Aria sat near the window of Kael's chamber, staring into the darkness beyond the castle walls. A cold wind howled through the trees, but she barely noticed it.
Her mind was trapped in the past.
She should have been thinking about what had just happened—the pack's hatred, Caleb's return, Kael standing by her side. But instead, memories she tried to bury were clawing their way back to the surface.
The feeling of being unwanted. The sting of rejection. The way her own family had never loved her.
She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms. No matter how much she tried to push those memories away, they came crashing back.
---
A Childhood Without Love
She had never been wanted—not from the moment she was born.
Her father, Alpha Victor, had always seen her as a mistake. She wasn't the son he had wanted. She wasn't strong, not in the way he demanded his heir to be.
And her mother? Cold. Silent. Uncaring. She had done nothing as Aria was cast aside like an unwanted burden.
She had grown up watching from the shadows while her family lavished their attention on her siblings. They were proud warriors, perfect children who never disappointed their father.
But Aria? She was different. Too quiet. Too weak.
Her father would glare at her in disgust whenever she failed to meet his impossible expectations. "You're useless," he had told her once. "An embarrassment to this family."
She had only been ten years old.
She swallowed hard, the old pain squeezing her chest.
There had been a time when she tried—tried so hard—to prove herself. She had trained until her body ached, fought until her hands bled, all for a single word of approval.
But it had never come.
She had never been enough.
---
The Mate Who Never Wanted Her
And then, there was Caleb.
The day she had turned eighteen, she had hoped, for once, something would be different. That maybe the Moon Goddess hadn't completely forgotten her.
But when her mate bond snapped into place, filling her with hope, warmth, and longing—
Caleb had looked at her as if she were nothing.
His rejection had been swift, merciless.
"You?" He had laughed, shaking his head. "You can't be my mate."
And just like that, everything had shattered.
She had begged him to give her a chance. Not because she loved him—no, she had never loved him—but because she had wanted to belong.
But Caleb had thrown her aside like everyone else. And her father had stood there, watching, saying nothing.
That was the moment Aria had finally realized the truth.
She was alone.
She had always been alone.
---
A New Fear
A sharp knock at the door pulled her from the depths of her thoughts. She inhaled sharply, blinking back the emotions that burned in her throat.
"Aria?"
Kael's voice was softer than usual. Not his usual cold, unreadable tone.
For a moment, she hesitated.
Then, she spoke. "Come in."
The door opened, and Kael stepped inside, his silver eyes scanning her carefully. He was still wounded from the fight, the claw marks across his chest visible through his torn shirt.
She should have looked away. She didn't.
Instead, her eyes traced the lines of his scars—old wounds, stories of battles long before she had ever met him.
"You should be resting," he murmured.
Aria let out a hollow laugh. "I can't."
Kael moved closer, leaning against the stone wall near her. "Your powers," he said after a moment. "When you used them back there… how did it feel?"
She hesitated. How could she explain something she barely understood herself?
"Like… fire," she admitted. "Like something inside me finally woke up. But at the same time, it felt like… something else was watching me."
Kael's eyes darkened. "The curse."
Aria swallowed hard.
"Why do they all hate me?" she whispered. "Your pack. My old pack. Even my own family."
Kael was silent for a long time.
Then, softly, he said, "Because they're afraid of what they don't understand."
She let out a bitter breath. "Or maybe I'm just not worth loving."
Kael's head snapped toward her. His eyes flashed with something dangerous.
"Don't say that." His voice was sharp, almost a growl.
Aria flinched, surprised by the intensity in his voice.
"You think I don't see it?" he continued. "The way you still carry their rejection like a wound? Like it defines you?"
She stared at him, unable to breathe.
He took a step closer. "They were blind, Aria. Your father. Your pack. Caleb. Every single one of them. They couldn't see who you are."
Her throat tightened. "And who am I?"
Kael's gaze locked onto hers, intense and unwavering.
"You are not weak," he said. "You are not worthless. And you sure as hell are not the girl they made you believe you were."
For the first time in years, someone was standing up for her.
For her.
And it was Kael—the man who had every reason to push her away.
A lump formed in her throat. "Why do you care?"
Kael's jaw tightened. His hands clenched at his sides as if he were wrestling with something deep inside him.
And then, he said the words that changed everything.
"Because the thought of you believing that kills me."
Aria stopped breathing.
Kael let out a low breath and turned away, running a hand through his hair as if he regretted saying it.
But Aria heard it.
She felt it.
And for the first time since she had arrived in this place, a new realization slowly crept into her heart.
She wasn't just drawn to Kael.
She was falling for him.
And that terrified her more than anything else.