Rejected!

ARIA

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"Mother?" I called out in disbelief as soon as i opened up the door that housed her chambers. My entire body shook massively as I trembled at the unforgiving sight in front of me. My mother has been murdered and was lying down in the pool of her own blood.

I knelt down in front of her and with shaky hands, I reached out to her dead body as the tears burned my vision, threatening to fall. I had taken a walk to pick out some flowers from my favorite garden somewhere in the woods when i heard screams which was followed by endless wailings from afar. Scared and utterly dumbfounded, i rushed back home to find our house open. The first thought that came to my mind was that someone had broken into our house to steal but when i got in and found traces of blood everywhere, something stirred inside me causing me to panic.

The entire room was filled with dead bodies that had been killed in the cruelest way possible. My heart sank at the derogatory and horrid sight in front of me.

Just then, I heard groaning sounds coming from the living room and i rushed in to see Lara, our chief maid squirming in hiding at a corner. She rushed out to meet me when she realized that it was no one else but me.

"My l-lady." She stuttered and seeing how scared she was, i pulled her into an embrace.

"W-What happened here? Where are my parents and why is there blood everywhere?" I cringed hard when the metallic smell hit my nostrils. My stomach churned at the revolting smell that i almost puked at the sight in front of me.

"Your father was taken away by the royal guards to the palace. They came here under the alpha king's command and murdered everyone without an explanation and your mother—" She paused, giving me a pitiful look which was followed by a muffled cry that told me she didn't want to explain any further.

"My mother, where is she?" I urged, taking note of the change in her voice when she uttered her name.

"I'm so sorry my lady." She apologized and that's when it slowly started to hit me. And the next thing i knew, i was raving mad as i went in frantic search for her everywhere only to find her dead in her bedroom.

"By the goddess!" I yelled at the top of my voice, throwing myself on her bloodied frame. Pain, anger, resentment, hurt and many of those emotions coursed through my veins when i saw her lying there in that state. The tears fell freely from my eyes and i let them as i wept bitterly. Left with no other choice, i took to my heels and rushed out of the mansion.

I heard Lara calling after me but i didn't listen neither did i stop. I kept on running till i got to the palace. The guards let me in and just as i made my way towards the courthouse, i spotted my father from a distance being whipped by the guards based on the alpha's orders.

Just before the last whip would hit him, I interfered by hugging him and it landed on my back. I yelped in pain at the painful intrusion but it wasn't as painful as watching my father being humiliated in that manner.

"What do you think you're doing Ryan!" I challenged him fiercely the minute i got on my feet to face him. His sister Keira was standing at a corner watching the scene unfold. "This is my father you're humiliating in such manner. What could he have done to deserve such punishment from you?"

"It's Alpha Ryan to you Aria and yes, your father is guilty of whatever he's being punished for." He growled out to my face without mincing words.

"Wait. You ordered them to kill my family? Why? What could my mother have done to deserve such a merciless death from you?" I asked in a shaky whisper, the air vanishing from my lungs all of a sudden.

"She's the wife of a traitor." He stated firmly. "And anyone related to this traitor..." He said pointing at my father who was struggling to breathe or even move. "Is also a traitor in my books and that includes you. He betrayed me and now, he will pay for it." He deadpanned.

"No Alpha king, i beg you, please spare my father's life. He never betrayed you!" I knelt down on the ground and wrapped my hands firmly around the ankle of the alpha king as i pleaded desperately for him to spare my father's life. he looked at me as though i had grown another pair of head and his eyes bubbled in anger and disappointment. I could slowly see the hate in them as those orbs glared at me wordlessly but i didn't stop begging. My father's life was more important than any look he would give me at this point.

"Your father ordered the execution of my parents!" He announced through gritted teeth and everyone present at the scene gasped in utter shock while i shook my head in disbelief as the bitter tears kept rolling down my cheeks.

"My family has been nothing but good to your wretched family." He started. His voice dipped further to take a deeper note that reflected the anger that he felt within. "My father appointed your father to be the beta of this pack because he trusted him and this is how you repay his kindness? By killing him?" He growled at me. His eyes had turned fiery red and the veins on his neck had popped out visibly as he glared daggers at my father who was being held up at the side by his soldiers.

