The Rejected Luna's Revenge

Chapter Two

AURORA

“Aurora.” he says

The name leaves his lips like a memory. He sounds gentle, certain, it makes something shifts inside me. A dull ache, his voice feels like hearing a song I once knew by heart but can’t remember the lyrics to. I take a step back, just one but he doesn’t move.

“Who are you?” I ask, the question leaves my lips before I can stop it.

His expression doesn’t change. If anything, his jaw tightens. “You don’t remember me.” he states

That's not a question I shot at him.

"No", he replies looking at me like he already knows the answer. His eyes scan my face like he’s trying to find the girl I used to be under everything I’ve become. “I don’t know you,” slips from my lips. I say it truthfully or maybe it’s a lie because something deep inside burns at the sight of him. Recognition and confusion tangled into one.

“Why do you know my name?” My fingers hover near the dagger again, he doesn’t come closer. “Because it was mine to say once” he answers, the words land like a rock to my chest. The wind howls between us, lifting snow between our boots, but we’re locked in this silence that feels louder than anything.

A voice in the distance distracts us, a child’s laughter which breaks the spell, and the man’s eyes flick briefly toward the sound, remembering the world exists beyond this strange moment.

“I shouldn’t be here,” I whisper, stepping away.

“You’re not safe out there,” he says, sharply. “Not after what happened in the woods.”

Goosebumps immediately rise on my skin. “You were there?” I asked him. He doesn’t answer, but the look in his eyes says enough.

“You watched me?” I question with every ounce of bitterness in my voice

“I protected you.” he retorted. The words are soft, almost regretful.

My head spins. “Protected me from what?”

There's another pause.

This time, his voice is lower. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

And he’s right. I barely believe any of this is real, from the moment I woke up in the snow with no memory and just a dagger in my hand, to some stranger saying my name like he owns it.

But there is something about him that doesn’t feel like a threat. It feels like history, maybe his, maybe mine.

He takes a step forward, slower this time, “Come with me. Please.”

I paused. A bit of hesitation. Then my legs move before my brain can object and I instantly regret it.

The path he leads me down is narrow, wind shuttering past windows and cracked wooden fences. The deeper we go, the quieter the village feels more like we’ve stepped into its forgotten corner. A narrow cabin stands at the end of the path. He opens the door but doesn’t look back to see if I’m following, he just steps inside and leaves it open.

I hesitate, just long enough to wonder if this is a mistake. Then I cross the threshold.

The warmth hits instantly. A fire burning in the hearth, soft light flickering across the walls. The smell of pine and leather fills the room. A fur blanket lies crumpled on the couch, books stacked unevenly on tables.

“Sit,” he says quietly, motioning toward the chair by the fire. My hands trembling slightly, I lower myself into it, my cloak still clinging to my shoulders and the dagger still remains hidden at my side, just in case.

He crouches by the fire, pokes at the flames with a metal rod, then glances over his shoulder. “You really don’t remember anything?” he questions once again

A shake of the head is all he gets. A beat passes before he says, “Your name wasn’t the only thing they tried to take from you. ”I feel chills runs down my spine, despite the warmth of the room.

“Who are you?” I demanded. He stands slowly to reply, his expression is unreadable. “Kael.” he says

The name doesn’t mean anything to me, but it settles in the air like something permanent.

“Are you one of them?”

He shakes his head once. “No. But I was."

The way he says it sends a ripple of unease through me. He doesn’t explain and I don’t ask. There are just too many pieces missing.

Kael moves to a shelf and pulls down a thick, leather-bound book. He flips through a few pages before stopping. “You were born in the eastern mountains, in a pack that no longer exists.” He glances up, watching for my reaction, none comes, just a strange emptiness.

“You were a daughter of the Alpha. The rightful Luna.” Those words sound more like fantasy than memory I think to myself. My voice cracks when I finally speak. “Why don’t I remember?”

“They didn’t want you to.” he answered. Then, he crosses the room again and kneels in front of me but not too close, just close enough that his voice drops.

“They erased you, Aurora, every memory, every tie to who you were. But they couldn’t take everything.” His hand hovers near mine, “You fell the pull, didn’t you?”

My eyes flicker toward him, wary. “How do you know about that?"

“Because it was meant to guide you back.”

Back to what? I questioned him.

Kael doesn’t say. Instead, he stands and turns away, pacing slightly now, his voice low. “Something happened during the rebellion, something they didn’t expect. You survived.”

He turns his gaze on me again, his eyes burning. “And they’ve been trying to finish what they started ever since.”

The words drop like stones and my throat tightens. “Who are they?”

His jaw clenches. “You’ll find out soon enough. But if they know you’re alive, really alive, they’ll come for you again and this time, they won’t fail.”

A flicker of panic threatens to rise, but something steadier takes root instead, a quiet resolve.

“I need to remember.” I tell him

Kael nods slowly. “You will.”

The fire crackles, and the silence stretches. He looks like he wants to say something else, something heavier but holds it back.

“Rest here tonight,” he says finally. “You’re safe here for now.” He turns toward the small hallway leading to the back of the cabin, but before he disappears, something in me pulls the question out:

“Why do you care?”

Kael stops in the doorway. He doesn't look at me when he says, “Because once… you were mine."

The silence hangs heavier than before. But it doesn’t last, a knock hits the door, hard. Kael froze mid-step. His eyes darkened.

“Stay here,” he said sharply. He crossed the room in two strides, his fingers brushed over the weapon at his belt before he reached for the handle. Then, we hear another knock, harder this time. It's more urgent.

He opened the door, a figure stood outside, cloaked in black with the face hidden. The voice was low and deadly and he says..

“They know she's here.”