The Rejected Luna’s Revenge

THE SCREAM IN THE HALL

The scream came from a woman Seraphina had spent years wishing would finally lose her voice.

That did not mean she wanted to hear it like this.

Neris was already moving.

"Stay here."

Seraphina gave her a look.

Neris stopped with one hand on the door.

"Right. Stupid thing to say to you."

"Extremely."

Another scream tore through the corridor.

This one ended abruptly.

Neris's expression changed.

The humor disappeared.

"Behind me."

Seraphina reached for the letter opener again.

Neris looked at it.

"That's your weapon?"

"It has a sharp edge."

"So does a spoon if you're committed enough."

Seraphina stepped past her.

"Move."

Lyra followed.

Neris caught her arm.

"You stay."

Lyra looked toward the open door.

"But—"

"That wasn't a request."

For once, Lyra didn't argue.

Neris led Seraphina into the corridor.

Blackridge Hall had awakened.

Doors opened along the passage. Wolves emerged from their chambers, confused and frightened.

"Inside!" Neris shouted.

The authority in her voice cut through the panic.

"Everyone inside now!"

A young warrior stepped into the corridor.

"What happened?"

Neris pointed toward his door.

"Congratulations. You volunteered to find out by staying here."

He disappeared immediately.

Seraphina almost smiled.

Almost.

Then she smelled blood.

Her smile vanished.

Neris smelled it too.

The warrior's hand tightened around her blade.

"That's not good."

"No."

The scent drifted from the eastern wing.

Elder Miriam's chambers.

Seraphina's stomach tightened.

She moved faster.

"Seraphina."

Neris caught her shoulder.

"Don't run toward blood."

"I've spent twenty years as Luna. I have attended more blood-covered meetings than I care to remember."

"That sentence isn't as reassuring as you think it is."

They reached the end of the corridor.

The door to Miriam's chambers stood open.

A dark stain spread across the stone floor.

Seraphina stopped.

Her wolf pressed against the inside of her skin.

Something was wrong.

Not just danger.

Something familiar.

Neris crouched beside the blood.

She touched two fingers to it.

"Fresh."

Seraphina looked toward the room.

"Where is she?"

Neris didn't answer.

Instead, she stood.

Slowly.

"Seraphina."

The tone made her chest tighten.

"What?"

"Stay here."

"No."

"This time, I'm serious."

"So am I."

Neris muttered something under her breath.

Seraphina didn't ask what.

She was fairly certain it wasn't respectful.

They entered together.

The room was empty.

At first.

Miriam's furniture had been overturned. A chair lay broken near the fireplace. Papers covered the floor.

The window was open.

Cold wind pushed through the curtains.

Neris moved carefully through the room.

Seraphina followed.

"Miriam?"

No answer.

Seraphina stepped around the overturned table.

Then she saw the wall.

Her breath stopped.

A symbol had been drawn in blood.

A crescent moon.

Reversed.

Exactly like the symbol on Lyra's stone.

Neris swore.

Seraphina moved closer.

"Don't touch it."

"I wasn't planning to."

"Good."

Neris stared at the symbol.

"Do you know what it means?"

Seraphina's silence lasted too long.

Neris turned.

"You do."

"I know what it shouldn't be."

"Helpful."

"It's forbidden Moon magic."

Neris's face hardened.

"That doesn't sound like a thing we should have inside the Alpha's home."

"It isn't."

A low growl came from behind them.

Both women turned.

Kael stood in the doorway.

His eyes were gold.

Not fully shifted.

But close.

Seraphina knew that look.

The Alpha was barely contained.

"Where is Miriam?"

Neris shook her head.

"Missing."

Kael entered the room.

His gaze immediately found the symbol on the wall.

His entire body went still.

For a moment, Seraphina watched him become something colder.

Something more dangerous.

The man who had hesitated with her earlier was gone.

This was Alpha Kael Blackridge.

The wolf who had won wars.

"Seal the Hall."

Neris nodded.

"Already sending guards."

"No one leaves Blackridge."

Seraphina turned sharply.

"Kael."

His eyes moved to hers.

"We don't know if the person who did this is still inside."

"And locking everyone inside could cause panic."

"We'll control it."

"We?"

His jaw tightened.

She hated herself for noticing how naturally they had fallen back into this.

Crisis.

Strategy.

Side by side.

Twenty years of instinct.

Kael looked at Neris.

"Double the guards around Lyra."

Neris nodded.

Then Seraphina spoke.

"No."

Both of them looked at her.

Kael's expression darkened.

"Excuse me?"

"Lyra should not remain in her room."

"She's safer there."

"Is she?"

Seraphina pointed toward the bloody symbol.

"Someone may have created her bond with you.

Elder Miriam knew something about forbidden Moon rituals. Now she's missing."

Kael said nothing.

Seraphina continued.

"If Lyra is the center of this, keeping her alone makes her an easier target."

Neris slowly nodded.

"I agree."

Kael's gaze shifted between them.

"I don't like it."

"That must be difficult for you."

Neris coughed.

Seraphina ignored her.

Kael stepped closer.

"Where do you suggest she goes?"

"With me."

His face changed immediately.

"No."

Seraphina blinked.

"That wasn't a discussion."

"It is now."

"Kael."

"You don't know what you're dealing with."

Her expression hardened.

"And you do?"

Silence.

That landed.

Good.

His eyes flashed.

Seraphina crossed her arms.

"Lyra stays where I can see her."

Kael took another step closer.