He had been beaten, bruised and is almost on the verge of death. Blood oozed out from the cuts all over his body and the more i stared at him, the more my eyes welled up in tears. If only i had gotten to him sooner then i would've stopped them from hurting him this much but there was so little i could've done and i hated myself for it.

Everyone present here might believe that my father was guilty but I knew deep down that he wasn't. He has always been loyal to the deceased alpha king. He was a kind and just man that took care of the royal family as well as the other members of the pack and their children without sentiments so i knew that there was a mistake somewhere. My father would never kill anyone without a proper reason and going after the royal family was something that he would never attempt for the rest of his life.

He had always preached to me about how much he respected them and would serve them for the rest of his life. He always sang praises about the late alpha king and even on his dying bed, he had promised to look after his children and guide them till they were old enough to take over the pack so how could he kill him? And why did he do it now when he has had enough time to execute his plans when they were much younger?

Nothing made sense to me and that's why i believed that my father had been falsely accused of treason.

"Please listen to me Ryan." I pleaded profusely. My hands clasped together briefly before taking back my previous position. "Don't do this. You're making a big mistake. You of all people should know that this was a setup. You know that my father would never do that to your father."

"That's what i thought Aria." He whispered to me. "I had thought that the father of the woman whom i loved and intended to marry would never do something to hurt me in this manner but i guess that i don't know people as well as i think i did."

"I wouldn't be surprised to find out that you are also in on this plan as well. Maybe that's why you were so desperate to be with me." He accused with a disappointed smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Your father must have made you fall in love with me so that when we get married, he would use that opportunity to seize the throne for himself. You're just like him."

I shook my head negatively. "I love you so much Ryan and i would never do something like that to you. You are my mate remember? How can i hurt you when we share a bond between us?"

"That's the more reason you could have done what you did." He persisted and commanded the guards to resume whipping him. I tried to go after him but they grabbed me forcefully, preventing me from helping him.

I cried painfully. His eyes stared at me briefly and i could see the sadness registered in them. My eighteenth birthday was just around the corner and he had made massive preparations for it but now, he was going to die here.

"Pl-ease Ryan. Don't do this please." I hiccuped with a hurtful voice but he only looked down at me with an emotionless face. His eyes stared at me coldly showing no mercy. I have never known him to be so cruel and ruthless to this extent.

With a cold stare, he kicked me on my stomach which sent me flying as i crawled into a fatal position. He stared at me expressionlessly, a mocking smile on his lips before walking up to my father. He grabbed the sword offered to him by one of the guards as he ordered my father to be brought up to his knees.

"No!" I screamed at him when it dawned on me on what he was about to do. With the little strength left in me, i crawled slowly towards my father but before i cover a reasonable distance, i heard a slash of sword followed by the sound of something being chopped off to the ground.

Right in front of my eyes, my father's body landed on the ground with a loud thud causing me to freeze in my position.

"Anyone who dares to plot against the royal family will die just like him." He declared as he coldy surveyed his surroundings, radiating the authority of his alpha position. Everyone present at the scene lowered their heads as no one dared to meet his gaze.

Walking up to me, he grabbed my chin forcefully and brought it to meet his. I was still traumatized by what i had just seen and i didn't know how to react to it. My whole body was still in shock and my eyes were very much still fixated on my father's dead body.

"You are going to pay dearly for what your father had done to my family Aria. You will serve as a slave to this palace and i will make your life miserable." He swore vehemently but i was far too disoriented to make sense of anything he was saying.

"But she's your mate Ryan." My ears picked up the familiar voice of Keira from behind. "You can't possibly do something like that to your own mate. You are mated by bond and by the moon goddess." She reminded him. He pushed my chin away and rose up to his feet. I resumed crawling to my father with tear filed eyes but was whipped which stopped my movements abruptly.

"Father..." I called out to him desperately in a small voice hoping that he wasn't dead and that he could hear me. I desperately wanted him to hear me. "Please wake up father. Please!" I begged desperately as i fumbled with my own pain.

Just then, Ryan ordered them to lift me up which they did. "You have taken everything away from me. What more c-could you possibly t-take alpha king?"

He snickered at me, his expression as stoic as ever. "The right to be called my woman." He answered almost immediately. "On this day, I, Alpha Ryan of the Moon Stone Pack, hereby reject you, Aria, daughter of the late traitor and beta Alfonso as my mate!" He deadpanned.