ARIA
"What is your opinion of Aria? How'd you feel if she's revealed to be your mate?" I heard Lyra's voice as I slowly came awake from my dreamless slumber.
My eyes were on the ceiling briefly, wondering where I was until I recognized the sun and star cardboard design on my ceiling. I jerked up abruptly, my heart racing.
I was in my room. How did I get here? The last thing I remember was lying helpless in the basement while my wolf fought to stay inside me until she eventually went silent, and the cruel smile on Selene's face.
Did she bring me here? That was unlikely. Or perhaps the guards did. I looked down at my dress, lifting the hem with trembling fingers. I breathed a relieved sigh as I didn't see any sign of being abused.
Still, that didn't alleviate my fear. My stomach flipped continuously as I stared at the door, half expecting Selene to breeze into the room, berating me on why I had returned to my room.
But it remained locked; instead, I heard Lyra's voice again.
"Do you love her? Is that why you can't tell me what you feel about her?" Her voice rose slightly.
Who the hell was she talking to? My ears perked up as I heard a familiar sigh.
Kaiden.
"Love?" Kaiden's voice was cold and filled with disdain. It was as if the thought of being mated to him disgusted him. But I was his mate. At least Selene said so!
"How can the goddess be so cruel to match me up with someone like her? I'd sooner go berserk than settle for that." Kaiden replied.
My heart clenched painfully, and tears burned at the corner of my eyes. Why was he always hurting me? I did nothing wrong to deserve his hatred. Especially not him. We were very good friends. He had always promised to protect me, but he was the one hurting me the most with his words.
Lyra stifled a giggle. "She is your friend–"
"Was my friend," Kaiden corrected her. "I thought she was innocent and allowed her to manipulate me stupidly. I'm glad I saw her true self."
"My true self?" I murmured. Was Kaiden mad at me because of something I did? The weird thing was, I couldn't even remember offending him. I wish he had told me what it was so I could apologize to him instead of hating myself.
My thoughts were broken as my door went wide open and Selene stepped in. She swept her eyes around the tiny room I had owned since I was a toddler, before letting her icy stare fix on me.
She tossed a white envelope with a black seal—the black moon pack house seal—towards me. Then she pointed to it. "That is your official invitation to the mate bond ceremony."
I scrambled out of bed to pick it up, a small smile playing on my lips. I pressed it to my chest, letting out a relieved breath. Everyone had gotten an invitation last week except for me. Although it was intended for all unmated she-wolves, I received none for some reason. My hopes of getting mated were dashed that moment, and I thought to try again next year. You get to try at least twice, and if you were unable to find a mate, you'd be forced to be with one when you turn twenty-one.
I didn't want that to be my hope, but then this was my reality, and anything could go wrong.
"Thank you, Selene," I whispered, looking up at her.
"Mother to you and do not thank me yet," she brushed me off coldly.
She opened the door wildly and kicked in a box that was behind her inside the room, skidding to a stop near my knees. What was in it? I mused as I observed the box.
"You're not going to the event to find a mate. You'll go there as my maid to serve my guests. Well, if you're lucky, you might get matched…to one of those servants like you. Although it's improbable." She said haughtily, like she was so sure I wouldn't be getting mated to anyone.
Well, I didn't think I would either. After the evil she had done. I could only hope still. I nodded, still not giving up.
"There are rules you are going to follow, and I shall be watching you all night." She stepped closer to me, leaning forward. Her gaze hardened as she stared at me. "Stay away from Lyra and Kaiden. Keep yourself hidden as much as possible and only appear when you're needed for refreshment. Do not go announcing that you're Gamma's daughter. Three rules. A mistake from you, you'd wish you were never born. Do you understand that?"
I gulped nervously, licking my lower lip. "Y-yes–yes Sel…Mother," I whispered.
"Good girl," she grinned, patting my hair. She straightened, fixing the sleeves of her dress. "You have thirty minutes to get ready to join the other maids."
