Claimed by the Alpha king

Chapter 2

Aria's POV

Alpha Darius’s gaze lifted at that exact moment and collided with mine.

For a heartbeat, something flickered across his face. His eyes widened, just slightly, before a familiar, impenetrable mask slid back into place.

“Darius, what is going on here?” My voice cut through the hall, clear and unwavering despite the storm raging inside me.

The room fell instantly silent.

I caught the startled glances, heard the hushed whispers ripple through the crowd. Who is she? but I didn’t look away. My eyes remained locked on the only man who owed me answers. My mate.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he said coolly. “I’m getting married.”

The words struck like a physical blow. My chest tightened, my breath coming shallow and sharp. Memories from the past months, every stolen smile, every promise whispered in the dark crashed over me all at once. A single, devastating thought echoed through my mind.

Was any of it ever real?

I refused to face it. I couldn’t. Not after what I had given up only yesterday.

“Darius, l” My voice trembled as I stepped forward.

“It’s Alpha Darius,” he cut in coldly.

The grey eyes that once softened whenever they met mine now held nothing. No warmth. No recognition. Just distance.

My throat bobbed as fear curled tightly in my chest, the pieces finally beginning to fall into place. “I left my pack for you,” I said quietly, yet loudly enough to be heard. “My father disowned me. I was forced to choose between my pack and you and I chose you. I came here to be your mate.”

Silence followed.

Then laughter erupted.

Cruel. Mocking. Merciless.

“Is she mad?” someone scoffed. “A wolf from another pack wants to become our Alpha’s mate? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Truly,” another voice chimed in. “If she were anyone important, she wouldn’t humiliate herself like this.”

“Yes,” a third laughed. “She must be out of her mind.”

Each word sliced into me, sharp and unforgiving. I had believed I was doing the right thing, surrendering my birthright, my future as Luna. Now I saw the truth.

I had been blind. Hopelessly in love and blind.

“I was banished from my pack,” I said, my voice breaking under the weight of my tears. “My parents disowned me. I lost my name, my place, my destiny as the Alpha’s daughter and future Luna all because I chose you.” My vision blurred as the hall spun around me. “Is this what my sacrifice was worth?”

My world collapsed in a single breath.

One moment, I had been running toward him desperate to tell him I had lost everything for us.

Next, I was standing in his hall, watching him crown another woman as his Luna.

“And who told you to do all that? I never demanded that of you so what's all the fuss about? The fact that you chose a man over your pack shows you are going to be a terrible leader, I will never make you my Luna. It's against the rules and you are not worth breaking the rules for” Darius spat out venomously.

My heart shrunk at his words, I would have never believed that the mate who had promised me and assured me of our future together was standing before me and sprouting these hateful words.

We had both spoken a few days before that if our packs refused to let us be mates, then we would elope together, leaving our titles behind. It was because of his encouragement and support that I had the mind to accept my barnishment but here he was denying it all in front of all these people.

“Please, resume the ceremony and send her out!” The other woman who was standing in my place beside Alpha Darius said, She was a brunette with brown eyes which she used to sneer at me like I was insignificant in her eyes.

I felt something roll down my cheeks and I felt it with my fingers and that was when I realized I was crying. I couldn't stay there anymore especially with the mocking gazes thrown at me and the ceremony that just resumed like I didn't exist.

I thought about the pack and my parents, will they accept me back? The shame of returning back after only about three hours of banishment was going to be worse than this humiliation but I didn't care. I have nowhere to go now, I would have to grovel at their feets begging for forgiveness and accept whatever punishment they give me. It was my fault afterall for not listening to them.

I turned with a slumped posture, ready to take my walk of shame when I heard the voice of the person I hated most at the moment.

“And where do you think you're going?” Darius asked the most ridiculous question which made me growl irritatedly. I was planning to return home to beg them to forgive me for my reckless act and accept whatever punishment they would give me. Was I supposed to stand and watch him get married?

Alpha Darius smirked regardless “Oh naive Lyra, do you know what it means for a pack to be without an heir? It means they have no leader or future, it means they are vulnerable to attacks and that is the situation of your beloved diamond pack. Now do you think I will actually let you leave and go back to them?” his eyes twinkled evilly, now I could see that this was his true nature, the nature I thought I knew was all a lie.

My eyes widened in shock as my brain pieced everything together and connected the dots. “You had planned this all along, to separate me from my pack. You asshole! You think you are attacking my pack and winning, you and what army? You are clearly delusional” I retorted fearlessly but deep down I was worried. For things to have gotten to this stage meant he had mapped out everything already. He wouldn't miss such an important detail of my pack having some upper hand over his.

Just as I feared, Alpha Darius bursted into laughter, looking gleeful like he was expecting my reply. “Don’t worry about love, I made plans for that already and you will be helping finalize it” his voice was giddy in excitement and it only added to my fear.

“How? What do you mean?” I blurted out as I unconsciously took a step back.

Alpha Darius looked to his side and made some hand movements. I was suddenly held by two bulky men from behind. I thrashed and struggled to get out of their grip but it proved abortive, they were just too strong.

“Darius, what is this all about? Are you not satisfied? Tell your men to let go of me this instant” I told him in a stern voice that only made him chuckle.

“You are still stubborn even in the face of defeat, impressive. I wonder how long you'll keep on the act once you are taken to the Lycan of death as his property” he assumed a posture of him thinking aloud as he spoke, clearly mocking me. The crowd murmured amongst themselves too, their faces reflected a general fear by just hearing the name.

I staggered at his words, what does he mean by taken and to who? I shook my head unconsciously, I couldn't believe my ears. He wouldn't do that to me, I was and still am his mate.

“Oh yes, love. I'm sure you know the infamous Lycan of death. He agreed to help in the attack after I offered you for sale” Darius paused and chuckled, “That beast, I didn't know he loved women despite his condition. I guess I never heard of any woman in his life because their lives were short-lived but oh well” he shrugged casually and indirectly took a jab at me.

Of course, I knew about the Lycan of death, which wolf didn't? The cursed King who couldn't control his wolf due to an animalistic curse and succeeded in wiping out his entire pack, family included. He was now an outcast and it was said that wherever he passed, death followed. I had heard the story ever since I was a child but I had never seen this ‘beast’, I even began to think it was just scary moonlight tales to stop children from wandering out of the pack. Turned out this person was actually real and cursed my fate, I was being sold to the devil by my own mate?