Aria ended the call, her trembling hands clutching the phone as she struggled to stifle the sobs rising in her throat. She leaned against the bed frame, her tear-streaked face hidden by disheveled silver hair. Her heart ached from the pain of rejection, and she bit her lip to stop herself from crying out loud. Her wolf whimpered quietly inside her, recoiling from the bond that had been so carelessly severed.
Minutes later, a knock sounded on the door. Aria's instincts flared — the scent behind the door was familiar. She hesitated before opening it to reveal Eric standing there, his scent bitter with shame, his posture torn between dominance and hesitation.
"Aria... I'm sorry," he said, stepping inside, the tips of his claws just barely extended — a sign of stress. "I couldn't handle it."
His voice was weak, and it only fueled her frustration. She turned away, her shoulders trembling as she choked out, "You didn't mean it, right? You called off our bond just because I collapsed during the ceremony? Instead of comforting me during my heat-crash, you—" She faced him now, her silver eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You decided to cancel the bond-marking. Do you know what that means for me? What do you think the pack will say? They'll laugh at me! Mock me!"
Her voice cracked as she fought to contain the whirlwind of emotions tearing through her wolf and human sides alike.
Eric stepped closer, his own expression pained. "I couldn't handle it, Aria. You fainted… just moments after it was revealed you couldn't manifest your primal shift or scent-cast. That alone made my parents reconsider the bond, and… and…"
His words reopened a wound she desperately wanted to forget. Memories of the Moon Rite ceremony flooded back — her first public display as a mature she-wolf. All werewolves of royal blood, even omegas, were expected to fully shift or manifest their magic aura by their eighteenth year. Many, like her stepsister Helen, had done so early, some even before puberty.
But Aria… she had nothing.
When she failed to scent-cast or shift, the room erupted with low growls, murmurs, and mocking laughter. Her embarrassment had spiked her feverish heat, and the strain caused her to collapse. Now, Eric's words only deepened that humiliation.
Eric sat beside her, his hand twitching near hers, glancing at her tear-streaked face. "I know it's unfair. You're beautiful, kind, and everything anyone could want in a mate. But—" He hesitated, guilt and shame warring in his golden wolf eyes. "But your status… it's something I couldn't ignore. My friends mock me for being bonded to the 'ghost omega.' My parents constantly remind me what the alliance with your house has cost them."
Aria's chest tightened. Ghost omega. She'd heard the slur so often that it almost felt like a nickname.
Eric continued, voice lowering. "My parents proposed an alternative, since our families already have a blood pact they don't want to break. They suggested… Helen. Your stepsister."
Aria froze, her breath catching in her throat. Helen?
"You're mating Helen?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Wow. Fine then. I wish you both a long life filled with heat and harmony."
Helen. Her stepsister, two years younger, born to the Alpha King's second mate after he had adopted three sons but still longed for a biological heir. Though both daughters were born of high blood… Helen had always been adored, treated like a true Luna-in-training, while Aria was the unwanted wolf born without a howl.
Helen's abilities had only made things worse. At fifteen, she had demonstrated rare wolf-magic — controlling elements, summoning phantom wolves — earning the pack's praise and admiration. Meanwhile, Aria, now of age, remained unshifted, unscented, untouched by the moon's gift. It was no wonder Eric's pack leapt at the chance to exchange her for Helen.
"Aria…" Eric began, but his voice trailed off as his gaze shifted to the amulet around her neck — the one that seemed to shimmer faintly now beneath her silver hair. "What's this?" He frowned, reaching out.
Aria instinctively stepped back, a low growl rising in her throat, her hand moving to shield the small pendant.
"It doesn't match your usual taste," he muttered, before rudely yanking the amulet from her neck with one swift pull. It clattered to the floor with a soft metallic click.
Her heart slammed against her ribs as Eric's eyes locked on the object. His scent twisted — dark, obsessive. Fascinated. Predatory.
Aria's memory flickered to her earlier encounter with Lord Adrien — the strange heat in her blood, the whispers in her dreams. She didn't understand the amulet's power yet, but Eric's sudden obsession confirmed her worst fears.
"Eric… give it back," she whispered, her wolf tensing as she stepped forward.
But Eric wasn't listening. His expression darkened as he bent to pick up the amulet. His fingers brushed its surface and something… shifted. His eyes gleamed with unnatural hunger.
"What's happening to me?" he muttered, staring at her like prey, his irises glowing faintly — a sign of supernatural influence. His pupils dilated as if he were scenting her for the first time.
"Eric?"
In a blink, he was before her — faster than she could react — his hands gripping her shoulders, claws barely restrained. His breath was hot against her cheek, and his eyes burned with feral longing.
"You've kept me at arm's length all this time," he rasped, his voice guttural, like his wolf was slipping through. "Why? You were mine—or, at least, you were. You wouldn't even let me scent-mark you."
His hands slid down to her waist, pulling her flush against him. Aria shoved at his chest, panic exploding in her chest.
"Eric, stop! You're not thinking clearly! That amulet—something's wrong!"
But he didn't stop. He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "Why should I? We're parting ways, Aria. Let me have this… just once."
He pushed her back onto the bed, his hands moving to unbutton his shirt, his scent thick with arousal and alpha dominance. Aria's mind raced, instincts screaming.
"Eric, please. Don't do this!"
His shirt hit the floor, revealing the powerful frame of his alpha body. His hands moved to the hem of her dress, his eyes glowing brighter now, feral and unhinged.
"You've always been so stubborn," he murmured, a wicked smile stretching across his face. "But not tonight."
Aria's heart thundered as she fought beneath him, her body trembling with rage and fear. Her wolf growled from deep within, protective instincts breaking free.
And then—