Pain.
It was all Aria knew.
The ache in her body was nothing compared to the hollow agony in her chest, the unbearable void left behind by the bond that had been severed. A mate's rejection was supposed to kill a wolf slowly, drowning them in torment until their body gave in. And right now, Aria wished for that end.
She had spent her entire life enduring cruelty, but nothing had prepared her for this.
The Moon Goddess had played a cruel joke on her. Given her a mate, only to have him tear her apart.
Aria squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to disappear into the darkness surrounding her. Maybe if she lay here long enough, the earth would swallow her whole. Maybe the pain would finally stop.
But fate had never been kind to her.
The Beginning of the End
She had been born weak—that was what her family always said. The youngest daughter of a Beta, Aria should have been strong, powerful. Instead, she was small, quiet, and easily overlooked. Her father never hid his disappointment, and her mother barely acknowledged her existence.
Her older siblings were everything she was not. Her brother, Damon, was the perfect warrior, and her sister, Lillian, was the pride of the pack—intelligent, graceful, and cunning. Aria, on the other hand, was nothing but a stain on their legacy.
From a young age, she learned that love was conditional. Her parents praised Damon and Lillian, showering them with attention, but Aria only received cold stares and punishments for simply existing. She tried to earn their approval, to be stronger, faster, better—but it was never enough.
By the time she turned eighteen, she had accepted her fate. She would live as an outcast, never truly belonging.
Then she met him.
Caleb. The future Alpha. Her mate.
The moment their eyes met, she felt the bond snap into place, an overwhelming rush of emotions filling her. He was her fated one, the wolf destined to love and cherish her for eternity.
For a brief moment, she had allowed herself to hope.
But hope was a dangerous thing.
Caleb had looked at her in disgust, his lips curling in disdain. "You? You're my mate?" His voice had been filled with nothing but scorn. "The Goddess must be mistaken."
She had barely had time to process his words before he spoke the ones that shattered her world.
"I, Caleb Blackwood, future Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, reject you as my mate."
Pain had exploded in her chest, a sharp, unbearable agony that stole her breath. She had dropped to her knees, gasping, as the bond that had just been formed was brutally torn apart.
And he had walked away.
Her own family had laughed. Her father had sneered, telling her she was lucky Caleb had rejected her quickly instead of humiliating her further. Lillian had smirked, whispering that no one would ever want her.
That night, they had thrown her out of the packhouse, leaving her with nothing.
Lost and Alone
Aria had wandered aimlessly, each step more painful than the last. She didn't know where she was going. She only knew she couldn't stay.
The rejection had left her weak, her wolf barely responding to her cries. The pain throbbed through her, a constant reminder of her worthlessness.
And now, she lay here in the cold, waiting for the end.
Her body trembled, exhaustion pulling at her. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe she wasn't meant to survive.
A rustling sound broke through her haze. Someone was near.
Her instincts screamed at her to run, but she had no strength left. A shadow loomed over her, tall and unmoving. Fear gripped her, but when she forced her heavy eyes open, she saw something she didn't expect.
A man.
No, not a man—a wolf.
He was unlike any she had ever seen before. Power radiated from him, ancient and untamed. His face was sharp, his jaw set in an unreadable expression. Dark hair fell over his forehead, framing piercing silver eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight.
But it wasn't his appearance that sent a shiver through her.
It was the way her body reacted.
A pull. A connection.
Impossible she can't have a mate because she was rejected.
Her mate had rejected her. The bond had been severed. There was no one else for her. And yet, looking at this stranger, something inside her stirred.
A whisper of something long lost.
His gaze locked onto hers, his expression unreadable. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, frozen in time.
Then, in a voice as deep as the night itself, he spoke.
"Who did this to you?"
Aria's breath hitched. There was no softness in his tone, no kindness—only a quiet, simmering rage.
She didn't answer. She couldn't.
Because for the first time in her life, someone wasn't looking at her with indifference.
This man—this wolf—was angry for her.
And for a girl who had spent her entire life being ignored, that meant everything but she doesn't know the man . And she can't fall for him.