Aria stared at the towering figure in front of her, her breath frozen in her lungs.
Lucien Draven.
The Lycan King.
Every pack whispered about him—his unmatched power, his cold, ruthless rule, and the way even Alphas bowed before him in fear. He was a legend cloaked in blood and mystery.
And he had just called her… his.
"That's not possible," Aria said, shaking her head. "You must be mistaken. I already had a mate. He—he rejected me."
Lucien's silver eyes didn't waver. "He was never your true mate. Just a cruel mistake. A flicker in the dark. I am the bond the Moon Goddess forged for you."
Aria's throat tightened. "But how? Why me?"
He tilted his head slightly, studying her. "Because you are not what you seem, Aria Blackwood. And neither is your blood."
She took a step back, the cold wind whispering around her as questions swirled in her mind. Her? Not what she seemed? Her blood?
"This doesn't make any sense," she whispered.
Lucien took one step closer, and the air between them pulsed. Her skin tingled. Her wolf stirred, whimpering and pacing inside her.
"You feel it," he said quietly. "Don't deny it. That pull between us… that heat. It's not just chemistry. It's fate. The real kind."
Aria clenched her fists. "You don't understand. I was just rejected. I'm broken. I can't handle—"
"You don't need to handle anything," he interrupted, his voice lowering to a soothing growl. "You just need to let me protect you. Let me spoil you. Let me heal what they tried to destroy."
His words hit her harder than Caleb's rejection.
She wanted to believe him. To collapse into his arms and let him carry her far from the pain. But reality still clung to her like thorns.
"I don't belong in a palace. I'm nothing but a low-rank she-wolf from a backwater pack. Why would a king ever want someone like me?"
Lucien stepped close enough that she could feel his heat. His hand brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
"Because you're mine," he said, as if that was reason enough to burn down the world.
Her breath caught again.
She opened her mouth to argue—but before she could speak, her legs buckled beneath her. The pain from her severed bond was catching up to her. Her wolf was weak. Her energy drained. Her skin burned from the cold.
Lucien caught her instantly, lifting her like she weighed nothing.
"You're freezing," he murmured. "We need to get you out of here."
"No… I can't go back. The pack will—"
"I said out of here, not back there," he growled, and she felt his arms tighten protectively around her.
With a soft whistle, a sleek black car emerged from the trees—driven by someone who looked more shadow than man. Aria blinked in surprise.
Lucien stepped inside with her cradled in his lap. The interior was warm, scented with leather and spice. She was overwhelmed—by the comfort, the speed of it all, and the man holding her as though she was precious.
As the car sped into the night, Lucien gently stroked her arm. "You'll never return to that pack. Never bow to anyone again. You are mine now."
Tears welled in her eyes, not from sadness—but disbelief. Was this real? Or some twisted dream?
"Where are we going?" she asked in a whisper.
"To my kingdom," he replied. "Where you'll be safe. Where they'll never lay eyes on you again."
Aria's head rested against his chest, her heartbeat beginning to slow for the first time in days. But even as exhaustion pulled her under, one thought stayed with her:
She had just been rejected, humiliated, and cast aside.
And now… the most feared man in the werewolf world was calling her his Queen.
Meanwhile, back at Bloodfang Pack…
Caleb Thorn stood on the terrace of his packhouse, arms folded, staring into the night. Despite having Selena by his side and the celebration in full swing, he felt… uneasy.
Something didn't sit right.
He had expected Aria to cry, to beg, to cause a scene. But instead, she'd walked away. Quiet. Almost peaceful.
And now she was gone.
"Thinking about her?" Selena purred, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Forget that omega trash. You're mine now."
Caleb's jaw clenched.
Trash?
She hadn't looked like trash when she stood there glowing under the moonlight, even in her cheap dress. She had looked… divine.
He shook his head. "I'm not thinking about her."
But he was. Deep down, he was wondering what kind of fool lets go of a mate so easily.
And soon, the whole world would know just how much he lost.
Far away, in the dark stone fortress that overlooked the northern mountains, Lucien entered his castle with Aria in his arms. Servants bowed. Guards cleared the way. No one dared ask questions.
He carried her into a warm chamber lined with silk and velvet, placing her gently on a bed carved from ancient oak.
She stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open. "Why are you doing this?"
Lucien leaned down, brushing his lips against her forehead.
"Because you were rejected by a boy," he murmured. "And I am a king."