The Lost Wolf

Ariana's POV

"Logan... it's you."

Relief flooded through me as a bright smile spread across my face.

Thank you, Moon Goddess.

I hurried toward him, my heart soaring.

"Stop!" His voice cracked.

I froze mid-step.

My smile faltered as I lifted my gaze to him. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles twitched beneath his skin, and his silver eyes were colder than winter itself.

Why was he angry? Had something happened before I arrived?

"Logan..." I called softly.

"Ariana." He called, his voice clipped.

I smiled again, refusing to let doubt creep in.

"You're my mate." My voice trembled with excitement. "We should be thanking the Moon Goddess. Where's the Moon Crystal?"

"Ariana." This time, he said my name louder.

The entire square fell silent as every pair of eyes turned toward us.

My smile only widened.

Of course he wanted everyone's attention. He wanted the whole pack to witness him accepting me as his mate... as his future Luna.

A nervous giggle escaped my lips before I could stop it.

His expression darkened.

"Do you think this is funny?" he roared.

The sound made me flinch.

"Do you think this is some kind of joke?"

Inside me, my wolf stirred. 'Mate'

"Why are you yelling?" I asked gently. "You should hurry and accept me before I make you regret keeping your Luna waiting."

Instead of smiling... his face became even colder.

"Ariana..." he said slowly, each word sounding like a blade. "I cannot accept you as my mate… or as the Luna of my pack."

Everything around me seemed to stop.

My wolf whimpered. 'Mate... mate'

"No..." A shaky laugh escaped my lips. "You're joking."

I looked around at the crowd. "He's just teasing me."

But no one laughed or even smiled.

"There is no joke," Logan said as he took one step forward, his eyes filled with nothing but disgust. "Take a good look at yourself, Ariana."

His gaze slowly swept over my body.

"You're nothing but a fat, shameless elephant."

The words crashed into me as my stomach twisted violently.

Inside me, my wolf cried out in agony.

I forced my tears back.

"You can't be serious." My voice shook. "I sacrificed everything for you. I almost died because of you..."

I swallowed the painful lump in my throat. "...and now you want to reject me?"

"Stop making this difficult," Logan replied without a trace of guilt.

"You could never become my Luna." His lips curled with contempt. "You don't have the discipline, the dignity, or the appearance worthy of leading this pack."

He let out a cruel laugh. "If you ever became Luna, you'd probably eat the entire food supply before winter arrived."

The crowd erupted into laughter.

"But..." My voice broke. "You always told me I was beautiful... you said you loved my body... you told me I was perfect just the way I was."

"I lied." His answer came instantly. "I only said those things because I pitied you. When everyone mocked you, I defended you because it was my responsibility as the future Alpha."

He looked me straight in the eyes. "I never loved you."

My breath caught.

"So..."

The tears I had been fighting finally escaped.

"All those years... you protected me. You stood beside me. You became my best friend..." I wiped my cheeks with trembling fingers. "...and none of it was real?"

He said nothing.

"Enough of this nonsense, Ariana." My father's voice echoed through the crowd.

He stepped beside Logan.

I turned toward him, desperately searching for comfort... but there was none.

"The Alpha has made his decision," Father said coldly. "You will respect it."

My wolf growled. 'Mate'

I clenched my fists. "I went into Kasha Forest because of Logan."

Gasps spread through the crowd.

“I risked my life to retrieve the Moon Crystal for him.”

“So what?” My father's response was immediate. “Why did you return?”

My blood ran cold.

“What?”

“You were the first person to enter Kasha Forest and come back alive.” His eyes narrowed. “Why do you think that happened?”

I stared at him in confusion.

Why was he speaking as though my survival was a problem? Was he expecting me not to return?

“Father…” I took a hesitant step toward him. “I don't understand.”

“You will.”

Logan exchanged a glance with my father.

My heart began pounding.

There was something they weren't telling me.

Then Logan spoke. “Ariana, you're not a member of Silver Moon Pack.”

I blinked.

“You never were.”

My brows furrowed. “How can you say that?”

I looked toward my father. “My father is your Beta. I was raised here, I grew up here. Everyone knows me.”

Logan's lips curled into a cold smile. “That's exactly what you were meant to believe.”

My father's expression remained emotionless. “I am not your father.”

My breath caught. “What?"

“You heard me.” His voice was cold and firm. “I'm not your father, you bastard.”

My stomach twisted.

The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet.

“No…” I shook my head. “That's impossible.”

“You were adopted.”

Adopted?

I slowly raised a trembling finger toward myself.

“I… I…”

I couldn't finish.

Elena suddenly stepped forward.

A smug smile played across her lips.

“I'm Marcus Carter's only daughter.” She gave a quiet laugh. “Honestly, Ariana, haven't you ever wondered why Father always treated you differently?”

The crowd erupted into whispers.

I looked around helplessly, people were staring at me as though I had suddenly become a stranger.

My mind raced.

Was this why Father had never loved me? Why Elena had always been treated differently? Why had I spent my entire life feeling like I didn't belong?

I looked at Marcus again. “Is it true?”

But he didn't answer, he didn't need to… his silence was enough.

My heart cracked all over again.

Then Logan's voice rang.

“I, Logan Drake, reject Ariana Carter as my fated mate.”

The bond snapped as agony exploded through every inch of my body.

It felt as though invisible claws were ripping my soul apart, tearing the bond from my heart piece by piece.

"Ahhh!" A blood-curdling scream escaped my lips as my knees slammed against the ground.

My wolf howled in unbearable pain.

Then, Elena walked to Logan's side as whispers erupted.

"It's always been Elena."

"I knew he'd never choose Ariana."

"Look at them together."

"They're perfect."

"Elena is the only one worthy of becoming Luna."

Every word crushed what little remained of my heart.

Logan smiled, then ordered, "Bring the gift."

My heart skipped.

Immediately, servants carried forward a beautifully wrapped object.

That's the Moon Crystal?

So, Elena was the woman he'd been talking about. The one who had supposedly stayed by his side when everyone else turned away. The gift had never been meant for me.

As Logan reached to uncover it... strange strength surged inside me as it forced me to my feet.

I lifted my head and wiped my tears as my voice echoed across the square.

"I, Ariana Carter..." I looked directly into Logan's eyes. "...accept your rejection."

The moment the words left my lips, the Moon Crystal slipped from Logan's hands and shattered against the stone floor.

At the same instant, Logan's face twisted in agony. He dropped to one knee, clutching his chest as though someone had driven a blade through his heart.

"What..." He gasped for air. "What is happening?"

"Get her!" Father shouted.

The guards immediately rushed forward, grabbing my arms before I could move.

“Throw her into the dungeon!”

“Fa…”

I stopped myself.

Father?

The word suddenly felt foreign.

I had never truly had one and why would he suddenly care about me now?

I struggled against the guards as they dragged me away.

Then Marcus spoke, his words destroyed the last fragile piece of hope inside me.

“If you had followed the plan and died in the forest, none of this would have happened.”

I froze as tears rolled silently down my cheeks.

They had planned for me to die?

My entire body trembled.

The people I had trusted all my life had wanted me dead.

The guards dragged me toward the dungeon.

I didn't fight anymore, there was nothing left to fight for.

The iron door slammed shut behind me and I rushed toward the bars.

“Please! Let me out!”

The guards only laughed as they walked away.

My legs finally gave out.

I collapsed onto the cold stone floor.

A broken sob tore from my chest as everything I had believed about my life came crashing down around me.

If I was adopted… then who were my parents? How did I get here? Why can't I remember anything?