Chapter 4 Hope

Aria's POV

The feast swirled around me, lively and loud with plates clattering and wolves sharing laughs, while the fire crackled warmly in the stone hearth. Yet, somehow, none of it truly reached me...no warmth from the fire, no sound from the crowd. The only thing I noticed was his gaze, burning deeply into mine, anchoring me in that moment.

I could feel my wolf's voice gently pressing against my chest, starting softly. He's on his way.

I froze, my fingers clutching the edge of the table so tightly that my knuckles turned white. I didn't need to look up to know he was there. I could feel him ... Damon's presence was like a storm approaching, impossible to ignore.

My pulse jumped. A wild mix of dread and hope filled me. Why now? I asked my wolf. Why look at me now?

Because the bond will not be silenced, she said.

Her voice was steady, but a sadness lingered in it. It pulls at him the same as it does at us. Even if he denies it, he feels it.

My throat tightened with emotion. A part of me secretly wished to slip out the back door to escape before he could reach me. Yet, another part stayed rooted to the stool, longing for even a little acknowledgement.

The sound of his boots scraping softly on the wooden floor grew nearer, gently quieting the lively chatter around us. Wolves noticed the change, and whispers began to cut through the air like sharp blades, adding a tense, almost electric atmosphere to the room.

I looked up.

Damon stood before me.

Tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair that gently falls into piercing green eyes, he looked at me with a gaze that felt both intense and curious, like he was sizing me up. His scent was a comforting blend of pine and iron, reminiscent of a warrior's strength, combined with the faint, bitter aroma of ale that added a touch of rugged charm.

For a single heartbeat, he didn't sneer. His eyes searched mine, and my wolf gasped inside me. He sees us. The truth is right there. Don't you feel it?

I did. The bond between us vibrated like a taut string, on the verge of snapping. My chest felt heavy with the emotion, and my heart desperately wanted to believe.

"Damon," I whispered. My voice was barely audible, but his ears caught it.

His lips twisted, not in warmth or recognition, but in something crueller. The hope that had dared to rise inside me faltered.

"You," he said, his voice low enough for only nearby tables to hear, but sharp enough to cut. "Of course it would be you."

The words made me flinch.

Stay steady, my wolf urged. Don't bow your head. Not to him.

"I..." My voice cracked, but I forced the words out. "You feel it too. The bond."

For a moment, his jaw tightened. I saw it...the flicker of truth he couldn't hide. My wolf pushed hard. Claim us. Claim what the Moon has given.

But Damon leaned in a little closer, his breath warm and tinged with wine as it brushed my cheek. "Do you realise what this would do to me?"

Confusion tangled in me. "What...?"

He laughed softly under his breath, a gentle sound that sent a shiver down my arms. "A Beta. Second only to the Alpha. Mated to an omega. Do you realise how weak that makes me seem?"

The words hit hard, feeling crushing. Silence grew thicker around us. Wolves inched closer, acting casual, but I could feel all their eyes on me. My stomach tightened with nerves.

My wolf snarled inside me. Weak? The bond is sacred. There is no weakness in us.

But Damon didn't hear her. He didn't want to.

"Damon, please," I whispered, though I hated how small my voice sounded. "We didn't choose this. The Moon did. You can't just..."

"I can," he snapped. His eyes narrowed, blazing with pride and disgust. "I won't be shackled to you. I deserve more than an orphan omega who spends her life cleaning scraps off the floor."

Gasps rippled through the hall. My cheeks burned. My chest squeezed so tight I could barely breathe.

Do not let him crush you, my wolf urged. Her voice shook with both rage and pain. You are worth more than this.

But Damon was unstoppable, standing tall with confidence. He made sure his words echoed through the hall, capturing everyone's attention. His smile was sly and daring, just perfect for making a statement.

"I reject you, omega."

The words thundered through me.

Something inside my chest suddenly tore open, and the bond that had been singing happily since my eighteenth birthday twisted painfully like a blade before snapping. It was a through-and-through, brutal feeling. I gasped sharply, my breath leaving me in a cry. I clutched my chest, trying to hold the pieces together, but they just scattered and slipped right through my fingers.

Pain ripped through me, deeper than bone. My wolf howled inside me, raw and broken. No!

She clawed at the edges of my soul, fighting the tearing sensation, but even she couldn't stop it. The bond is real, it's sacred, he can't...

But he had.

He stood there, tall and proud, watching me break down. The silence in the hall was almost overwhelming, filled with judgment, whispers, and the cruel satisfaction of those who often looked down on omegas.

I trembled. My vision blurred. My wolf whimpered like a wounded creature, pressed against me, trying to shield me from the worst of it.

We are not nothing, she whispered through her tears even if he casts us aside. Even if they all do.

I couldn't speak. My lips moved, but no sound came. My whole body felt hollow, scraped clean of hope.

Damon's sneer deepened. He turned his back on me, slow and deliberate, as if to show the pack that I meant so little, I wasn't worth another glance. Laughter sparked from some of the warriors at his table, cruel and cutting.

My hands trembled uncontrollably. I gently placed them flat on the table, hoping to steady the shakes. Yet, inside, my whole being was trembling with emotion. My wolf, overwhelmed by everything, whimpered again...its sound full of both fury and despair.

Get up, she begged. Get up and leave before they catch sight of you.

But I couldn't move. My legs refused me. My heart lay shattered in the open for everyone to see.

Around me, the whispers grew, voices hissing like snakes. "Omega." "Pathetic." "No wonder."

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

And then, beneath the shame, beneath the pain, something else stirred. Quiet. Small. But there.

A spark.

My wolf's voice steadied, though weak. This is not our end. One day, Aria, you will rise, and they will see.

I closed my eyes, holding onto her voice as the only anchor in the storm.

But Damon's words...his rejection...echoed louder than anything else.

"I reject you, omega."

And with that, my world ended.