Fate betrayal

CHAPTER 15

Chapter 15: A New Path

ARIA POV

I was walking by myself for the first time in what seemed like an eternity as the moon was full and the woodland was bathed in silver light. The scars from the struggle with Veyron were not limited to my skin. Deeper, they were engraved in my spirit.

I paused by a creek, the water glistening as if the moon were speaking to it directly. I saw a different lady staring back at me, her eyes burning with resolution but veiled by grief.

There was no longer a mate relationship.

In the last seconds of the fight, I had felt it crack, a clean break that left me out of breath. Through suffering and treachery, it had served as my lifeline, binding me to Darius, but now I was free.

Despite this, independence seemed as much like a burden as a benefit.

A familiar voice murmured softly but insistently, "Aria."

I turned to find Darius's golden eyes searching mine as he came out of the shadows. Exhaustion was visible on his face, and his customary assurance had given way to something more frail.

"What brings you here?" I asked, my voice softer than I meant.

"I needed to see you." Keeping a polite distance, he moved closer. "I am aware of what we had and what we have lost. However, I want you to know that even if it didn't seem like it, I never gave up on you.

I wanted to think he was real. Perhaps even a piece of me did. However, the recollection of his treachery throughout my early years remained too vivid.

With a stern yet gentle tone, I said, "It doesn't matter anymore." "Darius, the link is gone. Whatever held us together is no longer there.

His jaw tensed, and I briefly believed he was going to argue. Instead, he nodded, his motion ponderous and lethargic. "I will respect your wishes if it is what you want. However, Aria, I will always be here. if you ever need my assistance.

His form vanished into the night as he turned to go, and I experienced an unidentified pain.

Immediately after his departure, a second figure appeared from the trees. Killian.

His eyes impenetrable and steady, he came with his customary calm power.

His voice was low as he said, "I heard what you said to him."

"And?"

"I would also like to know if you intend to leave me as well."

I let out a sigh as his inquiry weighed heavily on me. Beyond the mate connection, Killian had been my companion, my pillar of support, and my guardian. Now, however, what could I give him?

“You deserve someone whole,” I replied, my voice cracking. "A person who isn't troubled by their past."

His hand brushed mine as he took a step closer. "Ariana, don't tell me what I deserve. Despite your imperfections and wounds, I still chose you. However, I won't stop you if you need to go away in order to recover.

I wasn't prepared for how hard his remarks affected me. I peered into his eyes, looking for the answers I couldn’t find inside myself. But patience was all I saw.

I acknowledged, "Without the bond, I don't know who I am." "To figure that out, I need time."

Killian's face softened as he nodded. Then take as much time as you need. Remember that you don't have to accomplish it by yourself.

The next morning, I was carrying a little bag over my shoulder as I stood at the edge of the Moonshine Pack's domain.

Although leaving hadn't been a simple choice, it felt right. For the first time in two lives, I was making my own decisions free from responsibility or fate.

Killian and Darius were there to see me depart, their quiet presence a reminder of all I was leaving behind.

“Where will you go?” With a hint of worry in his voice, Killian inquired.

I smiled a little and added, "Wherever the road takes me."

"What if we require your assistance?" Darius's bright eyes glinted as he asked.

"You'll find me," I said steadily. "You always do."

I was thankful that they didn't attempt to stop me.

---

Although the trip was solo, it wasn't lonely. I met wolves and people alike as I journeyed through woods and mountains, sharing tidbits of my own story with them.

I met an elderly wolf in a little town tucked away in a valley who told me of a wolf who had rebelled against the Moon Goddess and created her own fate.

"Do you believe it's feasible?" I questioned him.

"To blaze your own trail?" His eyes sparkled as he grinned. "Child, everything is possible. However, it calls for bravery and an openness to the unknown.

---

I sat beside a campfire one night beneath a full moon, watching the flames dance in the darkness like ghosts.

Even though there was a lot of stillness in the air, I could still feel a presence—a cozy, non-threatening warmth.

A sweet, musical voice said, "Aria."

I turned in the hopes of seeing someone, but all I saw was the moon, which was shining stronger than before.

"Who are you?" I inquired out loud.

A lady surrounded by glittering light started to take form. Her aura was calm and strong, and her eyes were kind but ageless.

“The Moon Goddess,” I muttered, my pulse thumping.

She grinned. "Child, you've come so far. More distant than most

"What brings you here?"

She remarked, "To remind you that your journey is just getting started." The decisions you make today will affect more than just your own destiny, even if you have broken free from the bonds of fate. They will influence every wolf's future.

I got a chill from what she said. "What do you mean?"

With her shape starting to deteriorate, she remarked cryptically, "Time will tell." "But keep in mind, Aria—you underestimate your strength."

The moonlight was gone by the time I woke up, and the gentle brightness of dawn had taken its place.

I stood with a solid resolution and a calm heart. I couldn't get the Moon Goddess's words out of my head; they were both intimidating and thrilling.

I wasn't only paving my own way. I was setting the foundation for something bigger.

The road ahead seemed to go on forever, but for the first time, I didn't feel lost as I proceeded.

And a pair of golden eyes observed me from someplace in the forest's shadows. Awaiting.