The Rejected Luna Came Back With Her Triplets

Chapter 1: The Severed Bond and the Healer's Return (Eliza's POV) For three years, I had been bound as Alpha Heir Garrett Blackwood's mate, yet he had never truly claimed me. Never marked my skin as his. Tonight would be different. Tonight, I only wanted to feel that connection once, fully, before it was severed forever. I quietly slipped off my clothes in the dim light of our shared quarters. The moonlight streaming through the windows cast shadows across my bare skin as I approached his powerful form. Like a moth drawn to a dangerous flame, I pressed myself against his body. His amber eyes opened, clouded with the effects of the moonlight wine I'd ensured he drank earlier. Recognition flickered across his face, followed by desire. "Eliza?" His voice was rough with sleep and something else—hunger. I didn't answer with words. Instead, I kissed him, pouring six years of longing into that single moment of connection. What followed was heated and overwhelming. My first and only time truly experiencing the physical bond of our mating. His hands were everywhere, claiming territories of my body he'd never bothered to explore before. By dawn, my body ached with a pleasure intertwined with the pain of finality. I quietly dressed, my movements careful not to wake him. The mate bond severance agreement sat on the nightstand, waiting for my signature. I signed it with steady hands, though my heart trembled. Then I placed three hundred dollars beside it—money I'd saved for my new beginning. When Garrett awoke, his Alpha senses were reeling from the lingering effects of the wine and the raw intimacy of the night. Fury radiated from him as he realized what had happened. "What did you do?" he growled, clutching the sheet around his waist as he rose from the bed. I met his glare with forced poise. "Didn't you enjoy it? Three times in one night—didn't the Future Alpha have a good time?" His amber eyes flared with rage, especially when he noticed the papers and money on the nightstand. He snatched up the bills, his face contorting with disgust. "You paid me? Like some common—" He couldn't even finish the sentence, his wolf clearly snarling beneath his skin. I remained calm on the surface, though I felt hollow inside. "Consider it a parting gift." (Garrett's POV) I felt utterly degraded. Treated like a hired stud by the woman who was supposed to be my mate. My wolf howled with rage beneath my skin, demanding retribution. "You drugged me," I snarled, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. The moonlight wine—stronger than usual, clouding my senses just enough. Eliza stood before me, already dressed, already distant. Her ice-blue eyes revealed nothing of her thoughts. "I did what was necessary," she said simply. The signed severance papers mocked me from the nightstand. And those three hundred dollars—a humiliating payment for my 'service,' a dismissal of our bond. "You think you can just walk away?" I lunged toward her, my control slipping. But she was already moving toward the door, her small suitcase in hand. "Goodbye, Garrett." Enraged, I followed her into the hallway, my wolf snarling beneath my skin. But by the time I reached the main entrance, she had already vanished from Blackwood Territory, leaving our shattered mate bond and all its bitterness behind her. ...... Six years later. (Garrett's POV) I stood in the grand entrance of the Blackwood Main Compound, anticipation hanging heavy in the air. My grandfather, Gregory Blackwood, the formidable former Alpha, stood beside me despite his weakened state. My mother, Victoria Blackwood, stood on his other side, her posture rigid with disapproval. Several key pack members lined the entrance, all awaiting a special arrival. "Why is she here?" my mother hissed under her breath, her sharp features contorted with disgust. I didn't need to ask who she meant. There was only one "she" who could provoke such venom from Victoria Blackwood. My grandfather's voice, though weakened by illness, still carried the weight of command. "I summoned her. Her skills as a healer are needed." "We have the best doctors in the territory," my mother argued. Grandfather's eyes flashed with a hint of his former Alpha power. "And they have failed. Eliza Rivers will not." I remained silent, wrestling with my own conflicted emotions. Six years had passed since Eliza had disappeared from my life, leaving nothing but bitterness in her wake. Now she was returning—not as my mate, but as a healer for my grandfather. (Eliza's POV) The sleek black car approached the Compound gates, and I felt my heart rate quicken despite my best efforts to remain calm. I hadn't set foot in Blackwood Territory since that fateful morning six years ago. "Mommy, their security system has three blind spots," Max whispered from beside me, his bright eyes scanning the perimeter with unnerving precision. "I counted four guards at the gate, but they're positioned inefficiently," Aiden added from my other side. I smiled despite my nerves. My boys, barely four but already so protective and observant. "Remember, low profile. No showing off your skills." "But what if that Alpha tries to hurt you?" Max's small face hardened with determination. "We'll protect you," Aiden declared, his little hand