Aria
"Happy birthday, Aria!" my mom exclaimed, holding a strawberry cake with a lit candle on top, grinning from ear to ear.
"It's time to blow out the candle and make a wish!" Mom inched happily closer to the side of the bed, still wearing her festive demeanor. I heaved a sigh before extinguishing the flame.
My mother's forehead formed vertical lines in the middle, and her smile vanished, replaced by a mixture of confusion.
"Did you not make a wish, Aria?"
"As if it will make any difference to her already pathetic life," I heard my older sister, Cassie, say. She was leaning against the door, arms crossed on her chest, disdainfully looking at me.
"Don't talk to your sister like that, Cassie! Can you spare her your hate just for now? It's her birthday for crying out loud!" Mom yelled at her.
"Whatever!" Cassie flipped her hair and walked away, rolling her eyes. I heaved a sigh. My sister really hated me.
We may have shared the same womb, but Cassie and I were very different from each other. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulders, her eyes could bewitch any man she liked, and above her intelligence and beauty, she was a pride to our pack. She was the only female shifter known on the continent. That was enough for her to have an elevated status in Moon Valley.
As for me? I was a regular-looking she-wolf who wanted nothing more than to find her destined mate and be loved.
I guess it would be easy for Cassie to accept me as her sister if I told her the truth… that I was also a shifter… and that I wanted nothing more than to find the man who would cherish me for the rest of my life. I had asked my mom to hide my real ability because I didn't want people to treat me differently, knowing that I was special like Cassie. I never wanted any attention, nor did I want any special treatment. I wanted to live the way I wanted to live, and not adhere to what people were expecting of me.
So as much as I wanted a better relationship with my sister and with the rest of Moon Valley, I chose to live this way, far from everyone's ridiculous expectations.
"I'm sorry about that, my dear," my mom said, trying to calm me down. "Now, where were we?"
"My birthday wish?" I smiled at her in return. "I was about to say, there's no need for that. Everything I want is already happening."
Today was my eighteenth birthday, the day I had been waiting for so long. This was the time our wolf spirit would reach the mating age, and they would start to feel our destined mate.
Thinking about this, I felt my cheeks heat up. Mom might have noticed it, so she pinched me on my side. "My baby is excited to meet her mate," Mom said in her bubbly tone. I smiled while looking at my reflection in the mirror by my bed.
"I can't wait to meet him, Mom. My mate could possibly be near. I can feel it," I said, and she squeezed my hand.
"Always remember, Darling, that you are still my baby girl. If you ever find your mate, please don't forget about me." I laughed at my mom's sudden reaction. Of all people, Mom knew how much I looked forward to this day, and I was glad to have shared this special occasion with her.
Mom left and allowed me to fix myself. After completing my morning routine, I happily descended the stairs. After eating breakfast with her, my feet guided me outside the house. I kept my head down as I noticed all the disdain in the pack wolves' eyes as they gazed at me.
"Look who's here, the worthless sibling of Cassie and Ash Williams."
"I feel sorry for them for having a weak sister like her."
I bit my bottom lip when I heard a group of women whispering about me. It was a common sight for them to gossip about me, knowing the type of siblings I had. They always compared me to them, and I couldn't blame them because, in their eyes, I was nothing but a weak she-wolf who couldn't do what my siblings could.
Female shifters were a million-to-one compared to male werewolves, and we were fortunate to have Cassie in Moon Valley. My sister was highly favored in this pack. Everyone liked her. Every she-wolf wanted to be her. No wonder why some of her fanatics would stoop as low as sharing my sister's hatred for me, simply because I wasn't as powerful and special as her.
If only they knew what was hidden behind my facade of a weak she-wolf.
And so, just like on other days, I ignored their insults and continued to walk. Suddenly, an intoxicating aroma filled my nostrils. The scent was fresh and captivating, with a trail that was hard to resist. It reminded me of earthy trails and rocky landscapes. The scent was soothing and hypnotizing, and I couldn't help but close my eyes and savor the moment.
But before I could fully grasp it, I felt my wolf jumping up and down inside my head.
"It's him! He's here!" Cleo exclaimed.
Excitedly, I followed the newfound scent. I could hear the rapid beating of my heart as we got nearer to the source of the scent. Oh, dear goddess! My mate was somewhere near.
