Aria's POV

"Stop it, guys," Chloe says, playfully protesting against our teasing, her cheeks turning pink from blushing too hard. "There's nothing going on between me and Drake. And if there is, you guys will definitely be the first to know about it," she says, and we're forced to withdraw from teasing her further.

"Okay Chloe, we'll let you off our hook this time. But just remember; we've got our eyes on you," I say with a mock–stern look while Raymond nods in approval. Together, we move two of our fingers from our eyes and back at Chloe. After this gesture, we all laugh in unison.

Raymond chips in just when the laughter dies down. "Come to think of it, we get to see the full moon tomorrow, same time as your birthday, Aria." A small gasp escapes my lips as I remember the full moon event taking place tomorrow. My stomach flips in excitement; my birthday alongside the full moon event. It just can't get any better than that.

"Wow. Aria, that's nice. Your eighteenth birthday lands right on a full moon. Not many wolves are that lucky, you know," Chloe says as she playfully nudges me by my shoulder.

My lips curl upward in a smile. "You're really lucky, Aria. A full moon on your birthday. That's double your blessings from the Moon Goddess." Just when Raymond utters this, Chloe cuts in. Her face brightens as though something pops into her head.

"I have an idea, guys," she says, and our gazes drift to her. "How about we shift and go for a run in the woods near the park borders, after Aria's party and the Full Moon event?" My face and Raymond's suddenly wear satisfied looks.

"Wow. Way to go, Chloe, that's a great idea," I say, while she smiles and Raymond agrees with a raised brow accompanied by a head gesture.

Chloe tugs onto my arm, with a warm expression framed against her face. "Kiara and I can't wait to see your wolf, Aria," she says. "Our wolves will be the best of friends, just like us." She adds, and we all chuckle while the sound of the whistle shifts our focus. It's Raymond's coach hinting at the end of their break.

Raymond rises to his feet. "Gotta go, girls. I have a basketball tournament to practice for." He stretches and warms up to return to practice. Practice ends at around 5:00 pm. By then, the sun is dropping below the horizon. We all set out to our various houses in a bid to rest for the next day.

I arrive at the park house a little too late, my heart beating frantically in my chest. As I make my way up the stairs, I hope Mum doesn't have any clue I stayed longer than promised. Once in my room, I slowly shut the door behind me, trying not to make a sound that could alert her.

She doesn't notice, I realize once I'm ready for bed. Guess she gets caught up in birthday preparations and Full Moon event planning.

Tired from today's practice, I collapse into my bed, my whole weight sinking in as I think of tomorrow's event. My mind reminisces about what tomorrow holds for me. The Full Moon event, coupled with my eighteenth birthday, looks like a good sign from the Moon Goddess. At this point, I mumble a silent prayer, hoping everything goes as planned. And Mara!! She is definitely the last of my worries. I know she doesn't stand a chance against me. And with this thought, I slowly fall into a deep sleep.

In the Morning,

The rays from the sunrise filter into my room, warm against my skin as my eyes flicker open to another lovely morning. The atmosphere feels lighter than usual. The thought of me turning eighteen settles in my mind, causing a smile to tug on my lips and sending a flutter of excitement through my heart.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." My eyes widen in surprise as I pull myself into a sitting position on the bed. My eyes scan my room for anyone. I didn't see anyone around, causing me to wonder who might be pulling such stunts. Then the voice comes again, now with a laugh that feels all too real.

"It's me, your wolf, Alera." A strange blend of awe and nervousness surges through me.

"Alera," I mutter under my breath. It sounds pure, powerful, and soft at the same time.

"What a nice name. I love it," I tell her.

"I'm glad you do," she says and proceeds to add, "Now get out of bed, we don't have all day. Mila has already sensed my presence, and she can't wait to meet her pup." I peel myself out of bed, freshen up, and get dressed for the morning.

As I glare into the mirror to assess my look, my eyes drift to a small package. It's wrapped in white paper, with a red bow sitting perfectly on top of it. The package is placed on my dressing table, and beside it is a note.

