Aria barely slept that night. The mark on her skin throbbed, a constant reminder of the curse that bound her to the alpha. As the hours passed, she was left with nothing but the echoes of her thoughts. What was she supposed to do now? How could she survive in a pack of monsters?
She spent the following days learning the dark, twisted rules of the Shadowlands. The pack was no place for a human, let alone a cursed mate. The wolves were merciless, calculating, each one looking at her with a mix of disdain and curiosity.
Her presence was an aberration to them.
"Stay out of their way, and they'll leave you alone," one of the other pack members told her, his eyes narrowed with warning.
Aria nodded but couldn't help the feeling of being watched, every moment, by the alpha and his pack. The shadow of their expectations hung heavy on her shoulders. And no matter how hard she tried to push it away, the bond with the alpha was always there, clawing at her, whispering things she wasn't ready to hear.
That night, the alpha visited her quarters. She had been expecting it, but the reality was still a shock. He stood in the doorway, towering over her, the same cold, unreadable expression on his face.
"You'll be trained. The pack doesn't accept weakness," he said gruffly.
Aria stood up, her fists clenched. "I'm not weak."
The alpha's eyes flickered with something—an emotion she couldn't place. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, as though wrestling with an internal battle.
"I didn't choose this," he said quietly, his gaze dropping to the floor. "But it's too late to turn back now. I'll teach you how to survive here."
Aria met his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't need you to teach me," she spat, though deep down, she knew she was lying.