Aria couldn't sleep. It was those words, from the letter that continued to echo through her head. She had to confront Damon. Painful as it was, she needed to get the part off her chest.
The following morning, she found Damon in the living room going through some papers. Her heart was racing, her letter held tight in hand as she walked up to him.
"Damon, we have talk," Aria shook as she spoke.
The face that stared back at her was blank. "What is it, Aria?"
She gave him the letter shook as she did so. "I found this. Selena wrote it. What's going on? What are you planning?"
Aria read nothing in Damon's eyes that she could not catch, but something flickered there briefly before he sighed and got up. "Aria, you're overreacting. It's just pack business."
"Pack business?" Aria repeated, her voice pitched high. This letter is about moving fast, me finding a lock. Damon, this is not just pack business. You are totally keeping secrets from me!
Damon's expression hardened. "Aria, you're being paranoid. You're being biased.
His tone made Aria feel her heart break. "Paranoid? Damon, I'm your mate. We must trust each other, uphold one another. Why are you doing this? Why are you shutting me out?"
Damon's eyes hardened, and for the first time in her life Aria saw anger within them. "You have disgraced your place as the Luna"
His words struck her as though arrows across the jaw. She staggered away with an astonished look on her face. "What are you talking about?"
Damon sighed, running his hand through his hair and looking obviously conflicted. "I have been displeased by your leadership for some time. "
"I need someone tougher, harder around the edges who could take complaints off me without getting emotional. You're too soft, Aria. You let your feelings get in the way."
Aria choked, her voice a whimper in the darkness. "But I was always there to do what's best for the pack."
Damon shook his head. "But it's not enough. A pack would either lead to a dominating leader (which is not at all preferable), or one who was firm in the role, someone willing and able enough to step aside when necessary for the good of that greater whole. You are too clingy; you care to much. It's time for a change."
Tears sprang to Aria's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away knowing well enough that if he saw her cry just once, it would only go further down hill from there. "So, ditching me and moving on? With Selena? That was your big plan?"
There was no reply from Damon, a silence that spoke for itself. The cold truth settled down in Aria's heart and shattered it. Her Loved one, the man she believed-in with her everything was plotting to cheat on her.
"How could you Damon." She was barely able to whisper. "How could you do this to me."
Damon's face remained stony. "I need to do what's best for the pack Aria…"
Aria gaped at him, once a man she thought she knew but now could have sworn he was an entirely different person. She left the room without another word, her heartbeat pounding in her ears as she sprinted away.
Storming through the pack house, Aria was out of her mind while she looked for Selena. She had to seek out the answers, although there was also apart of her that feared what she might uncover.
She realised Selena was in the training room, showing a group of younger wolves some moves. Aria seethed until the session was over and Selena came towards her.
"Hey, Aria," Selena smiled wanly as she approached the table. "What brings you here?"
Aria didn't waste any time. I know what you've been up to, Selena. I found the letter. How could you do this to me?"
Aria's dropped open; Selena's winning smile slid away in an instant as her face turned several shades colder and more calculating. "So, you found out. I was wondering when you would finally connect the dots."
Aria's heart ached at the betrayal in her friend's voice. "Why, Selena? We were friends. I trusted you."
Selena crossed her arms, her eyes hard and unforgiving. "Friends? You really think that's what we were? Aria, I've been in your shadow for years. Always the second-in-command, always the one taking orders from you. I'm tired of it. I deserve to be Luna, not you."
Aria couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're doing this because of jealousy? Because you want my position?"
Selena's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Jealousy? Call it what you want, Aria. But I'm stronger than you, more capable. The pack needs someone like me, not a weak Luna who can't even see what's happening right under her nose."
Aria felt like she had been punched in the gut. "I've always done what's best for the pack. I've always put the pack first."
Selena snorted. "And look where that's gotten you. Damon and I have been planning this for months, and you never even suspected. Face it, Aria—you're not fit to lead. You're too soft, too emotional."
Aria's hands clenched into fists at her sides, her anger boiling over. "You betrayed me. You and Damon both. How could you do this to me? I thought we were family."
Selena's eyes flashed with something dark and twisted. "Family? You're so naive, Aria. This is about power, about what's best for the pack. And you? You're in the way."
Aria felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "You'll never be Luna, Selena. The pack will never accept you."
Selena's smile returned, colder than ever. "Oh, but they will. With Damon by my side, they won't have a choice."
Aria stared at her, the weight of the betrayal crushing her spirit. She had lost her best friend, her mate, and now, possibly her place as Luna. The pain was unbearable, but deep down, a spark of defiance remained.
"You won't get away with this, Selena," Aria said, her voice firm despite the tears threatening to fall. "I'll find a way to stop you."
Selena simply laughed, the sound echoing in the empty training room. "We'll see, Aria. We'll see."
The pack house was buzzing with tension as word spread of the impending confrontation. Aria stood in the centre of the main hall, surrounded by pack members, their eyes filled with confusion and uncertainty. Damon and Selena stood across from her, their expressions resolute.
Damon stepped forward, his voice calm but commanding. "Aria, it's time for you to step down as Luna."
Gasps and murmurs erupted from the crowd, but Aria held her ground, her heart pounding in her chest. "I won't step down, Damon. I've led this pack with everything I have. You can't just take that away."
Damon's eyes were cold, his expression unforgiving. "I'm not asking, Aria. The pack needs stronger leadership. Leadership that can make the tough decisions. Selena and I have the support of many in the pack. It's time for a change."
Aria looked around, searching the faces of her pack members, hoping to find support. But to her horror, many of them looked away, their expressions filled with doubt. She was alone.
"You can't do this," Aria said, her voice trembling with emotion. "This is my pack too."
Damon's gaze softened for a moment, but then he shook his head. "It's for the best, Aria. Please, don't make this harder than it has to be."
Aria felt a tear slip down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, refusing to show weakness. "You're making a mistake, Damon. A terrible mistake."
Selena stepped forward, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "Aria, you can leave peacefully, or we can do this the hard way. It's your choice."
Aria's heart broke as she realised she had no choice. If she fought back, it would only cause more harm to the pack she loved. She couldn't let that happen.
"Fine," Aria said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll step down."
Damon's expression remained unreadable as he nodded. "Thank you, Aria. This is for the best."
The pack house was eerily silent as Aria gathered her belongings. She felt numb, her mind struggling to process everything that had happened. She was no longer Luna. No longer part of the pack she had given everything to.
As she stepped outside, the cool night air stung her face, mingling with the tears she could no longer hold back. The pack members who had once looked up to her now avoided her gaze, their expressions filled with a mixture of pity and indifference.
Damon and Selena stood at the edge of the territory, waiting for her. Damon's face was unreadable, but Selena's was full of smug satisfaction.
"You're making a mistake," Aria said one last time, her voice trembling with emotion. "I would have done anything for this pack. For you, Damon."
Damon's eyes flickered with something—regret, maybe—but he quickly looked away. "It's done, Aria. Leave now, before we have to force you."
Aria swallowed back her anger and sorrow, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break. "I'll leave. But mark my words, I will return. And when I do, you'll regret what you've done."
With those final words, Aria turned and walked away, the weight of her exile pressing down on her like a heavy burden. But deep inside, a flame of determination burned bright. She would return, stronger and wiser. And when she did, she would reclaim what was rightfully hers.
As the border of the territory disappeared behind her, Aria's sorrow was replaced by a fierce resolve. She was no longer Luna, but she was not defeated. This was not the end. It was only the beginning.