squeezing mine. I gently stroked their matching dark hair. "I appreciate that, but we're here for a job. To help Elder Blackwood." "The one who's sick?" Max asked. I nodded. "He's a good man. Unlike some in his family." The car stopped, and through the window, I could see them waiting—Gregory Blackwood, Victoria, and... Garrett. My breath caught despite myself. Six years had only enhanced his imposing presence. Tall, powerfully built, with those piercing amber eyes that seemed to see right through me. "Ready?" I asked my sons, receiving determined nods in return. We stepped out of the car together, and I felt the weight of every gaze upon us. I was no longer the subdued Luna they remembered. Years of independence had transformed me into someone new—a respected healer, a devoted mother, a woman who stood on her own terms. Gregory Blackwood's face lit up with genuine warmth. "Little Eliza! You look well. More beautiful than ever." I smiled, genuinely fond of the elder wolf despite everything. "Elder Blackwood. I'm pleased to see you, though I wish under better circumstances." My gaze inevitably shifted to Garrett. He remained as he always was—his expression a mask of cold control. His eyes swept over me, lingering on the changes six years had wrought, then snapped sharply to the two boys at my side. The twins met his stare with an unnerving intensity, evaluating him just as he evaluated them. I saw a jolt of something cross Garrett's face—confusion, perhaps, or recognition. (Garrett's POV) The woman who stepped from the car was not the Eliza I remembered. This Eliza radiated quiet confidence, her ice-blue eyes holding a depth that unsettled me. She moved with grace and purpose, no longer the hesitant Luna who had once walked these grounds. But it was the two small boys flanking her that truly caught me off guard. They couldn't be more than four or five, with dark hair and striking features that seemed oddly familiar. They stared at me with unnerving intensity, as if they were the ones evaluating me rather than the other way around. Something about their gaze—calculating, intelligent beyond their years—sent a strange sensation through my chest. My grandfather, noticing the children, asked warmly, "And who are these fine young lads?" Eliza placed a protective hand on each boy's shoulder. "They are my sons. Max and Aiden." She carefully omitted their age, but I could do the math. Four years old, perhaps. Which meant she must have conceived them shortly after leaving the Blackwood Pack. The thought twisted something in my gut—a possessive jealousy I had no right to feel. She had found another mate, then. Someone to father her children after severing our bond. My mother seized the moment, her voice dripping with disdain. "The Blackwood Pack is not a charity, Gregory. Why should we take in three freeloaders?" (Eliza's POV) Victoria's words were designed to wound, but I had long since grown immune to her barbs. Before I could respond, Elder Blackwood snapped back at her. "Eliza is here as my healer! Her skills are invaluable." Victoria scoffed, clearly doubting my abilities. "What skills? She was nothing but a failed Luna when she left." I remained composed, but Max stepped forward, his small voice ringing with fierce loyalty. "My Mommy is a legendary healer—the kind Alphas beg for! If you're ignorant of her reputation, that's your problem." Aiden echoed his brother, adding, "Maybe the 'experts' here failed Elder Blackwood, not our mother." Pride swelled in my chest at their defense, though I knew I should temper their boldness. Victoria was left sputtering, humiliated by children's sharp defense. I gently placed a hand on Max's shoulder. "There's no point reasoning with those who refuse to understand." The twins subsided, their point made, leaving Victoria fuming. Garrett's expression had shifted to one of surprise, perhaps at the twins' articulate defense. Elder Blackwood smoothly intervened, extending a warm invitation. "You must be tired from your journey. Join us for a welcome meal." I politely declined. "Thank you, but we are exhausted. I need to rest. I will examine you tomorrow, Elder Blackwood." He agreed readily and then turned to Garrett. "Garrett, escort Dr. Rivers and her sons to the South Wing." The South Wing—prime guest quarters, a clear mark of Gregory's favor. I saw Victoria's lips thin with disapproval. Garrett, still wrestling with resentment and suspicion, attempted to assert his own authority. "Before you see my grandfather, I'll need to see your medical credentials, Dr. Rivers." I met his challenge unflinchingly. "Of course, Future Alpha. I will provide proof of my qualifications if required." (Garrett's POV) I moved to take her luggage, partly out of ingrained courtesy, partly to establish some control over the situation. Eliza instinctively reached out to stop me, and our hands brushed. A spark, an echo of our severed bond, jolted through me. The sensation was so unexpected that I nearly dropped the suitcase. Her eyes widened slightly—she had felt it too. I leaned in, my voice a low, mocking growl meant only for her ears. "You say you don't want my help, but your body betrays you. Eliza Rivers, after drugging me and severing our bond, now returning on your own terms... do you still harbor feelings for me?"