she saw Zander scanning the crowd with his sharp blue eyes, hunting for her. When their eyes locked, Aria felt both exci

intensity that stopped her. They felt like the only two peop

r said, "Aria. We nee

arked with worry, as Zander led her away from the crowd. Liam's concerned whispe

where the overhanging branches of an old oak tree

ia began, "Zander, what d

ong time. "Aria, I kno

ent she had been waiting for and dreaming of. She tr

firmly. "I am flattered. But you nee

nder Aria's feet. "What?" sh

e an Omega. Weak. Unworthy of an Alpha's attention. I'll admit your

disbelief and hurt battling within her. This couldn't be

." she said in a

mistaken. Focus on finding a suitable Beta or ano

seemed so different from the one she had admired from afar and so unlike the

ou're wrong. I am more than just

do not change with one night of luck. Know your place." He turne

d and fled. She ran deeper into the woods, branches whipping at her face as she went. She ran until her lungs burned and her legs ached, putting as much distance as she

ood a large, flat stone with strange, swirling marks on its surface. Drawn by a force she couldn't explain, Aria walked towards the ston

r core. Visions flashed before her eyes, the trees fading and the world blurring. She saw wolves running through ancient forests, shifting between h

dim light of the clearing. She looked down at her hands, half-expecting them to

flash of fur and gleaming eyes, before it disappeared into the undergrowth. Heart pounding, Aria turned back to the

me?" Aria whispered t

she felt a thrill of excitement too. For a moment, she thought about returning to the pack and sharing what had happened. But the memory of

truth about what had happened to her. She was

but a new sense of purpose burned stronger. She knew that whatever had

he forest. She paused to catch her breath and steeled herself. She

spun around, ready to defend herself, only to see Liam. His voice urgent

ling him everything-the strange stone, the surge of power, Zander's rejection-but s

earched her face. "Did Zande

heart clenched at the memory. "I

med to think better of it. "Alright," he said a

eyes on her. She knew he sensed something had changed,

g, Aria spotted Zander, deep in conversation with some of the elders. When their eyes met briefly,

n? And what would it mean for her place in the pack? She was no longer content to be the quiet Omega everyone expected her to be.

somewhere deep in the forest, the stone with the strange markings pulsed with an