Chapter One
1076 Words
Aria's Pov
I had a life plan.
It wasn't the best, nor was it particularly impressive, but it was simple :
Wake up.
Avoid my annoying stepmother.
And exist in peace.
Nowhere on that list did it say : “Get kidnapped by a rogue werewolf and discover he's your mate.”
And yet, here I was — tied to a chair in a dark room in God-knows-where, with a giant, terrifying wolf standing in front of me.
7 hours ago,
I wiped down the counter, beads of sweat forming on my forehead.
“Go wash this in the back.” Lilian tossed a dusty rag on the counter and I nearly snapped.
What the hell!
She threw her blonde hair over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes. “Do you want to say something?”
My face turned red, but I didn't dare say anything. I couldn't speak harsh words to the wife of my boss, Justin Holloway, owner of the Black Bear Tavern.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Nothing.”
“Good.”
When she walked away, I slammed my fist on the counter and cursed.
Let me tell you about my life.
It. Is. Horrible.
I know, I know.
As the only daughter of the Alpha of the RedBlood Pack, I should have an easier, no, privileged life, right?
Pampering, silk dresses, with suitors lining up at my expensive feet.
No.
That's not how this story goes.
Instead, my life was a tragic soap opera where I played the role of the least favorite daughter.
Father treats me like an inconvenience,
My stepmother hates me and
My half-brother — Don't even get me started on that walking disaster.
The cherry on top is that I'm being forced into a political marriage with the Crescent Moon Pack's Alpha, a man famously known for treating women like they were disposable napkins.
I tried to protest. Really, I did.
“You should be grateful, Aria.” My stepmother, Maria, had said to me this morning. “Not many Alpha's will accept a weak little wolf like you.”
She wasn't wrong. I was.
I was pathetically weak for a werewolf. My wolf barely listened to me and I didn't have fighting skills. Let's just say a toddler could probably take me down.
But still.
“Maybe, I should just run away,” I grumbled, pulling back to reality.
Across the room, my best friend, Alianna, walked to the counter. “Run away to where. You wouldn't even survive 5 minutes in the woods without getting lost.”
I rolled my eyes. “Rude.”
“True.”
Well, she had a point. I had the survival skills of the spoiled house cat Lady Maria carries around.
Running away would only mean me being eaten by a wild animal or worse, kidnapped and killed by a rogue.
Alianna kissed her teeth and shook her head. “You need a break, honey?”
“Yeah,” I nearly sob. Alianna is an angel. “Thank you.”
I went to the back of the tavern, enjoying a destitute mug of warm milk and sweet bread.
As I ate slowly, I couldn't help but feel eyes on me.
As I stared at the red pair, I couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to happen.
The thing is, something big was about to happen, and it was way worse than I could've imagined.
5 hours later, my fate was sealed.
Literally.
The wedding was happening in a week. And father, being the absolute ray of sunshine he was, ordered me to stay inside the packhouse to “prepare.”
And me, being the obedient daughter that I was (ha), immediately snuck out.
I wanted freedom.
Needed freedom.
There was no way I would give up my last moment of freedom before being chained to a man who referred to all women as “females.”
I wasn't planning anything reckless, but I saw it as a walk in the woods so much better than getting my fate tied to a cruel man under the full moon.
My escape was going great until —
Rustle.
I froze.
The hairs on the back of my arms stood on their ends.
Someone…
Something was watching me.
“Who… who's there?” I called out, my voice shaky.
Silence spilled into the air.
No answer.
Not even a little whisper.
I brushed it away.
Maybe it was just a squirrel or the wind or —
A massive, dark figure lunged from the shadows.
I didn't even get the chance to scream before I was yanked into the darkness.
*****
The first thing I realized when I came to was that my wrists were tied.
The second thing was that my body hurt like hell.
“Ouch.” I mumbled, blinking against the dim light.
Where was I?
I tried to sit up only to realize that my ankles were also tied.
Oh.
Oh no.
Kidnapped.
Have I been kidnapped?
A very large, very scary-looking werewolf stood near the entrance of what looked like a tent.
His large arms were crossed over his chest and his face was set in a scowl.
He looked very … familiar.
He stepped closer and …
No.
No, no. Heavens, no!
This wasn't just any werewolf.
This was HIM!
Xavier BlackWood, Leader of the Rogues and the Alpha of the Blue Moon pack.
No.
Hell no.
This man was a cold-blooded beast. A ruthless killer. The very enemy of literally everyone.
And I was in his camp.
“No.” I struggled against the ropes. “I have to get out of here.”
Xavier just stared at me. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to escape,” I said matter-of-factly.
He stepped forward and my heart nearly stopped.
Was he planning to ransom me?
Torture me?
Feed me to HIS wolves?
Still, no reaction.
Instead, he took a slow step forward.
Something in the air shifted and then —
A scent hit me like a brick wall.
It was warm, addictive and oh-so-familiar.
No way!
There was no way. No freaking way.
My heart nearly stopped for real.
A rough hand grabbed my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his.
His icy-blue eyes locked onto mine, intense and unreadable.
And then, he said the words that ruined my life : “You're my mate.”
Silence.
Pure. Absolute. Silence.
- Writer
