"Lady Aria," a servant called from outside, her voice low with deference but urgency. "The Alphas require your presence in the grand hall immediately."
Adrien's jaw tightened, his wolf flashing in his eyes — clearly displeased by the interruption. Aria seized the moment, stepping away from him, though her legs trembled slightly from her weakened state and the lingering pull of her suppressed heat.
"I'll be there shortly," she called back, her voice steady despite the fire still humming in her blood. Turning to Adrien, she hesitated. Though she couldn't openly challenge him — not when he was a dominant male, and she an unmated omega with no rank — she couldn't let his intrusion slide.
"Lord Adrien," she began, voice firm but respectful, her tone the careful balance of a submissive wolf drawing a line. "While I appreciate your concern, it is highly improper for you to enter a female's den uninvited. I trust this will not happen again."
Adrien raised a brow, clearly surprised by her boldness. His wolf bristled at the rebuke, wanting to put her in her place. For a second, he looked like he might snarl or remind her of her lowly status as a forgotten royal omega daring to scold a dominant wolf. But he restrained himself. Even his pride couldn't afford to cause a stir by being caught alone in an unmated she-wolf's private chambers.
Aria didn't even give him the chance to speak.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I mustn't keep the Alphas waiting."
Though her words were polite, the sharpness in her tone and her firm posture left no room for argument. Adrien gave her a hard look, his frustration obvious, and left with a low growl humming in his throat.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Aria exhaled slowly. The scent of his presence still lingered — sharp, dominant, invasive. Her irritation simmered beneath her skin, but relief flooded her, too. She glanced at the amulet on the floor and picked it up, the cold metal buzzing faintly in her palm. Something about it called to her wolf.
Aria quickly washed up, her skin still humming with fevered heat. She hadn't bathed in days since the moon-induced episode that sent her body into shock — her first heat. She couldn't present herself before the Alpha King and Queen smelling like suppressed hormones and weakness. It would only make things worse.
In minutes, she was dressed, her robe brushing over her flushed skin as she walked down the halls toward the grand chamber. Her heart pounded like a war drum. Being summoned right after awakening meant only one thing — trouble.
The heavy double doors to the hall were already open, and her soft steps echoed sharply against the polished stone floors as she entered.
The sight before her was as she expected — dominance and judgment wrapped in silk and gold.
At the center of the throne dais sat her parents — the Alpha King and Queen of the Highblood Pack. King Alden's features were sharp, etched with disappointment, his scent thick with suppressed anger. Beside him, Queen Seraph radiated cold, razor-sharp authority, her ice-blue eyes watching Aria like a threat that needed to be culled.
To their left, seated on lesser thrones, were Lucien and Darius — her adoptive brothers — both alphas in full bloom, just returned from the prestigious Lupine Academy.
Lucien, the middle brother, lounged back with the smug air of a wolf who knew he was favored. His dark green eyes shimmered with disdain as he looked at her, and his auburn hair, slightly wild, framed a face too sharp to be charming. His scent, usually masked with civility, now oozed mockery.
Darius, the youngest, sat upright, every inch of him the perfect warrior heir. His black hair was neatly combed, his posture stiff, and though he avoided her eyes, his silence was louder than Lucien's sneer. His scent was unreadable — locked down, masked — but still edged with disapproval.
They weren't just her brothers anymore.
They were rivals. Enemies. Wolves of higher standing.
Aria stopped several steps from the dais and bowed deeply, baring her throat in submission. "Alpha. Luna."
Queen Seraph scoffed. A soft sound, but sharp enough to cut flesh.
"Raise your head," King Alden growled, his tone devoid of affection — all alpha authority.
Aria obeyed, lifting her gaze just enough to meet the cold, dominant stares of her pack leaders.
The king leaned forward, his voice booming across the hall like thunder. "How do you explain the shame you have brought upon this bloodline?"
Aria froze. Her throat tightened.
"You collapsed — collapsed — during the moonlit bonding ceremony," he continued, each word sharp as a claw. "Do you know what disgrace that brought upon us? The entire court scented your weakness."
"I didn't mean to—" Aria began, her voice small, but Queen Seraph cut her off with a low snarl.
"Excuses," the Luna snapped. Her voice held no warmth, her gaze like frostbite. "You've embarrassed the Alpha bloodline. Do you think the packs will respect a future Luna who falls to the floor the moment her heat begins?"
Aria looked up, vision blurring. Why was it her fault? Was it her fault her first heat struck with the strength of a wildfire? Was it her fault she wasn't born male — born with dominance and rank? Her fists clenched at her sides as silent questions rose like howls in her chest.
The king's next words struck like a hammer.
"Because of your disgraceful display, the bond has been severed."
Her heart stilled. "What?" she whispered.
"The engagement is off," Queen Seraph said coldly. "Eric's pack no longer wishes to align with a weak omega. Can you blame them?"
The room tilted. Her knees nearly buckled. Eric… ended it? That tiny sliver of hope — the one she'd guarded for so long — shattered.
It hadn't been love, no. But it had been something. Warmth. Kindness. The only one who had looked at her like she wasn't a burden. And now it was gone. Snatched away like her dignity.
"Off?" she echoed, her lips trembling. "How… how could he?"
"Because of your shameful display," the king growled, disappointment thick in his scent. "You've cost us a vital pack alliance."
Tears welled in Aria's eyes, but she refused to let them fall in front of them. She had just awoken from a feverish heat that nearly killed her — and this was the welcome she received?
Her voice cracked. "I… I didn't mean to faint. I wasn't well—"
"Then you should have controlled your instincts!" Queen Seraph hissed. "Do you think any alpha will respect a Luna who crumbles under pressure?"
"But—"
"No buts!" the king barked, his power crashing over her like a wave. "You've disgraced our name. You will pay for it."
Her jaw trembled. She glanced at Lucien and Darius, silently pleading — but they gave her nothing. No defense. Just the steely silence of two dominant wolves who had no use for a flawed omega sibling.
Queen Seraph stood from her throne, her posture regal and commanding. "For your foolishness, you will serve as a den maid for the next moon cycle. Let the work teach you humility."
Aria's chest constricted. A maid? Reduced to a den cleaner? But she knew better than to protest. "Yes, Luna," she whispered, voice cracking.
"Leave," the king commanded, waving her off as though she were a pup who had soiled the den floor.
Aria bowed low once more and turned to go, her scent now thick with suppressed hurt and humiliation. The moment the hall doors closed behind her, the tears fell freely. She broke into a run, desperate to reach the solitude of her chamber.
Once there, she collapsed onto her bed, sobs shaking her slight frame.
Why? Why was her life so different? When other she-wolves experienced their first heat, they were coddled, guided, celebrated. Why had she been punished?
Her thoughts turned to Eric. She needed to understand. With shaking hands, she grabbed her phone and dialed his number.
It rang once before he picked up. "Aria," he said softly, his voice hesitant.
She swallowed hard. "Why?" Her voice cracked. "Why did you do this to me? Why did you end it like this?"
There was a pause. Then he sighed. "Aria… I'm sorry. I'll come over, and we'll talk"