After rejected: Becoming a true Luna

Chapter 4

AVERY'S POV

Pain. That was the first thing I felt when I came to. Everything hurts. My body was aching all over, my side burned with every breath I took, and it felt like a heavy weight was pressing down on my ribs. I blinked slowly, trying to get my eyes to focus. Bandages wrapped around my waist and side, stained with a little bit of blood. The memory of what had happened came rushing back to me. The chandelier, the rope snapping, Alpha Derek, and then darkness.

I shifted slightly and winced at the sharp pain. That was when I noticed someone sitting beside my bed. A girl. She had dark hair pulled back into a simple braid and tired eyes that still watched me closely.

For a second, I didn’t know who she was. Then I remembered. She was the girl I’d seen last night during the mess back at Blue Dawn, the one who had locked eyes with me when everyone was practically yelling at each other.

She leaned forward, her expression softening. “Hey… how are you feeling?”

I blinked, still confused about why she was even here. “I’m… okay, I think. Just sore,” I said, my voice rough like I hadn’t used it in hours.

She smiled, relief clear on her face. “Good. I’m Maila, by the way.”

“Avery,” I answered quickly, even though part of me wondered why I bothered introducing myself to someone who was basically a stranger. I didn’t even know her, and I was sure she didn’t know me either. I didn’t even know why she was here, looking worried sick over me.

Maila let out a small laugh, like she’d been waiting for me to introduce myself. “I know. You’ve gotten pretty popular around here after last night. Not only did you save the Alpha’s life, but the Alpha himself came to see you in the hospital while you were unconscious? That doesn’t happen every day.”

I frowned, not sure how to respond to that. I didn’t feel popular. If anything, I felt like a walking target, like everyone’s eyes would be on me for the wrong reasons now. But Maila’s laugh was soft and kind, and before I knew it, I found myself smiling too.

We stayed like that for a moment, and the atmosphere was oddly calm despite the sharp smell of disinfectant and the quiet sounds of nurses moving in and out of the room.

Then the door opened again, causing me to turn to it.

This time it was neither a doctor nor a nurse. Instead, Alpha Derek stepped in. He looked exactly like he did when I first saw him today. At least I was assuming that was today and that I hadn’t been out for more than just a few hours. His shoulders were broad, his expression a little cold. But his eyes… his eyes were different than before. They looked almost… soft.

He walked right up to my bedside and stopped. “You saved my life,” he said simply in a calm voice. “Why?”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to sit up a little better despite the pain. My heart thudded in my chest as I met his gaze. “I saw it happening,” I whispered. “There was a man in the crowd… he started counting down. Then I saw someone above cut the rope. I didn’t really think. I just moved.”

His jaw tightened, and he looked away for a moment, almost like he was trying to hide something. “A traitor inside Moon Dome,” he muttered under his breath, though I still heard it. “That’s rare.”

Then his gaze snapped back to me. “Tell me everything you remember. Every detail. Leave nothing out.”

I took a breath, steadying myself. “He had a crest on his uniform… shaped like a hawk’s claw. I didn’t recognize it. And the rope, it was cut with something shiny. A knife, I think. The man with the crest was counting down with his fingers. By the time I noticed, the rope had already been half cut.”

Alpha Derek listened, nodding every once in a while but saying nothing as he let me continue. His silence was disturbing, and it made my chest feel even heavier than the bandages ever could.

When I finished, he stared at me for a long moment before finally nodding. “Good. That will help.”

Then he left without another word.

As soon as he was gone, Maila let out a shaky breath beside me. “You’re brave, Avery,” she whispered. “Most of us would’ve frozen.”

I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t feel brave. I felt stupid for nearly dying, all to protect a man I didn’t even know.

Hours passed. Nurses came and went, checking my wound and changing the bandages. But I saw the way they looked at me. Their eyes weren’t kind anymore, not like they had been at first when I first woke up. I heard them whisper when they thought I couldn’t hear.

“She saw everything, didn’t she?” one nurse muttered to another.

“Maybe she was in on it,” the other whispered back. “How else could she have reacted so fast? What is she? Lightning?”

Each word cut deeper than the wounds on my side. I nearly lost my head protecting their Alpha from being squashed to pieces by a chandelier, and this is all they could say?

After a moment, the door opened again. Alpha Derek stood there, his expression hard and cold once more. His eyes swept over the room and landed on me.

