The forest had never felt so dark
Branches clawed at Aria's arms as she ran, her breath catching on the cold night air. Her bare feet tore against the underbrush, but she didn't stop. Couldn't.
She didn't know how far she had gone. Only that the ceremony grounds were behind her and with them, every last piece of hope she had foolishly held onto.
Each step carried her farther from the pack. From the faces twisted in mockery. From Ronan's voice, still echoing in her head like a curse.
"I reject you..."
The words pulsed behind her eyes, sharp and raw.
She tripped on a root, crashing to the ground. Dirt filled her mouth, and her knees scraped against stone. The pain didn't even register. It was nothing compared to the hollow ache tearing through her chest.
The mate bond was meant to be sacred. Eternal. It was said that when your mate touched you, it felt like the world fell into place.
But Aria hadn't even been given a touch.
Only rejection.
Only silence.
She curled into herself, face pressed against the cold earth. Her body shook with tremors she couldn't control. There were no sobs—no sound at all. Her voice had never come, and yet, somehow, she had never needed it more.
The moon hung high above the trees, watching. Distant. Unfeeling.
Somewhere, her wolf whimpered.
Then growled.
And then quietly, like a breath across her soul spoke.
" Get up".
It wasn't a voice she recognized. It didn't sound like her thoughts or her instincts.
It was deeper. Wilder.
Still her, but something more.
"We are not broken".
Aria blinked. Her heart slowed, just for a moment.
The voice came again, not in words, but in knowing. In presence. It filled her bones, pulsed in her blood.
She was not alone anymore.
Her wolf was awake.
Slowly, Aria pushed herself upright. Her hands were scraped and bleeding. Her dress was torn. But something had changed.
Something inside her had shifted.
She looked around, finally noticing where she was near the riverbank on the edge of the pack's land. The water shimmered in the moonlight, flowing gently like a lullaby meant for someone else.
A twig snapped behind her.
Aria stiffened. Every instinct screamed danger. She turned slowly, eyes searching the shadows.
And then she saw them.
Eyes. Not one pair but three.
Rogues.
Their scents hit her a second later unfamiliar, sour, full of blood and rage. They stepped from the trees, snarling low, their postures tense.
Her heart dropped.
She was alone. Injured. Unarmed.
Easy prey.
One of the rogues taller than the rest, scar slicing across his jaw grinned. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing all the way out here? Lost your pack?"
Aria didn't move. Her muscles screamed to run, but her wolf hissed, No.
"We don't run anymore".
She dropped into a defensive crouch not perfect, but steady. Her nails dug into the dirt. Her heartbeat slowed.
The second rogue lunged.
She dodged barely. He grazed her shoulder, claws tearing through fabric and skin. Pain flared bright and hot.
She gasped silently but didn't fall.
She spun, instincts guiding her movements. Her body remembered what her mind hadn't learned how to fight, how to move, how to survive.
The third rogue hesitated. "She's got a bite," he muttered.
"She's still just a pup," the leader sneered. "No voice, no pack. Let's finish it."
He charged.
Aria braced herself ready for the attack
And then he stopped mid-stride.
A blur moved faster than her eyes could follow.
A low growl thundered through the trees. The leader flew backward, crashing into a tree with a sickening crack. The other two turned but it was too late.
A dark figure stepped into the clearing, radiating power.
He was tall. Broad. His aura was different not like the rogues. Controlled. Dominant.
Alpha.
He moved with effortless precision, eyes glowing gold beneath thick lashes, his dark hair tousled by wind. In seconds, the other rogues were down, unmoving.
Silence fell.
Then he turned to her.
Their eyes met.
And for the second time that night, Aria felt her breath catch.
Not because of the bond. This was different. There was no lightning, no soul-deep pull.
But there was curiosity. Concern.
Respect.
He knelt beside her, careful not to touch. "You're injured," he said. His voice was rough velvet. "We need to get you out of here."
She opened her mouth instinctively then closed it.
His brows drew together. "Can you speak?"
She shook her head once.
He nodded, without pity or shock. Just acceptance.
Then he looked over his shoulder. "My pack is nearby. We'll get you safe."
Aria didn't know why she trusted him. Maybe it was because he didn't stare at her like she was broken. Maybe it was because he didn't hesitate to protect her.
Or maybe… because her wolf, for the first time in her life, was calm.
Still.
Safe.
She took his hand.
And for the first time since her rejection, Aria felt something close to hope.