Rejected biker luna

Aria's POV

The morning sunlight felt harsh against my skin, but not harsher than the ache between my thighs. Damon had taken me last night, rough and demanding, the way he always does when he needs to remind himself that I'm still his. He'd called it make-up sex, as if that made it gentler. But deep down, I knew better, it was never about love. It was control.

I told myself to stop thinking about it, but the soreness was a cruel reminder.

Ever since I found out Alpha Damon Black was my mate, my life had been one endless storm. Three years of cold nights and distant eyes. Three years of silence that screamed louder than words.

I still remember the first day I met him, at my gym house. The air had gone still the moment he walked in. His scent rolled through the room, thick and powerful. My wolf went wild instantly, whispering, Mate.

He was the most striking man I'd ever seen, tall, broad shoulders, veins tracing down his muscled arms, his dark hair neatly shaved. He looked like power carved into flesh.

"What's your name?" he asked, eyes locked on mine.

"Aria," I said, my voice small but steady.

"Who are you?"

"I'm... an omega. And the gym instructor."

He scoffed, his lip curling slightly. "You're not up to my standard. Mind how you look at me."

That was the first time my heart broke.

Months later, his father forced him into accepting the mate bond. I became Luna by title, not by heart. I worked hard, served the pack, trained the warriors, handled their disputes, and kept the territory stable, all while pretending his indifference didn't kill me slowly.

Damon was a man of duty. He fulfilled every one of his Alpha responsibilities, except the one to his mate.

The shrill ring of his phone snapped me from my thoughts. Damon groaned beside me, reaching for it lazily.

"What is it?" he barked into the phone, his tone all authority.

He paused for a second, then stood up abruptly. "You're joking," he said, and for the first time in years, I saw something strange on his face, a smile.

A smile.

My chest tightened. I hadn't seen him smile since the day we got married, and even then, it wasn't for me.

"What happened?" I asked softly, sitting up.

He was already half-dressed, buttoning his black shirt. "Nothing you need to worry about," he said curtly.

But I followed him anyway. If something could make him smile like that, maybe it was something I could do too, maybe that was my chance to be seen.

When I reached the living room, I froze.

A woman stood in the middle of the room, tall, beautiful, perfectly put together. Her hair was golden, her dress clung to her curves, and her lips carried the kind of confidence only someone who once belonged could have.

"Selene," Damon breathed out.

The name hit my ears like thunder. I