APRIL

Athena refuses to talk to me.

​I've tried everything to reach her, but nothing breaks her stubborn silence except the faint, agonized whisper of 'Mate' echoing through our bond. She barely even saw him, yet she already acts completely helpless without his presence.

​It's my fault. I tell her that every single second. But she doesn't seem to care about my reasons. The only way her restless mind will settle is if I go back to that pack house.

​But doesn't she see who we are bonded with?

​Alpha Arik. The Alpha of the Bloodveil Pack.

​I heard Dad discussing his meeting with him to Matt last night, and the slight tremor in Dad's voice showed just how much Arik intimidates him. Alpha Arik is one of the strongest, most ruthless wolves alive. Even the older, seasoned Alphas respect his territory and go out of their way to avoid conflict with him.

​On paper, those sound like incredible qualities, right? Any female wolf would be honored to call him hers.

​But I am not his true mate.

​His fated mate died years ago during the First Attack of the Rogue Queen. Pack teachers always brought it up during history lessons on modern wolf wars. His clan lost too many people that day. He lost his queen, left behind with a daughter who was still just a baby.

​He is going to reject me. Athena needs to understand that. The Moon Goddess wasn't being kind when she bound us to a powerful Alpha whose heart will never belong to us alone.

​This just proves my fate is cursed.

​You should run away.

​He will despise you.

​Do you really believe a wolf like him will ever see you as an equal?

​You're incomplete. A disgrace.

​"Stop it," I sob, burying my face into my pillow as tears flood my eyes. I haven't left my room all day. My heart feels like a lead weight in my chest. I'm completely alone in the dark, and the intrusive thoughts always find a way to dismantle whatever fragile piece of peace I try to build.

​Is it so wrong to wish for a different fate? Is it wrong to want to be someone's first choice?

To want desire and adoration, not pity?

​A sharp knock on the door chases the darkness away. I bolt upright, frantically wiping the tears from my cheeks and clearing my raspy throat.

​"April?" Dad calls out.

​"I'm coming!" I leave the bed and rush over to the mirror to check my reflection. Fuck. I look terrible.

​"Are you okay in there?" His voice is thick with worry. "You didn't come down for breakfast, and you missed lunch."

​You always make them worry.

​You should just let them be happy and disappear.

​The voices are getting louder. It's getting worse.

​"I'm fine," I call out, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the door to keep my movements silent. It's a foolish instinct, Dad's ears are as sharp as they come.

​"Lori came by to see you earlier," he mentions through the wood.

​Lori. Shit. I completely forgot to call her after fleeing the party.

​"She was wondering why you hadn't phoned her," Dad continues. "I told her you were still sleeping, so she left. Make sure to call her, sweetie."

​I swallow the lump in my throat. "I will."

​"Good." I hear him let out a soft sigh. "I brought you your favorite-sausage pasta. It's really yummy. I almost ate it myself on the walk up here."

​A choked laugh escapes me, fresh tears spilling over my eyelashes. At least I am blessed with a family who loves me.

​I click the lock and open the door. The second Dad sees my red, swollen eyes, his warm smile instantly vanishes.

​"April..."

​"I'm fine, Dad."

​He doesn't press further. He knows me well enough to realize that if I'm shutting down, forcing me to speak will only make me retreat deeper. God, I want to tell him. I want to tell him about Alpha Arik and ask for his advice, but the words glue themselves to the back of my throat.

​"After you've eaten, let's hit training, okay?" he suggests softly, offering a distracting lifeline. "A good sparring session will clear your head."

​I offer him a weak smile and nod. He hands me the warm bowl of pasta, presses a tender kiss to the top of my head, and turns to walk back downstairs.

​Closing the door to my sanctuary, I set the food on my desk, grab my phone, and dial Lori's number. It doesn't even ring twice before she picks up.

​"April?!" she shouts into the receiver, her voice bursting with frantic energy. "What the hell is going on with you?"

