Aria rubbed her palms nervously as Kael walked towards her, she kept batting her lashes constantly, eyes everywhere but his face.

"Look at me." He spoke, his voice firm yet soft. She finally met his gaze and her knees buckled harder. She gulped down nothing as a cold sensation brushed her skin.

He watched her, studied her and when he realized who she truly was, his wolf snarled.

"An omega!"

"You're the wolfless omega girl." He mumbled, his hands tucked behind him as he stared at her.

"ye–yes." she stammered.

He smiled, but it vanished as fast as it came. Taking his gaze back to the silent gathering, he took in a sharp breath and cracked his neck once.

Aria tried to stay composed but the doubt in her heart couldn't go away. She looked at Lynn and the bright smile on her face gave her some worth of reassurance. She forced a smile out and exhaled to calm her nerves.

"Alpha?" Beta Tharren called in a soft tone wondering why his Alpha refused to speak.

Keal gave no response, he turned to Aria, his lips curved into a cunning smile as he reached for her hands.

"The moon goddess has chosen." He said in a dry tone, some gasped and murmured while some remained quiet waiting for the storm yet to come.

"Is she your fated mate?" Beta Tharren asked in surprise.

"Yes." Kael answered his gaze fixed on her white palm. This time around many gasped.

"She's an omega."

"We won't accept her."

"The moon goddess must have made a mistake!"

They said with loud voices. Aria bit her lip hard as she tried to keep her composure. Their words were hurting but she refused to show it.

"You hear, don't you?"

She blinked as he brought his lips to her ears and whispered,sending shivers down her spine.

"I-" she opened her mouth to speak but then his next words made her mute immediately

"They're right." He said, the once flattened smile on his face turned into a devilish one. His grip tightened on her hand as she tried to pull away.

"I cannot accept a wolfless omega as my mate." His voice got louder as he faced them.

"What are you doing Alpha?" Beta Tharren stepped closer quickly but Kael stopped him with a hand raised.

"I am doing what any good Alpha would do Beta Tharren. Love, don't get your hopes up, I do not accept you!" Silence sliced through the pack as he declared letting go of her hand dramatically.

Her feet wobbled as she took a step back, she looked at him clearly but all she saw was disgust.

Her chest burned with a hotness she couldn't understand, his words echoed in her ears and her eyes swelled with tears.

The spark she once felt died and then pain took over.

Cold wrapped around her suddenly causing her to whimper and shiver. She had never felt that amount pain in her life, her thoughts were scattered, her heart shattered and worse the one who caused her pain had no remorse in his eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this Alpha, the moon goddess chose her. At least give it time." Beta Tharren, being the reasonable one among them said slowly as he stood in front of him.

He glanced at Aria, her had already resolve collapsed even before she reached the ground, she was weak but she still stood even with her head bowed and confusion evident in her eyes.

"There's nothing to think about Beta Tharren,I have made my decision, I might as well do it properly then." Kael uttered arrogantly and turned to Aria once again.

His brows folded as he frowned at the weak creature in front of him. A dry scoff escaped his lips irritated by how Aria had become.

"Aria." He called in a commanding tone forcing her to meet his gaze once more. "I, Alpha Kael of the western pack, reject you as my mate."

It was all it took to break Aria to pieces. The words slammed into her chest like a physical blow.

The weak wolf inside her whimpered brokenly, she wasn't even sure if it came from her mind or tore through her throat.

Her knees finally gave out and she crashed to the floor. The bond she once felt splintered like glass. She felt it rupture.

Her vision blurred with tears as her fingers dug into the mud, she felt her heart reap out of her chest as pain hit again, this time more painful.

A burning rip tore through her stomach, up to her chest, up to her lungs until she couldn't breath.

"You hurt her." Kael's wolf rumbled sadly through their bond, Kael looked away too fast. Too sharply. As if he couldn't bear what he did.

He flinched as the weakened bond tugged him one last time before it finally, painfully snapped.

The last thread broke. Aria felt it. He did too but he turned his back on her anyway because walking away was easier than facing the ruin he caused.

