The Betrayal That Broke Her
Chapter One .
The moon cast its glow over the Midnight Howl Pack’s territory. The air smelled of pine and damp earth, but none of it mattered to Aria. Tonight was supposed to be the most important night of her life—her mate ceremony. But everything had gone wrong.
She stood outside the grand hall, her heart pounding. Inside, music played, and voices carried through the air, but she barely heard them. Her hands shook as she smoothed down the blue gown her best friend, Elara, had convinced her to wear.
“It’ll be magical,” Elara had said. “He’ll see you and fall in love instantly.”
Aria had wanted to believe it, but she had never been the type to hold onto false hope. As an Omega—weak, scentless, and often ignored—she knew better than to expect a fairytale. But even knowing that did not prepare her for what she saw when she stepped inside the hall.
Alpha Kieran.
Her mate.
And he was holding Elara’s hand.
Her body tensed as she took a step closer. Inside her, her wolf howled in distress, but there was no response from him. The bond should have pulled Kieran toward her the moment their eyes met. Instead, he looked past her as if she did not exist.
“Elara?” Aria’s voice came out shaky.
Elara turned to face her. There was guilt in her eyes, but not enough to make her stop. “Aria… I was going to tell you.”
Aria’s stomach tightened. “Tell me what?”
Kieran sighed, his gray eyes cold. “That you were never meant to be my mate.”
The words hit her hard. “That’s not possible,” she said, her throat dry.
He smirked. “It is. The Elders confirmed it. Your scent is weak, barely noticeable. But Elara’s… it’s intoxicating. She is the perfect Luna.”
Aria took a step back, feeling like the ground had been pulled from beneath her. Her scent had always been faint, but it had never stopped the mate bond from forming. The air between them should have been charged with energy, forcing Kieran to acknowledge her.
But there was nothing.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “You stole it.”
Elara’s face tensed. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t lie to me,” Aria interrupted.
Her hands curled into fists as she pieced everything together. There were herbs—dark magic—that could mask and alter a wolf’s scent. Someone had tampered with her very essence, and Kieran had accepted it without question.
The murmurs of the pack grew louder around them. Some looked at her with pity, others with curiosity, but no one spoke up for her.
“The ceremony is over,” Kieran said firmly. “Elara is my mate. Accept it and move on.”
Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had spent her life serving this pack—healing their wounded, tending to their sick—only to be discarded like she was nothing.
Her voice was unsteady but clear. “I reject you, Alpha Kieran.”
Gasps filled the room. Rejection was rare, especially from an Omega to an Alpha.
Kieran’s expression hardened. “You dare—”
“I dare,” she said without hesitation. “I reject you, and I reject this pack.”
Pain gripped her chest as the mate bond shattered. It felt like something tearing through her soul, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand tall. She would not break here.
Kieran clenched his jaw but said nothing.
Elara had already taken her place.
Without another word, Aria turned and walked out. Each step was heavy, but she kept going. Heartbreak weighed on her, but something stronger was growing inside her.
One day, they would all regret what they had done to her.
