Chapter 6

Aria's POV

"Was?" Ryder asked as he raised one of his brows. "What do you mean by 'was'?" I turned to London and saw that he now wore a frown on his face. A smile formed on my face and the moment he saw that, he shook his head. I guessed he knew exactly what I was about saying.

"I was mated to Alpha London," I said with a small nod as I turned to Ryder. "But he rejected me as his mate so we are not together anymore."

"Hmm," Ryder grunted as he brought his eyes to the ground. He kept his gaze there for some time, as if brooding over what I had said before raising his head in London's direction. "You heard what she said, Alpha London."

"Yes, I did," London replied with a small chuckle as he brought his hands behind his back. I could see the dark look beneath the fake smile that he wore on his face as he slowly strode towards where I stood. He continued, "but Aria must know that I was only playing when I said so."

Playing? The slap that he struck showed his intentions and it definitely wasn't what he claims it to be. Besides, being rejected by your mate is not something that one can toy with so there was no way he could have been playing.

"Besides," I reverted my attention back to Ryder as he continued, "she never really accepted my rejection. So, there is no way--"

"She accepted it," I heard someone say from the crowd. I turned my eyes to the crowd and saw Elsa's hands up, a frown on her face as she stared at London. "She accepted the rejection. We all witnessed it."

London clenched his feet and gritted his teeth as he glared at Elsa. I could feel the aura of rage coming off from him and I couldn't tell if I found it amusing or scary. Somehow though, I seemed to enjoy the whole scene.

What kept me confused though was why London was doing all of these? Why was he trying to get me back? What gain was he going to get from this? 

'He is trying to protect his ego,' Ava said to me. 'I can feel it all crumbling to pieces.'

'That isn't why he is doing this,' I muttered back at her. I frowned as I stared at London's face. That wasn't why he was doing all of this... was it?

"She did accept my rejection, Alpha Ryder," London said as he turned back to the Lycan King. "But she was coerced into doing so. I am really sure that she didn't mean what she said."

Ryder turned to me and asked, "is this true?" 

All eyes turned to me at that instant and I felt my chest begin to tighten. I turned to Elsa who stood in the crowd and watched as her angered expression turned to one of worry. A smile tugged at my lips and at that instant, I felt the sudden urge to accept London's words. I wanted so much to cause her the same pain that she had caused me and see her go through what I went through but then Ava spoke to me.

'Do you really want to give up all of your dreams of being loved just so you can get revenge on someone who's tomorrow isn't sure?' When I heard her ask this, I sighed. She was right. I wasn't even sure London really meant what he said.

"Yes, I was coerced into rejecting him," I said, breaking the thick silence that had filled the room. Ryder's hold on my hand loosened and I saw the frown on London's face begin to dissipate, a smile taking over. "But..." London's smile disappeared and Ryder paused, "... I am ready to reject you, Alpha London."

"No," London muttered under his breath as his brows knitted into a frown. "Aria--"

"I, Aria Robinson, accept London James' rejection as his mate." The moment the words fell from my mouth, London made to rush towards me but was immediately stopped by Ryder pulled me back and stood in my place. 

"Go back, Alpha London," Alpha Ryder said as he gave him a low growl, one that I felt deep in my bones. "She is no longer your mate."

Snickers could be heard from within the crowd and some of the alphas that had gathered at the high table, watching the whole scenery unfold before them couldn't help but chuckle too. The great Alpha London had just been humbled in his own place.

London, seeing the turn of events, quickly washed away the look of anger on his face and wore a small smile. Raising his hands in the air, he took a few steps away from Alpha Ryder as he said, "she's all yours, Ryder. You can have her." 

I half-expected London to keep on with his perseverance but he instead turned and walked away. As he walked past Elsa, he motioned for her to follow him and for the first time, I saw the look of fear in Elsa's eyes. She gave me a small glance before turning and following London out of the room. 

"Aria, is it?" I heard Ryder say to me and I turned to him.

"Y-yes," I answered with a stutter, a bit taken aback by the Lycan King's sudden question. 

"Do you have much to pack?" he asked, his deep tenor voice sending shivers down my spine and causing my legs to stagger.

'Answer him, Aria,' Ava said to me, bring me back to my senses.

"I don't really have that much, Alpha Ryder," I answered him, a small smile forming on my face. "W-why do you ask though?"

"I need you to come back to my pack compound with me tonight," Ryder said with a brief smile. Looking up at the crowd in front of us, he added, "and I would love for you to be fast about it. The eyes on me are beginning to become unsettling." I nodded slowly as he gave me a smile and walked out of the room. 

'I'm following him back to his place tonight?' I muttered to Ava as I turned and began heading to the dungeon I called my room. 'I thought he'd at least give me a day or two to clear things up before going to him.'

'I don't see what you have to clear, Aria, and I think you should be happy with the turnout of events,' Ava replied me. 

I sighed as I took a turn and began heading down the hallway that led to the omega rooms. Ava was right as always. I should stop with my acts and be happy. I was finally getting mated to an alpha. And not just one, but the Lycan King. 

I felt my tummy flutter and my cheeks turn red as different images of me being the Alpha Ryder flashed in my mind. Things were really beginning to turn out good for me. 

But then, another thought came to me. What if Alpha Ryder turns out to be like London or maybe even worse? What if I was just heading from the pan to the fire?

'You really need to stop being pessimistic about everything, Aria,' Ava said to me as I finally reached my room door. I placed my hands on the cold doorknob and sighed. 

"You're right," I muttered under my breath as I twisted the doorknob and walked into my room. As I closed the door behind me, I thought of the life that was now laid out in front of me and my joy returned.

I chuckled.