Arya.
Nate and Natalie stood up against Lauren, whose face was twisted into an ugly stare. Looking at her now, I couldn’t fathom how I'd ever thought her beautiful. There was nothing about her that was beautiful. She was dark and twisted and I knew she was doing this because she did not want me to marry Tyler.
It scared me that her plan could work. If Lauren couldn’t have Tyler, then no one else should. She had nothing to lose. And there was no one more dangerous than a woman who had nothing to lose.
“Tyler, as an elder, I advise you to reconsider this union. The fate of our pack depends on the alignment of this prophetic wolf's mate with destiny.” The leader spoke up, drawing attention back to him.
Tyler's jaw tightened; his resolve palpable. He took a step back, creating a physical distance that mirrored the emotional chasm that had opened up between us. “I won't reject her. I can't.”
The leader’s gaze hardened, and I felt a surge of gratitude for Tyler's unwavering support. But the elders' attention shifted solely to me.
“Then Arya will have no choice but to come with us. There are powers within her that must be harnessed and understood. Only then can we be certain that your union will not spell doom for us,” the leader spoke up, drawing attention back to him.
A chill ran down my spine. Tyler reached forward and tightened his grip around me. “She’s not going anywhere.”
I did not want to go. Truthfully, I did not want this. But I did want was Tyler and this was the only way to have him. What other choice did I have? A few days with the elders against a future of uncertainty with Tyler. It wasn’t much of a choice.
Tyler and I stood at the center, our hands still entwined, but the atmosphere had shifted. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the entire pack stood behind Lauren now, which was what she wanted. I had to fight. For me, for what I wanted.
“I’ll go with them,” I said quietly to Tyler, though the pack had settled and everywhere was so quiet that one could’ve heard a pin drop. “I have to. It’s the only way.”
There were so many questions that needed to be answered and going with the elders was the only way to answer that. I’d grown up with the Shelbys believing that they were my family. That Alison was my twin sister. To learn now that everything I’d believed to be true wasn’t was like getting hit by a bus. I needed to know who I was, if I really was a daughter of the moon goddess.
“Arya.” He gripped my face with his hands. “I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”
“I’m still here, in Rogue City. Your city. I’m not going anywhere.”
He shut his eyes and reopened them, his eyes hazy as though he was fighting an internal battle. “I can’t live without you, Little One. I can’t let you go.”
I smiled, mostly because I felt the same way. Everyone was listening to us now and it was becoming too intimate. “I promise, I’ll be fine. Take care of yourself.”
With much effort, I let go of his hands and took a step back. With one last look, I tore my gaze away from his. The pack watched in hushed silence as the elders led me away from the gathering. Tyler's eyes, filled with a tumultuous mix of emotions, burned into my memory as I followed the elders to their council chamber on the other side of the forest.
I was so lost in my own thoughts that I did not realize we’d reached until I was being guided through a small opening that led to a wide clearing. The chamber was adorned with symbols and relics, each holding a piece of our pack's history. The leader gestured for me to sit on the sole stood in the middle of the chamber, his eyes full of scrutiny. The other elders sat on the stone seats that formed a circle around me. I felt oddly like a child being scolded for stealing a piece of candy.
“What’s your name?” the leader thundered.
“Arya,” I responded, trying to still my beating heart.
“Full name.”
I hesitated. “Arya Shelby.”
“Who’s your father?”
“Robert Shelby, Beta of the Crests.”
There was a silence but I did not fail to notice the tension that spread through the chamber.
“Crest, huh?” one of the elders said. “Were you aware that you are a daughter of the moon goddess? A silver-blue wolf?”
I shook my head. “I only found out a few days ago when I transformed for the first time.”
“The first time?” The leader leaned forward, brows furrowed. “What kind of wolf doesn’t transform for the first time at sixteen?”
I had no answer to that so I kept my mouth shut. I was still trying to figure out my role here and it felt odd being here without Tyler to protect me.
“Arya, the prophecy has cast a shadow over your union with Tyler. We must unlock the powers within you, understand the depths of your connection to the moon goddess, and guide you on a path that aligns with the well-being of our pack.”
Reluctantly, I nodded, my heart heavy with the burden of responsibility. The elders began to teach me, their words a blend of ancient wisdom and mystical insight. They spoke of the moon goddess's gifts, powers that resonated within me, waiting to be awakened.
As I delved deeper into the teachings, a yearning for the familiar warmth of Tyler's presence gnawed at me. The rejection by the pack, and the uncertainty of our future, became the crucible in which my powers were forged. I wrestled with the conflicting desires of embracing my newfound abilities and the ache of separation from the one I loved.
I was in a new place, one where it was glaringly obvious that I was completely alone. Lauren had tried to break us apart but I would not let her. There was a determination in me that yearned and a fire within me that burned.
One way or another, Tyler and I would survive this. Because if I were being honest, I had no idea who I was without him anymore.