/-Aria-/The cry of the baby sounded like a melody to my ears. I did it! I gave my mate a child! The curse was broken! Happy tears streamed down my cheeks. I was not the useless omega after all. Finally, my mate would be able to present me to the Elders with pride. No one would look down on my tiny weak wolf anymore. Most importantly, I would stop being Alpha's dirty secret. “You did it, Aria. It’s a beautiful girl. She has her father’s eyes and your smile,” Mary, the nurse told me. Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks. All those months of humiliation had been worth it. When I became pregnant with the baby, Asher pleaded I keep it a secret. That his father would never let him take over the pack if he discovered he’d impregnated a cursed omega.I tried not to be hurt by that. Everyone called me cursed because no one knew my parents or where I had come from. I was a stray who stumbled into their pack years ago and since then, I have been doing my best to serve them so they don’t s
/-Aria-/My eyes fluttered opened. An excruciating pain shot up my sides and I hissed in pain. My mind was foggy and a terrible migraine shot through the sides of my head. What is happening? The last thing I remembered was the anguish of burning to death. My chest tightened as I remembered the shrill cries of my baby. I glanced around but all I noticed was the surprisingly large bedroom with a strange girl sleeping by my side. This didn't seem anything like the afterlife. I looked down at my body, expecting to see a burned skin but I was taken aback by the flawlessness of the pale milky skin. “W…what is happening…” I croaked. My throat hurt from extreme dryness. The girl by my side raised her head and yawned tiredly. When her eyes connected with mine, she let out a scream, startling me. “Jasmine?!” She was already off the bed, at a reasonable distance. Her green eyes were wide in shock and slight panic.“You're awake?” She mumbled skeptically. Who is Jasmine?“Aria…” I drawled
/-Aria-/My entire being froze. “Excuse us,” he ordered and everyone left the room without questioning him. They were even more afraid of him than I was. He took a sit by my bedside and his cinnamon scent messed with senses. I shook my head, refusing to give in to that sweet temptation. The last time I gave into a sweet scent, I was ultimately disgraced, accused and incinerated. The thought of the innocent life I brought into the world, only to be cruelly snatched, made my heart ache. I would never forgive them for that. One way or the other, I will make them pay for what they put me through. They will suffer and cry for help but no one will listen to their pleas. “Jasmine,” my attention was drawn back to the scary gorgeous man before me. “What you did yesterday was over the top…”I was startled by the hardness in his voice. “Your family proposed this treaty and I agreed despite the protest from my people. I didn't come to your doorstep to declare a marriage or buy you from you
/-Aria-/I didn't know what to say to him or how to respond. Dammit, I didn't even know who he was!“We can leave now, Jasmine. We don't need to wait for the…” I pulled away from him and he looked up in surprise. “I am not running away…” I was going to say his name but I realized I didn't know it. “I am engaged to Adonai as you know and he is already furious enough about the incident.”I didn't know how deep his relationship with Jasmine ran but I was trying to be cautious to avoid attracting problems and doubts. “But you have never cared about what my brother thought. Why now?” He asked. I blinked. Jasmine was sleeping with her fiance's brother? Could this day get more complicated? Before I could answer the door opened and Ariel walked in.Her eyes darted between the man and me and I could swear I caught a glare. She walked to him and draped herself around him. “Darling, where have you been? I've been searching all over for you. I wanted to inform you about the good news but it s
/-Aria-/Join the line of mistresses? That line didn't make sense until three days later. I was currently surrounded by maids, dolling me up to grace the King's bed.Frankly, I was not looking forward to it. This was not how I planned it out. It felt like my bad luck was messing with my plans once again. Either that or the goddess was using me as entertainment. “You look beautiful, my lady. With a face like this, you will quickly become the king's favorite,” one of the maids said. I didn't want to become his mistress. I wanted to be Luna! But I couldn't tell her that. If only the goddess sent me back a day before the wedding. Things would have been easier.“How many mistresses does the King have?” I inquired. I needed to know my competitors before venturing in. “Just three. Agatha, Vera and Lara. Vera is his favourite and from what the rumors say, she's the only one that can satisfy his sexual urge,” she answered.“And why is that?” I was piqued now. She looked at me in surpris
/-Aria-/At the first trust I discovered my mistake. Jasmine might have been cheating on him but she was a virgin. The pain cut through me like a double-edged sword, with a cry erupting from my throat. I didn't sign up for this. Another thrust and I felt like I was dying. Worse, his arms trapped my waist securely in place as he slammed into me. “Please stop…” I sobbed, but almost as the words left my lips, another thrust followed.It was then the servant’s words replayed in my head. Once he starts, he will never stop. I am doomed! I barely had the time to dwell in regrets as the thrusts came faster and deeper. I screamed, struggled and pleaded but nothing could stop this man. He continued thrusting without mercy, allowing occasional curses slip off his lips. In no time, my legs were trembling and my core throbbing from how hard he pounded me but he didn't seem anywhere near done. My breathing became laboured and soon enough, my lungs began closing up on me from the impact of
