Aria’s POV
What hurts the most is that Bennett doesn’t even care that I ran away from our house. He didn’t come after me. I left without a word, without a second glance, and he just stayed there, like I never even mattered. I thought he would try to stop me, that maybe he’d show some concern, but no.
Even though I hate him right now, and I’m furious and heartbroken over everything that’s happened, I can’t completely leave. I can’t fully walk away, no matter how much I want to. The wolves still think I’m his mate. They have no idea what’s really going on inside my heart. They don’t know about the storm that’s raging in me—about how much pain it’s causing, how it’s tearing me apart from the inside.
“Hey, how’s life? Why aren’t you with Alpha Bennett?”
The question caught me off guard. It was Maria, my best friend, sitting across from me, looking concerned.
Ever since I became Bennett’s mate, I’ve been living with him in the biggest house in the village. It felt like a dream at first, like everything was perfect. But things changed, and now, I can’t even stay there anymore. I came back to my old home, the place that used to feel like mine. I left most of my things behind at his place, but I still have a few things here, just enough to get by.
“I’m fine,” I said softly, trying to hide the truth. “We’re okay.”
But I wasn’t fine. Not at all. I felt like there was a hole inside me that no one could fill. I felt empty, hollow.
“Are you sure?” Maria asked, her voice filled with worry. “You slept here last night. You’re always at Alpha Bennett’s house. If something’s wrong, you can tell me, you know that, right?”
I took a deep breath, knowing I couldn’t keep lying to her. Maria was my best friend. She deserved the truth.
“I—I don’t know how to say this,” I started, my voice trembling. “Bennett… he rejected me, Maria.”
Her eyes widened in shock. She stood up, staring at me like I was insane. “What? He rejected you? But… you’re his mate!”
I felt my throat tighten, tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m not his mate anymore,” I whispered, breaking down. “He rejected me. And... I’m pregnant, Maria.”
The words hit her like a punch to the stomach. She didn’t say anything at first, just stared at me, completely stunned.
I told her everything, the truth.
“I… I can’t believe this,” she finally whispered. “Alpha Bennett is putting Janna first? Over you, his mate?”
I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “He doesn’t care about me, Maria. Why would he? He doesn’t care that I’m pregnant with his pup.”
Maria’s face twisted with anger and disbelief. She paced the room, hands clenched in frustration. “This is insane. He has to know! He needs to know he’s going to be a father!”
I shook my head, unable to look at her. “No. He doesn’t care. He hasn’t cared for a long time. I don’t even know why I should bother telling him. He’ll just shut me out again.”
“But you’re not in a position to raise this pup on your own, you know that, right?” Maria’s voice rose in panic. “You have no rank now. You were an omega before you met him. How are you supposed to survive? How are you supposed to raise a pup?”
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I looked down at my hands, feeling the weight of everything crashing down on me. “Maybe… maybe I should just leave, Maria. Start over somewhere else. Somewhere far away from here.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could say anything, something outside caught our attention.
We both stood up and walked over to the window, staring out. The village was starting to gather in the center, people murmuring, forming a crowd. My eyes landed on Alpha Bennett, standing in the middle of it all. He was with someone else—another man who seemed vaguely familiar to me.
Maria nudged me gently. “Looks like we should go. Alpha’s gathering everyone. You can’t just ignore this.”
I hesitated, feeling torn. “I don’t have to go if I don’t want to, right? I don’t have to face him.”
Maria gave me a knowing look, but she didn’t push it. “You’re right. You don’t have to go. I can tell you everything when it’s over,” she was about to leave when I stopped her.
With a sigh, I gave in. “I’ll go with you,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.
Maria nodded, understanding my hesitation but not questioning it.
We walked out of my house and made our way to the center of the village. The moment we arrived, I saw Alpha Bennett standing tall on the front porch of the grand hall, his presence demanding attention. Kneeling beside him was the man I didn’t recognize.
We stood in the crowd, watching quietly, trying to blend in. Then, Bennett’s gaze swept over the group, and when his eyes landed on me, everything inside me froze. I bit my lip to hold back the tears and quickly looked away. The pain was too much. His eyes were cold, distant—just like they always were whenever he looked at me. He didn’t care.
“Everyone, gather here,” he called out, his voice firm and commanding. “I have an announcement to make.”
