Aria Pov

In six days I shall be destroyed by the crescent moon.

I am cuffed with the metal closing round my wrists, feeding off the energy of my wolf. Before me is the Seven Tower Gate, a dark monolith whose ancient power smothers mine. I'm a mutant-an impending bomb-a danger to my pack.

The whispers of 'Born unclean, Threat to self / society,' still follow me. On my face, but also on my flesh, my body littered with scars from my time as their prisoner, their brand. Once each new crescent, and my strength explodes with little care of what it destroys.

The gate groaned as it was slowly opened, and a mouldy piece of bread was thrown at my feet. A pitiful gesture to the monster they’d been conditioned to see me as. My father, the infamous Alpha had thrown me in the dephts of the Seven Tower Gate, a prison inside the Organization’s clutches. To the world, Opal had died – a lie spun out of thin air to keep their eyes and ears away. The truth was far less heartwrenching- I was the result of a witch’s curse, a hex cast on my mother, the woman my father murdered when he destroyed Beacon Hill City. The curse had distorted my fate, making me a threat to anyone I let close. My power was a hurricane and I was the lightning- causing destruction with no remorse.

But my father’s scheme was to sap me of all my energy, rendering me wolfless and just a ghost of myself. But I knew the truth – I was his weakest spot, the one creature he dreaded above every other. Their crescent rose and inside me awoke a hungering voice for release from shackles.

My eyes hanged on him as he emerged from the darkness and met mine with his piercing blue ones. A surge of electricity went through my veins when his sharp outline came out of the dark into view, his rugged dress code – simple jeans and a blue polo shirt – only added to this mysteriousness; they looked like someone had carved them in granite, and he had strong cheekbones with a firm jawbone.

But it was his smile that truly disarmed me - a subtle curve of the lips that hinted at secrets and mysteries above my understanding. I was trapped in his gaze, my mind racing with questions. Who was this man, and what was his purpose here? Was he a fellow prisoner, or something far more sinister?

As he came closer, his aura enveloped me, a complex mosaic breath of power and intrigue that left me breathless.

Just as I was bewitched by the stranger's enigmatic smile, the sound of boots echoing through the corridors shattered the silence. The security team's urgent shouts and the wail of alarms sent a chill down my spine.

''Thieves in the building!'' they yelled, their flashlights casting eerie shadows on the walls.

My heart raced as the stranger's eyes locked into mine, a hint of glee dancing in their depths. Was he the thief they were searching for? And if so, what was his true intention? I felt a thrill of excitement mixed with fear as the security team closed in, their heavy footsteps growing louder with each passing moment.

The stranger's smile never wavered, his eyes never leaving mine, as if daring me to expose the secrets he kept hidden behind his piercing blue gaze.

the security team's urgent shouts and the wail of alarms sent a chill down my spine. ''Thieves in the building!'' they yelled, their flashlights casting eerie shadows on the walls.

''Check inside the Seven Tower Gate!'' a guard barked, but his companion hesitated.

''Don't be foolish; that place is a death trap!' the second guard warned.

''Only the Alpha can enter without risking their life. The aura within will drain your wolf's power, and we all know that. Unless the thief wants to commit suicide, he won't dare enter.''

The guards exchanged a skeptical glance before shrugging and moving on.

"Wow, there are indeed many ancient treasures here." the stranger laughed.

Yes, most of our priceless treasures are kept within the Seven Tower Gate, the safest and most secure place in our pack's stronghold. Only my father, Lord Edgard, has access to its secrets, and even then, only with great caution. The Gate is said to be treacherous, its aura capable of draining a wolf's power and rendering even the strongest helpless.

The stranger's eyes gleamed with excitement, and I sensed a hunger in him, a desire to uncover the secrets hidden within the Seven Tower Gate. Eventually, his gaze fixed on me.

"'Who are you, and why are you caged by the Lord Edgard?''

The stranger asked, his piercing eyes burning with curiosity as he drew closer. "And wow, you are breathtakingly beautiful! I've never seen anyone like you in Beacon Hills. Your beauty is radiant, a true masterpiece."

I blushed, my cheeks flushing with a mix of surprise and pleasure. My beauty was a curse, a secret I had kept hidden from the world. But this stranger saw it, and his words made me feel alive.

As he approached me, I was hit by a scent that I had never felt before. A scent that was so enticing that it stopped me from thinking of anything else. A scent that woke my wolf up.

"Mate," I whispered to myself.