Too Late For Redemption: Rise Of The Lycan Queen

Prologue

PROLOGUE

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Ariela's P. O. V

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The power of delusion lies not in its sweet alteration of a painful reality, but in its magnificent ability to make even the possibility of that reality non- existent… until it deserts you.

I have been delusional for a very long time and all that has done is put me through humiliation after humiliation.

I don't know exactly when I started loving him, just as much as I'll never understand why I dared to love him.

I wasn't even trying to hide my pain at this point, trying to appear to not be hurt by his words was only making the burden on my heart heavier and deepening the wound. I needed to cry and let myself heal, otherwise I was going to keep hurting for the rest of my life. I had already told Selena that I might not make it, so this was the perfect time to cry myself to sleep because I won't have to worry about getting up extra early tomorrow morning to labour hard for wicked bitches who hate me.

What was I thinking though? I'm really a fool for ever thinking that alpha Hayden, the same step- brother who has wished the worst suffering upon me the very first day we met would ever accept me as his mate, I'm really a fool for believing that him having s*x with me and marking me was him accepting me and professing his love.

I really wish it didn't hurt this much, I really wish I could just move on with my life and never want a mate again but I can't ignore this pain ripping through my chest. I have never felt so much pain in my life! My heart feels like it has been stabbed by a million needles and my chest feels like it is engulfed in flames every time I breathe.

I don't even have a wolf yet I already feel broken beyond repair, so if I had to suffer and feel the pain of my wolf as well, I was probably going to die from heartbreak or jump off a cliff like the rejected wolves Camila always told me about. I thought it was pathetic to die over a man but now that I'm in this situation I really hate myself for ever thinking such a horrible thing. I truly feel like dying. Dying is the only thing that'll make this pain stop. After being rejected by everyone my whole life I should've been used to this, I should have expected this but nothing compares to this, nothing hurts worse than being rejected by the one person I truly didn't expect get rejected by… especially not so brutally.

I still remember the darkness in his eyes, I still remember that look of disgust harden his features, I can still hear the coldness of his voice. The way he looked at me when his eyes opened and he saw me will forever be etched onto my mind. I have had a lot of repulsive stares thrown at me, I always get these looks of disgust and resentment wherever I go and none were as vicious as the look of disgust my mate gave me. In that moment I was confused, well, at first before I realised that indeed I was the reason for that look, that I the vomit- inducing atrocity that had assaulted his eyes. I only got shy and tucked myself away but still he soon let me know that I had made a mistake. I was unworthy of touching his sheets.

"Get dressed. Now." His voice was suddenly so frightening. It withheld so much burning rage that I immediately panicked and did as I was told.

I was suddenly so self- conscious. He had ripped all my shorts off my body and seen every inch of me but in that moment I felt like my nude body was an insult to him. I had never felt uglier and I was so nervous I couldn't communicate to him the fact that I did not have any clothes to change into.

Before I could say a single word, I heard the door slam shut behind me and strangely enough instead of being relieved he was no longer in the room because he was making me feel so insecure and disgusting, I had the most unbearable longing for his company, I had the most irresistible urge to run after him.

I caved in to that urge and wrapped the sheet around my body before leaving the room in search of him. I was still very unfamiliar with his mansion but it was almost like I had this unnatural instinct, this built- in tracker inside me that always leads me to him. I found him by the living room balcony taking a long drag from his Ethereal cigarette. I slowly snuck up behind him without saying a word and resisted the urge to hug him from behind and hold him the same way he held me last night.

"Hayden…wh- wh- what are you doing?" I had trembled before him, scared and confused but with no intentions of running and saving myself. I won't lie and say I was not conquered by the kisses he gave me, it was like I was finally getting what I've been yearning for my whole life.

Finally he sees me!

Finally he doesn't hate me!

I couldn't believe that he was my mate!

"Mate." A burning desire garnished his lustrous voice as he pinned me to the wall and slammed his crotch into me. "You smell so good, mate. Your scent's driving me crazy, Ari. f**k, everything about you drives me crazy! Feel what you've done to me, I must make you mine. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, I can't hold it anymore but I'll try to be gentle." He tilted my head back and kissed me like he truly desired to devour me whole and make us merge into one.

That was my first soul- consuming, hypnotizing lover's kiss ever. He told me that I was his forever as he sank his teeth into my neck. So what was going on now? I haven't done anything to piss him off, have I?

I sighed lightly before bringing a trembling hand towards his back. I simply wanted to divert his attention to me but It turned out I didn't even have to say anything or touch him. When he turned to face me and his jade green eyes pierced into mine, I felt my heart skip a beat and not in a good way. I was reminded of just how terrifying the alpha of the Black Claws is.

His eyes slowly raked down my body as he gave me the most withering up and down stare I've ever received my entire life. His nose wrinkled and his frown deepened like his fury had been freshly renewed.

"What are you still doing here? Why are you not dressed?"

I tremble at his words, unable to form any words of my own for a moment. I lowered my eyes to my feet and breathed out shakily.

"I- I- I don't have any clothes, you… you tore my dress apart when we were-"

"Shut the f**k up! Don't you dare say it." He spat out like I had offended him. "Nothing happened between us, you were never at my house, am I clear?"

I wrung my fingers nervously. Now I was just stupefied by fear and utterly confused. "I- I- I don't understand-"

He suddenly chuckled to himself and it was the most beautiful yet frightening sound I've ever heard.

"Then let me put it in a way your brainless head will understand. If you ever breathe a word about this, if you ever put me and you together in the same sentence I will end you."

"Hayden…" I whimpered.

"Just f*****g do as you're told and get out of my face before Candace gets here."