The Alpha's Rejected Luna

Chapter 4: Entering Midnight Crest

I stumbled through the forest, my legs burning from the unrelenting pace I had set. I couldn’t stop—no, I wouldn’t stop. I had to keep moving, away from everything that had tried to break me. Away from the Shadowclaw Pack, away from Kane, away from the whispers of my failure. I had no destination in mind, just the desperate hope that somehow, someway, I could find a place where I could breathe again.

The trees seemed to stretch on forever, and the deeper I went, the more unfamiliar the territory felt. A strange, tingling sense ran up my spine—the hair on my neck stood at attention. It wasn’t just the forest that felt different. No, there was something else. Something else watching me. I couldn’t explain it, but it made my heart race with both fear and something else I couldn’t quite identify.

I had crossed into foreign territory hours ago, and I knew it wasn’t Shadowclaw land. My instincts told me I had ventured into the territory of another pack, and something about the air here was sharp, intense, and powerful.

I tried to shake the feeling, pushing myself forward through the underbrush, each step driven by a mixture of fear and exhaustion. The moon was nearly hidden behind thick clouds, leaving the woods in near complete darkness, but the air still held an energy that felt charged—alive with the power of the land. The trees here felt older, their roots dug deep into the earth, giving the whole place an ancient, almost mystical aura.

It was then that I heard the crunch of leaves behind me.

I stopped dead in my tracks. The sound was unmistakable, sharp, deliberate. My breath caught in my throat as I turned to face the direction of the noise, but the forest was still dark and still.

Too still.

I clenched my fists, every instinct I had screaming at me to run, but my legs were frozen. I could feel my pulse thrumming in my veins, a rapid beat that seemed to echo louder than the footfalls of whoever—whatever—was behind me.

Before I could react, figures emerged from the shadows, stepping out of the trees with quiet confidence. They were cloaked in darkness, but I could sense the authority in their movements. These were not the kind of wolves I had dealt with back at Shadowclaw. No, these wolves were different—stronger, more calculating.

They surrounded me with precise movements, their eyes narrowing as they took in my scent, their noses twitching as they scented the air around me. The smell of the forest was thick in the air, but there was something unmistakable about my scent—a distinct trace that marked me as an outsider.

One of the guards, a tall male with sharp features and cold eyes, stepped forward. His posture was rigid, his eyes scanning me carefully, measuring every inch of me. “You don’t belong here,” he said, his voice low, though there was no trace of fear in it. “What’s your business on Midnight Crest land?”

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breath, but my throat felt dry. I couldn’t tell them I was fleeing from another pack. I couldn’t tell them I was weak and alone, that I didn’t belong anywhere.

“I’m just passing through,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended. I tried to keep my body relaxed, but my heart was racing. “I don’t mean any harm. I’ll leave right away.”

The guard didn’t respond at first, his eyes narrowing even further, sizing me up. There was a sharpness to his gaze as if he could read everything in me in a single look, and it made me feel even more exposed. Another guard, smaller but no less intimidating, circled around me, sniffing the air.

“She smells...different,” the second guard said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I tensed, anxiety creeping up my spine like a cold hand.

The first guard gave a nod, as if deciding something. “Stay where you are. Alpha Lucian will decide what to do with you.”

“Alpha Lucian?” I repeated, my voice catching. I had heard the name whispered during my brief time in the woods, a name that carried a weight of power and authority. If the Midnight Crest Pack was as dangerous as the rumors suggested, then I had just walked straight into the lion’s den.

But before I could process the implications of that, a new presence filled the air—a dark, commanding aura that made everything else seem insignificant. My heart skipped a beat, and I turned to face the source of the power that now surrounded me.

A figure stepped through the trees, tall and imposing. His presence was overwhelming—there was no mistaking it. His dark hair fell messily around his face, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity that spoke of untold power. The air seemed to shift as he approached, and my body responded before my mind could catch up.

It was him.

Alpha Lucian Blackwell.

The leader of the Midnight Crest Pack.

His gaze locked on me the moment he entered the clearing, and I felt a strange tug in my chest—something deep, primal, that spoke of ancient bonds. It was impossible to ignore. My pulse quickened, and for a brief, fleeting moment, I almost felt like I was suffocating under the weight of his attention.

Lucian’s eyes darkened as he scanned me, his nostrils flaring as if he, too, could sense it—the connection between us.

“What is this?” he said, his voice low and rough, though not unkind. “Who is this?”

The guards looked at one another, unsure. One of them stepped forward. “Alpha Lucian, this she-wolf crossed the border. We were just about to—”

Lucian cut him off with a single, sharp gesture. “I’m well aware of the situation,” he said, his gaze never leaving me. He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as they fell on me. “You’re not from here.”

I could feel his gaze piercing through me, seeing straight through the defenses I had built up over the years. It was unnerving, as though he could peel back my very soul with just a look.

“I’m… I’m just passing through,” I stammered, feeling smaller under his scrutiny.

Lucian took another step forward, his eyes softening slightly as he looked at me. There was a brief pause, and then I felt it—the pull, the connection that had settled deep inside me the moment he stepped into the clearing.

The mate bond.

His lips parted, as if he, too, had just realized what was happening. His gaze flickered to mine, his eyes glowing faintly in the dark. There was no denying it now. The bond was undeniable.

“You…” he murmured, almost to himself, his voice trailing off as he took another step toward me.

The air around us seemed to thrum with an energy I had never felt before, and I could do nothing but stand there, frozen by his presence. I had no idea what this meant, no idea why I was feeling this way—but I knew one thing for sure: everything was about to change.

And then, as if the world had shifted on its axis, his voice dropped to a low growl, full of promise and power. “You are mine.”

The words hit me like a bolt of lightning. My heart skipped in my chest. Could this really be happening?

Before I could say a word, Lucian reached out, his fingers brushing mine, sending an electric jolt through my body that left me breathless.

And then everything around me seemed to go quiet. I was caught in his gaze, feeling a connection unlike anything I had ever known, yet so much uncertainty still lay ahead.

But there was no denying it now.

My world had just collided with his.

And it would never be the same again.