THE LUNA'S REJECTION

CHAPTER 2: Confrontation

The night was still, the moon a pale sentinel high above, casting a silver glow over the forest. The tension in the air had only thickened since Aria's return. The pack was abuzz with speculation, the shock of her reappearance rippling through their ranks like a stone thrown into calm water. But beneath the surface, another current ran deeper—one that churned within the heart of the Alpha himself.

Rowan stood alone on the balcony of the Alpha’s Keep, his eyes fixed on the darkened forest beyond. The cool breeze rustled the leaves, but it did little to soothe the unease that gnawed at him. Aria’s return had shaken him more than he cared to admit. The girl he had rejected, dismissed as weak and worthless, had come back as a woman who exuded strength and mystery in equal measure.

And something else.

Rowan clenched his fists at his sides, the memory of their confrontation in the clearing still fresh in his mind. The way she had looked at him—those amber eyes, cold and unyielding—had unsettled him in a way he hadn’t expected. Gone was the vulnerability he once saw in her. Instead, there was a confidence that bordered on defiance, a self-assurance that had no place in the Aria he remembered.

But it was more than just her attitude that disturbed him. There was a pull, a barely concealed longing that he couldn't quite suppress. It clawed at him, unsettling his thoughts, making it impossible to think clearly. Aria had always been his, in a sense—meant for him by fate. Rejecting her had been a calculated decision, one made out of necessity. She was weak, and an Alpha couldn't afford weakness in a mate. But now, seeing her again, he was forced to question whether he had made a mistake.

He turned away from the balcony, heading back inside the Keep. His mind was a storm of conflicting emotions, but he knew one thing: he needed answers. He needed to understand what had happened to Aria in the years she’d been gone. And more importantly, he needed to know if she was a threat—to him, to his pack, and to everything he had built.

Rowan made his way through the darkened halls of the Keep, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone floors. He knew where she was—he could feel her presence, a nagging sensation at the edge of his awareness. It was as if the bond that had been severed all those years ago still had some lingering connection, a thread that refused to break completely.

He found her in the small courtyard at the center of the Keep, where the moonlight filtered through the leaves of a great oak tree, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Aria stood beneath the tree, her back to him, her posture relaxed but alert. She was aware of his presence, yet she made no move to acknowledge it. That alone was enough to irk him.

Rowan stepped forward, the crunch of gravel underfoot announcing his approach. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said, his voice low, tinged with the authority he always wielded so easily.

Aria turned slowly, her gaze meeting his without flinching. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes as cold as they had been in the clearing. “And yet here I am,” she replied, her tone calm, almost indifferent. “You’ll have to get used to it.”

Rowan’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t accustomed to being challenged, least of all by someone he had once deemed beneath him. But there was something in the way she looked at him now that unsettled him—like she knew something he didn’t.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to prove,” Rowan said, taking another step closer, “but whatever it is, it won’t work. You’ve changed, yes, but that doesn’t erase the past.”

Aria’s lips curved into a faint smile, though there was no warmth in it. “The past is exactly that—the past. I’m more interested in the present. And right now, I’m here. You can either accept that, or continue pretending you’re still in control.”

His temper flared at her words, and he took another step closer, closing the distance between them. “I am in control,” Rowan said, his voice a growl. “And don’t think for a second that just because you’ve returned, you can challenge that.”

But as he spoke, something within him faltered. Being this close to her, he couldn’t deny the change in her. She radiated a strength he hadn’t anticipated, a force of will that unnerved him. It was as if she had built walls around herself, walls he couldn’t see past. He searched her eyes, looking for a crack, a glimpse of the girl he once knew. But all he found was a steely resolve that sent a shiver down his spine.

Aria held his gaze, unyielding. “You don’t understand, Rowan,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper. “I didn’t come back to challenge you. I came back because this is where I belong. I’m not here to take anything from you. I’m here to claim what’s mine.”

Rowan frowned, confusion flickering in his eyes. “And what exactly is that?”

“Respect,” Aria replied without hesitation. “Something I was denied when I left, but something I’ve earned in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.”

Her words triggered a flash of memory, taking Rowan back to that day five years ago. He remembered the moment he had rejected her, the way she had looked at him with a mix of hurt and disbelief. He had seen the tears in her eyes, the way her shoulders had sagged under the weight of his rejection. He had expected her to plead, to beg for another chance. But she hadn’t. She had left without a word, disappearing into the night, and he hadn’t given her another thought.

But now, as he looked at her, he realized how wrong he had been. The Aria standing before him was a product of whatever she had endured during her absence. And though she gave nothing away, Rowan knew it hadn’t been easy.

The silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken words. Rowan’s confusion deepened, and with it, the longing he had tried so hard to suppress. It gnawed at him, making him feel off-balance, as if he were facing an opponent he couldn’t predict.

“What happened to you?” he asked finally, the words escaping before he could stop them. There was a softness in his tone that surprised even him, a vulnerability he hadn’t intended to reveal.

Aria’s eyes flickered, and for the briefest moment, something passed through them—an emotion Rowan couldn’t quite place. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by that same cold detachment.

“That’s something you don’t need to know,” Aria said, her voice hardening. “All that matters is that I’m back, and I’m not the same person you rejected.”

Rowan bristled at her words, his pride stung. But the curiosity within him burned brighter. What had she gone through? What had changed her so completely? He needed to know, but he could tell she wasn’t going to give him answers easily.

Aria turned away from him, her attention shifting to the moonlit courtyard. “Whatever happens next, Rowan, know that I’m prepared for it. I’ve faced worse than anything you can throw at me.”

Her words were a challenge, but Rowan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of respect, mixed with frustration. She was right—he didn’t understand what had happened to her. And that lack of knowledge made him uneasy, made him feel like he was losing control of the situation.

But Rowan was nothing if not determined. He wasn’t about to let her walk back into his life and disrupt everything he had built. He had to regain the upper hand, had to remind her of who held the power in the pack.

“Maybe you have,” Rowan said, his voice regaining its usual confidence. “But don’t think for a second that I’ll go easy on you because of it. You wanted respect, Aria? Then you’re going to have to earn it—just like everyone else.”

Aria’s gaze shifted back to him, her expression unreadable. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

With that, she walked past him, heading toward the Keep’s entrance. Rowan watched her go, his mind racing. The encounter had left him with more questions than answers, and that gnawing sense of longing refused to fade. He had wanted to unsettle her, but instead, it was he who had been left off-kilter.

As Aria disappeared into the shadows of the Keep, Rowan clenched his fists. He wouldn’t let her get the best of him. Whatever she had become, whatever secrets she was hiding, he would uncover them. And when he did, he would remind her who the true Alpha was.

But as he stood alone in the moonlit courtyard, a nagging doubt crept into his mind—a doubt he couldn’t quite shake. Aria was back, and with her, a power that threatened to change everything.