The Choice
794 Words
The council chamber fell into complete silence.
Every noble, knight, and elder stared at their king in disbelief.
Kael Draven…
…the man who had never bowed to anyone…
…was kneeling before Aria.
Not out of duty.
Not because of tradition.
But because he wanted her to choose freely.
Aria’s fingers curled against the fabric of her dress.
She had imagined this moment countless times.
Not this one.
A different one.
One where Damon would smile at her during their mating ceremony.
One where she’d become Luna of the Moonlight Pack.
Instead, fate had brought her here.
Standing between the man who had broken her heart…
…and the man who had protected it.
Damon’s face paled.
“Kael,” he said through gritted teeth. “Get up.”
Kael didn’t even glance at him.
His attention never left Aria.
“I am waiting for her answer.”
Damon’s fists clenched.
“This has nothing to do with you.”
Kael finally looked at him.
“It has everything to do with me.”
His voice was calm.
“You rejected her.”
“I made a mistake.”
“And she paid the price.”
The words struck Damon harder than any punch.
He looked at Aria.
For the first time, he truly saw her.
Not the quiet omega who followed him around the pack.
Not the girl everyone underestimated.
But a young woman carrying invisible scars he had helped create.
He took a hesitant step closer.
“Aria…”
His voice cracked.
“I know saying sorry isn’t enough.”
She remained silent.
“I can’t change what I did.”
Another step.
“But if you’ll let me…”
“I’ll spend the rest of my life making it right.”
The room watched Aria carefully.
She remembered every cruel glance.
Every lonely birthday.
Every time Damon walked past her without even noticing she existed.
Most of all…
She remembered standing in front of the entire pack as he rejected her.
The pain still lived inside her.
She lifted her eyes.
“Damon.”
Hope flickered across his face.
“You’ve apologized.”
He nodded quickly.
“Yes.”
“And I forgive you.”
His shoulders relaxed.
Until she finished speaking.
“But forgiveness isn’t the same as trust.”
The hope in his eyes shattered.
“I spent years hoping one day you’d look at me the way I looked at you.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“When that day finally came…”
She smiled sadly.
“…it was only after someone else showed me my worth.”
Silence settled over the chamber.
Even the council members lowered their heads.
Damon understood.
He hadn’t lost Aria the night he rejected her.
He had been losing her for years.
He had simply been too blind to notice.
Kael slowly rose to his feet.
He stood beside Aria, but made no move to touch her.
He wanted the decision to remain hers.
One of the royal advisers stepped forward.
“Your Majesty.”
Kael nodded.
“The council has reached a unanimous decision.”
The old adviser unrolled an ancient scroll.
“By order of the Lycan Crown…”
He looked directly at Aria.
“We officially recognize Lady Aria Nightshade as the last surviving heir of the Blood Moon Dynasty.”
A murmur spread through the room.
The adviser continued.
“Until the coronation ceremony is completed…”
He struck the floor once with his staff.
“…Lady Aria shall reside in the Royal Palace under the personal protection of His Majesty.”
Kael inclined his head.
“It will be done.”
Before anyone could speak again—
The palace doors burst open.
A guard stumbled inside, breathing hard.
“Your Majesty!”
Kael’s expression sharpened.
“What happened?”
The guard dropped to one knee.
“A prisoner has escaped.”
The chamber became still.
“What prisoner?”
“The witch…”
The guard swallowed.
“…the one who has been imprisoned for eighteen years.”
Several council members turned pale.
One elder whispered a prayer under his breath.
Kael’s eyes darkened.
“How?”
“We don’t know.”
The guard looked terrified.
“But before she disappeared…”
He pulled a folded piece of parchment from his pocket.
“She left this.”
Kael opened the letter.
His face changed instantly.
Aria felt a knot tighten in her stomach.
“What does it say?”
Kael slowly looked up.
His silver eyes met hers.
Then he read the message aloud.
“The Blood Moon Princess belongs to no king… because she was promised to me before she was born.”
A cold wind swept through the chamber.
Somewhere in the distance…
A woman laughed.
- Writer