I move over to the package, picking up the note resting on top. A light smile settles on my face as I read Lucien's familiar handwriting:

"Happy birthday to the best sister in the world. A little gift for you on your big day; wear it to your party."

A soft chuckle escapes my lips as I lower the note. While I move to the package and begin tackling the ribbon; then the white wrapping paper follows. Soon my hard work pays off as it exposes a medium-sized box. From its packaging, I can tell the item inside is luxury itself.

As I open the box, I shudder in surprise at seeing the lovely gift inside.

Aria's POV

I glare at the diamond jewelry set. It sparkles as the light hits it, its luster refracting brilliantly and pulling in my attention.

"It's beautiful," I whisper, my lips widening into a smile.

With gentle hands, I place the necklace around my neck. It fits perfectly, sparkling under the light. Just beautiful. A wave of excitement surges through me, like a thousand butterflies all swarming up in my belly. With this gesture, my feelings for Lucien intensify.

I return the necklace back into the box and put it away in my wardrobe. Excited to see everyone, I freshen up and hurry down for breakfast.

I glare at Mum, dishing out instructions for the maids to carry out. She looks busy, so caught up with planning that she doesn't notice me at first.

"Mum," I say, shifting her focus towards me. She smiles and urges me to come closer for a hug. We hug while she pulls away to look at my face, her face lighting up as she moves my forehead closer to plant a kiss.

"Happy birthday, my dear," she says. " Mila has sensed Alera. She can't wait to see her pup." I smile while she continues. "I can't believe you're turning eighteen already and on such an auspicious day like today."

I pull her closer, my arms wrapping around hers. "I'm excited as well, Mum."

"You're indeed one lucky child, dear. The Moon Goddess has truly blessed you," she says, while we make our way towards the dining room.

"Thanks, Mum," I say, and we drop into our seats to eat breakfast. I look around for any sign of Dad or Lucien, but I don't see them around.

Curious, I proceed to inquire about their whereabouts. "Mum, what about Dad and Lucien? I don't see them around."

"Honey, they're at the council meeting. You know how it is during any Full Moon event. The pack has to plan well for this auspicious event." I raise my brows in approval.

She proceeds to stand to her feet. "They might take some time, dear, but don't worry. They'll be back soon. So eat and get some rest, okay." She leans in closer and kisses me on the head.

"Thanks, Mum." My lips curl into a reassuring smile, while she snuggles my shoulder in a one-sided hug before leaving.

Once done, I return to my room. In dying need to hear Lucien's voice, I open up our mind link. It's my first time, and I'm so excited. I try once and it connects instantly.

"Happy birthday, Aria. I see you finally got your wolf," he says, causing me to blush at his words.

"You bet I did," I tease, while I sense his soft chuckle echo through our mind link.

"I got to go, Aria, I'm in a meeting. See you soon," he says and disconnects our mind link. I bury my head in a pillow, muffling my squeal as my legs kick out with excitement. I can't wait for what today will bring.

In the evening,

It's time for my party. I slip into a silver metallic-colored gown, paired with the diamond jewelry Lucien gifted me earlier. My hair is packed in a top bun with light makeup sitting perfectly on my face.

The pack beautician finishes my whole look and proceeds to take her leave. I glare at my reflection in the mirror, beautiful just like I expected it to turn out.

The party is to take place in our pack hall, a few meters away from the pack house. A lot of wolves, from the lowest ranking to the higher ranks, are in attendance. Alphas from other packs are coming too.

I feel happy, but at the same time a nervous feeling surges through me. "Keep it together, Aria... it's your big day," I say, releasing the tension setting in. I can't believe I get to see so many people today.

Satisfied with my look, I head down to go to the venue. At the end of the stairs stand Mum, Dad, and Lucien, all dressed and ready for the party.

Once I approach the stairs, a small surprised gasp escapes their lips. I smile at the surprised look on their faces while I descend the stairs with grace.

Once down, everyone comes to compliment my look. "Wow, Aria, you look beautiful, dear," Mum says, pulling me in for a hug.