The scent led me to the Alpha's cabin, making me stop in my tracks. I wanted to retrace my steps, thinking I might have followed the trail incorrectly, but I knew my instincts didn't fail me. I tried to dismiss the thought, but it was already too late. All my inhibitions disappeared the moment Adrian Patterson, the Alpha's heir, appeared at the front door.
The world seemed to stop, and I felt like I had lost track of time as I gazed into his expressive eyes.
Adrian didn't say anything for a while, and then, with furrowed brows, he walked closer to me, leaving me speechless.
"You?"
His voice was almost indistinct but enough to make my heart skip a beat. His regular happy-go-lucky demeanor had changed into a serious one as he continued to stare at me.
He was Adrian Patterson, our pack's future leader. His grey, oval-shaped eyes were fixated on me, enough to make me feel uneasy. Some said he was the dream guy of every unmated she-wolf on the continent, known for his good looks and strength, making him a suitable candidate to lead our pack someday.
"Of all people, why you?"
His words were like daggers, piercing through the depths of my soul, shredding my heart into pieces. He ran his fingers through his messy, sexy-looking hair, cursing under his breath a couple of times. Disappointment, anger, and disbelief radiated from his aura.
I was hurt, especially by how he looked at me. Devastation, anger, and disbelief were written all over his face.
"I cannot have you as my mate," he muttered. A stabbing pain shot through me as those words escaped his lips. I looked at him with tears streaming down my face.
I had waited all my life for this moment, only to be met with this kind of rejection.
"But why, Adrian?" I asked, my voice breaking. Was I too ugly or undesirable for him to show this level of contempt for having me as his mate?
Adrian snarled, and before he could answer, I saw my sister Cassie approaching us. She wrapped her arms around Adrian's neck before shooting me a couple of deathly glares.
"What's wrong, honey? Is my sister bothering you?" Cassie said seductively, looking me up and down before running her fingers on Adrian's chest.
Adrian smiled at my sister and then held her closer. But when he looked at me, the smile vanished.
"What is the meaning of this, Adrian?" I asked, tears still streaming down my face.
"Isn't it obvious? I don't want you. I need a strong Luna by my side, and your sister, being a shifter, is an obvious choice. I can't love a weak, regular-looking she-wolf like you. Don't you understand? This mateship is a mistake. I can't be mated with you. It's shameful. You will only embarrass me."
I wanted to step away and leave that place, but my feet wouldn't move. I wanted to avert my gaze while they made out in front of me, but I couldn't.
My mate didn't want me. And worst of all, he had chosen my sister over me.
Aria The pain was undeniably excruciating. It suffocated me. It was killing me, little by little. My heart shredded into pieces as those words came out of his mouth. I couldn't help but cry as I digested those painful words. Just when I thought the torment was over, he leaned down to kiss my sister in front of my face. I felt betrayed. My devastation couldn't be expressed in words. That hurt me a lot. How could they do this in front of me like I didn’t exist? “There’s still a way to get him back, Aria. Tell him that he is wrong. Tell Adrian that we are not weak!” My wolf yelled at the back of my head. However, I silenced her as I didn't want her to take over without my prior knowledge. “Wake up, Aria! We will lose our mate if you're not going to tell him the truth!" My fist clenched as those words were uttered by my wolf, Cleo. I could feel her agony. She was in deep pain as well after witnessing our mate kissing another woman. Cleo was already frantic, and she was begging me to
Aria The day was about to end. My legs hurt as I continued running through the forest without stopping. I didn't realize that I had been running for a while now. My head tilted up to the sky. The sun was about to set. Darkness would arrive soon, and I had to go back to the house before a tracker saw me. I had always felt pressured to be Ash and Cassie's sibling. Running through the forest helped me to be at ease. This was my solace. I would feel better afterward and ready to face the world again when I came out of the forest after a short sprint. However, the pain that I carried deep within my heart was still there. That pain shredded my heart into pieces. The rejection of my mate was the worst experience I have ever had in my life. Being rejected by my mate was beyond compare. Minutes passed, and I could already see our home from afar. We had the best in life, a luxurious home, and anything we could need. Our cabin was one of the best homes in the pack. The Alpha gave us this home
Ash Just as I remembered a quote from one of Robert Dunn's works, my sister crossed my mind. Guilt is what I feel right now for what I did to Aria. I still can't imagine that I did those things to her. Aria didn't deserve that. Maybe she was the youngest and the weakest, but definitely the sweetest. All her life, people looked down on her because of us. She was always known in the pack as the “weak” sister of the great Williams siblings. Despite all the disdain they threw upon her, she remained strong and unbothered. She only dreamed of one thing, which was to find her destined mate. She was kind, innocent, and pure. But the question is, why did I smack her? Obviously, I was an asshole for doing that to her. Aria's fantasy of being mated to our alpha's son was something that I couldn't handle. I love my sister, but I won't make her believe a lie. I couldn't let her believe that she was fated with the man who would become the next ruler of Moon Valley. Do I believe it wasn't possib
