CHAPTER 1
1184 Words
ARIA
I was pushed down, trying to get up, but the other girls just continued to mock me. They all continued calling me names while I just sat there, raking in all of their humiliation.
It was not a new thing, and I’d gotten used to it. This was the humiliation I’d been set to face ever since I was a kid because I’d been tagged as cursed. That’s thanks to a mark on my body.
“Why don’t you try to get up? Filthy omega.”
The others joined in and started calling me names. I was already immune to tears and just stared at the ground, my heart slowly breaking inside.
“What do you think you’re doing to her?” I heard a familiar voice.
I turned and saw that my best friend—Elara—was here now. She was also an omega like me but didn’t face a lot of embarrassment compared to me.
The girl just stared at Elara, looking at her with disgust. “Who the hell do you think you are, huh? Coming here to support this curse? You’re nothing but a traitor to your pack.”
Elara scoffed. “Why are you so threatened by her? If she’s such a curse, then what is it to you, huh?”
The girl was about to reply, but Elara distracted her instead. “Look, the Alpha is right there.”
They all turned to look, and she used the opportunity to grab my hand and pull me away from there. Together, we ran out of there until they were nowhere near us.
We ran off to a corner, and we both just started laughing. It took me some time to catch my breath, and the laughter faded afterward.
“You know, you shouldn’t let them bully you, though. Those girls are nothing but jealous freaks, and you shouldn’t let them put you down like that.”
I looked down at the ground, fiddling with my fingers. “They aren’t wrong, though. I’m an omega and cursed too. It’s better to just be born a horse instead,” I cried.
She shook her head. “Don’t say that about yourself, Aria. I believe—really believe—that after tonight, everything’s going to change. Today is the Blood Moon Ceremony, and we’ll meet our fated mates.”
I could only hope that after tonight, I’d meet my mate and things would get better from there. I would be pulled out of this misery once and for all.
“Let’s go home quickly. I picked out the cutest gowns for us, and I’m sure you’re going to love them,” she squealed, dragging me out of the alley.
I stared at the moon that night from my window, my fingers brushing the strange mark on my shoulder that had cursed my life for as long as I could remember. Elara’s words echoed in my head over and over—everything’s going to change tonight.
I wanted to believe her so badly. I wanted to believe that the Moon Goddess would finally have mercy on me. That maybe… just maybe… she’d give me someone who could love me. Someone who wouldn’t look at me like a mistake.
But deep down, a small part of me whispered that I didn’t deserve it. Not when I’d been told my whole life that I was cursed, weak, and unwanted.
By the time night fell, the entire pack was gathered in the clearing. The Blood Moon hung high above us, glowing a deep red that made the air feel heavy. Wolves from every rank stood in circles, waiting for the Moon Goddess’s blessing.
Elara squeezed my hand tightly as we joined the crowd. “You look beautiful,” she whispered.
I smiled faintly. “You always say that.”
“Because it’s true,” she said, nudging me. “Maybe your mate’s already here, watching you right now.”
I laughed softly, though it came out nervous. “If he is, I hope he’s not terrified already.”
Elara rolled her eyes. “Stop it, Aria.”
The laughter faded as the pack’s murmurs died down. The Alpha had arrived.
Kade Ryan.
Even from across the clearing, his presence demanded attention. He stood tall, broad shoulders framed by the silver glow of the moonlight. His expression was cold—unreadable—but his aura was so powerful it felt like the air around him bent in submission.
Every female wolf in the clearing was staring at him, hoping, praying, dreaming.
But not me. I couldn’t even imagine being near someone like him. Alphas didn’t look twice at omegas like me—especially not the cursed one.
The elder began chanting, calling on the Moon Goddess to reveal the fated bonds. A strange energy rippled through the air, making my skin prickle. One by one, pairs gasped as their marks glowed and mates were revealed.
Then the light touched me.
It started as a faint warmth on my shoulder, then a burning heat that spread through my entire body. I gasped and clutched my chest as the mark on my skin glowed brighter than ever before—blinding silver under the blood moon.
Everyone turned to look. The whispers started immediately.
“Her mark… it’s glowing.”
“It’s the cursed one.”
“Why is it reacting like that?”
I couldn’t breathe. I tried to look for Elara, but then my gaze locked with his.
Kade.
His eyes widened—silver meeting mine—and I felt the world tilt beneath me. The pull was instant, undeniable. It wasn’t just emotion; it was something raw and ancient. My heart raced as a warmth bloomed deep inside me.
His wolf recognized me. I could feel it.
But before I could even move, his expression changed.
The warmth in his eyes turned cold, like ice spreading through a river. He stepped back slowly, his jaw tightening as if fighting something inside him.
“No…” His voice came out rough, low, and angry. “This is a mistake.”
The crowd gasped. The elder froze mid-chant.
I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “No, I—I don’t understand—”
His eyes darkened as his wolf growled from within. “You’re too weak to be my Luna.”
The words hit harder than any slap. The bond between us snapped violently, tearing through my chest like claws. I fell to my knees, gasping as pain ripped through every part of me.
“Kade—please,” I whispered, but he didn’t look back.
My mark burned brighter, then turned black. The crowd murmured.
“Cursed girl.”
“The Goddess chose wrong.”
“She’s not meant to live.”
“Take her to the hospital. I don’t want to ever see her face again,” Kade ordered.
My vision blurred as I reached out, desperate to find Elara’s face, but everything spun around me. The last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me whole… was Kade’s cold eyes turning away.
- Writer
