A familiar figure approached me seconds later while still crying my eyes out on the old bench. I tried to inhale blink the tears, raising my hand to press the tips against my eyes. The Alpha cleared his throat, his stare digging into me. Did he see my tears? I hoped not.
“Rose.” He croaked, his voice barely above a whisper, leaning forward. “What happened? Are you okay?”
At the question, I froze, struggling to make sense of how I felt. Part of me felt like I was purposely thrown in deep waters and trying to kick and flail my limbs to try and go back to the surface.
Opening my mouth to say something, I expected the words to flow out, elaborate, but my mouth twisted instead.
The glare of the morning sun streamed through the window, making me squint my eyes. Yawning, I sat up and shook my head to clear out the last of my sleep, eyes feeling heavy. That’s what happens when you cry for hours to no end. A sharp voice inside reminded me.With a sigh, I pushed the duvet away, my eyes landing on the jacket I was wearing. Caden had so kindly lent me, but Aiden ripped it at the seams, my cheeks turning red. How was I going to explain that to him? Peeling it away from my body, I examined the damage, teeth sinking in my lower lip.I could sew it.With that thought in my mind, I slid out of bed, gasping as my bare feet came in contact with the cold floor. For a moment, I was tempted to return to the warmt
/Aiden’s POV/Ordinarily, I would be filled with something akin to excitement and anticipation at the thought of a hunting party. Still, oddly enough, this arrangement seemed to leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Also, why did my father arrange it out of the blue? He did not even bother to consult me on the matter. What was going on with him?My eyes fixated on Rose wedged between Caden and the omega trainer, Ellen, with a bright smile on her face. When did they get so close? The coat he lent her last night would have been an indication of his intention. How could he act so callous towards a mated omega?An ugly feeling bubbled in the pit of my stomach at that.
I shakily paced from one end to the other, worrying my lips in between my teeth. From my peripheral vision, I could see Aiden staring at me. Caden and Fauna decided to wait by my side instead of standing with their groups. As I took another step ahead, an arm shot out and gripped at my elbow, tugging me back."You are making everyone nervous." Ellen made a sound as she met my eyes.My cheeks heated up, roaming around only to see several other omegas staring at me. Exhaling, I turned to her. "Sorry, but I am not sure if I will win this one, Ellen."She scoffed, a hand securing on my shoulder. "Are you fishing for compliments right now?" Before I could open my mouth to answer, Ellen cut me off. "You killed four rodents and were this close to taking the rabbit as well. Of course, you are winning this."&nbs
I scoffed as those words washed over me, my lips pressing in a thin line. "Fine, then I will make...one," With that, I struggled, trying to sit up while covering all my bits. The sudden action only made the pain in my side worsen, and the Alpha was quick to act, stopping me by pushing my shoulders down, his muddy hands leaving behind a mark."Why are you so stubborn?" He hissed through his teeth, securing a hand on my side while his other hand shuffled through the bag.I bit on my tongue instead of answering, watching as the Alpha pulled a long black tee, something he was wearing earlier. My lips parted as Aiden thrust the material in my direction."Put this on."The denial was on the tip of my tongue, but as the cold gush of air passed by, I grabbed it instantly. My legs pressed together, cheeks reddening as his eyes never left mine."Can you turn around?"&nb
I was aware that my mouth clamped shut as soon as those words washed over me, staring at the plastered wall in front. A few seconds later, it dawned on me that Aiden was silent for a long minute as well, his face blank. Mulling over the Alpha's words, my tongue delicately touched at the split parts of my chapped lip, eyes stoically fixed on the bandages wrapped around me."W-Why?" I croaked finally, the question rushing out before I could stop myself. My ears couldn't believe that my parents, the ones who abandoned me, reached out and wanted to see me in person.Somewhere down the corridor, a door opened, cutting off Aiden's reply. I heard muffled steps and ragged breathing getting louder as they started to echo towards my room. My head tilted to meet the Alphas eyes, who motioned for me to stay upright."I'll go and check."
