Shadows of the Forsaken Bond

Aria's POV

The scent of bleach stung my nostrils as I scrubbed the tiled floor of the dining hall, my knees aching against the cold stone. My hands were raw, and each movement of the brush sent a sting up my arms. But I didn't stop. I never stopped. Omegas don't get breaks-not in the Blood Moon Pack. Especially not me.

The loud, mocking laugh behind me told me I wasn't alone.

"Well, look who's still crawling on all fours," sneered Ryan, one of Alpha Ryker's closest friends. His foot collided with my bucket, splashing dirty water all over my dress and the freshly cleaned floor.

Laughter erupted behind him.

I gritted my teeth and kept my eyes on the floor. Reacting only made things worse. I had learned that the hard way.

"Leave her alone, Ryan," Luna Helena's voice came from the hallway, soft but firm. The teasing stopped instantly. She stepped into the room, her presence calm and commanding.

Ryan and the others straightened up immediately, eyes wide. "Luna," Ryan said with a forced smile, bowing his head.

Luna Helena didn't acknowledge him. Instead, she walked to me and crouched down, her elegant hand reaching out to lift my chin gently.

"Are you okay, Aria?" she asked softly, concern in her warm brown eyes.

I gave a small nod, blinking back the tears that always seemed to threaten. "Yes, Luna."

She sighed, brushing a wet strand of hair from my cheek. "You're always working too hard. You should be getting ready for the celebration."

"I'm not invited," I said quietly.

"Still, it's your eighteenth birthday, isn't it?" she asked with a gentle smile.

My chest tightened. I nodded again.

"I'll make sure you get something to eat. Clean yourself up, alright? You deserve at least that much."

"Thank you, Luna," I whispered.

She stood, casting a disapproving look at the group still lingering by the doorway. "Get out," she said curtly.

They scrambled.

Once she left, I sat back on my heels, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Luna Helena was the only one in this pack who treated me like I was worth something. I didn't know why. Maybe she saw something in me that no one else did-or maybe she just had a good heart.

But I didn't get to dwell on it for long. As soon as I stood to pick up the bucket, I heard giggling from down the hallway.

"I wonder who Alpha Ryker's mate will be," a she-wolf whispered excitedly.

"He just turned twenty today-he could find her any time now," the other replied.

I paused, heart hammering.

The Moon Goddess grants male werewolves the ability to sense their mate at the age of twenty. Ryker had turned twenty today. The entire pack was preparing for the celebration tonight-not just because it was the Alpha's birthday, but because everyone hoped to witness the moment he'd find his destined mate.

I swallowed hard and resumed my work, pushing the thought away.

Ryker.

Alpha Ryker. My tormentor since childhood. Cruel. Cold. Dominant.

He was everything a powerful Alpha should be-and everything I feared.

He and his circle had made my life hell. The pranks. The insults. The bruises that never quite healed. I used to tell myself it would stop when we got older. But it hadn't. If anything, it had only worsened. Especially as I started to grow into myself. More curves. Sharper eyes. A presence I couldn't explain.

He hated it.

I couldn't imagine what he would do if the Moon Goddess tied us together.

No. She wouldn't do that to me. Or to him.

Would she?

I took my time finishing the dining hall, careful to avoid another run-in. The last thing I wanted was to be dragged in front of Ryker tonight. Though I hadn't been formally invited, I knew omegas like me would be expected to serve drinks and clean up after the party.

When I finally made it back to the servant quarters, I dropped onto my thin mattress, breathless and exhausted. My birthday. I should have felt something. Joy. Excitement. Hope.

Instead, I felt only dread.

The only acknowledgment of my birthday came from Luna Helena, who later sent a small tray of sweet rolls to my quarters with a handwritten note: "To a strong girl who deserves far more than this pack has given her. – H"

I clutched the note to my chest for a moment before hiding it beneath my pillow.

The moon was full tonight. Its light streamed through the small window above my bed. I stared at it, wondering what the Moon Goddess was thinking. Was she watching me? Laughing? Planning?

Or had she forgotten me, too?

Because I hadn't felt anything yet. No bond. No pull.

But Ryker might. Tonight, he would walk into that celebration and possibly find the one meant for him.

And if-by some cruel twist of fate-it was me?

What would he do?

What would I do?

I curled up on the mattress, pulling the thin blanket over my shoulders and trying to sleep.

But the question haunted me.

What if my mate was the very man who had spent his life breaking me?