CHAPTER 5
1185 Words
Aurelia's POV
The Elder's words followed me all the way down the hill.
Even after the Moon Temple disappeared behind me.
Even after I reached the servant quarters.
The words refused to leave,If his fated mate appears... he'll reject her.
I didn't know why it bothered me.
It shouldn't.
Alpha Ragnar wasn't my concern.
His political alliance wasn't my concern.
His future Luna wasn't my concern.
But a strange ache lingered inside my chest.
An ache I couldn't explain.
I pushed open the door to my small room.
The space was barely large enough for a bed, a dresser, and a tiny bathroom.
Just enough for an omega nobody cared about.
I sat on the edge of the bed.
My entire body hurts,the rogue attack,
The endless work and the humiliation.
It felt like every day of my life followed the same pattern.
Wake up,work,get insulted,go to sleep,repeat.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
Before I could answer, the door opened.
Selina stepped inside carrying two paper bags.
The smell filled the room.
Food,actual food. Not leftover scraps.
My eyes widened.
"Selina..."
She grinned.
"I stole dinner." She said and I nearly laughed.
"You did not." I said
"Fine." She sat beside me.
"I borrowed dinner."
"That's still stealing."
"Details."
"There she is."
"What?" I said
"My friend."
The smile faded slightly.
Selina's expression softened.
"You've been sad lately."
I looked away.
"Lately?" I said
She snorted.
"Fair point."
Silence settled briefly.
Then she nudged my shoulder.
"The Moon Bond Ceremony is tomorrow."
My stomach fluttered again.
The words felt unreal.
For years I had dreamed about meeting my mate, I imagined what it would feel like.
Would I recognize him immediately?
Would he smile?
Would he be kind?
Would he look at me and finally see someone worth loving?
Or would he take one look at me and walk away?
The second possibility felt far more realistic.
Selina seemed to sense my thoughts.
"You deserve a good mate.”
"Really?" I said
Her expression hardened.
"Yes."
"Selina….”
"You do." She said,
Her voice became firm.
"You are kind."
I looked away.
"Kind doesn't matter."
"It does."
"Not here." I said
A shadow crossed her face.
Silver Crest valued strength,power,dominance. Not kindness.
A knock suddenly echoed through the room.
Both of us frowned,nobody visited me.
Selina opened the door.
A young omega stood outside.
"The Elders need Aurelia."
"Why?" She asked.
The omega shrugged.
"They didn't say."
That wasn't reassuring.
At all.
Twenty minutes later I stood outside the Alpha Residence.
My anxiety increased.
This wasn't the Moon Temple.
This was Ragnar's home.
The largest building in the entire territory.
Several expensive black SUVs lined the entrance.
Guards stood everywhere,something important was happening.
An Elder approached me.
"There you are."
I bowed my head.
"You requested me?"
"Yes." The elder said.
The Elder pointed toward the entrance.
"The guests are arriving."
The political alliance,the future Luna.
The woman everyone expects Ragnar to mate.
The Elder handed me a serving tray.
"You'll assist with refreshments."
I nearly groaned,Of course.
The lowest-ranking omega always received the worst assignments.
"Yes, Elder."
I accepted the tray.
The moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere changed.
The residence buzzed with activity.
Servants hurried between rooms.
Warriors stood guard.
Pack officials moved around discussing tomorrow's ceremony.
Everything had to be perfect because Silver Crest's future depended on it.
Then the front doors opened,the entire room became silent.
A woman entered.
Her long dark hair fell perfectly over her shoulders.
Her emerald-green dress hugged her figure.
Every step radiated authority.
She looked exactly like what a future Luna should look like.
The room erupted with joy.
"Lady Serena."
"Welcome to Silver Crest."
"It's an honor." She smiled graciously.
Accepting their praise,admiration,everything I had never received.
seeing her made me realize how impossible my dreams truly were.
A mate like hers would never choose someone like me.
Then another figure entered.
Alpha Ragnar.
The room grew quieter.
The power between them was obvious.
Serena smiled,Ragnar inclined his head respectfully.
"Lady Serena."
"Alpha Ragnar."
A few female wolves sighed dreamily.
The two looked perfect together.
The future rulers of powerful packs.
Everything made sense.
I lowered my gaze trying to ignore the strange pain in my chest.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
"Omega?"
Serena called,slowly, I looked up.
Her eyes landed directly on me.
Suddenly I wished the floor would swallow me whole.
"Yes?"
She smiled.
The smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Bring me tea."
I immediately moved.
The faster I obeyed, the faster this interaction would end.
I poured the tea carefully,my hands remained steady.
Years of servant work had made sure of that.
I handed her the cup.
She accepted it,for one brief second, everything seemed fine.
The cup slipped,hot tea splashed across the front of her dress.
Gasps erupted.
The entire room froze.
My blood turned cold.
"I…"
The apology never left my mouth.
Serena's expression transformed instantly.
"How dare you!" My heart dropped.
"I'm sorry." I said
"You ruined my dress!"
"It was an accident."
The room remained still.
Serena stepped forward. "You incompetent omega."
The insult hit hard.
Several wolves nodded in agreement.
My hands shook.
"I truly didn't mean…"
A sharp crack echoed through the room.
Pain exploded across my cheek.
I stumbled backward.
A gasp spread through the crowd.
Serena had slapped me.
My vision blurred,the room spun briefly.
Humiliation burned through every part of me.
The silence became suffocating.
Another voice came through
“That's enough my lady Serena” The Alpha stepped forward.
His silver eyes moved from Serena to me,then back to Serena.
Hope flickered inside me.
"She's not worth ruining your evening over."
The hope died.
Ragnar didn't even look at me again.
Instead, he turned toward Serena.
"Prepare for tomorrow."
His voice softened.
"I'll handle everything."
Serena nodded.
The anger left her face just like that.
The issue was over.
But for me? Not so much.
Every wolf in that room witnessed exactly where I stood.
I lowered my head and left before anyone could see the tears threatening to form.
The next evening arrived far too quickly.
The Moon Bond Ceremony had begun.
Hundreds of wolves filled the ceremonial grounds.
Lanterns illuminated the pathways.
Music drifted through the night air.
The full moon hung above the territory.
My heart pounded.
This was it.
The night I had dreamed about for years.
The night every unmated wolf waited for.
Selina squeezed my hand.
"Nervous?" She asked.
"Terrified." I said.
She laughed softly.
"Good."
I rolled my eyes.
The atmosphere changed.
A strange scent drifted through the air.
An Intoxicating scent
My wolfless body reacted,every nerve awakened.
Every instinct sharpened
My breath caught.
What was that?
Around me, wolves began murmuring.
Across the ceremony grounds,Alpha Ragnar froze.
His silver eyes lifted,searching,hunting.
Looking for something or someone.
At the exact same moment, the strange scent crashed into me again.
My heartbeat went cold
A pull formed inside my chest.
Alpha Ragnar's gaze landed directly on mine.
The entire world stopped and the bond snapped into place and the Alpha's face turned deathly pale.
"Mate!!"
- Writer
