed along the length of my arm for a fleeting moment as a goodbye, before turning on his heel to leave me with two wolves following my shadow. I stood in front of the familiar door he had left me at, knowing I was in good company, even if it wasn't him. I didn't bother to knock, retching the door open. Gwen didn't seem that surprised, not having many people to expect as a visitor. Her lips curled
I stare at him for a moment, gulping. Was he being serious? He wants me to attack him? I had asked for basic self defense skills, not to become a sparring warrior. Even if Dotty had trained me well, which she hadn't, I still wouldn't pose an ounce of a threat to Benji, of all people. "I, uh, um – I think Dotty may have exaggerated just a bit, about my..."His sudden laugh interrupts me, catching me off guard. Benji's nonchalant expression morphs to one of mildamusement, eyeing me. He interjects, "Stop, relax. I'm just joking." I furrow my eyebrows, clearly not getting his sense of humor. He continues, "Dotty told me your training sessions haven't been that fruitful. I was just joking.""Joking, huh...that's a new one." I take a deep breath to laugh off my previous indication, taking advantage of his good mood to tease him. "Yeah? Want to hear another joke?" Benji scoffs, gesturing to the floor. "Fifty push-ups. Now." "Oh, stop being such a grouch.""Now." Something is telli
I'm not sure exactly what I'm expecting when I open the door. But, one thing I definitely wasn't expecting, was a shirtless Benji to be greeting me. Standing in the middle of the entryway leaning against the back of the couch is Benji, shirtless in all his glory. He's clad in only black athletic shorts hanging almost dangerously too low on his hips and a pair of running sneakers. His head is downturned, distracted by whatever message he's furiously responding to on his phone. Always busy with pack business. He types away for a few moments before carelessly tossing his phone to the couch, looking up to finally acknowledge my presence. "Is that what you're wearing?"The heat that spreads quickly throughout my cheeks is humiliating at his simple comment. I shift the weight on my feet, glancing down at the simple outfit I had worn to the daycare. It was almost identical to every outfit I wore, yet he never complained before."You want me to change for dinner?" I ask incredulously,
♕ Aria ♕ "Well, well...look who we have here. I was starting to think one of the pups scared you away." Elise smiles from her spot in the center of the daycare. The echoing noise of the door gave my arrival away, announcing to not only Elise, but Noah, that I was back. With Dotty's 'training', it had pulled me away from the daycare center. While I had missed Elise's warm energy and the constant changing day with the pups, I welcomed the break. Ever since my unsettling encounter with Noah, I had been finding it harder to shake my unresolved nerves. I thought Dotty teaching me how to defend myself would help, but that didn't work out as well as I had planned. "And let them win? Never." I smile. Elise was quickly distracted by the arrival of the pups, deserting me with a simple wave. Noah stood rooted in his spot, leaning against the wall with a box full of crafts in his hands. He was dressed more professionally today, wearing slacks and a button down. From the corner of my eye,
( THIRD P.O.V ) Benji didn't like her spending so much time with his sister. It irked him more then he would care to admit. Was he jealous of her? It was a foreign concept to him, to be envious of his childish sister. But, a nasty territorial side of him surely was. He would rather it be him with her. Training her. Teaching her. But he couldn't. He didn't trust himself around her like that, in his wolf form. It had been getting harder to reason with his wolf as the promise of a threat grew by each day. They were both desperate to protect her, but had different ideas on how to. Where as Benji would prefer to keep her locked away in a guarded home, his wolf was needy to claim her. To warn people in his path that she was his, and anyone that hurt her would face the consequences. He was fighting an uphill battle with himself, and the growing threat wasn't helping. Devin Berkshire was just the beginning of a rebellion Benji was interested in humoring. There had been talk of escaped r
The gravel path turned to worn down grass as we got further and further away from Benji's property. The first thing I noticed was the noise - grunts, growls, and a chorus of commands. My strides stalled for a moment as Dotty continued to tug us towards the commotion. "Dotty..." I warned, eyeing her carefully. "I'm not sure I like whatever you have in mind for inspiration. Maybe we should just go back to you beating me up in Benji's backyard." "I do not beat you up!" She looked mildly offended, rolling her eyes. "And besides, we're already almost here. It'll be fun." A thunderous growl followed her words, echoing off the forest walls. Where I saw it as a warning sign, it only fueled Dotty's eagerness to stride forward. Dotty immediately noticed my hesitation, my heels digging into the earth, kicking up dirt in our path. "Don't worry. It's just the warriors." Dotty quickly explained, pulling on our arms again. "They're training today. I thought you might like to watch." This c
══════════════════ The morning air was sharp against my cheeks as I pushed open the back door. Like I expected, Dotty sat perched in the backyard, sitting criss-cross on the grass floor. She perked up as I got closer, turning to smile at me, waving enthusiastically. "Aria! Nine a.m sharp, wow. I would say I'm impressed by how prompt you are, but that seems pretty fitting for you." Her gaze flickered to the now shut back door before bouncing back to my approaching figure. "Is Alpha Dumbass coming out to say hello?" I cringed at her comment, knowing fully-well that she was still in ear shoot of Benji who had only left a few minutes before me. "I thought you said you weren't mad at him anymore." I shook my head slightly, offering her hand to help her up. A few days had passed since the breakfast incident, yet Dotty's anger still lingered. She promised me she would let it go, but it didn't seem that likely with her constant need to jab at him for it any chance she got. It was situati
♛ THIRD PERSON P.O.V ♛ The night before... The mildew scent clings to the cell walls, making the air thick and hard to swallow. There are so many different scents lingering underground: unfamiliar wolves, sweat, piss, and blood. So much blood. The iron aroma is so potent - so raw - that it makes the pack guards choke on their own saliva. They can taste it when they gulp, as if it's their own blood their smelling. But it's not their blood. It's Devin Berkshire's. A twenty-four year old wolf from the Sapphire pack. He's a prisoner who's always had a smart mouth on him, but never tested his luck. A sharp gaze that tracked your every move as he lurked in the back of his cell. He never went out of his way to make the new people feel welcomed. If anything, he was the first person to shove them to the front of the crowd when it came down to selecting for Cleaning Day. His philosophy was survival of the fittest. He wasn't down here to make friends. He had plenty of friends on the outside
The room was painfully silent as my question festered in the air. For a moment, all I could hear was Benji's labored breathing as he tried, and failed, to control his reaction. A snarl ripped through his chest, breaking the noise. "That's enough." He snapped, standing up from his seat so suddenly it screeched against the floor. "We're leaving." I hesitated, frozen in my seat. I had expected him to get mad, sure, but I didn't expect this level. When I didn't get up right away, he pulled on the back of my chair, startling me. "I said, we're leaving." He repeated through clenched teeth.Dotty got up before I did, thrusting herself between us. "Aria may be too nice, but I won't hesitate to rip your throat out if you keep this attitude with her." "Attitude?" He scoffed, clenching and unclenching his fists at his side. "Go back to playing dress-up or whatever you do with your free time. I don't need you to lecture me on how to talk to my mate.""Are you in heat or something? Your
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