MY SECOND LIFE: The Rejected Luna's Revenge

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: THE FIRST RUMORS

The bus smelled like pine and judgment.

I kept my eyes forward. Hands in my lap.

Next to me, Damien hadn’t moved since we left the city gates.

Hoodie up. Arms crossed. Breathing steady like he was asleep.

But I knew better.

His jaw was tight.

The mark on his wrist was faintly glowing.

Contract marriage meant we had to sit together.

It didn’t mean we had to talk.

"Blackwood Territory in 10," the driver announced.

The second we stopped, everyone scrambled off.

Everyone except us.

Damien stood first. "Don’t follow me," he said.

Then he walked out.

Of course.

Separate lives. Separate everything.

I followed 30 seconds later.

The Blackwood Territory was massive. Stone buildings. Training grounds.

And hundreds of eyes on me the second I stepped off the bus.

"That’s her."

"Wolf-less Lyra?"

"She married Damien Blackwood?"

"Branch family Damien. The disgrace."

Whispers followed me like shadows.

At the front of the crowd, Celia was already glowing.

White training gear. Hair perfect. Damien Vance at her side.

She saw me and her smile went sharp.

"Lyra!" she called, loud enough for everyone. "Oh my god, is it true? You really married him?"

I stopped. "Is what true?"

"That you trapped him." She gasped. Hand to her chest. "Because no one else would have you?"

Her friends laughed.

In my past life, I would have run.

This time, I walked right up to her.

"Trap?" I said. "Celia, he signed the papers first."

I tilted my head. "Or did you not get the invitation to the signing? Oh right. You weren’t invited."

Her face flushed.

Damien Vance stepped forward. "Watch your tone with her."

"Or what?" I met his eyes. "You’ll what, Vance?"

The crowd went quiet.

From across the training field, I felt him.

Damien Blackwood.

He hadn’t come closer. But he was watching.

Alpha Marcus’s voice boomed over the speakers.

"Students to the training grounds. NOW."

We moved.

---

The training grounds were packed.

Elders. Parents. Alpha Marcus on the raised platform.

"Today," Marcus said, "we test combat. And wolves."

A murmur went through the crowd.

Most of us hadn’t shifted yet. The Ceremony was in two days.

"Pair up," Marcus continued. "No wolves. Hand to hand."

Perfect.

Celia immediately raised her hand. "I choose Lyra."

Of course she did.

We stepped into the ring. Dirt under our feet.

She was grinning.

I was calm.

"Begin," the instructor called.

Celia lunged. Fast. Trained.

In my past life, she would have broken my ribs in 10 seconds.

I sidestepped.

Her fist hit air.

Gasps from the crowd.

She spun, kicked. I caught her ankle and twisted.

She hit the dirt hard.

"Get up," I said quietly. Only she could hear me. "You’re embarrassing yourself."

Her eyes went wide. Furious.

She came at me again. Faster. Dirtier.

I blocked. Dodged.

Then I grabbed her wrist and flipped her.

She landed on her back.

I had my knee on her chest in 2 seconds.

"Yield," I whispered.

Her face was red. "Never—"

"Yield," I said louder.

"I Yield!" she screamed.

The instructor blew the whistle. "Match to Lyra Hale—Blackwood."

The silence was deafening.

I stood up. Offered her a hand.

She slapped it away and got up herself.

From the platform, Alpha Marcus was staring.

Not at Celia.

At me.

"Interesting," he said. "I was told you were wolf-less and weak, girl."

"People are wrong about a lot of things, Alpha," I said.

His eyes narrowed.

"Next!" he called.

---

Lunch was worse than training.

The cafeteria was buzzing.

_Did you see her take down Celia?_

_She’s not wolf-less._

_She must have cheated._

I got my tray. Sat alone.

Old habit.

Three minutes later, someone sat across from me.

Damien Blackwood.

He didn’t look at me. Just ate.

Sandwich. Water. Methodical.

"Didn’t know you did lunch," I said.

"I don’t," he said. "Alpha Marcus wants to see us. After."

My stomach dropped. "Why?"

"Because his son just got beat by his daughter-in-law."

He finally looked up. "And because people are talking."

"About what?"

"About you." He leaned back. "About how the wolf-less girl just threw the golden girl."

The mark on his wrist flared.

"Don’t," I said. "Don’t look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you’re curious."

He went back to eating. "I’m not."

Liar.

I could feel it. The bond, pulling. Even when it was this weak.

---

Alpha Marcus’s office smelled like leather and power.

He was behind a massive desk. Celia and Damien Vance on one side.

Me and Damien on the other.

"Explain," Marcus said.

Celia spoke first. Tears in her eyes. "She attacked me, Uncle. Out of nowhere. I think... I think she’s jealous."

Jealous.

Of course.

I stepped forward. "She challenged me, Alpha. In front of everyone. I defended myself."

"By humiliating her?"

"By winning."

Marcus looked at Damien. "And you? What do you have to say, boy?"

Damien hadn’t spoken since we walked in.

Now he did.

"My wife defended herself," he said. Flat. "If Celia has a problem with losing, she should train harder."

My wife.

The words hit me harder than Celia’s fist.

Celia gasped. "Damien, you can’t—"

"I can," he said. Still not looking at me. "She’s a Blackwood now. Touch her again, and you answer to me."

The room went still.

Marcus laughed. Cold. "A Blackwood? You’re barely a Blackwood yourself, son."

Damien’s jaw ticked.

But he didn’t flinch.

"Maybe not," he said. "But she is. And that means something."

We were dismissed.

Outside the office, Celia grabbed my arm.

"What are you doing to him?" she hissed. "He doesn’t even like you!"

I pulled my arm free.

"He doesn’t have to like me," I said. "He just has to be married to me."

I walked away before she could answer.

---

That night, my phone buzzed.

_D.B: Meet me at the east gate. 11 PM._

I went.

He was there, leaning against the gate. No hoodie. Just a black t-shirt.

The mark on his wrist was glowing brighter.

"People are talking," he said without preamble. "About you. About us."

"I noticed."

"Good." He pushed off the gate. "Because starting tomorrow, you’re not the quiet girl anymore."

"What am I?"

"A Blackwood." He looked at me. Really looked. "And Blackwoods don’t get bullied."

Something warm spread in my chest.

Dangerous.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked.

He was quiet for a long time.

"Because someone should have," he said finally. "In the past."

The word past made my blood run cold.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." He turned away. "Go to bed, Lyra."

I started to leave. Then stopped.

"Thank you," I whispered. "For today."

He didn’t answer.

But as I walked back to the dorms, I could feel his eyes on me.

And for the first time in two lives,

I didn’t feel alone.

My phone buzzed one more time before I slept.

_Unknown: Saw you in the ring today sis. Cute.

But wolves aren’t won in fist fights _

_-C_

I deleted it.

Tomorrow was the Wolfing Ceremony.

Tomorrow, I would either shift or die trying.

And Damien Blackwood would be watching.