"You bet she does," Dad adds. Mum breaks away from the hug, surveying my whole look once more before attempting to leave.

"Okay kids, come on now, we don't want to be late." She takes Dad by his hand and they leave together. I turn to see Lucien still staring, his eyes wide in surprise.

"And you, Mr Alpha," I say, and he snaps back to reality. "What do you have to say to the birthday girl?" He moves forward, hands in his pocket, while he mutters.

"Wow, I'm impressed. You look gorgeous," he says, and I blush at his words... while I feel a soft tingle inside.

"Shall we?" Lucien says, and I proceed to snake my hand around his. We chuckle as we exit the packhouse.

We arrive at the pack hall. It's beautifully decorated. We enter, and it's magnificent, more beautiful than the outlook.

The room is filled with wolves of different ranks and Alphas from different packs. I almost tense up, seeing so many people in attendance.

As I slip into the room, it erupts into wows and shocked gasps. Everyone's eyes narrow in on me like I'm some kind of celebrity. I slowly navigate my way into the crowd. I notice I'm slowly becoming the center of attention. I hear someone whisper, "Who is she?" while another person answers, "She's the princess of the Silver Moon Pack."

I don't stay to hear them dally about me when someone with a familiar voice calls out to me. It's Chloe. Raymond is also with her. They close in on me and their expressions are just as surprised as everyone else's.

"Wow. Aria, you look beautiful," Chloe says, holding my hands out to glare at my dress.

"Wow. Aria, you look incredible," Raymond adds.

"Thanks, guys," I reply.

Just as we continue talking about how good I look, my eyes catch a gleam of Mara with her minions. She doesn't say anything, just a long lingering stare, and before I know it, she's out of sight.

My heart cuts in my chest. For one, I'm scared she might sabotage the party. Then I remember-she couldn't even if she wanted to. Today is a sacred day and doing that attracts dire punishment. Soon the feeling in my mind slowly fades away.

Chloe pulls me away to meet with other people. In her words, "Everyone has to see how beautiful you look." Sounds cute, I think to myself. The party kicks up in full swing with music, entertainment, games among the young wolves, and even paired-couple dancing.

I'm not left out of the fun, as I'm forced to take a break whenever I have too much fun. Mara keeps her gaze fixed on me throughout the entire party, but I ignore her. Being the center of attention feels great, and now I understand why she fought so hard to have it. I mean, you can't really blame her.

Then comes the moment we've all been waiting for, the Full Moon. Dad orders that the glazed panel of the rooftop be raised. The room falls into silence. Once raised, we see the night creep in, then the starlight follows before the Silver Full Moon in her glory.

Everyone cheers in excitement. Her gaze above us is magnificent. Under the moon's glow, I feel a strong pull inside, the scent of sandalwood and something dark lingering around me.

Something suddenly awakens in me. Alera starts to howl inside.

"Mate," she says.

Mate? The bond begins pulling me in his direction. Wherever he is, I'm sure he feels it too.

I stop right next to him, my eyes widening in surprise. It's Lucien. He's our mate. It feels like a dream come true. Lucien turns and our gazes lock in on each other.

Alera howls in excitement, because she has seen her mate. I don't hold back anymore when I utter the word,

"Mate."

Lucien's pov

"Mate," Aria utters, with her gaze pierced at me. Her blue eyes sparkling under the glow of the Silver Full moon, hair neatly packed in a bun, with a front cut out that gives her face a soft look. The Diamond accessory on her sparkles, catching the light from the surrounding area. Gosh, she is beautiful and with the Moon glow over her, her beauty radiates even more.

I feel a tingling sensation inside me, just having her near me. A warmth soars through me, it's calm and peaceful all at the same time. Rex leaps for joy inside of me because he had seen his mate. His happiness couldn't be contained at this point. She was real and standing right in front of us.

"Claim her," he says, not hesitating for a second, while howling in excitement.

My gaze is still locked in on her beautiful blue eyes, Rex howls once more.

