THE LUNA HE WAS FORCED TO REJECT

The moment Alpha Kael Draven looked at me, I knew he was going to reject me. I don't know how I knew. Maybe it was the way his eyes stopped on mine and immediately hardened. Maybe it was the way his shoulders went rigid, as though someone had just delivered terrible news. Or maybe some part of me already understood what my heart refused to accept. The entire pack had gathered beneath the great hall's silver banners to witness the choosing ceremony. Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of my life with Kael. Instead, it became the night I lost everything. I stood in the center of the hall, trying not to look at the hundreds of people surrounding us. My hands were cold. My mother had told me not to worry. My father had told me to trust the bond. So I did. Until Kael stepped forward. He was twenty-seven now, already carrying himself like the Alpha he'd been born to become. Tall, composed, and impossible to read. His eyes met mine. For one brief second, something flashed across his face. Fear. Then it disappeared. "Aria Vale." My name echoed through the hall. I swallowed. "Yes, Alpha." Kael's jaw tightened. "The Moon has chosen." A murmur passed through the crowd. Everyone knew what came next. I waited. Kael looked directly at me. "I reject you as my mate." The hall went silent. I heard someone gasp. For a moment, I couldn't move. I stared at him, waiting for the expression on his face to change. It didn't. "Kael..." His eyes flickered. It was so quick that I almost convinced myself I'd imagined it. Fear again. Why would he be afraid? "You are not suitable for the position beside me," he said. The words were calm. Practiced. Like he'd rehearsed them. My chest tightened. "Is that all?" His expression didn't change. "There's nothing else to say." I looked around the hall. Everyone was watching. Some people looked uncomfortable. Others looked curious. A few didn't bother hiding their satisfaction. I turned back to him. "Was any of it real?" His brow furrowed. I hadn't planned to ask that. But once the question left my mouth, I couldn't take it back. "The bond. The way you looked at me. Everything." For the first time, Kael looked away. That hurt more than the rejection. Then he faced me again. "I never loved you." Four words. That was all it took. Whatever remained of my hope disappeared. I nodded slowly. "Understood." Kael's expression tightened. Almost as though he wanted to say something else. But he didn't. Behind him, Elias Vane stepped forward. "The ceremony is over." His voice cut through the silence. People began moving. Whispers spread across the room. I didn't wait for anyone to approach me. I walked out. I kept my head high until the doors closed behind me. Then I ran. Not because I wanted someone to chase me. Because I didn't want anyone to see me cry. By sunrise, I was gone from Mooncrest. I left behind my home, my family name, and the Alpha who had decided I wasn't enough. For seven years, I never returned. Until now. --- The carriage stopped outside Mooncrest just after midday. I stared through the window. Nothing looked the way I remembered. The roads were wider. The buildings had been rebuilt. The old training grounds had become a medical center. Even the pack gates had changed. But the mountains hadn't. Neither had the forest. I stepped down with one suitcase in my hand. Seven years ago, I had left this place as a girl who thought her life had already been decided. I returned as a healer. That was the only identity I wanted. Not Kael's rejected mate. Not someone's daughter. Not whatever story the pack had created about me. Just Aria Vale. I walked through the gates. Nobody stopped me. That surprised me. I'd expected whispers. Questions. Maybe even hostility. Instead, people simply stared. Then I remembered. News traveled quickly in Mooncrest. By evening, everyone would know I was back. I arrived at the medical center and introduced myself to the head healer. She was kind enough not to ask about the past. For that, I was grateful. I spent the afternoon unpacking supplies and reviewing patient records. I was beginning to think returning might actually be easier than I'd imagined. Then the door opened. I looked up. And everything inside me went still. Kael stood on the other side of the room. Seven years had changed him. He looked harder now. More controlled. The boy I'd known was gone. This was the Alpha of Mooncrest. His eyes moved across the room. Then they stopped on me. He frowned. I expected recognition. There was none. Instead, something strange happened. Kael's expression changed. His hand went briefly to his chest. His breathing caught. He looked confused. Not because he knew me. Because something inside him did. His wolf. I could see it in his eyes. He took one step toward me. "Do I know you?" My throat tightened. I forced myself to smile. "No." His gaze remained fixed on mine. I picked up the file in front of me. "My name is Aria Vale." The moment I said it, his face went completely still. "Aria..." He repeated my name like he'd heard it somewhere long ago. Then he shook his head. "No. That's impossible." I said nothing. He took another step closer. I could feel the old bond stirring beneath the surface, something I had spent seven years learning to ignore. Apparently, Kael hadn't learned the same lesson. His eyes searched mine. "Why do I feel like I've lost you before?" I looked at the man who had once broken my heart in front of the entire pack. Seven years ago, I had believed his rejection was the end of our story. Standing there now, I realized it might have been the beginning of something much worse. Because Kael didn't remember me. But his wolf did. And somewhere beneath Mooncrest, something ancient had just begun to wake.