Chapter 75 075
AIDEN
I walked through the training fields with steady steps, my mind focused on one thing.... reporting the progress of our plans to Lyka.
At least, that had been the intention.
But lately… it felt like I was chasing shadows.
She hadn’t been herself for days now. Distant. Distracted. Almost like she was physically present but mentally somewhere else entirely. It was unlike her, and it bothered me more than I cared to admit.
Was she having second thoughts about everything?
The thought lingered uncomfortably in my mind.
But why would she?
Why now, when things were already in motion?
I frowned slightly, shaking my head as I tried to dismiss the thought. Overthinking wouldn’t help. I just needed to talk to her directly.... that was all.
Or so I told myself.
“Those filthy rogues… I don’t believe they still have the nerve to show their faces after everything that has happened. Do they even have the shame to walk around like this?” a voice sneered from nearby.
My steps slowed. Then stopped.
My head turned toward the direction of the voices, confusion immediately settling in.
“What?” I asked, stepping forward slightly. “Why shouldn’t I show my face? Did I do something wrong?”
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then....
Laughter. Loud. Mocking.
It spread through the group like wildfire, as though I had just delivered the most ridiculous joke they had ever heard.
“Wow,” one of the men said between laughs. “He’s trying to act innocent. But what can we do? You guys are finished.”
A sharp hiss escaped my lips as frustration surged through me.
I didn’t understand.
What exactly were they talking about?
But as I focused, sharpening my hearing, I began to pick up fragments of conversation from other wolves nearby. Whispers. Accusations. Words thrown carelessly into the air.
And slowly…
It started to make sense. The rumors.
They were talking about us. About my pack.
My confusion quickly shifted into disbelief.
Who would go this far?
Who would spread something so twisted?
“That’s not true!” I roared, my voice cutting through the noise. “We didn’t do that!”
But they didn’t listen.
If anything, my reaction only fueled their amusement.
Their laughter grew louder, more mocking, as though my denial was nothing more than entertainment.
Something inside me snapped.
I didn’t think.
I didn’t hesitate. I charged.
My body moved before my mind could catch up, driven by anger and the need to shut them up. But they weren’t unprepared. The moment I lunged forward, they reacted just as quickly.
They fought back.
And they fought well.
Their defenses were tight, coordinated, making it clear they weren’t just random opponents. They anticipated my movements, countering with precision.
But I didn’t care.
The fight turned messy fast.
Blows were exchanged. Growls filled the air. The ground beneath us became a battlefield as more bodies joined the chaos.
My pack members.
They didn’t hesitate.
They stepped in without question, backing me up, their loyalty unwavering. And for a moment.... despite the tension, despite the anger.... I felt something close to relief.
I wasn’t alone.
We pushed forward together, our combined strength overwhelming them until, one by one, they fell.
By the time it ended, five of their men were down.
Groaning. Defeated.
“Are you okay?” one of my friends asked, gripping my arm to steady me.
But I barely heard him.
My attention was still locked on the men in front of me.
I stepped forward again, my presence heavy with warning.
“I don’t care who started this rumor,” I said, my voice low but filled with restrained fury. “But listen carefully.... I won’t take it lightly if anyone points fingers at us again.”
Silence followed.
No one laughed this time.
No one spoke.
Good.
After that, I turned away, leaving them behind as I walked out of the training grounds. A few females lingered nearby, their gazes fixed on me with admiration, whispers trailing behind my steps.
But I ignored them.
Completely. They didn’t matter.
None of it did. Not right now.
I headed back toward the den, my mind still heavy with everything that had just happened. The rumors. The fight. Lyka’s strange behavior.
It was all too much.
And then....
Something changed.
Suddenly, my wolf stirred.
Restless. Agitated.
It wasn’t subtle.... it hit me like a wave, sharp and undeniable.
“What’s going on…?” I muttered under my breath as I slowed down.
The feeling grew stronger with each step I took down a narrow path, one I hadn’t intended to follow. Yet something was pulling me forward, guiding me without my permission.
And then I smelled it.
A scent; Soft, sweet, and inviting.
It wrapped around my senses like a gentle storm, sending a jolt through my entire body. My wolf reacted instantly.... excited, almost desperate.
I froze for a moment.
Confused. Alarmed.
“What is this…?” I whispered, my brows furrowing as I tried to regain control of myself.
But my body didn’t listen.
It kept moving. Step by step.
Closer.
And closer.
Until....
I stopped. Completely.
“Where are you going, Aiden?” I muttered to myself, my voice strained. “Have you lost it?”
For a moment, I tried to step back.
Tried to turn away.
But then....
I saw her, and everything else faded.
What… was this?
How could someone look like that?
She stood beneath a tree, the light filtering through the leaves casting a soft glow around her figure. She looked almost unreal, like something out of a dream I didn’t even know I had.
I couldn’t look away.
And then....
‘Mate,’ my wolf growled.
The word hit me like thunder.
I froze.
“What?” I snapped internally, panic rising. “What did you just say?”
But deep down…
I already knew. Everything suddenly made sense.
The pull. The scent.
The loss of control, this wasn’t random.
This wasn’t coincidence.
It was the bond.
My mate. But how? Why?
I stared at her, my thoughts spiraling out of control as disbelief rooted me to the spot.
I didn’t know what to do.
Run? Stay? Accept it?
Reject it?
Before I could decide, she moved.
She walked toward me slowly, each step closing the distance between us. And with every inch she came closer, my wolf grew more restless, more desperate.
If I didn’t hold back....
I would lose control. I turned abruptly, ready to leave. Ready to escape whatever this was.
But then....
“Mate?”
Her voice stopped me.
Soft. Hopeful.
“You are my mate!”
I turned back slowly, and the sight of her expression caught me off guard.
She looked… happy.
Truly happy.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, her entire face lighting up as though this moment was everything she had ever dreamed of.
Like she had been waiting for it. For me.
But I wasn’t like her.
I didn’t believe in that. Not anymore.
“So what?” I said flatly.
The words hung in the air like a blade.
And I saw it. The way her expression fell.
Shock. Confusion. Hurt.
For a split second, something stirred inside me.
Something uncomfortable.
But I pushed it away.
She meant nothing to me.
“What?” she stammered. “I’m your mate… the Moon Goddess.... ”
“I don’t care,” I cut her off coldly. “As you can see, I’m not in the mood to talk. I have somewhere to be.”
Her eyes widened as she looked at me, disbelief written all over her face.
“You can’t say that!” she insisted, her voice trembling. “You’re my mate! You can’t just deny our bond like this!”
Her eyes grew misty. And I knew exactly where this was going.
“If you really don’t want this,” she continued, her voice breaking slightly, “then reject me. I’m asking you… reject me as your mate.”
Pain shot through me. Sharp. Sudden.
My wolf howled in agony.
‘No!’ he roared. ‘You can’t do that, Aiden! You can’t send our mate away!’
But I ignored him. I had to.
We couldn’t afford this. Not with everything that had happened. Not with what this pack had done to us.
“You won’t do that… right?” she asked, her voice small now. “I know you’re not going to.... ”
“I, Aiden Betel…”
The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
Cold. Final.
“I reject you….”