"Do you want me to ring the bell for you?" The Alpha asked as soon as we reached the doorstep, staring at the familiar mahogany door, few inches in between them. He had an amused smiled on his face, oblivious to the situation and prying eyes that followed us to my old house.After my sister ran away and I took her place, the entire packhouse must have been shocked. The news would have gotten out quickly because my old pack loved nothing more than gossip. They must be curious to see me with Aiden. In a way, it was beneficial to have the Alpha with me to believe us.I did call my dad yesterday evening to inform him that Aiden will be joining us. The only reason I did that was to make sure that they were prepared for this unwanted surprise. He did not respond for quite some time before readily agreeing,
/Aiden's POV/As I dragged Rose out of the tensed room, a breeze ruffled through her curls and sneaked through the thin fabric of her shirt. She curled closer to me. I seemed to mull over my words for a minute before finally turning around. The omega immediately put few inches of distance between us, her knees wobbling, hand coming to grip the nearby wall."Rose," I whispered gently. "Are you okay?""Yeah," She said, but it comes out in more of a snap. The omega nearly let out a whimper when I tried to take a step in her direction."You're not okay," I corrected, sounding half-exasperated and half-panicked while raking my eyes over her squi
I opened and closed my mouth, a lump forming in my throat at his ridiculous suggestion. My chest tightened as I imagined the last time we slept together in the same bed. A grimace settled over my features, and I leaned down to pull extra pillows. There was no way I wanted to cross any lines. Not again.“Fine!” I let out a deep breath.“That was easy”, He whispered, but I could hear loud and clear.“Only because I don’t have a choice!” I emphasised the last word clearly before stuffing the pillows in a line, creating much-needed distance between us. The Alpha kept on tracking my moments, his eyes fully blown wide.“W-What is this?&rdq
As the winter bled into spring, the sky grew more explicit and the clouds turned bright, unlike the gloomy days we had so far. I was nostalgic seeing the snow gone, but spring was a time of rebirth, a new beginning that I eagerly welcomed.Striding down the aisle, I twisted my head, staring at the faces that gazed at me and smiled. There were Alphas, betas, and omegas everywhere, and every single one of them sported an expression of joy and pride. Never in my life did I expect that this day would come, but it's happening.In the very front row, I spotted my father, my chest tightening painfully. My stepmother passed away a year ago, finally succumbing to her illness. Cara, along with her husband, had visited her in the last few days, but she humiliated both of them, not wanting to see their faces. I received the same treatment in the past, but still, it sadde
/Aiden's POV/Everything hurts. That's the first thought that dawned on me as I slowly drifted into consciousness. My hands twitched helplessly, and even though I could flutter my eyelids, they felt too heavy to open my eyes.My chest felt strange, uncomfortable sensations filling it up and throbbing in my ears, alongside horrid sounds that made it impossible to concentrate.I tried to open my eyes, just a little, and it's bright, blindingly so. It had been peaceful and dark seconds away, then an intense pressure in my chest made me hit the ground.I realised I was on a bed, covered by a thick duvet, sunlight spilling through the open windows at the opposite side of the room, so bright that it
/Rose POV/As soon as the dull thud echoed around the woods, it sent a searing pain through my skull. I was unable to move, taking a few more seconds to process that Aiden was on the floor, unconscious.With my sight going fuzzy around the edges and limbs twitching and shaking uncontrollably, I tried to work my muscles. Once that was under control, I put my body weight onto the palms, which burned and felt numb at the same time.Standing up, my chest lurched, and soon after, my stomach jumped violently. A fit of loud coughs escaped my lips, throat constricting, instinctively curling in."A-Aiden..." The sting was sitting deep inside as I finally scrambled forward, heart hammering
/Aiden's POV/My world stopped at that moment, mouth dropping open in shock, breath knocked out of my throat. I could feel the heat of my skin, feet automatically staggering back in the process. The people in front, the trees surrounding us, everything went blurry, a rush of memories surging through me, and suddenly I remembered.That strange encounter in the forest, his mark on my body and a promise to find me soon, those dreams with blurred faces and deep voices. It all made sense now."I-Its you..." My throat was burning, words jagged and breathy, tears were in my eyes. "Ronald," I uttered the name with so much venom that it made him chuckle. At the familiar sound, my hackles rose, goosebumps pricking.
/Aiden's POV/I had no idea what was it that woke me up. Suddenly, I was sitting up in bed, the sheets sliding off my chest along with my mate's arm and every last bit of fatigue that had been clinging to my body. It's still dark, no light shining in from outside and no ray of sun pouring inside.Instead, the window was still wide open, puddles of water covering the ground right in front of it.I slipped from beneath the duvet and got to my feet, mind-wiped blank and steps steady but languid as I made my way towards the window. When I looked ahead, far away in the distance, a hint of light on the horizon stared back at me, a line in the darkened sky.For a moment, I soaked the silence around me, the chilly a
/Aiden POV/I didn't know where I went wrong in my life. No. I was aware but did not want to acknowledge it for the sake of my mind. However, the problem is that I cannot change anything now. Staring into Slyvies desperate eyes only made me realise how much of a fool I have been.Rose was right all along. I sent her away in hopes that my guilt towards Sylvie would ease. When in reality, she's a pawn from Reece side, thrust into my life for my failure. Even though she had no choice but to surrender to fate, I couldn't help the resentment gnawing in my chest.I would never be able to trust her on anything again. As harsh as it may sound, I did not want to be fooled by her again.
A frown settled on her face, the hold of her hand loosening around my wrist. "Why? Do you not like chicken curry?"I let out a chuckle at her child-like pout, running my thumb across the plump of her cheek. "No, it's not that, baby. I love anything you make except for that pasta.”A squeal escaped her lips and she slapped lightly at my arm as if recalling the incident. Even though I almost died, it’s fun to tease her that the first dish she made gave me an allergy. The omega gets truly flustered every single time.“Don’t remind me of that ever again.”“Alright.” I fondly rolled my eyes.“Tell me why don’t you want
/Aiden's POV/Damon insisted on calling his mate to inform her that we were leaving for the clinic. I asked him to tell Rose about my location, not wanting to worry her. Along with my beta, we both stepped inside the room, finding Slyvie on the bed.The doctor bowed as soon as he saw, greeting politely. I waved at him, my eyes flickering towards the frail body of the omega. My heart clenched at sight, guilt swarming in my belly as I recalled the way I behaved with her in our past meetings. I should have given her another chance to explain instead of letting it go."H-How is she now?" I croaked, turning to the doctor, my hands falling by my side.
/Aiden's POV/To distract myself after the near depressing talk with my father, I decided to visit the training ground. I silently leaned against a tall pole while observing the guards shoot with a bow. Their targets were dead birds carcasses strapped up in a low hanging stand, and the goal was to hit either three or four within a few minutes.Crossing my arms together, I watched as one of the guards shot an arrow—with the wrong technique, of course, it missed and flew feet away from striking any bird. I could sense the tension in the air that vibrated in waves from the guard from being observed. With the war looming over us, we had no choice but train.I felt sick to my stomach as I watched him completely mess up the whole process.&nb