BENEATH THE ALPHA'S MOON

ARIA'S POV

The mornings in Silvermoon had a familiar feeling: chilly, still, and filled with the scent of damp soil mixed with smoke from the ever-burning cooking fires. I woke up before daybreak, as was my routine since omegas weren't allowed to sleep in. Omegas had no rights at all.

My back ached from lying on the hard floor of the servants' quarters, but I managed to get up, brushing hay off my thin blanket.

Now, the room was empty. The others had already gone, never waking me. If I were late, the blame would rest entirely on me.

I stepped into the cold, feeling a shiver as the brisk air touched my skin. My breath formed white puffs as I exhaled. Across the yard, warriors finished their morning drills, moving precisely in the soft light.

Their laughter resonated through the quiet, yet they never looked at me...except to mock me. I kept my gaze down and hurried toward the kitchens.

"About time," Maren, the head cook, snapped as I slipped inside. Her grey hair was tied back, and her arms dusted with flour. She never raised her hand to me, but her sharp tongue was enough. "Get to peeling those potatoes. We've got hungry mouths to feed."

"Yes, ma'am." I grabbed a knife and a sack of potatoes, settling myself at the corner table. My fingers moved quickly, though the knife had grown dull long ago.

It felt like this all the time- endless work that no one else wanted to take on. Omegas weren't trusted with weapons, decisions, or honour. We cleaned, carried, and bled just for a chance at some recognition. It's tough, but that's how it was.

But I reminded myself that today was just another day to get through. Only one more to endure. Because tomorrow... tomorrow was the day I celebrated my birthday.

Eighteen. The age when a wolf finally senses the bond of destiny, and the Moon Goddess reveals their true mate. Some omegas dream of finding a warrior who will lift them up, while others dare not hope for anything.

As for me? I clung to hope as if it were a lifeline keeping me alive. Perhaps fate wouldn't be unkind forever. Maybe tomorrow would bring a significant change.

I was still holding onto that thought when a sharp voice interrupted my daydream.

"Well, if it isn't little Aria, lurking in the kitchen once more."

I froze for a moment as I recognised that voice. Glancing up, I saw Lila, a she-wolf from Beta lineage, standing in the doorway with two of her friends. Her golden hair sparkled in the glow of the fire, and a sly smirk was on her lips.

"I'm just quietly observing", I said softly, making it sound more reassuring and warm.

Lila moved away from the wall and approached, her heels echoing on the stone floor. "Really? Because that's all I ever see you do...lurking around, hoping no one notices. Like a mouse."

The girls behind her giggled. My chest tightened. I dropped my eyes back to the potato in my hand.

"I don't want trouble," I whispered.

"Oh, but trouble wants you," Lila said sweetly. She plucked the knife from my hand and studied it, twirling it in her fingers. "Honestly, it amazes me you're still here. No family. No friends. No worth. If I were you, I'd have left years ago."

Her words burned because they were true. My parents had died when I was ten, killed by rogues on a border run. Since then, I had belonged to no one.

Lila leaned close until her perfume filled my nose. "You'll never be more than this. A dirty little omega peeling potatoes."

I clenched my jaw but said nothing. Answering back only made things worse.

She straightened and tossed the knife back onto the table, blade clattering against wood. "But maybe you can still be useful. There's mud all over the training field from last night's storm. Go clean it up before the warriors start again."

My stomach dropped. The training field stretched wide, churned by dozens of boots and paws. Mud up to my knees. It would take hours.

"I... I still have to finish these," I tried.

Lila's smile turned cruel. "Then I'll tell Alpha Zac you refused a direct order from a higher rank. I'm sure he'll enjoy hearing that."

The other girls laughed, their eyes bright with malice.

I wanted to scream, to tell her she had no right. But I knew how this worked. The Alpha would never side with me. He barely remembered I existed.

So I bowed my head. "Yes, Lila."

The field was worse than I had feared. Mud clung to my legs, cold and heavy, pulling at my boots with every step. I carried bucket after bucket of water to wash it away, then scrubbed the ground until my hands blistered. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, exhausted and hungry.

The warriors passed by now and then, snickering, tossing casual insults. One of them, a tall man with sharp green eyes, paused to watch. Damon Hale. The Beta.

My heart leapt even as fear prickled my skin. Damon was everything the pack admired...strong, ruthless, handsome. And entirely out of reach for someone like me.

His lips curled into a smirk. "Careful, omega. You're making the mud look better than you."

His friends laughed, and heat rose to my face. I dropped my gaze to the ground.

"Yes, Beta Damon," I murmured.

He lingered a moment longer, then walked away, his laughter echoing behind him. My chest ached, but I forced myself to keep working.

By the time the sun dipped low, my arms trembled with exhaustion, and the blisters on my hands had split open, leaving streaks of blood across my skin. Still, I kept going until the field looked passable.

I sank onto the edge of the training platform, trying to catch my breath. My whole body ached.

Tomorrow, I thought. Tomorrow it will be different.

Maybe I'd wake to a mate who saw me. Someone who didn't laugh or sneer. Someone who wanted me, even if I was just an omega. My chest warmed at the thought.

I closed my eyes and whispered into the wind, "Please, Moon Goddess. Just give me a chance."

Behind me, a voice whispered, "She thinks she'll matter tomorrow."

I stiffened and turned. Lila stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her friends beside her. They had followed me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She smirked. "Don't pretend you're unaware. Everyone knows tomorrow is your birthday. Do you really think fate will give someone like you a partner? You'll wake up alone or, even worse, tied to someone who doesn't want anything to do with you."

My throat tightened, but I refused to let her see my fear. "It doesn't matter what you think."

Her eyes narrowed. "We'll see."

They left me there, cold and bleeding.