Neris quietly moved toward the door.

Seraphina noticed.

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere else."

"Neris."

"I've survived three border wars, an attempted poisoning, and your brother's cooking."

"My brother doesn't cook."

"Exactly. That's what makes it dangerous."

Seraphina stared at her.

Neris left.

The door closed behind her.

Kael looked at Seraphina.

She looked back.

The silence stretched.

Finally, he spoke.

"You shouldn't be alone with her."

"And yet you expect her to be alone with you?"

"That's different."

"How?"

His jaw tightened.

"Because I can protect her."

There it was.

The answer.

Seraphina felt something inside her go quiet.

Not break.

It had already done enough breaking.

Just quiet.

"You can protect everyone, can't you?"

Kael's expression changed.

"Don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Turn everything into an argument about us."

She stared at him.

A laugh nearly escaped her.

"That's interesting."

"Seraphina."

"Because somehow, Kael, everything became about us the moment Lyra walked into this pack."

His face tightened.

"I didn't ask for this."

"And I didn't ask for you to hesitate."

The words struck the room like a blade.

Kael went still.

Seraphina regretted them immediately.

Not because they weren't true.

Because she was tired of bleeding the same wound.

She turned away.

"We have a problem bigger than our marriage."

"Is that what this is?"

She froze.

Kael's voice was quiet.

Too quiet.

"A marriage?"

Seraphina slowly faced him.

"What does that mean?"

He looked away.

Just for a second.

That was all it took.

Her chest tightened.

"Kael."

He didn't answer.

"What does that mean?"

His eyes returned to hers.

For the first time, Seraphina saw fear there.

Not fear of an enemy.

Not fear of losing a war.

Fear of saying the wrong thing.

She almost pitied him.

Almost.

"I don't know what we are anymore."

The honesty was brutal.

Seraphina stared at him.

Then nodded.

"Neither do I."

The words settled between them.

A marriage reduced to uncertainty.

Twenty years.

Reduced to one sentence.

Kael looked as if he wanted to say more.

But footsteps thundered down the corridor.

Neris returned.

She wasn't alone.

Three guards followed her.

Behind them was Lyra.

Seraphina frowned.

"I thought I told you to keep her in the room."

Lyra raised an eyebrow.

"You weren't exactly in a position to tell me anything."

Neris pointed at her.

"She's getting comfortable."

Seraphina almost smiled.

Kael didn't.

"Why is she here?"

Lyra looked at him.

Then at the bloody symbol.

Her face drained of color.

She took one step backward.

"No."

Seraphina noticed.

"What?"

Lyra shook her head.

"I've seen that before."

Every person in the room went still.

Kael stepped toward her.

"Where?"

Lyra's breathing became shallow.

"In the cabin."

Seraphina's stomach dropped.

Lyra stared at the wall.

"When I woke up outside... I went back."

Kael's voice sharpened.

"You said you remembered nothing."

"I remembered the symbol."

She looked at him desperately.

"I just didn't understand what it was."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I didn't know if I could trust you."

Seraphina looked at her.

That was probably the most sensible thing Lyra had said since arriving at Blackridge.

Kael's expression darkened.

Lyra continued quickly.

"The symbol was on the floor. Drawn in ash."

"Was anyone there?"

"No."

"What else did you see?"

Lyra hesitated.

Seraphina stepped forward.

"Lyra."

Her eyes lifted.

"There was a name."

Kael's wolf growled.

Seraphina felt it through their bond.

"What name?"

Lyra swallowed.

Then whispered:

"Seraphina Vale."

The room went silent.

Seraphina stared at her.

"What?"

"I saw it carved into the wood.

Kael immediately moved in front of her.

Instinct.

Protection.

Possession.

Seraphina's eyes narrowed.

"Move."

He didn't.

"Kael."

"No."

Her voice dropped.

"Move."

His gaze shifted toward her.

For one second, neither gave way.

Then Kael stepped aside.

Barely.

Seraphina walked toward Lyra.

"Why would my name be there?"

"I don't know."

"Was anything else written?"

Lyra closed her eyes.

Trying to remember.

Seraphina waited.

The entire room waited.

Finally, Lyra opened her eyes.

"Only one sentence."

"What sentence?"

Lyra's lips trembled.

Seraphina felt something cold crawl down her spine.

Then Lyra whispered:

"The first Luna must fall before the second can rise."

Kael's growl shook the room.

The guards immediately shifted into defensive positions.

Neris drew her blade.

Seraphina didn't move.

The first Luna.

Her.

The second.

Lyra.

For a moment, the entire world became very simple.

This wasn't about Kael choosing between two mates.

It wasn't about fate.

It wasn't even about revenge.

Someone had planned this.

Someone had brought Lyra to Blackridge.

Someone had created a bond powerful enough to destroy a twenty-year marriage.

And now—

Someone wanted Seraphina dead.

A sharp crash exploded from the corridor.

Everyone turned.

Then the lights went out.

Darkness swallowed the Hall.

Lyra screamed.

A guard shouted.

Kael's hand closed around Seraphina's arm.

"Stay with me."

For one terrifying second, Seraphina couldn't see anything.

Then her wolf sensed movement.

Not Kael.

Not Neris.

Someone else.

A whisper came from the darkness.

So close that warm breath touched her ear.

"Run, Luna."

Seraphina's blood froze.

Because the voice belonged to someone she had trusted for most of her life.

And before she could turn—

a hand grabbed her from the shadows.