Wronged forgotten mate

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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Aria's POV

When I opened my eyes, the world around me was a blur. The soft glow of moonlight seeped through heavy curtains, casting silvery patterns on the unfamiliar walls. My head throbbed, a dull ache that seemed to pulse in rhythm with my heartbeat. Where was I?

The bed beneath me was plush, the sheets warm against my skin, but I couldn't shake the chill creeping up my spine. This wasn't my room. I struggled to sit up, my muscles sluggish as if I'd been asleep for days. My breath hitched when the door creaked open.

A man stood there, his silhouette imposing against the faint light from the hallway. Dark hair, broad shoulders, and eyes that gleamed like molten gold in the dimness. He stepped closer, his scent-a heady mix of pine and something earthy-hitting me like a wave. My wolf stirred within me, both curious and wary.

"You're awake," he said, his voice deep and commanding.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Who are you?" The question came out sharper than I intended, but fear coursed through me, hot and relentless.

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of pain cross his features. "Aria," he said, as if my name were a prayer. "I'm Lucas. Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack."

Alpha. The word tugged at something deep inside me, something I couldn't quite grasp. But it didn't matter. I didn't know him. I didn't know this pack. And yet, there was something familiar about the way he said my name, as though it wasn't the first time he'd spoken it.

"I don't know you," I said firmly, pushing myself upright. My hands clenched the sheets as dizziness washed over me.

Lucas's eyes darkened, his shoulders stiffening. "You don't remember," he murmured, more to himself than to me. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "You're my mate."

Mate.

The word echoed in my mind, sharp and cutting. My chest tightened, and I shook my head, trying to make sense of his claim. "No," I said, my voice trembling. "I think you have the wrong person. I don't even know how I got here."

Lucas's gaze bore into mine, unyielding. "You were found on our territory, unconscious and alone. No one else was around. And you're not just anyone, Aria. You're my fated mate. You belong here."

I shook my head again, the ache in my skull intensifying. His words didn't make sense. I couldn't remember anything before waking up here. No pack, no territory, no Alpha. Nothing.

"Stop," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I don't know you. I don't know anything about this... about you."

For a moment, Lucas looked lost, as though my words had struck a blow he hadn't expected. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the door swung open again, and a woman stepped in.

"Lucas," she said, her tone brisk. She had sharp features and eyes like ice. Her gaze flicked to me, her lips pressing into a thin line. "She needs rest. You're overwhelming her."

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