Adrian “Take me…” It was more of a desperate plea than a command. She moaned seductively as she caressed her fingers to my chest. The gesture made the hairs at the back of my headstand. Without hesitation, I claimed her lips. I had been tasting the same set of lips for a while now but I had never seemed to get over it. Lust claimed my reasoning. My lips traveled down to her neck. I paused when I reached her collarbone. I stuck my tongue out and licked it. Cassie moaned, sending me into a frenzy. I began to take off her upper garment. Her white, smooth breasts were revealed to me. The next thing I knew, I was sucking her breast like a hungry child. I held my teeth in between her nipples, pressing them slightly to put pressure on them. Then, I continued to play with it using my index finger. This action made Cassie go out of control. “Ohh ..” A soft moan escaped from her mouth. This was the signal I was waiting for. I immediately laid her on the bed. Then, I took off my shirt
Adrian A million and one things were circulating inside my mind. Mind games had never been my thing. This was something my father had always warned me about. In his words, I needed to balance my brain with my brawn if I wanted to be a successful alpha someday. I wasn't saying I was dumb; instead, I knew I still had so much to learn. One of those things was discerning people, knowing what was going on inside their minds, or predicting their next steps to help me screen the people who would become my future leaders. So, it was crucial for me to find out what was going on with Ash. What was the deal behind his sudden change in behavior? Why had he acted so weird earlier when he called me? I must have fallen deep into my thoughts because I failed to notice that the Williams Residence was within reach. I had decided to walk from my place to theirs since it was just a couple of blocks away. Their home was one of the biggest houses in the pack, making it easy for me to spot in my location
Adrian This probably was the longest day of my life. It had been less than an hour ago since I went to the Williams Residence and found out that Aria ran away from our pack to live on her own. I was already at my own home trying to comprehend what just happened. Was that enough reason to leave the comforts of Moon Valley and live as a rogue? At the back of my head, I saw my wolf Rickon roll his eyes at me. He gave that “Are you stupid?” look that I kept on getting since I decided to date Cassie. I shook my head in disbelief. Even my wolf was not supporting me with my decision to not be with Aria. Well, it should be obvious. He would always choose our mate over any girl that I would be with. Why did I feel that the world was despising me for not choosing her? Am I that selfish to think about the future of my pack ahead of my happiness? I heaved a sigh. I looked at the cassette tape sitting on top of the bedside table and began to ponder whether l should play it or not. I mean, wha
Aria This was the unluckiest day of my life. I curled into a ball while I camped under that big, old, ragged tree. My body was dripping wet from the sudden rainfall. Winds started to blow stronger than I anticipated. The trees, which were motionless a while earlier, were now swaying side to side because of it. My body was shivering because of the cold. When I ran away from our pack, I didn’t bring any camping supplies. I only brought two sets of clothing and some canned food to munch while looking for a place to stay. Nothing could have prepared me for this condition. I had never felt so alone in my life. All of a sudden, a bright, flashing surge of electricity struck the nearby tree. A loud, booming sound followed afterward. I let out a high-pitched piercing sound as a response. Smoke came out of the tree while a slit formed in its trunk. Then, its body gave up on its weight making it split in two. The scene made me shiver in fear. What if the tree, where I was seeking temporary
Aria All my life, I thought rogues lived in caves with rocks for a pillow and a pile of leaves for a bed. But after meeting Peter, my views about them totally changed. Rogues had a reputation for being the worst criminals in werewolf society. The majority of them were plunderers, thieves, and killers. They were known to have committed the worst crimes you could possibly imagine. To be called one was not only derogatory but a curse to carry as well. In our laws, the worst possible punishment you could receive was not the death penalty. Rather, it was banishment from your own pack. To live alone in a world where staying in solitude would mean danger, it wasn’t surprising that most rogues die young. If not murdered, they mostly passed away due to hunger. They were men of discord and haters of peace. But Peter Scott was different. His life as a rogue was one of a kind. “Welcome to my humble home.” I scanned the place as Peter guided me inside. The log cabin was not as big as ours yet