Aria body shook as she pressed her hand to her chest, begging her heart to stop bleeding, begging the world to stop spinning long enough for her to breathe.

"You've always been a coward."

Kael halted in his step as a voice ripped through the crowd. He turned to the direction it came from and his fist clenched to see it was from his brother.

"I am an Alpha and I won't be stuck with an omega." He said but Cain scoffed. His gaze locked on Aria and something inside him broke.

Strange yet his wolf pushed, so fast he had to go to her. In seconds,he found himself beside her, hovering her before finally cradling her in his arms.

The pack went in uproar as they gasped in shock of what he did.

"Cain!" Kael thundered angrily.

"Alpha Cain, what are you doing?" Beta Tharren asked in a low voice as Cain carried Aria and walked towards the door.

With her blurry vision, Aria could only see the shifting glow in his eyes. It was the last thing she saw until her eyes finally gave out.

"If you don't want her-." Cain eyes finally glowed gold as he stared at her, He couldn't understand why he felt so much pain watching her suffer but staring at her made his wolf growled softly in delight.

"Then I claim her." the words vibrated through the earth. Kael's jaw clenched, Nostrils flaring as the weight of those words hurt him.

"You can't." He snapped, voice tight.

Cains lips lifted into a dangerous smirk "watch me." then he lowered his forehead to Aria's, letting his power wash over her in a warm, steady pulse.

Her wolf whimpered, leaning into him.

Kael's wolf roared inside him, but it was too late.

The moon cast a silver glow over the pack's infirmary, softly illuminating the whole places as Cain placed unconscious Aria gently on the bed. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, though her vision was blurred, she could still recognize the figure who stood in front of her.

Alpha Cain, the one who slightly made her forgot the pain that had crushed her just moments before.

"Aria, can you hear me?" His voice was a gentle and soothing that she had almost forgotten what had happened to her.

She nodded, her voice caught in her throat, as she met his gaze. His eyes gleamed gloomily, worry evident in his expression and with the look he gave her,Aria felt a flutter in her chest. It was a feeling she couldn't quite explain, but it was there, nonetheless

She tried to keep her eyes open, but she failed at it, as she drifted into sleep. The rejection still lingered, casting a dull ache in her chest.

The pack's healer, Lady Mana, knelt down beside the bed, gently tended to Aria, while Cain stood beside her, his eyes never leaving her pale unconscious body.

After ensuring that she was okay, she stood up, her gaze on the ground.

"She's going to be fine, Alpha," Lady Mana said, her voice low and soothing. "But she needs rest and care. The rejection has taken a toll on her body and mind, she might take a while for her to feel the bond between two of you as her heart is already been shattered and her wolf has shut itself out."

Cain nodded, his jaw clenched in determination and annoyance. "I'll take care of her," he said, his voice firm.

Lady Mana bowed. "If anything happens, please inform me. You can take her to a more comfortable room and bed."

He dismissed her with a nod.

*******

Back at the ceremonial ground, the air was tense. Whispers flew everywhere as pack members tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"I can't believe this,"someone from the right wing said loudly. "How could the moon goddess let Alpha Kael be mated to a wolfless unreliable omega."

Another nodded in agreement. "She won't be of any help, so why did she?"

"To think that Alpha Cain, got mated to her instantly feels so cringe and unreal." Another chipped in.

Facing the people from left wing, another asked with disgust. "Why did your Alpha, have to pick up someone else's trash."

A warrior from the left wing scoffed. "You wouldn't dare to call our Luna a trash."

"You're proud of that?" a woman from the right wing snapped. "Your Alpha claimed a rejected mate. It's a disgrace!"

Another from the left wing stepped forward. "Disgrace? The Moon Goddess chose her and Alpha Cain honored that. That's what a true leader does.

"True leader you say," someone else said bitterly. "Your so called Luna is about to cause enemity and division between the two wings of this pack."

"We are not dividing the pack, we are simply respecting our Alpha's decision." the left wing warrior growled. "The rejected stone has simply become the chief cornerstone."