I watched as she stepped out of the room, then went ahead to yank off the sticky tape from the box, and pulled at the plain black dress and white apron. I quickly put it on, walking to the mirror to stare at myself. The dress was hideous and too big, but I had no choice. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I slipped into black ballet flats before rushing out of my room.
I met with the other maids outside; they were wearing the same ridiculous dress as me, but at least theirs were fitted to their mothers, and they looked really smart.
"You'd be in charge of the champagnes, Aria." The head maid said, ticking my name off the list.
"Yes, ma'am," I said. At least, that's a better job. She peered at me from glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. "Will you be good?"
"Yes, ma'am," I offered her a small smile, which she returned.
"Now that everyone is aware of their duty, let's begin. The guests will be pouring in anytime soon, although the official start of the event is 7 pm."
It was just a few minutes past 7 pm, so there wasn't much difference. We dispersed after the instructions, and I walked to the pack house kitchen to get clean champagne glasses plus the champagnes ready. I bumped into Lyra.
I intended to walk past her, but she gripped my shoulder, pulling me back.
"A servant needs to accord respect to her future Luna. How dare you walk past me?" She said, circling me like I was her prey. I wrinkled my nose as I picked up the scent of Kaiden. She was with him.
Her dress looked rumpled, and her lipstick smudged. I didn't even want to guess what both of them might have been doing.
"How about you wait until you're my luna to command me?" I retorted, fixing her with my stare.
Lyra scoffed, folding her arms in front of her. "I am certainly going to be Kaiden's Luna and not you, freak. My mother already confirmed it. Besides, didn't you hear what Kaiden said earlier? He won't even pick you as his Luna if you were to be the last person in this world."
"You spoke by room on purpose so I could hear you, didn't you?" I calmly said that, but it didn't make me feel any better.
Kaiden's hatred for me still clouded my thoughts, and I didn't know what to do about it.
"Of course, although I was doing you a favor." Lyra beamed at me. She gripped a lock of my hair, twirling it around her finger. "If I were you, I'd follow what my mother says so the event tonight will go smoothly. Trust me, you don't want to piss off mother or daddy dearest."
Lyra blew me a kiss, sauntering away. My hands clenched by my side, and I dragged in a breath.
"Bitch." I muttered, pushing back the anger threatening to burst out of me. I continued my journey to the kitchen, and for the rest of the evening, I stayed out of sight. At least, I tried to avoid spots where I thought Kaiden would be.
I didn't want to get on the bad side of Selene or my father.
"More champagnes needed, Aria. Those guests over there need you," the head maid pointed to some men in black suits. I couldn't see their faces since their backs were turned to me.
"I'll do that right away," I said, hurrying there. A few feet away, I stopped dead in my tracks, the back of my neck prickling, and the distinct scent of burned cedar, musk, and a faint amber smoke wafted into my nostrils, knocking the breath out of me.
My head spun, and for a brief second, I felt my wolf surge, then it vanished.
What was that? I murmured, regaining myself.
"Aria?"
I swiftly turned, and there, Alpha Kaiden stood looking as handsome as ever in his two-piece suit.
"Why do you smell weird?" He frowned down at me, his eyes narrowing. He prowled towards me like a predator. His scent once again invaded my senses, and my knees grew weak.
He was my mate. The feelings couldn't be denied. But Selene said she had suppressed my wolf, how then could I still feel it?!
"You are my ma…"
"Mate. Kaiden, you are my mate," Lyra cried out, pushing me out of the way and jumping into Kaiden's arms.
My eyes widened in surprise, my heart beating so hard that I could almost hear it.
What the hell?!
"Aria had been cleaning the toilet, and she wore my perfume to ward off the stench, that's why she smells like me." Lyra rushed out.
I shook my head and opened my mouth to deny the nonsense she had just said, but my voice ceased as the door crashed inward and gunshots resounded.
"Intruders!" Someone screamed.
The intruders burst into the room, armed and in masks, their foul scent fast spreading.
"Rogues!" I whispered.
Shit. We were surrounded!