Chapter 1

Aria’s POV…

“Noel!”

“Noel!!!!!”

A feeling of emptiness filled my body, and my heart missed some beats. This fear of losing something important made it hard for me to catch my breath. I don’t want to imagine the worst, but it’s as if this is inevitable. I kept praying in my heart for my wolf to answer me. I just don’t want to take in the fact that she’s gone. 

“Noel!!!!”

“Can you hear me? Noel!” 

My heart is shattered at this moment. I thought it couldn’t get any worse, but I was wrong. It’s been a week since the last ritual was conducted, and the pain kept getting worse after each successive ritual in the past. Now it’s gotten to the point where I can no longer feel my wolf anymore. I feel so downcast at this moment. I also regret having let this carry on for so long, but what could I have done to stop it? 

I was powerless, abandoned by my birth parents, who were Prowler pack wolves when I was barely a day old. At least that’s all my adoptive parents let me know. Growing up from a young age, I had always felt my wolf’s presence. I even gave her a name, Noel. She was my closest pal, and she was the voice inside me that always gave me the courage to withstand difficult times.  

A few years ago, It came as my greatest shock when my adoptive parents, Rob and Marie, let me know of their intentions to take my wolf and give me their daughter, Bree’s wolf, instead. Not that I thought this was a good idea in the first place, but I had no choice; I agreed to do it.

That was how the wolf swap ritual began from the day I turned fifteen. Every week, Bree and I would stand across from each other in a sacred square, holding relics that signified our wolves’ presence. We would recite some incantations. It was all laid out in a gradual process, with Bree taking over my wolf and me taking over hers permanently.

As each week passed, as time passed, I could feel it more; my energy draining from me, my wolf leaving me, and Bree’s wolf inside me getting stronger. 

The first time, I had slowly begun to feel Noel’s voice gradually slipping away, and I had also started sensing the presence of another in me. It was painful because, in the first place, two wolves were not supposed to occupy the same body. Now, Noel has gotten so weak that I can no longer hear her voice.

I would never dare to go against the decision of my adoptive parents. I still live under their roof and have to do whatever they tell me to, whether I like it or not. I think it’s the most frustrating thing on this earth when you see something killing you, but you still have to live by it, knowing that there’s nothing you can do about it.

It’s times like this; I need the comfort and advice of the one I am closest to. There has only been one such person in my life; unfortunately, that person was Noel. The second was my boyfriend, who also happens to be the next alpha of our pack, the night walkers, prince Wade. 

Asides from that, I don’t know if I’ve lost Noel forever, but he might be able to tell me that since we were destined to be mates. His wolf might still be able to communicate with Noel if I can’t. 

Wade had gone out for a run when I arrived at the pack house, so I had to wait for him. It wasn’t long before he returned, and he was all smiles upon seeing I had come to visit him today.

“Hello, beautiful,” he took the gesture of pecking me lightly on the cheek. Still, I had to tell him what was more prominent on my mind before we could begin playing any love.  

Wade was already aware of the rituals my parents did to take away my wolf. I don’t remember how he got so close to my family to know many of our personal details; it just turned out he did. 

After we’d entered the privacy of his room, I went straight to the point. 

“Wade, I came here to tell you something,” I told him.

He saw the worried look on my face, and he already knew that what I came here to tell him was serious. 

“What is it, darling?” he asked me. 

“It’s the rituals. They are hurting my nature. I don’t think it’s safe for me to continue with them any longer. Swapping wolves with Bree is doing more harm than good, and I think it’s hurting her too.”

The next look on his face was disappointing. Of course, he didn’t support what I was saying, as always, like before. 

He shook his head. “Of course, it’s supposed to hurt, Arianna. It’s a wolf swap, similar to removing a part of your body and replacing it with something better to serve you. It might hurt you now, but it will be all worth it in the end.” 

“You don’t understand. I don’t think this favours me in any way. What if she ends up taking not just my wolf but my mate as well? You know that my pheromone is attached to my wolf. It would hurt me not just to lose my wolf but also my mate.” 

“You already have your mate, my dear. Thanks to the revelation, you already had me even before we experienced the bond. So, you don’t need to worry about any of those scents’ garbage. Nothing on this earth will stop me from ever loving you, Arie, not even if your wolf is taken away.” 

I shook my head, refusing to be the one to be turned over, as I still felt strongly that this was a wrong decision.

“It’s not just the mates’ stuff, Wade. I don’t feel anything with this new wolf. It’s like a strange body trying to force its way in. Things used to be different when I still had my wolf. We used to talk every day, and….”

 “You know that it’s not a natural process, dear. Of course, you and Bree’s wolf won’t be able to communicate naturally. But I assure you that after the final ritual, all these complaints will be a thing of the past. Once your wolf has left you, it will leave room for you and your new wolf to establish that relationship you’ve always hoped for.”

 I still didn’t agree with anything he said, but it seemed Wade’s thoughts refused to be changed. He was adamant about standing with my parent’s decision; for some strange reason, I didn’t know.

I wanted to ask him some questions and ask if he had any clue why my parents wanted this so badly. I wanted to ask him why he kept on supporting them, no matter what I said or how I complained, but I couldn’t; it would seem like I either suspected him or just didn’t trust him at all.

 Instead, I watched him as he kept hammering on those words, refusing to believe what I said. 

“Once the ritual is complete, and you finally have Breona’s wolf inside you, not only will you be stronger, but you will also make a great Luna, as I will marry you then, my Arie.”

 

Somehow, the last set of words he mentioned got my head spinning. It made me forget how upset I had entered this room feeling. I thought of not just gaining my independence but having a better wolf to communicate with and marrying my mate.

 

I remember how our relationship came to be. In the past, a seer had foretold the plans the goddess had in place for Wade and me. We never needed to wait to experience the mate bond to know we were mates.

When he’d first heard of the wolf swap rite, I expected him to be furious that my parents would try to impose such a thing by taking away the wolf that rightfully belonged to his mate, but instead, to my utmost shock, he supported the rituals full-on, and here we are now, almost at the last stage.

 “I will marry you, even without your wolf, Aria,” he kept saying. Usually, Noel would have been the one to let me know whether this was a good decision. She was my strength, and most of my enhanced senses were from her, but now that only weak fragments of her remained inside me, it was hard to know what to do in such a situation.

So, the only choice I had now was to hold on to the words of my mate and hope that things would turn out the way he mentioned. I loved him, and there wasn’t a time that his presence didn’t come with the intense attraction I felt for him, asides from the mate bond. 

“Promise that you’ll never leave me, Wade, even when I don’t have my wolf anymore.”

“Our wolves are not what binds us, my dear. I love you and have always loved you, even without knowing you were my mate. I have always felt an intense desire to be with you. Once this ritual is complete, nothing will stand in our way.”

I walked closer to him and felt the heat between us grow stronger. My 18th birthday was in a few days. I would soon be old enough to start doing things my way. Apart from the few hand-cheek kisses and hugs we shared, I had not made any such move since I’d been with him, but I felt the time was due for our first kiss.

As I leaned closer, he realized what I was about to do, and then to my surprise, he pushed me away, nearly making me lose balance.

“How dare you attempt to do such a thing without my permission?” 

My surprise doubled upon hearing his question. Wade had kissed me numerous times on my hand and cheek. I thought this would have been what he wanted, or did I now need permission to kiss my boyfriend?