Members of the left wing nodded proudly. The right wing looked furious.

Meanwhile, Lynn who fell into a trance during all the argument, quickly pushed through the crowd, running as fast as she could towards the infirmary, since she felt Alpha Cain could have taken her there.

"Aria... Please be fine." she begged her voice low as a whisper.

~~~~~~~~

Kael who had left the ceremonial ground as soon as Cain left, screamed in annoyance and frustration. He angrily shattered the wooden table that stood innocently at a corner in his room with his fist. The contents on the table spilling and breaking into debris on the ground.

He clenched his fist tightly, his nails growing longer piercing into his skin, drawing out blood. His face red and contorted with blazing fury, every muscle of him trembling in anger.

Firstly, the moon goddess had tied him with an omega- a wolfless omega at that. Just when he thought he had control by rejecting her, she was instantly tied to his brother.

How in the world was that making sense?

He felt a burning sensation within him as his thought trailed back to his brother's words.

"You have always been a coward."

"Arrrrggghh." He roared, loud and inhumane. His high pitched scream shaking the whole building, shattering things and stumbling book of the shelves.

He was angry.

It was his decision to reject, so why all the anger?

Why did he care if Cain was tied to the mate he had rejected?

He couldn't understand it. He couldn't explain it and that made something twist sharply in his chest.

*****

Lynn stepped quietly into Alpha Cain's room, careful not to make a sound.

Just as she was about entering the infirmary, she saw him walking out of the infirmary with Aria gently scooped in his arms in his arms. Concerned about her friend who was in a fragile state, she had to follow.

She watched as he gently placed, her unconscious friend on the bed, his movement slow and calm like he didn't want her to break. He was an Alpha everyone feared, but the way he stared at Aria like she was something fragile and precious made her think otherwise.

"Alpha Cain, please how is she?" she asked worriedly.

Cain raised his brow, as if to ask who she was.

Realizing, " I'm Lynn, Aria's friend."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "She is fine. Lady Mana said she need rest. No disturbance."

She nodded.

Just then, Kael huge frame figure, stood beside the door frame of Cain's room.

Lynn shifted closer to Aria in fright, as Kael's raspy breathing filled the air.

Cain walked towards Kael who looked like he was ready to kill someone.

"Kael, what are you doing here? What's wrong?"

"She's mine." Kael pronounced.

A frown appeared on Cain's face

"You rejected her already. The bond has been severed." Cain replied.

Kael growled slightly. "You had no right to claim her."

"If you need someone to blame, then why don't you blame the moon goddess for giving me what you threw away." Cain muttered.

His gaze locking with Kael's blazing eyes

Aria woke to the soft smell of pine and fresh linen.

Her eyelashes moved slightly before her eyes fluttered open- slowly and weakly, revealing an unfamiliar ceiling. The dull pain in her chest ached like a forgotten wound that never truly healed.

She inhaled sharply.

A room. Big. Warm. Not the pack infirmary, but a room that belongs to someone with a high caliber.

Her fingers twitched. She tried to sit upright, only to realize a weight was pulling her down.

Alpha Cain had fallen asleep while watching over her, one hand draped around her waist protectively. His head rested on the bed while the remaining part of his body was set on the ground.

She stirred a little and his grip on her instinctively tightened before his lashes lifted and his eyes met her.

He stood up abruptly, help her up. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice husky from sleep.

She nodded, "I'm fine." she said softly.

She swallowed, eyes darting around. "W-where am I?"

"You're in my room at the left wing." he replied. "I brought you here. You fainted after the rejection."

The memory hit her like a blade.

The moon festival. Kael. His voice.

His rejection. The tearing bond.

The pain. The collapsing and... Cain's claiming.

Aria's chest tightened due to the pain that hit her hard upon remembrance.

Cain's wolf whimpered, as he felt the pain of his mate. She glanced at Cain unable to look him in the eye.

Her fingers clutched the blanket as her vision blurred slightly. "How... long was I out?"

"For hours." he replied. "Your wolf shut down. Your body almost followed."

She blinked, "my wolf? No." she shook her head.

Just how badly did Kael rejection hurt her, that her wolf has to shut itself. It was the only thing that reminded her that she wasn't wolfless like people claimed. But now it's gone.

Tears dripped down her eyes slowly. Cain immediately wiped it, before it could fall.

"I promise you that you won't have any reason to cry again." he whispered affectionately, staring deep into her eyes. His expression showing that he meant every word he had just said.

"Why did you call me yours, when you could have simply rejected me like your brother did." she whispered.

"I'm not my brother. I'm Cain– your mate and I would never hurt you." he whispered back.

"I... can't feel the bond...with you. What if it isn't real?" she muttered, her head lowered. "It could simple pity for-"

"It's forming, Aria" Cain cut in. "It forming slowly. Your wolf is hurt, it did take time for her to sense me."

"What if it never does?" she mumbled.

He held her hands, squeezing it slightly. "You will still be my mate and my Luna, Aria."

Silence stretched heavy between them.

