Chapter Six
Aria’s POV
After taking off the ceremonial gown that had been carefully crafted to reflect my future status as Luna, my dad hesitantly broke the silence. “Aria, don’t you think it’s time to meet Taylor Jones? After all, the mating ceremony is tomorrow. It wouldn’t feel right for the two of you to stand in front of the pack without ever having spoken.”
I hesitated, biting the inside of my cheek. I should have felt more invested in this–the union that was supposed to strengthen alliances between our packs–but my heart. remained heavy, tethered to another time and another man. “No, thanks. I trust your judgment, Dad,” I said, forcing a
small smile.
Mom’s sharp gaze softened, sensing my unease. She gave Dad a subtle look, one that told him to drop the subject. As we
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climbed into the car for the ride home, my phone buzzed in my lap. Aunt Mira‘ s name lit up the screen.
“Aria,” she began, her voice brimming with barely contained fury, “you haven‘ t told Nicho you‘ re back, have you? He doesn’t seem worried at all. The gall of him! I saw him escorting that little vixen- Selena–upstairs to his den earlier. I almost shifted right there and clawed her face. off!”
Her words felt like claws digging into my chest, raking against old wounds. So. that’s where he had been. That’s why the bond that once felt so unshakable had grown cold. He had been busy with her.
“No,” I replied softly, staring out the car window at the darkening sky. “There’s no need to tell him about my return. We were over the moment he chose someone else. He doesn’t need to know about my
mating.”
“You‘ re serious about this?” Aunt Mira
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pressed. “Aria, you wasted ten years on that wolf. He strung me along like some omega to be toyed with. Now you‘ re letting him off easy?”
“I’ve already cut him out,” I replied, keeping my tone calm though my wolf snarled inside me. “Nicho Haskins is no longer my concern.”
She sighed deeply on the other end of the line. “Fine. I’m on the midnight flight. I’ll be there in time for the ceremony. Stay strong, Aria.”
“Thanks, Auntie. Travel safely,” I said before hanging up.
The weight of her words lingered as silence fell in the car. My mom turned to me, her eyes flashing with anger. “Ten years, Aria. Ten years of loyalty to that wolf, and he couldn’t even honor you with a proper claim. I’d drag him before the council if I could.”
“Mom,” I said, reaching for her hand.
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“It’s over. Let it rest. I made my choices, and at the time, I was happy.”
“But were you?” she asked, her voice breaking. “If I had known… If I had seen how much he was taking from you-
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“Mom,” I interrupted gently. “I don’t regret those years. Before Selena, it wasn‘ t like this. There was a time when
we were happy.”
And that was the truth. Before she came along, Nicho and I had been inseparable. But something had shifted when Selena appeared, her presence like a thorn in the bond we had built. The unshakable trust between us had crumbled, and I had been left scrambling to hold onto what was already gone.
As I looked out at the distant mountains, the territory that now felt so unfamiliar, I resolved to start over. This city, this pack, offered me a chance to rebuild, to find
peace.
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Back home, after washing the scent of the day from my skin, I settled onto the couch with a blanket wrapped around me. The calmness didn’t last long. Mom stormed. into the room, her phone clutched tightly
in her hand.
“Who reported the photos I posted?” she demanded, her wolf flashing in her eyes. “How does my daughter‘ s ceremonial gown bother anyone? Can‘ t people stand to see others happy?”
I blinked, confused. “What happened?”
“After the fitting, I posted a few pictures,” she said, her voice rising.
“It’s not every day my daughter prepares to take her place as Luna. But now they‘ ve been flagged for ‘inappropriate content.” Someone’s clearly jealous.”
I sighed, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin. I didn’t need to guess who might be behind it. Selena had a knack for
causing trouble from the shadows. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. Tomorrow,
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I will step into a new role, leaving the past -and everyone in it–behind.
“It doesn’t matter, Mom,” I said, placing a hand on her arm. “Let them seethe. Tomorrow, I’ll be Luna. They can’t touch me.”
Her eyes softened, and she sat beside me.
“Aria, I just want you to be happy. Are you sure about this mating? Taylor seems like a good wolf, but he’s not…”
“Not Nicho?” I finished for her. “That‘ s the point, Mom. Nicho broke me, and I‘ m not letting him or anyone else hold me back anymore. This is my choice.”
She nodded, though sadness lingered in her gaze. “I’m proud of you. You‘ ve always been strong, even when I wished you didn’t have to be.”
That night, sleep eluded me. My wolf was restless, prowling in my mind, uneasy about the path ahead. The bond with Nicho wasn’t fully broken yet–I could still feel
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the faint pull of it, like a dying ember refusing to go out. But I wouldn’t let it control me anymore. Tomorrow, when I claimed Taylor as my mate, the bond would finally snap.
I stepped out onto the balcony, letting the cool night air wash over me. The moon. hung low in the sky, its silvery light casting the forest below in an ethereal glow. My wolf stirred, comforted by the sight. This was home, where I belonged, even if the future felt uncertain.
A howl broke the silence, long and mournful. My breath hitched. I knew that
voice–it was Nicho. His call carried a note of desperation, as though he sensed what was coming.
“Aria,” he had said once, “no matter where you go, you‘ ll always be mine.”
Not anymore, I thought, gripping the railing tightly. Tomorrow, everything changes.
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the faint pull of it, like a dying ember refusing to go out. But I wouldn’t let it control me anymore. Tomorrow, when I claimed Taylor as my mate, the bond would finally snap.
I stepped out onto the balcony, letting the cool night air wash over me. The moon hung low in the sky, its silvery light casting the forest below in an ethereal glow. My wolf stirred, comforted by the sight. This was home, where I belonged, even if the
future felt uncertain.
A howl broke the silence, long and mournful. My breath hitched. I knew that
voice–it was Nicho. His call carried a note of desperation, as though he sensed what was coming.
“Aria,” he had said once, “no matter where you go, you‘ ll always be mine.”
Not anymore, I thought, gripping the railing tightly. Tomorrow, everything changes.