"Claim her, she's our mate Lucien." I peel my gaze off Aria and unto the werewolves in the hall spectating this event. Rex keeps up with his protest, but I push his protests aside. The truth is that I couldn't claim Aria even if I wanted to. She is my mate, which is an undeniable fact; but Aria is an Omega, knowing very little in combat and also still learning.

She has to be strong to be my Luna, and she's far from that. My fingers clench into a fist by my side, while the thought of rejecting my mate settles in my mind. I know I'll regret doing this, but the pack had to come first. I needed a strong mate for Luna and Mara fits perfectly into that perspective. Rex begins to throw a fit, his beastly instincts slowly kicking in, but I shut him out in my mind.

The room starts to grow worried and so is the look in Aria's eyes. I swallow hard, with my eyes staring straight at hers.

"I ALPHA LUCIEN OF THE SILVER MOON PACK, REJECT YOU OMEGA ARIA PRINCESS OF THE SILVER MOON PACK AS MY MATE."

My chest tightens, jaw tenses as I feel the weight of my own word crushing down on me. The room erupts into shocked gasps, a murmur swarms up among the crowd. The happiness in her face crumbles like dust and her eyes don't lie; the hurt in them is undeniable. She glares at me broken and clearly disappointed, before dashing out of the hall sobbing without a word.

"Aria." I hear Chloe, Raymond and Mum all call out to her. But she doesn't stop, nor does she get into any of the cars. She runs away into the depths of the night, with no trace in sight.

"Aria." I call out to her, but she doesn't respond. Fvck, I can't let her get away like this, I quickly go after her. Once out of the packhall, the surrounding atmosphere looked foggy, rendering my vision a bit blurry.

"Rex." I call out to my wolf shut out in the back of my mind. He growls, clearly angry and pissed at me.

"Do you know where our mate is?" He growls again but soon picks up her scent.

"She's getting closer to the woods," he says, and I quickly hurry in that direction; I hear muffled voices, I presume, are calling out to me from afar.

Rex starts growling at me. " You shouldn't have rejected her. If anything happens to our mate, you'll be blamed for it. As much I know I'm in the wrong, I couldn't keep hearing Rex go on and on about my rejection of Aria. I push him to the back of my mind, locking him out; he's a beast and acting based on his animalist instinct.

As I get closer to the wood, I pick up her scent. She is around there, and soon I hear the sound of someone's sniffles. I listen carefully as I close in on her, I grab her just when she sights me. She tries to free herself from my grip, but it doesn't work. She spins in my direction and I can see her face drenched in tears.

"Let go already, Lucien." She says, eyes swollen and voice shaky from crying.

"No Aria," I say, kicking against her protest.

"Have you lost it? Where did you think you were heading to." She stares at me with tears rolling down her checks before answering.

"Why do you care?" You rejected me in front of everyone, Lucien, don't try to act all nice all of a sudden. " She pauses, a sniffle escapes her before she continues, "It's not like you even care if I was your mate or not. So why is where I'm heading a big deal to you?" Her words pierced through me like a sharp sword, her tone is rimmed with pain and just seeing her in this state makes my heart beat painfully in my chest.

I move my other hands to clean the trickle of tears, rolling down her cheeks, but she stops me right in time.

"Aria, let's leave. We could talk about this when we are back at the packhouse," I say, but she doesn't answer, rather she sobs silently.

I hate myself, for having to put her in this state. Every gentle sob that escaped her, breaks me even more. Just then she quiets down and all I hear is the sound of her sniffles. I move closer to pull her into my embrace, but stop when I hear the rumpled sound of dried leaves coming from the wood.

At first, I think it's just us, but then I hear it again like someone is getting closer. I put my hands over Aria's mouth to suppress the sound coming from her. She flashes me a confused look and I go head to gesture to her to keep mute.

Slowly I put her behind me, while sucking in breath; the sound kept drawing closer. As I move a bit closer to confront what ever it is, just then a huge beastly figure like a wolf hurls at me, grazing against my arm in a fierce manner.