ARIA’S POV

Earlier, I had managed to sneak through a conversation with Liam while he came around the kitchen with his father's consort to inspect the meals for the occasion.

It wasn't easy pulling him away from the assembly with eye gestures alone. I needed to, considering what day it was and what it meant for the both of us.

At the pantry, sweat dripping down my face from working without break since early morning, I blurted out impatiently.

"You went against your promise!"

"I didn't, I assure you. I guess there was misinformation somewhere," Liam replied, wiping down the lines of sweat that I had left clustered on my forehead, concern and surprise stretching his face.

Liam was going to be proclaimed Alpha. According to the traditions of the pack, an Alpha is not crowned without his Luna.

That Luna was supposed to be me.

I should have known.

I should have known when after he promised to keep me out of, at least, the kitchen duties for the day, I was roughly dragged up from my mat before cock crow to prepare incantation sweets for the occasion.

With my heart pounding uncontrollably, excitement mixed with tiredness dripping down my spine in the form of sweat, my clothes ragged and stained from soot, but with my eyes hopeful for that moment of freedom, I had pushed through the crowd with the last ounce of strength I had left.

Nothing at all prepared me for this.

Mira Dane, another omega wolf like me, stood by Liam who had now been proclaimed Alpha, dressed boldly in the ceremonial Luna attire.

Before I had time to even convince myself that it wasn't just a bad nightmare, Alpha Liam's voice boomed through the crowd.

"I, with the authority bestowed on me by the Moon Goddess, through my father's incorruptible decision, as the sacred Alpha of the Silverfang pack, present you the strongest woman, worthy beyond measures to stand by me..."

Just then, murmuring rippled through the crowd, before breaking into cheers of approval, accompanied by a thunderous applause that enveloped Alpha Liam's voice completely.

As the crowd clapped in jubilation, my heart ripped forcefully apart like it was being sawed in halves. Disbelief, shock, disappointment sailed smoothly into a perfect smoking red anger in my heart.

"I present to you Mira Dane, the Luna of my alpha authority."

His final words sank a hole down a portion of my heart.

Inside of my head vibrated, and my ears tingled loudly with Alpha Liam's last words resounding again and again against my eardrums.

Every inch of my body prickled like there were pins driven into each and every hair hole on my skin, and the more Mira's smile widened, her hand locked in Alpha Liam's in triumph, the pain pierced harder.

Without thinking, I trudged forward boldly, my feet heavy like they belonged to someone else, determined to get Alpha Liam back to his senses.

I was pregnant with his child.

What was he going to do about that if he had just discarded me like unwanted trash?

The noise from the crowd instinctively died down as everybody's eyes became glued on that dirty omega.

She had just broken loose from the guard the pack army provided against the crowd coming too close to the Alpha family and was now approaching the newly crowned alpha with a burning rage in her eyes.

"Stop her!"

One of the guards yelled loudly. His voice was deep and threatening, it made my legs buckle, but somehow, I managed to keep walking.

I had a firm resolve that was impossible to be shaken by a mere command from a soul that knows nothing about my pain.

Somehow, everything in my view blurred except for Alpha Liam and his newly proclaimed Luna.

He stood there boldly, his fingers still interlocked in Mira's, and his eyes fixed on me as I proceeded towards him, but something was different about those eyes.

Those eyes that promised me love that would never die. Those same eyes that searched mine passionately for any doubt after he told me he was willing to go through it all with me by his side. Those eyes that assured me safety and happiness.

Those same eyes now looked at me with contempt, like I was a thief breaking in to steal what I never labored for.

I heard heavy running boots approaching me from different angles. That must be the guards. My steps became heavier with every next one as I tried to run.

One more step, as I made to reach for Alpha Liam's hand and drag it free from Mira, the guards grabbed my shoulders, lifting me off the floor and inches backwards.

"Let her go!" Alpha Liam's voice filtered like salvation through my screams to be let go.

Regaining my stance, I faced him, breathing heavily.

Staring painfully from his fingers still locked with Mira's up to his soulless face plastered with an expression of disgust and distaste, I swallowed hard, ignoring the murmuring that had risen again through the crowd.

"I am carrying your child. Did you forget" my voice croaking and my eyes heavy with hot tears threatening to roast my cheeks.

I think I saw a smirk flash quickly across his face before he broke into an epistle of false claims against me like he practiced for days, completely ignoring my question.

"This woman drugged me, and got me to sleep with her!" his voice boomed with betrayal, his index finger pointing accusingly at me.

An uproar through the crowd followed almost immediately.

"Now she claims she is pregnant and that I am responsible."

I turned immediately to face him.

"But you know? Justice must prevail and the wicked must definitely be punished. Because of her crimes, she carries a pregnancy that is way over the period of maturity but is still not due for delivery..."

Louder murmuring from the crowd accompanied by curses.

"An ageless pregnancy!"

This time, the crowd went wild. From nowhere, sticks, stones, plates, cups and many other items landed harshly on me.

Frozen, I stood still. I felt my head inflating and deflating, like it was going to blow up anytime.

Just then, one of the guards from the entrance station rushed in. I was too soaked in pain and embarrassment to pay attention to whatever message he had delivered to Alpha Liam.

But as soon as he was done speaking, Alpha Liam turned to me.

"Take her to them," he commanded.