Chapter 3: I'd Rather Become a Rogue Than Stay in This Lying Pack

Aria's POV

"Aria, wait! Let me explain!" Damien gasps for breath, desperation bleeding through every word.

I lift my phone. My voice comes out steady. Cold. "Explain? Perfect timing, Damien. The Elders should hear this too."

I press play.

His face goes white. He realizes what I'm holding. What I recorded.

The recording crackles through the silent room. His voice, clear as day: "The child stays secret until Aria leaves. Father said the pack can't be without an heir. Aria's situation is too unstable."

Marcus's voice follows, hesitant: "Alpha, with respect, this isn't fair to Miss Storm..."

Then Damien again, exhausted and trapped: "But I don't have a choice. If the pack has no heir, the Elders won't let me inherit the Alpha position."

Serena's sickly sweet tone cuts through: "She's too proud to be the second woman. Then you can marry me for real. And the Elders already agreed, right?"

The final blow. Damien's voice, calculating and cold: "We proceed as planned. I'll complete the marking with Aria at the full moon ceremony so pack members won't suspect. After that... we deal with it later."

The recording ends. Silence crashes down.

The Elders' faces cycle from red to white to gray. Damien stands frozen, body rigid. Alpha Alexander closes his eyes, drawing a deep breath.

My voice cuts through the stillness. "So this is your pack protocol? Trap me with a soul bond, then tell me the truth when I can't leave?"

Damien lunges forward. "Aria, it's not... I didn't..."

I step back. "You didn't what? Didn't lie? Didn't plan to mark me first and trap me?"

Maya moves between us. Damien's hand freezes mid-air, shaking. I see the pain in his eyes, but my heart is numb.

"One week ago, I told you about my condition. You held me. You said 'I only want you.' But Serena was already three months pregnant!"

"I meant it! Aria, I swear..."

"You meant it?" I laugh, harsh and bitter. "While your mistress was carrying your child? While you were planning to bind me before I could escape?"

Damien stares at me. Something shifts in his expression. A terrible realization that he's truly lost me. The woman who once looked at him with warmth died in his web of lies.

My voice drops. Quieter. More dangerous. "Tell me the truth, Damien. That night when you said 'I only want you'... was it ever real? Or was it already a lie?"

His mouth opens. Nothing comes out. Those few seconds scream louder than any words.

I see my answer in his avoiding gaze.

That silence is my answer. When he held me that night, Serena was already over two months pregnant. His vow was a lie from the start. I was never his choice. Just a placeholder.

Alpha Alexander rises. "Enough, Miss Storm. Yes, Serena was arranged by us. The pack needs a guaranteed heir. We couldn't take the risk."

I turn on him, fury blazing. "The risk? I bled for this pack! I got injured protecting this territory from rogues! And THIS is how you repay me?"

An Elder speaks up. "Your injury made conception uncertain. But Serena can provide the heir. This is for the pack's future, for stability."

Another Elder softens his tone. "You can stay, Miss Storm. Remain as the nominal Luna. Serena won't threaten your position..."

The laugh tears out of me. "Nominal Luna? NOMINAL? You want me to be a decorative Luna while watching Damien play happy family with her?"

My hands ball into fists. My whole body shakes with rage. My wolf howls inside, wanting to rip apart these hypocritical faces.

"Miss Storm, think rationally. This arrangement benefits everyone. You keep your status, the pack gets its heir..."

"Benefits everyone?" I smile coldly. "Everyone except me, you mean."

Damien moves forward, voice breaking. "Aria, please. I had no choice. The Elders, my father... the pack can't survive without an heir. But you can stay, we can still..."

"Still what, Damien?" My voice shakes. "I become your trophy while you raise HER children? Watch YOUR heir inherit this pack while I smile and pretend everything's fine?"

He tries to close the distance. I retreat, keeping space between us.

I look straight into his eyes. "Answer me honestly. Just once. That promise you made... 'I only want you'... did you mean it? Or was Serena already pregnant when you said those words?"

His voice comes out hoarse. "Aria, I... I do love you, but the pack..."

"But the pack comes first." I smile without warmth. "I get it now. I was never your choice, was I? Just a temporary solution until the real heir arrived."

Pain floods his features. "I didn't want it to be this way! But I'm the Alpha heir, I have responsibilities..."

"And I have self-respect. Something you clearly don't understand."

I take a deep breath. My hand reaches up, grasping the engagement necklace around my neck. The silver crescent moon glints under the lights. Once a symbol of promises. Now just a chain.

"Damien Blackwood." My voice rings out clear and powerful. "I, Aria Storm, under the witness of the Moon Goddess, hereby break our engagement."

I yank the necklace. The silver chain snaps in my grip. I hurl it to the floor. The sharp crack of metal hitting wood echoes through the silent chamber. Beads scatter across the polished surface, rolling like shattered vows.

Everyone freezes. The Elders stare at each other. Alpha Alexander's mouth hangs open. Damien's face drains to white.

"I'd rather become a rogue than stay in this lying pack."

"Aria, NO!" Damien surges forward, voice raw. He reaches for my hand. I dodge. His eyes overflow with despair.

Alpha Alexander straightens. "Miss Storm, think carefully. Leaving pack protection... the outside world is dangerous for a lone wolf..."

I turn, eyes cutting like blades. "I'll survive. And I'll be better out there than being your pawn here."

Maya waits at the door, my packed bag already in her hands. She nods. I stride toward her, each step deliberate.

"Aria! Don't go! We can still talk... Please!" Damien chases to the doorway.

I don't look back. My voice stays flat. "There's nothing left to talk about, Damien. Enjoy your heir and your perfect little family."

Damien reaches the threshold, wanting to follow. But his legs feel like lead. He can only watch my silhouette disappear into the fading evening light. He drops to his knees in the doorway, surrounded by scattered pieces of the broken necklace. The crescent moon pendant lies split in two, just like their relationship.