The halls of the Alpha Fortress were colder than Aria expected. Stone walls stretched endlessly, echoing with the faint sounds of footsteps and murmurs, some respectful, others... mocking. She clutched the edges of her borrowed cloak tighter, the weight of unfamiliar stares bearing down on her.
Kael walked beside her, tall and composed, his expression unreadable. His presence offered some comfort, but Aria could feel the unspoken tension in every corner. Eyes followed them. Whispers trailed them. And at the heart of it all stood Maria.
Maria hadn't wasted any time. Word had spread that Kael had returned with a mysterious girl who wasn't just human—but something ancient, something powerful. Maria made sure that everyone in the fortress knew Aria was an outsider.
"You know she's not even a trained warrior, right? Kael probably pities her," Maria said loudly to a group of trainees the moment Aria passed by. Her words hung heavy in the air.
Aria felt the heat rise in her chest. She wasn't used to this. Back in her quiet foster home, the world was small, predictable. Here, everything felt like a battlefield.
"Ignore her," Kael muttered under his breath.
But ignoring Maria wasn't easy. The she-wolf knew exactly how to draw blood without claws.
Later that day, during the formal welcome in the council chamber, Maria took her place beside Kael. Her hand casually rested on the back of his chair. She smiled sweetly at the elders, pretending Aria didn't exist.
Kael stood abruptly. "She sits beside me."
All eyes turned. Murmurs rippled. Aria's heart skipped.
Maria's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "Are you sure that's wise, my King? She might not understand our customs."
Kael didn't answer her. Instead, he reached for Aria's hand and led her to the seat beside his. The necklace he had given her glinted faintly under the torchlight, pulsing once like it felt her anxiety.
"You belong here, Aria," he whispered.
The rest of the ceremony blurred in her mind. Names. Faces. Pledges. Traditions. It all washed over her. But what didn't fade was Maria's lingering glare—sharp and possessive.
The real war wasn't just with the world outside the fortress walls. It was here, within these stone halls.
---
That evening, Aria found herself alone in the massive chamber given to her. A canopy bed, silk curtains, a fire already roaring in the hearth. Yet she felt none of its warmth. Her fingers brushed over the necklace again.
"What are you trying to protect me from?" she whispered.
There was a knock.
She turned sharply. "Come in?"
It was Lena, one of the Omega servants.
"I brought some tea," she said kindly, placing a tray down. She looked around, then leaned in closer. "Be careful of Maria. She doesn't like anyone near the Alpha. Especially not someone like you."
"Someone like me?"
Lena gave a knowing look. "Someone he chose."
Aria sighed. "I didn't ask for any of this."
Lena paused. "Neither did he. But fate doesn't always knock politely. Sometimes, it barges in with blood and chaos."
Aria looked away.
Fate. Blood. Chaos. Was that all she was destined for?
She stepped onto the balcony, letting the cold air bite her cheeks. Below, the forest stretched endlessly, the moonlight painting silver trails through the trees.
Behind her, Maria watched from the shadows, her eyes burning with jealousy.
Aria didn't see it.
Not yet.