Cast Aside
668 Words
.Chapter Two.
Aria stepped out of the grand hall, her legs unsteady. The night air was cold, but it did nothing to numb the pain spreading through her chest. The rejection bond had shattered inside her, leaving an ache she had never felt before.
The packhouse loomed ahead, but she knew there was no place for her there anymore. Omega quarters were in the lower wing, barely more than small, cramped rooms given to those who served the higher-ranked wolves. It had been her home for years, but tonight, it felt unwelcoming—like she had already been pushed out.
She walked past the packhouse doors, heading toward the small healer’s cabin near the training grounds. It was the only place she could find solitude. The pack’s healer, Elder Miriam, had taken Aria under her wing when she was just a child, teaching her the ways of herbs and medicine. Now, it was the only place where she still had some value.
As she stepped inside, she lit a small lantern, casting a dim glow over the room. Shelves lined the walls, filled with dried herbs, healing salves, and neatly rolled bandages. The familiar scent of mint and lavender filled the air, bringing a brief moment of comfort.
But the moment didn’t last.
A sharp knock on the door made her tense. She turned slowly, her hands tightening into fists as she opened it.
Beta Lucas stood there, his expression unreadable. He was Kieran’s right-hand man, the second most powerful wolf in the pack. His dark brown eyes studied her carefully, his stance rigid.
“The Alpha has ordered your removal from the healer’s post,” Lucas said, his voice even. “You are no longer needed here.”
Aria’s breath caught. “What?”
Lucas sighed. “Elara is the future Luna now. She will oversee the healing duties. Kieran wants you to step aside.”
A hollow feeling settled in her stomach. She had given years of her life to this role, tending to wounded warriors and sick pack members. It was the one thing that had given her purpose. And now, even that was being taken from her.
She straightened her shoulders. “And if I refuse?”
Lucas’s expression didn’t change. “You know how this works. An Omega doesn’t defy an Alpha’s order.”
Aria clenched her fists. Of course, she knew. The pack structure was absolute—Alphas ruled, Betas enforced, and Omegas obeyed. It didn’t matter that she had been the one to save lives, to work tirelessly without complaint. In their eyes, she was replaceable.
“Where am I supposed to go?” she asked.
Lucas hesitated. “The Omega quarters are still open to you. But… many believe you disrespected the Alpha by rejecting him. The others may not be welcoming.”
Aria swallowed hard. So that was it. She wasn’t just being cast aside—she was being pushed out completely.
She met Lucas’s gaze. “And what do you believe?”
His expression softened slightly, but he didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
She nodded once, then stepped back and shut the door in his face.
Her hands trembled as she turned away, her mind racing. They wanted her gone. If she stayed, she would be nothing more than an outcast, ridiculed and left to suffer.
No. She wouldn’t give them that satisfaction.
If they wanted her gone, she would leave.
She moved quickly, grabbing a small satchel and stuffing it with whatever supplies she could carry—dried herbs, a few healing salves, a flask of water. She couldn’t take much, but she needed enough to survive.
Her heart pounded as she tied the bag shut and pulled a dark cloak around her shoulders.
The Midnight Howl Pack had been her home for as long as she could remember. But now, it was a prison.
And she refused to stay trapped.
She took a deep breath, then slipped out the back door, disappearing into the night.
- Writer
