ARIA
I watched the light shine bright in my hand and that of Damian's across the Moon hall. The moonlight cast a silver blanket over distinguished ball gowns and well-tailored suits. I have lived all my life for this moment. Every ache, every pain and every training all fall back to this night.
Damian is officially my mate. His friends whispered to him and he glanced at his hand before our eyes locked. I smiled, eager to wrap my arms around him and begin this new chapter with him.
But there was something about the way his friends laughed at him, although I had hoped for the best.
My wolf leapt in my mind, eager to be with her mate. The heat, the surge of adrenaline, there is no doubt we were made for each other.
Damien approached with a frown, gathering the nearby people's attention.
He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The next words that came out of his lips crushed me.
"Aria…I have no choice." He paused. " I, Damien Crestfall," He continued, " reject you, Aria Valen as my mate. I don't want you, Aria."
My smile vanished. I pinched myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming "No. It can't be."
He walked away, not letting me recover from the first bomb before he dropped another. He went straight to Selene, my sister. He bent on one knee and said, "I claim you as my mate, Selena."
I stood there in awe, broken beyond repair and looked at my father who stood there and did nothing. What could he possibly do, I was not his real daughter. He'd rather see his real daughter happy than his adopted daughter.
If Mom were here, perhaps things would have been better than they seem now.
I turned to Ivy who rushed out of the hall, probably avoiding me also. In such a quick notice, my life was cut short. Everything I have prepared for, everything I yearned for all came down to this moment.
My wolf whimpered furiously. The pain of rejection hit my chest hard, I stumbled a few inches back and still watched in disbelief.
My sister didn't bat an eye, zero sentiment. I couldn't handle everything that happened and the whispers I heard around me.
"Why?" I mindlinked him and he stopped kissing Selene before turning to me.
"Because you are beneath me, Aria," he said out loud to get everyone's attention. "The heart always knows what it wants no matter what fate has in store for us. The earlier you accept this, the better it will be for both of us."
The truth was clear. I was not a real blood with the Beta…he made his choice.
The whispers around me grew louder. Tears streamed down my face. I hugged myself to pull myself together while my wolf ran mad. She had been excited, we had trained every single day of our lives for this moment and in just a second, everything shattered like glass hitting concrete.
"Why isn't she accepting?"
"What is wrong with her?"
"She never stood a chance."
Even though I wanted to dig the ground and bury myself, I decided to use the last bit of courage left in me to wipe my tears and do the only thing I could do.
"I accept." My voice broke but still caught Damien off guard.
I didn't want him to say anything else as my heart bled. I turned to Ivy in the crowd, hoping she would provide some comfort but she turned the other direction. There was no one else.
I took to my heels and ran out of the hall towards Ravenwood Hollow, the most dangerous forest border. I ran with my brains in my feet, knowing I may never come out if I go into the woods.
At the entrance of the forest, I paused to catch my breath.
"It's not that deep, we can't kill ourselves for a man," my wolf argued. "I'm not ready to die."
I faked a smile, tears still streaming down my face as I stared at Ravenwood longingly.
"He is a big fool, I must admit. I can't believe I was happy for a few minutes back there. We can go back home, we did everything." My wolf said again.
I ignored my wolf and glared at the forest. I became determined. I can't live that life of disgrace and shame for the rest of my life, hoping someone would wake up and make me their second chance mate.
"There are better ways to kill yourself," a man said. I didn't look. I stood there, staring at the ominous forest. "There is wolfsbane, poison, silver…you could even be a meal if you want. I can feel your rage from where I stand."
Finally, I turned and saw a tall muscular man standing about ten feet before me. He smelled of power and gold. I couldn't see his face in the dark and even that scared me.
"I've heard that rogues camp in that forest and they have special spots for women, their prey. Do you know what they do to women? They fuck them, cut out their parts and eat them raw."
I gulped and took a few steps away from the forest as my heart picked up a race.
"Gotcha!" His hard hands grabbed me and sprang me to his shoulders.
"Put me down!" I tried to break out of his captivating hands but he was too strong. All he did was laugh while I struggled.
I didn't know where, but we ended up in a room, cold and lit only by a tiny candle. I could still barely see his face but I could tell he had a dark shade of hair and they fell across his face.
There was a bed and a chair where he dropped me to the floor. "You will stay here tonight, no attempts at killing yourself okay?" His thick voice vibrated my vocal cords.
"Do it, Aria!" My wolf insisted and kept pushing me to do one thing I vowed I would never do. As the strange man turned his back to leave, I grabbed his hand and he paused.
"Can you…can we…um… stay with me tonight."
He turned then. "You don't know how dangerous that request is, beautiful lady," he said and walked closer while I walked backwards, away from him. "I could do anything to you. I could be worse than Ravenwood."
"I…I just want to forget." I didn't know where the words came from. I've never been in this situation.
The man hissed and drew me closer as the moonlight shone into the room, revealing half his face. "I can make you forget whatever you are going through right now." My back hit the bed and I fell subconsciously. He bent over me, both knees on either side of my hips.
For a moment, whoever this man was, he was all that mattered. His breath hovered over me causing me to tremble. A heartbeat later, his lips clashed into mine, seeking and finding the pain I had conjured from my heartbreak.
His tongue slid in and out of my lips as he kissed me hungrily. "You just need to ask me." He asked in between our kisses.
"Make me forget," I replied when I got the chance to breathe.
"Good. Take off your clothes."