I pulled my knees to my chest and stared at the sky. The moon hung low, silver against the dark. My parents used to tell me the Moon Goddess watched over her children, that she never made mistakes.

If that was true, then maybe she hadn't made a mistake with me either.

Tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday.

Tomorrow, everything could change.

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.

ARIA'S POV

The hall was filled with the warm, inviting aroma of roasted venison and spiced wine, mingling with the lively scent of perfumes in the air. Long oak tables boasted silver trays piled high with delicious food, candles casting a gentle golden glow, and pitchers of mead making their rounds from hand to hand.

The lively chatter of my friends created a joyful atmosphere...filled with laughter, friendly boasts, spirited debates, and the cheerful clatter of chairs and goblets.

It should have felt warm and celebratory...a lovely feast bringing the pack together after a long week of hunts and border patrols. But I found myself sitting at the very end of the last table, on a stool so far from the light that it felt like I'd slipped into shadow.

That was where I belonged.

I gently picked at a crust of bread, barely noticing the glances that swept over me-some filled with mockery, some with pity, and most simply indifferent. Omegas always found themselves sitting in the back, close enough to offer help but far enough to go unnoticed.

"Aria."

I could feel my wolf's voice whispering inside my chest. She had been pretty quiet most of the day, just a gentle hum beneath my skin, but now she was pressing against me, feeling restless and eager.

What? I answered silently.

Her tone was soft, but firm. Hold your head higher. They may not see you, but I do.

My throat tightened as her words hit home. She often said things like that, especially when I needed a little reassurance. I did my best to stay strong. I squared my shoulders, but I kept my eyes lowered, pretending to be interested in the bread, trying to hold it together.

Across the hall, laughter echoed loudly as warriors cheerfully raised their cups. Damon's beta sat comfortably near the center, surrounded by friends, with his arm relaxed around a female warrior. His voice was clear, confident, and lively.

He hadn't looked my way at all tonight, not even once.

A sharp ache pressed in my chest. My wolf stirred again, an uneasy ripple.

Why do you torture yourself looking at him?

Because I can't stop, I admitted.

This had been the case for weeks now. Since I turned eighteen, and ever since my wolf softly revealed what I had long suspected...that he was mine.

Damon. The Beta of Silvermoon. He was strong, ambitious, and could be cruel when it suited him. And I was the omega, the girl who often felt overlooked and forgotten at the very bottom.

I gently bit my lip, feeling the lingering sting of rejection, recalling the night he'd snapped that he didn't want an omega mate.

That he deserved someone better. I didn't argue that night. How could I? He was right.

Still, that connection was always there. My wolf sensed it all the time, like an invisible thread gently pulling tighter whenever he stepped into the room.

I pushed the bread aside, feeling no hunger anymore. My mind wandered, as it often did, to my parents.

Mother's laugh, warm and bright as sunlight flowing into our cosy cottage, instantly lifts the spirit. Father's voice, gentle yet firm, guides me on how to skin rabbits and listen carefully for rogues in the brush.

Though they were taken by rogues years ago, their blood left a lasting mark, staining the earth before my eyes. I still see it sometimes in my sleep, a haunting memory that lingers.

The pack hadn't cared. No one had comforted me. I'd been left alone in a cold den, the whispers of "orphan omega" echoing around me until they gradually faded away. Eventually, I became invisible, unnoticed by everyone.

My wolf pressed harder against me. You're not invisible. Not to me. Not to the Moon.

Her words steadied me, a fragile rope across a deep chasm.

But the rope frayed when my gaze lifted...only for a heartbeat...and landed on him.

Damon.

He relaxed in his chair, the warm glow of the fire highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw, while his dark hair gently fell over his forehead. His smile was sly and slightly dangerous, adding a hint of mystery.

The warriors nearby burst into cheerful laughter at some joke, but all I could hear was the steady beat of my own pulse, echoing in my ears.

My wolf froze inside me. Aria.

I know. My breath caught. Something shifted.

At first, it was a gentle change, like the air itself seemed to grow heavier, and the hall almost leaned closer toward him. Suddenly, everything shifted...sharp and intense...a snap, like a tether pulling tightly between us.

Mate.

I'd experienced it before, but never with such intensity. A wolf's cry echoed within me, not shouted out loud but resonating deep inside, vibrating through my bones with a powerful presence.

He remained still.

It was just a quick moment, but Damon turned his head softly, his eyes sweeping across the hall with a piercing intensity.

I really should have looked away, instinctively dropping my gaze, trying to hide or stay unnoticed. Yet, I simply couldn't look away.

Our eyes locked.

His eyes were not the warm amber of a friendly packmate. They were storm-dark, molten, flickering with something unreadable.

The noise of the hall faded away...the laughter, the clatter, everything else faded beneath the thunder in my chest.

Time stopped.

His nostrils flared as if he could smell me from across the room, and I could feel the intensity of his gaze burning into my skin.

My wolf whimpered softly and pressed closer, lingering between feelings of fear and longing.

He feels it too, she whispered.

I didn't dare breathe.

Damon blinked slowly, as if he was suddenly aware of something he couldn't quite put into words. His jaw clenched, and he seemed ready to stand up and go after what destiny had in store for him. My heart fluttered with a mix of hope and hesitation.

Then the spell broke, and a warrior gently tapped his back, inviting him into another story and another laugh. He hesitated for a moment before turning away, feeling a mix of emotions.

The connection between us still burned brightly, raw and unyielding. I sat there, frozen and feeling my hands tremble beneath the table. My wolf whimpered once more, but this time it was low and filled with a dangerous edge.

He cannot run from it forever, she said. Neither can you.

I took a deep breath, feeling it slow and tremble. The celebration around me continued, unaware of the moment that had just changed everything for me. But I knew deep down.

Everything had changed.