The Alpha King And The Hunt

　　Aria Blackwood...

　　The morning of my nineteenth birthday didn't start with flowers or music. It started with mud, dirty smelling sticky mud ewwwwwww.

　　I groaned as I dragged another bucket of water from the well behind the training grounds. My arms ached from the weight, my shoulders screaming in protest, but I gritted my teeth and kept going. When I finally dumped it into the wooden trough, icy water splashed up, soaking my boots.

　　"fuckkkk!!" I half yelled

　　I hate my life

　　It wasn't glamorous work, but someone had to do it. And more often than not, that someone was me.

　　I was meant to be training by now, but here I was caked in mud.

　　Around me, the pack's warriors trained hard, their grunts and laughter filling the air. Wooden swords clashed against each other, and the dirt field smelled of sweat and determination. A few of the boys glanced in my direction, smirks curling on their lips.

　　"Beta's daughter, huh?" one of them whispered, loud enough for me to hear. "More like the pack maid."

　　The others chuckled, laughing loudly like huge assholes that they are.

　　Heat pricked my cheeks, but I didn't look up. I'd heard it all before.

　　Yes, I was Jonathan Blackwood's daughter, the Beta of the Stormfang Pack. But that didn't mean I was treated like royalty. If anything, it seemed to mean I was expected to work twice as hard and prove myself just to earn a scrap of respect.

　　I wasn't the strongest wolf. I wasn't the prettiest. I wasn't the kind of girl who turned heads. I was just… Aria.

　　my wolf was very small and white, small meant weak, white meant weak. I had to work hard to prove myself everytime in the pack, even if my dad was pretty important.

　　Selene, my wolf, stirred inside me, her voice firm. "Ignore them. They only mock what they cannot control."

　　A small smile tugged at my lips. Selene always believed in me, even when no one else did, even i didn't believe in myself

　　Still, the sting lingered. I carried the empty bucket back toward the well, trying to shake off the words.

　　"Still fetching water, Aria?"

　　I froze. That voice.

　　When I turned, Serena Hale was standing a few feet away, arms crossed, a smug smile playing on her perfect lips. Her blonde ponytail swished as she tilted her head. Serena was tall, curvy, and confident—the kind of she-wolf who drew every eye the second she walked into a room, her wolf was big for a female and grey, signifying power.

　　And she knew it.

　　"Don't you ever get tired of acting like the pack's servant?" she asked sweetly, her tone dripping with mockery.

　　I tightened my grip on the bucket. "Someone has to do it. Unless you'd rather train in your own stink."

　　Her smile faltered, her blue eyes narrowing. A couple of nearby warriors snickered at my comeback.

　　Serena's gaze hardened. She stepped closer, lowering her voice so only I could hear. "Careful, Beta's girl. You may think being Jonathan's daughter gives you a shield, but trust me — nobody will save you if you push too far."

　　Then, without warning, she kicked at the bucket, sending water sloshing across my skirt. Cold seeped into the fabric, clinging to my legs.

　　Laughter rippled around us.

　　Selene growled inside me. "Don't take that."

　　My own anger boiled over. "At least I don't need to throw myself at every warrior just to get noticed," I snapped.

　　Gasps erupted. Serena's eyes widened in fury.

　　Before I could brace myself, she lunged, fingers digging into my arm. Pain flared in my poor arm, I cried out and stumbled and hit the ground hard, dust rising around me.

　　The training field went silent and then cackled with laughter, my cheeks were flaming red and Serena smirked at me

　　"Alpha Damien won't tolerate weakness. Just wait, Aria. You'll be leaving this pack very soon to join the rogues" she said

　　Her words chilled me to the bone, but I refused to show fear. I turned away, jaw clenched, and picked up the bucket again. My hands trembled slightly, though I prayed no one noticed.

　　"Today is your nineteenth birthday. Maybe you'll find a lowly mate" she said.

　　I rolled my eyes. Serena was 20 without a mate yet she was here throwing shades at me.

　　I laughed a little inside.

　　She sneered at me and walked away

　　---

　　By the time I trudged home, the sun was high, its heat sticky against my skin. Our pack's territory stretched wide — endless forests, clear rivers, and the grand pack house that loomed tall in the center like a fortress.

　　Our own home was smaller, tucked closer to the riverbank. Cozy, but humble for a Beta family.

　　Inside, the scent of herbs and stew wrapped around me like a blanket. My mother, Clara, moved gracefully around the kitchen, auburn hair tied back, her green eyes soft when they landed on me.

　　"You're late," she said, ladling stew into bowls. "Training ran long?"

　　I hesitated. "Something like that."

　　Her gaze lingered, knowing, but she didn't press. She never did. My mother always sensed when Serena had been at it again.

　　"Sit. Eat," she said gently.

　　I obeyed, though my appetite was thin. My mind was already racing ahead to tonight.

　　My birthday.

　　The night everything was supposed to change. The night I would feel the bond of my mate.

　　Selene purred in my mind. "He's out there. Waiting for us."

　　A nervous laugh bubbled in my throat. Who would it be? A warrior? Someone kind? Someone who would finally make me feel like I belonged?

　　Or worse… someone who would look at me the way Serena did, with disdain and disgust.

　　The thought sent a shiver through me. I shoved it away, spooning a bite of stew into my mouth, though it tasted like ash.

　　---

　　Later, when the dishes were done and the house quiet, I slipped away to the riverbank. The water glimmered under the fading light, fireflies dancing along the edges.

　　This was my sanctuary. The only place where I could breathe without feeling the weight of expectations pressing down.

　　I sat on the smooth rocks, letting the cool river wash over my toes. The moon was just beginning to rise, pale silver against the deepening sky.

　　I clasped my hands and whispered, "Please, Moon Goddess. Don't let me be alone anymore. Please give me someone who will see me."

　　Selene's voice was soft, certain. "You won't be alone, Aria. Trust me. Our fate is waiting."

　　I hugged my knees to my chest, my heart full of hope and fear.

　　I didn't know then how cruel fate could be. I didn't know that the mate

　　I prayed for was already set in motion, waiting to tear my world apart before it even began.

　　---

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