“Mate.”
That was a word Aurora never imagined she’d say. Every day was one of survival for her, there was no time for fantasies or romance. Nothing like a first crush or a first kiss.
Not even a handhold. It wasn’t that her life was sheltered. It was a prison. Imagine that for a second, every air you breathe feels like you’re drowning in a cage designed just for your misery.
Love. She almost laughed out loud. It was a great height of delusion for her to imagine something of a love interest in her life. Let alone a mate.
Girls like her don’t get that.
When the others swooned to the dream of how their mates would sweep them off their feet, she thought of how possible dinner might be for her.
So at this moment, she had no idea what to do. No one had taught her anything. She felt lost, and incredibly stupid.
“What’s your name?” Her stranger spoke.
She adjusted to her feet when she realized her weight still relied on him. “Aurora.”
“Aurora.” He mused, with a feathery stroke in his voice. Like it was ancient poetry he was oddly familiar with.
The way he said her name drove her into a sweet trance. She has heard those six letters said in the worst form of disgust and hate. But never like a melody.
She liked it. It sent a warm tingle through her skin, like a fever.
Her eyes dropped to her shoulder. His hands were still there. But strangely it didn’t bother her at all. She liked how she stood upright, but still, his arms held her close.
The fever started to rise to her cheeks. She looked back at him and added his ocean-blue eyes to the list of things she liked.
She liked how her wolf paced in her mind, awakened and curious.
Who is he? Her wolf wondered.
I want him, she whined.
Me too.
“Who was chasing you?” He peered above her head. Somehow, she could sense his annoyance.
He was angry that someone was after her. It was strange. That expression was always towards her, never for her. To see someone protective over her made her feel like maybe this wasn’t real.
Maybe it was a prank, and her foster siblings were somewhere in the dark ready to pop out and laugh at her foolishness.
“No one.” She lied.
She wasn’t sure why. But soon, she recalled who she came here with. Eris would have her head if she uttered a word against the family.
“I should go back.” She began to inch away from him.
But he didn’t let her go, and she was glad.
“Aren’t you going to ask for my name?”
Wherever they were was too dark for her to trace his features. But from how much she had to crank her neck to meet his gaze, she knew he was a tall, hefty man.
She desperately wanted to see him, to ask him to walk into the light. But something about him demanded absolute respect and intimidated her.
Although he made her feel good, she felt undoubtedly insufficient.
“Damon.” He offered when she didn’t ask. “It seems the moon god—“
“Aurora!”
She jumped when she heard her name. It was Mother, and oh Eris sounded furious.
Unconsciously, she began to shrink away from him. It was too dark to find an escape. But she had to. Or it would be weeks in the hole if Eris found her.
She whipped her head around for an exit but all her eyes caught was darkness. There was no way out.
Gradually, the salty taste of fear collapsed in her mouth. Her chest burnt with fright as her forehead and neck broke into sweat. This was all her fault.
Why did she stop running?
“Come.” Damon pulled her closer to his chest and in a second they were edging deeper into the darkness.
She felt sticky straws hit her face and weed-like combs rub against her knees. He kept pulling her into corners. Her heart and mind racing as she let her life hang on the balance with a stranger leading the way.
She could still sense Eris coming after them and she made a silent prayer in what she believed to be her last moment on Earth. That if her stranger was a serial killer or a criminal of any kind, let him give her the benefit of a quick death.
They kept brushing into corners, till they came into the light. She looked back and realized they had escaped a maze.
Thank the goddess. She sighed, holding her chest tightly as instant relief washed over her. The cold air was void of Eris's frosty scent. They were safe.
Grateful and at ease, she looked up at her savior to thank him. But no words came out of her mouth. Rather she gaped at the magnificent, familiar sight before her.
His face in the light was breathtaking. It matched the powerful aura she’d sensed from him. But those blue eyes, they weren’t the same. Now they appeared dark and hidden.
And she knew why. Aurora knew her stranger.
Everyone did.
Under the moon, right at the entrance, the alpha of the Silvercrest pack stood beside her.
His attention wasn’t on her. He looked into the crowd while her eyes grew wider by the second.
“Mate.”
The word anchored through her brain again. Only this time it drove a hot knife through her skull.
No. No mate. She mourned. Then tried to pull her palm away, but he wouldn’t let her go.
His grip on her arm was too tight. She was ready for a criminal but not an alpha. Of all alphas, not him. Her breathing came faster. Sheer panic washed through her like ice. If the alpha found out who she was or what she was, it was over for her.
She twisted her neck to the maze. And suddenly wished Eris would appear and take her away. Her nightmares were better than who this man was.
Alpha Damon.
The most powerful alpha of his time. Undefeated in all his battles. The people say he was as ruthless as Ares, the god of war, and as merciless as Hades.
No one respected him without fear. No one adored him without submission. He took as he pleased and ruled his pack with a firm, thriving hand.
