The forest blurred as Aria stumbled through it, half dragged, half pushed by the two wolves at her sides. Their hands were rough on her arms, their grip unyielding. Every time she fought to break free, they tightened their hold until her skin burned.
Tears streaked her cheeks, hot and unrelenting, though she refused to make a sound. She would not give them that satisfaction. But inside, her chest ached so deeply it felt as if something had shattered beyond repair.
Damian hadn't looked at her.
Not once.
That truth cut sharper than their words, sharper than their claws ever could.
"Let me go," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Please—"
"Quiet, human," one of them snarled. His eyes flicked to her with open disgust. "You've already caused enough trouble."
The other laughed under his breath. "Imagine it. Our Alpha, bound to this fragile thing? She'd never survive a single night among us."
Aria bit her lip until she tasted blood, forcing herself not to reply. Their contempt pressed down on her like a weight, crushing and suffocating.
They reached the border of the pack's territory, a line she hadn't known existed until now. The trees thinned, opening to a stretch of moonlit clearing. Beyond it lay the path back to her village—the life she'd always known, safe and small and ordinary.
But she no longer belonged there. Not after this.
The men shoved her forward. She stumbled, catching herself just before she hit the ground.
"There," one said. "Stay gone."
Aria lifted her chin despite the tears in her eyes. "You think I'm weak, but you're wrong. I don't care what you say. I know what I felt, and I won't forget it."
The wolves sneered, unimpressed. One spat at the ground near her feet. "Pathetic."
And then a voice cut through the night. Low. Calm. Dangerous.
"That's enough."
The men stiffened immediately. Aria turned, breath catching.
A figure stepped from the trees, tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair catching the moonlight. His eyes glowed faintly, though not the same fierce gold as Damian's. These eyes were steel-gray, sharp and calculating.
Ethan.
Aria didn't know how she knew his name, only that the moment she saw him, recognition sparked in her chest. Perhaps it was the way the others straightened in his presence, their hostility melting into obedience. Or perhaps it was the quiet authority he carried, different from Damian's thunderous command—less brutal, but no less powerful.
The men lowered their heads. "Beta."
Ethan's gaze shifted to Aria, lingering for a moment before hardening. "Release her."
The men hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances. "But Alpha said—"
"I said release her."
The steel in his voice left no room for argument. Reluctantly, they let go of Aria's arms, stepping back with obvious resentment.
Ethan moved closer, his expression unreadable. His gaze swept over her quickly, as if assessing for injury. "Are you hurt?"
Aria blinked, startled by the question. No one had asked her that. Not once. "N-No. Just…" She swallowed hard. "Just tired."
Ethan's eyes softened, almost imperceptibly. "Go back to the village. This place isn't safe for you."
Her chest tightened. She wanted to obey, to turn and run until she left this nightmare behind. But the bond tugged at her relentlessly, pulling her back to the man who had rejected her. "I can't," she whispered.
Ethan studied her quietly, the faintest crease forming between his brows. "Because of him."
Aria's breath caught. "You know."
"I know." His voice was flat, but his gaze held a weight she didn't understand. "The bond isn't something you can hide. Not from me."
For a moment, the forest fell silent around them. The two wolves shifted uncomfortably, as though afraid to witness what passed between them. Ethan dismissed them with a flick of his hand. "Leave us."
They obeyed instantly, vanishing into the shadows.
When they were gone, Ethan turned his full attention back to her. His presence was steady, less suffocating than Damian's, but no less commanding. There was something different about him—something almost human in the way he looked at her.
"You're in danger, Aria," he said softly. "The pack won't accept you. They'll see you as a threat, no matter what Damian says."
She flinched at the sound of his name. It hurt, even now. "He doesn't want me," she whispered. "He made that very clear."
Ethan's jaw tightened. For a fleeting second, something flashed in his eyes—anger, perhaps, or sorrow. "Damian has his reasons."
Her heart twisted. "Do you know what they are?"
His silence was answer enough.
Aria wrapped her arms around herself, shivering despite the warmth of the night. "Then what am I supposed to do? Pretend this isn't real? Pretend I don't feel it burning inside me?"
Ethan stepped closer. His voice dropped to a near whisper, low and steady. "You're stronger than you think. Don't let them convince you otherwise."
Her throat tightened, tears threatening again. "Why are you being kind to me?"
His gaze lingered on her, unreadable, before finally softening. "Because someone should be."
The words struck deep, unraveling something inside her. For the first time since she had met Damian, since the pack's cruel judgment, she felt seen—not as an intruder, not as a weakness, but as a person.
Ethan held her gaze, his expression steady but his eyes betraying something more. Something unspoken. Something dangerous.
Aria's breath caught, her heart racing. She couldn't tear her eyes from his. For a moment, she forgot about the rejection, the bond, the pain. She forgot everything except the quiet strength standing before her.
And that terrified her.
Because deep down, she knew this was how it began.
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