“You’re being discharged,” he said. His words were clipped, leaving no room for argument.

Maila’s eyes widened. “Already? But, Alpha, she’s still hurt—”

“She’ll heal,” he interrupted. Then his gaze shifted to me. “You won’t be staying in the dorms with the other volunteers.”

I frowned. “What? Why? Where would I be staying then?”

“With me,” he said simply, as if he didn’t even see anything wrong with those two words.

My frown deepened. “With all due respect, Alpha, that’s not necessary. I can stay in the dorms—”

“It wasn’t an offer,” he cut in, his voice as cold as ice. “It’s for your protection, Avery. And because after what happened, I don’t trust anyone else around you at the moment. You’re staying with me, and that’s final.”

I clenched my jaw, trying to contain my irritation at the way he seemed to think it was okay to order me around like a puppet.

My wolf whispered in my head, “Careful, Avery. This isn’t just any Alpha, remember? He’s of a much higher rank than we’re used to.”

My heart pounded, my pride screaming at me to keep arguing, to fight back. But I forced my words down, swallowing my anger. “Yes, Alpha,” I managed, though it tasted like ash on my tongue.

Alpha Derek nodded once and turned to leave. “Meet me outside.”

Maila quickly stood up and offered me a hand. “Here, Avery. I’ll help you.”

I sent a sharp glare to the back of his head before taking Maila’s hand.

Slowly Maila helped pull me to my feet, her hands trembling slightly for some reason.

“Try not to get in too much trouble, okay? I’ll visit you as soon as I can,” she promised softly.

I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure if she really would, or if she’d even be allowed.

The walk out of the infirmary felt longer than the entire trip from Blue Dawn to this place. Every step was painful, and every stare from the nurses felt like an accusation. Traitor. Liar. Attention seeker. Probably w***e. That was what their stares said.

Outside, a black car waited. The driver opened the door without a word. Alpha Derek climbed in first, and I followed, my hands shaking slightly despite my best efforts to look calm.

The ride was silent. He didn’t look at me, and I didn’t look at him. My mind raced with questions I couldn’t ask. Why me? Why bring me into his house? Does he really think I’m a target just because I saved his life? Or is he just trying to keep an eye on me because he doesn’t trust me either? Which one is it really?

We drove through high gates and up a long stone path lined with large, beautiful trees until we reached a mansion that looked like it belonged to the Moon Goddess herself. It was a mix of power and luxury. Everything about it looked out of this world.

When we stepped inside, a guard closed the heavy gates behind us.

Alpha Derek stopped and turned to face me. His dark eyes were unreadable as he spoke. “You’ll stay here until I say otherwise. You’ll train with my squad, but your movements will be monitored.”

I stiffened, my chest tightening. “So I’m a prisoner, then,” I muttered before I could stop myself.

His gaze hardened. “No. But don’t test me, Avery. You saved my life, that earns my respect. But I won’t let you walk around freely when there’s a chance the people who tried to kill me might come after you next.”

My anger rose again, but Amy’s voice was there to stop me from telling him exactly where to stuff his concern. Don’t push him, Avery. Just agree to whatever he says for now.

I bit back what I really wanted to say and nodded. “Understood, Alpha.”

Just then, a maid appeared at the end of the hall, bowing in respect, and Alpha Derek turned to face her. “Show her to the guest wing,” he ordered.

She nodded and motioned for me to follow. As I turned to go, I heard his voice behind me. It sounded quiet, almost softer. “Avery.”

I stopped and looked back.

“Whether you believe it or not,” he said, his eyes meeting mine, “this is for your protection.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because part of me wanted to believe him. And another part still remembered the nurses’ whispers.

Without another single word, I turned and left with the maid.

The maid led me through the long and luxurious hallways until we reached a door. She opened the door and stepped back.

“This will be your room,” she said quietly. “Dinner is in an hour.”

When she left, I stood there, staring at the empty bed, the polished floor, and the window overlooking the back garden.

I sat down slowly, my side still aching painfully. How did I even end up here? I was still here. Still alive. But nothing felt like mine. Because nothing was actually mine.

And for the first time since I’d arrived, I let myself wonder what tomorrow would bring.

Whatever it was, I knew one thing.

I wasn’t going to break. Not here. Not again. Not ever.