6 Chapter Six

The following day dawned and the sun cast its light upon a world where Ariana's spirit had been utterly shattered. She sat at the table, untouched food before her. Consumed by heartache, she couldn't bring herself to eat, leaving her body weak and her heart heavier with each passing moment. The once welcoming home now felt like a cold prison and the tantalizing aromas of food that filled the air in the house served as a cruel reminder of the love she had lost.

Mia, ever eager to torment and add salt to her sister's wounds, approached Ariana with a wicked grin.

"Dearest sister," she taunted, "let me ask you, do you truly believe that the Alpha will maintain interest in you if you fail to provide him with an heir? You'll be discarded like yesterday's refuse when your role as his breeder is fulfilled."

Ariana's shoulders slumped, and her voice was a mere whisper. "What do you mean?"

Mia merely rolled her eyes. "Oh, Ariana, you're so naive. So naive that you have no place in our world."

She circled Ariana, her eyes gleaming as she reveled in her sister's vulnerability.

"Oh, dear Ariana," she taunted, her voice dripping with cruelty, "you think the Alpha, Ethan, loves you or will ever love you for who you are? You're so hopelessly naive."

Ariana, her voice barely more than a whisper, shot back, "That's enough, Mia. I didn't choose this path for myself. And as difficult and rough as it is, I can overcome this."

Mia's laughter was a sharp, bitter sound that echoed through the room. "Tell me how you plan to make this happen, Ariana."

Her tone grew more malicious as she continued, "You see, my dear sister, once the Alpha gets tired of you, he won't have any use for a barren mate. He will dispose of you like a broken toy, a nuisance he no longer wishes to bear. The Alpha is not interested in love; he's interested in heirs."

Ariana's eyes welled with tears as she tried to deny Mia's words. "He would never—"

Mia cut her off with a sinister grin. "You don't understand. In our world, love is an illusion. You'll be nothing but a tool to him, a pathetic breeder, a mere inconvenience. And when he's done with you, you'll be immediately discarded ."

Ariana's heart hammered in her chest as Mia's words filled her mind with nightmarish images, "No, you're wrong. That can't be true. He wouldn't—."

Mia quickly leaned in close, cutting her off once again, her voice a venomous hiss. "But there's more, dear sister. Alpha Ethan won't just discard you. No, he'll take you forcefully, Ariana. He will violate your body in ways you can't even imagine. You'll be left broken, both in spirit and flesh."

Ariana's tears flowed freely and terror clutched her heart at Mia's words.  Her sister's cruelty knew no bounds, and at that moment, Ariana felt more powerless and trapped than ever before.

Mia, far from finished with her torment, continued with a chilling smile, "And let's not forget, Ariana, once you're broken and useless, he'll find a new mate to bear his children. You'll watch as your replacement steps into the role you once dreamed of, while you wither away in obscurity."

Ariana's sobs were now audible, her body racked with anguish. "Stop, Mia. Please, stop."

But Mia remained unrelenting, her voice dripping with malice. "Oh, dear sister, there's no escape from this fate. You're destined for a life of pain and despair, all because of your foolish dreams of love."

Mia's final words, laced with menace, were meant to strike fear into Ariana's heart. "You're going to learn the hard way, sister. The world of Alpha Ethan is one of darkness and cruelty, and there's no place for love"

Ariana crumpled to the floor, unable to withstand the cruelty of Mia's words any longer. Her sister had shattered her hope and filled her mind with dread, leaving her emotionally scarred, mentally broken, and desperate to escape her dreadful fate.

As the day dwindled into twilight, Ariana's fear transformed into determination. She couldn't endure the prospect of the bleak future that awaited her. Her decision to escape became unshakable, and with the moon hanging low in the night sky, she knew the time had come to break free from this living nightmare.

In the hush of the night, Ariana gathered her little possessions and slipped away into the enveloping darkness. Her destination: a neighboring pack, where she hoped to find solace far from the torment of her own home.

Ariana's heart raced as she crept along the border, her steps as light as a whisper. The moon hung low, casting long shadows over the forest. She thought she might make it, escape the torment that awaited her. But fate had other plans.

Liam, the one person she had hoped never to encounter, her treacherous mate, appeared like a ghost in the moonlight, blocking her path. He was patrolling the border that fateful night. His sharp senses detected her presence, and his eyes narrowed as he comprehended her intent. His eyes gleamed with an eerie mix of sadness and determination

Liam's voice was cold, like the frosty night air. "Ariana, where do you think you're going?"

Ariana's breath hitched, her voice barely audible. "Liam, please... Let me go. I can't stay here."

His jaw clenched, his voice sharp as the biting wind. "You know I can't do that. It's not up to me."

Tears welled up in Ariana's eyes. "Please, Liam. I can't face that life. I won't."

Liam's expression remained stoic, his grip on her arm unrelenting. "You're being foolish, Ariana. You go nowhere. You belong here."

Desperation seeped into Ariana's voice as she pleaded, "I can't accept the fate that awaits me here. I can't bear to be used like that, to be discarded when I'm no longer of use."

Liam's features softened for a brief moment, but his resolve remained. "You don't understand, Ariana. There's more to this than you know."

Ariana shook her head, "You know what they have planned. Don't make me face that. Don't make me suffer."

Her voice tinged with heartbreak. "Tell me. Tell me why you won't let me go. Please be on my side, Liam. Help me escape this nightmare"

Liam sighed, torn between his loyalty to the park and his concern for Ariana.  "I wish it were that simple, Ariana."

Ariana's eyes locked onto Liam's, searching for a hint of the love she'd once believed in. "I can't trust that I would survive here anymore. Let me go if you ever cared about me, Liam."

Liam's voice softened, regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ariana. I truly am. But I can't let you leave."

Ariana's heart sank, the weight of her shattered dreams pressing down on her. She had been so close to escaping, yet now she was trapped.

she fell to her knees before him, her voice trembling as she beseeched, "Please, Liam, let me go. You must understand, that I cannot remain here. I will not survive."

Liam, his countenance cold and unyielding, paid no heed to her pleas. Words were unnecessary. He knew his duty.

Instead, he seized her arm with an unrelenting grip and began the journey back to the home she had tried so desperately to escape.

The world seemed unwelcoming, and her attempt to break free from the heart-wrenching reality had been foiled.

Through the veil of night, under the silent moon, Liam returned Ariana to her parents' home. The world felt like a prison, and her attempt to escape had been in vain.