​"I'm so sorry, Lori," I whisper, leaning my back against the closed door. "I left last night without telling you."

"You literally vanished!" Lori huffs, though the anger in her voice quickly melts into genuine concern. "One second we're talking about my mate, and the next, you're just gone. I checked the bathroom, the kitchens, everywhere. Matt said you had to leave early with your dad. Are you okay?"

​I sink to the floor, pulling my knees tight against my chest, gripping the plate hard. The cool wood of the door presses against my back. "I'm okay. I just... I got overwhelmed. The crowd, the noise. You know how the pack house gets during a ceremony."

"April, I've known you since we were kids," Lori says, softly. "You handle chaos better than anyone. Don't lie to me. Did something happen? Did any elders say something to you?"

​Tell her, Athena whispers, breaking her silence for a fleeting second. Tell her about him.

​I press my palms to my eyes, forcing the urge down. "No. No one said anything. I swear. I just needed some air, and then I realized how late it was."

Lori sighs on the other end of the line, clearly not entirely convinced, but she lets it slide. "Fine. But you owe me a massive lunch date later this week. And you missed the transformation. I almost felt jealous of how her wolf looked. It was actually so pretty. How can someone so rude have such a fine-looking wolf?"

​I let out a breathless, weak laugh. "Don't let Zaya hear you giving out all these compliments."

​"Oh, she's already jealous," Lori says easily, a happy lilt in her voice. "I had to promise her that we would go for a run through the woods with our mate this evening just to shut her up."

​I smile softly. Zaya is Lori's wolf, and she is fiercely, unapologetically possessive. "Who wouldn't love a run like that?"

​As we keep talking, I wedge the phone between my ear and shoulder, peeling off my stale t-shirt. The pungent reek of stress sweat hits my nose, and I wrinkle it in disgust. I desperately need a shower at this moment.

​"She better love it. Anyway..." Lori lowers her voice, shifting into gossip mode. "The female wolves last night were talking, and they couldn't stop obsessing over Alpha Arik. Did you by any chance see him when you were strolling around last night? I was so busy with my parents and my mate that I completely missed him."

​My heart stumbles into a frantic rhythm at the mention of him. Images of his face instantly become vivid in my mind-those brilliant, molten golden eyes flashing in the dim hallway, boring into my soul. A flutter of feelings I didn't even know I was capable of experiencing starts dancing in my stomach, warm and terrifying.

​"No," I lie, the word tasting like ash. "I didn't see him. What were they saying?"

​Lori is going to absolutely kill me when she finds out I'm hiding something this massive from her.

​"Nothing new. Just that he's incredibly hot-the usual. Someone literally said he looks like a good dad and that they want him to be their daddy."

​"Disgusting," I blurt out. A sudden, sharp spike of annoyance bubbles up in my chest, catching me off guard. The thought of those women looking at him with naked lust, trying to insert themselves into his life, makes my blood boil.

​"Very," Lori giggles, completely missing my sudden hostility. "Well, I'm glad you're doing okay." She pauses, her tone shifting into something a little more serious, more grounded. "Are you really okay, April?"

​No. My mate is Alpha Arik, and I'm going to end up as an unwanted, rejected mate. Please help me.

​The scream stays locked behind my teeth. "Everything's good," I lie smoothly. "I'm just about to head out and train with Dad."

​"Oh, okay! I'll see you later then."

​I nod, even though she can't see me. "No problem. Bye, Lori."

​"Byeeeee!"

​The line goes dead, leaving me alone with the heavy thumping of my heart and the agonizing pull of a bond I am too terrified to claim.

Without wasting time, I finish my lunch and dive into the shower. The cool water calms my racing mind, and I let out a long sigh, letting the sound of the spray drown out the noise in my head.

​A few minutes later, I change into my training gear-a pair of worn black leggings and a tight gray tank top. I need the distraction. I need to feel the raw, physical burn of sparring to completely block out everything else.