/-Aria-/No.The word was at the tip of my mouth how do I deliver it without being suspicious?“Dante…”“Are you going to refuse me again?” He dropped my hand. “You know, sometimes I don't understand you. You act like you're in love with me but in reality you are just using me to spite my brother.”He walked out of the room in anger and I didn't bother to stop him. It was good riddance!Prisca walked back into the room almost immediately and I was confident she heard everything we discussed. I expected her to ask me about it but instead, she returned to our earlier conversation.“So what happened last night?* “You're not going to ask about Dante?” I raised a brow and she sighed. “Is there any point? You won't listen to what I have to say anyway. You prefer chasing a man who is cheating on his mate when you can easily have a fresh relationship with the King,” Prisca said. I immediately added her to the list of people to keep around me. “I know I should ask you to follow your heart
-Vera-I sat with the other mistresses, Lara and Agatha as I recounted the account of the previous night to them.“As it seems, the new mistress, or should have been Luna,” I expressed visibly, extending my hand and allowing a moment to sink in her titled description. The other ladies snickered at it and I continued satisfied. “Happens to be a weakling who is no match for the alpha. So he had to send for me when she passed out.”“Oh poor Lady,” Agatha said without any sympathy in her voice. “You mean she could not take it that she passed out.”“Yes of course,” I nodded the affirmation. “And the alpha had left her unconscious there while we were at it. When I left his room, she was still there.”Another round of laughter echoed within us.“But seriously,” Agatha said when the laugh subsided. “You cannot blame her. We two have not been able to handle the alpha as well.”“Speak for yourself,” Lara quickly snapped as if the statement had pricked her like a needle on the bare skin. “You ar
-Loveth-I watched Zafa's face and it seemed what I had said was getting to him."You are right," he said and I smiled within me. "This indeed makes me look like I have placed myself in second place in Aria's life and makes you think I am fine with it, and that's because of the way I have been acting with her," he adjusted and continued. "But you are wrong to think I am doing this because I helplessly have feelings for her."My face fell at his denial."Isn't it obvious?" I pointed out. He took a few steps closer."There is something I have not told you all this while and I think it is high time you know," he said slowly in the manner that suggest he was about to reveal a secret. I looked up at him and waited expectantly. He sighed before he continued. "Aria is the chosen one. She is the one the prophecy speaks of reuniting the werewolves Kingdom and under her reign as Luna, our existence will no longer be hidden because she will find us a voice and right amongst all these packs."I b
-Zafa-"Why haven't you taken your breakfast?" I asked Aria with a light frown when I walked into the room and realised she had not eaten her food."You lied to me," she crossed her arms across her chest. "This is a drug and not tea.""Well, would you have taken it without any stress if he had told you what it is? Besides, it's a dried herb used for tea.""It's bitter," she complained."Just a bit. Stop complaining and take it now," I picked up the cup and stretched it towards her. "You need it to enhance your health.""I'm much better now," she said stubbornly."Only I get to decide that. I am the doctor here," I pressed and she grudgingly took it.I sat on a stool and watched her. She rested back on the bed when she was done drinking."So..." I said in a bit to start a conversation."So this is your place," she commented, looking around."My humble abode. You are welcome," I said with a small smile on my face."You made me believe you were the only one of your lineage so I did not e
- Prisca-"You...you followed me?" I stuttered. He stood up from the bed and walked towards me slowly. I moved back instinctively."Yes I did," he said casually. "I came to your house, but you were nowhere to be found, so I sat and waited for you. Where have you been?"For a brief moment, life left my body. I thought he followed me to the hideout and knew everything.Oh shit...I let out a deep breath of relief. Thank goodness."Uh...uhm," I swallowed hard. "I was just around, you know. The pack. I needed some fresh air so I went for a stroll.""So why didn't you return to the palace?" He asked further and I quickly thought of what I could say."Well," I chuckled nervously. "Just trying to escape from the tension in the palace. I mean, so much has happened in just one day so..."Adonai grunted and his eyes scrutinised me, perhaps trying to see if he could believe me or not."I had to come here because we needed to talk," he finally said. "About what's happened earlier. We are married b
