Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce!

Aria’s POV 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

I couldn’t fight it anymore—the effect Kael had on me. My heart raced. My legs went weak.

Sure, his looks alone were enough to make anyone stare. But it was more than that. The confidence radiating from him. The way he commanded attention without lifting a finger. The raw power that rolled off him in waves, making every nerve in my body stand at attention.

After that disaster of a mating ceremony, one thing became crystal clear: I was completely, utterly screwed.

The memory of his voice still echoed in my skull. "Mine." That single word, growled with such primal possession. The way his black-gold eyes had blazed to pure molten gold. The entire ballroom had witnessed the Alpha heir of Blood Crown claim an Omega. A married Omega.

What the hell had just happened?

Fenrir—his wolf—had called me his mate. His fated mate. The same bond I’d just shattered with Finn, now reforming with someone even more dangerous.

In the car, I found myself studying him. My focus crumbled like wet paper. My eyes drifted to his hands on the steering wheel. Long fingers. Confident grip. Veins running along his forearms. I should look away. I should stop this pathetic staring. But my willpower had abandoned ship hours ago.

Artemis whimpered in my head. She was still reeling from the mate bond rejection with Finn. The pain had been excruciating—like someone had ripped my heart out through my chest. But now? Now she was purring. Actually purring. Like a cat who’d found cream.

*Shut up,* I told her silently.

*He’s ours.* she whispered back.

I ignored her. Tried to, anyway.

I sat rigid in the passenger seat of his luxury car, fingers twisted together in my lap. The leather was soft. Expensive. Everything about this vehicle screamed wealth and power. The window became my lifeline. I tried desperately not to sneak glances at him.

I failed. Miserably.

My eyes betrayed me. They drank in his chiseled jaw. His black hair falling just right across his forehead. The way his shirt stretched across those impossible shoulders. One hand controlled the steering wheel with casual grace. The other tapped a lazy rhythm on his thigh.

The cut on his cheek had started healing. The bruise on his jaw was fading to yellow at the edges. He’d fought tonight. Before the ceremony. And he’d still shown up for me.

Why?

This man made driving look sinful.

I swallowed hard. Finding this attractive was ridiculous. He was Kael Blood Crown. The Alpha heir. The wolf who believed Omegas were trash.

Yet here I was, sneaking peeks like some hormone-crazed teenager.

His pheromones filled the car. Ebony and frost. Dark and intoxicating. They wrapped around me like a blanket, making my head swim. Making Artemis roll over in contentment.

The mate bond was already forming. I could feel it. A thin thread connecting us, growing stronger with every passing minute.

Then he caught me.

Kael’s head turned slightly. Those piercing black-gold eyes captured mine. The air in the car thickened. Suffocating. Electric. Something sparked between us—a current that made my skin prickle.

I whipped my head away so fast my knee slammed into the dashboard.

"Damn," I gasped, clutching my knee.

Kael let out a quiet sigh. That somehow made everything worse. Heat flooded my cheeks. I could feel his gaze on me. Burning. Assessing.

"You’re jumpy," he observed. His voice was low. Rough. Like gravel wrapped in silk.

"I’m not jumpy," I lied. "I’m just... tired."

He didn’t respond. Of course he didn’t. Kael BloodCrown wasn’t exactly known for small talk.

I forced my attention back to the scenery rushing past, swearing I wouldn’t steal another look. The streets changed as we drove. The gleaming buildings of Blood Crown territory gave way to darker roads. Cracked pavement. Flickering streetlights.

The silence between us stretched like a live wire. Charged. Dangerous. Ready to snap.

Beyond my complicated feelings about Kael, I couldn’t stop thinking about Finn. I had actually rejected him. In front of everyone. The words had torn out of me before I could stop them.

The pain had been immediate. Brutal. Like having my insides rearranged with a rusty knife.

He would be furious. Devastated. His pride wouldn’t survive this humiliation.

I didn’t want to face him. I didn’t want to go back to his house ever again.

The divorce papers were already signed. Lilith’s custody was already surrendered. There was nothing left for me there. Nothing but memories of pain and disappointment.

I pushed the thought away. I couldn’t think about that now. If I started, I’d break. And I couldn’t afford to break. Not here. Not in front of him.

As we approached my mother’s house, I straightened. The familiar decrepit building came into view. Peeling paint. Broken windows. The smell of cheap alcohol already drifting out.

Kael said nothing. He eased the car to the curb, those fingers still tapping the steering wheel. The engine purred, idling. Waiting.

He didn’t look at me.

I froze there, pulse hammering. For several beats, I just stared at my clenched hands like a complete idiot. The navy dress he’d bought me whispered against my skin. A reminder that none of this was real. That I was just a paid date. Twenty-five thousand dollars. A transaction.

Except... he’d called me his mate. In front of everyone.

What did that mean? Did it mean anything?

"I should go in," I mumbled. I glanced at him, desperate for any reaction. Any sign of what he was thinking.

But he kept staring straight ahead. His jaw was tight. A muscle ticked near his ear. His pheromones had shifted—darker now, more turbulent.

Was he angry? Confused? Disgusted?

I couldn’t tell. I’d never been good at reading Alphas. Especially this one.

"Thank you for tonight," I continued, my voice shaking slightly. "I... it was nice. I mean the food." I winced. Smooth, Aria. Really smooth. "And the dress. Thank you for the dress. You didn’t have to—"

"I know," he cut in.

More silence.

Kael barely nodded, turning his head to look at me. Those black-gold eyes swept over my face. Searching. Reading. Seeing too much.

The silence grew louder with every passing second. I bit my lower lip. Nervous habit. Couldn’t stop it.

His gaze dropped to my mouth. Lingered.

My breath caught.

He leaned closer. The distance between us compressed to almost nothing. I could count his eyelashes. Could see the flecks of gold in his irises. Could smell him—ebony and frost and something wild that made Artemis keen with longing.

I heard my wolf howling with need from the new mate bond. The thread between us pulled taut. Demanding. Insistent.

His lips moved toward mine.

I closed my eyes, thinking he was going to kiss me. My heart slammed against my ribs. My fingers curled into fists. Every cell in my body leaned toward him, desperate for contact.

This was insane. I barely knew him. He’d been cruel to me. Dismissive. Arrogant.

But my wolf didn’t care. The bond didn’t care.

I wanted him to kiss me.

"Goodnight," he said softly.

He didn’t kiss me.

My eyes flew open. He was already pulling back. His expression was shuttered. Unreadable. Those black-gold eyes gave nothing away.

The rejection stung more than it should have.

"Right," I managed. "Goodnight."

I fumbled for the door handle. Found it. Pushed.

The door clicked shut. Before I even found my footing, Kael drove off. Tires screamed against the pavement. His car vanished into the darkness, leaving me alone under the yellow glow of the streetlight.

Cool night air bit through the thin dress.

I stared dumbly at his taillights until they disappeared around the corner. My lips still tingled from the kiss that never happened. My heart still raced from his nearness.

He’d come so close. So impossibly close.

And then he’d just... left.

Typical Alpha.

"Asshole," I whispered.