After rejected: Becoming a true Luna

Chapter 5

AVERY’S POV

The knock on my door came late that night. It echoed too loudly in the quiet of the mansion, making me flinch for a moment. I’d barely had time to sit up on the edge of my bed before I heard the door being opened from the outside.

I frowned when I saw a man poke his head into the room. “Miss, Alpha Derek wants to see you. Now.”

I frowned at his manners—or rather, the lack of them. I mean, who opens someone’s door without permission? And he even went ahead to poke his head in without asking if he could come in. What if I had been naked?

I had a lot to say to him, but I held my tongue, not really in the mood to get into any sort of argument with anyone around here right now. I came here to serve and to get away from the mess I called my life, not to get into petty fights and arguments.

“Did he say what this was about?” I asked instead. But he shook his head. “I’m afraid not. He just sent me to get you, that’s all. If you have any questions, you’ll have to wait and ask him yourself.”

My stomach twisted. I didn’t know why, but part of me had been expecting this. Somehow, I just knew this whole keeping me here in his house for my protection thing wasn’t going to be as easy as he made it sound earlier.

“Listen, not to be rude or anything, but I got errands to run, lady,” the guard’s irritated voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “So what’s it going to be? Are we going or not?”

I shot him a glare at his tone before standing up, careful of my still-healing side, and followed him down the long hallway. The moonlight coming in through the tall windows painted everything silver, making the place look even more like the gilded cage it really was.

When we reached Alpha Derek’s office, the guard opened the heavy door and stepped aside. Alpha Derek sat behind a dark wooden desk, with papers scattered in front of him. His eyes lifted to meet mine, and for a moment, there was something unreadable in them.

“Come in, Avery,” he said, his voice low and calm.

I hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside. The guard closed the door behind me, and the sound echoed in the room like a final decision. Alpha Derek gestured to the chair across from him, and I sat down, keeping my back straight even though my ribs ached terribly.

For a moment, he didn’t speak, but his gaze was powerful enough that I had to force myself not to look away. Then, after a moment, he leaned back slightly. “Tell me, Avery. Why did you risk your life in that manner just to save a stranger?”

The question sounded simple, but the way he asked it made me feel uncomfortable. Especially because I’d already answered this same question back at the hospital in ten different ways just a couple of hours ago. Why was he asking again? Didn’t he hear me the first time? Or was he just asking because he didn’t believe my answer the first time?

I cleared my throat, sighing in resignation. “I already told you, Alpha,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I saw the man cut the rope. I didn’t think. I just moved.”

His eyes narrowed, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “I heard that the first time, Avery. But I’m asking for a more detailed version of that story. Forgive me if I’m being blunt, but it’s a little hard to just believe something like that, don’t you think? That you—a volunteer from another pack—just happened to notice something none of my guards or warriors saw?”

Heat rose to my face at his words, because I already knew what he was implying. “I don’t care what you believe,” I snapped before I could stop myself. “That’s what happened. I’m sorry if that isn’t enough for you.”

On second thought, maybe I’d made a mistake. I should have let his arrogant ass get crushed by that chandelier. At least then I wouldn’t be sitting here injured, listening to any of this.

His gaze darkened at my words, and for a heartbeat, I thought he would get angry or yell at me. But instead, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Do you have any idea what almost happened back there? Or what it means that someone got that close?”

“I know what I saw,” I shot back. “And I know I could have died because of it.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence was broken only by the ticking of a clock somewhere in the room. I could feel my heart racing, my palms sweaty against the fabric of my pants. And even though I was angry, I couldn’t ignore the constant warning from my wolf, reminding me to tread carefully in the presence of this man who was by far our superior.

It wasn’t that I meant to be rude, but he was the one making unpleasant comments and successfully annoying me when I was already in a bad mood.

Finally, he let out a slow breath. “The crest you saw,” he said quietly. “The hawk’s claw. It belongs to a rogue faction. This isn’t their first attempt on my life, actually. They’ve tried to kill me before, but they’ve never gotten this close. Today in the hall was the closest they’ve ever gotten.”

A chill crept up my spine. “Rogues?” I repeated. “Why, though? Why would they want you dead? What did you do?”

I didn’t even know when I asked the questions—or why, for that matter. The words just left my mouth without my control. But surprisingly, he didn’t seem offended that I’d asked. If anything, he looked like he had expected me to.

His gaze stayed locked on mine as he spoke. “Power. Control. Or revenge. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’ve gotten in the way of their plans—and now that puts you in danger too.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. My anger faded, replaced by something else. Fear. “So… what happens now?” I asked.

“You continue to stay here,” he said. “Under my watch. Under my protection. Until I decide it’s safe.”

His words felt like iron bars around me. Part of me wanted to argue, to say I wasn’t some prisoner. But I bit it back and nodded with a sigh. “Alright. Fine,” I murmured.

“Good,” he said, his voice growing more gentle. “That’s all for now, Avery. You may leave.”

I nodded and stood. When I turned to leave, I felt his gaze on my back, and I fought the urge to turn back around to ask him if there was something else he needed.

As I walked through the hallway, trying to locate the room I was staying in, I took a moment to notice my surroundings. The mansion was beautiful, more than anything I’d ever seen before. Marble floors, golden chandeliers, walls lined with paintings and decorations. But it felt empty too. And I felt like I was the only one here, like no matter where I went, eyes were always on me.