One

Aria’s POV

Moonlight poured in through the cracked window of my tiny room, painting the walls silver.

Morning already? My heart sank.

I threw off the thin blanket, grabbed my towel, and rushed into the bathroom, shivering as cold water hit my skin.

“Oh God…” I said under my breath.

“I’m already late.”

Today was my stepfather’s Pack Mating Ceremony, and I was supposed to be at the hall early, helping the other omegas clean and set up. But here I was, just now getting dressed.

I dashed out of the bathroom, still dripping, and flung open my wooden wardrobe. Its doors were barely hanging on, termites long since making a meal of it. I grabbed the only dress that could possibly pass for the day. It had a small hole in the back.

Whatever. No one would care. No one ever did.

Just as I was pulling it over my head, the door to my room slammed open.

“Orphan!”

His voice struck like a whip.

Alpha King Lucien Thorn, my stepfather.

“What the hell are you still doing in here?”

“I—I’m so—” I stammered, barely able to speak.

“Get out of this house and go join the other omegas.

Stupid orphan.”

Orphan.

You heard him right. That’s the name he calls me every single day.

The man my mother gave her life for, this is who he is.

I didn’t even realize when I burst out of the room, legs moving on instinct, running my ass off toward the traditional hall where the Mooncroft Pack holds its mating ceremony every year.

“Maybe the Moon Goddess will bless us with a mate this year,” my wolf whispered, a tiny spark of hope in her voice.

“At what age?” I mumbled back. “I’m just eighteen.”

Everyone knew the rule in the Mooncroft Pack, if you weren’t at least twenty, you couldn’t be mated. Not officially.

Besides, who would want to be my mate in this pack?

“Dirty-ass omega.”

“Alpha Lucien’s family errand wolf.”

“The omega whose wolf isn’t even strong.”

“The girl with no traceable origin.”

Their voices echoed in my head, over and over, like a cruel chant.

I didn’t know when the tears started. I just felt them sliding down my cheeks.

By the time I got to the grand hall, it was still covered in dust. I wiped my face quickly and headed straight for the rag stand.

Grabbing one of the worn-out clothes, I began to dust the tables and chairs in silence, like always.

“Look at her dress,” one of the omegas whispered behind me, just loud enough for me to hear.

I acted like I didn’t.

Like I hadn’t heard the sneer in her voice. Like it didn’t sting.

I kept dusting the chairs, eyes down, fingers trembling around the rag.

The omegas who were supposed to be my friends, but no, they weren’t friends at all. Their words cut deeper than anything the high-ranking wolves ever did to me.

Their laughter rose behind me, cruel and familiar.

And still, I said nothing.

I just kept wiping. Like I always did.

After a while, the hall began to fill. High-ranking wolves trooped in, one after the other, their expensive colognes overpowering the lingering scent of dust and sweat.

I wiped my hands on my dress, trying not to flinch every time someone passed by me with a disapproving glare.

It was time to join the gathering.

“Good day, everyone,” the Master of Ceremony announced, his voice sounding through the tall hall. “We are gathered here to honor the sacred tradition of our Pack—our annual Mating Ceremony.”

Whispers buzzed through the crowd. Omegas stood at the edges, heads bowed. The ranked wolves took their seats in the front, their mates beside them, all dressed in silks and gold.But the Alpha and his mates from previous years were nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, he’d find someone new to be mated to this year—again.

I stepped back, hoping no one noticed me. I wasn’t supposed to be seen. I was just an extra shadow in the corner.

The door to the big hall swung open, the guards led the way, followed by the Alpha and his Lunas, everyone in the hall rose to their feet.

“Let's welcome the royal family as they join us in this ceremony.”

Once they were seated, the rest of the pack followed suit, and the ceremony continued.

“May all our she-wolves who are of age move to the right side of the hall,” the Master of Ceremony announced, his voice steady and formal.

Chairs scraped the marble floor as the chosen ones began to rise. The hall filled with the rustling of silk and chiffon. Omegas and high-ranking wolves’ daughters, all of them who had turned twenty stepped to the right side, their expressions a mix of excitement, nerves, and pride.

I stayed rooted in place, my hands clasped tightly in front of me. I didn’t qualify. Not yet. But watching them move… it made something ache deep inside me.

“And now, all unmated he-wolves seeking their fated partners should step to the left side,” the MC continued.

Movement shifted across the room again. Young warriors, battle-scarred sentinels, and noble sons all hopeful, some desperate as they walked with measured steps to the left.

And then I saw him.

My stepfather.

Alpha Lucien Thorn.

His dark robes swayed as he joined the line of unmated males, like this wasn’t the fifth time he’d done this ritual. Like my mother hadn’t died loving him.

Of course he did.

A bitter laugh clawed at my throat, but I swallowed it down.

How many more would he choose? How many mates would be discarded like broken toys once he got bored?

My nails dug into my palms as I looked away, the air suddenly too heavy.

I wasn’t here for love or hope.

I was here to work.

To clean their messes and fade into the shadows.

But still… a tiny part of me, my wolf watched the ceremony with silent longing.

“Now, to the Moon Goddess, we ask that each of these wolves standing be blessed with their destined mate,” Elder Joe said, raising the ceremonial candle in both hands.

He blew out the flame.

A soft hush fell over the room. Then a low hum began, an ancient magic weaving through the air. Suddenly, sparks flew. Around the hall, wolves stiffened as the mate bond snapped into place, pairs locking eyes, marking each other with joy, tears, trembling hands. Some ran into each other’s arms, others stood frozen in awe.

And me?

I wasn’t even supposed to be part of this. I was eighteen. Below the age. Invisible.

But then I felt it. A jolt.

The unmistakable heat crawled up my body . The tingling flare of the bond awakening.

My heart ached.

No. No, it can’t be.

I felt it again, a pull, undeniable and strong. I turned slowly.

Someone stood in front of me. My breath caught.

Mate.

The word sounded through my soul like wildfire. I looked up and the world tilted. Alpha King Lucien Thorn. My stepfather. Standing in front of me as my mate.