He could never be her mate. The moon goddess could never be that cruel.
Then again, when has the goddess ever favored her? Silent tears clouded her eyes, and her bones shook tirelessly.
As they stood, two older-looking men came forward to join them.
“Alpha we have been looking for you. The ceremony is about to begin.”
They both bowed as they spoke, avoiding his direct gaze in any way. Aurora did the same, gluing her eyes to her dirty sandals.
“Found her.” Damon tossed her to the center. “You said the moon goddess will direct my path and help me sense the one she has chosen for me. I sensed her wolf immediately when we met. Does that mean something?”
Aurora frowned. What was happening? Were these men the elders?
Elders were the only ones known to communicate directly with the goddess. She spoke through them and no one else.
That was all well and good with Aurora, but why was the moon goddess speaking about her? It was supposed to be a good thing but something in Aurora’s gut screamed danger. If it was the will of any divine for the Alpha to be her mate, then it was the greatest punishment the universe could ever offer her.
Because, if they knew what she was. This wouldn’t be a ceremony anymore, but rather an execution
“Yes, alpha. We’re glad you finally found your ma —”
“Get the announcement done. And remember this is not my choice, I don’t care about finding a mate. I only need a Luna so my name qualifies.”
One of the elders, who sounded a bit skittish, agreed. “Wh-when we g-got the letter that you are chosen to battle among other alphas for the throne of the alpha king, we were not surprised but expectant.”
“Your dominance on the battlefield has reached the ear of every pack. They know of your glory and your recent victory. If not of your objection against choosing a mate yourself, there’s a long line of houses who would be honored to —“
“You both talk too much.” Damon shunned. “Just get this over with.”
In all this, Aurora’s head remained down. All she could think about was a way out. She could lie about who she was. How would they know? They’ll never know and once the night was over she would run as fast as she could.
Her eyes scanned the left and then the right. No one was here but the alpha and the elders. Thank the goddess for the nicer dress she had on. They’d never believe her if she was in her usual outfit.
“Look here child,” one of the elders called to her, “what house are you from?”
“I…erm.” Her tongue suddenly felt heavy and dry. Her head was blank, and her hands couldn't stop trembling. How pathetic, she almost cried. She couldn’t do it. “I—don’t…”
“She’s a slave.” Eris's voice tore through the air.
Aurora shut her eyes tightly, a miserable attempt to control the gutting pang in her stomach. Her arms swallowed her sides, and she wished she could vanish.
“Alpha, I apologize.” Sam’s voice entered. “We couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with the elders. I’m sorry alpha, but this one cannot be your mate—“
“You don’t tell me what can or cannot be.” Damon rebuked.
Though his voice was calm, it thundered to an extent and called the attention of the rest of the pack.
“We apologize, Alpha, and don’t mean to speak out of place.” Eris bowed, as did her husband. “But the one you’ve chosen is not worthy. She’s a slave with no name and has no rights even as an omega. We care for her but she repays us with thefts and disgrace. My other children can testify to how cruel she is to them and the animals in our barns. Alpha, she’s an exile. It would be a curse and an abomination for her to be our Luna.”
Something in Aurora broke. It made her numb and cold all over.
She felt her knees shake and become weak before it crashed under her. Her head dropped to the floor before the tears came. Every bone in her body shook with horror and dread.
The truth was she had thought the goddess was finally smiling at her. She had collected a twinkle of hope that she’d be free.
So stupid. Now, she felt more exposed than ever.
It didn’t matter that it was all lies. Her innocence was a joke at the moment. And no one in the crowd, especially the alpha, cared for such humor.
Rather, the sudden outrage of the pack and their soaring protest ruled over her. All of their unspoken slurs were thrown at her.
Never would a slaved omega be their Luna.
“Alpha y-you can’t.” An elder pled. “The moon goddess is never mistaken.”
“Damn the moon goddess.” Damon roared. “Never will I bed a pathetic, little omega, or make her my Queen! She has nothing to offer and is worth less.”
His eyes glowed blood red when he turned to her, his exposed fangs stamping his disgust. “I, Alpha Damon, reject you as his mate and sentence you to a lifetime in prison. If I ever set my eyes on you again, I’ll rip your throat open with my teeth and send you to the goddess.”
Heavy tears ran down her face and neck. A sharp pain pierced through her chest like lightning. Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces and stopped for a second. Never in her life had Aurora felt defeated and ashamed.
Every word of his rejection felt like a cold, heavy blanket, suffocating her till it was so hard to breathe.
At that moment, she had never felt so empty and alone.
Her next words came out tiny and croaked. “I, Aurora, accept your rejection.”
Instantly the footsteps of the enforcers surrounded her. She squirmed in the dirt as they came closer, and wailed quietly in her arms.
When they dragged her away she had no fight left in her. Broken and alone, she sought comfort in her wolf. But when she reached in, all she felt was silence.
