Rejected Mate's Revenge

The pack house had never looked more beautiful. Golden lights cascaded from the ceiling like fallen stars, and white roses—my favorite—adorned every surface in celebration of our mate ceremony anniversary. Three years. Three years since Reid Walker, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, had marked me as his Luna before the Moon Goddess herself.

I smoothed the silver fabric of my ceremonial dress, the one I'd worn on our marking night, and touched my still-flat stomach where our secret grew. Tonight was supposed to be perfect. Tonight, I would tell Reid about the pup we'd created together, the heir he'd always dreamed of.

Pack members filtered into the great hall, their voices a warm hum of celebration. The she-wolves complimented my dress, the males bowed respectfully to their Luna. Everything was exactly as it should be—except for the glaring absence of the one person who mattered most.

Where was Reid?

I checked the ornate clock above the fireplace. Eight-thirty. The ceremony should have started thirty minutes ago. My wolf, Sage, paced restlessly beneath my skin, sensing my growing unease.

'He'll be here,' I whispered to her, but even my inner voice lacked conviction.

The pack's Beta, Marcus Stone, approached with an uncomfortable expression that made my stomach clench. His usual confident demeanor had cracked, revealing something that looked dangerously close to pity.

"Luna Christina," he said, his voice carefully measured. "I need to speak with you."

The noise of the celebration seemed to fade as dread settled in my chest like a stone. "Where is Reid, Marcus?"

He glanced around the room, then leaned closer. "There's been an incident. Aitana Porter was attacked by rogues near the eastern border. She's... she's badly injured."

Aitana. The name hit me like a physical blow. Reid's childhood friend who had returned to our pack six months ago, claiming she needed sanctuary after her previous pack was destroyed. The she-wolf with the golden hair and innocent blue eyes who somehow always seemed to need Reid's personal attention.

"And Reid?" My voice came out steadier than I felt.

Marcus's jaw tightened. "He's with her. The injuries are severe—possible internal bleeding. He couldn't leave her side."

Couldn't leave her side. On our anniversary. While our pack waited to celebrate the bond the Moon Goddess had blessed us with.

The carefully constructed joy of the evening crumbled around me. Pack members continued their conversations, oblivious to the fact that their Alpha had abandoned his Luna on the most sacred night of their mated life.

"How long ago?" I asked, my Luna training keeping my voice level despite the growing ache in my chest.

"Two hours," Marcus admitted, and I saw the shame in his eyes. Two hours. Reid had known about this celebration for weeks, had helped me plan every detail, and he'd left two hours ago without so much as a word to me.

"I see." I turned away from Marcus, my hands instinctively moving to my stomach where our unborn pup rested, unaware that their father had already chosen another she-wolf over their mother.

Sage whimpered in my mind, feeling the sharp stab of betrayal through our mate bond. This wasn't the first time Reid had dropped everything for Aitana's emergencies. There had been the twisted ankle during her morning run that required his personal attention. The nightmares from her "traumatic past" that only Reid could soothe. The dizzy spells that struck whenever I was spending time with my mate.

But tonight was different. Tonight was sacred.

"Luna, perhaps we should postpone—" Marcus began.

"No." The word came out sharper than I intended. "The pack has gathered. We'll proceed without the Alpha."

Marcus looked uncertain. "Are you sure? The elders might—"

"The elders can speak to me directly if they have concerns," I said, letting a hint of Luna authority creep into my voice. "I won't disappoint our pack because my mate chose to tend to another she-wolf's wounds."

The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I held my head high. I was Luna of this pack, and I had duties beyond my crumbling heart.

As Marcus nodded and moved away, I felt the first real crack in the foundation of my world. The mate bond that had once felt like sunshine in my veins now carried an undercurrent of pain, a whisper that something fundamental had shifted.

I needed to see for myself. I needed to understand why Aitana Porter's blood was more important than our sacred bond.

The celebration continued around me, but I was already moving toward the door, toward answers I wasn't sure I wanted to find.