Chapter 2 Memories

ARIA'S POV

I always wake before the sun.

It's not really a matter of choice for me, but omegas just don't get to sleep in. Someone has to take care of the kitchens, do the laundry, and haul the wood...usually before anyone else even wakes up or yawn. That someone is usually me, and I don't mind because it's just how things are.

This morning feels unexpectedly special. I wake up before the Alpha's bell, feeling a strange tightness in my chest and a fluttering in my stomach that I can't quite identify. My wolf stirs within me, restless and more alert than ever, adding a new and exciting tension to the day.

Aria, she whispers within me, her voice gentler than a breath. It's near. Do you sense it?

I press a hand against my heart as if I can calm the racing inside me. "Yes. I feel it."

Her name is Selene. She entered my life as a pup, initially quiet but becoming louder as I grew. While some wolves boast about how fierce their inner selves are...being demanding or wild... Selene isn't like that. She feels like that gentle, loyal part of me I never really shared with others-yearning for deeper connection.

Right now, though, she isn't calm at all. She paces, ears perked, tail swishing.

Tonight we turn eighteen. Tonight we find him.

I let out a shaky laugh. "You sound so sure."

Because it's fate. Because the Goddess promised us a mate. Someone who will see us when no one else does.

Her certainty stings. I want to believe her. I want to believe that somewhere out there, someone's soul was stitched to mine before I even drew my first breath. But I also know the way wolves look at me when I enter a room. I know the curled lips, the narrowed eyes, the muttered "omega" under their breath like it's filth.

What kind of mate could want me?

Selene growls low inside me, hurt by my doubt. Don't say that. We are more than they see.

"I know," I whisper, my throat thick. "I just... I remember."

And with that word, the memories slide in like shadows creeping under a door.

I was twelve when rogues tore my parents from me.

I see it all so clearly: the moon gently illuminating the clearing, its silver glow shimmering over my father's broad shoulders as he stood proudly in front of us. His name was Kael Whitlock. With strong arms and stern eyes, he carried a smile that made me feel safe and loved. My mother, Selene...I named my wolf after her because I couldn't let her memory fade...stood right beside him. She always smelled like lavender and fresh bread, her warmth and softness comforting us both.

That night, the rogues came fast. Too many. Too hungry.

I remember my father shoving me behind him, his voice deep and firm. "Run, Aria. Take your mother's hand and run."

But I didn't run. I froze. My mother screamed at me to move, but my feet stuck in the dirt. I watched claws slash. I heard the sound of flesh tearing. The growls, the gurgled cries, the way my father staggered and fell. My mother shifted, her wolf a streak of silver, but three rogues pulled her down at once.

Blood soaked the earth.

I was still standing there as the warriors from the pack arrived, their howls piercing through the chaos. Rogues quickly scattered, leaving behind a scene of silence and fallen bodies. Two of them.

Selene's voice still echoes within me, heavy with grief. We lost them. We lost everything that night.

My throat burns as I whisper back, "We lost them, but we survived. Somehow."

But surviving isn't the same as living, she replies. They would want us to live.

I squeeze my eyes shut. She's right, but the truth is cruel. Since that night, I've been nothing but a shadow in this pack. No family. No protection. Omegas are already the lowest, but one without parents? I'm less than nothing.

I go to work and try to stay focused, even when I face sneers, pushes, and the scraps of food no one else wants. Some nights, I find myself crying quietly into a thin pillow, wishing no one could hear. Other nights, I lie awake staring at the ceiling, dreaming about what it might feel like to matter to someone, to have arms around me again, to truly belong.

Selene's voice breaks through my thoughts. That's why tonight matters. Fate will fix what was broken. Our mate will be our family. Our mate will see us.

I want to believe her so badly it aches. I whisper into the dark room, "What if our mate doesn't want us? What if he takes one look and rejects us?"

The silence after feels heavy. Then Selene answers, soft but fierce. Then he is a fool. And the Goddess will have to answer for it.

Her fire sparks something in me, a tiny ember against the cold. I cling to it.

I gently push the blanket aside and stand up. The pack house is peaceful, with only the soft creak of the wood and the distant howl of a patrol wolf breaking the silence. I make my way to the cracked mirror on the wall. The girl looking back at me doesn't seem like someone a mate would easily notice. My hair falls in loose waves, dark and a bit tangled at the ends. My hazel eyes look a little tired, with shadows under them from many sleepless nights. I have a small frame, and faint scars from years of hard work are visible on my arms.

But Selene speaks with pride. You are beautiful. You carry their eyes and their spirit. Don't look at the scars...look at the strength.

I touch the glass, whispering, "Maybe he'll see it. Maybe..."

The word catches in my throat. I swallow and try again. "Maybe my mate will change everything."

Selene presses against me, warm and certain. He will. I feel it.

I allowed myself to daydream for a while...strong hands gently holding mine, a comforting voice calling me more than just omega, a heart beating in sync with mine. Love, family, and a place where I truly belong...these warm thoughts felt so real and close to my heart.

The fantasy fills the hollow places inside me.

But the ache never quite goes away, because reality can be harsh. In Silvermoon, rank really matters. Betas marry betas, deltas marry deltas, and alphas only choose the strongest. Omegas often find themselves in the background, seen but not truly noticed. If my mate has a higher rank, he might turn away in disgust. If my mate is another omega, then nothing really changes. Either way, hope can feel risky.

I sink onto the edge of the bed, wrapping my arms around myself. Selene curls close in my mind, her fur brushing my thoughts, her heartbeat steady.

We will face it together. Whatever comes. Even if he rejects us.

"Together," I whisper, tears burning behind my eyes. "Always."

The silence of the night stretches. My chest feels heavy, but under it thrums something sharp, something waiting. Excitement? Fear? Both.

I lean back on the mattress, stare at the ceiling, and let the words slip out before I lose courage. "Please, Moon Goddess. Please let him be kind. Please let him love me. Please let tonight change everything."

The room is dark, but outside, the black sky softens. The first streaks of pale gold creep across the horizon.

Selene lifts her head, ears alert. It's time. Dawn is here.

My birthday has arrived.

And with it, whatever fate the Goddess has written for me.