Aria stood alone in the vast darkness of her mind, surrounded by memories that refused to fade.
She had thought she could leave the past behind, that distance would dull the pain. But pain wasn't something that could be forgotten—it was something that lived inside her, clawing at her from within.
Sitting in Kael's castle, surrounded by the quiet hum of the night, she found herself sinking into those dark memories once again.
And this time, there was no escape.
---
A Childhood of Pain
She remembered the cold nights, the hunger, the loneliness.
As a child, Aria had spent most of her time in the shadows of the pack house, unwanted and unnoticed. While the other pups played under the warm glow of the moon, she had been left to train alone, desperate to earn the approval of a father who would never give it.
"You are nothing," Alpha Victor had told her, his voice like ice. "Nothing but a burden."
She had flinched at his words but had refused to cry. She had learned early that tears were weakness.
Her older brother, Damon, had been the worst. He had loved to make her suffer.
"No one will ever love you, Aria," he had sneered one night, just before shoving her into the mud. "Even the Moon Goddess wouldn't waste a mate bond on someone like you."
She had lain there in the cold, her heart breaking, wondering if he was right.
Maybe she truly wasn't meant to be loved.
---
The Betrayal of Blood
Her mother had never raised a hand against her, but in some ways, her silence had been even worse.
There had been a moment, a single night when Aria had begged for her mother's love.
"Please," she had whispered, clutching the edge of her mother's dress. "Please don't let them treat me this way."
Her mother had looked down at her with empty eyes. And then, she had simply turned away.
That was the moment Aria had understood—her mother had never wanted her.
She wasn't just unloved. She was invisible.
---
The Mate Who Destroyed Her
And then there was Caleb.
The night he rejected her had been the final blow, the moment that shattered the last fragile pieces of hope she had held onto.
She had felt the mate bond—the warmth, the connection, the pull. For a brief, foolish second, she had believed it meant something.
But Caleb had laughed in her face.
"You?" His golden eyes had gleamed with disgust. "You can't be my mate. You're worthless."
She had wanted to scream, to fight, to tell him he was wrong. But instead, she had watched as he walked away—without hesitation, without regret.
And the worst part? Her father had smiled.
As if he had always known she would never be good enough for a mate.
That night, she had stopped hoping.
She had stopped believing that she would ever be anything more than a mistake.
---
The Present: A New Fear
A knock at the door pulled her from the darkness.
She gasped, her chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths.
"Aria?"
Kael's voice. Low, steady.
She wiped at her face, realizing her cheeks were wet with tears she hadn't even noticed falling.
"Come in," she murmured.
The door opened, and Kael stepped inside.
She hadn't expected him to look concerned. His silver eyes locked onto her, sharp and searching.
"You're crying."
She shook her head. "I'm fine."
Kael didn't look convinced. He stepped closer, his presence unsettling in a way she couldn't explain.
"You don't have to lie to me," he said quietly.
She swallowed hard. Why did he care? Why did he always look at her like that?
Like she was worth something.
It made no sense.
"You don't know me," she whispered. "You don't know what I've been through."
Kael's gaze darkened. "Then tell me."
She hesitated. No one had ever asked before.
No one had ever wanted to know.
Her heart pounded. Was it possible? Could Kael be different?
Or was this just another cruel trick of faith