-Prisca- "Who are they?" I asked them, trying hard to keep calm."We don't know Prisca," one shrugged. "But they did not look anything like us. They looked different. Maybe werewolves from another pack."What business does Aria have with other werewolves that they came for her? Or has she been having contact outside our pack all this while? That bitch, I cursed under my breath. She always manages to escape my hands.Gosh, I hit my fist against my palm. And I was this close to getting rid of her this time. I hissed and made for the door when the men called my attention."What do we do now?" They asked and I scowled at them."Get your failure asses back home. What else is left to be done when you have lost her?""Then what about our payment?"I turned round in disbelief to face them. Had they the nerve to ask me that?"What payment?" I scoffed."For the work we did for you. You haven't paid us.""You bunch of losers are expecting payment?" I asked."We had a deal. You cannot just send
-Prisca- Yes! My plan has finally worked. I am going to exchange marital vows with Adonai and legally be his wife.It does not count that I am impersonating Aria. He is not going to be tied to Aria in reality but to me.I sat beside him, before the crowd with my face veiled and a sly smile across my face which no one could see.A few people had suggested I take off the veil so they could behold my face but Adonai politely declined. No one pushed it, and I successfully got tied to Adonai.I had feared that Dante would have wanted to expose me because he didn't seem pleased with the plan, but he didn't.I was led to Adonai's room while the party continued in the hall. There I took off my veil and sat comfortably on his bed.He was not here yet, for he was still having some drinks with his visitors. I chuckled happily. Alas, my dream has come to pass.The door opened and I quickly adjusted. I hissed when I saw it was Ariel."What are you doing here?" I asked sharply. She did not reply b
-Adonai-It took a while before what she said registered in my head."Are you insane?" I retorted, placing a finger on the side of my head."No, I am not," she responded confidently."How then can you say such a thing?""I am only trying to help you, alpha," she said. "Think of what the people at the table will say when you return there without a bride.""And have you thought about what it would be when they also realize that you are not Aria?""They wouldn't have to know. A bride can be veiled. You are not under any law to reveal your face to anyone. I believe that they might think that is what you want and they will respect it."I hesitated, trying hard to think about what Prisca had said. She was right. I would be seen as a fool if I returned to the people with the news of Aria eloping with another man and there would be no wedding.It would be the second time I gathered people and something ruined the ceremony."You know what, you are right. But this is just for the ceremony. You
-Adonai- I took in a deep breath to steady myself when Maria approached me, her face strained with worry and told me Aria was nowhere to be found.I had asked her to go get her since the ceremony was about to start."What do you mean by she is nowhere to be found," I asked, my voice in a low whisper so the people at my table would not hear."Even I don't understand myself," Maria said. "But she is not in her room and no one seems to have seen her."No, this cannot be happening now. I braced myself and tried to remain calm."Uhm, gentlemen, I will be right back," I addressed the men at my table."Is everything fine?" Dominick asked as I excused myself and I told him all was well. All was not well at all. A few minutes to the start of my wedding the bride is nowhere to be found.I walked with long strides towards Aria's room with Maria following steadily behind me."I was wondering if she had to quickly do something outside the palace because it doesn't seem like she..." Maria trailed
-Aria- I groaned in pain as I opened my eyes. I tried to move but discovered I couldn't, I was tied firmly to something I could not see, a pole or something.What's going on? I tried to think. The last thing I remembered was being prepared for my wedding and then strange faces appeared in my room.I looked up sharply when I realised what had happened. I was in an empty room that was void of anything normal in a location I could not fathom.I recognised the faces in the room as the ones who had walked in on me."Who are you and why did you kidnap me?" My throat was dry, as well as my voice. None of them bothered to give me an answer."Hey, say something. Who sent you?" I pushed."Keep it down Aria," a very familiar voice said. "This is not the palace where you speak anyhow you like and everyone is answerable to you.""Prisca?" I muttered under my breath but she heard."Tis me, yes," she stretched her hands out in a show of dignity. "Flesh and blood."I looked on in shock. Is this a dr
-Aria- I was being dressed by the maids for the wedding when Adonai walked in, and they all trooped out to give us a moment."Is anything the matter?" I asked, searching his face."Not really," he replied with a small smile on his face. "I just wanted to see you."I rolled my eyes at him."You see me every day," I pointed out."Yeah," he replied with a sigh as he walked to a stool and sat in front of me, his eyes watched me tenderly."What?" I shook my head with a chuckle."You know, there is this old story we heard while growing up," he said."Okay?""That you become too excited and overwhelmed about someone or something because you are about to lose it.""Hmm." I breathed out. "Never heard about that before. But why are you talking about that? Are you thinking I might leave you?""No. I am relating it to how excited I am about getting married to you," he said and took my hand in his. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Adonai and Luna of this pack?""You think I am ready?" I threw back a