SAVED BY THE LOVE OF THE CEO

Aria

"When a door shuts, another one becomes available." That has always been my belief. Today I am going to take my first stride into my future. My eighteenth birthday.

The day I would finally be recognized as more than the weakest wolf in the Shadow Moon Pack. Today is my Luna ceremony, the day I was to stand next to my mate, Alpha Mason.

Mason and I have been dating for the past 2 years, right after he discovered that we were mates. Life with him though challenging has been blissful. I had been saving myself till this day and today, I was ready to give myself completely to Mason.

I know it has been hard for Mason to restrain his se**ualurges, but he has been faithful and understanding, showering me with love and not requesting much from me, but today, I was ready to fully be his.

I stood before the mirror, toying with the white dress hanging on my small frame. My hands were shaking with anticipation, not with fear this time. I had always been told I was too weak, too insignificant to make a difference, it was all going to change, at that very moment.

Today, I'll be Luna.

The drums outside signaled the start of the ceremony. I swallowed hard, staring at my reflection. "This is it, Aria," I whispered to myself, forcing a smile. "This is your moment."

As I walked towards the hall, the whispers started.

"Look, it's Aria. She really thinks she can be Luna?"

"She's too weak for Alpha Mason."

They hurt me with their words, but I walked with my head up, and I just hoped that once Mason finally made me his Luna, they would all have to respect me. He would defend me and stand by my side. He was my mate, after all. He had to love me. Right?

A room full of wolves, all staring at me, as I walked down the aisle to the middle, where Mason was, tall and strong. When our gazes met, his icy blue eyes sent a chill down my spine instead of a sense of comfort.

"Aria." The sound of his voice reverberated loudly throughout the room.

I smiled at him and waiting for those couple of words that would change my life.

"I, Alpha Mason Stone, reject you, Aria Summers, as my mate and Luna."

My smile froze, time seemed to stop. I blinked, sure I had misheard him. The room fell deathly silent as everyone waited for my response.

"What?" My voice cracked, barely audible.

"I reject you," Mason repeated, his voice harder, colder. "You are not worthy of being my Luna."

My heart shattered in an instant. The bond we were meant to share, the one I had longed for, was torn apart.

The rejection hit me like a blow to my gut, leaving me gasping for air. I fell to my knees, the pain enveloped me like a blanket. Bile rushed to my throat as I felt the stares of everyone on me, their whispers getting louder and more mocking, as if they were all part of some joke.

Lydia advanced a step, an evil grin widening her mouth. The Beta's precious golden child, who has always been envious of my relationship with Mason, and has never once failed to take a chance to remind me of my place beneath her.

She moved in next to Mason, her hand slipping possessively over his arm.

"Did you really think you could be Luna?" She sneered. "You're nothing, Aria. Weak. Useless. A disgrace, besides, I'm carrying the future Alpha of the pack."

The pack exploded into joy and laughter at the prospect of a future Alpha, their jeers cut right through me. I wanted to die, to crawl in a hole and die, but I was frozen, tears burning the back of my eyes. I couldn't cry. Not in front of them. Not in front of Mason.

"I... I don't understand," I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. I looked at Mason pleading, praying for some kind of explanation for this, some sort of reasoning behind this nightmare.

He didn't even look at me.

"You are not Luna material," Mason said coldly. "But I have other plans for you."

Before I could question him, two of his guards came up behind me. They randomly grabbed my arms and dragged me back from the center of the room. When they dragged me down to the dungeon, fear creeped down my spine.

"No, please!" I cried, struggling against their iron grip, but they were too strong. The pack's laughter followed me, echoing in my ears as I was pulled away.

"Alpha Mason, please!" I screamed his name, hoping he would stop this, hoping that this was some horrible mistake. But he never looked back.

The dungeon was dark and frigid, with an overpowering smell of mold and wet stone. I was thrown to the ground by the guards, and before I could stand up, one of them gave me a forceful kick to the ribs. I drew my body into a ball and cringed as pain went through my body as I took a deep breath.

"Pathetic," the guard muttered before walking out, slamming the door behind him.