​Mum is nowhere to be found downstairs, likely out visiting her friends, so I drop my empty plate into the sink. Peeking out the window, I spot Dad already outside on the clearing, practicing his forms with a training dagger. Grabbing my own blade from its hidden spot in the kitchen cupboard, I head out to join him. The afternoon sun is beginning to dip, casting long, golden shadows across the packed dirt.

​"You ready?" he asks, a smirk on his face. He sounds more than ready to kick my butt, as usual.

​I nod, dropping into my stance, and the sparring begins. The rush of adrenaline and sweat does wonders for my head. Still, rogue thoughts from last night's party manage to break through my concentration.

Just as I dodge a sweeping slash from Dad, Reya's face pops into my mind. I hope she's okay. It's strange, but the few moments I spent with her made me feel deeply attached to her.

​Dad tries to use my sudden distraction to land a hit, but my human reflexes are sharp. I'm faster. I catch him off balance for a split second, slipping past his guard and driving the butt of my hilt directly toward his ribs.

​He blocks it with his forearm at the last second, his free hand clamping around my wrist. His grip is like iron. With a low grunt, he utilizes my own forward momentum to twist my arm, flipping me clean over his hip.

​The wind knocks right out of me as my back hits the harsh ground. Gasping for air, I roll over immediately. Coughing, my eyes watering, I scramble back to my feet and raise my dagger into a defensive guard again.

​Dad doesn't strike. Instead, he lowers his weapon and wipes the sweat from his forehead with the back of his palm. "You okay?"

​"Yeah-"

​"Hold on." Dad cuts me off, freezing instantly. His head snaps toward the house, his ears twitching. "Someone is at the front door. Two men."

​"Do you know them?"

​His frown deepens, but he doesn't answer. Instead, he drops his weapon and starts walking briskly toward the house. Curious and a little tense, I follow closely behind him.

​My heart rate accelerates with every step we take toward the front door. Suddenly, Athena's frantic eagerness surges through our bond, paired with a heavy, suffocating shift in the air.

​The realization hits me a second before Dad opens the door, completely shattering my fragile sanity.

​Bright golden eyes-the exact shade burned into my memory-are the first thing I see.

​His gaze briefly brushes over my dad before locking completely onto mine. The shock is mutual; it seems I'm not the only one feeling the devastating pull of the bond. A powerful, intoxicating connection invades my body, a sensation I'm not sure I can ever get used to, especially since he's likely here to reject me.

​Don't think that, Athena speaks up in my mind.

​I almost roll my eyes. Oh, so now you want to talk to me.

​I'm sorry, she whispers softly, but I refuse to respond.

​"Alpha Arik?" Dad says, staring at the man in utter confusion.

​"Beta Rufus," Alpha Arik replies. His thick, gravelly voice practically radiates his status and commanding aura. He's dressed down today, wearing a simple black shirt with the sleeves rolled up his forearms, paired with dark jeans.

His sheer height almost reaches the top of our doorframe. I've never seen anyone so imposing, but I can't look at anything except his eyes.

​Then, I notice the man standing right behind him. It's the wolf from the hallway last night-the one who almost broke my wrist. He is staring at me, his jaw practically dropping to the floor.

​"You!" the man-Jacob-exclaims. He points a finger at me, urgently nudging Alpha Arik's shoulder. "She's the one."

​My mate blinks, tearing his eyes away from me to look at Jacob in confusion. "What?"

​"Reya's angel," Jacob states firmly.

​My ears twitch at the mention of the little girl's name. Alpha Arik snaps his gaze back to me, his golden eyes swirling with a mixture of intense emotions I can't even begin to decipher.

​And then, a realization hits me so hard it knocks the breath right out of my lungs.

​Oh. My. God.

​The resemblance. The striking blue eyes, the facial structure-it's so incredibly obvious. I am such an idiot. I can't believe the pieces didn't click until right now. No wonder I felt such an instantaneous, powerful pull toward Reya.

​My mate... is her father..