Chapter Two

Aria’s P.O.V

The words kept replaying in my head like a broken record. Carden’s eyes were cold and unwelcoming as he rejected me.

I remained quiet with the tears silently falling down my cheeks. It was like someone had stabbed me in the chest with a knife and proceeded to twist the knife even further. I looked around at the people watching us.

They were probably enjoying the whole drama. No doubt, they were probably happy that Carden had decided to do this. I couldn’t possibly take any of this anymore. I hurriedly limped away as fast as I could, ignoring how everybody turned to watch me leave the hall.

The tears were still falling down my face as I made my way out of the venue and towards my room. I ignored the maids and servants that stopped to stare at me, my mind set on where I had to go. As soon as I entered the room, I shut the door behind me and let out a sigh.

“Damn it.” I cursed under my breath, the tears still falling down my face.

I looked down at my leg that was oddly bent to the side. I was a cripple. I couldn’t walk properly due to my physical disability.

Another sigh escaped my lips. I straightened my leg and walked to my bed. The ruse had gone on long enough but it seemed there would be no need for it now.

I was in fact not a cripple. It had all been a lie, something I’d cooked up when just before I met Carden. It wasn’t like I did any of this with some malicious intent or something of that sort. No. I had my reasons.

“An Alpha’s blood runs through my vein. I will not yield or bend.” I said to myself, despite the tears falling down my face.

I’d always portrayed myself as to the members of NightCrest Pack as weak and incapable. That was also a ruse. The truth was, I was an Alpha. I’d decided to keep that part of me hidden all as part of my plan.

“It wasn’t supposed to go like this.” I let out a bitter laugh, looking at the ceiling. The tears were still falling freely. I didn’t bother with them.

It all pointed back to my ex-boyfriend and mate, Kane. We’d been in love for as long as I could remember. He was a beta and we ruled a small, lesser known pack together. I saw myself spending the rest of my life with him. That had been the plan. Not until he betrayed me and left me for a rival Alpha’s daughter. This eventually led to the dissolution of our pack.

Since then, I’d found it hard to trust or even fall in love with anyone again. I’d decided to put on this charade just before I met Carden. I would pretend to be crippled and weak to see if my mate truly loved me. Carden didn’t have the tiniest clue that I was an Alpha. That was how well I’d managed to hide everything.

When Carden had accepted me, I’d thought that it meant he was the one. I never expected what happened today.

I blew out a shaky breath, trying to push out all the negative thoughts filling my head. I didn’t realize when my legs eventually gave out from underneath me and I found myself on the floor.

Without realizing, I let out a loud sob into the nearest pillow. It felt like someone had forcefully gouged my heart out of my chest and I was powerless against it. I don’t remember how long I remained on the floor.

Carden had decided to reject me in the most painful and humiliating way possibly. This was simply unacceptable. This had gone on long enough. They all underestimated me and deemed me unworthy.

I would take my revenge on them and make them regret ever thinking of doing so. It was the least I could do for all that they’d decided to do that.

After a while, I raised my head from the pillow and looked around me. This was I and Carden’s room. It used to be a safe haven for me, my solace whenever the world was against me. Now all I could see was a cage. I couldn’t stay in the pack anymore.

“I can’t stay anymore. This place isn’t for me.” I said to myself.

I managed to get up to my feet and wipe my tears away. I made my way into the closet and hurriedly packed up all my things into a bag. I would only take the essentials and nothing more.

Once I was sure I’d packed all my things, I made my way to the door. I took one final glance at the room before letting out a sigh. Without looking back, I began making my way out of the house I’d once called home.

Everybody I passed stopped to watch me. I didn’t care. Let them watch. I wanted this day to be forever etched in their memories.

The people of the pack were all returning from the hall. They all stopped in their tracks to watch me. I pretended not to hear all the murmurs and whispers as I stepped out the doors of the house.

I stopped when I saw him. Carden was standing there, an unreadable look in his face. His eyes still held those cold and unwelcoming feeling. My hands tightened into fists by my side. I couldn’t just leave like this.

I stepped closer to him, my gaze not wavering even once. “After everything I’ve done for you, you still decided to hurt me this way, Carden. You’ll pay. I’ll make sure you pay for this. The pain you’ll feel will be ten folds of mine. That I promise you.”

Carden didn’t say anything in reply. I didn’t need him to. I tightened my grip on my bag and continued on my way, holding back the tears as best as I could.

This wasn’t the end for me. Every single person who had hurt me would pay their debt in blood.