Aria's POV
Kael Draven.
The Alpha of my pack. The boy who had grown up mocking me, the man who had turned every small kindness into cruelty. The one I had served for twelve years, the one I had thought I might never belong to… was my mate.
I wanted to run to him. To throw myself into his arms and feel the bond complete. But when our eyes met, all I saw was… disdain.
"A weak mate," he muttered under his breath — loud enough for me to hear. "The Moon Goddess has a sense of humor."
The words struck me harder than any blow. My tray slipped, glasses scattered all over the floor. The noise drew everyone's eyes to me, all curious, all mocking. I lowered my head, cheeks burning.
Selene's laughter rang in my ears. She stepped closer to Kael, resting a hand lightly on his arm. "Well, isn't this… amusing," she purred. "Our Alpha's fated mate is… the servant girl who can barely hold a tray?"
More laughter followed, louder now, echoing through the hall. The pack members joined in, whispers and jeers cutting into me like knives.
Kael's expression hardened, and he didn't stop them. Instead, he looked at me with icy contempt.
"I, Kael Draven, Alpha of the Silvercrest Pack, reject you, Aria Vale, as my mate."
The words struck me like a blade to the chest.
Pain exploded inside me, bright and blinding. It wasn't physical — not exactly — but it felt as though my soul was being ripped apart. My wolf screamed in agony, howling a broken sound only I could hear. My knees buckled, and I gasped, clutching at my heart as if I could hold the pieces together.
The crowd had gone silent, every eye fixed on me as I fell to my knees.
Then Selene's voice broke through the silence. "Oh, how pitiful," she crooned, her lips curving into a cruel smile. "The servant girl thought she could be Luna. How tragic."
Laughter rippled again through the hall — harsh, mocking, endless.
Someone whispered, "The Goddess must have gone blind.
Another chuckled, "An Alpha mated to a maid? What a joke."
My face burned as tears blurred my vision. I tried to stand, but my legs refused to obey. Every breath hurt. Every word, every sound felt like salt poured into an open wound.
Kael turned away, his expression stone. "Remove her from the hall," he ordered coldly. "She's disrupting the celebration."
That was it — the final blow.
I didn't wait for anyone to drag me out. I stumbled to my feet and ran.
The laughter followed me, echoing down the corridor like the sound of breaking glass. My vision swam with tears as I pushed through the doors and out into the cold night. The wind hit my face, sharp and unforgiving.
I didn't stop until I reached the edge of the forest, the music from the packhouse fading behind me. My chest heaved, and I collapsed against a tree, my fingers digging into the bark as I tried to breathe through the ache.
Rejected.Unwanted.Weak.
My wolf whimpered softly inside me, her light flickering like a dying flame.
I pressed a trembling hand to my chest, tears spilling freely. "Why, Goddess?" I whispered into the dark. "Why him? Why like this?"
Only the wind answered — carrying the distant sound of laughter from the packhouse, where my mate celebrated his engagement with another.
It was at this moment I realized that; it was either the moon goddess had forgotten me, or she was just punishing me.
***
I didn't sleep that night.
How could I? Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him — Kael — standing before me, cold and unyielding as he tore the bond apart. The pain hadn't faded; it lingered like a bruise beneath my skin, pulsing with every breath. My wolf hadn't spoken since. She lay silent, wounded too deeply to stir.
By morning, I had scrubbed the tears from my face and forced myself to work, pretending nothing had changed. But everything had. The servants avoided my gaze, whispering behind my back. When I entered a room, the laughter stopped.
By noon, Lena appeared at the kitchen door, her face drawn and pale.
"The Alpha wants to see you," she said quietly.
My stomach turned to ice. "Now?"
She nodded. "He's waiting in his study."
I wiped my hands on my apron and followed the hall that led to his chambers. Every step felt heavier than the last. I could feel the eyes on me. By the time I reached the door, my pulse was thundering in my ears.
"Enter," Kael's voice commanded from inside.
I pushed the door open slowly.
He stood by the window, back to me, his hands clasped behind him. He didn't turn to look at me when I stepped inside.
"You called for me, Alpha?" My voice trembled despite my effort to steady it.
He turned then — and the moment our eyes met, I felt that faint, cruel echo of what we had once shared. It was nothing but pain now.
"I did." His tone was flat. "After last night's… incident, I've made a decision regarding your future."
Future? What did he mean?
"You no longer have a place here, Aria."
My throat tightened. "You're banishing me?"
His expression didn't change. "You were never truly one of us."
I took a step forward, desperation clawing at my chest. "Kael, please—"
"Don't say my name." His voice cracked like a whip. "You will address me as Alpha."
I swallowed hard. "Alpha," I whispered.
He walked toward his desk, picking up a folded parchment stamped with the Silvercrest seal. "I had a discussion with the Nightshade Alpha Raine Blackthorn. He requires your services as a breeder."
The word made my stomach twist. "Breeder?"
"Yes." His eyes flicked to mine, unfeeling. "You are unmated and of proper age. He saw you at the party yesterday and picked an interest in you. We have concluded and everything has been arranged."
My breath hitched. "You're sending me there?"
"You should be grateful." His tone was ice. "You'll be fed, clothed, and given a purpose. More than you deserve after the embarrassment you caused this pack."
A sound escaped me — part gasp, part sob. "Kael, you can't—"
"I can," he interrupted sharply. "And I will."
He stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. "As of this moment, you are stripped of all ties to the Silvercrest Pack. You hold no rank, no right, no name among us."
My knees nearly gave out.
"The Nightshade Pack will collect you tomorrow by dawn. I suggest you pack what little you own."
I stood frozen, unable to breathe.
He looked away, dismissing me with a flick of his hand. "You may leave, Aria Vale. You are no longer of my pack."
No longer of his pack.
The words echoed in my head as I stumbled from the room, my vision blurring. The hallway seemed endless, faces turning to watch as I passed. Whispers followed me like smoke.
"She's being sent to Nightshade."
"As a breeder."
"She'll never see freedom again."
By the time I reached my small quarters, my hands were shaking so hard I could barely open the door. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the cracked wall, numb.
Everything I had ever known — my pack, my home, my family's memory — had been taken from me with a few cruel words.
The Moon Goddess had given me a mate… only to have him destroy me.