RECLAIMED BY FATE

Chapter One Aria's POV I strike a pose in the mirror for the umpteenth time and I still do not look satisfied by my looks, not even in the slightest bit. I release a heavy sigh and run a hand through my hair. What would it take for me to just look pretty for once? I pack my hair into a neat bun and gaze at myself again, I look okay now. I walk away from my mirror and towards the door. Yes, Aria! You have got this! You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Apparently today is the day that I and my mate, Lucas will officially bond together and become one. The bonding ceremony is an event where two werewolf mate come together as one. When I mean come together as one, they go to the Moon goddess and seal their love once and for all. The bonding ceremony started an hour ago but I was too busy trying to get myself to look pretty. I hope Lucas is not angry at me for my lateness, I doubt it though. Once he sets his eyes on me, he will probably never be able to resist my beauty and charms. I step out of my room and make my way towards the stairs. I can already hear loud music blaring from the ball room where most events take place in the pack house. I grab the hem of my ball gown and make my way towards the ball room. I come to a stop right in front of the door to the ball room and I pause to let out a heavy sigh. There is absolutely no need to get anxious, I know it. I try to reassure myself but nothing works, my fear even increases when someone from behind accidentally pushes me into the ball room, I trip on my dress and fall flat to the floor. "I am sorry." I hear the person mumble and start to walk away. I groan at the pain that comes from colliding with the hard marble floor. "Aria, what are you doing? You are embarrassing me!" I hear a deep voice ring out loud in my ears. I raise my head up and my eyes come in contact with a familiar pair of blue eyes. "Lucas." I call out his name and slowly rise from the floor. I gaze at my dress and turns out my white dress is now brown from the dirt on the floor. My cheeks flush red in embarrassment and I am suddenly speechless. "What do you think you were doing fooling around on the floor?" Lucas snaps at me. I can see anger twinkling in his blue eyes and it makes me wonder what it is wrong with him. I know Lucas perfectly well and I mean, Lucas is not the type to get angry over just anything. Moreover the Lucas I know would be worried why I was lying on the floor earlier. I brush it off and try to clear the misconception. "Lucas, it is not what you think. Someone from nowhere suddenly pushed me to the floor." I say trying to dust the dirt off my dress but it only becomes worse so I just give up. "What about your lateness? The bonding ceremony started an hour ago!" Lucas yells at me earning glares from some people around us. I can not but scoff at the unnecessary attention Lucas is drawing towards our direction. Is he really angry about my lateness though? I mean I never actually thought he would be angry over just my one hour lateness. "Fine, I am sorry Lucas. I am really sorry. I had to spend so much time grooming myself so I appear really pretty in front of you. I did not realize that time went by so fast. I swear, it was not my intention to arrive at the bonding ceremony this late." I say flashing Lucas pleading eyes. Lucas does not seem to be buying my apology, not even the slightest way, his anger only increases and the frown on his face deepens. I sigh and my hand reaches for his hand, I squeeze it tight and smile at him. "Come on Lucas, you know I look pretty?" I say winking at him. Surprisingly for me, Lucas breaks free from my grip on him and shakes his head in disagreement. "No Aria, you look like a total mess." Lucas deadpans. I can not hide the fact that his words sting me right in the chest. Did I really waste my time dressing and grooming myself just for him to call me a mess? I gaze at my dress and I realize he is probably embarrassed and irritated by that so I nod my head slowly on say "Oh, this is about the dress right? I can go back and change into something prettier and i swear I will not even spend up to five minutes. You can time me, I will be back in the next three minutes." I say, I turn around and I am about to start running towards the front door but Lucas grabs me by the wrist. I turn around to glare at him with a raised brow, wait, has he forgiven me now? I knew he could not stay mad at me forever. A smile spreads across my face but Lucas's face falls in defeat. He releases a heavy sigh and drops my hand. "Do not bother." Lucas mumbles. What does he mean by that? "No Lucas, seriously I want this to be the best nights of our lives. I want us to enjoy every moment. I want us to live happily with no worries. I want us to take pictures of today and look at it later in the future with our kids." I cry out with tears rushing down my eyes. I know I am going ahead of myself but that is solely my dream. I have had a crush on Lucas since he turned fifteen and we were supposed to attend the mating ceremony at eighteen but then a huge war happened between our pack and a rival pack so the mating ceremony kept getting postponed for years. "That is never going to happen between the both of us Aria, I suggest you stop dreaming and come back to reality." Lucas says through gritted teeth. Why do I have a feeling that I know what is about to happen? My mind keeps telling me what is about to happen but I do not want to believe it. "What do you mean by that Lucas? Lucas please do not do this to me, Lucas I am begging you." I say amidst the sobbing sounds I make. I and Lucas attract the attention of everyone else in the ball room and I am silently hoping that all of this is a nightmare, it has to be a nightmare. I shake my head in disagreement. "Aria, quit acting like a child and hear me out, we can not do this. You and I, I can not continue like this and honestly, I do not see a future with you, i never have and I never will." Lucas deadpans. Everyone in the room make gasp noises while I just stand there, my entire body frozen and everyone in the ball room boring their eyes on me. I just wish the ground would open up and swallow me right now or if I could just disappear out of this unnecessary spotlight. "What are you saying then?" Someone amidst the crowd yells. No, I do not want to hear it. "No, please do not say it Lucas, you do not have to say it tonight. I can give you all the time in the world to think about this decision that you are about to make. Please, do not hurt me." I fall to my knees and plead to Lucas. I can barely read any emotion on his face because his face is blank and expressionless, zero emotions are displayed on his face and that is the moment that I acknowledged the truth inside of me. Lucas had already made up his mind a long time ago, not tonight, not even today but probably a long time ago. Maybe he looked forward to this day, to tell me the truth and to hurt me. "I reject you as my mate Aria Jonathan."