~~~~~~~~

Aria tightened her grip on the wooden stick Cain handed her, feeling the smooth surface vibrate slightly in her hands as she swung it rapidly. Sweat rolled down her face down to her neck as they had been training for hours.

She faced him, her feet slightly wide apart as she ensure she had the right stance.

"Keep your wrists loose as possible as you can, or you will end up straining it?" Cain instructed, moving swiftly around her. "Don't fight with your arms alone, fight with your body, let it move rhythmically together."

Aria nodded, trying to focus and grasp everything he is saying.

She was now Luna of left wings pack, everyone treated her with love and care, which help in speeding up her healing from Kael's rejection. Although her wolf hasn't opened up, she still felt it every now and then, which was a little progress.

And Cain? He had been her support, her strength and her weakness. She couldn't imagine life without him.

She swung the stick swiftly in a wide arc, aiming for Cain's shoulder. He guided it effortlessly, a grin settled on his face.

"Too slow," he teased, stepping forward, tapping her chest lightly with the end of his stick.

Aria exhaled sharply and tried again, this time moving her feet as he had taught her, spinning the stick precisely and diagonally. Cain clapped his hands lightly.

"Better! Now, pivot, pivot, always stay balanced."

She followed his instruction, then tried landing a hit on him, but he lowered his head quickly, but she still managed to land a hit on his shoulders.

Lynn, standing nearby, clapped loudly. "That was a hit... She did it."

"Yayy!" Aria screamed smiling brightly and at that moment she felt her wolf move faintly.

Cain walked up to her, wiping the sweat off her face. "You are getting better, mama." he whispered.

She smiled. "I know all thanks to you." she replied wiping his own sweat.

Lynn approached, holding a cup of water, eyes twinkling. "Here, Aria drink this" she said, handing the cup to her.

Aria smiled sweetly at her friend. "Thanks Lynn."

Cain smirked and took the cup just as she was about collecting it. He took a sip, before offering it to her. She drank, her cheeks flushed.

Behind the thick lines of tress in the forest, forming a boundary to the training ground, Kael stood rigid, watching silently. His jaw was tight, nostrils flaring as he watched Aria laughing with Cain. His hands clenched into fists.

"She was supposed to be ours," a deep voice growled inside his head- his wolf. The words echoing in his head as his wolf's piercing grey eyes filled his mind with rage, regret and possessiveness.

Kael's grabbed a nearby branch tightly, his eyes still fixed on Aria and Cain. He felt a rush of jealousy.

Why did his brother have to be the one to claim her? Why did he have to be the one?

The same old question filled his head and consumed by rage, he broke the branch.

As he watched, Aria looked up, her eyes meeting his. For a moment, they locked gazes, the tension between them palpable.

Then, she looked away, her face expressionless. Kael's wolf whimper, feeling the sting of rejection.

Cain, sensing the tension, looked up, his eyes meeting Kael's. A silent message passed between them, one that only they could understand.

Aria was his now, and Kael would have to accept it.

But as Kael turned and walked away, his wolf's words still echoing in his mind.

"She is mine to begin with Cain and I will get her back." he affirmed.