Chapter 1 CHAPTER 001
Ari POV:
The darkness had a strange warmth to it that made it seem too comfortable. Almost like I was wrapped in silk—like I was floating in nothingness. I would’ve stayed there too. I should’ve. But the slap of icy water against my skin dragged me back to the surface.
I gasped and coughed violently, eyes flying open only to be met with torches, murmurs, and the sound of footsteps crunching against gravel.
Where was I?
The answer hit me before my vision fully cleared. I was at the courtyard. The overlapping chatter and golden moon hanging overhead were how I could tell. My breath was coming out slow and ragged.
I blinked. My body ached everywhere. My wrists were bound and bruised. My cheek throbbed where I’d hit the ground. But worst of all, I was naked. I had been stripped while I was out cold.
What else happened when I was not conscious? Paraded? I didn't know. Shadowfang was known to be a pack with cruel rules but little did I know I'd be on the receiving end one day. What did I do to deserve this punishment?
My hands scrambled to cover myself as the cold air licked at my skin. My heart pounded like a trapped rabbit’s, but the crowd gathered didn’t care. No one looked away. Not the men. Not the women. Not even the kids. In fact, they all stared as if they were hungry to see me shamed.
And then a figure appeared and by the apparel, I could tell it was Riel. Now an Alpha.
He was dressed in his coronation robe, the crown settled perfectly on his head like it had always been made for him. He still looked every bit as handsome, but I was no longer feeling that flutter in me. What settled in the pit of my stomach was dread. His expression was flat, unfeeling and cold. Like I was just a speck of dirt on his shiny marble floor.
"Bring her forward," he commanded, voice void of mercy.
The guards yanked me upright by the arms. My knees buckled but they didn’t care. I was dragged like a doll through the sea of murmurs and cruel laughter.
"Is that... the former Beta’s wolfless brat?"
"She looks even worse than the rumors."
"Didn't someone say her father killed her because she was the reason he lost the Beta position? Thought she died ages ago."
Someone snorted behind me. "Well, I’d die too if I walked in on my sister screwing my mate."
"Mate? How's that even possible?"
Their laughter exploded like fireworks. I clenched my jaw, but the tears still burned. I wanted to cry but I felt like I physically couldn't. I was too weak to do that knowing now that my father intended to kill me.
"I want her to speak," Riel said, waving a hand. "Let’s hear it. You burst into my room uninvited. You dared to touch me. You claim to love me. So speak, Ari Shimmer, what gave you such audacity? Speak."
I looked at him—really looked—and for a fleeting second, I wondered if what I felt all these while was love. Were the promises he made all lies? Promises to publicly announce my connection to him, promises to make me his Luna as soon as he became Alpha and promises to make my life easier even while knowing I was wolfless and keeping it a secret. Had he been too embarrassed to expose the fact that we were mates? Had he ever truly smiled at me? Or had I just been too delusional to see that not only my family members but the whole pack hated me?
"I’m not lying," I croaked, managing to speak. "We share a bond and you know it. We are supposed to be getting married—"
"You must be stupid if you think that's true," he cut in coldly. "The Moon Goddess would never pair me with you."
"But I sacrificed my wolf," I said. Louder this time. "I gave you power! You sit on that throne because of me. It should have been your cousin."
He scoffed. "And I should reward you for being stupid enough to trade your soul for a crown? For someone who never even asked you? It's your sister that I love, Ari. I don't care what you did for me. That's on you."
I felt like I was shrinking. Like my bones were curling into themselves. But he wasn’t done.
"If it's true you're my mate, then I must do what is appropriate. I, Alpha Riel of Shadowfang," he declared, raising his hand, "reject Ari Shimmer as my mate."
Gasps erupted across the courtyard. People clutched their pearls, others leaned forward, eager for more drama. My stomach twisted.
Riel’s eyes locked with mine, daring me to respond. And I did.
"I…" My voice cracked. "I accept."
Just like that, the bond severed. I felt it tear like a muscle being ripped apart inside me. The connection, the thread that linked my soul to his, was gone. And with it, whatever small hope I had.
But the humiliation hadn’t finished. I was still on the floor, naked.
"Good," he said, gesturing again. "Now, for the good people of Shadowfang who witnessed this shameless intruder tonight, let them see what happens to freaks who dream above their level."
Before I could understand what he meant, something hard slammed into my ribs. A kick. Then another.
The guards were beating me up, slamming their heavy boots against my stomach.
My scream was swallowed by the crowd's roar. Someone threw stones. Another spat at me. One by one, their hatred rained down like hail. And I couldn’t move. I couldn’t fight. I just lay there, naked, shivering, bleeding, until it all became a blur.
I think I passed out.
Because the next time I opened my eyes, it was morning. And I was outside the gates. Thrown out like trash.
No clothes. No food. No bag. Not even my name was mine anymore. The gates of Shadowfang shut behind me with a final, echoing clang. That sound stayed in my ears for hours. Maybe days.
I walked.
Or rather, limped. Crawled. Dragged my body across dirt roads, hiding whenever I heard a howl or footsteps.
By nightfall, I found a bridge.
It wasn’t much, just concrete and molden walls but it became my shelter.
I curled up underneath it, using leaves and cardboard to cover my bruised skin. The pain in my ribs throbbed like a war drum. My lips were cracked and my stomach felt like it was eating itself.
I no longer had anything. Not even my father stepped out to support me. How could a man who promised me the whole world betray me in a million ways in just one day?
Because of him, I lost my wolf, I had no family, and no mate.
I was just Ari Shimmer or Ari. The wolfless omega who sacrificed everything, and still ended up at the bottom.
I laughed. Or tried to. It sounded more like a sob.
High above me, the moon hung bright in the sky.
I stared up at her shimmering globe through watery eyes. "Is this what you wanted, Moon Goddess," I whispered. "Was this your plan all along?"
The moon didn’t respond to all my questions and so after hours of sobbing uncontrollably, I stopped asking.