The Alpha's Forgotten Bloodline

The Luna who walked away

Ariyah 's POV

Nightfang Pack House - Servants' Quarters

The whispers won't stop.

I lie on my narrow bed, staring at the ceiling, my body trembling despite the warmth of the room. The silver glow that had pulsed beneath my skin has finally faded, leaving only faint marks on my arms. Marks that look like moonlight reflecting on water.

But the whispers remain.

Finally, you are awakening.

I press my hands over my ears, but it doesn't help. The voice comes from inside my head, not outside. Soft and feminine, like a mother singing a lullaby.

But my mother is dead.

"Stop," I whisper. "Please, just stop."

The voice falls silent.

But the memories don't.

Kael's cold eyes. The gasps from the pack. My knees hitting the stone floor. The way his voice had shaken when he spoke those terrible words.

I, Kael Nightfang, reject you, Ariyah Vale, as my mate.

I squeeze my eyes shut, but the tears come anyway. Hot and relentless, streaming down my cheeks and soaking into the thin pillow.

I had believed him. Believed in his love, his promises, the way he looked at me like I was the most precious thing in his world.

And now?

Now I am nothing. Less than nothing. An orphan who dared to love an Alpha, only to be thrown away like garbage.

The door bursts open.

"Ariyah!"

Elara storms into the room, her face flushed with fury. Her dark hair is wild, her eyes blazing, and she looks like she's ready to tear someone apart.

"Get up," she demands. "Get up and tell me what the hell happened out there."

I don't move. "You saw what happened."

"I saw Kael reject you. What I want to know is why."

"Does it matter?"

She crosses the room in three quick strides and grabs me by the shoulders, forcing me to sit up. "Don't you dare do that. Don't you dare shut down on me."

I look at my friend, the only person in this entire territory who has ever truly cared about me. "What do you want me to say, Elara? That I'm heartbroken? That I feel like I'm dying inside? That every time I close my eyes, I see his face and hear those words all over again?"

Her grip softens. "I want you to fight. I want you to be angry. I want you to tell me that we're going to make him pay for what he did."

"I don't have the strength for anger."

"Then I'll be angry for both of us."

She pulls me into a fierce embrace, and I finally let go. The sobs come hard and ugly, tearing through my chest like claws. I cling to her as if she's the only solid thing in a world that has crumbled to dust.

"He loved me," I choke out. "I know he did. I felt it."

"I know."

"Then why? Why would he do this?"

She pulls back, her expression grim. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

I shake my head. "It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore."

"Don't say that."

"It's true. Without Kael's protection, I have no place here. I'm just an orphan. A nobody."

Her jaw tightens. "You're not a nobody. You're my best friend, and I'm not leaving you."

I want to argue, but I don't have the energy. I just sit there, letting her hold me, as the whispers grow louder again.

"Your arms," Elara says suddenly.

"What?"

She grabs my wrist, pushing up my sleeve. "Look at this."

I look down and freeze. The silver marks on my skin have spread. They're not just on my arms now. They're everywhere, faint lines that shimmer like moonlight on water.

"What is this?" Her voice shakes. "Ariyah, what happened to you out there?"

"I don't know." I pull my arm back, wrapping my arms around myself. "When the bond broke, something inside me woke up. My blood felt like it was on fire. And I heard a voice."

"What kind of voice?"

"Female. She said... she said, 'Finally, you are awakening.'"

Elara's face goes pale. "Awakening? What does that mean?"

I open my mouth to answer, but a knock on the door interrupts us.

A servant stands in the doorway, his expression uncomfortable. He won't meet my eyes.

"The Alpha has ordered that you leave the pack house by morning," he says quietly.

Elara shoots to her feet. "What?"

"Those are his orders. I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Her voice rises. "You're throwing her out in the middle of the night, and you're sorry?"

The servant flinches. "I'm just the messenger. Please don't shoot the messenger."

"Get out."

He flees.

Elara turns back to me, her face a mask of rage. "He's kicking you out? After everything he did, he's kicking you out?"

I feel oddly calm. "I told you. I have no place here."

"That's not true. You have me."

I manage a weak smile. "And I love you for it. But I can't ask you to leave everything behind."

"You're not asking. I'm telling you." She crosses her arms. "Wherever you go, I go. That's how this works."

My eyes fill with tears again. "Elara..."

"Don't argue with me. You'll lose."

For the first time since the rejection, a tiny spark of warmth flickers in my chest. Not the bond. Something different. Something that has nothing to do with Kael and everything to do with friendship.

"Okay," I whisper. "Okay."

She nods, satisfied. "Good. Now let's pack."

We move quietly through the small room, gathering my few possessions. A change of clothes. A worn book. A small pouch of coins. That's all I have. That's all I've ever had.

As I fold my clothes, I pause. "Elara?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Her expression softens. "You don't have to thank me. You'd do the same for me."

"I would."

"Then stop being sappy and help me pack."

I laugh despite myself, and the sound surprises me. After everything that's happened tonight, I didn't think I'd ever laugh again.

But here I am.

As we finish packing, I glance out the window. The moon hangs low in the sky, casting long shadows across the pack grounds.

And in those shadows, something moves.

I freeze.

A figure stands at the edge of the forest, cloaked in darkness. I can't see their face, but I feel their eyes on me. Watching. Waiting.

My blood runs cold.

"Elara," I whisper. "Someone's out there."

She's at my side in an instant, peering out the window. "Where?"

"By the trees. I saw someone."

We watch, but the figure doesn't move. It just stands there, a dark shape against the darker forest.

"Maybe it's a guard," she says uncertainly.

"No." I shake my head. "Whoever that is, they're not from the pack."

The words hang in the air between us, heavy with implication.

Whoever is watching us, they aren't Nightfang.

And they've been waiting for this moment.

I grab my bag and turn away from the window. "We need to leave. Now."

Elara doesn't argue. "Lead the way."

We slip out of the room, moving quietly through the darkened pack house. My heart pounds in my chest, and for the first time since the rejection, I feel something other than grief.

Fear.

Someone is watching me.

And I have a terrible feeling that this is only the beginning.